GRAYSON: ETERNAL: PART THREE - RAPTOR

QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE I BEGIN: I REALIZE MANY PARTS OF THIS ARE HEAVILY BASED ON THE NIGHTWING: REBIRTH COMIC. IN FACT, SOME PARTS ARE STRAIGHT UP COPIED. I THOUGHT IT'D BE NEAT TO ADAPT PARTS OF THOSE COMICS. THIS IS TECHNICALLY PLAGIARISM, I KNOW, BUT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE COMICS FULLY TRANSPOSED ONTO OTHER MEDIUMS.

ALSO, I INTENDED TO UPLOAD THIS YESTERDAY, BUT THE FORMATTING WAS WEIRD. SO HERE IT IS TODAY.

Dick’s heart pounded. His fingers fell away from the slick tree bark, and he tumbled out of the branches. He hit the damp ground with a thud. The soldiers didn’t move. Raptor peered around the blockade of soldiers, and grinned.

“We have a visitor,” Raptor said in his dry voice.

Dick had been trailing a truck full of soldiers only moments ago. He was in a small, spiritual town in China with Helena and Tiger on a mission. Tiger was off-site, running mission control.

While keeping a close eye on the soldiers, an old enemy appeared. A ghost. Raptor.

Dick had battled Raptor years ago- back when he was Nightwing. Five years ago, to be exact. Raptor had once loved Mary Lloyd, Dick’s mother, before she was killed alongside her husband by a mob boss. Bruce had taken Dick under his wing that day, and trained him as Robin.

Raptor resurfaced in Dick’s life years later, after Bruce had raised him. He wanted to pull him away from the elitist crowd, and help him find his roots. He wanted to help raise Dick to be his own person, not just a brand extension of Bruce Wayne, or even Batman.

Dick took Bruce’s side, trying to drive Raptor off.

They sparred for a while. Back and forth they fought, neither one winning. Then, Jason Todd died. It shattered Bruce. Raptor took advantage of Bruce’s weakness, and confronted him in public, forcing him to surrender, or risk being outed as Batman. Raptor had taken Bruce back to-

-

SIX YEARS AGO…

The circus!

Of course that’s where he was. Nightwing sped down a glossy, moonlit road on his black and blue motorcycle, and kicked himself for not realizing earlier. Luckily, Barbara had been able to run a list of likely locations. Two signatures appeared at the spot where Dick’s parents had been murdered.

A sign that read “BIENVENUE AU CIRQUE ROMANES DE PARIS” zipped by. “Welcome to the Romanesque Circus of Paris”.

Nightwing felt pangs of fear. How fitting it would be if the last Grayson died in the same spot that the other two fell.

No. Nightwing wouldn’t allow it. And, if he was being honest with himself, Nightwing knew Raptor wouldn’t allow it either. Even after the battles, Raptor wanted to “save” Nightwing in his own twisted, roundabout way. Killing him was not on his to-do list.

Nightwing finally arrived at the circus. The red and white big top was dilapidated and tattered, looking like a miserable puppet. The tent flap itself seemed to frown.

“You got my message,” Raptor said. Nightwing opened his palm, and revealed a wrinkled photo of two figures.

A slim, smiling woman with brown hair and a blue and white leotard stood on the right side of the photo. On the left was a man with baggy orange pants, a gray, white, and orange top, and black boots. His face had white grease paint all over, except for orange paint around the eyes. Just like Raptor’s mask.

Indeed it was. Mary Lloyd and “Raptor”.

“My word wasn’t good enough, I could tell,” Raptor said, shaking his head, “Now you know. I loved your mother. I couldn’t bear to see you grow up as just another Bruce Wayne. But I was helpless to stop it! Then I found Suyolak…”

Raptor eyed the golden gauntlet on his hand with pride.

“I had the power. I have the power! Dick Grayson, you are your own person! You are not Bruce Wayne 2.0. Not Batman 2.0.”

“That’s right,” Nightwing nodded, “I’m Nightwing.”

Nightwing swung wildly at Raptor with his Escrima sticks. Raptor easily slid backwards, snaking like a river to avoid the strikes.

Nightwing hurled one stick at the ground with all his might. It hit at a 37° angle, sprung back off of the dirt, and slammed into Raptor’s face. Right between the eyes.

“Wanna know who taught me how to do that?” Nightwing asked, approaching Raptor. Raptor held out Suyolak, and a bright flash exploded from the palm. Nightwing shielded his eyes with his arms. When he pulled them away cautiously, Raptor was gone.

Nightwing rushed over to Bruce, who had a sharpened silver spoon aimed at his chest. He was strapped to a silver chair.

“Behind you!” Bruce warned.

Nightwing whipped around to see Raptor charging. He caught a hook punch with his right hand, and felt the bumps of Suyolak’s knuckles. Suyolak began to heat up, and burnt through the glove. Then, Suyolak erupted in a heat wave, that knocked Nightwing down.

“Watch, Grayson,” Raptor ordered, “Watch Bruce Wayne’s own hubris destroy him. People like him think they can step on us in order to get to the top. Well, as soon as shares of Wayne Enterprises reach two hundred dollars, the silver spoon Bruce Wayne has eaten off of will plunge into his heart.”

There was a small screen next to Bruce that displayed the price of stock. It was at $196

“You’re sadistic,” Nightwing growled.

“I’m a hero. The underdog. The mouthpiece for the oppressed.”

“My mother lived a wonderful life. She may not have had a mansion. Or a batcave. Or a company worth billions. Or anything fancy. But she loved her life. She didn’t need fame or fortune. She found the best in everyone. She would be disappointed in you.”

Raptor slunk back, looking momentarily defeated.

“You- You’re too far gone,” Raptor said, shame in his voice, “Wayne, you bastard! You destroyed Dick Grayson! You corrupted him! You made him into another you!”

“Bruce may have picked me up off my ass, but I chose who to become,” Nightwing declared, “And I chose this life. Robin and Nightwing- I chose to do this.”

“You chose wrong,” Raptor said, sounding like he was trying to reassure himself more than anyone, “YOU CHOSE WRONG! MARY WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU! NOT ME!”
“You know I’m right, Raptor,” Nightwing said, “Look at yourself. Look at what you’ve become.”

Raptor glanced down at Suyolak, and frowned. In this brief moment of absent-mindedness, Nightwing sprung forward. He jammed his Escrima stick straight into Raptor’s mask, shattering it. Raptor recoiled, and picked bloodied fragments off the end of his nose.

“You and I both know you can’t win this, Nightwing,” Raptor growled.

Nightwing nodded, “Yeah. I know you can’t feel pain. So think of this as my attempt to shut your damn face!”
Nightwing jetted towards Raptor, ready to knee him in the face. Raptor withstood the blow, and scratched through Nightwing’s suit with Suyolak. Nightwing stumbled back, keeping his hand close to his bleeding chest.

“You’re going to kill me,” Nightwing said, shocked.

“If that’s what it takes to save you from yourself,” Raptor said, “Then that’s what must be done.”

Raptor leapt at Nightwing, and let Suyolak grasp his throat.

“I’m sorry that it had to be like this, Dick Grayson,” Raptor said, genuinely disappointed.

Nightwing swung his leg up between Raptor’s leg, and threw him away. He turned around to see that stock prices has reached $199.98.

Nightwing ran over to Bruce, and tried to loosen the restraints that bound him to the steel chair. Nothing.

99.

Nightwing took his Escrima stick, and jammed it into the silver spoon. A buffer to the blow.

“It’ll still hurt, but you’ll be-”

“I’ll be fine,” Bruce nodded, “Now go get Raptor.”

Nightwing sprinted off to find Raptor. Raptor was standing on the big top. Nightwing was without Escrima sticks, so he had to climb up to the top on his own. He had almost reached the top when he felt Suyolak’s cold, golden fingers clasp around his wrist. Nightwing struggled against it, but found that Raptor was actually helping him up to the top.

“See what I did there, Wing?” Raptor asked, “I leveled the playing field. I didn’t take advantage of your weak position. People like Bruce Wayne take advantage of those who need help. You saved the true villain when you saved his life.”

Nightwing opened his mouth to speak. No words came out. Blood did. He looked down, and saw that a blade had slid out of Suyolak. The blade drove through Nightwing’s stomach.

“Now you’re the villain, Dick,” Raptor said, “You’re just like Bruce Wayne. An extension of his brand.”

Raptor left Nightwing to die.

-

PRESENT…

“Who might you be?” Raptor asked, approaching Dick.

“Marv,” Dick said, attempting to keep his cover, “Marv Wolfman.”

Raptor grinned, “And what were you doing up in that tree, Marv?”

It was obvious that Raptor wasn’t fooled at all. He knew Dick’s face. Every curve, cut, and crevice.

“Following the truck,” Dick admitted, ready to play another angle.

“You were followed by a mere tourist?” Raptor hissed at the soldiers. They didn’t even twitch.

“I’m not here to fight,” Dick assured, “I want… I want to help.”

“We’re always open to new recruits,” Raptor said, “Go wait in the helicopter.”

Dick nodded, amazed to be alive. Raptor had let him live. Why?

Dick clambered onto a padded bench in the belly of the helicopter, and waited for Raptor to accompany him.

After a brief seminar with the soldiers, Raptor sat next to Dick in the helicopter.

“Been a while, Grayson,” Raptor said without making eye contact.

“Last time I remember seeing you, I had a sword through my stomach,” Dick scowled.

“Not a sword. Suyolak,” Raptor corrected. He ran his right hand over Suyolak’s sleek surface.

“Okay, Suyolak. You shoved that glove through me,” Dick said.

“You’re right. And if you’re not careful, I’ll do it again,” Raptor grinned, “So what are you really here for?”

“Zhou He. Heard of her?” Dick asked.

“Whose helicopter do you think this is?” Raptor scoffed.

“It was a rhetorical question. I know you’re working for her,” Dick stated.

“Gotta find work,” Raptor shrugged.

“You’re about to be fired,” Dick said.

“Somehow your quips have gotten worse,” Raptor sighed, and laid a hand on Dick’s shoulder, “Listen, Dick, get out of this town while you still can. I’ve kept an eye on you for a while now. You ditched the rich boy, and joined up with an organization that helps where it’s needed. I admire that. Lending a hand. Like I did at the circus.”

“Only to stab me through the stomach seconds after,” Dick reminded him.

“It was a fair fight,” Raptor said, “As I was saying, I admire who you’ve become. Leaving Bruce Wayne, and your life as Nightwing, behind has done wonders for you. Maybe one day we can fight together.”

“I’ll never fight by your side,” Dick declared.

“Not if you’re dead. Which will be the case if you don’t leave,” Raptor said, “What’s going on here is beyond your understanding. I am not the villain.”

“Then what is going on here?” Dick asked.

“You really expect me to just reveal Zhou’s plan because you asked?” Raptor chuckled, “Heroes never change.”

“I expect you to reveal the plan because if not, I’ll kill you,” Dick growled, slowly drawing his pistol.

“Hold it,” Raptor cautioned, “Last time I checked, Suyolak wins against pistol in the classic game of Suyolak, Pistol, Nothing. Suyolak beats Pistol. Pistol beats Nothing. Nothing beats Suyolak. You hear that? Nothing. It’s pretty accurate- Suyolak is unbeatable.”

“You’ve got an obsession with that stupid glove,” Dick shook his head.

“Give me the gun,” Raptor ordered.

“Fat chance, Thanos,” Dick said, eyeing Raptor’s extended hand.

“Thanos?” Raptor raised an eyebrow.

“You’re an asshole who wears a gauntlet and thinks he’s in the right. The only thing you’re missing is a nutsack chin. Close enough,” Dick shrugged.

“Who the hell is Thanos?” Raptor asked.

“Too busy beating up the good guys to watch a movie?” Dick scoffed, “Sounds like a bummer.”

With that, Dick fired off three shots, each finding their mark in Raptor’s face. Raptor slumped over in his chair.

“Heroes never change,” Dick muttered, standing up, “Yeah right.”