Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes

/

Chapter 67: Ride Along

/

A Johnny Rancid Ep and some in-between on the real Robin through Larry before Larry.

/

Robin had joined the team. So what? Bruce said to stay put and watch fir signs that Slade would be active with his new wind up doll. All of it felt sick, not just by what Todd had done to his brother.

Ywt what was going to happen, should Renegade find out too much by Slade's bug fat mouth making it all worse with his lies.

The attack cane as dawn, before the day got bright and it RAINED. Harder than in Gotham's sewers.

"Can't catch me, dipshits! I'm the top dog of the city!!"

A pale teen that reminded Jason of a younger Lobo, Superman's enemy, was off on a meta – sized motorcycle with a lot of power in one hand. He had a beaming tool that did more than run them all off a cliff. At five am, rain in their hair, Jason elected to what was what. Cy called in Bb to tag along, so he did. The two were no match. At least Bb couldn't see through the mess of beans as Robin took off across the city on the bike belonging to his brother before his leave.

It all was wrong, but he had no choice. Dick didn't know about being a hero, only a victim. And the only way he's save his brother was to listen to his head.

His head, was about to go flying off the Jump City bridge, just in time for an arm or set of stumpy arms to pull the kid from the edge. His bike skidded as Johnny Rancid gave a sneer and the middle finger, his eyes as hellish and punk rock as they came.

"Don't know if a dumb kid should even be driving that toy, but you can't keep up. Try an stop me –

"He wants a rematch, felon!"

Jason twisted his neck to see a pint sized child or imp…could be both, in a Robin costume with his arms to his hips as if this were the best option to intimidate their foe.

"He'll be here to kick your sorry keister back to the dump, and your trike. By sundown. We have time, right?"

JJason took another look as Johnny growled, his lips curling up into a satisfying grin.

"I accept your proposal, an' id this kid loses to me this time, he gives up his ride. And let's me do whatever the hell I want."

"What?!? I can't agree t –

"Deal, pardner. Sundown. Don't forget it. " The tiny dude used whatever imp powers he had and levitated over – shaking the demon son's hand as Jonny chuckled and sped off over the bridge. Jason was left on the pavement, his bike coated in rain as he checked it over.

"I gained you some more time. Now we can talk. Ok, other Robin?"

/

Jason took his helmet to the Titans g Armageddon and shoved it in a corner. Ctmy saw him and Bb was already back after being blasted into the roof of an office building during that morning run.

"Dude! What the heck happened? You're totally soaked…"

"I ran into some trouble. You need to step in. This thing –

"Not a thing, a what and a whom!" The pint-sized Robin figure swam around the room as he did resemble a bat – mite from Bruce's glory days.

"You got a fan, or an imp?"

Cy scratched his head as maybe Raven's influence was rubbing off. "Cy, how is she? I know I…Dick isn't-

"He's actually who I wanna bring up. Like, without him watching us?"

"Oh, I forgot my introduction!" The Robin imp moved and face palmed himself, spitting on Bb's face as the cat Bb had to ring off the impossible saliva. "Dude! Major loogie alert!!

He growled at the imp as it went for an interdimensional way of spontaneous showing – off.

"From the ninth quadrant. The fourth dimension ( playing on this because this Larry is what Richard was before any of this could ever be, alt universe) born to a tragedy that changed him for the better….the one and only….NosYARG CKID!!!"

Cy gawked and Bb had to as well.

"Wait…isn't that Dick's name –

"Spelled in reverse. Guys, this imp…"

"Dick? Oh, you mean Robin!"

"He's not in commission anymore, lil dude." Bb corrected. "We kinda let him off the hook."

Jason bit his lip and tried to fix that answer. "No, you…Nosy –

"Call me Larry! I always wanted a person's name from your planet!" The character ear splittingly requested.

"Larry…Robin on our world, wasn't always being….ah, such a good person. I'm the new-

"I know who you are…" The little imp stepped back as he floated away from Todd. "You took on his face and name but you don't have all of his charm. In my world, Dick Grayson is a living legend. NITE Mite even was a celebrity who sent me to find you guys!"

"Why didn't he come, then? You are really misleading. I mean, we thought you were our new –

"NO NO!!" Larry protested, his annoying shrill temper seemed to have no bounds. Erratic as it was, Jason refused to let the thing out of his sights just yet. "Is Night mite this special person to you? Does he know about my brother, Larry??"

"He knows what you need to do to stop it. So does our Nightwing."

"Night…" Cy blinked.

"Wing??" Gawked Bb. "Who is he talking about??"

"Who is that, Larry. Tell us."

"I dunno. The space time gods would fry me!" Fretted the pocket-sized hero.

"I could be stripped of my magic finger. I got it for being a good hero in my dimension. I can't let the other self there down….I will tell you, that you habe to beat Johnny. He's not just a punk. He's going to get an evil upgrade soon and upset your city."

"Could he be magic, like? Seeing the future, Cy?" Bb asked the older teen. "I dunno, but Raven is out and Starfire is on a return home to check on Tamaran-

"NO!" Larry's voice pierced their ears as Bb yelled back, "What's your deal!! That thing IS a dangerous weapon!"

"Sorry, but if she goes there, then she's automatically put in danger by the person who called."

"Oh no." Cy paled. "I'm going. Bb? Get to Raven and don't leave her side. We gotta call Wally. He should be able to.-

"Robin has go do it. Nite mite said, only he can stop Johnny from taking the city. Because he will."

"In other words…" Bb gulped.

"We are gonna see my brother again at his most ruthless."

/

The sky was grey, dismal. So much anger fueled the boy as he ignored the beating ache in his chest. He was told to scope it out. To ride and report what he saw. Ted lightening had his master worried, so Dick did as he was told.

Woth a dark bike and helmet to match over his features, Renegade was no revel on the run this was a mission and he was forced before to choose.

Jason had taken everything from him. Batman had stood on, playing them both like fools. Dick would never have recovered, suffered depression. A lack of identity.

Slade was right. No one else could care less about what he truly wanted. He wanted to be the only one, the only exception. Slade had even promised that if he took on any new apprentices, he'd consult with the boy first.

Dick would allow it, under condiction that he would be able to barter the man on. He wanted to be HIS right hand, to stop and start his laws as he saw fit one day. If Slade was ever stopped, he'd never die anyway.

He woke up screaming out to his mom and dad before ripping pillow after pillow. Wintergreen had to teach him a lesson and made the boy sew up each while feathers were shoved into his mouth as he embarrassed himself in the den. The ma ter of the home, expecting the kid to throw a fit.

There were worse punishments side. The caning with his 8wn staff was never any easier. He had welts one say then woke to find them healed after he collapsed from exhaustion

Slade pushed him, his heart until it pumped pain and not blood. He used a sword too, that was something Deathstroke did. Slade set it on fore one time and Dick was tasked with disarming his master. He failed the first time, came closer the second and was rewarded his favorite desert.

In the start, Dick fought it a little. One time after the hug it out fest, Slade came to him to tell him about a plan to get Trigon's message out through his network very sneakily. Dick listened with rapt intent, but then Slade tugged him by the collar. The boy was told to handle something waiting for him in the shed again.

The work place Slade used to teach Dick anatomy for an assassin.

That day's lesson, was slaughtering a pig. A nearly alive one.

Dick woke up to his palms aching as he reached, Will looking back with the same dirty face he gave the boy on day one of his near betrayal.

~ Pigs were killed in the wars since past. Could you really not tolerate a little bloodshed? How utterly pathetic, child. You aren't fit to drag my man into the much with your possessiveness over his own. Get it together, or get out. Go far away, not that I mind the idea.~

Dick ignored him, killed the filling animal again, this time if it wasn't a choice, Slade had him understand a human heart, lung and kidney. Only there was no person.

Dick never asked where the body now was, Slade said cleaned up. Discarded after a bad contract. It was his request to take it, so he did.

Dick was on the bike promised to him by his last birthday. He'd spent it at the man's home because a year was not up. It was almost winter. Just a few more weeks and global temperatures had been far too muggy to let it show.

Or, snow. Slade promised a white Christmas in his lodge down in his family home , Kentucky. Snorting on ut he was boxed for making a fuss.

~ Would you rather I tie you to a snow mobile and let it run out of gas over a frozen pond? You would either sink or swim. That's how witches had their loyalty to God tested. ~

Shuddering in the rain, it was a lined jacket over his Renegade suit. The mask was a helmet until his took it off. Slade's last initiation would be on his birthday. Last year was the serum in delay. The bike, then the won prize.

To be more like his master…

Dick revved up the motor as he heard a high pitched Yeeeh! Out over the sky line.

Johnny. And Slade had given him something to look forward to.

/

Slade had anticipated a sky battle, never to this degree. He went to Yrigon for the entire scenario and found that Todd might do something reckless.

"I request a chance to empower the enemy to defeat Robin. If that happens, it should be to spread your message. Whether by this boy in the vision, or by my apprentice."

~ VERY WELL, MORTAL .~ Trigon's shadow melded into the mantelpiece as he allowed the demon to simply wandered but not linger within his home. ~ ARM THE CRINIMAL, AND YOUR APPRENTICE SHALL NOT BE SWAYED. SEE TO IT THAT MY POWERS ARE NOTICEABLE, THAT NONE CAN COME BETWEEN. ~

"I also saw an, anonymous character from some time line unbeknownst to myself. He is…-

Trigon growled, the hearth filling with fire as he did so. ~ AN IMP FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION IS ALSO AWARE OF OUR PLANS. I CAN DO NOTHING. THE BOY KUST FEND FIR HIMSELF BUT NOT KILL THE CHARACTER. DOES HE NOT STILL FEAR BLOODSHED?~

"It's a work in progress. By next week, his mind will have been able to lock out any distractions and carry out our work. To find you daughter. December. That is the month it, begins."

/

Dick strove to realize not that he'd again bring destruction in his wake as he moved to where Jonny's bar hopping and rock concerts resumed underground. A seedy belt of wannabe crooks and the crooked dick didn't remove his helmet as he made his way through a door inside the passage of sin.

/