“would i be a horrible person if i lured you out of here with a ridiculous amount of cotton candy?” she posed the question as she moved to his side, a knowing smile pulling at her lips. babs really didn’t have to use the cotton candy bait – dick rarely turned down getting to hang out – but it seemed more fun that way. she’d been there for a while now, checking out what was going on before finding those she knew in attendance to take an opportunity to catch up.
the carnival was fun, and there was easily plenty they could do while there, but she also knew it’d be easier to talk if they got away from the crowd for a bit. her back leaned into the wheelchair as she looked up to him. “it’s either that or i kick your butt at the ring toss but i’m sure we have time for both.”
“I’m not sure I want to get my butt kicked today,” he said, teasingly, a smile spreading across his face as he moved to face Babs. “but you know you don’t need to lure me away with cotton candy, even if you bought the entire stock of my favorite flavor from every vendor,” though he wouldn’t doubt she would do it, “where’d you want to go?” He leaned against the gate that lined the shop he was standing close to, his entire demeanor changing now that someone he knew was around. It was nice to have his best friend here.
It hit him that he hadn’t seen her lately- mostly his fault, being in Bludhaven, chasing bad guys, and trying to keep the city safe. He’d been so busy he’d forgotten to stop by Gotham recently. Though he did call her a lot while he was vigilante-ng and needed Oracle to get information or unlock a door or... okay, so maybe he called her because he needed to hear her voice. “Sorry I haven’t been around, I just got so caught up in work both in and out of the mask that... time just flies. It’s nice to see you, Babs- instead of hearing your voice over my comms.”
A MERCENARY SAT IN A DINER. in manhattan - outside, the noise of the summer event was heard, down the block, right behind the glass. but inside was different. it was quaint, quiet, with the occasional conversation here and there. the waitress would come by with his usual, a cup of coffee, and make light conversation with the old man. he’d respond, carry conversation, be polite, but it’s always casual conversation. he wasn’t deep, he liked it that way, and she respected that.
it was rare slade connected like this. to people. but she was an exception. see, slade had rare moments of peace. when his mind was broken and his body was a MACHINE, he appreciated small moments of peace like this. a cup of coffee sitting on the table, with a newspaper in hand. he’d read about the summer event they were holding just down the block. heard about it on the tv, listened to it outside his condo. he’d come here just to escape it. he wasn’t working - no contracts to work. slade had already checked in with wintergreen, he would’ve told him if he had a job for him. didn’t stop him from checking his texts anyway.
the papers blocked his view, so he didn’t see when someone slipped into the booth, seated across from him. but he heard it. his hearing was keen. “i’m off the CLOCK,” he joked sarcastically, without batting an eye. “if it’s a JOB, lemme finish my coffee. if not, don’t let the door hit you on your way OUT.”
Hunger had finally hit him and deciding he needed a real meal after all the carnival food he’d been munching out on all day, Dick decided to slip into a diner a few streets away. He could still hear the festivities, but it wasn’t loud enough to be a bother. Part of him needed to be away from it, if only for coffee and a nice meal that wasn’t a greasy corn dog or soft serve ice cream or even cotton candy.
However, when he entered, he had to do a double take at the older man whose face was half hidden behind a newspaper. He could have brushed it off as mere coincidence, except he knew the man too well and his blood ran cold. What was Deathstroke doing here?
Taking his coffee from the waitress, mechanically, he completely forgot about eating and closed the space between him and Slade’s booth, sliding into the seat across from him. He let out a humorless laugh at his words, his fingers tightening around his mug, “Like I’d ever hire you to kill someone for me,” he deadpanned, reaching out to lower the paper enough for Slade to see his face.
Their history was long, and not the best. They’d been enemies since Dick dawned the Robin costume and started the Titans, and he doubted they’d ever stop. There was even a time he had to work for Slade to protect his team. Not one of his finer moments if he was being honest, “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice half a growl, “and don’t tell me its just to have coffee. I don’t believe that,” if Slade was here, it was most likely to kill someone, and Dick would do everything in his power to stop him.
happy birthday steve. it was the fourth of july. and it was his birthday. while he didn’t like to be reminded of how old he was, he was still teased by his friends. old man, “fossil” as nat would put it. steve knew they were just teasing, a bit of fun with the old soldier. they still respected him, but his age reminded him that he didn’t belong in this time. reminded him that he wasn’t born in their time, and he would remember everything he’d lost. soldiers, a life with peggy, but most importantly time. precious time, years of his life he couldn’t get back. because he was frozen on ice and practically transported to the future.
he was displaced. he’d remember he was displaced, but when those depressing thoughts would come, he’d reflect on his present. everything post frozen on ice. his new family the avengers, and learning his old one, bucky, was still alive. fury, his work with shield, and reuniting with the amazon diana prince, made him hopeful. made him want to stay alive. to keep living. then, was he level again. he was one hundred and two today, but it felt like any other day.
he was on guard duty, he was working. dressed to the nines, suited up in his uniform. steve hadn’t planned on stepping away from duty, he just wanted to do this and get it over with. but as he watched the summer fair unfold, he couldn’t help but remember bucky trying to win a stuffed bear for a redhead. dolores, he remembered. or the fact that steve threw up on a ride. he’s definitely not doing that again.
he stepped away for a moment, wanting to reminisce in the past, for just a moment. he hadn’t played these kinds of carnival games in decades. he was a little rough. he approached a booth where it looked like you had to throw a ball and hit the targets, in order to win a prize. “SOME people might say i should get out more,” he started, adjusting his earpiece to shut it off, “-guess this is me trying.”
Dick let out a snort of laughter. Who’d have thought he had something in common with Captain America? Of all the heroes he had learned of, Captain America and Superman were the two he looked up to the most, and for the longest time, Steve Rogers was merely a man from history- not someone he ever thought he would meet. Not like Superman.
“Tell me about it,” Dick mused. The carnival game had several places to stand to play- three rows to get more people to enjoy themselves, which was another thing that reminded him of his circus days. He aimed the ball, trying not to look too good, before tossing it with practiced precision, “all my friends keep telling me I’m too serious, I should get out more and have fun and be normal,” the ball only hit two of the targets, but that was fine, he had two more shots, “so I guess we’re trying together,”
He turned to Steve, giving him one of his stupid grins, “Sorry, I recognized you immediately- your picture is pretty much everywhere and every kid learns about you in class,” he extended his hand to him, “Dick Grayson,” he offered, “its an honor to finally meet Captain America. I admit, I’m a big fan,”
it was nice to be out in the sunshine, even in the job was something a little quieter than natasha’s tastes. bland as it sounded, calling the avengers in as glorified bodyguards for the day, she wasn’t about to argue with fury. even she couldn’t talk her way out of a corner with him. instead, she did as she was told, lifted her face up to the sun and accepted that nothing exciting was likely to come out of today.
she didn’t really get these big american summer fairs, they were quaint, cute. but too many people bustled around her, too many sounds, too much. give her a quiet beach over this any day – not that she was any good at taking a break.
stomach rumbling, she headed for a food cart packed full of festival goers, she stood on her tiptoes, frowning. “ geez. what’s a girl gotta do to get a corn dog around here? ”
“I’d say jump over them, but not too many people can do that,” he replied, teasingly, “thankfully, you don’t have to do that, ‘cause I just grabbed four in case I got really hungry but I pigged out on ice cream the whole time I’ve been here and haven’t touched any of my corn dogs yet,” Dick held one of the corn dogs out to her, a genuine smile on his face, “trust me, I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat any more even if I wanted to,” and usually he could eat more, but today was not the day.
“Sorry the line’s so long, seems like corn dogs are the most popular food in the fair,” the only thing this was missing was a circus, but maybe that was the circus kid in him talking. It felt like a circus, and the longer he was here, the more at home he felt. Except he wasn’t at home, because the big top and performers were missing, “if you want, I can suggest a few food places with smaller lines, like the pizza vendor or a few of the hotdog stands.“
bruce let out a small huff as he turned to give a arched brow towards the tower. “he’s not so bad.” he’d known tony stark for years - they’d been childhood friends and very close ones at that. until bruce disappeared and went through the processes that would make him become batman. he hadn’t really seen much of tony since then - not as bruce, not often - but he knew about the other man’s very public persona as iron man.
he also knew that dick had no idea about bruce’s past with tony - or his current. he was repairing things, healing old wounds - letting the other man deal with the return of his lost friend. to which he’d given his distance. “you should tell him you’re bruce’s kid, he’ll let you through.” that was cryptic enough to keep dick guessing, it would amuse him. “alfred wasn’t going to let me sit in the house for another hour more - so yes, i had to leave before he kicked me out.” he shrugged, taking a sip of his ordered coffee. “it’s nice. quaint. not my thing.” he admitted, glancing around before casting his gaze back onto his eldest. “depends on if i get called back to gotham or not. what about you?”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Dick had never met any of the Avengers. He’d been contacted by S.H.I.E.L.D once for the Avengers Initiative, but he turned them down. He didn’t want to be on a team bound to the government. Not when his identity was so close to his heart and best kept as a secret. He didn’t mind if he was asked to drop in and help, but joining was a whole other thing. He was good with what he had, the Titans.
That made Dick raise his brows. Bruce knew more than he was letting on, something that both amused and irritated him at times, but that was just how Bruce was, “How cryptic of you,” he said, amused. He was used to that from Bruce- and Batman, “I’ll try that next time I find myself over there,” even though they both knew Dick hated using I’m Bruce Wayne’s son to get something. Dick let out a soft laugh at that, “Sounds like Al. Always making sure we didn’t go crazy in that house, even if we didn’t want to leave. How is he, by the way?” he missed Alfred and other than Bruce, Alfred was one of the most important parental figures in his life.
The next thing he said made Dick smile and he shrugged, “Nice and quaint is good though, right? But I get it, you’re not a people person,” he paused, wondering if maybe he should step into the shop and get a coffee too, “I’ve got my gear in the trunk of my car, just in case, you know?” he knew Bruce knew what he meant, but to anyone else, it sounded like he was an over-prepared detective, “But if everything goes well, I’ll probably stay. I’ve been told I could use a break,” especially if he could find any of his friends here.
bruce wasn’t one for social interactions and he found that it was…almost useless to make the trip from gotham to new york just to show himself to the crowds and that he was a ‘people’ person. but given the look that alfred had been giving him, bruce let out a heaving sigh and decided that perhaps it was in his best interest to drive down to the other city. “i don’t even care about the holiday alfred,” he protested on deaf ears before making his way down.
once he arrived, he stayed to the quieter parts of the celebration event - getting recognized occasionally and pausing for photos and autographs - before sneaking off to grab a coffee. finding some solace in the coffee shop, he went to take a sip when someone cleared their throat behind him. “look, i know i’m bruce wayne but this isn’t my city. if you want an autograph from a billionaire, tony stark is right out there.” he pointed towards the tower before turning to face the person. “oh, sorry. thought you were a fan.”
It was actually a relief to find Bruce here, and he couldn’t help cracking a smile. Bruce wasn’t the people type. Maybe Alfred gave him that look you had to listen to. He cleared his throat to let Bruce know he was there- since the two of them seemed to share that habit of being too quiet, and raised a brow at his remark, “I’d probably need Oracle’s help to get into that tower with all the security protocols Stark is sure to have just to get inside to ask for one,” he mused, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“Don’t worry about it,” even Dick had to duck away from a few fans of Bruce Wayne who recognized him as his adopted son, but since Dick tended to stay out of the limelight, he had an easier time blending in. Unless you really scrutinized Bruce’s life, you wouldn’t know much about Dick, “I see Alfred convinced you to get out of the manor,” he teased. Dick was glad he managed to do that, “so, what do you think of the fair?” he asked, deciding to try and make small talk. Bruce would probably be comfortable with someone familiar anyway. Kind of like him. He was only here because everyone kept telling him he had to have more fun and get out more often, “Think you’ll stay for the fireworks?”
brenton thwaites, he/him, twenty-nine ➜ ➜ ➜ the real enemy is out there, but they don’t stand a chance against DICK GRAYSON and their ACROBATICS & MARTIAL ARTS. better known as NIGHTWING, this VIGILANTE won’t be caught off guard.
Hello! I’m mod Rey and I’m here with my favorite Batboy (and arguably my favorite DC character) Dick Grayson! I’ve been playing him for around a year now, on and off, and have gotten to read most of the major comics he’s in (save his Batman run, haven’t read it yet) and see most of the adaptations he’s in, so I’m very excited to play my boy again with you all! So I’ll try to keep this intro as simple and vague, yet informative as possible!
I feel pretty much everyone knows Dick was the first Robin at the age of eight after his parents fell to their deaths and Dick was unable to catch them. Bruce Wayne saw himself in the kid and took him in, stopped him from going after and killing Tony Zucco, who was responsible for his parents deaths, and basically raised him, adopted him and helped him rein in his anger issues.
Dick quit being Robin at eighteen after multiple disagreements and later on that month, became Nightwing and he’s been that ever since.
He’s also leader of the Titans and has occasionally tagged along with bigger teams (usually the Justice League, he doesn’t like the idea of the government trying to figure out his identity so he doesn’t hang with the Avengers) when he needs to, but most of the time he is with the Titans in San Francisco or on his own in Bludhaven, being a Detective in the BPD by day and a vigilante by night. Sometimes he’ll even drop by Gotham if his dad needs help.
He knows about his relation to the Court of Owls but has basically told his creepy great great grandfather “fuck destiny, I make my own”. Last he saw William Cobb, he dumped liquid nitrogen on him underneath the Gotham subway systems and left him to die. As of now, his whereabouts are unknown. He has no wish to be the Gray Son of Gotham,
He was “dead” for a while, and undercover in Spyral, but that was probably a few years ago, so he’s back and operating as Nightwing again and his identity is still secret. The details of how he joined, why he faked his death, and what happened in Spyral are vague and will most likely stay vague, just cause I don’t wanna force any plots.
As of right now, Dick has never been Batman and never plans to take up that mantle. It’s his dad’s, and he has worked hard enough to get out from under the shadow of the bat, taking it up would be several steps back for him as far as he’s concerned, however, if Bruce were ever injured and needed him to take it up, he would in a heartbeat.
One more thing. Ric Grayson is not canon in this house. I probably sound like a broken record, but that never happened. Dick was never shot in the head by KG Beast and never lost his memory of the Batfamily and the last twenty-one years of his life.
I also tend to pull from DC Universe’s Titans 2018 for characterization as I feel it’s pretty close to his 90s version, however I also grab from Rebirth, Young Justice, and Teen Titans as well! My canon for him is a bit of a mess because of that!
Dick’s always the big brother of the Batfamily and usually seen as the happy one, but he still has his own issues and tends to bury them under the mask of being happy and telling jokes to ease the tension, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t serious. Sometimes he can be too serious (he trains quite often), but that’s usually when he’s stretching himself too thin between too many things, which is something he does often. Dick has a habit of trying to do everything, not caring the toll it takes on him. He has anger issues and a guilt complex, along with a fear of failure or not being good enough. He’s trusting, but not gullible, but also one of the kindest people on the planet who refuses to give up on others, no matter how far gone they seem. There’s a reason why so many heroes trust him and would jump when he called for their aid.
