As Ranma went to the next exercise that had been set up Dick Grayson sighed as he was again caught up in the memories of how he got here. That happened to him alot nowadays.
After his falling out with Bruce so many years ago, he'd gone on to be his own man. One of the few "sidekicks" to ever truely escape the shadow he started under. Nightwing had become a world renowned superhero and lead several teams. Money he'd had as Bruce's (Now former) heir had been invested leaving him far above well off. He'd even been married for a time, his daughter currently owned the very circus he grew up in, her own three year old always going on about rebuilding the "Flying Graysons". He'd gotten the retired life few heroes ever got a chance to dream of. Only one thing had been missing. One problem left.
He'd never settled things with his father figure.
He'd actually been shocked when the word of Batman's disappearance reached him with no news of Wayne's death. Even after the Joker incident he'd been convinced the obsessed old man would keep going with his mission until he died. He sometimes wondered just what made time catch up with him. Then more recently, another set of news had reached him. Batman had seemingly risen from the dead and stalked Gotham once more.
Dick had been one of the few to know were to look for more info. Just as the rumers started, Bruce Wayne hired a new assistant. One who had recently lost his father to crime. Part of him was sickened that the control freak had started dragging kids into this life again. But another part was relieved. It was the most comforting news about Bruce he'd heard in decades. A sign that the old spark was still there.
That is what started the ball rolling for the current set of things. He'd resolved to finally understand the old man and bury the hatchet. And he'd chosen to travel the world a bit before doing so. Bruce had spent years mastering an understanding of the criminal mind, Dick could at least have a look at the life he'd thrown himself into before becoming Batman. Not even a month into this "quest" of his, he'd been passing through Nerima on the way to the mountains were an old ninja master dwelled. It had taken all of three minutes for him to witness one of Ranma's infamous battles. As a fighter and an acrobat he had been amazed. Dick had been out of his cab and following the boy before consiously realizing he was going to offer him training.
Which brought him here, several months after that decision. He'd gotten this werehouse and filled it with booby traps and tests to always try and catch his new student off guard. The boy was like a sponge when it came to agility and stealth, two of Dick's own expertise. He also learned to be an escape artist quite quickly. The tough training was of the mind.
But he was learning. The first leasons had of course been about acting. Something any secret identity depended on. Ranma had learned to mask himself as an oblivious fool, the same one he had been before he started the training. Other teachings included psychology, computer hacking, and various useful detective skills. The only chink Grayson could think of in his students armor was the cat thing, there was progress but it was slow. Hopefully that wouldn't be an issue.
(On a plane over the pacific)
The two girls giggled as they thought of the crime spree they were planning to dedicate to their idol, Selina Kyle. Look out Tokyo, the Siamese Cats were coming!
(Back to the warehouse)
He'd even finished the new Nightwing costume he'd been working on for when the boy was ready. It didn't have all the tech that could have been put in it, but since Ranma was a borderline metahuman it wouldn't really matter. It even took his weird curse into acount.
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(Posted Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:44)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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