Dick upsets Rose and she disappoints her father. The character Chemo is made into a rude nineteen year old meta that can destroy cities - while under the mob's control in Blud. Dick feels the guilt as M gets him to come to terms with why he's using Rose to cope with not getting to see his own daughter. Slade makes a deal and the rest will lie and wait for chapters to come! Find out !

Why Heroes Can't Sip Champagne and Apples are a Girl's Best Friend

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Chapter 20: Teacher of the Year

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"Your center is off; here."

Rose scoffed and at times, could be a bit less responsive to Dick's type of teaching style. She'd question why it didn't involve more rough criticism or…pushing her until she acted out like her father tended to test out. "Why are you such a softie, Grayson?"

The almost innocent question; for that first session in a long time with any fighter of her age range, made Dick just, chuckle. "Tim was as willing to ask than if not polite about it, and don't get me started on Damian."

"Why don't you go help them out, then? I'm obviously too easy, right?"

That question, though.

He rubbed his neck and tried to come up with a proper answer; that the bat fam was…. taking a break for a while. Could he say it like that?

Ever since Kori, Jason. DAMI, He'd scrunch his little nose at that women's every mention, which was how it was then... but not now.

He had to have matured just a little, as Rose gave a hand to put up his dukes. "Wanna do a mock battle?"

"The gym rep over there might revoke my membership." Dick motioned his chin to the

"In full costume, behind a few creepy abandoned warehouses?" She led on a bit, her aim for a less cramped environment since she was well, her papa was loaded. Dick put his arms down and shook his head. "Form first, then you can have your time to play hooky."

/

He didn't have a cave, yet his safe house was more a studio too high up to matter in Blud. Rose peered up at the towering scraper and then at Dick's masked eyes. They made their way to a still structurally sound dumb waiter and were to the last floor, when Rose noted the man had tensed. The large duffle swung over his shoulder had everything he'd need as she stayed quietly observing at his side.

God, he felt like Slade right now…he hated the comparison all to easily.

A key card and a secure scan later the door clicked to reveal a visitor to this little blue bird's rooftop getaway.

"Wing." A shadow in the corner moved to the side, part of it exposed as Rose's eyes widened a little.

Dick didn't say anything as he moved to drop his equipment in its duffle off of his shoulder onto a side chair by the door. "Rose, go pull out the mats. First closet; door on the left."

She didn't question, she never tried to make trouble if it wasn't one on one; too messy her father had said.

The two adults never sat, stayed risen as Dick remained behind his mask to think of a way to push Midnighter out that door again.

"So, mourning period's already ended?"

"Time it should, busy."

"With Deathstroke's cronie?"

Rose clung to the mat as she overheard that title, making her hands move and drop the mat with a thwack.

"Rose, don't engage."

"Why? Who is this creep? He has anything to say about my dad?"

"Not our concern."

She sputtered a retort as he dismissed her, downright while her body was still cortisol rich from the gym an hour ago. "Not my- My dad's rep is on the line! Who IS he, Grayson??"

"Stand. DOWN."

Her face, even masked made his tongue go dry, just to imagine her crying out at him later…

No. He wasn't like Slade. He didn't have a real temper.

Not as much as that fifty - ton gorilla.

"M, we'll talk later. Rose needs my attention –

"For what?" Snorted the rough tongue half meta sourly. "YOU have a kid, Dickie! She's not lil' M'ari, so wake the hell up! That's just how you cope, a kid for your own and you still just can't-

"MARI is safer with them, I'm not a hero to her…. not…. not that I have to be. My mentor sent you, that's probably why you won't stop."

"I'M worried that you'll trust Deathstroke anddie!"

"Stopit!" Rose shouted at the two, her lip wobbling even if M made sense about her dad's past…he still…

She ran, sobbing to the exit and locked up the elevator, M groaning as Dick scowled back and went after the little ostracized daughter of a mercenary. She had to know why, evening Slade would kick both of their asses later for getting emotional. He didn't care.

So long as she was safe.

M watched from the window and ignored the buzz at his hip. Clicking his tongue,the man relented and dragged out the device.

"Andy - bear, bad time now –

~ Bullshit ! ~ The heavenly blonde glared back at his soul mate. They were a pair, there was no way he'd try to help out a cape like this…it was, undignified behavior. ~Andy-bear, nothing! Quit bothering that poor man, he's lost a family and you can't remedy his actions. You're no Saint, after all. The name alone could put him in a bad spot since you broke his exterior before. Lovers can only remedy so much. ~

"And you supported sharing each other, for our friend…or, whatever. But he'd go off and join…Deathstroke?? That will make Blud his target; Slade never just shows up, not without wanting something in return. I don't like it." M grumbled and watched the Dick tore after Rose's footfalls, her breathing as ragged as her act.

"The kid thinks her dad would do anything, but he'd put her in the ground faster than Grayson if she can't keep up. MERCS don't make family men, or women for that matter. I know it, Dickie has to be…trying to make blood from a stone with her."

~Because she's had a tough life, love. ~Andy shook his head and imagined being in bed with his soaps about now, or a cop show. Whatever didn't rattle his brain as much as…this mess.

"We made it happen, ya know." Chuckled M. "Spyral and Dickie? Stupid Catalina and…Mirage. Face it; Kori was, his love for life, and even if Barbie said no –

~O pinions matters but the heart…you can't always faze it with logic, Hon.~ Andy shrugged back. ~ I made lasagna whenever you got back, with spinach since you can be picky. ~

"World's pickiest." Joked M with a grin.

~ After dinner, why don't we cuddle up and watch that new Asian drama. With the mother and all of those time – jumps? ~

M blinked. "Are you sure? That's over two hours of satire and martial arts in 9ne critically acclaimed package." He cleared his throat, though it did sound, nice. "Whoever falls asleep first, gets to pick the next flick."

~ Sounds like a challenge, and I intend to win it. ~

M snorted, knowing that would never ever come to pass. "You? A big ball of sunshine? I'm gonna get first dibs." He boasted, knowing he had a secret weapon. "Cause I'm Midnighter, the dark and I gowayback. You are never gonna get past fourth minutes without curling into a lump on the couch."

/

Rose was found alright, hiding in the back behind a creepy abandoned warehouse. Right on schedule.

"Rose, I need to talk to you. M is…complicated, but he was there for me and my ex when we…had a rough patch. Not all of it was a lie. Koro didn't know all of Dick's allies or enemies, some not illusive enough to her case as they were first the Titans.

"He called dad…things, I didn't like that. I don't like anyone that lumps me in as a goon…" She put her head down into her arms and sat on her knees as Dick though up a way to have Rose come back to center herself. "Oh gee, look! A creepy…abandoned warehouse. How did we ever end up here?" He leaned over the crate she was hiding behind to hint, the girl wiping her tears and…huh. He did listen. That was more than she could say for her dad's attitude. Dick was easy going but he didn't let you wallow or kick you when you felt down, while Slade was gruff. And that was a relief that Slade hadn't intruded on their bonding moment.

"Mock battle behind a warehouse?" Dick hinted again, Rise peering up over the crate cautiously. "Just, us?"

Dick smiled and nodded to the shy teenager with a regressing mind at times. "Anything, as long as no…cops show up."

She giggled and vaulted herself up onto the crate, hands at her hips as he motioned a come hither with his fingers. "I'll show you a signature move, jump in when you're ready."

/

Rose was mostly doing dishes after supper or performed katas before bed and when rising. Dick had gone to work, leaving the night wake and day to brush her face with sunlight. And a shadow across her vision.

"Rosie."

She gasped and got up, her messy mane and rather groggy vision had Slade scale her entire image up and down, his verdict.

Grayson.

"Your response time was sloppy. When did you finish your last lesson. Five? –

"Pm…. sir, yesterday. I sparred with him, for practice…" She rubbed her arms looking like a kicked puppy as little Haley in estimated with a sniff at Slade's leg.

"Your sleeping area...you didn't make your bed, and it's almost after ten. Have yourself decent in thirty minutes, less if you can manage." She flinched as she was accused of being a waste of time, his time. Of course, no good assassin was such a waste of energy to train.

"I'm taking us both out while Grayson is still on his shift. There's a client on my list and…We need, to have atalkabout your behavior."

/

Dick was having a slow afternoon. His patrol had been lax, the 0aper work didn't drag him into a corner to cover his face and bemoan the working class's structure of living and dying, he just…

Was restless to settle things with Slade. With Rose he had no idea if she was on his side completely or would be once Dick took out his latest craze.

Filling the mold as the man wanted. He flicked out his walkie talkie and radioed his other team on the east side of Blud at that moment. "All clear, heading in ten."

~ Give it your all, don't slack. See you back at the precinct, Officer.~

"Copy that, Rodger." Shaking his head, Dick saw movement by some trashcan and his senses had the nerve to drag on his Nightwing suit, post haste to the next rooftop.

Ah, mob informants out in broad daylight. Dick tutted the idea of pummeling this sneak for his own deets. What if Slade was still on his case, sending test dummies to mess with his head. Or throw him off his game.

He took the chase, tying up this one fairly easily as they cussed out a slew of insults before getting the memo. "Nice day for a stroll, you got something to share, maybe a few stolen goods you'd like to hand over to the Blud city authorities?"

Dick eyed the character, and then he did notice…

"I'm pretty nasty when you piss me off, i…. i…" His skin started to swap from rough to full on neon; green glowing flesh ate through the earth and the binds that had cuffed the trench wearing man up.

Except, he was no man.

"You're a meta, that looks to be…radiation!" Dick jumped to the side and put his hands up. "Why are you in my city?? You could wipe out a whole block –

"CHEMO." The breathless character didn't care, coughing on his own pained effluent as he expelled it from what had to be a mouth (making him like clay face or plasmus and Slade is going to use him, later though.)

"You're packing, but I'm going to have to take you in…to containment….before someone gets seriously hurt –

"Hold up, big guy!"

Dick gasped as a face from above landed his metal into the uranium bomb in the cop's way. "Got a freeze disk handy, kid?"

Dick came back to like as Midnighter loaded his special gear to shock the crooked enemy to its knees.

"Why would ice evenworkon radiation?"

"Tostall." Grunted M as he let his shot fire, not a dent.

"I'll go! I gotta make it to my safe -room! Fuck the cops! I'm on my own this time."

"We canfindyou help!" Dick covered his eyes as M protectively stood in front. "Breathe that shit in and Rosie will have to look into hiring a brand-new teacher."

Dick dropped his head, nodding with a brief thought before getting some distance from the fumes. M had better training thanks to Andy. He was only human compared to a meta like that. "Do what you can…I'm not done with Chemo, definitely fishy to me."

"Alright, wonder boy." M sniffed. "Honoring your request, kid."

Chemo got away, yet Andy was still fuming that he'd not been called to pursue the evil entity. Still scouring the streets of Blud, and too close as his powers were capped under his coat by a collar.

Donated by his Mai milk man; cheddar included." I got yet cut when you get Wilson ta put his all into our project. Can't help it if you just don't stand up straight in front of we normies."

Chemo growled, his skin now a bit less of a human mask, and his suit at the ritzy establishment his client had called him to…. was very anti – merc behavior.

To his shock, he saw a light-haired princess enjoying their time out as Slade motioned for the girl to settle down. Chemo in his man suit, almost fell over his shoes as she turned to her employ –

"You're the client?"

She sure had some guts. Interesting.

Slade eyed the male as if he'd get too cozy, motioning briskly to the booth and across from he and his kid.

"Rose, go order a non – alcoholic for yourself, enjoy the band but don't go far where I can't see you."

"I'M getting shrimp. No cocktails, they already think I look eighteen in this dis-

Slade raised a brow, as she skittered off to do as she was told.

"Your…. fam?"

"Yes, problem?"

"NONE." Chemo cleared his throat, nervously looking at his shoes. He was just a kid too, beaten and jumped by the damn elite for months before he could be just, normal.

"Kingpins in this city got it out for guys like me, we pose a threat, and a solution."

"Oh, so you have the details in full." Slade picked up his drink and let the ice crackle as he swisher the flavor, pensive moodiness masked beyond that dark eye patch. "Chemo, you have the potential of an army to, see this city to its knees. Why follow them."

"I don't exactly look like…a hero or a villain. I blend in, then break out before the night's over." He pointed to the inhibitor collar, red hot if he overstepped a few lines. "Can't hold me I don't try…but you wanted my boss, he sent me. You have your kid at this underground hell – hall? Is she special, or something-

"She's not why I'm meeting for your men; you'll not skip through the topic. Experience lacking or otherwise." In other words, his family was not up for discussion, fun fact.

"Right, then…you should know. Wing is onto the smuggling deal we have of that ore. The one you got a chunk of as compensation."

"Almost as tough as kryptonite." Slade rubbed his chin, thinking about how much that rock had been Superman's Achilles, and always would be. "I have to plan to get your name out there, this city is a dump. Yet I've seen places you just can't help but pity in a fit on your knees."

"War, man."

"Shut up." Slade snipped. "You're too young to get it, even if you suffer with your ability to destroy. Why not put it to good use." Slade pulled out a pen from his jacket pocket and of course, a bit of incentive. "You'd be cleaned up; have some jobs and you'd get to learn to control your impressive powers. All while not having to say anything to your idiot employers."

"What if I'm wearing a wire –

"You're not." Slade snorted and passed the scrap of paper to the teen with only a will to stay in control for tonight, but Rose…

Shy was he so wishy washy? She was the kid of…Deathstroke! A real ammunitions man, a classic antihero.

And didn't he hate capes and meta kids?

"What do you get, fir my answer."

Slade sat back and cradled hid drink, staring over at Rose as his eye sparked something, defiant.

"Excuse me a moment, I'll be right back." Swift and sure, he slunk over to the man hitting on his kid, and down the man fell. Rose clutched her Shirley temple while Slade dragged her to take a seat.

"Men are animals, I swear." Slade muttered under his breath as Rise sat and waited for her papa to return to his deal. As did Chemo, who swallowed by her up close. He could get hooked on doing this, fir as long as it took to see her again. (He is nineteen, she is Sixteen, don't look so shocked.)

"AS for our agreement, Nightwing topples the big man and we take the spoils. This won't be our war to fight and then?"

Slade waited for Chemo to catch onto his big finish.

"We tear apart Blud, for the sake of gettingyouto be seen for once."

It was more than that, in Bosnia.

Bosnia, Todd's grave there. Unearthed since…

Ra's had proposed something and Slade had kept his word. Chemo was here now; he was under wraps. And so too, would Nightwing eventually catch onto their fated partnership.

While Rose would be the one to lure Dick Grayson back over to the dark side.

/

Longer and I made it more akin to a crime drama instead of the Chemo arc we all recall. I'm treating him like a misguided Terra. It will get worse and we are leaving the ore in Rose's eye since she already lost one. Instead, Chemo may fall for Rose while Dick still has to go incognito to find out if Slade is the slippery fish in this big pond –notChemo. Next time, Kori finds out from a breaking news report – Dick Grayson goes missing???