.

-/-

.

Dick had watched as Batman, Robin and Spoiler left the cave that night. He didn't kick up a fuss, he didn't plead to go and he didn't storm out. He told them to take care and he'd have a comm on so they could call if they needed an Overwatch.

Bruce and Alfred had tried to convince him to head to bed early but Dick had only smiled and said he needed to work through some things and movement was better for that. He reassured them that he would stay on the floor training area and wouldn't do anything to pull any stitches.

Alfred had watched him for a short while before heading back up into the manor.

Dick started with stretching, before moving into some slow katas that would help him focus. Dick had never been all that good at meditating. He could do the whole sitting still thing but that just meant his mind was still racing, even while he projected the epitome of calmness. Just one more act.

Katas though, that calmed his mind. Focusing on the movement, the specific placement of his feet, followed by his hands. The breaths he was taking. Everything slowed down, the world and it's problems didn't reach him while he moved in the practiced routines.

Coming to the end of the last kata Dick stopped for a moment to continue his relaxed breathing before he moved over to his laptop he had positioned on one of the worktops. This laptop had access to all the programs and databases that the main computer had access to.

He knew there would be no keeping his searches from the rest of the family forever, but he wanted as much time as possible to finalize his plan before they interfered.

Bringing up the search bar that would pull from all the databases he typed in the key words then hit enter.

He needed to catch Cobb and the only way to do that was to freeze him. He knew Batman had a few of Mr Freeze's toys in the back storage area of the cave but he needed a much larger supply of a freezing agent to make sure there was no escape.

Cobb was faster than him. He was also stronger. If Dick was going to win then he needed to outsmart the Talon. His best plan would be to find where Liquid Nitrogen was being used in large quantities, then in a location that would have easy access and be able to lure the Talon easily into following him there. With any luck Cobb wouldn't recognize the hazard before it was too late. Liquid Nitrogen being a fairly new usage for things like food processing.

Leaving the search running Dick returned to the training area, passing the weapons rack he noticed the sword at the top of the rack. It was a long and thin blade that Dick recognized as one a League of Assassin member would use. He knew Bruce had trained a long time ago under Ra's al Ghul, he'd never actually seen Bruce use the weapon in combat though and it wasn't a weapon that Batman had taught him when he was Robin.

Reaching up to the blade Dick held it in his hands, before he gripped the hilt and held it out to his side. Twisting his wrist around to spin the weapon in his hands, Dick could tell it was perfectly balanced. Batman might not have taught Robin how to wield a sword but Deathstroke had.

The blade was longer than the pair that Dick had used while under Slade's tutelage. It was thinner though, so the weight felt similar. While with Slade, Dick had learnt to fight using a variety of new weapons and disciplines. Most of them were deadly and the mercenary hadn't shied away on showing Dick where and how a killing blow could be achieved. Very different to being taught by Batman. Shaking his head to get those thoughts from his mind, Dick moved to the center of the training area again, taking a moment to remember the routines that Slade had shown him rather than the effect they may have on an opponent.

Dick slid into the starting position taking a new deep breath as he started to move. Going slow at first as he concentrated on the precise movements. Soon though muscle memory took over and the speed increased.

Dick came to a halt after a few minutes, something felt off. He felt… unbalanced. He'd used a bo staff when he started out as Robin, for the most part it was a two handed grip so he'd moved to escrimas pretty quickly. It gave him more freedom of movement, using his weapons as an extension of his arms. Working together, yet independently. Slade had given him the pair of short blades, so he got the familiar feeling, but it was just more deadly. More like Slade himself.

He didn't have a matching set here in the cave. The sword in his hand was the only one. He looked over to the weapon rack, he needed something to balance him out. Stepping forward he reached half way up the wall and took down a shorter blade. A dagger.

He did the same tests he'd done with the sword, testing the balance. Slade had taught him how to use uneven weighted weapons and how they compensated each other.

Nodding to himself as he moved back into position, he could work with this. Dick started up his movements slowly again. Focusing on the foot placements, making them precise, following through with his arms, hands and then the blades following through.

Dick could feel the familiarity, the comfort of having both hands in possession of a deadly weapon. Even with the different weights and lengths he felt balanced. It felt right.

So he stopped thinking, let muscle memory take over. Picking up the pace as he moved faster and faster. Turning the blades in his hands so he changed the grips as he twisted through combinations of movements. Becoming more comfortable in his own skin he added in the little jumps and lunges, following through with the slices as the blades whistled through the air in clean and precise movements. The cave disappeared. His troubles disappeared. The world disappeared. There was just him and the blades. The movement of deadly precision. Nothing else mattered.

He missed the roar of the Batmobile coming into the cave. He missed the sound of Tim and Steph jumping out and stopping in their tracks when they saw his movements. He missed Steph's profanity as she watched him maneuver. He missed Batman's stare of disapproval as he watched the unfamiliar training unfold in front of his eyes, yet knowing exactly where his son had learnt this deadly style of martial arts. Learnt how to kill.

Batman pulled out two batarangs from their place on his suit and threw them one after the other. Dick would either react to the impending danger, or they would graze the side of his ribs. No serious damage would be done to the teenager.

As the blades flew through the air, Batman wasn't sure which option he wanted to occur. One option that he was so focused on the routine that he was unaware of his surroundings and these movements were no more than just practice. Or Dick would sense the blades were coming and deflect them. Proving something that he wasn't necessarily willing to accept. The training with Slade Wilson was more entrenched in his son than he wished to admit or Dick even acknowledged. That Dick Grayson, the first Robin was dangerous.

Dick halted the current motion as he twisted, raising the sword up to deflect the first object coming towards him, before the dagger followed and deflected the second. Dick stood in a ready position, the sword in his right hand, positioned behind his head, so the blade came alongside his face. The dagger in his left hand, arm outstretched and in front of him. Ready for the next attack.

"Stand down Dick," ordered Batman.

Dick remained still, his muscles tense, ready to strike at the next opportunity.

"STAND DOWN!"

Dick blinked. Then blinked again, before he relaxed and stood up straight. Looking over to Batman the two locked eyes before Dick smiled. "How was patrol?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he moved over to the weapons rack and placed the two blades in their correct places. Nobody answered him as they watched him walk over to his laptop. He clicked a few keys before closing it and holding it close to his side. He took a few steps before he turned back to face the three vigilantes. "You guys okay?"

Tim opened his mouth to comment, but closed it again quickly, looking to Batman who remained silent and watching Dick.

"What th-"

"Patrol was fine," said Batman interrupting Spoiler. "How are you feeling?"

Dick shrugged, "I'm fine. It was good to work off some tension. I might actually sleep tonight." Dick gave a small chuckle. "Did you need anything?"

"No, you turn in. We'll see you at breakfast tomorrow?"

"Sure B," said Dick rolling his eyes as he headed to the stairs. "Already agreed I wouldn't head back to Blud just yet."

The three vigilantes watched Dick move up the stairs and into the manor. As soon as the door closed, Steph whiled round to face Batman. "What the hell was that?"

Batman remained silent as he walked over to where the two fallen batarangs were laying. One was on the floor, while the other had imbedded into a wooden practice dummy.

"Batman?"

"Nothing to be concerned over," said Batman as he re-placed the weapons in his suit and turned to face the two teenagers.

"Dick didn't know we were here," said Tim. "And I've never seen him use a sword before."

"That wasn't Dick," pointed out Steph. "That was… something else."

"Dick has trained under a few different teachers. He has a lot of skills," said Batman. "I suggest you both get changed. Are you staying here tonight Stephanie, or did you need a ride home?"

Steph looked to Tim, who only shrugged. "A ride home would be good, thanks." She'd call Barbara later and find out the truth of what she just saw.

Batman nodded before heading to the main computer terminal. He needed to continue the search for Cobb. With Cobb out of the way, Dick would be better focused and stop falling back on the training Slade Wilson had taught him.

He'd take Stephanie home then go back out on patrol. It was still early for him to retire for the night. He needed to check out a few of the locations the original Court had been housed in. Maybe he would find something there to clue him into Cobb's current location.