A Renegade Knight

CHAPTER XIV

The cave was just as dark as always, Steph casually observed. She had arrived only moments before with Tim and Damian, her former Boyfriend quickly dragging the junior assassin away into the depths somewhere. Steph really didn't want to know where. Nor did she want to know what was behind the hastily erected screens in the corner of the medical bay. The soft whispers and sounds of a heart monitor were enough for the girl to make an educated guess, and it wasn't pleasant.

Instead the former Girl Wonder walked around, casually looking at anything which caught her eye as she tried not to think. Nightwing had been in a bad shape, his injuries much too serious to brush off like he normally did.

In the laboratory, a computer monitor was on. Slowly, Steph made her way towards it. It was a news report. Reaching for the keyboard, Steph quickly turned up the volume before sitting herself in front of the screen.

"It was a tense scene here in Bludhaven, where just moments ago, the Justice League confirmed the capture of the villain known as Deathstroke the Terminator."

The female reporter stood awkwardly on screen, holding her microphone in one hand as she tried to wrap her jacket closer around herself, the cold air blowing her hair over her face.

"Deathstroke has been linked to many murders over the last twenty years and has been found guilty of espionage as well as theft and fraud, putting him on the Justice Leagues list of dangerous criminals. A representative of the Justice League claimed that the villain was found tied to a flag pole on top of Bludhaven National Bank by Metropolis Hero Superman. How the villain ended up there is anyone's guess, as is how Superman knew where to find him. But regardless of the mystery, the people of Bludhaven can sleep easy tonight. The dangerous criminal has been caught. I am Sally Gibson, National News."

Steph slowly rose from her seat, looking hard at the grainy footage as Superman dragged Deathstroke from the scene before the image cut, returning to the studio.

"Well that's good news Sally, I know I will certainly sleep easier in my bed." The anchor man said, grinning at the camera with a false look of happiness.

Steph rolled her eyes and once again muted the program, lowering herself back down and spinning on the chair until she could see the strategically placed screens. She looked hard at them, almost as if she could suddenly develop x-ray vision and see what was going on. More to the point, what was going on in the mind of her former mentor? As far as Steph knew, Batman had never killed anyone. But from what she could see, what Deathstroke had done to Dick was in-human. How had the Dark Knight stopped himself killing the man for hurting his son?

Steph knew it would be a question she would never answer. Relaxing into the chair, she let her mind wonder again as she waited patiently for the news.

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Arriving in the cave, Tim couldn't stop the worry in the pit of his stomach as he noticed the screens around the medical bay. Clearly Bruce hadn't wasted any time getting Dick into surgery. It took all of Tim's self control not to run over and see for himself the state of his older brother.

Looking around to try and distract himself, Tim felt his eyes fall on Damian. He mentally cursed. The kid was standing in the corner, shaking slightly as he stared at the screens. But what really worried Tim was the blood. On Damian's face was a bloodied hand print, a reminder of what had happened. The kid's tunic and gloves were dripping droplets of red onto the floor. In all of Tim's memories of the kid, he had never seen his younger brother so quiet or so pale.