GRAYSON: ETERNAL: PART FOUR - CLASH

Dick was cutting through the air like a knife, speeding towards the ground.

“37, you good?” Helena asked through the earpiece.

“Great. Raptor is dead.”
“Raptor?”

“A high-class crrrrriminal with quite the body count,” Tiger explained, “An enemy of 37, back when he was Nightwing. Was he working for Zhou?”

“He was,” Dick confirmed, “I don’t know how useful he’ll be without a face.”

Silence over the comms.

“So what are you doing now?” Helena finally asked.

“Plummeting towards the ground,” Dick answered, “Tig, I need a lift.”

“Good lord, 37,” Tiger growled.

Suddenly, a jet zoomed into view. It flew beneath Dick, and rolled upside down, opening the cargo doors. Dick zipped into the cargo hold, where he and Helena had jumped out of earlier that day, and tumbled to a halt.

“Thanks,” Dick said, letting Tiger know he was safe. The jet flipped back over, and soared into the clouds.

Dick entered the cockpit, where Tiger was steering with a stern face. Dick took a seat beside him.

“37, neverrrrrr do that again, underrrrstood?” Tiger said.

“You were there to catch me,” Dick retorted.

“There won’t always be someone to catch you.”

-

NINE MONTHS AGO…

“Jorge?”

Frizz and Peachfuzz, two goons who worked for the slave traded Ali Slimam, were on the ground in front of Dick. Seconds ago, Dick’s partner’s line had gone silent.

“Jorge, are you okay?” Dick asked again.

Still no response.

“Who is there?” a new voice asked over the comms in a thick Syrian accent.

“Who is this? What did you do to 57?” Dick roared.

“You answer first,” the voice ordered.

“I am Sam Kelly,” Dick lied, “And you have my partner’s earpiece. Now you.”

“I am Asi Slimam. And I know you are Dick Grayson. Your partner is Jorge Herando. Sent by Spyral, yes?”
“You little-”

“Now, now, little one,” Asi chided, “I have your friend at my mercy. Comply with my demands, and he will be spared.”

“Deal.”

“You will meet me at the bakery,” Asi ordered, “Unarmed.”

Unarmed wouldn’t be a problem.

Dick took off towards the large bakery at the center of the town. He threw open the doors and sure enough, Asi Slimam sat at one of the tables. He was munching on a piece of bread encrusted with berries.

“Sit,” Asi ordered. He had a well kept beard, with black hair that was pushed up in the front. He wore a stark white suit and pants, with a red tie.

“Where’s Jorge?” Dick demanded.

“Sit,” Asi repeated.

Dick took a seat across the table from Asi Slimam. A few moments of tense silence followed.

“Cigarette?” Asi finally asked, pulling a box from his suit pocket.

“I don’t smoke,” Dick said, flatly.

“Never too late to start,” Asi said, “We all die. May as well enjoy the ride there.”

“You enjoy this?” Dick asked, appalled.

“No. No. This is not a hobby. It’s a business. I am an entrepreneur.”

“Is that what you think you are?” Dick asked, “An entrepreneur?”

“We always views ourselves differently than other people do,” Asi shrugged, lighting the thinly rolled smoke, “Hell, when I first figured out it was you and Jorge causing all of this trouble, I was shocked. I hadn’t heard of you, but a scan through several public databases revealed you were the adopted son of a rich American. Yet here you are, giving up your rich life to battle a man you must see as evil.”

“You are evil,” Dick stated.

“The world is not black and white.”

Dick pursed his lips. He’d seen Captain Phillips. He knew the argument Asi was surely going to make.

“Just because this puts food on your plate doesn’t make it right,” Dick said.

“I never said it was right,” Asi said, blowing a perfect smoke ring, “I just said the world worked in shades of gray. I realize slavery is wrong. But I’ll do it if it keeps my daughter alive.”

“A daughter. You have a daughter,” Dick said, eyes widening.

“You make a move on her, and your friend dies,” Asi warned, nostrils flaring.

Dick slumped back in his chair.

“Here is what is going to happen. You will return to Spyral with Jorge, and tell them I am defeated. I will monitor you. If you fail, I will have you both killed,” Asi continued.

“How will you do that?” Dick questioned.

Dick felt something cold press against the back of his neck. A small prick quickly followed.

“The miniscule explosive right next to your spinal column,” Asi said, relaxed, “Understood?”

“Understood,” Dick nodded.

-

PRESENT…

“Dammit,” Helena sighed, “You can’t just jeopardize like that.”

She was scolding Dick on the floor of their small flat.

“I didn’t jeopardize us,” Dick insisted, “I took down a high ranking officer. Or enforcer. Or something. And a part of me returned.”

“I can only pray it wasn’t the wise-cracking cocky part.”

“It was the wise-cracking cocky part,” Dick nodded.

“And in full force, I see,” Helena said, annoyed, “Still grinning after blowing someone’s face off.”

Dick’s smirk disappeared. The realization of what he had done caught up with him.

“Gotcha,” Helena said.

“When I saw him…” Dick began.

“It’s okay,” Helena comforted, “Sometimes you just have to let go. Let your emotions spill out. In some cases, they spill out in the form of a bullet. As long as that bullet is headed towards one of the bad guys, you’re okay.”

Dick’s face grew increasingly grimmer.

“Oh come on,” Helena groaned, “I’ll take lighthearted 37 over moody 37. Please?”

“Helena-”

“Matron,” Helena corrected.

“Matron, I- I wish I could take it back. I don’t want to let a bullet be the bearer of my emotions,” Dick said.

“I guess I don’t quite get where you’re coming from,” Helena said, “I’ve always been aggressive. Ready to take on anyone. And when it came down to it, ready to kill. It’s how I’m wired. Not everyone is like that. So while I can’t relate, I understand.”

“I murdered him,” Dick said, softly.

“You have to forgive yourself. At least for now. So we can finish the mission. You wanted to know what was going on. He became an asshole and taunted you. Bad move, considering you’re already pissed at him from your last encounter.”

“You heard all that?” Dick asked.

“Comms are live,” Helena nodded, “Even if you try to mute us.”

“Right,” Dick nodded.

“We just need to complete our mission. Then you can mope.”

“Matron, killing destroys everything I was ever taught. I can’t just get up and move on. I need- I need you to hit me,” Dick said.

“Pardon?” Helena asked.

“You heard me, bit-”

Helena slapped him before he could finish his sentence.

“That was the wakeup call I needed,” Dick groaned, holding his cheek, “Sorry for calling you a bitch. I knew you’d slap me for it.”

“You never called me that,” Helena shrugged, “I smacked you before you could finish.”

“Of course,” Dick nodded, “My mistake.”

“Stand your ass up, 37,” Helena ordered, “We’re going to finish our mission.”

Dick pushed himself off of the floor, “What’s the plan, Matron?”

“I’ll tell you the plan,” Tiger said over the comms, “I tracked the helicopter you were in back to a small base, no thanks to your impulsive decision. Surely they’ll check on Raptor soon.”

“They’ve probably already found him,” Helena said.

“They know we’re here,” Dick sighed, realizing the repercussions of his actions.

“They know that Marv Wolfman is here,” Tiger corrected, “The soldiers saw you, but not Matrrrrron. Matron, you will continue your mission as Paula Brooks. Blend in among the townspeople, and slowly gain intel. 37, your cover is blown. You now operate as Agent 37. You will take Zhou He’s army on as such.”

“That I can do,” Dick said.

“Don’t let me down,” Tiger said.

“I won’t,” Helena responded, “Don’t know if I can say the same for 37.”

“Ouch,” Dick said, bumping against Helena.

“Agent 37, I’m sending you a map of the area. The base is marked.”

Tiger’s line went silent. Dick stared intently at a wall. His earpiece vibrated, and a projection appeared on the wall of Suopo. There were a few flats with small homes on them. They layered over each other, spreading outward in rings. To one side was a sheer cliff face and river, to the other was sparse forest on an uphill slope. On the sides of the town were gentle inclines. Far off on one of the inclines was a blinking red dot.

“Received, sir,” Dick stated.

“Good,” Tiger said, “You are to survey the area around, and produce a detailed map of your own. Don’t get caught. Don’t take any shots. Recon only. Understood?”

“Understood,” Dick nodded, “I won’t kill anyone this time.”

“Perrrrrfect,” Tiger purred, “Matron, you speak to Mao and Liang Sung. Gather any intel they have about their son’s involvement in the Wūshī.”

“Yes, sir,” Helena said.

“Tiger out.”

“Whatever happened to being co-leader of Spyral?” Dick asked, slipping on black gloves.

“You already know the answer. Tiger is running operations for this mission, so he’s in charge. I’ll follow his orders to stay alive. But don’t think for a second that we are equals. You are far below me, 37.”

Dick pursed his lips as he pulled on his form-fitting Spyral suit. It was a tight t-shirt with black sleeves and gray down the middle. Black straps crossed in the center of his chest, with a blue Spyral insignia on the intersection.

“Whatever, Helena,” Dick shrugged seconds before leaping out of a open window.

“Grayson!” Helena roared as Dick sped off, chuckling.

Dick finally slowed down after a few blocks as he neared the edge of town. From here, it was all uphill, but not in a good way. Dick began the trek.

Thirty minutes later, he felt as if he had made no progress. He turned and saw that was not true at all. The town seemed quite a ways away. The famed watchtowers seemed like pins, while the fields looked like blankets.

He took a seat for a quick rest, and wiped away the sweat at his brow. The sun was high in the sky, blazing down on the world. It was the middle of the afternoon, the worst time for hiking. The oppressive heat seemed to suck the water straight out of him.

“Back on your feet, 37,” Tiger instructed, “I want those maps soon.”

“Gah, can’t I catch a break?” Dick moaned. There was no response. Dick begrudgingly stood up, and dusted off his rear. Soon, he found a small rusted sign alongside a pile of stones with ancient Chinese writing scrawled across them.

The sign read: 危險 Danger. 待在外面 Stay out.

Naturally, Dick kept going. He reached the crest of the hill, and saw that it dipped back down into a small bowl-like valley. In the base of the valley was a small camp. A few large huts had been constructed, but it was mostly tents. Many men dressed in brown t-shirts and torn pants ranging from jeans to sweatpants roamed the camp with an array of rifles slung across their backs. A few of them had black vests on and carried heavier weapons. Dick spotted only two people carrying sniper rifles. He snapped a picture with his multi-purpose earpiece.

Dick looked to his sides, and saw towers dotting the ridge. He crept over to a small, prickly bush, and hid within it. He gazed toward a tower, held his fingers to his earpiece, and flicked forward. There was a small click as he snapped a picture. He then looked at the ground and projected the image on the grass.

There was an armored individual in the tower, with a helmet on and everything. They had a sniper at the ready. An M21 by the looks of it. Fairly standard. Possibly modified for a .30 caliber chamber. He couldn’t tell.

Dick tapped his earpiece again, and the image disappeared.

“Tiger, do you read me?” Dick asked.

“Busy, 37,” Tiger said.

‘Fine,’ Dick thought, ‘I’ll do this on my own.’

He crawled out of the bush, towards the tower. He knew his mission was strictly no-contact, but he needed a better viewpoint where he wouldn’t be spotted. A tower would be perfect. He just needed to take out the sniper.

Dick finally reached the tower. It was a steel cylinder with a shaky base, and a few windows. A small ladder rested at the bottom. Dick quickly scurried up the ladder, and stayed completely silent once inside. A young Chinese man stared out the window, rubbing his sniper. He had a black bulletproof vest on, as well as a chrome helmet.

Dick tip-toed up behind the man. Once in position, he swatted the sniper rifle out of the man’s hand, while slinging his other arm around the man’s neck. He pulled the man close, flexing his arm muscles to further constrict his throat. The man passed out, and Dick laid him down peacefully. He took the helmet and put it on as a weak disguise.

Dick looked over the base, and saw that the huts and tents were all centered around a hole in the earth. A hulking crane perched next to the hole, as well as several rusted pickups. Dick took another picture, and snuck back out of the tower, leaving his helmet with the man.

Dick sprinted back towards the town, then stopped in his tracks. He was no longer Marv Wolfman. He couldn’t stay with Mao and Liang Sung.

“Tiger, are you available now?” Dick asked.

“Firrre away,” Tiger responded.

“Can I chill with you up in the jet? I got the pics.”

“Swim downstream,” Tiger instructed.

“Excuse me?” Dick inquired, eyebrows high.

“You hearrrrd me. Swim downstream. I can’t go out of stealth this close to the camp,” Tiger said.

Dick turned to the right, and raced away from the town, towards a cliff.

“37, stop. We haven’t measured the depth of the waterrrr,” Tiger warned.

Dick pushed off the ground faster and farther with every step. The ground started becoming loose and bumpy when he got closer to the cliff. Finally, his right foot slammed down against the very edge of the cliff, and sent bits of dirt flying in every direction. He sprang out, and his arms shot out to his sides. He plummeted towards the brownish-green choppy water. The thunderous, snaking river crashed against the sides of the ravine, clawing its way to the top. Ten feet from the water, Dick whipped his arms around in front of his head. His outstretched fingers sliced through the water, cutting way for the rest of his body.

His fingernails scraped the sloshing, muddy ground at the bottom of the river. He used a considerable amount of strength to push off of the ground. He rotated his body, and kicked upwards furiously. His head breached the surface, and his spat salty, dirty water out of his mouth. He wiped away droplets from his eyes, and began to swim downstream.

“37, begin to exit the riverrr,” Tiger instructed after a couple of minutes. Dick began to kick diagonally, until he reached the jagged cliff on his right. He was a considerable ways away from Suopo. He could scale the cliff without being seen. He reached out and snagged a small bump on the cliff wall to keep him in place. With his left hand, he felt along his belt from the cable with the grappling claw. He took it off his belt, and examined it. The knot around the claw had come loose. With only one hand, he couldn’t tighten it. He also couldn’t rely on it staying in place as he climbed. He would have to climb up the hard way.

Dick swung his arm up, jamming the claw into the rocks. He pushed in as far as he could, then slowly pulled his body out of the river. He held himself above the claw, straining his muscles. He groped wildly with his right hand, trying to find a handhold. Finally, he found a small indentation. He jabbed it a few times, widening it, then secured his hold around it. He pulled his claw out of the wall, and jammed it back in above his handhold.

He repeated this process a few times, getting extremely lucky when it came to handholds. As time went on, his body got sweaty and slippery. He worried that he might collapse from exhaustion, and get whisked away in the current.

No. He had to keep going.

Dick searched for yet another handhold, but found nothing. His luck had run out. He squared his feet up against the mountain, and took a deep breath. He kicked off the cliff, giving himself an upwards trajectory. He tore the claw out of the stone, then slammed it back in when he got close enough. He had only gained a few inches.

The jump had drained him of all energy. His finger went limp, and he slipped away from the claw. He tried to stay conscious as he fell back towards the river.

Instead of water, Dick slammed against metal. He looked down, and saw a small jet. He was almost directly above the cockpit, which housed a nervous looking woman.

“Hold on, 37,” Tiger said.

Dick used the last bit of strength he had to hold on to the crossbars running along the cockpit. The jet turned to point straight at the sky, and zoomed up, out of the ravine. Once above the cliff, the jet decelerated, and landed calmly. Dick allowed to himself to let go. He fell off the jet, and slumped over on the ground. The last thing he saw was Tiger rushing over to him.