Chapter Text
“This isn’t about your family, Nightwing. It’s about you. It’s always been about you. For some time now I have been searching for an apprentice–someone to follow in my footsteps. And Nightwing, I’ve chosen you.”
How long ago had Deathstroke said those words to him? Days? Weeks? Had it already been months? Time seemed endless here. Dick Grayson stood alone in a large training room. He wore a uniform that didn’t belong to him–orange and black with a silver ‘S’ directly over his heart. It felt foreign. It felt wrong. Dick was grateful for the familiar mask that covered his blue eyes, keeping his identity concealed. It was the only reminder of who he was–who he had been. He stared up at a large screen that was affixed to the back wall. It cycled through read-outs of vital signs and the flow of red blood cells–red blood cells that were marked with glowing nanoscopic probes set to explode at the single press of a button. They were all labeled: Batman, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin. Dick watched through the cycle several times, watching the heart rate of each name as it came across the screen. They were alive. His family was still alive. That was enough to make him keep going even if they probably hated him now. But this was no time for self pity, especially as the familiar voice of Slade Wilson broke him out of his thoughts.
“Come now, boy, it’s time for your training.”
With his jaw set and fists clenched, Dick turned to face the man who had taken everything away from him.
—
I can tell you’re going through the motions
Figured you were writing out your part
Once again we’re playing off emotion
Which one of us will burn until the end?
—
– Four Weeks Earlier –
Robin, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Nightwing stood before Batman. It was a rarity that all five were ever in the same place, let alone all together in the Batcave.
They looked worse for wear. Their suits were covered with ash and debris. Each had varying degrees of bruises and cuts with Damian having an especially large, bleeding gash on his forehead.
“Robin, start the debrief.” Batman ordered.
“Hey, can’t we debrief after we get him patched up. That cut looks like it’s going to need stitches.” Nightwing cut in quickly. His hands were already on Damian’s cheeks, gently turning his head to inspect the bleeding cut.
Damian grumbled, shaking off the touch. “I’m fine, Grayson. I’ve had much worse injuries than this. Your concern is unwarranted and unnecessary.”
“Debrief first.” Batman ordered. It was practically a growl. The four Robins knew there was no arguing when Bruce used that voice and they knew exactly what it meant. Something had gone wrong during the mission and they were going to debrief until they found the flaw.
Damian obediently stepped forward, beginning to lay out the details of their mission.
Batman and Robin had been investigating a new crime ring that had made its home in Gotham. The group dealt mostly in smuggling illegal weapons to other gangs and villains who could pay a hefty price. Their investigation had gone on for weeks with no leads as to who was running the ring or where they would strike next.
“Then illegal weapons began showing up in Bludhaven,” Nightwing said as he removed his domino, revealing the bright blue eyes of Dick Grayson. “Making my job ten times more difficult and more deadly. So much so that I actually had to ask for Jason’s help.”
Jason had removed his helmet, running a hand through his sweat drenched hair. “You know you were thrilled to work with me, Dickiebird.” He flashed a lazy smirk towards Dick. It earned him an eyeroll, but there was a warmth to Dick’s expression.
“Necessary details only.” Bruce practically barked, making the other four straighten–out of habit more than out of respect. He had opted to keep his cowl on.
Tim stepped forward, his own mask now removed. “Dick told me about the influx of illegal weapons. I put two and two together that it couldn’t be a coincidence. This group was dealing in both Gotham and Bludhaven. But we had no other intel on them. No leader. No headquarters. Not even an organization name.”
“So Drake came up with the uninspired name of ‘Dual Ring.’” Damian snorted which earned him an exasperated look from Tim.
“Hey! We couldn’t just keep calling them ‘the group’ or ‘the crime ring.’ Dual because they were dealing in Gotham and Bludhaven. Ring for… Well… Because they were a crime ring!”
“I suggested the ‘Pew Pew Crew!” Dick piped up, throwing finger guns for emphasis.
Jason stifled a sudden laugh with a snort, “Of course you did.”
“The name doesn’t matter!” Batman’s growl brought them back to reality.
Jason rolled his eyes again muttering, “Says the guy who calls himself Batman…”
They had submitted their evidence to Damian and Bruce, and the case had become a very rare ‘all bats on deck’ situation. Through a series of week-long stakeouts both in Bludhaven and Gotham, they had learned that Dual Ring was about to make a big move in their weapon dealings. Batman had determined it was time for the Batfamily to make their own move. They still did not know who the ringleader of Dual Ring was, but their intel revealed that they would personally handle this highly lucrative deal.
“We discovered the exchange was happening at an abandoned warehouse near the Gotham City Pier–!” Tim had started, but was interrupted by Damian.
“Father split us up.” Damian gave a side-eyed look to Tim before turning his attention to the group. “Todd and Drake were to inspect the shipping crates to confirm that their contents were indeed the suspected weapons. Father and I were to stop the deal from happening while Grayson was on standby to pursue their leader should he or she try to run.”
At the start of the mission, everything had gone according to plan. Red Hood and Red Robin had snuck into the warehouse undetected. Batman and Robin were positioned outside, watching from the cloaked Batmobile. They had secretly placed small hidden cameras around the outside of the warehouse, ready to catch the deal in action. Nightwing was stationed on the roof, watching the camera feeds and waiting for Batman’s signal to pursue the leader.
“The leader showed up not long after we were all in position.” Dick said which earned a snort from Jason.
“Yeah, me and Timbo barely had time to open a single crate before B and Damian were swooping in to stop the deal.”
“I pursued as ordered,” Dick continued, “Their leader took to the rooftops, but then–!”
“Did you get a look at them?” Bruce asked gruffly.
“Not very well…” Dick admitted. “Strong, masculine build. Well over six feet. Clearly someone with good athletic training. He leapt over the rooftops easily. But I couldn’t see his face. He wore a long cloak with a hood.”
“He must be taking fashion advice from the brat,” Jason muttered under his breath. His sarcastic comment earned him a quick kick in the shin from Damian–who remained as stone-faced as he always did–and a harsh glare from Bruce. But Batman’s cowl hidden eyes immediately turned back to Dick.
“Why did you stop your pursuit?”
“Because Tim came over the comms and said he saw a bomb hidden in the rafters. I heard gunfire and knew that Tim and Jason had run into trouble. You and Damian were already occupied with the men outside. I was the only one who was free to disarm it. So I turned back.”
Tim looked sheepish. “There were more thugs in the warehouse than we initially thought,” he admitted.
“If you had let me use real bullets then we wouldn’t have had a problem,” retorted Jason.
“Father and I dealt with the villains outside before joining the incompetent Todd and Drake inside to offer assistance.”
This time it was Jason that kicked Damian in the shin which caused the young assassin to reach for his sword. Dick stepped between them, placing a firm hand on their shoulders to stop the fight before it could begin.
“While the four of you took care of the goons, I disarmed the bomb with ten seconds to spare.”
“Cutting it close there, Dickiebird.” Jason shook Dick’s hand off of his shoulder.
“I’m going to pretend you said, ‘Oh, thank you so much, Nightwing, for saving my life. Next time we hang out, dinner’s on me!’” Dick couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across his face.
“But something weird happened.” Tim’s voice brought them back to the debrief. “We had just finished tying up the last of the members. Dick was still up in the rafters–!”
“Then some fucking weird device came up out of the floor. It shot a laser at all four of us. It hurt like hell and threw us back like ragdolls.” Jason finished, rubbing at the spot on his chest that was still sore.
Dick swallowed back a lump that had formed in his throat, his hand tightening on Damian’s shoulder. He had watched it happen. He had watched the strange machine rise up from a hidden compartment in the floor and shoot his family. He had watched them be thrown back by the force of the shot and collapse, unmoving. They weren’t moving. He had leapt to the floor, his stumbling legs carrying him to Damian first. Panic and fear had clouded his mind, telling him that he had lost them for good.
“We were unharmed, Richard.” Damian’s voice had pulled him from his spiraling thoughts. The boy’s green eyes were sharp, but he leaned into his older brother’s touch as if to silently reassure him that they were still here. They were alive.
“Just some bruising, but nothing permanent.” Jason glanced over at Dick–another reassurance.
“We’ve assumed that whatever the machine was programmed to do failed. The machine exploded before we even had a chance to examine it. But I’ve taken blood samples from all of us just to be sure.” Tim said as he moved to the Batcomputer to check the blood sample analysis. “Results should be complete any minute now.” He glanced up at his eldest brother. “We really are okay, Dick.”
Dick let out a small breath of relief, giving a slight nod.
“So, the mission failed.” Bruce’s voice broke the brief silence.
“What exactly do you mean by failed?” Dick stepped forward, his eyes turbulent like the blue sea before a tropical storm. We stopped a bomb tonight, B. We stopped the entire pier from exploding. We put a huge dent in this weapons smuggling ring and you call that a failure?”
“The ringleader got away. You were supposed to be in pursuit. Pursue and apprehend. That was your objective tonight. An objective that you did not meet.” Bruce folded his arms over his chest. It was his signature stance. One that meant there was no arguing with him.
Jason sighed. He took Damian by the shoulders and steered him towards the medical bay. “Come on, brat. Let’s get you patched up while Mom and Dad fight.”
“I can patch myself up without your assistance, Todd. And are you insinuating that Richard is my mo–!”
“There was a bomb, Bruce. That wasn’t factored into the plan. The mission changed, so I adapted. Just like you taught all of us to do.” Dick was standing directly in front of Bruce. The Robins hardly ever argued with the man. They knew there was no point. It was always an uphill battle, if not a losing one. But Dick refused to let Bruce criticize their hard work.
“The mission never changed. I ordered you to keep pursuing–an order you directly ignored.” Bruce countered. His expression beneath the cowl was unchanged, but his posture was tense.
“Uh, hey guys.” Tim interjected. “Blood samples are back. Everything is normal. Whatever that laser shot at us must have malfunctioned, so–!”
“If I hadn’t ignored that order you would all be dead!” Dick’s voice echoed off of the stone walls, sending a colony of bats fluttering through the dark tunnels of the Batcave.
“We had it handled. You didn’t see the full picture of the situation.” Bruce tried to keep his voice calm, but there was a rising edge to his tone–frustration.
Dick was beyond frustrated. “Jason was providing cover against two machine guns so Tim could confirm the contents of the crates. You and Damian were taking on a group of five. Three with automatics. Two with tasers and machetes. The only reason those two didn’t have their automatics was because I knocked them out of their hands with a birdarang when they started firing on Damian. But I guess I didn’t see the ‘full picture,’ huh?”
Tim cleared his throat, “Guys, come on–!”
“If you had seen the full picture, you would have noticed the target setting up the bomb before Tim did. Instead you became distracted and provided cover for Damian. That was not part of the plan.” Bruce’s voice rose further until it was practically an angry growl, acidic and seething. This was no longer an argument, it was a fight.
"They had machine guns, Bruce! If I have to choose between protecting my little brother and following your god-forsaken plan, then I sure as hell am going with the former.”
“That’s enough!” The eldest bat’s voice reverberated around them. “You are out of line. I should bench you, Nightwing.”
Jason had stopped moving, keeping a firm grip on Damian’s shoulders. His eyes darted back and forth as he watched the verbal tennis match. He had watched Bruce and Dick fight with each other for years. The formula for the rise was always the same, but what wasn’t always the same was who would be the first to break. Damian had started to move towards his parental figures but Jason’s hold tightened.
“Hold it, brat. Don’t get in the middle of this.”
“But they are both being absurd. Richard needs me to–!”
But Jason shook his head. “Dickiebird can handle himself.” He knew that Dick tried to keep his temper in check these days, especially if Damian was around. But when Bruce was being incredibly hard-headed or stubborn, he had a way of bringing Dick’s fiery temper out. And hell hath no fury like the temper of Dick Grayson.
Dick let out a dry laugh, “Bench me? First of all, you don’t get to bench me, Bruce. Not anymore. And secondly, you’re going to bench me because I protected Robin!? Your son!?”
“He is not your responsibility. You lose focus when he or any of the others are around. Robin belongs to Batman not to Nightwing.”
Tim visibly flinched.
Jason nearly whistled, “...wrong thing say, Brucie…”
“No. Robin belonged to me long before it ever belonged to you. Before you stole it from me and gave it away! Damian was the first I ever gave the name Robin. That bond is special. You have to understand that!”
“And that was when you were Batman in my stead. But you do not wear the cowl anymore, Dick. And you never will again. That is something I will make sure of.”
“I was more of a Batman than you will ever be, Bruce Wayne!”
None of them saw the punch coming–Dick certainly didn’t. Bruce’s gloved fist connected with Dick’s jaw so quickly and with such force that he stumbled back into the Batmobile leaving a small dent in its black chrome.
Silence filled the cave. Not even the bats stirred. Bruce and Dick had fought before, but it had never come to blows like this before.
“Father-!”
“Guys-!”
“Holy shit…!”
But Dick hardly heard the exclamations of the other Robins. He was staring in shock at the man who had just punched him. He reached up to touch his jaw. He felt a hot sting and he smelled copper. His lip was bleeding.
Bruce had removed his cowl. His blue eyes were filled with absolute horror as if he couldn’t believe what he had just done. He stepped forward, reaching out. “Dick, I–!”
But Dick turned away. “Don’t you dare touch me. Don’t you dare come after me. This is over.” He pulled the comms unit out of his ear, throwing it on the ground as he smashed it with his foot. Within seconds he was on the Wingcycle, revving the engine angrily as he sped out of the cave.
Damian jerked out of Jason’s hold, beginning to run towards the Batmobile. He looked towards his brothers and father. “What are you all standing there for? We need to go after Richard. He has strictly forbidden me to drive–a rule that I do not agree with–so I will need one of you with a license to drive me so I can bring him back!”
Jason strode over to Damian. “No can do, baby brat. Dick needs time to cool off and we need to get that cut on your head stitched up before Alfred has my ass that I let you bleed out in the Batcave on his one night off.”
“But Richard–!”
“Is a big boy who can take care of himself and maybe doesn’t need a certain emotionally constipated bat giving him more of an eldest child complex than he already has.” He didn’t even hide the glare he shot towards Bruce as he pushed Damian back towards the medical bay. “Get your ass in there.” He watched Damian go, starting to follow, but he stopped, looking at Bruce again. “You fucked up big time, Bruce. Doubt he’ll ever come back now that you’ve decked him in his pretty face.”
“I didn’t mean…”
“Doesn’t fucking matter what you did or didn’t mean. You did it. Now you get to live with the consequences of not ‘seeing the full picture.’” Jason’s voice was seething. He wanted his words to hit Bruce like acid rain, burning into his skin and bones. “Sucks to be in the wrong, doesn’t it, Bats?” Jason didn’t even wait for an answer as he followed Damian into the medical bay.
It left Tim and Bruce alone.
Bruce looked at Tim. But whatever sympathy he was hoping to find was long gone. Tim was looking at him with a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment. The boy’s shoulders sagged. “He was just starting to come back around again…” Was all he said before turning back to the computer screen.
Bruce balled his hands into fists, cursing silently as he turned to go to the showers.
How could he have fucked up this badly?
—
Catalyst you exist to pull me down
You contradict the fact that you still want me around
And it’s all downhill from here
—