Series: Redwing Universe
Title: Prise-de-fer
Author: Katarik
Fandom: Animated Teen Titans
Rating: PG
Pairing: Redwing [AU Nightwing]/Slade

Summary: Gizmo sees a lot of things. But he never comments on them out loud.
Disclaimers: Katarik owns Redwing; DC Comics owns the original characters.
Notes: An Alternate Universe where heroes become villains, and villains become heroes.

*---*---*---*---*

Gizmo hisses and rushes forward. This guy’s been around for a while, and they can stop him but they can’t take him *down*.

Black-haired assassin who fights like he’s dancing and kills like it’s never occurred to him that there’s anything better.

And dodges *every* fucking *one* of the toys Gizmo hurls at him.

Gizmo and technology get along just fine--there’s no one better except that damn Stone, and even he’s not actually *better*--but his weapons are useless if he can’t *catch* Redwing.

It takes Slade to bring him down in the end, and Gizmo doesn’t say anything when Slade touches Redwing’s bloodstained face. Everyone in the League knows that there’s one villain the hero can’t beat completely. The Joker has his flying rodent; Jinx has the demon’s daughter. For Slade, Redwing’s it.

They’ll put Redwing in Arkham for a while. Slade will pretend he doesn’t care about it, and will be in a bad mood for *months*.

Then Redwing will break out, like he always does, and Slade will be happy to see him again and *hate* it.

And Gizmo will have new weapons.

Maybe next time he won’t have to see Redwing’s smile every time Slade lands a hit, and he won’t have to see Slade crouched by Redwing’s still body, just watching him breathe and stroking his hair.

--Fin.