Blood in Bludhaven [Open]

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It was a rainy day in Bludhaven, the pouring rain falling like bullets from the sky. Atop a church bell tower, a singular figure sat overlooking the road that led towards the church. Deathstroke looked through the scope that was pressed to his face, searching the surroundings. Just two days ago, he had killed the son of an actress, to further the goals of the current contract. The employer had told Deathstroke to lure out the actress and kill her publicly, and what a better way to do it than at a funeral surrounded by reporters? This was something that had to be done quickly and without failure, because according to his employer, "the target held sensitive information that could not be leaked, at any cost". He saw a procession of cars coming down the road, and the mob of reporters all around the entrance all raised their cameras in anticipation. The hearse pulled up, and the men inside all exited and took out the coffin. Deathstroke chambered a fresh round and focused his scope on the limousine.

The bell behind him rang out, tolling for the 15 year old boy with a hole in his head inside a coffin. The passenger door to the limo opened up, and the actress stepped out, clad in the black veil and clothes of a mourner, but not holding an umbrella to protect herself from the downpour. Cameras flashed, and one reporter even held out a microphone to her. She ignored the opportunistic media hounds, and kept walking. The center of the scope came to rest on her heart, and Deathstroke took a deep breath in. In a few seconds, the bell would toll for another. 

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

It wasn't odd for a victim's life to be lost every once in a while in Bludhaven. It in fact happened a lot in this city. Random petty crimes and fights were the main cause. But when came to someone in the spotlights...there was more behind it.

Dick had seen it on the news only a few days ago. The son of a famous actress in Bludhaven, was shot to death. No one knew why and no one knew who did it.

Officer Grayson was not allowed on the case due to lack of experience in this field of work...That's what they thought. So, on the scene itself, he had no access. But to the files within the police station, he had access. Though not permission.

Dick had taken the chance to look over these files when no eyes were around. Things just didn't add up. The son was not involved in any low stream stuff. His mother on the other hand...there could be a few questions there.

And from what he read in the file, there was no trace of the shooter. There was an angle of where it came from, but no links.

As Nightwing, he had taken the chance to look around. After looking over the bullet that was found. He had done the search over if there were any registered guns in the area like that in case the person was stupid enough to do so. And of course no record. But he recognized the bullet to be used by a few gunmen. Or hired hits.

When he had gotten the news over the day and location of the funeral, he felt it would be best to keep an eye out for any one taking the bait.

It would be all out in the open. An easy target for someone wanting to make a statement.

This had the marks of a familiar name. It hadn't been spoken in the streets, but the work that had been going on lately in cities surrounding Bludhaven...it had to be. The gears were reeling in Nightwing's mind.

This familiar figure. That work. It was imbedded in his mind. Deathstroke.

Nightwing knew there were a few good places around the grounds to take the hit. But knowing Deathstroke, there was one spot with an easy escape as well as staying out of sight.

The bell tower. And Nightwing had taken the time to watch over the place. The rainy weather helped to provide some darkness. Using that to his advantage, he had seen the figure make his move. So he did as well.

Nightwing perched high up in the bell tower and looked down at the figure. It was time.

"I thought only bats hang out in bell towers," Nightwing said, breaking the silence.

The threw a wingding to knock the gun off its mark. In turn, Nightwing jumped down from the support beams of the tower. He was ready to strike. And he wasn't about ready to let another person die at this man's hands.

[Deleted]

Deathstroke turned around on a dime, turning towards Dick and drawing a silenced pistol while adjusting his sniper rifle back into the direction it was pointing with his other hand. "I thought robins stayed out of trouble." He said, lifting the sniper rifle onto his back. He didn't want to risk not killing the actress immediately, because if she survived and got away, she'd make life a living hell for his employer. He used his now free hand to draw another pistol. The red glow from his singular eye was visible in the rain, until a lightning strike illuminated the black side of his mask. He stood at odds with Nightwing. "You couldn't possibly comprehend what's at stake here. This woman needs to die." He said, flicking the safeties off of his handguns. The procession made it into the church without event, but Deathstroke had backup plans for the entire ceremony, prepared for any and all situations, especially situations involving Nightwing.

"I'll give you a chance to leave before I put a pair of bullets in your chest." He growled, keeping his fingers on the triggers, ready to fire on Nightwing if he insisted on interfering any more than he already did.

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

"What can I say, I have a way of finding it often," Nightwing replied.

He stood a short distance of the man in the corner. Enough so that he would be able to made a move to avoid the gun being pointed at him.

Relaxing for a moment, he crossed his arm and looked at the armed hit-man. He raised an eyebrow from behind his mask as he look at the other man. Some things never changed. And Deathstroke was one of them.

"Who died and made you the undertaker," Nightwing said. His tone rather flat compared to the humor in his words.

Hating Deathstroke had been a dangerous focus for Robin at one point. Something he had taken too far. Even now, it had been difficult to not right a way assume that the man behind the first murder wasn't Deathstroke.

This reinforced all his suspicion over recent events in the surrounding cities.

"Consider my option waved," Nightwing said.

One second he had been a few yards a way and now he was back in the rafters of the bell tower. He disappeared into the darkness over head. Two wingdings were thrown down again one to knock the hand aiming the gun and the other aim to take out the eye mask of Deathstroke's suit.

Nightwing continued on the move and stayed out of sight. Using the darkness to his advantage, he was waiting for the right chance to drop down and attack again. But keeping on the move was key to staying out of gun shot.

[Deleted]

Deathstroke growled under his mask as Nightwing spoke. "If only you knew who my employer was..." He muttered to himself. He blinked and Nightwing was gone, and he frowned under his mask. He was going to kill that man, if it was the last thing he did. He made sure his sniper rifle was secured to his back properly by giving his shoulders a good nudge, before looking around to see if he could spot Nightwing, both of his pistols at the ready. The sound of movement entered his ears, and he barely managed to dodge the two wingdings thrown at him. He quickly righted himself and he touched the side of his mask, switching the optics from night-vision to thermal. He spotted Nightwing running around in the rafters and raised his pistols, each pull of the trigger sounding off with a quiet pfft as he squeezed 7 rounds from each pistol at Nightwing, the shell cases tinkling to the ground.

[Dick Grayson - Nightwing]

Nightwing kept an eye on Deathstroke. These two had a long history together. And it wasn't hard to predict the movements between the two. One fought armed, the other in the air.

Seeing the guns raised in his direction, he knew to stay alert to any movement. But his main focus was to keep moving. A target in motion was much harder to hit. His suit was made with kevlar to protect his body from many object and element. Bullets being one of them. Though that is not to say there were no weak points in the suit itself in motion.

Nightwing could hear the bullets that were close, zipping by him. One he could almost feel a slight breezy from.

It was time to take action. Nightwing couldn't keep playing moving target. Jumping down from the rafters behind Deathstroke, Nightwing pulled out an escrima stick and got it in place in front of Slade's neck.

He pulled in closer, causing him to hold Deathstroke in front of him. An attempt to possibly cloak him. Nightwing knew it wouldn't last long, but it would cause a minor weak point to Slade in the next attacks against him. One Nightwing would be looking for the right strike.