Yes, I finally updated. I've been busy with college and I know there are a million excuses why I haven't been keeping up. And for that I'm truly sorry. Forgive me? Well, here's a short chapter to make up for it. Ha ha. As if.

Reviews keep me posting. And don't forget to check out some of my other Stories. I have some good Nightwing one's going under Batman: comics. R and R my peeps.

As always italicized means flashback...

It had been a full day since Nightwing had brought the pictures to the mountain, a full day since he'd met the robot, revealed his secret about killing Slade…a full day. Since then he'd received papers, letters, pictures…all threats from the black and orange clad man. All in rapid succession.

Now Nightwing stood on the edge of a building one foot propped lazily on the raised border.

His city was filth. Trash. People. Absolute filth. And yet day by day Grayson made it just a bit better. Just a bit more livable.

Everything was wrong for Grayson. Every move. Every breath. He tore himself up with the 'what could have beens'. He just wanted to be perfect. But he was just human.

He looked around for a moment at his dark with night city and turned to the shadows behind him.

"This isn't necessary" Red Arrow stepped from the inky darkness examining the tip of an arrow, he gave Richard a doubtful look, one eyebrow arched above the other.

"Give me a break, Wings. Some sicko with a death grudge is out there…after you, my best friend and you don't think me backing you up is necessary?" Nightwing crossed his arms and shook his head tossing his raven hair at his ear lobes. Roy slipped the arrow back into his quiver.

"Well deal. You're stuck with me" Nightwing felt a small ease and couldn't help but offer a grateful smile to his friend.

Nightwing took back the pictures from his friends who were silently struck in awe. Richard knew they were bad, Grayson knew that the severity of the situation had just been brought into light for his team. Nightwing was in real danger. Real danger. Slade meant to kill him. Slowly and painfully, as much gore as possible.

"Nightwing…" It was Zatanna who had gasped, she clung to his arm fearfully. Rocket and Zatanna had been called, Robin and Batgirl had been sent home. Richard was showing the pictures to the two now present members.

"Yeah…I know" he slid the pictures away. No words were spoken for minutes on end until Connor crossed his arms a hidden rage deep in his eyes. The other members lingered close

"So what are we going to do about it?" Nightwing spun walking towards the teleporter.

"There is no 'we' in this one, Supes…just me" Rocket landed in front of him blocking his path. Her arm's crossed as well, a defiant look in her eyes.

"No, Richard…it's 'we' in this situation…this guy means business and-" she was interrupted by the teleporter announcing Batman. Richard groaned inwardly.

BATMAN B ZERO-22

Nightwing turned to face his father, a steely expression on his face. The room hardened. Batman just had that affect.

"So?" Batman asked, his voice gravel "What are we going to do about this?" Richard crossed his arms tightly.

"There IS NO WE" Batman made no expression instead he exposed a box from behind his cape. It was labeled NIGHTWING, it was a simple brown parcel tied in string. Nightwing took it hesitantly.

"I scanned it for bombs. Or chemicals. It's just paper inside. It was left at your apartment" Richard knew his father was curious to its contents, but he tucked it under his arm.

"Thanks…why were you at my apartment?" it came out leaking with sarcasm. The stiches in his side screaming in agony. Batman didn't answer, instead he asked

"Are you going to open-?"

"-Later" Batman turned and left without another word, the room chilly with tension between father and son.

He was so exhausted it made his eyes burn, like they were melting from their sockets. The package was light and yet seemed to weigh him down.

Someone awkwardly coughed behind him. He didn't care.

"I'm going home" he entered the teleporter and typed in Bludhaven. Roy squeezed in next to him

"Not without me"

"Damn it, Roy"

"Not a chance, Grayson"

"So how many threats have you gotten now?" The blue insignia-ed hero sombered quickly and looked across his city once more.

"5 maybe" there was a brief silence, before Roy too crossed his arms

"Bull shit…including those photos you brought us and all the ones since…It's got to be like 20-30" Richard didn't deny it. A cop car wailed like an injured beast in the distance. "Richard come on man." Roy pleaded "Just lay low for a while, until this storm passes…I don't want you to get yourself killed…"

Richard reached his apartment, Roy was almost shocked at the mess, and the beer bottles scattered around. He breathed in disapproval. Richard waved it away. He set the box down on the table shoving clutter onto the floor to clear himself room and took a knife to the string.

"Dude, what happened to the anal retentive neat-freak?" Grayson stopped caring. He wanted to answer that, but instead he settled on

"He grew up, Roy" the strings snapped free. He unwrapped the paper from the box and opened it. It was full of letters. From his citizens. From his people of Bludhaven. The ones he protected with his life.

Hate mail.

Roy tipped a kitchen chair and let the disorderly mess fall to the ground, he sat and watched his friend.

"What is it?" the archer watched a black gloved hand reach into the box and pull out a handful of letters. Maybe 10, he drew out another handful. Another 10. He tossed them amongst the clutter of the table. He ripped open the nearest one. It was written in crayon. Some letter facing backwards. Sally Jenson. He had saved her cat from a tree on Detroit Street a few months ago. She was 6.

"Nightwing,

Mommy says it's evil to take another body's life. You saved my cat but you took body's life. That's bad. You used to be a hero to me. I was wrong.

-Sally"

He threw it aside and opened another, Teddy Picklo an Italian locksmith. He had saved his store from a robbery a week or two ago.

"Nightwing,

You are a murder. I though you were better than the scum in this city but I can see now you are the worst of the worst. You are no hero, young man. If I ever see you near my store again I will have to do justice myself like you did and kill you."

They letters went on and on.

"Nightwing,

I hope you get what you deserve,

Hell."

His people. This was the lowest Slade could go. He was turning his city against him. Roy watched his friend break apart.

Nightwing ignoring Roy, leapt over the edge, arms at his sides free falling. Grayson loved this feeling. It reminded him of his parents, and yet he found comfort in it. He shot out his line, soaring over the streets. He hears Roy following him. He finally landed in an alley behind a bar, busting with loud beats.

"Nightwing, you are not patrolling tonight. Not with the whole city after you and that mad man…" Roy stormed, lightning in his eyes. Richard fastened his mask and readjusted him gloves.

"Damn it, Roy. You don't understand. Even if Slade spread this rumor that I murdered him…these people. My people still need me. Even if they don't appreciate it" Roy shook his head.

"Dick please." His shoulder's sagged slightly "it's as if you're trying to get yourself killed" Richard opened the window pausing on the edge letting the wind brush past him.

"I'm doing my job. I can't just stop because Slade's trying to intimidate me in my own city. I won't let him…I will NOT be paranoid in my own city" Dick disappeared and Roy rubbed his face

"Oh, Richard…what happened to you?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Roy hissed looking around madly for people. Richard offered him a small smile

"Getting a drink?"

"Damn it, Wings…in a public place?" Richard smiled smugly and knocked twice, short taps on the back door. After a moment it was opened slightly by a thick, blonde girl in a provocative outfit. She smiled at Richard and opened the door beckoning the heroes inside. A small table was set in the back, the place was dark. Dark enough to not see faces. Everyone was dressed up in costumes. Cats, firemen, police, criminals, heroes…

Roy took a seat and looked around "God this place is freaky" a woman winked as she passed and Roy smiled "but, I could get used to this kind of freaky" their drinks were brought.

"Roy, this last day especially you and the team have been great looking out for me and protecting me…" Roy waved his hand

"But…we're suffocating you" the music was intensely loud, their ears throbbed. Dick nodded glumly. "Hey, I get it bro. but like it or not we all love you…and this Slade guy doesn't exactly have us feeling the 'aster'…ya know?" he knew. The plump woman was back, a dark brown drink in her hand she set it in front of Richard.

"There you go, Hero. Courtesy of that guy over there" their eyes followed her finger to a large man in jeans and a black T-shirt. He was huge. The woman disappeared in the darkness. Roy blinked.

"Awww he must think you're sexy, Wings" When he turned to face his friend Richard was sniffing the drink. "What…?" Richard gulped some down nodding to the man who'd bought it for him.

"I was checking for poison" Roy chuckled

"And you said you weren't paranoid"

"I'm not paranoid…I'm smart" Roy just chuckled

"Yeah whatever, bird brain"

"Oh, real original, Roy" the smiled at each other over the brims of their drinks grinning like idiots. Richard laughed, it was the first time Roy had heard a true laugh out of his friend in a long while. Roy couldn't help but laugh along.

After their drinks they went back to patrol. It was a quiet night. One mugging, one attempted rape. The woman had thanked Roy profusely and then told Richard nodding at the soon-to-be rapist

"I suppose you're going to kill him too?" spiting each word like venom. Richard just shook his head and watched the woman storm away. A wave of wooziness crashed over Richard and Roy caught his arm.

"Whoa, buddy. You all right?"

"M' just tired"

"Then get some fucking sleep!"

"I can't…insomnia remember?" they continued in silence for a while. Roof top to roof top.

Grayson wasn't feeling right. Not bad. Just not right.

Nightwing felt his muscles tremble and he furrowed his brow. He shoved it away.

"Well it's late" Roy said stretching, perched on the edge of the roof "we should head back-"

Nightwing hit the roof hard, Roy felt his stomach knot as he saw his friend, out of the corner of his eye, hit the roof awkwardly and slip over the side. Grayson was in a free fall. Roy had leapt within seconds. His eyes narrowing in on the tumbling figure of Richard Grayson. He managed to loop an arm around Nightwing's limp waist and shoot his line for the roof seconds before they both became stains on the pavement.

He tumbled, Nightwing in his arms, not-so gracefully into the ally.

"That stupid drink!" he shouted rolling his friend over "he shouldn't have fucking drank it!" Nightwing convulsed eyes rolling back. Grayson, you idiot. It was a hallucination drug, slipped by pill into his drink. Roy had seen this many times before. It was a torture method used by Cadmus. This was not Cadmus' work.

Slade. That man at the bar.

If that wasn't Slade then who was it? Who had he teamed with? Richard gurgled his body arching. "Ride it out, Grayson" he whispered running his hand through the younger man's hair comfortingly "it'll be over soon"

It had a double meaning when the archer had said it. Little did he know how soon it would be over indeed.

I understand it's short. And yes, I understand the writing is crap. But bear with me I tried my best between classes.

Reviews seriously please. I like to know what you think. Suggestions, questions. If you're logged in when you review I WILL GET BACK WITH YOU PERSONALLY TO DISCUSS THE HAPPENINGS OF THE STORY!

Yeah, I'm awesome. Ha ha as if.

Your writer,

EACT

Stay free my friends.

And wild.