Tada! This is a multi-chapter story I'm writing for Geni Blaze. They're so fun to work with and I'm really glad they gave me this great idea. I'm not going to give too much away, because a lot will be revealed in the story. So enjoy!
Dick Grayson was not your normal person. For one thing, he was the vigilante, Nightwing. For another, he was the adopted ward of Bruce Wayne. Another was that he grew up in the circus. But perhaps the most unusual thing about him was that he wasn't a mortal.
Now, he wasn't a god or anything, don't get him wrong. He just wasn't fully human. It wasn't that strange though. You look at some of the things he could do and you'd know. Like wounds he miraculously healed within days of receiving them. Or his somehow magnetic charm. His ability to be completely graceful in the air. All of it pointed to him being something other than human.
He was good at hiding it though. A few extra bandages where he wasn't hurt there, a stumble there, all of it kept him hidden. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bruce or anything. It was just a secret. He had to hold off telling him for as long as possible.
It worked fairly well too. Bruce never wondered in all the time that Dick stayed with him and worked as Robin. And when Dick struck out on his own as Nightwing, he had more freedom again to be himself without hiding his other-ness.
After all, it wasn't right for a son of Aphrodite to hide himself, was it? He was made for the spotlight and attention to be on him. Sure, he could live without it, but being the fun person that everyone wanted to be friends with, the person who had a million friends, it was amazing. Fun.
Okay, so maybe you're confused. Let's start at the beginning.
Dick Grayson was the son of John Grayson and the goddess, Aphrodite. He was raised by John and Mary Grayson, who were, for all intents and purposes, his mom and dad. Aphrodite, who visited occasionally, was more like a cool aunt.
He had always known though, that she was his real mother and that Mary Grayson wasn't. John and Mary had met after he was born, and married after too. Even though she wasn't his blood, she loved him like a son.
He'd also always known that Aphrodite was his mom and who she was, though that was only because of an accident when he was three and he'd walked in on the three of them discussing monsters. He'd hid under his bed for hours after that, scared that monsters would come eat him.
From that time on, he spent a month at Camp Half-Blood every summer, until his parents fell, that was. After that he'd been too distracted by grief to attend, then too busy with being Robin. He hadn't actually had a chance to visit Camp Half-Blood until he was twenty-two, over thirteen years since he'd last been.
It was strange, to be standing on the edge about to enter after so long. He knew none of the people he knew from before except Chiron and Dionysus would be there. No one either lived long enough or stayed there long enough. Still, he wanted to check in.
When he walked past the border and saw a dragon tied to a tree that had not been there last time he came protecting the golden fleece, he determined he'd missed some stuff. This was only confirmed moments later when someone held a sword to his throat and demanded to know who he was.
"Dick Grayson," he said quickly, though he wasn't too worried. "Son of Aphrodite."
Whoever was holding him let go and shoved him hard. He rubbed his throat and turned around. It was a girl, probably around sixteen or seventeen years old. She had short, mousy brown hair and a mean scowl.
"Come on, we're going to see if Chiron can vouch for you," she said, gesturing for him to follow her.
Dick did so happily, humming a little tune. In no time at all they arrived at the Big House. Sitting on the front porch was Dionysus, sipping a coke.
"Ah, too bad you didn't die after all these years, Rick Mayson," he said lazily.
Dick waved at him, grinning widely. "It's good to see you too, sir!"
He followed the mousy haired girl inside, and nearly jumped for joy when he saw Chiron, in his wheelchair disguise.
"Chiron," he said. "It's good to see you again!"
Chiron laughed. "Dick Grayson, it's you? Where have you been for so long?"
Dick shrugged. "It's kinda a long story."
Chiron waved the camper off. "It's fine, Clarisse, I know him. You're welcome to go back to patrol while I catch up with Mr. Grayson."
The girl, Clarisse, went off with a nod, leaving Dick alone with Chiron. They began to talk, and soon enough Dick had shared his story, minus a few important parts about Batman and Robin stuff.
In return, Chiron shared everything that had happened in the past thirteen years, including the result of the prophecy and the new prophecy, as well as Apollo being human and on his own quest. It had to be the craziest story Dick had ever heard, and he was Nightwing!
But this was only the beginning…