Be Resolute

Officer Dick Grayson Week 24

Dick walked down Beckton Street for what felt like the thousandth time. As a beat cop, he had to continually, habitually, routinely, walk a specific path down his assigned neighborhood. If he was honest, he'd say it was boring as hell. His assigned neighborhood was completely event free. There was Alyona, the little grandma selling coffees by her hot beverages cart. Joey would toss his trash out onto the street every morning at 9am. Gertrude would walk her chihuahua every morning before getting her bagel at Starbucks. Everything was the same. More importantly, there was no crime (no really, this neighborhood of Bludhaven was squeaky clean).

"Здравствуй, бабушка Алена. Как внуки?" Dick asked the nice old lady.

(Hello Grandma Alyona. How are the grandkids?)

"О, они фантастические. Маленький Питер уже начинает ходить! Он такой милый," she replied

(Oh they're fantastic. Little Peter is starting to walk now! He's so cute!)

"Приятно слышать. Сергей правильно к вам относился?"

(That's great to hear. Has Sergei been treating you right?)

"О, ты не беспокойся о нем. Он просто маффин. Но ты хотя. Вы нашли красивую даму? Я могу свести тебя с племянницей моего друга, Ниной!"

(Oh, don't you worry about him. He's just a muffin. But you though. Have you found a nice lady? I can set you up with my friend's niece, Nina!)

"Бабушка, я уже говорил тебе. У меня есть красивая и любящая девушка", Dick replied showing her his ring.

(Granny, I've told you already. I have a beautiful and loving girlfriend!)

"О, как красиво. она должна быть очень особенной леди!"

(Oh how beautiful. She must be very special lady)

"Самый лучший! Мне пора идти, бабушка. Спасибо за кофе!"

(The best! I've got to go now Granny. Thank you for the coffee!)

After walking his beat, Dick would return to his desk at the 48th precinct where more paperwork piled onto his desk. More evidence logging. More criminals being transferred from holding cell to state penitentiary. More parking tickets to process. It was all the same. He knew that he'd have to climb the ladder to really make a difference, but Dick really thought he'd be out in the field by now six months since he graduated from the academy. It didn't help that Zee was being called out to more team missions without him. His friends were all busting bad guy butt and actually saving the world as he sat at his desk signing off on evidence submissions. It almost felt like Captain Wuntch was keeping him off the streets.

"Hey, Captain," he asked as he finished his latest walk around his beat, "Got anything for me?"

"Huh? Grayson, back from the beat I see. I think there's a stack of papers on your desk."

"Ugh, Captain please! That's all I've been doing for months. Is there anything I can do in the field or something?"

Wuntch rubbed her chin in contemplation a little. After a few moments she smirked.

"Leland!"

"Yes Captain?"

"Take Grayson here on your way to that robbery that was called in. Machato's Corner Shop."

"Uhh, you sure?" Leland asked a little suspiciously

"Positive. Let's see if Grayson is our kind of guy."

"Right, of course."

Dick found the exchange a little too weird, but he brushed it off excited for at least some piece of action. Leland and Dick got into a squad car with Leland driving. However, he wasn't really in that much of a hurry.

"Hey uh, Leland. Isn't there an active robbery? Shouldn't we turn on the siren and go faster than 40mph?"

"Don't worry, Grayson. We'll get there when we get there."

Twenty minutes later they did indeed get there when they got there. Unfortunately, the robbers had already left.

"Mr. Machato, could you describe your assailants in great detail?" Leland asked.

"There were four guys. All maybe six feet or so. I couldn't make out their faces with the masks. It was all a blur. But they took all my money! Everything in my cash register, my back room safe. Hell, they took some skittles too! I'm barely making rent as it is!"

"Don't you worry Mr. Machato, we'll hunt these bastards down."

Leland and Dick left the poor store owner sobbing at his shattered glass door.

"What the hell, Leland? If you had drove faster, we would've gotten here and caught the guys."

"Grayson, Grayson, those perps were long gone by the time we got the call. Ease up, no need to rush into the fray. We never woulda caught them."

"Still though, they took that guy's livelihood. We coulda made a difference."

"Kid, stay in your lane. I doubt we woulda made any difference."

Officer Dick Grayson Week 27

"I'm telling you guys, there's nothing here! I don't know why you feel the need to barge into my office without a warrant!"

"Cut the shit, Mr. Fincher. There have been multiple corroborated reports about you hoarding a boatload of HFS. We're here to sniff it out," Captain Wuntch scolded.

"I am a member of the district attorney's office! I can sue your entire department for unlawful harassment!"

"Grayson! Check his desk. Pull anything you find suspicious from there."

Dick did as he was told. Pulled out every drawer and rustled through each and every stack of paper. Pens, paperclips, stress balls. Normal office stuff. Nothing odd.

"There's nothing here, Captain. Just standard office supplies."

"Kaskey, look again. Make sure Grayson here didn't miss any important evidence."

"Captain, I can assure you I'm thorough."

"Hold it! We got a winner here," cried out Kaskey, "Lookie lookie artichokie."

Kaskey pulled out from the drawer a small bag filled with HFS pills. He waved it around Dick's face before giving it to the captain.

"Looks like you need your eyes checked Dickie"

"Wait! I checked that drawer! There was nothing there!"

"Officer Grayson, how could you miss such important evidence like this. Mr. Fincher, I hereby place you under arrest for possession of the illegal drug HFS."

"Wait what!? That's not mine! I swear! I've never touched the stuff in my life! I'm being framed!"

"Captain!" Dick shouted, "That bag was not in that drawer before! Kaskey must have-"

"What are you insinuating, Officer Grayson? That this evidence was planted? That's a serious accusation. You sure you want to go down that route?"

"I uh. Sigh, no Ma'am. Sorry ma'am."

"Good. Now take former District Attorney Fincher here back to the precinct for booking."

As Dick took Fincher to the squad car, Kaskey and Wuntch had a little chat.

"Grayson's a goodie two-shoes. He's gonna blow the whistle at some point," Kaskey commented.

"Pft. He's weak. So long as we keep our thumb on him, he won't do nothing," replied Wuntch

Officer Dick Grayson Week 31

On this cold winter's night, Dick and Leland were driving around in their squad car patrolling the docks. It was a slow evening, and all seemed quiet. Well, all except the cranes of dock 23.

"Hey, it's close to eleven. Why are those cranes working?" Dick asked.

"Eh it's probably nothing. Must be some guys working overtime," answered Leland.

"Uhh I don't think so. Dock workers are unionized and would not approve working this late into the night, especially with heavy machinery. We should check it out."

"Don't do it, Grayson. You're just gonna waste time."

"Our shift's almost up anyway. Nothing else to do. Besides, I'm the one driving."

Dick pulled the car up to the entrance of the container field. At the gate were two burly looking guys. They wore the dock uniforms but certainly did not belong.

"Evening gentlemen. I'm Officer Grayson and this is my partner, Officer Leland. You mind answering a few questions?"

Both workers crossed their arms and eyed Leland before returning back to Dick.

"What ya wanna know, Officers?" one of the guys huffed.

"Why are you guys working so late?"

"Eh late shipment came in. Boss told us to stick around and get it settled. No biggie."

"A shipment this late? Was it on the manifest?"

"Yea. They hit a storm coming from Brazil. They got delayed. Finally showed up an hour ago. Just unloading and organizing the cargo."

"And what is in the cargo?"

"No offense Officer, but that's private property of the shipping company. Contents are on a need-to-know basis."

"Well, as an Officer of the law, I should need to know. The contents could be illegal."

"OK! Grayson, you've overstepped your boundaries. These men are clearly working hard to put food on the table for their families. You should step off and let these men work. Sorry to bother you, boys."

"Leland!"

"Now! Grayson!"

Begrudgingly, Dick left. Behind him, Leland and the workers sent knowing looks and moved on.

Back at the Arconia, Dick furiously paced back and forth in his and Zee's apartment.

"This is getting ridiculous! First, they banish me to desk duty and my beat, then they're actively letting crimes happen! Slow to respond to calls, planting evidence on innocent people, I knew Bludhaven was corrupt, but this is insane!"

Patiently, Zee sat on the couch in a warm robe and fuzzy slippers sipping a cup of hot cocoa as she waited for Dick to vent out his frustrations. Beside her, Pocus also settled on the couch moving his head back and forth as Dick kept pacing.

"Everyone in my precinct is in on it! Nobody respects me. They give me all the shitty jobs and cases. They're literally trying to push me away while the mafia, mob, triad, or whatever the hell is controlling the city commit crimes right under our noses. Gah!"

Finally, he collapsed on the couch causing Pocus to jump out of the way onto the armrest. Hoping to calm him down, Zee tugged on his hair signaling him to rest his head on her lap. As he laid down, she put the cocoa on the end table. Pocus jumped up and curled onto his chest while Zee scratched Dick's head.

"How could I ever think I could make a difference on the right side of the law? Maybe Bruce's way is the only way. Even now, I can't escape Batman's shadow," he grumbled.

"Hmmm I wouldn't say that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well for starters, you have to have known that big change won't take place overnight, especially when you're just a starting officer."

"Yea."

"And secondly, you need to follow your gut a little more. Where's the resolute no-nonsense Dick Grayson I fell in love with? You've never let authority dictate what you've done before."

"I mean, that was before all this became a paying job. A literal career. Our livelihood depends on how I perform."

"Oh? I thought this wasn't about the money. I thought this was about helping people and making a difference?"

"Well, yea it's still about that. But I can't move up in the ladder and root out the corruption if I'm stuck behind a desk all the time or being forced to look the other way as crimes happen."

"Then don't."

"Zee it's not that simple."

"Yes, it is. Way I see it, there are people standing in your way. They are berating you, belittling you, putting you down. Right now, the whole world is telling you that you are wrong, that you are in their way and you should move. But no. You, Richard John Grayson, should have the heart and determination to plant your feet like a tree, look those people in the eyes, and tell them 'No. You move' That is the man I fell in love with."

"I guess."

"You don't necessarily have to do it Batman's way. You can do it your own way. Sure, Bruce taught you a bunch of things, but those lessons are just tools in your tool box. You're so much more than that. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to help this city the Dick Grayson way! C'mon. Let's go to bed. You can figure out your next move in the morning."

They got up off the couch and tucked themselves into bed. Zee was tired from her show earlier in the day and fell right to sleep. Dick on the other hand, laid on his back wide awake. He was irritated. He could not shake the suspicion of what those dock workers were doing. Something was going on and he desperately needed to find out what. Finally with strong resolve, he got out of bed, put on a pair of black jeans, a black hoodie, a spare domino mask, and an extra utility belt. Sneaking away from their room, Dick jumped off his balcony. Ten minutes later, Zee rolled in the bed expecting to wrap her arm around her boyfriend's warm torso. Instead, she was met with empty sheets still warm from his body heat. She grabbed his pillow and hugged it instead with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Go get 'em, Tiger."

Back at Dock 23, the supposed workers continued to move containers around.

"Yo that was a close call with them cops."

"Eh it's alright. Leland's one of us. It's that new kid. He thinks he's supposed to do good or some shit. He'll get the message eventually."

"Yea I guess. Ayo, Leland tells me the kid's got a smoking hot wife or whatever. Maybe they'll finally decide to waste the dead meat. Then, the poor widow's gonna need a shoulder to cry on."

"As if! You're ugly as shit. She'll come runnin to me instead."

At that last comment, all the overhead lights began shattering one by one. Darkness fell upon the workers.

"Uhh what the fuck was that?"

"Was it a power outage?"

One of the workers stepped on something. He picked up what looked like a little metallic disc.

"What is this supposed to be?"

"AHHHH"

"WOAAH"

"HOLY SHIT MAN!"

One by one, workers were snatched up into the darkness. One thug hung by his leg under the crane. Another was pinned to a container wall by a net. Two guys were tied up together by a bola.

"Regroup! He can't take all of us!" one thug cried.

Just as they gathered in the center of the docks, a dark figure dropped down in the middle of them all. In quick succession, the figure punched, kicked, elbowed everyone in the huddle. He even grabbed someone's arm and vaulted him towards the wall. Finally, all of the thugs in the group were all knocked out. One still remained and he was terrified. The last thug shakily held a pistol in his hand. He kept swiveling around looking for this mysterious attacker.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?" he shouted tired of being hunted

As he backed up, he felt a tiny whisper blow behind his ear.

"Here"

"AHHH" the thug screamed as the dark figure knocked him out cold.

Dick tied up all the thugs and placed them in the center of the docks. He grabbed a crowbar and began prying open the locks of one of the containers. After a tiny struggle, he finally got one open.

"Holy shit!"

Inside were crates and crates of rifles, pistols, snipers, rocket launchers, even grenades. But they all took green cartridges as ammo. His eyes widened realizing what he had stumbled upon. Immediately he pulled out his phone hoping to call in some backup…..until he realized the big guy he needed was off-world. So, he called the next best thing.

An hour later, Dock 23 was crawling with DEO agents, busting open container after container of kryptonite weapons, Apokoliptian weapons, and some just really high-tech earth weapons. Dick sat on atop a building ledge observing the whole scene below him. Eventually, someone gently landed behind him.

"Thanks for finding these weapons, Dick. Who knows what kinds of mayhem these creeps were up to."

"Yea. I ran into them earlier. My dumbass partner turned me away, but my gut kept telling me something. I honestly should be thanking you, Kara. With Bludhaven police getting bribed left and right, I just didn't know who to call."

"Well, I'm glad to have helped."

"Yea."

"Something tells me this is more than just business."

"It's late. I don't wanna keep you from classes. Journalism school must be hard"

"Dick it's ok. I'd do anything for you."

Dick turned to her with a confused look raising his eyebrow a little. Immediately realizing her slip-up, Kara blushed and rushed to fix her mistake.

"I uh. Well I mean cuz we're good friends! Haha yea! Phew y'know sounding board haha. Fire away!" she stuttered

Smiling a little, Dick patted a spot next to him. Shyly, she sat down.

"I left Gotham and came to Bludhaven wanting to make a difference. But also, to get away from being a masked vigilante for a bit. I wanted to help people with a face. But now, I don't really know how to go about it anymore. My superior officers are preventing me from doing anything meaningful. I know big change takes time, but I can't just sit here while officers around me actively ignore crime. I'm just stuck right now."

"Hmm. Can I tell you a story?"

"Uh sure"

"Well, this is more Kryptonian folklore than anything. My father used to read it to me when I was younger. It's about this hero in Ancient Kandor. He was a great warrior. Legend has it, he was sent down by Rao himself. Supposedly, this hero's sole purpose was to protect Kandor and its people. But he never really knew how to do it. He started small. He helped with little jobs. Cleaning shops, delivering goods. That sorta thing. Eventually, people learned of his boundless strength. So, they had him build houses. These things were easy for him. Nothing spectacular but nothing stimulating either. He didn't feel like he was really protecting the people. Then one day, he fell in love. He got married, had kids, the whole shebang. The hero wanted to settle down with his family. He stopped doing odd jobs for the people of Kandor. No more cleaning. No more construction etc etc. The city became dirty. The buildings were cracking and many even collapsed. It pained the hero to see his city in disarray, but he was done, retired even. Then one day, he and his wife were walking down the market and he saw an evil being attack a poor defenseless lady. His wife begged him to leave it be fearing he would get hurt. Instead, he shrugged her off and defended the poor lady easily defeating the evil being. The lady thanked him and promised to perform one favor of any kind. The hero being humble did not accept and they went their separate ways. Months later, the hero's son fell ill. Desperate, he took the boy to a local hospital where he was greeted by the very same lady he had saved months before. Turns out, she was a strong healer and cured his son instantly. It was then the hero realized big or small, each of his choices and actions can make a big difference in the long run. He had great power and held a great responsibility to use them for good. He went back to the odd jobs, to the construction, but also added a new job. He worked hard to truly be Kandor's protector making the city a better place to live and improving the lives of the people in it."

"Hmm."

"Y'know. That story reminds me of you. You're a little lost and unsure of your next move. You keep doing small things like going to college and then becoming a cop thinking you're fulfilling your purpose, but you're not entirely sure. If you ask me, you, Dick Grayson, were born to help people. Your big heart won't allow you to be constrained or held back by some stupid bureaucracy or dumb superior officers. That's because you know that if you ever stop, people will get hurt."

"Huh. You're pretty smart for a pipsqueak."

"Hey! I'll have you know I've grown immensely! Besides, you were the short one!"

"And you were the younger one."

"Har har."

"What was the hero's name anyway?"

"Well….."

Officer Dick Grayson Week 33

"Hey Lucius! Sorry to spring this project on you like this. I hope it wasn't too tricky."

"No no, Mr. Grayson, it's quite alright. I like a challenge."

"Sounds good then. Let's see what you got."

"Well I know you wanted a lighter material than Mr. Wayne's attire. I also understand that you said no capes?"

"Yea. Maybe it's the weight I've put on as an adult or whatever, but taller me means more cape material and that just causes drag. It slows me down. I prefer a speedier more agile approach than Bruce's strength approach."

"I see. Well, I've developed this new material. It's still prototypical but I think it'll fit your specifications," Lucius said as he opened a large, padded briefcase, "Here we go. Hardened Kevlar plates over titanium-dipped tri-weave fibers for flexibility. You'll be lighter, faster, more agile."

Just then, Zatanna walked into the lab while Dick picked up the chest piece of the new armor.

"Heya Zee! Check this out!"

"Hmm neat. Is it bullet proof?"

"Well, we're still finalizing testing on that," answered Lucius.

Looking around, Zatanna spotted a loaded pistol on the desk. She picked it up, cocked it, and pointed it at Dick. Quickly, she pulled the trigger causing Dick to freak out and hide behind the chest plate he was holding.

*BANG BANG BANG*

Hot shell casings fell harmlessly to the floor. The chest plate remained unscratched and intact like it was new. Satisfied, she put the pistol back on the desk while Dick peeked out.

"Yea, I think it works," she smiled as she sauntered off.

Lucius emerged from under the desk as he and Dick continued to watch Zatanna walk off. Not taking his eyes off her, Dick handed Lucius some notes.

"I had some ideas about the uniform," Dick said.

"Sure, whatever you want, pal"

High atop the Bludhaven Municipal Building, Dick perched on a gargoyle. He fastened the straps on his boots, pulled his gloves tight over his hands, clicked his new utility belt into place, and put on his new domino mask. He closed his eyes taking in the sights and sound of the city he called his new home. Sirens could be heard wailing in the distance. He stood up, ready for action.

"Time to go to work."

Turning around, he leaned back and let gravity take him and he flew down the ledge. He pressed a button on his belt and a pair of blue wings popped out from his sides. With his new wingsuit, he glided across the Bludhaven skies. His momentum was so great that he actually flew right past a BPD helicopter spooking the pilot.

"What the hell was that?" the pilot shouted.

Nightwing Week 1