Chapter 18

Last chapter!

Warehouse District, August 21, -10:05 pm

Nightwing stared at the Talon in front of him. He wouldn't lie. He had thought he had been fighting Cobbs this whole time, but looking at the figure in front of him, he knew the truth.

"Go!" Nightwing shouted at the representatives, running forward and shooting a line into the air as Cobbs was and shooting towards the rooftops. Nightiwng chased Cobbs over roof tops until they were deep in the city. Nightwing was panicking because his vision was fuzzy. Taking a gamble, Nightwing tackled towards Cobbs, surprised and happy when he caught the man and they went flying off the thirty story building.

"Well, it seems you have quite a bit of drive. Impress me son, let's see if you truly aren't worthless." Cobbs said, latching a crushing grip around Nightwing's throat. Nightwing aimed and fired his last line. It caught a gargoyle and the two started swinging. Nightwing's head was spinning, so he never hit the grip and his cable, all fifty feet, unwound. With a glance at the rapidly approaching ground, Nightwing twisted his body to the side, causing Cobbs to slam into a parked car. Nightwing bounced off of Cobbs and went skidding down the road. He wished it was winter, because ice could have prevented his road burns he now had over his legs and arms. But at least most of the knives had been knocked out of his chest.

"Broken bones." Nightwing shakily stood up, watching is horrid fascination. Cobbs' arms were bone bent in a horribly wrong way. His legs were bent backwards and his body crooked. But, as Nightwing watched, he jerked back into place.

"For one who regenerates, this is pathetic. I said impress me!" Cobbs shouted. Cobbs shook his head in disappointment as Nightwing dove by him in an attempt to kick his head. Nightwing glared at the Talon as he spoke of his greatness.

Like every other asshole, you just have to gloat. Nightwing charged again, his last escirma stick aimed for the eye-cover. Cobbs 'tsked' and faster than the eye could see, a knife found its way in Nightwing's left forearm, between his radius and ulna. The pain of Cobbs removing the knife burned twice as much as the initial injury. The stick dropped from Nightwing's hands.

"What a second rate fighter." Cobbs crooned. Nightwing took this momentary distraction and grabbed the line that had snapped and was whipping around their head. He leapt over Cobbs again, but looped the line around the Talon's throat. Keeping the end in his hand, he pulled, causing Cobbs to flail in the air. Using a knife from his shoulder, Nightwing stabbed the rope into the ground.

Looking around, Nightwign saw that the people had already fled.

Good. I must regroup with Batman. Damn. I've lost so much blood from the…last...shit Nightwing fell. The stairs hurt as he tumbled down. He landed facedown on the subway floor. Black edged his vision, but he heard and saw the boots. He felt the hand grab his ruin suit and drag him.

He heard Cobbs talking, but couldn't make anything out. He was pressed against the wall and could only moan as small, ornate knives held him up against the cold tile. He found himself lucky. The knives by his shoulders were only through his suit. He could also feel blood running down the wall from a fresh wound to his right hand, which now had a knife in it. Nightwing knew and injury from his back was also painting the wall.

Cobbs was still talking. Nightwing grit his teeth and yanked his arm out around the knife. AS he shifted, the knives by his shoulders just ripped his suit, and Nightwing was dropped to the floor.

"You could be great, Richard. Just join us." Nightwing looked up blearily.

"Gotham won't fall. She grows and adapts, and Batman keeps her safe. Just look at these subways, for instance. Since the subway system is so large, they needed a cheap, easy way to insulate the wires. So they used liquid nitrogen." Cobbs horrified face was all Nightwing needed to continue. "Good thing I got you down here." He though the knife from his arm into the pipe. Liquid nitrogen burst from the pipe, almost directly on Cobbs.

Nightwing coughed as he put on his mini gas mask. He shivered as the temperature dropped impossibly fast. He couldn't get enough air in his lungs, but luckily the liquid nitrogen ran out of the pipe and Cobbs was immobile.

Immobile, but not silent.

"Your destiny…" He croaked. "Your cousin accepted it…" Cobbs froze then.

"I don't believe in destinies." Nightwing said, dropping to his knees. He tried to take deep breaths, but it was too cold. Nightwing looked over at Cobbs. The man had removed his mask at some point. Nightwing felt his throat close as he recognized some features that he had been proud of on this man's face. Taking a knife out of the wall, Nightwing pinned the ornate mask to the wall and tied up Cobbs.

"I must go fetch the other one, then return to the cave." He huffed, speaking aloud to stay conscious.

It took him an hour to make it back to the docks. Multiple rests and stumbles restricted his journey. When he made it, the Talon was still lying where he had dropped it. Someone had removed the stick though. Nightwing dropped Cobbs and rushed to the body. He couldn't fight again. He found a syringe and was about to jab it into the Talon's neck when he noted it hadn't moved. At all. Cobbs hadn't moved either on the journey. Nightwing's heart hammered. Bruce had done it. The gang had stopped the Court of Owls, shut down the entire operation!

"I did it." A familiar voice cut through the gurgle of the river.

"Raya?" Nightwing asked, looking up. The girl's apparel shocked Nightwing. She wore a mock Nightwing suit, and not mask.

"Raya?" Nightwing asked again. He was passing out again, he had to fight it!

"I'm sorry Dick. You had been taken away, but the Court still demanded their protégé. I went. I stole Jake's body and went to the Court. They accepted him, but not me!" Raya had a gun pointed at Nightwing's head. Her hands shook. She was terribly beautiful. Dick had always loved how she fought for herself, and it still impressed him now.

"You mean…" Dick looked down at the Talon he was kneeling by. Raya's choked sob answered his question. Gingerly, Nightwing removed the helmet. Jake's face, unchanged from 12 years ago stared up at him. One eye a gaping, blue hole. Nightwing's stomach clenched. Raya's gun clicked as she cocked it.

"You killed the man I loved."

"Raya… is this what happened to you?" Not that Nightwing needed and answer but, it made so much sense. Raya's strange knowledge, her timing to stay in Bludhaven, her insistence that Dick stay with her.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I never loved you. I've always hated you! You survived! You always fucking survive!" Raya screamed past her tears, the gun shaking more than ever. "This was the only way to stay with him! I needed Jake!" Raya sobbed. "Why was his family always second to yours? They were Graysons! He had been bred to be a Talon like you! You always… you always get everything…" Raya broke down and cried. Her gun fell, going off, but not being heard in the thundering rain. Dick blinked and found himself crying too.

"Take me to Blackgate." Raya said after a long silence.

"Blackgate?" Nightwing asked.

"I need to hate you. I need to harden my resolve. I want it so next time I see you, I just can't wait to kill you. I want you to hate me as well. I found the descendants of the Talon's targets. Told all your secrets to the Court. I've betrayed Gotham, Bludhaven, everyone,. Take me to Blackgate and never let me out…" Raya finally met eyes with Dick. Dick was crying, hugging Jake's body, He hadn't even realized it.

"Familie. Familia noastră." [Family. Our Family]

"Familia ta e moartă. Mi-ar termina treaba, dar eu nu pot în acest moment. Doar amintiți-vă, familia ta este mort." [Your family is dead. I would finish the job, but I cannot at this time. Just remember, your family is dead.]

"Haley?"

"Da, l-am ucis Haley. Cum ai putea sta vreodată să fie lângă mine? La revedere Richard. A fost frumos să se simtă ca o familie din nou." [Yes, I killed Haley. How could you stand to be near me? Goodbye Richard. It was good to feel like a family again.]

"Eu sunt mereu familia ta, Raya." [I am always your family, Raya.]

"No, you aren't. The gun was up and Raya fired. Nightwing stumbled back as the rubber bullet his chest. Raya was up and running away. Nightwing couldn't stop himself. The electrified wing-ding hit Raya center of the back. She screamed and convulsed as she fell to the ground. Police sirens echoed on the docks.

She called them herself. Nightwing thought. He blinked away the blackness and stared down into Jake's face.

"Jake." Nightwing began crying again. "Jake!" He couldn't stop. "Jake." He whimpered, burying his face into Jake's chest.

Batcave, August 21, -11:50 pm

"Where is Nightwing?" A large black man in a strange, metallic batsuit asked. He, along with Black Canary, Macy (Commander), Oracle, Spoiler, Red Robin, Robin, Red Hood, Alfred, Selina and the injured, unconscious Asian girl were all gathered in the freezing batcave.

"He will call." Batman assured his friend. He was still removing the mechanical Batsuit he had worn to clear out his house of Talons.

"Bruce, it has been 45 minutes since the Court of Owls killed themselves. Richard should be here, or have reported in by now." Dinah said. Worry was etched into her brow.

"He'll be here." Barbra assured her.

"What is the condition on his suit?" Stephanie asked. Barbra rolled to the computer. Nightwing's suit flashed red. Everyone could see it. Flashing meant the suit was damaged. It was when the flashing stopped and the icon stayed red that they lost hope.

"Oh god, please let him be here soon." Barbra whispered. AS if it was a cue, the zeta beams announced Nightwing and two prisoners. Everyone turned to the tubes and sucked in a breath. Dick did not look good.

"Richard!" Alfred gasped. Dick looked up, breathing heavily. A Talon over one shoulder and the other being dragged behind. His mask was gone and a large cut down his face still bled. Blood drenched his left arm, leaving a trail as his dripped off his fingers. Dick's right arm seemed damp with blood, but wasn't dripping. The blue icon on his chest was more purple/brown now with dried blood. Dick's eyes were puffy as if he had been crying.

"Hey." He said, his voice wrecked.

"Wing?" Jason called in confusion. He hadn't thought Dick would cry over the Talons. Tim had seemed close when he had spoken of his pity for the Talons, but from Dick's injuries, he had had a hard fight. Not something Jason thought he would cry over.

"You alright?" Jason asked. He got a hit in the arm from Damian.

"Do I look 'alright'?" Dick asked. He dropped the Talon he had been dragging. "I got Cobbs. Bruce, can I ask a favor?"

"What is it?" Bruce was too injured to move from the cot he sat on. Dick climbed up the stairs to where the group waited, still carrying the one Talon.

"I want a burial for this one." He said, gently placing the body on the cot Alfred had pushed forward for Dick to lie on. The intake of breath was the answer to everyone's unasked question.

The body on the bed could have been Dick. Or his brother.

"Your cousin?" Bruce asked. He sounded shocked.

"Jake Grayson." Dick confirmed. "He was dead before they did…whatever." Dick was leaning on the bed.

"You should lie down." Tim said. He ran up to Dick, and supported him. Dick's head lolled, and his weight fell completely on Tim. Tim stumbled.

"Shit! Guys!" The frozen group jumped into action.

"We've got you, Dick." Various people assured the unconscious hero. "We've got you…"

Watchtower, August 22, -5:00pm

Dinah found Bruce and Red Robin staring at Earth from the balcony.

"How's Nightwing?" She asked. Superman flew right in front of them, blocking the view.

"Nightwing was hurt?" He boomed. Of course, everyone heard that nad raced to the viewing room.

"Nightwing got hurt!"

"When?"

"Is he ok?" Tim glanced at Batman before sniggering.

"Nightwing is fine."

"Will be fine." Tim clarified. "At the moment he is sleeping off meds. The group looked horrified.

"Robin…" Batman groaned. Tim's eyes widened in realization.

"I mean like pain meds! He isn't… he's fine." Tim said quickly. The group, mostly satisfied, went to return to their everyday activities.

"Was it those incidents in Gotham?" Clark asked, landing on the balcony. Dinah, Tim and Bruce nodded.

"How about his sanity?" Clark asked, his voice low.

"I believe he will be fine after he gets over his grief." Dinah said. Clark gave her a strange look.

"His grief?"

"He learned that his family has been a breeding group for assassins, and that his cousin, and great-grandfather, and his beloved circus master were all part of it." Bruce said.

"Oh."

"Well, he won't completely get over it, we know." Tim broke in.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked. Bruce and Dinah were also confused. Tim continued, "he was awake earlier. He asked to see his suit, so Damian and I got it. He called Alfred in and was asking about changing his suit. It seems he's going to lose the blue and change his symbol to a red color." Tim squirmed. The red made him uncomfortable. It was too much like blood.

"Oh." Dinah said. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Bruce and Clark were silent.

"I love that boy." Batman said suddenly. It was quiet but the gathered group heard it. They stared in shock. Batman left and disappeared through the zeta beams.

"What just happened?" Dinah asked.

"It appears even Batman can't fight Nightwing's charms." Clark laughed. The Watchtower was happy and ready for the far off dawn.

Unknown Location, August 24, -12:00am

"Why have you called us here, Luthor!" snarled Ra's a Ghul. He was furious. While originally, he despised the Court of Owls, he agreed with their plan that the batfamily had destroyed.

"I have a proposition for you all." Luthor spoke calmly. On a video screen, Vandal Savage sat, calmly and ready for discussion.

"What is it?" Savage asked, he heavy voice drowning the complaints of the other villains in the room.

"I warn you, it shall take many, many years, but when it comes through, the Justice League will be destroyed, or so damaged they could never regroup ever again. All the pests, such as Nightwing," Luthor emphasized, glancing at the eye-patched mercenary leaning against the far wall," shall be exterminated, and their children shall be so scared they hide for eternities. We shall then be able to create our own force, and rule, not just this universe, but many. If! We follow my plan." Luthor said. His evil smile seemed catching among the villains.

"And just how do we plan to do this?" Savage asked. He seemed unconvinced anything of this scale could work. "We might just fail like our Invasion plan did."

"Remove the pests. There are a few key heroes that have the trust of everyone 'hero' across the globe, and even off world. Then, some of the hybrids should be removed…"

"You mean Kon-El, M'gann, the Amazon girl…" Ra's started listing.

"I mean the pests that could cause wars between Earth and another group of beings, yes."

"Why kill Nightwing?" Deathstroke asked. The room went quiet.

"You couldn't ever keep him under your control, so I apologize that you shall lose your favorite play-thing." Luthor managed to sound actually concerned. Slade juts nodded.

"How should we destroy these 'pests'?" Savage asked, sounding intrigued.

"A little side project of Cadmus should get the ball rolling."

"The failed Kr. Experiment?" Asked The Brain. Luthor smiled again.

"And why do you think it is a failed experiment? Kon-El was worthless against his might. None of the 'heroes' can fight this project. But the project is completely under my control."

"Your plan sounds, plausible. What else would we do?" Savage asked, feigning boredom. Luthor smiled. He had them.

"I believe some of your dimension travel technology shall be quiet useful." Savage grinned, nothing friendly about it.

"I do believe we might have something here to begin." Savage growled.

I'm betting you all can guess where I'm going with this. If I write one more story (End Days would be the title), it will be only on the one arc.

I'm wondering if I should write it.

Please review!

Also, I have a second story I'm working on, so expect that to be ready soon!