Thomas, the legacy of the Wayne name. Heir to the throne of power, to Wayne Enterprises, and to Batman.
One misstep. One bad day. The spiral of events leading to the downfall of the Batfamily and so much more. Only one man left standing, only one pr...
Thomas Wayne was walking through the batcave. He looked tired, and hungry. His black tshirt was wrinkled and his jeans were a few inches too short.
Even though he was only fourteen, he looked older. Like he was around seventeen, maybe. He was tall for his age, with broad shoulders and a sharp jaw.
He had a bruise on his eye, and his hands shook as he walked through the cave, popping his knuckles. He turned into the armory, looking around. He turned away from Batman, Catwoman, and Robin.
He just needed some things. A baton, and a smoke bomb. He moved to walk out of the room, but he stopped. A mannequin caught his eye, a flash of blue. Thomas looked up at the suit. The suit of Nightwing.
A blue chevron arced over the shoulders, and a black mask with white eyes was staring at Thomas. Voices echoed in his head.
"Why aren't you still Robin, Dick?" Young Thomas asked.
"Because I outgrew it. I wanted my own life, not tied to Batman and Robin. Just me. Nightwing is whoever I want him to be. But he's also what a lot of people rely on. The Titans, Bludhaven, Gotham, even. Nightwing is justice. But he's also vengeance."
Thomas took the mask, holding it in his hands. A whisper escaped his lips, "Nightwing is whoever I want him to be."
Present Time:
I was fourteen when I killed my first man. I went into town to shop, because my clothes were getting too small. Some thugs mugged me. But I recognized one as Nikki Maroni, the Don's nephew.
I only went into the cave for tools to make up for my lack of training. But I left with a mission. Though I didn't realize it until Nikki was on the ground, looking up at me.
He didn't recognize me with Dick's mask on, and I wore all black so he couldn't see me. But I took that escrima stick and I had beat him and his men down. I didn't mean to kill him, but it just happened.
"Who are you?" Nikki had asked.
"Vengeance."
Nightwing wasn't just a face. He was a mission. A purpose. Something to fill the void my family left. And when the Riddler broke out shortly after, I realized how much damage had been done in my family's absense.
But I knew killing was wrong. So I stopped after Nikki. And I vowed that the only people I'd ever kill were ones who truly deserved it.
People who had been given chances to change and didn't. People who killed worthlessly. And the most important, the man that started the downfall of my life. I didn't know it at that time, but that man was Joker.
My point is, I'm not Batman. And I'm not Robin. I'm not even Nightwing was when Dick wore that mask. I'm my own man, made of his own choices. But I carry the burden the rest of the Batfamily left behind.
Gotham will not fall. I swear it to you. It's the last thing I'll ever do. Ra's Al Ghul will die by my blade. I promise.
***
Nightwing's boots crossed the damp concrete, step after step as slowly his suit took frame.
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He looked at the two figures looking out over the bridge. It was a dam, and on the right side was a lake, the left side was a river that ran into the sewers and into the city.
Sounds of war rang through the streets in the distance. Fires and street lights made the night glow. Smoke blended in with the rain clouds. And the stench of death battled the rain with each gust of the storm.
It all came from one place, Grand Avenue. And the people observing it were responsible.
The one on the left was barely shorter, but he recognized the one on the right as Ra's Al Ghul. Neither Ra's nor Damian noticed him. Not until he announced his presence: "This ends here, Ra's."
They both turned.
"Ah, Nightwing. You're supposed to be dead," Ra's said, taking place in front of Thomas.
They stood five yards across from each other on the yellow line in the middle of the street as if they were about to old-west duel.
Ibn stood on Ra's right, a bit closer to Nightwing.
"I'm hard to kill," Nightwing smiled, "we'll see if we can say the same about you. You hurt my city, you sent Deathstroke to kill my father, you and your organization have poisoned my family in all kinds of ways. For that alone you deserve to die."
Damian stepped forward, drawing his sword.
"No," Ra's objected, "stand down. I will handle this boy myself. It is as the prophecy foretold. Death to the son of Gotham."
"Death to the son of Gotham," Damian agreed.
Ra's drew his sword as Thomas did two black katanas off his legs, "on the one hand I feel bad for what I'm about to do. I guess its a good thing I have two hands."
As if to reinforce he spun both of his swords, readying them.
Ra's lunged, swiping his sword at Thomas. He slapped it away, taking a step back. Both of them were cautious, gageing the other's skill.
Even after centuries of combat, Ra's was weary of Nightwing's skill. After all of his feats, his fear was necessary.
But Nightwing also knew Ra's combat was subconscious at this point. He could fight in his sleep and win. But Nightwing was no ordinary opponent.
He slashed, Ra's blocked, and the younger man returned with a kick. Ra's caught it, holding it at his side.
Thomas jumped, wrapping his other leg around Ra's and flipping him to the ground.
By the time Damian saw them untangle, Thomas was on his knees and Ra's had his sword at his throat. Nightwing's swords were on the ground, and he looked at Ra's.
Ra's drew his sword back, "death to the son of Gotham."
"You won't win!" Nightwing interjected, "The light prevails."
A scream echoed through the air. A war cry. Ra's turned to the noise to see Damian slashing at him. Ra's moved, and in a flash he kicked Damian backwards with all his strength, sending him tumbling over the edge into the waterfall.
Ra's Al Ghul stood there, hearing Damian's scream as he fell into the depths below. But he relished in the other body. Nightwing, trying to close the hole in his throat.
Ra's smiled, seeing the blood pooling below the boy's body. He watched until Thomas went limp, his red eyes dulling from their glow. And as Ra's began to realize his victory, he finally spoke the completion of his mission:
