The Dark Knight Chronicles – My Brother the Renegade; My Father, The Batman

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Sneak peek into the new sequal to come of this tragedy!

THIS IS A FEW YEARS LATER SEQUAL TO TORN LEGACY. WHEN BRUCE WAYNE GOES MISSING, DICK GRAYSON SUDDENLY is forced to TAKE PITY ON HIS HALF BROTHERS AND SISTERS BY VISITING HIS NEPHEW DAMIAN WAYNE. HE DISCOVERS THAT THE COURT OF OWLS WAS GIVEN PRESENDENE IN GOTHAM AGAIN BY WILLIAM COBB; A RELATIVE OF GRAYSON'S REAL FATHER AND AFTER THE MAN IS STOPPED DEAD, REVALUATION HITS. Bruce left a message before his disappearance that he wants Dick to carry the MANTLE. THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN. WITH THIS LAST REQUEST FROM THE MAN'S FORMDER MENTOR AND PARENT, DICK BEGS HIS PARTNER DEATHSTROKE FOR A CHANCE TO STEP BACK INTO THE SHADOW OF THE BAT WHILE THE KIDS KEEP SEARCHING FOR THEIR MISSING LEADER. THE NEW ADDITIONS TO THE WAYNE HOUSEHOLD; Duke Thomas and Kate Kane, both leave Dick blindsided as to what went on while he was off murdering convicted mob men in cold blood. Will this team up of enemies be Damian and Dick's way to close the case of a missing bat for good, or does Slade have other plans for his double-crossing Renegade?

Part of this will be written in POSS of Bruce, Dami, Slade and Dick etc. Find out!

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PROLOGUE: BAT GONE AWOL – OWLS, NOW KO'ED – RENEGADE? ZERO

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I messed up. Big time.

Damian Wayne; son of Billionaire and CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

Not everyone liked the Wayne's. Not everyone liked what they stood for. Months ago, that had all taken a turn for the far worst. Bruce had a secret identity that only a select few including his close family knew anything –

" Hold up!"

Dick? This is MY flashback. There will be no stalling –

"Yeah, but you forgot why Bruce went to get himself hijacked and why you became a Robin. That would make things way clearer for our readers. Want me to clue them in?"

No! You'll have your turn when I say. Right now –

"This boy is just like me, pulled from destitute circumstances and willing to reveal the truth to us all…about the Batman."

" Knock em dead. See you in the next chapter."

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Shoulder width brunette hair and spark – lit green eyes full of a passion to maintain his enemies, William Cobb was clearly mistaken by who I wasn't. I wasn't born a rat like him. I wouldn't be converted to the Owls cult…and…

Damian took a large gulp.

Batman, wasn't coming. Because right now, there is no –

A telltale string of resonating bleeps was heard behind the large room's entrance as smoke poured in to frighten the fowl creatures, including Cobb. "Secure the en –

They didn't get a shot as two blurs slammed their way through. Showering explosives and blades from the belts of the Talon they had intercepted and murdered. The screaming revolutionary members bawled and scrambled to get away from gun and katana. Their last defenses.

Cobb reached to grab a rather concussion – fated and drugged Damian, well before a foot sharply just kicked the villain's claws away to lean z hit from his bullet right into Cobb's skull before slicing it off brutally. The skull with hair still on, rolled. Dami looked up at his blood-soaked protectors before letting his eyes fall shut to be carried away from the screaming, echoing madness forever.

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A nod to Todd's way of doing things around here. He managed to tick off Slade when he saw us by the gates with Tim. Dragging on our shoulders the same kid we'd been "ordered" to save since none of the Bat clan could do what I do. I'm not just a firmer anything, I let me start back from where my nephew refused to go….

I'm Dick Grayson and at fifteen, a few ugly years ago, I came across Slade. The big crime boss deep underground. Ya see, I was a hero once. No kidding, name was Robin and I worked originally besides Gotham's – you have never heard of that place? Well, it's a sad town with hopeful pipe dreamers that the city will ever be decent,. My family came across it on our trave,s. The history behind this wonder boy was that used to be a Flying Grayson in an act that would have had you on the edge of your seat…. almost, while a mob boss Tony Zucco took my parents' lives. Then and there, I was adopted by Mr. Bruce Wayne who at night I discovered was the Batman. A crime fighter who had Aldo lost his parents like I had. He vowed to bring Zucco to justice, so I joined the capes and we caught the bad guy. Happy story, right?

Here is where you missed one key factor; why am I blowing people up for a living now and string rogue underground cultists FOR the Bat's current family?

That goes back to my current sort of…partner slash teacher, Slade Wilson. A,k.a Deathstroke the Terminator. Cheesy title, right? Well, I was blackmailed to save the team I used to lead in Jump City California to join him. For him to wipe away who Robin ever was, and in a small way….I let him.

The new Robin was first Jason Todd who goes by Red Hood now. Then Tim Drake as now, Red Robin. And Stephanie Brown, who lost the spot because she tried to kill a guy…not terrible, but there is too much blood to look over the last and final end of my legacy, Damian Wayne. Bruce's illegitimate love child and the future Batman I'd he ever listens to his elders. Kid is as bad as Jason but smarter! See, Slade took me on as hid apprentice and made me…well, ah…immortal in a word. I can't really die, but I can get hurt. I can even regenerate thanks to his tweaking of the stuff that made him as deadly an 3nemy as an ally. I'm his partner as if now, class ended when I gave up ever going back to my old life as a hero. Still, I wonder I lady luck had it out for me, that I still had things to unpack while MASTER dearest shoves me onto the front porch of my old home. To my family, I am called Dick Grayson

To everybody else? They could call me, Renegade.

And so. Here we are, back at Wayne MA or with this bundle of joy tucked under my arm amid so many grim and scowling faces….

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"Is he ok?"

Cassandra Cain touched Dami's cheek as he groaned inside a drugged-up dream world. Her dark almond orbs were fixated on how the snotty prince looked nothing like himself. He was however not easy to carry as Dick offered to explain why he was so limp in the first place.

"The Talon kept him like this and there shouldn't be any reason it won't wear off." Renegade told the group of heroes. "We came right before Cobb would have revealed his identity. So, I guess we can call it a –

" Hold everything, Dick head." Jason Todd was no teddy bear. He had muscles and knew how to use them. He and Dick –

MY TURN. His brother and second oldest to the clan of bats; also adopted by the billionaire playboy – Red hood, baby. But I wasn't always such a show offish boy wonder. I've been busting my butt in this filthy play pen for the worst out of heck. The clown prince of crime; Joker was the one who took me out of commission for example - for a few years. Damian by the way…. has a fun history, so let me tell you why everyone here is so effin' worried. Bruce Wayne was a fan of making sure he had all the moves, the stealth and control. On the soil of the sacred martial arts retreat of Nanda Parbat, he met Ra's Al – Ghul who sounds creepy. But it only gets crazier from here…. So, Bruce turned down Ra's request if we may, to become the man's heir and to marry his eldest daughter Talia Al -Ghul. Or fav, child. I always forget that part in her bio. Ah – so, she years later recovered my body after…. after the damned JOKER butchered it…. yeah, I died and Ra's got me to breathe again real swell. Like a fucking zombie with his cult fictional Lazarus Pit that brings him immortality and eternal effing life. Can you imagine? I get the hell out, stay under the bat and Talia's watch as Red X with zero memories and start becoming an intel dealer for this guy called, Slade. It wasn't until my wounds had healed that I made up my mind to find out why this Slade guy was so…. possessive of a certain familiar Robin . I found out, and in my defense…. Dick was his catch of the day. I worked with Grant Wilson, Joey Wilson and Rose. I started the anti – heroic vigilante band called the Outlaws as well in the Bat's city, Thank you very much. Ah, but Talia and I chatted over that time until…. I got into her circle for protection from Slade and…. Rose. Whoa, she was kinda something awesome but my crush will always be for Grant. He's an ok guy too now. Works in security with his mom last I heard. Slade and Dick made an agreement and Dick is now Renegade, as impervious to my jokes as he ever was. Oh, the blackmail was tech – warfare. The Titans were heroes Dick was a part of as their "leader" who were all infected with a deadlier dose of these nanoscopic probes. Me to, at one point in our game of cat and mouse. Until the day Dami came up with getting them out with him playin' a dirty trick on Slade…he poisoned Dick with a dart that he had an assassin use that could counteract his healing abilities. His fam in Ra's circle helped since they knew Slade's weakness. He…we, could have died, but Slade cared about his stupid legacy too much for his own sake to lose more soldiers. He go em all out of Dick who controlled the Titans probes; long story short – Slade injected the "control" to the real probes inside of Dick and if he retaliated or tried to undo Slade's work, he'd kill his friends, or if he died once, he'd come back and we'd be stone cold.

Pretty terrible, right? So, Slade had Dick stay Renegade cause that man has no one but Dick left in the world to trust. Besides a crusty old dude from his army days but we don't bother bringing him up so much. Now, Renegade was our suicide runner while the rest of us, kind of had a reason for hiring him to save Dami, son of Talia and Wayne. Yup, she used B's sperm while he was sleeping and drugged the man to give –

"AH, enough of your infallible explanations!"

Sorry, but the people need to know –

"That a beacon of hope was raped by his enemy to have a sassy love child that now carries the mantle? Or will? I am Timothy Drake and I apologize for my older idiot brother rotting your minds apart with his take. This is the present, so back to our story…in REAL time?"

Damn it, Timbo. You're such a wet blanket…. nerd.

"BACK TO THE STORY!"

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Dick Grayson was not offered a chair to sit down in the drawing room, nor was he at all giving reason for wanting to reminisce with the bats he'd come across by a pure plea of one. Barbara Gordon was now called Oracle and in her wheel chair from here to there, she did not hesitate to reach out to Gotham's least fine and worse yet…her ex.

"Richard, we didn't just call you here to help us stop the owls. I'm sorry, you've kind of…. gotten tricked a bit. That was all of us." She sheepishly chuckled before going silent.

"Even Alf."

"Even I, Master Dick." Alfred moved swiftly to retrieve the boy wonder in Renegade's grip. "Master Damian will require some well - needed rest, for now. Allow me."

"Oh, sure." Dick didn't hesitate as Slade watched from by the doorframe with his eye narrowing over the group. "What was your real reason for bringing him, then."

Slade and Dick's relationship was, rocky for the most part. They still bickered yet worked in unison to keep a contract or ten. Or a few million dollars in the bank to never retire by, lightly. The thing about Slade was, he trusted Dick to never lie to him ever again. If he ever did, Dick always lost the fight. Even with the wit of a tongue he possessed, Slade always knew how to leave his former protégé and favorite punching bag to crumble at the man's boots. This was why none of the bats had even wanted Slade to be involved, yet the man was glued to his former forced protégé. There was no escaping the fact. They came as a packaged deal, or not at all.

Babs chewed at her lip and rolled a bit closer to Dick. Her eyes looking behind large rim glasses that she loathed despite the options she didn't have to choose from. Besides crafting her own. A work in progress…for later, maybe. This was more important. "We know, that you don't do charity work ever, not unless he agrees to it." She nudged her chin to a grunting gorilla by the exit. Slade nodded, hearing every word. "But, none of us can find Bruce yet and…. we finally dug something up…. that you need to see!"

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The file was a year old, at least. It was a few months that Wayne had been out of commission on the news. Not a press op or even a gala held, but a select few that the kids were capable of holding. Tim had taken over for Bruce in his CEO chair and looked ready to deck the next thing that told him to go to bed without his tablet.

Alfred was an exception however, as we all know.

Dick leaned over to see the lap top screen flicker to life. The face of the unmasked male, Wayne in a land where it could be night always – the bat cave. So many memories….

~ April seventh. Happy belated twentieth birthday, Dick. Despite not being here with us, you might have to decide if what I have to say will change how you live in your world. I've taken into careful consideration. Ra's armies are active in the Middle East and Young Justice is having little luck in fanning the flames. I'm going to go off in about a few days to investigate a deadly hidden weapon that the Syndicate he serves might be plotting to use on other nations. There is a leak that Deathstroke might have details on who is responsible, but I don't want to start a fight just yet. Damian, is Robin now. Just like you wanted. Just like I expected he'd eventually take on a role to get closer to what I do. That one day, you would have worn this cowl with the pride of knowing that Gotham had hope because we gave it a chance. A fighting chance, that should I still lose with the help of the JLA and heroes abroad, I need you to listen closely to what has to happen. Regardless of all we had lost together, you are still my son and the first boy wonder that ever started a movement that will never die. The same is not true of my role as the Batman. The next dark knight knows how to move, walk and talk just like, someone he knows. Like you, Dick. ~

Richard paused as Slade raised his head to watch over by the door. Not wanting to have the kid nervous right now.

~I know it is against your assassins' code to have anything to do with my legacy, let alone to be the man behind the mask since Renegade rarely covers his face. ~

That was true. Dick never wore a mask because no one had any desire to do a thing to hurt those he was no longer connected to. But now? If he did have tabloids on his return to Gotham? He'd have to don one immediately. This left a lump in the pit of his stomach as Bruce seemed to plead out more than he ever had. Persuasive, manipulative. And ….

~Just, if this city. If Gotham doesn't have the Batman, then there is no hope for any of those that want to protect it. I need you to wear my face for a time. Just until I know I won't be abducted and held against my will…and I can determine that will occur in the future if I undergo this…. that Damian needs a father, his family and most of all, a friend to keep him out of danger. I know Wilson will disagree to these terms. That he'd negate the fact that you have any involvement, but you're still my son and there is no need to change the fact that you can only wear that mantle proudly. I am hoping to see you one day, Dick. Maybe not ever, but I don't blame you for what you did to protect them. That you should kn –

It cut off as the fizzle of the tape looked to contain more info. Babs pulled it out and blew on it. "That wasn't supposed to happen?"

"I hope so, we're leaving Dick."

"Wait."

Slade turned his shoulder to the boy's response. He was just too stubborn all these years to hear the gunshots rattling out.

"It's not our place."

"It is. For now, they need…"

"He can't do it? What are you? His warden?" Jason growled at the mercenary. "Don't be such a prick –

"Todd…" Tim warned as Slade's temper rose.

"If you stay, I have permission to as well."

"Only if."

Slade raised a brow at the former hero.

Dick looked to Babs. She looked at him, a different him that had no idea what to do next.

"Dick."

"Grayson…" Slade lilted over, the ex-hero seething in a single breath. For the first time…. for the very first time…

He turned back to Slade, yet not in the way Renegade would ever have. "I want to stay and help them. Even if I lose, I can't die. I can –

"That would risk more than you know."

"I know!" Dick protested. "I, know that. Which is why…" He'd grown a bit taller; the training and the serum having had the effect in recent years so far. His hair was shorter too. Slade had told him that a long - ass haired hippie was not what he'd be, so it was done. Same as his reflexes. He was no longer as lean, but as he should be. An adult willing to bet that he could try and fill the bat's shoes. While finding out how to save his parent in the meantime. Get Slade to cooperate…maybe, be good for once?

"Barbie." He turned to the red head as she swallowed at that old nick – name. "Show me to the cave."

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Chapter one is …. almost done! Why is Dick really doing this against Slade's better word? Is he spiting the man personally, and what will Slade do to make sure Dick fails? Find out!