Apparently good things sorta last

So VinsuErinGamer requested a revival for the good things never last story so we decided to get together and do a one-shot each for the story

Also! Credit, where credit is due and IDK how many people will see their comment but I thought it was an amazing opening for the story we're both going to add to so Blue1_Trident should receive some love for this too!

Two figures were perched on the edge of the roof, staring down at the mass of people in the ballroom spilling out into the courtyard. Sharp eyes scanned for a specific target: *insert name*. He was a rich man playing a deadly game with bad people. There was some sort of falling out with a huge deal and the little group wanted his head.

The figure on the left shifted, reaching for his staff as the quick patter of steps sounded behind the pair. He spun around, a battle staff held ready towards the intruder. A foot was aimed toward his face, but the man jerked his head to the side, too slow to avoid it clipping his ear. A growl sounded from the attacker's throat when a blade shot out from the end of the staff.

"Oh, it's the angry one." Deathstroke sighed. "The rest of you irritating Bats can't be far behind," he signaled to his partner, "Let's go."

The two older assassins jumped over the edge of the building, grappling hooks ready to swing them across the perilous drop.

Robin shouted after them, "Give Grayson back! You don't deserve him, you greedy old man!"

He had seen the questioning glance Dick had given Deathstroke, and knew that the returned nod meant they got the target. Well, besides from the petrified screaming from below, but that doesn't matter. What matters, is that Damian had broken his last grappling hook during his lengthy pursuit of his brother and brainwasher, unable to follow any longer.

The rest of his family couldn't have been far behind, but they had been caught up in a few other problems, a bank robbery, some helpless people being mugged, a few dealers, the usual. Robin had elected to ignore it in favor of finding his brother. But look how that turned out. It had taken Red Robin /months/ to find even a small lead, and now it seems they have lost it, along with their brother, once more.

So here's my part of the one-shot and please check out these two very lovely people!

11 pm. Rain poured over Gotham relentlessly. Yet this was supposed to be a night of joy. Red Robin had a theory on how to get Dick back and tonight they were putting it into practice. They set up a trap for him. Red Hood posed as a wealthy businessman who wanted to get rid of his business partner so he could gain full control of the company. He also had the contacts to Deathstroke that would keep their plan under wraps. The deal was that he'd pay half the price of the hit upfront and the other half would get paid after the job was done. He specifically asked for Dick, stating that he'd heard great things about him. Deathstroke allowed it. Batman rented out an apartment so they had an address for the hit under an alias matching the target's name. The plan was set out perfectly. Hopefully, they could use Dick's surprise at their appearance in the apartment to their advantage but then again they didn't know how far the brainwashing had gone. Red Robin's plan depended on it not going too far which made the mission even more dangerous yet none of them wanted to back out. Dick was a hero, a brother, a son and so much more. He was everything and they couldn't lose that knowing that they could've done something. The hit had some specifics to it so they could be prepared. It had to be conducted at 11:10 pm and Dick had to come in through the living room window. The death also had to look natural as to avoid suspicion but that was so they didn't have anything too deadly pulled on them if a fight were to break out. "Ten minutes," Batman announced. He had this feeling in his stomach that was a mix of both excitement and dread. He was getting his ward back but what're they going to do after that? The brainwashing might've wiped out too much and even if they did get him to remember he wasn't an assassin, he might just change his name and move away. He might cut all ties and abandon being a hero. Still, that was better than being forced to kill people. "This better work. I don't fancy dying for the second time," Red Hood stated.

"It will work. By my estimations, his body was taken on the 24th and it would've taken at least 7 days for it to be reanimated. The brainwashing couldn't have been extensive enough to completely wipe us from his mind," Red Robin reminded him.

"Grayson still responded to his name, therefore, he must still have some memory of who he is so he must have at least a little knowledge," Robin added.

"Let's hope a little is enough," Batman muttered. "11:05, we need to get into position. We can't scare him off straight away." They all nodded and hid behind furniture, cloaked by the darkness of the room.

At 11:10 pm on the dot, they heard the window slide open and a pair of light feet hitting the ground. Had they not been so close to the window, they wouldn't have heard a sound. The window closed and the feet moved to head into the bedroom where the target was supposed to be sleeping. When they were certain his back would be towards them, the moved out of their spots. Unfortunately, their movement was heard and Dick whipped around to face them. His face was blank, his eyes cold and dead. It was like he was just a body. There was no soul in there. He looked around the room, sizing them up. They hoped it wouldn't lead to a fight but they were prepared for it anyway. "Keep your hands where we can see them and we won't have any problems." Dick didn't respond. In a matter of seconds, he grabbed a knife from his belt and got into a fighting stance. "Don't do this." He took one glance around the room and reached into the pocket part of his belt. Suddenly the room was filled with smoke that burnt their sinuses and throat when they breathed but they had to see past that. Red Hood got out his guns and cocked them as footsteps ran around him. A foot kicked his gun out of his right hand so he fired into the smoke. There was a hiss and he instantly regretted his decision. Even rubber bullets could cause some serious damage. He felt a fist land on his gut and fell back due to how powerful it was. Batman heard the thud and threw a Batarang in that area. Something dropped but was swiftly snapped up again and thrown towards him. As he dodged it, he saw that it was the knife that Dick had been holding. He must've hit his target. Red Robin was knocked off his feet and thrown against a wall before which stunned him. Robin ran up to Dick and climbed on his back. He used the move Dick himself had taught him only a few weeks before his untimely death. He threw his body back, forcing the acrobat to the floor. He thought he had the upper hand but Dick managed to wiggle out of his grip and tore the Batarang from his back. He pressed the cold metal against the boy's throat.

Yet before he could slice his throat, Robin tore off his own mask and threw it to the side. "You know me, Grayson! You called me Little D even though I hated it and you looked after me when I had no one else! You were like my dad!" He squeezed his eyes shut. If Dick was going to kill him, he didn't want the last thing he saw to be his emotionless expression. He wanted to remember that terminally delightful smile that he had and the cackle that could go from haunting to the best sound on earth. "And for God's sake, I love you because you're the best brother I could've ever asked for!" The metal against his neck moved away so he opened one of his eyes. Dick's face was no longer expressionless. He looked confused. 

"Little D," he mumbled. "But...where? I don't-" He dropped the Batarang and got to his feet. The confused expression turned to one of panic. 

"Remember who we are chum. I was there with you when you died. We all were. You saved me didn't you?" Batman chimed in, helping Robin back up. 

"I-You-I'm not supposed to be-oh God!" He went to pull on his hair but Batman caught his wrists.

"They must've kept him in a vegetative state. This might be the first time he's been conscious," Red Robin theorized.

"Wait so he didn't know he was alive this whole time? But he felt pain," Red Hood argued.

"Pain is a natural response. He's not a Talon so he'd have no reason to not feel it. He's just realized he's alive," he continued. The older nodded, a painful twist accompanying the new information. He knew how it felt. He had to know because hell he lived through it himself. He walked over to Dick and Bruce, tapped his mentor on the shoulder to silently tell him he had this then took hold of Dick's hands. "I'm going to be point blank straight with you now. You died. You were shot and you died. Somehow, someway, Deathstroke decided to bring you back to life and brainwashed you into being an assassin. I know you're scared but we need to get you out of this apartment and back with us before he finds out you remember us." He gave him a soft squeeze just to assure him that yes he was indeed alive but he wasn't alone. They were there as they had been when he died. "You don't-You don't have a mullet," Dick mumbled after a few moments of silence. He chuckled to himself before pulling Red Hood into a tight hug. It was quickly accepted and joined by Robin who had put his domino mask back on. Red Robin joined, ignoring the fact that he was also hugging Demon Spawn, and Batman finished it. "I love you guys too," Dick said, hating the idea of leaving things on a cliffhanger.

The moment remained sweet until they heard a slow clapping from the other side of the room. They pulled apart instantly and got into fighting stances. "Such a lovely little reunion," Deathstroke announced. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a remote. It had a dial on it and it was set to midway. "He's with us now. You can't have him back now that he remembers us," Red Robin insisted. The older scoffed at him.

"Oh, I'm well aware of that. It's a shame though. An entire year wasted." He pressed the button on the remote with a grim smile. They braced for impact, expecting something to blow up. Yet it wasn't an explosion that was going to destroy them. Dick suddenly started convulsing as white sparks bounced off and around his body. He'd tried to yelp but his body was constricted so tightly that even his jaw had locked shut. He fell to the ground which made them realize that Deathstroke's plan wasn't to kill them. It was to get rid of the evidence. Immediately the family attacked, their aim to get the remote away from him before it was too late. They had only just got Dick back and they were sure as hell they weren't going to lose him again. Deathstroke was well prepared for their retaliation at the potential of losing their loved one once more and pulled out the sharp samurai sword he'd brought with him. In one hand he held the remote, almost taunting them with how close they were to saving their family member, in the other, he expertly maneuvered the sword. He slashed and stabbed but only a few of his moves actually hit. Perhaps he underestimated how much they wanted to win the fight but that would just make his victory even sweeter.

The electricity pumping through his veins was like a fire burning him from the inside out but Dick knew he needed to regain control. He gritted his teeth together and forced himself to open his eyes that had been squeezed closed before. Everything burnt but he wouldn't be sent back to the bleak grave that he'd been laid to rest in. He'd tasted his second chance at life and there was no way that he was going to let it remain just a momentary taste without a fight. He screamed at his muscles to use the training he'd been doing for years before his death and reached down to the knife that he'd dropped in the shock of realizing he was alive. His shaking hand gripped it, his fingers now constricting to hold it tightly. He got to his knees as the battle between his family and Deathstroke raged on. He wouldn't be able to join but he knew that nothing could prevent him from having pinpoint accuracy. Well, nothing but five shots and a bottle of sambuca. He used the couch to steady himself as he got to his feet. The remote almost shone in Deathstroke's hand as he lifted above his head to avoid the desperate hands trying to grab it. This was Dick's shot. With an internal battle cry, he forced his body to throw the knife. It went straight through the remote, breaking it in two and therefore releasing him from the electrical punishment he was being given. Deathstroke gave a confused look when the remote crumbled in his hand which paused the fighting. They all looked to where they'd seen the knife and received an exhausted smirk from Dick. "Did you really think I was gonna go down that easy?" he asked. Deathstroke growled and quickly made his escape. Now that their minds wouldn't be occupied with the well being of Dick, they just might win the fight and there was no way he was going to lose a fight with them. That would only damage his new business venture. None of them cared to prevent him from clambering out of the window and running to the sanctuary of the shadows of the night. They had more pressing matters. Finally burning through the lasts of the adrenaline it received, Dick's body crumpled to its knees. Red Robin ran over and with the aid of Red Hood brought him back onto his unsteady feet. "We've got you, buddy. How about we get you home to Alfred?" Red Hood suggested.

"Sounds like a plan."

Alfred almost shrieked when he saw the disheveled young man he'd seen grow up back in the Batcave. He wasn't one for sudden acts of affection but as soon as he locked eyes on Dick he dropped when he had and pulled him into a hug. When he buried the acrobat, he never thought he'd get a chance to hug him again and he wasn't about to waste this one. Dick cackled under his breath at the reaction and hugged him back as tightly as he could manage. "He needs a once over. He got electrocuted," Robin put rather simply. The butler nodded and let the brother's lead Dick to the bed in the Medical Bay. He took off the younger's shirt only to reveal new scars. Dick seemed just as surprised as his family when he saw the lines across his chest. "That must've been from the autopsy," Red Hood muttered. 

"I guess we're scar buddies then," Dick replied, trying to put a light spin on things. He'd have a hell of a time hiding those if he attempted a one night stand. 

"That's one way to look at it," Robin commented.

"Oh, there's the gunshot scar. That thing really did a number on me huh?" the acrobat attempted to joke. There was an off sound about him that showed he wasn't entirely comfortable with the new constant reminders that he'd died. He remembered it all so vividly that there was no real use for them. Not that that's what the scars were trying to achieve. Alfred began his checks, ignoring the new scars, as Dick tried to set up a normal conversation. "So I know none of you got mullets but has anything changed whilst I was gone? Apart from, ya know, me being dead?"

"Not much. The League's been in mourning," Batman stated rather bluntly.

"Well, I suppose that means I won't need to catch up on a lot" his ward responded, trying to put a positive spin on the negative. "You should tell them that I'm back to normal. I'll be Nightwing in a few days. Just need some time to readjust to breathing and that," he added.

"You'll be having more time off than that. Readjusting takes a lot longer than you'd think," Red Hood advised. Dick shook his head, waving a hand of dismissal at the suggestion.

"No need, I'll be fine." They gave him a skeptical look but he swiftly ignored it. He'd spent too long in the ground and he just wanted things to go back to normal as soon as possible. Bludhaven had gone too long without its hero and he wasn't going to deny them of that any longer than he needed to. "You've got some slight burns but nothing more. I'll wrap them up for you then it's strictly civilian duties for the next week," Alfred told him.

"But-"

"When have I ever been wrong?"

"Never. Alright, I'll have a week off but I'm spending the entire time catching up with people. I can't be out of the loop." Batman rolled his eyes at his eldest and couldn't help but smile at his plucky attitude. He'd really missed it. 

"Okay, chum but we get to have you for longer, got that?" Dick cackled at him.

"Deal."