PART 1.| EUPHORIA: Dick GraysonxOC. Prequel to Titans. Ellie Bishop, the daughter of Bruce Wayne has been gone from Gotham for five years, and in coming back she finds herself drawn to Dick Grayson all over again.
PART 2.| EXILE: Jason ToddxOC. Isa...
——————— |Chapter 65.|...And Down The Dark Path.| ———————
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Dick left the cabin for about an hour to retrieve and cut some fire wood up, he doesn't want them to freeze as the night set in, and Dick doesn't know how long it will take for Jason to show up.
Crane is still bound to a chair, even if Crane somehow managed to free himself while Dick was gone, there is an laser fence surrounding the property that would have stunned Crane into unconsciousness. And Crane is having too good of a time torturing Dick with the memories of all the bad things that had happened, all of the things that Jason had told Crane.
Dick drops the wood with a clatter by the fireplace, and then starts to load it in cut by cut, until the flames have enough kindling to burn brighter.
"What's your plan?" Crane enquired of Dick. Crane didn't think Nightwing is foolish enough to challenge Red Hood again, the last time Jason had easily beaten Dick, nothing has changed since then.
Dick looks over his shoulder at Crane. "I told you, wait for Red Hood, and take him out" Dick informs Crane. Part of Dick hates that he has to fight Jason, another part of him is excited to finally stop Jason hurting the family.
Crane chuckles. "What about with Gotham? You're stepping into daddy's shoes?" Crane asks Dick. Jason told Crane about how everyone despised Bruce for how cold and distant he was, it was stronger with Dick, Dick being the first sidekick. "Now, don't get me wrong, I mean, we all want to please our parents. That's why I became a doctor. You see how well that worked out, right?" Crane tells Dick. Crane just can't see Dick taking up the Batsuit, not when he has his precious Titans.
Dick has to laugh at that. Dick shrugs out of his coat. "You actually think we're the same?" Dick scoffs. Dick has spent every day since he was 13 helping people, be it as Robin, a cop, or now as Nightwing.
"No, no, no. What I'm saying is that we all get stuck on this hamster wheel of trying to live up to the expectations of others" Crane says to Dick. "We always think that it's going to turn out different, but the outcome is somehow always the same" Crane tells Dick. For Crane it is trying and failing to dose the city with fear gas, to make them as afraid as he is all the time.
"Is that what you told Jason?" Dick challenges Crane. Dick keeps thinking about it over and over, what was it that Crane actually said to Jason that managed to convince him to turn on his family.
"No, I'm talking about you" Crane replies. "You come back here, and you want to bathe Gotham in blood as if that's somehow better than what Batman, Warbird or anyone ever did. Bruce was a psychopath, and so are those who follow him, especially the girl" Crane comments.
