Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwing: A Dark Beginning ❯ Good versus Evil ( Chapter 9 )

Thank you to my loyal reviewers. Let's start with kylefighter1 who reviewed again. Many thanks. Next is The Desperado. I prefer DON'T FUCK WITH NIGHTWING, but whatever floats your boat. Let's follow that with s0c1ally1n3pt, thanks for the great ego boost. Don't worry, this story will be finished before summer is over. Moving on to Anaxim the Seeker; of course it's bloody and he's killing people, he's lost his grip on sanity. Next is dlsky, another faithful reader. I try to keep the fans happy, as best I can at least. If you liked that vision, wait till you read this chapter. Scotty Boi, I assume you meant gripped because if I'd griped you then you'd have hated the story. Don't worry, I usually type that way too so I can read it. Thanks for the compliments though. Jeff Higgs . . . . . dude I can't believe you used your name for a handle. That's bold. Glad you like the work so far. Finally, there's Lady of Faerie. Mmmmm, Lady of Faerie. Sorry, couldn't help it, another of my loyal fans. Sorry, I couldn't finish them off. I plan to make them suffer instead. Don't worry, all will become clear in the end. Now that I'm done, moving on. It's finally arrived. The moment many of you have been waiting for: Raven confronts Nightwing! Let the chaos (and mild lemon) commence.

 

 

 

Also, gonna have a change of formatting since I'm switching from Notepad to Word. Double spacing is used for basic paragraph separation; quadruple spacing is scene changes. (Note: FF is being retarded so it might take a few days to actually iron out the spacing right. Sorry.)

“Speaking”

`Thinking'

“Nightwing mental talking”

“Rich mental talking”

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I just got kicked out of my apartment (granted it is school housing and I'm not going to summer but you get the idea) so how could I possibly own Teen Titans.

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

 

`Damn, even injured these guys are fast,' Raven thought. She'd been following them for some time when she realized she was now flying over a deserted warehouse district. `Typical. We really should have figured out this is where they'd have a base. Well, I guess that's why Robin was always the detective on the team.' She saw them begin to descend towards a particular building. `Finally, I'm completely out of power after all of that.'

 

Nightwing helped Red X inside and took him to his room. He helped him out of the suit and got him into bed. Jax was beat up pretty bad, a few bruised ribs and other body parts, but no major breaks. Nightwing then went back downstairs and hung up the Red X suit and began hooking it up for diagnostics. He then returned to his own room, leaving the door wide open as he stood before the mirror in his room. He couldn't shake that vision he'd had during the fight. He was looking at himself in the mirror, but he was wearing Slade's uniform. Behind him in the door was a man standing in the shadows. He couldn't see his face, but he knew him somehow. He wasn't a threat, but his presence would ultimately be his undoing somehow. Nightwing looked to the door in the mirror and his eyes shot wide. He spun around staring at the figure there, expecting it to be the man. What he saw instead made him smirk.

“Well, look what followed me home.”

Raven was panting. She was completely exhausted. “Don't flatter yourself. I came to make sure you're alright and to ask if you'll come back. I meant what I said about kicking them out. We need you back. You saw how bad we've gotten without you. Please, Nightwing.”

That feral grin crossed his face again. “Now why would I want to give up my freedom as a vigilante and go back to being a goodie-goodie? I can do whatever I want.” He took a few steps towards her and she didn't move. He smirked again. “Or do whoever I want.” With that he grabbed her arm and tossed her across the room onto his bed. He slammed the door closed and locked it.

 

Raven jumped off the bed. The sudden movement and lack of much energy instantly made her light-headed, but she was determined to fight back. Nightwing then pounced on her, grabbing her wrists and forcing her back against the wall. He stared at her, the same demonic smile upon his lips as he eyed her in her uniform. It accentuated her curves perfectly. Nightwing made sure to drop some of his mental walls and project some of the images he had of what he wanted to do to her. Raven paled when the images flashed through her mind rapidly.

Nightwing brought his face to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. “I love the way you smell, Raven. You're afraid of me. You're terrified because you know that I'm about to have my way with you and you can't stop me.” Nightwing then threw her on the bed.

Raven landed on her back and bounced a few times, she tried to sit up but Nightwing was suddenly on top of her. He pinned her wrists together with one hand and flicked his other wrist to release a bird-a-rang into his hand. He began to use the blades to cut at her uniform. He started at her wrists and slowly cut at the material of her sleeves to reveal her creamy arms to him. He let out a growl of approval that made Raven close her eyes and shudder.

Nightwing leaned forward and licked her cheek making her eyes instantly snap open to stare at him. “Just wanted to make sure I had your attention. You can't go to your happy place and avoid what I'm gonna do to you.” Again he threw the mental images at her, this time make sure they were even raunchier and a bit more painful and degrading.

Raven began to cry. “Please, don't do this.”

“Now Raven. Be realistic. You know you've always liked me. I'm just darker than I was before. Isn't that what you like? The real bad-boy image turns you on doesn't it?” Nightwing smirked. He loved every minute of this. He began to cut the torso of her leotard now. He started at the neck and slowly sliced his way down the center of her breasts. He then used the blades to gently push the material away from his goal. The cold metal gained the reaction he was hoping for as her nipples hardened. “See, you're getting excited already,” Nightwing chuckled.

“NO!” Raven screamed at her attacker.

Nightwing frowned and retracted the bird-a-rang into his gauntlet. He then pinched her nipple hard earning a scream from his victim. Her reaction to him made him laugh evilly before locking her eyes with his masked ones. “Just admit you love me and I'll make the pain go away. I'll make you feel good, Raven. Just tell me the truth.” He squeezed harder and she winced.

“I . . . . I . . . . I lo-love . . . .” Raven shut her eyes tight as the pain grew.

“TELL ME!!” Nightwing demanded. “TELL ME YOU LOVE ME!!!”

“NO! I love RICH!” Raven finally got out what she was trying to say.

Nightwing froze. `Rich? Who is Rich? Why does that name seem so familiar?'

A flash of light in his eyes and Nightwing was again looking into the mirror with himself in Slade's uniform. The figure was back in the doorway. Nightwing spun around to look at him.

“Who the FUCK ARE YOU!”

The figure stepped into the light. A strong young man with long black hair and blue eyes stood there. “I'm Rich.” The blinding light was back and Nightwing found himself staring at the half-naked body of Raven as she cried beneath him. He jumped back across the room like he'd been hit. Raven quickly wrapped her cloak around herself and huddled up in the corner of his bed and the wall.

Nightwing grabbed onto his head. He was having trouble concentrating. There was a voice in his mind yelling at him and he couldn't make it stop.

“Let her go!”

Nightwing looked to Raven. She was staring at him. She knew he was fighting inner demons, just like she had done for years until his former self had freed her. “Get out.” Nightwing said barely above a whisper.

Raven nodded and headed for the door. As she passed through it and was about to close it she heard a soft voice call to her from somewhere. “I'm sorry he hurt you, Rae.” Raven just kept running and left for the Tower.

 

Nightwing got up and headed over to the phone and made some calls. Next he went to wake Jax up.

“Jax, we gotta leave. We've been compromised.”

“Alright. What are we going to do then?”

“You're gonna go to the new base I set up for us. I have to go for a while. You've probably noticed I've gone off the deep end.” Jax just nodded at him. “Yeah, well I need to figure some things out. Tell Raven that Rich went to a convention or something. I'll call her from time to time. Leave the Titans a com so that if they need the help of Red X you can go to them. Don't tell them who we are yet. When I come back we'll tell them all.”

“Nightwing, what's happened to you man?” Jax asked as he put his hand on Nightwing's shoulder.

“I don't know. Somewhere along the way, I became what I wanted to stop. I'll be back, hopefully for the better. If not, I'm leaving it to you to take command of the combined forces of the Titans to take me down. Promise me, that if this all goes to Hell, you'll be the one to end it all.”

Jax swallowed the lump in his throat and grabbed his friends extended hand in a firm grasp. “You have my word, Nightwing.”

With that, Nightwing jumped out of the window and out of the lives of Red X and the Teen Titans.

 

 

 

Raven returned to the Tower and ran to her room. The rest of the team was either in the main room or medical wing when she came back and didn't see her. She ran to her bathroom and jumped into the shower. She felt dirty. She sank down in the tub and cried as the water washed away the filth. `Nightwing, what have you become? You're never coming back are you? I'm sorry we've failed you. I'm sorry I failed you.' Then her mind turned to another. `Rich. Nightwing only stopped when I told him I loved you. What does it all mean?'

She got dressed and headed to the main room where all the Teen Titans were sitting, including the Titans East. Beast Boy and Starfire were still in the medical wing due to their intense beating from Nightwing.

Cyborg was the first to head over to the dark girl. “Rae, you alright?”

Raven hid under her hood, ashamed to look up into the face of her big brother. “I found where they are stationed. We should go at first light when we're back up and running.”

“Alright, let's all get some rest then.” Cyborg ordered the heroes who all went separate ways to sleep.

One question burned in all their minds; would they be in for another battle or would they find something else at the location?

 

 

 

The T-car came to a screeching halt in front of the abandoned building.

“Wow, figures this would be a base for those guys,” Speedy commented.

“Yeah. Why didn't we think of that?” Aqualad speculated.

“Duh, Robin was the detective not us,” Terra snapped at the young men.

The heroes approached the door carefully, all poised for battle.

“Be ready everyone, this place is probably booby-trapped,” Cyborg warned. He kicked the door in and the Teen Titans rushed into the waiting clutches of . . . . . nothing. “Okay, thought you said this was their base, Raven?”

“It is, or was, or whatever.”

The heroes looked around at the warehouse formerly known by the owners as The Pit, once again it was just an abandoned warehouse. A lone steel table stood under a bare light. They all converged on the table to find a small communicator and a note. Cyborg read it out loud to the rest of the team.

 

Teen Titans,

 

As you've noticed, we've left our humble living space for a new location. Apparently one of you followed us home last night. Names have been changed to protect the innocent, but nevaR found us. Nightwing said something is wrong with him, he's gone. I don't know if he's coming back, but he said he had to find himself. If any of you have any idea what he means, fill me in sometime. He said to leave you guys this communicator so that if you ever need my help you can call. Don't overuse it, I'm a busy vigilante. That's all I got, I'll be seeing you around.

 

Studfully yours,

Red X

 

p.s. Nightwing said he wanted to apologize to all of you and that you'll be hearing from him sometime soon.

 

“Well, I guess that answers that question then,” Bumble Bee said.

“Does this mean that we might be getting Robin back?” Speedy questioned.

“I don't think so. Robin is gone for good. I think it means Nightwing is trying to find the path of righteousness once again,” Raven said from under her hood as she glanced upstairs towards Nightwing's old room.

“Well, nothing left to do except go back to the Tower then,” Cyborg said. He then turned to Titans East, “You all gonna be heading back now?”

“Yeah, Cy. We gotta keep our city safe after all,” Bumble Bee said as she grabbed his hand for a moment. The Titans East then headed back home while the Teen Titans headed for the T-car.

“What are we gonna do with those two back in med bay?” Terra asked.

“I dunno, Ter. I really don't know,” Cyborg said as he shook his head.

Raven couldn't help but think kicking them off the team might help bring closure to Nightwing and bring him back, but she'd never suggest that to her team. Not yet anyways.

 

 

 

A lone figure flew over the city. Below him was an old circus. He landed and wandered around. “It figures I'd end up back at some place like this.” He said to no one. He kept walking in and out of the buildings until he ended up in a mirror maze. “Just what I need,” the figure said sarcastically.

Nightwing looked around himself at all the images staring back at him. He suddenly froze staring at the one. It was the Slade uniform again. Nightwing yelled and punched the mirror, shattering image into thousands of pieces.

“That's not gonna solve this problem,” the voice said.

“Who are you?! Why do you keep taunting me?!”

“We need to talk.” The blinding light was back and once again Nightwing found himself staring at his Slade-like reflection in the mirror. This time, the mystery figure stood beside him. “I'm Rich.”

“But, we're the same. How is this possible?”

“We aren't the same. You were created out of revenge. I'm the original personality, the one that became Robin. You were created by my hatred and thirst for vengeance. My time and dealings with Slade added fuel to the burning rage and you were born. We started from the same source, but while I am still the embodiment of all that is good, you are the embodiment of evil.”

“So, we've got a problem then. Once you put the mask on, I come out. The mask comes off and you're back in control. You can't do this without me though, so getting rid of me isn't an option,” Nightwing smirked, while the mask staring back at him in the mirror didn't change.

“That's why we have to work this out. We have to find a way for us to work together. Only then, will we be ready to rejoin the world.”

“Alright, I'll play along. Let's figure this shit out.”

The blinding light was back and Nightwing found himself standing in a vacant lot. He took off away from the city again.

 

 

 

Raven sat curled up in her room on her bed. She still couldn't forget the things Nightwing had done. She couldn't sleep at all for two nights and it was starting to wear her out. He communicator went off and she picked it up. She flipped it open to see the last person she expected. “What do you want, Nightwing?” the venom in her voice evident.

 

“Apologizing at this point is fucking useless, I know that. I wanted to tell you that I won't be back until I figure out what's wrong with me. I don't know why I attacked you, and I won't make lame-ass excuses about it either. When I figure everything out, I'll come back and you can kick my ass all you want. I won't stop you or fight back. I deserve whatever you can dish out to me.” He lowered his head at this.

 

“I just want you to stop being so self-destructive. You're better than this. Somewhere inside you, the old you still exists. Bring him back, he'll guide you,” Raven said with concern in her voice.

 

“Yeah, I know Raven. Believe it or not, that's kind of the voice that screamed at me to stop the other night. I don't know why I listened, or why it's even there. I'm glad I did though. I'd have to kill myself if I'd done what I was thinking to you.” Nightwing looked back up and Raven had to choke back the tears for him. “Don't you dare cry for me, Raven. I'm not worth your tears. I gotta go now. I'll talk to you another time. I hope one day you'll forgive me. Nightwing, out.”

 

Raven sat there staring at the blank screen. “I do forgive you, Nightwing. I know you aren't yourself. I just hope the Robin inside you is strong enough to reach you in time,” she whispered to herself.

 

 

 

In a dark room somewhere in the city, Nightwing sat there holding his old communicator. He walked to his closet and changed. He removed the mask and picked up his cell phone. He plopped down on the bed and dialed a number, then held the phone to his ear and waited for the other end to pick up. `This is gonna be hard.'

 

(A/N: the part of dialogue with `~' before it will be the person on the other end of the phone while the caller will still use normal quotes and such.)

 

~“Hello?”

“Hey, Rae! It's Rich! How you doing?

~“Hey, Rich. I'm alright. You heard the news about our last battle?”

“Yeah, that was pretty intense. Nightwing totally went ballistic out there.”

~“Yeah, and then Starfire and Beast Boy attacked him too. You know the story behind that, right?”

“It was in the paper. That's harsh. What are y'all gonna do about them?”

~“They're being kicked off the team, finally. I can't stand to look at them anymore. As soon as they're healthy enough, they're gonna go back to Starfire's home planet.”

“So you're kicking them off the planet too. Of course, from the way the article read I'm not surprised.”

~“Anyways, how are all the meetings going?”

“Not good, but not bad either. It's one of those delicately balanced things. It's like the battle for good and evil, could tip the scale either way without any notice.”

~“I miss you a lot.”

“I miss you too, dark girl.”

~“No nicknames, remember.”

“Sorry. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I say it just makes you more miserable.”

~“I'll agree to that last part.”

“Well, it's getting late, gotta get some sleep for that meeting in the morning. I'm sure you're exhausted after the fighting too.

~“You have no idea how worn out I am.

“Get some sleep, Raven.”

~“I will. Rich, this last battle and some stuff afterwards made me realize something.”

“What's that?”

~“Promise not to get mad, laugh, or anything?”

“Of course, I'd never do that.”

~“This is hard for me to say. In fact, I've never actually said it before. So here goes. I . . . . lo- . . . lo-love . . . you.”

Rich sat there in silence.

~“Please say something, silence is not what I want to hear now.” The panic was very clear through the phone.

“I love you too, Raven. I'm sorry I never said it earlier and it took so much pain for us to realize it.”

~“It's alright. Now we do though. I'll talk to you later, Rich. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Raven. Sweet dreams.”

~“Bye.”

“Bye.”

 

Rich hung up the phone and tossed it onto the end table. He looked over at the suit staring back at him across the room. “Damn do we have some problems to figure out.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” The light came back and Nightwing stood across from Rich. Nightwing was still wearing the Slade uniform, but the mask was now on the floor, a sign that they were making progress.

“So we admitted we love each other. Do you understand now?”

“Yeah. I get it.”

“Good. Now, what do you want to talk about now?”

“Slade.”

“Figures. He's gone. Let it go.”

“He's come back before. What makes you so sure he won't this time?”

“Because that was one of the few times when you came out. It wasn't me that killed him. It was vengeance for all the pain he'd put us through that brought you out to defeat him at last.”

“Same with Trigon, huh?”

“Exactly, except I was still there for that one too. We worked together then to achieve our goal. I needed your strength to keep going after I was beaten so badly. We did it to save Raven from him. Remember how that felt?”

“It felt, right. Like it was what I was supposed to do.”

“That's what we're trying to accomplish here. When we've learned to get rid of this armor you wear and join forces into one being, we'll be ready.” As Rich said this, he noted that the arms to the uniform Nightwing wore were now in the small pile on the floor and his regular black suit arms were visible.

“So far, so good then. But this is really wearing me out. Let's get some rest and finish this shit another time.”

“Deal.” The light flared again and Rich went to lay down on the bed to sleep a dreamless sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacketslacker: So what does everyone think? I thought it showed the duality of Rich and Nightwing as they try to work it out. I think there will be one more of those conversations in the next chapter and then the eventual unveiling to the Titans. Remember to read and review to tell me what you like, don't like, and would like to see. That's all folks.