Teen Titans – Side Stories and After – Snippets; Foxes Upon Foxes and Magical Girls Galore

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I really liked the rendition of Deathstroke; Knights and Dragons so much, that I decided to subject this Title to its great contribution to the imagination. This takes place after These New Years Part one arc, the future scenario that was predicted by Roku' "ghost" as it were. Dick passed on his influence to the kids, and they have Kori's powers as well. Let's see how this will fly – it ties into the Galactic Eros arc as well, so don't miss out on either!

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Galloping, Gallivanting Knights in Shining Armor:

His time in Bludhaven, was a bigger waste than the year he'd been lost in space with the Titans. (Stranded.)

Actually, it had become a vacation home for NightWing…

Ever since Roku's influence had permeated his senses, the rest had taken hold (These new years arc; part one.)

Ava and her siblings were still too young, and…well, NightWing had needed to roam. He wasn't ready to face them, not yet anyway.

Ava's school pageant, Aiden's first steps, Annie's first words…

Getting back to his patrol, Dick Grayson had taken on this cover to keep his demons at bay, like an animal that needed to expend its energy. He had to rid the cycle from his consciousness in the only way it would allow.

Roku in the past… as a Titan, had told him that Dick WOULD eventually snap.

He didn't exactly, he…Was on a job that was to uncover a very painful smuggling operation, where only NightWing could get the scoop.

And Dick Grayson? Was gong to infiltrate the group.

Incog. Somehow…

He'd worked with his old buddies from an organization called S.P.Y.R.A.L. They had his back, for as long as this mission would span out for; getting in close to the ones in charge of project S.U.P.E.R. Whatever it was, the native community of baddies here, typically treated the visiting crooked mob as if they were up to no good -as if this project were no regular bust.

It was big, so in his outfit and false guise, Nightwing willingly pulled a "Bruce" on the crowd.

Heads would roll if he didn't make it out with the data that he needed to shut down the project for good.

Super. He had to make this work, or there was no way home otherwise.

Dead or alive, cause heck!? This was Bludhaven!

Ten times worse than Gotham and filled top to bottom with darker secrets lurking around every –

He saw a face and just stood there. Stalk still against the concrete of the unwelcoming warehouse meetup.

Another incognito officer??

Oh, wait…He looked…

Shit.

He saw a kingpin enter the room with a second, a man with a white trench and dark glasses. A black beard and mustache as well as being pretty tall and fat to be seen around Bludhaven late this evening.

He was speaking to another guy, a real ne're do well.

Blockbuster . Smuggling. Assault. Illegal actor, extraordinaire. The one in charge of bringing home the gold. With a wild temper to boot. He'd clocked Dick's alter ego in the gut a dozen or so times since his return to this city…

~ I just walked into, the deal of a lifetime…Shit. ~ The previous night, Dick had made the same appearance and had joined his enemy's gang like a no big – but now?

Jerome Simmonds was just what they saw him as. That's all, right?

~Who is he? ~ Seriously, Dick was ogling over the staff who needed to trim that beard or he'd ….

Seriously…. Had he seen the man before in Metropolis?

"Dr. Evans!" Blockbuster knew, as Dick mosied in on the man's territory on tip toe. He was a gang crony, so why not the tough guy approach?

He didn't want to end up dog chow, and Ava's field trip was in another week. He had promised to chaperone. They were going, on a trip to the Children's Science Museum.

"My time here in Bludhaven won't be a waste, I imagine." He spoke well, for a crooked lab assistant.

"You betcha. Eh, so what's in the case? You said this thing is a greater feat than something Cadmus can pull outta a hat?"

Blockbuster was testing him. Tiger Shark could do better, or Black Mask…Dick just watched beside the other cronies.

Throwing on his hidden mics, he had to get this detail across.

"Yes, and so much more. It can, eradicate Supers with the push of a button. A mind-altering transformation." The doctor grinned, but that smirk…had Dick on his toes. Why didn't it genuinely seem, evil enough?

The whoop in the back was by a drunk idiot – who was walloped and tossed out to be beaten to his knees, so Dick got in a bit closer. Nightwing could –

The doc signaled, with a free hand to his side in Morse code and Dick…. knew he'd needed to keep low.

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~D.S. ~

Dick wanted to flee, to give up but…

Death….

It had followed him, lured him to this place.

No, it…

Was on his tail.

Willing to give him an early enough –

STROKE.

He put together the pieces, but none of it added up. Why a –

"Are you shittin' me?? Where's the –

The man's fat suit was a fake copy of the one he'd seen in a screen shot before the job had even crossed his mind.

His arms out and up, He had a pretty explosive personality –

"Down! All a –

A loud crackle of flames, as the man was left to a destroyed "fake" S.U.P.E.R project, and Dick –

Well…He'd not checked behind him to see Blockbuster with a dang brick at his skull.

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"Kid! Kid? Shit, you took the hit….my job wasn't to leave you standing…. shit…Ah…"

The voices died and he was out cold.

The movement and rustle of cloth. A simple breeze from a window or ledge they were on. Being rescued by the enemy was, awkward. He was too old to be treated…

Like Robin had….

They made it back to Slade's flat for that night. Richard heard beeping from a computer as he tried not to fall asleep again.

Right, everything ached…

"Can't do this, shit…I have no choice. The project wasn't all fake." The killer for hire clicked his tongue and soon, a cold object entered Dick's veins - getting his immediate attention. He wanted to get up and retch in to a nearby toilet, moments later. He never did, sadly. It passed…

"Calm down. You're not healing up that way. Seriously, if I had known that you'd gone into Bluehaven in that drag… -

" Whaat…. what…. di…"

"It's a special, healing factor. Same as the project you tried to shut down, but…not the original." Slade typed away on a nearby keyboard, where Dick's body was lying flat on top of a comfy sofa…The man knew how to travel light…

"He…. hea….wh… -

"Quiet. I'm making sure to contact your bosses and to keep them aware of the situation. S.P.Y.R.A.L carries its logo on everything you own, right now. Wasn't hard to figure it all out. How long were you on this case, by the way?"

"Why…sk…"

"I'm asking, because you are going to be terminated if they find out, so? You'll die for them, instead. For now. They aren't very resourceful –

"Wrong…. they'll… -

Slade clicked a few more keys and finished the man's sentence with a sigh.

"They can't do what I can. Fake a death. But, you're right…Why waste the opportunity to catch up. For old times sake, Dick.."

He turned back to the man on his sofa with a smirk. "You'll be out of the job for some time. That gash is a few week's worth of recouping on my sofa. I can't have that. Maybe, I should dump you off at their front door –

"Home…" Dick coughed. "Have to…. unggh…." Groaning, he found it hard to sit up. Slade moved from his chair to the sofa's arm to fix that. "Like I said, the factor will take time and I don't want to see you perish. Hurts my conscience for some reason."

Dick snorted, wincing by the effort that took.

"Really? So, you do have some spite left for me? Been not long enough for my tastes, kid –

"I'm…married…..kids –

"I know. Who doesn't know about the three; one is a being unlike you and your significant other, and the two? Fire – power like momma –

"Wh –

"You didn't see it? Hmm…Just last week, in the papers. The school by the bay…was, in turmoil. I thought it was too coincidental until I saw the report pop up. Then, a week later was another. Star bolts, and something you'll figure out eventually. Congrats, Grayson. You're officially like me –

" Ang …Not…. true… -

"YOU may not be a meta to them, but you would have been the "Addie" to this situation. Starfire would have been the one to pass on some of those genes…. but, the dragon helped –

Dick forced his eyes directly onto the older man's one grey and blue gaze.

"How….?? B…. Ro….He was –

"The dragon passed on his gift to his "successor." Slade chuckled and left to return to his reports.

"Be a good little vigilante and rest up, will you? I know you don't like this as much as I hate playing the nurse. It has to be, that I owe you that much…. Grayson…" He watched as Dick's eyes had begun to droop. Had he not been with a painkiller like that beauty, then Dick's bleeding skull would have had Kori breaking down in tears. Dick had been spared and Slade, saved his ass, so he was just returning a long overdue favor. That's all.

After all, the man's three kids were about to have a fourth addition. That, was something Kori's tabloid photos couldn't hide. She was glued to his consciousness, just like his ex- apprentice.

Fast asleep, Dick could live through the pain, but the dose from the factor? Was a long one. It would not leave his subject as before. Slade had taken a heavy sample of it during his time in the army as a willing lab rat. That had made him, want to fight the good fight. Heck, he had kids. Killers and Titans. They were not so different to him. So, he let Dick seep on while his fingers pounded away at the keyboard in front of him.

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END PART ONE…..TO BE CONTINUED! …..DUN DUUUN…..