W.I.P.
[hr]
[b]| [i]NAME:[/i] |[/b]
[INDENT]Richard John 'Dick' Grayson[/INDENT]
[b]|[i]ALIAS:[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Nightwing[/indent] 
[b]| [i]ORIGIN:[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Born on the first day of spring on one of Gotham's rare sunny days, Richard John Grayson was handed into the hands of his loving parents who looked down on their son overwhelmed with pride. Upon first looking at her newborn baby boy, Mary called the boy her 'Little Sparrow', relating to his birth on the Spring Solstice. This term of endearment would imprint on the young Grayson for his entire life. 

Like his father, Richard comes from a line of Romani descent. The Graysons were the ancestors of a roaming gypsy family who had been part of the circus for longer than any written record could tell. However unbeknownst to them, the Graysons were also the descendant of one of Gotham's most deadly legends, a man by the name of William Cobb. Cobb lived most of his life as a Talon, a highly feared enforcer for a group that has been all but long forgotten save for the haunting rhymes told to children who disobey their parents. As such the history of William Cobb fell into obscurity, lost in a history of circus performers and Romanies. 

As his parents had, Richard or as he preferred to go by, Dick lived his whole life travelling from city to city in Haly's Circus. Trained by his parents, Mary and John Grayson, Dick was taught to be an acrobat and began performing at an early age, wowing crowds with his natural prowess on the trapeze. Together with his parents wo were both world renowned acrobats, Dick would begin his introduction to performing at a young age and essentially from birth was trained to be a performer in the circus. His mother's nickname for him only became further enforced as Dick learned to perform on the trapeze, as Mary would constantly comment how he reminded her of a Robin while flying through the air in his red leotard. Together they were collectively known as the 'Flying Graysons' and were recognized as being one of the biggest shows in the circus business. In fact the circus' owner Jack Haley often remarked that the Grayson's were the biggest asset to the circus' business. Known for performing without a net, the 'Flying Graysons' true trade mark was their signature quadruple somersault, a move that only the three Graysons were known to be capable of performing. Growing up in the circus, Dick made several friends with the children of the other performers such as Jimmy, Zane and his childhood crush Raya Vestri.

Travelling the world with the circus, Dick became very cultured and outgoing though his education did suffer as he was only taught what those around him knew. None the less, his quick mind grasped onto most concepts quickly and Dick was recognized among the other performers as being a very sharp kid. At the age of ten, Dick found himself in Gotham City as the circus rolled into town for its annual performance. Dick had only ever performed in Gotham a few times previously despite being born there. He was however familiar with the city's infamous reputation, having heard of Gotham's crime rate. As such on this particular trip Dick had been understandably nervous about leaving the circus grounds to explore the city as he had in Paris, New York, and numerous other locations. However, staying at the circus gave the boy a unique opportunity as he was able to meet fans of his family. Having his fill of posing for pictures and signing autographs, Dick wandered off through the circus to kill time before his family's show that evening.

Dick's world suddenly changed that fateful night. It was one of the biggest shows of the year as Haly's Circus had once again returned to Gotham City to help ring in the New Year. But Gotham wasn't the same place it was twelve years ago, not that it was some shiny metropolis then either, yet the city had managed to become worse. Stumbling across an argument between the circus' owner Mr. Haly and the man hired to run the circus’ security, Tony ‘Boss’ Zucco. As the argument escalated Dick hide in the shadows as he heard Zucco try to extort further protection money from Jack Haly. Being an honest and moral man, Haly refused not knowing the horrors he had unleashed upon the circus. 

It was just before the Flying Graysons were due to perform that the bomb went off, immediately killing many of the Circus' patrons. Due to the location of the bombs and their blasts, most of the circus staff were spared surviving with only minor injuries in comparison to the patrons who were caught in the blasts and shrapnel. It was only those currently performing who were caught in the destruction as John and Mary rushed Dick away from the scene. As they ran down through the rows of tents, the trio was suddenly knocked to the ground by a man with a gun. Looking up, Dick gazed into the familiar face of Tony Zucco. Having needed the money from Haly to pay off mob loans, Zucco had been pushed to take drastic measures in order to extort the money from Haly. As the Graysons had survived the trap laid for them, he was forced to bloody his hands. Zucco raised the gun towards the family only for John to rush Zucco. It was to no avail as Zucco didn't even blink, pulling the trigger as John's body fell into the snow lifeless. Even into his adulthood, Dick is still haunted by the sound of Mary's scream as she cried out for her husband only for her too to be silenced by the deafening sound of the revolver issuing another bullet into the cold night air.

Huddling over the bodies of his now deceased parents, Dick looked up defiantly as Zucco turned the gun towards him. His finger hesitated as he tried to pull the trigger only for him to suddenly drop the gun as a knife suddenly lodged itself in his hand. A shadow cast itself upon the small alley between the tents as both Zucco and Dick turned to see a masked man holding a sword standing over them. Zucco took one look back before running past Dick in sheer horror. Turning to the young boy, the masked man held out his hand as Dick looked over the ornate armor. Speaking to the boy, the man introduced himself as Grayson's guardian having been watching over him his entire life. Confused but curious, Grayson accepted the man's hand and in a whirlwind of hours eventually found himself standing in front of the Court of Owls where he was inducted for training. 

To say training was anything short of torture would be an exaggeration as every ounce of Dick's body, mind and spirit were pushed past the breaking point over the next eight years. But by the age of eighteen, Dick had been transformed into a weapon, a Talon for the Court of Owls. Though many of the boys who were pushed through the training became shells of their former selves, Dick had managed to retain his personality as he always looked ahead towards the end goal while keep the life lessons taught to him by his parents close to his heart. Many Romani values and beliefs had been passed onto Dick by his parents and it was these values which would eventually lead to him becoming the greatest threat to the Court of Owls. 

Upon the eve of Dick's graduation to a full fledged Talon he was outfitted with personalized armor and weapons to suit his acrobatic fighting style. Blinded folded and dropped in the middle of Gotham, Grayson was left with a note to follow to the letter. The instructions lead Dick to Blüdhaven where he found Tony Zucco, alive and wealthier than ever with his pockets lined with the blood money of the city's criminal underworld. An owl head pin was placed on the man's lapel and Dick knew what it meant, the Court had ordered Zucco's death. A small grin appeared on Dick's face as he realized that after eight long years he would finally be able to seek revenge for his parents.

Crashing through the skylight, Dick dispatched Zucco's men, disabling them rapidly but sparing their lives as they were not the ones marked by the Court. Recognizing the designs on the armor, Zucco fell to his knees begging for his life as Dick pulled his mask off before hoisting Zucco by his collar and slamming him against the wall. Placing the blade of his knife against Zucco's throat, Grayson asked the criminal if he remembered him to which Zucco shook his head. Yelling about how Zucco had killed his parents, Dick's voice became caught in his throat as he looked over to see a girl no older than him holding a small boy. Looking back at Zucoo he studied the hair colour, the eyes only to look over and see them both in the faces of the children. Dropping Zucco, Dick backed away shaken as the ghosts of his parents reprimanded him for attempting to take the life of a parent, inflicting the same fate upon someone as Zucco had to him.

Returning to the Court, the job unfulfilled, Dick apologized but the Court wouldn't hear. Disappointed that Grayson didn't take after his forefathers they ordered the young man executed. The Talon who had saved Dick approached, unmasking himself and explaining to Dick that his name was William Cobb, Dick's great great grandfather. Outraged, Dick refused his death and fought to escape stumbling through the Court's Labyrinth beneath Gotham until eventually he emerged on the surface world. Alone and without an identity, Grayson had to start all over again.

Living off the streets, Dick used the skills the Court of Owls had taught him to evade his great-grandfather as the Court remained relentless in their pursuit of the escaped Talon. Stealing only what he needed to survive, Dick broke into houses and apartments in search of food and clothes, sometimes even sleeping there for a couple hours. This went on for weeks until Dick met Joey.

Hearing the cries of a young woman, Dick sprung into action as he traced the sound and descended upon the scene of a man wrestling a backpack from the woman's arms. With ease, Dick removed the man from the backpack as he turned to toss it back to Joey only for the girl to scream as the mugger produced a gun. Flashbacks to the night Zucco pointed the muzzle towards him flooded Dick's mind as he scrambled for one of his throwing knives. Thankfully the mugger was a junkie, his unsteady aim only landing a bullet in Dick's shoulder as Dick's weapon sunk into the man's hand, the gun falling to the ground with a clatter. Fleeing the scene the mugger didn't even look back as he screamed in horror at the blade pierced through his hand.

Insisting Dick should go to the hospital, Dick was forced to explain that he was homeless with no identity and no family. Offering the Dick an alternative treatment location, Joey told him she had heard of a small clinic run out of Gotham's Narrows by a Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Helping Dick to the clinic, Joey revealed she was a software engineer and something a tech guru. In return for Dick saving her life, Joey was able to find Dick's birth certificate and allow him to reclaim his identity. Having 'returned' to the land of the living and a full fledged legal citizen, Dick found employment at a Blüdhaven bar known as Hogan's. Something of a police bar, it was a great source of information for Dick who had decided to use the Court's training for something positive. Living with Joey and her roommate Mike had opened Dick's eyes to how much the world had changed in the last decade. Metropolis had a man who could fly watching over it, while Gotham was prowled by a giant bat. [s]Dick too could become a force held high on the wings of justice.[/s][/INDENT]    

[b]| [I]ATTRIBUTES:[/I] |[/b]
[indent]MASTER ACROBAT:
Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete, possessing a peak human level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is generally regarded as the greatest human acrobat in the world. Grayson is the only person on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault (formerly one of three, the other two being his parents).

MASTER OF DISGUISE:
Trained by the Court of Owls in the art of disguise, Grayson had mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 18. Due to Grayson's habit of thinking on the fly, he creates new disguises and identities as needed as opposed to keeping them on standby. While in the past the Court had not put an emphasis on disguises, the modern world has brought about a need for it in order for the Talons to operate to their fullest.

EXPERT DRIVER:
Grayson is proficient at driving many vehicles like cars, motor bikes, trucks and he is also skillful at driving jets, helicopters and auto boats and small ships.

EXPERT ESCAPOLOGIST:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, he possess highly proficient skill in escapology. Grayson has shown such proficiency as escaping a straight jacket in 4.5 seconds and has been trained to use a Tibetan Monk mental technique to escape mental traps such as virtual reality or telepathic invasions.

EXPERT MARKSMAN:
Grayson is skilled enough to use modified Shuriken (Wing-Dings) and chakram to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite even giving him a head-start and disarm others with his wingdings. He is also capable of using firearms, as despite their love of antique weapons, the Court recognizes the brutal efficiency of a modern firearm.

EXPERT MARTIAL ARTIST:
He is a master of many martial arts disciplines with an emphasis on Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Escrima, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Wing Chun, Hapkido, Jiu-jitsu, Silat, Savate, Kendo, Ninjitsu, and Boxing. He has effectively combined the martial arts he has mastered into a unique style that suits his strengths. This makes him a challenging opponent for even the world's best martial artists. It should be noted that many of his martial arts incorporate weapons making Dick much more efficient with a weapon than he is unarmed. 

SKILLED DETECTIVE:
Grayson is a world class detective and a master at reading body language. The Court taught him to completely profile a target's life, to stalk them and get to know them in order to find the best way to kill them. These skills when applied properly however make Dick a very skilled detective.

SKILLED MULTI-LINGUALIST:
Having had the some of the finest education money can afford at the benefit of the Court, Dick speaks with fluency in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Farsi (Persian), Mandarin and Cantonese, and has some knowledge of Romany from his parents.

SKILLED TRACKER:
Gryason has been trained in hunting techniques by the Court who incoporated techniques from around the world such as those the of the African Bushmen, the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others. As such Grayson's skills are quite considerable both in natural and urban environments.

PEAK HUMAN CONDITIONING:
Grayson possesses the peak athletic strength and endurance of a man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. As such Grayson possesses the normal human strength of a man that has intense physical workouts at the height and weight of 5"10 175 lb. While he relies more on speed and agility than strength, Grayson has shown incredible strength throughout the years. On a peak day, Grayson can press lift 350lbs, basically meaning he can lift twice his own weight above his head. Grayson's human conditioning also grants him something in the way of durability, though more specifically it's through the fact he's used to enduring pain and can ignore and work through it. This can give the impression to lesser minds that he's superhuman.

STEALTH:
Grayson is capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. As a very emphasized component of his training in the Court, Grayson can disappear in almost any location, seemingly blending in to any nook, cranny, shadow or crowd.

WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Due to his training with the Court of Owls, Grayson has been taught and displayed skills and proficiency in various weaponry ranging from shurikens, to eskrima sticks and staves to swords and even bows to various modern firearms.

CHARISMATIC:
Probably one of the most charistmatic people you will ever meet, despite being at the Court's mercy for eight years, Dick still retains his bright and sunny disposition and as such is very easy to get along with. The former circus boy is very much still a charming performer and is a huge flirt, something that is generally returned from members of the opposite sex and even those who aren't.

[s]BEST BUTT IN THE DCU:
Dick Grayson has the finest ass in the entire world. It's a fact, deal with it.[/s]

PROTO-NIGHTWING SUIT:
Dick's current costume is his Court of Owl's [url=http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/14/144096/3947736-5580493739-tumbl.jpg]attire[/url]. A light armor with a mesh woven, translucent hood, Dick's armor was designed to be light and resilient without sacrificing his mobility or agility.

NIGHTWING SUIT:
[I]~To Be Updated in the IC upon receiving it.~[/I][/indent]
[b]| [I]STOMPING GROUNDS:[/I] |[/b]
[indent][b]Blüdhaven[/b]
[CENTER][I]“When you die in Blüdhaven -- going to Hell is considered a promotion.”[/i][/CENTER]

[INDENT]Once nicknamed, "Asbestos Town, USA," Blüdhaven is a former whaling town, which was officially incorporated as a "Commonwealth" in 1912. The town had a generally poor socio-economic populace, owing in part to failed efforts to transform itself into a manufacturing and shipping center. This however rapidly gave way to highly industrial sectors which then fell into urban decay as businesses collapsed or moved out of the area during the Depression. It's infamous for its somewhat rank odor and high crime rate. Approximately 33 minutes' drive from Gotham City, Nightwing moved here initially to solve a string of murders related to a thoroughly corrupt police force, only to remain there to carve out his own reputation away from his family and loved ones.
The city lived through a corrupt balance of underhand dealings and unlawful policies, which was helped kept in check by the local police force.[/indent]
Neighborhoods
Avalon Hill
Melville Section
Waterloo Docks
The Zee Moores
Caernarvon Section
Central Business District
Fort Joseph District
Fear Cay
Avalon Heights
The Narrows
Island Point
Mealtide
Public locations
Halyard Square
Thrawn Park
Melville Park
Lanely Point
Mealtide Park
Byke Beach
St. Bernadine's Church
Stadium
Baily Church
Blüdhaven Natural History Museum
Thrawn Terminal-Red Line Elevated
B&O Rail Terminal
Port Authority Railhead
Port Authority Bus Terminal
Central Station Rail
Blüdhaven Law Enforcement Center
St. Anthony's/Anthonio's
Airport
RABE Memorial Hospital
Consolidated Buldhaven Electric and Steam
Municipal Sewage Treatment
Municipal Train Yards
Municipal Landfill
Blüdhaven Garbage Dump
Streets and Highways
Bloodhaven Drive and Park
Red Line North
Red Line South
Green Line
Blue Line Elevated
Blue Line Tubes
US Highway 61
US 61 Bypass/RT 91
"The Spine"
Halyard St
Stark Ave
Little Drawbridge
Island St
Skunk Ave
Red Line East Ext.
Littleneck Narrows Bridge
B&O Rail
Blue Line North
Blue Line South
East Lamar
Highway 6
Businesses
City Dock-Commercial
Midtown Exchange
28 Phraim Moore Housing Project
St Eustace Church
Band Shell
Forsyth Building
Hogan's Alley
Mr Pickle Deli
Brenda's Cafe
McSweeny Properties
Media
Talking Johnny's All-Night Bull Session
Sports Teams
Blüdhaven Bloodhounds (baseball)
Blüdhaven Brawlers (football)
Other locales
Marsh
Swamplands
Fireflaught Mount
Skirl Rocks
Spuyten Dyvil

Where your character lives and operates. Give as much (or as little) detail as you want. Things such as districts, businesses and points of interest all go here.[/indent]
[b]| [I]PEOPLE OF NOTE:[/i] |[/b]
[indent][b][i][color=0072bc]ALLIES:[/color][/i][/b] 
[INDENT][b]Raya Vestri:[/b] Dick's childhood crush 

[b]Cheyenne Freemont:[/b] A New York fashionista and metahuman, Chenyenne created Nightwing's suit (Textiles)

[b]Joanna 'Joey' Greene:[/b] A software engineer who Dick saved from a mugger. In repayment, Joey was able to give Dick his life back and the two became roommates. While she's suspicious of his late night activities, Dick believes that Joey is unaware he is the Nightwing.

[b]Michael 'Mike' Pearson:[/b] An aspiring photojournalist who met Dick when the latter moved in with Mike and his roommate Joey. Mike is untrusting of vigilantes believing they create more threats for the general populace than they solve and is hoping one day to write an exposé which will see the downfall of the Justice League.

[b]Helena Bertinelli:[/b] Rival Bludhaven Vigilante known as the Huntress. 

[b]Amy Rohrbach:[/b] A police detective with the Blüdhaven Force and one of the few honest officiers in the city. She has an uneasy alliance with Nightwing being wary of vigilantes.[/INDENT]

[color=ed1c24][b][i]ROGUES:[/i][/b][/color] 
[INDENT][b]Tony 'Boss' Zucco:[/b] The former hired security for Haly’s Circus, Zucco tried to extort more money from Jack Haly who refused leading to Zucco killing the Graysons. After evading a mystery attacker, Zucco relocated to Chicago where he used his criminal connections to become the Mayor’s bodyguard. Despite being confronted by a young officer Grayson, Zucco managed to get off charges using a bargain to hand the local police department the true crime lords of Chicago. After this, Zucco left Chicago and eventually returned to the Gotham area before setting up shop in Blüdhaven. Dick Grayson was ordered by the Court of Owls to kill Zucco as his final test before becoming the Court's new Talon. Failing upon realizing that Zucco had a family, Dick spared the man who out of both gratitude and fear has become Grayson's eyes and ears on the street. 

[b]William Cobb:[/b] Otherwise known as Talon, William Cobb is Dick's great-grandfather and an assassin for the Court of Owls. So far he remains unknown to his great-grandson, but Cobb has but one goal in mind and that is to recruit his last living descendant to Court of Owls. Now by order of the Court, he hunts his great grandson in order to kill the boy and subject him to programming at the Court's hand in order to turn Dick into a proper Talon. 

-The Court of Owls

-Blockbuster

-Lady Vic: Fights like Bruce Lee, talks like Jane Austen. 

-Brutale

-Shrike

-Saiko: Raymond ___, a former circus friend of Dick’s who was taken by the Court of Owls after Dick was removed from the circus following his parents’ death. 

-Stallion

-Marionette: Malina ‘Mali’ Lewis, a former Alice of Jervis Tech aka The Mad Hatter, Mali was left with a shattered mind which gave her symptoms similar to a split personality disorder. This leads to Mali often holding ‘Gollum-esque’ conversations with herself but also the unique side effect of making her something of a mimic. Most notably, Mali repeats phrases spoken to her but most extraordinarily Mali is able to mimic any skill she witnesses.

-Amygdala: A man who endured terrible experiments on his amygdala making him unstable. When enraged or overly excited, Amygdala transforms from a meek human appearance into a hulking red beast complete with a child-like mind set meaning his fits are often comparable to tantrums.  

-The Prankster: A truly twisted individual who murders people in a way that resembles pranks and practical jokes.[/INDENT][/indent]
[b]| [I]CHARACTER GOALS:[/I] |[/b]
[indent][b][color=ed1c24][U]A Knight in Blüdhaven:[/U][/color][/b]
[INDENT][i]-Establish Nightwing[/i][/INDENT]
[color=ed1c24][b][U]Team Nightwing:[/U][/b][/color]
[INDENT][i]-Gain Allies[/i][/INDENT]
[U][color=ed1c24][b]Block Party:[/b][/color][/U]
[INDENT][i]-Take down Blockbuster[/i][/INDENT]
[U][b][color=ed1c24]Night of the Owls:[/color][/b][/U]
[INDENT][i]-Tangle with the Court of Owls[/i][/indent]
[U][color=ed1c24][b]Justice for All:[/b][/color][/U]
[INDENT][i]-Join Justice League[/i][/INDENT][/indent]
[b]| [i]SAMPLE POST:[/i] |[/b]
[indent][color=ed1c24][b][CENTER][I]"My name is Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. For eight years, I endured hellish training at the hands of the Court of Owls only to escape to the city of Blüdhaven. Now with a greater purpose, to save the city I call home I can't be the killer I was trained to be. I must be something else, I must become someone else.

I am Nightwing.”[/I][/CENTER][/b][/color]
"Another glorious day in the 'Haven eh Grayson?" Hogan called as the wind slammed the door behind Dick, his soaked clothes dripping onto the bar's floor as he slicked back his drenched hair.

[color=00aeef]"Just another morning in paradise Boss."[/color] Dick replied as he hung his jack and grabbed and apron before heading to the bar to ready it for opening. Groaning as he lifted a heavy oak chair off a table, Dick felt his body ache all over as it cried out for rest. Only a few hours ago had Dick been running across Blüdhaven's roof tops while being shot at by the a couple of drug runners who were none too happy about their latest shipping taking a trip to the bottom of the harbor.[/indent]