To Kill or Not to Kill

Batman was late.

This was an outcome that he really wished wouldn't have happened.

This is because he promised Batman that if he didn't show up in fifteen minutes he would put a bullet in Lucius's head.

So if he doesn't shoot Lucius it will bring down his credibility as someone who always follows through on their promises.

But if he does shoot Lucius, he is putting an innocent mans life to an end.

There is a third option though that he can choose.

Drystan isn't being paid to beat up Batman, nor to kill Lucius so he can take a third route that would further dictate how he acts in the future.

This route is the one where the Boogeyman only kills when he's paid.

This is his preferred the third one because it will establish a reason why he didn't kill Lucius and placed his explosives in somewhere there was so few people.

The only problem with this is that in the future when out on missions, he couldn't kill anyone but the primary target.

But this was a small problem because when he wants to kill someone, he can just put up a nonexistent mission on the S.H.S. that only he could take.

Its like if right now he was being paid to kill Batman then he couldn't kill his apprentices.

This will also make it easier to work with some less uptight heroes in the future because they could trust him not to kill.

After thinking it through Drystan walked up to the tied together Bat family plus Lucius and said "How does it feel? Being.. Abandoned by Batman."

He points his gun as Lucius "I gave... him time. I gave him... an opportunity. But he didn't... take it. So You.. Must.. Pay."

Why Drystan said that the eyes on his mask glowed a bright red making him look extra intimidating.

Or at least he thought so because after he said that he heard a laugh.

Looking down a the only conscious member of the Bat family, Nightwing Drystan asked "Why... Laugh?"

He was wondering if Nightwing lost his mind thinking that he would kill them.

Nightwing then looked up into Drystans glowing red eyes and spat out "Its not that he wont come but that he can't, he's just not in Gotham right now so getting here in fifteen minutes isn't possible."

This made Drystan dismayed, as how could he pick the one time Batman wasn't in Gotham to try and fight him.

Drystan let out an audible sigh as he looked at Nightwing "What a shame." was all he could say.

There was only a few other heroes in Gotham, the most powerful being the birds of prey.

But Drystan didn't plan to use them as an example.

No, for that, if he didn't use Batman it was pointless.

Now he has an entirely different issue.

How could he let the sidekicks go without putting them into the hospital for a while.

He made it clear that he showed up for Batman, so he could probably just leave now that Batman was no longer going to show up.

But now he has blown up a building and beat up all of Batman's apprentices but has nothing to show for it.

He found it hard to leave like this. Beating the Bat family by himself would signify to the world how powerful he was, just that without Batman his average clients wont be as impressed.

After all, who would you rather hire to kill somebody, the guy that beat up Batman, or the guy that beat up his sidekicks.

The problem was that Drystan couldn't think of a solution.

He didn't need to worry about not killing Lucius anymore, nobody's going to care that he didn't kill the civilian when the original target didn't even show up.

Actually whos even going to know that he said he was going to kill Lucius except Batman and Lucius himself.

"Now... I look... Foolish?" Drystan said while giving Nightwing a stare down.

He then untied Nightwing from the rest of the group and dragged him over to the edge of the roof before throwing him back onto the floor.

Nightwing stood up with his hand clutching his chest continuing to glare a Drystan.

Drystan looked at Ngihtwing, then he looked at the rest of the Bat family. Nightwing was clearly the oldest member, not counting Redhood as Drystan still doesn't know why he's here.

So Nightwing will be the one responsible for the rest of the group.

The Drystan started the beatdown.

He didn't use his super strength and kept his power at a human level.

But Nightwing was already wounded and couldn't resist the sudden onslaught from Drystan

Every time Drystans fists met Nightwings face they became a darker shade of red as blood sprayed out from the man.

By the time Drystan was done laying into Nightwing, what was left was a sad excuse of a man.

Nightwings arms were broken, ribs were broken, face was bloodied... and was still giving Drystan that same glare.

Out of all of Batmans apprentices, Nightwing was the most like him.

This sort of willpower couldn't be built, you had to be born with it.

But that's what Drystan wanted from him.

After that he bent down and forced Nightwing to get off his back and onto his knees.

Then while returning his glare Drystan walked back and untied Robin before dragging his unconscious body back in front of Nightwing.

Then he gave Robin a hard slap to wake him up.

Robin being slapped awake, jerked up and looked around with both confusion and vigilance.

The first thing he saw was his friends who were currently tied up and unconscious.

After seeing them he seemed to snap out of his confusion and remember exactly what situation the were in before Drystan punched him into dreamland.

Then after remembering he turned and met Drystan's emotionless red eyes.

Unlike the fear he was expecting to see from Robin , Robin instead fearlessly attacked Drystan the moment he laid eyes on him.

Even though Robin is good and took Drystan by surprise, Drystan still easily dodged Robins punch while grabbing his wrist and kneeing him in the gut.

Robin went down, gasping for air.

But even while he couldn't breath Robin tried to sweep Drystans feet out from under him.

He just couldn't muster enough force as Drystan didn't even dodge and just let Robin harmlessly kick his leg.

Drystan was like a pillar and didn't even flinch from the impact of the kick and returned a kick to Robins gut further robbing him of his breath.

Drystan then walked up and stepped on Robins neck, not applying any real pressure but not allowing Robin to move.

Drystan then looks a Nightwing who was still on his Knees.

"Beg" he said, then he looked at Robin who was under his foot "Beg.. not for your life... but for his."

He then started putting pressure onto Robins throat.

Robin started struggling trying to punch, kick, and scratch his way out from under his foot.

But it was futile as he didn't have the strength from the constant lack of oxygen.

Nightwings glare softens slightly while watching Robin struggle under Drystans foot before once again hardening as his glare became even more fierce.

"Stop!" Nightwing yelled "What do you want from me?" he asked while gritting his teeth.

"Beg" was all Drystan said in reply.

Nightwing sat there watching Robin claw at Drystans leg, panic had set into Robins face as he realized that he might really die and his face was starting to turn blue.

The Nightwing looked back at the Bat family with a complicated look in his eyes, or more specifically he looked at the unconscious Redhood.

Nightwing didn't say anything and just kept looking back and forth between the two before he saw Robin stop struggling.

Tears were going down robins face as he passed out, looking a Nightwing with a look that was pleading for Nightwing to save him.

That look was the last straw as he said "Stop... I am begging you to stop." with tears going down his face.

"Beg... Harder."

Nightwing had bloodied tears going down is face as he force his head to the floor as begged "Please, please spare us."

Drytstan looked at Nightwing and thought that he had done enough before saying in a loud voice "Good... I am... The Boogyman... Beware!" and the vanishing.