Silence in Sound
Disclaimer- I don't own anything you recognize
a/n: Screwed with the timeline a bit to age a character up
"Tommy Terror" stared resolutely at his feet, swaying lightly with the movements of the transport vehicle take him and "Tuppence" to Belle Reve along with Icicle Jr., Mr. Freeze and a boy he'd never seen or heard of. He made it a point to ignore them, thinking about his new boyfriend, Robin and wondering what the senior not-sidekick thought about this mission.
"So, who the hell are you?" Jr. asked the unknown boy, who looked to be around 15 or 16 with shoulder length inky black hair and ice blue eyes. He wore a skintight sleeveless shirt with a plunging v-neck that showed of hints of a smooth chest, a pair of heeled boots that stretched up mile long legs to meet the ends of a pair of short shorts at mid thigh, all in black interspersed with silver
"Merle Kolman, sweetheart, otherwise known as Screech Owl." The boy said with a saucy wink, shifting his legs and wrapping them around each other in an enticing way.
"Yeah? Never heard of you. What did you do to land yourself in this dump?" Jr. asked with a rakish grin. Owl smirked back in a rather bloodthirsty manner.
"Robbed both Princes of Gotham." Was the rather droll reply, getting wide-eyed looks from the rest of the people in the van, the guard included.
"Ah thought W-Wayne was an only child." Tuppence said confusedly.
"Yeah, Crown Prince Wayne is an only child, but have you ever heard of the Harlequin of Hate? The Clown Prince of Crime?" Owl asked with a smug smile.
"You were the one that rob the Joker? That was an uproar that lasted for weeks!" Jr. practically shrieked, staring in awe at the slender boy who only shrugged.
"And I damn near had Prince Wayne himself as a notch in my bedpost before the big bad Bat collared me." Owl sniffed, yanking at the collar around his neck.
"How did you manage that?" Jr. asked, leaning forward with a grin. Owl leaned forward until they were practically sharing a breath with an inviting smile of his own.
"Nicked some of Poison Ivy's famous pollen, see, blew it in Wayne's face and he was all over me." The dark haired boy said, low alto voice dropping into a seductive tenor.
"You don't need pollen for that do you?" Jr. teased, the same flirtatious tone flavoring his voice. The guard took that moment to slam the two back into their seats with the butt of his gun.
"Sit down! We're here." The guard snapped, glaring disgustedly at the two of them. Jr. and Owl both rolled their eyes and settled back into their seats.
"Welcome, to Belle Reve." The guard said with a smirk.
Once the five of them had filed out of the van they were pushed into a line, Jr. on the end beside Owl who was standing next to Tommy while Freeze was on the other end by Tuppence. They all looked up to see a well-built black woman on a balcony high above them as she started to speak.
"I am the Law of Last Resort. My name is Amanda Waller. I am not your mother, your maiden aunt or your friend. I am your warden. And you are my prisoners. The proprietary collars you wear are custom designed to inhibit your specific meta abilities. No strength, no ice, no acrobatics. In addition, collars can and will be used to discipline inmates. A con who breaks the rules gets one warning." She growled, finger slamming down on the button of the remote she carried. The five criminals each felt their knees buckle as electricity jolted through their weakened systems, though Owl let out an odd sounding groan. They were slumped and gasping for air when the electricity stopped, all glaring up at Warden Waller.
"If order has not been restored, the next shock will render the offender, unconscious. At the slightest hint of trouble, this facility goes into lockdown. Belle Reve's walls are thick enough to hold Superman, we know, we've checked. No one's ever escaped Belle Reve. No one ever will. Which means your mug had better be in sight whenever we want to see it, boy, or we will send you to Arkham. And maybe you'll be locked up with the nutjob you stole from." Waller said, directing this last along with a glare at Owl, who only smirked and shrugged. The man standing behind the Warden cleared his throat pointedly and she stepped aside with a rather disdainful look.
"Oh, this is Professor Hugo Strange, he is your maiden aunt." She said by way of introduction. Hugo raised an eyebrow with a smile.
"Actually, I'm the prison psychiatrist. And I promise you a sincere attempt at rehabilitation." He said, clasping his hand in front of him with an attempt at a reassuring smile.
"Because we know you types are all about sincerity." Waller said drolly, before turning and vanishing into the room behind her.
Conner surreptitiously looked around as he and the other two younger boys were escorted to their cells, talking to M'gann while he walked. All three boys were surprised when they were stopped in front of an empty cell and all three were shoved through the door. The gave each other surprised looks before turning to look at the guards.
"Home sweet home. As a special request from Bruce Wayne, you're getting put in here so the big boys won't eat you alive. I wouldn't rest easy though." The snickering guard said to Owl before he and his partner walked away.
"I call top bunk!" Jr. crowed, voice dropping as he addressed Owl, slinging an arm around slender shoulders.
"Though, you're welcome to share with me." He said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Owl snorted a laugh and fake swooned.
"Oh, dawlin', anytime. But I know dear Tommy will protect my honor." Owl purred, sliding his hand across Conner's chest as he passed by him before jumping up to the top bunk like it was nothing, laying down on his side and smirking at their looks.
The next day as they were released into the yard Jr., who'd told them to call him Cameron when they were in the cell, lead the way through the groups of cons talking or working out. Conner vaguely noted Megan on the other side of the glass.
"Stick with me cellmates. I'll show you the ropes." He said with his signature smile, arm once again wrapped around Owl's shoulders. The shorter boy didn't seem to mind, looking around curiously. It struck Conner then how small the young boy looked, delicate and fragile looking.
"Ah, who you kiddin'? You ain't been in Belle Reve befo'. You're liable to get me hanged with them ropes." Conner drawled, feeling rather natural as his voice dipped in his light New Orleans accent. Cameron shook his head, slapping Tommy's chest with the back of his hand.
"I may never have been incarcerated here, Tommy, but trust me, I know whereof I speak." Cameron said, flashing his grin as he turned Tommy and Owl toward the bleachers that lined the wall. On the lower seats sat Freeze and Captain cold, and seated a row above and between them was a man Conner didn't recognize, though he knew Mammoth and Blockbuster, who stood like guards in front of the ice villains.
"I didn't know you were so learned, Icy. Now, tell us sweetheart, who are they?" Owl drawled; a touch of the distinctive slur the lower class Gothamites had seeping into his tone.
"For starters, we pay homage to the top of the food chain. The Big Dog. The Prison Capo. My father." Cameron said with a resigned tone of voice.
"That's your f- 'aht's your pa?" Tommy asked, catching himself just in time.
"Yup. Icicle Sr. Reeks when your dad is The Man, y'know?" Jr. said, face changing to match his voice. Owl and Tommy both looked down with a frown.
"Believe me. Ah know." Conner said through Tommy, Owl nodding in agreement. Owl snorted when the Riddler was chased off with his metaphorical tail between his legs. Jr. took in a deep breath and sighed it out, stepping out from between his cellmates.
"Here goes nothing," he said, flashing them both a grin. Both his cellmates jumped when someone slammed into Cameron's back and sent them both to the floor. Ojo turned out to be the culprit, rearing back and readying to punch Jr. in the face.
"Hello Jr., I warned you what would happen next time we crossed paths." The professor growled, hauling Jr.'s back off the ground while the younger villain held his hands out in front of him.
"Ojo! Buddy, pal, mi amigo!" Cameron managed with an almost sheepish smile before Tommy jumped forward and hauled Ojo off, shoving him away.
"Get offa him!" he growled before delivering a sound punch to Ojo's helmet, whirling the man around to land at the feet of three of the other inmates. The one with the red skin looked from Ojo up to Tommy, punching his palm as he and the other two stalked forward.
"Boy, that was not wise." He droned.
Owl and Tommy pulled Jr. to his feet in time for him to be pulled away from them and the cronies that were circling them. Tommy dropped into a stiff fighting pose, Owl adopting a looser one.
Above them on a balcony, guards Banks and Wilcox watched the two boys and their opponents. Banks pulled out a remote identical to the one Waller had used, extending his hand halfway before Wilcox stopped him.
"Uh-uh. New fish gotta learn." He said, leaning on the guardrail to watch the fight.
One of the smaller cronies grabbed Owl while the red skinned one snagged Tommy and pulled his hands up behind his head.
"Free shot Ojo." He said with a smirk as Ojo wound up for a right hook. Ojo pulled up in surprise.
"Wait… I know him! He's-" Ojo never got to finish as Owl slammed his head back into his captors face, launched off the mans chest and spun in midair to send Ojo back to the ground with a crushing round house kick. Landing on Ojo's chest and further knocking the wind out of him, one plain shoe pressed to the mans throat.
"Who is he? Tommy Terror, right?" Owl snarled, pressing down with his shoe enough to make Ojo choke. Conner took the opportunity to flip the red skinned con over his head, slamming him into Ojo's prone form, Owl jumping straight up and landing on his back too.
Owl jumped and did a quick summersault and knocked one of the two cons holding Conner's arms away, the red skinned Brick and Ojo moving to a kneeling position.
"Not wise, not wise at all!" Brick growled, glancing a Ojo when the man grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't you understand? He's- he's Tommy Terror!" Ojo gasped out, hand flying to his head.
"They're both roadkill!" Brick growled as he surged to his feet. Everyone froze when a voice barked out over the fighting.
"Enough!" Brick and the others turned to see Icicle Sr. on his feet, watching their fight with sharp eyes.
"These kids' got guts. The kind of guts a man wouldn't mind seeing in his own son." The Capo said, waving the goons off of both Owl and Tommy. Cameron got shoved back toward them as the cronies retreated, massaging his arm and moving it to get the circulation back.
"Great to see you too dad." He muttered sarcastically. Icicle ignored it and growled.
"Get over here. Not you two, just Jr." he said, Brick stopping Owl and Conner from moving past him. While Conner listened in Owl started to do stretches, distracting Conner as he did some things that shouldn't be humanly possible with his spine.
"What the hell are you doin'?" he had to ask as Owl dropped into a full set of splits.
"Warming up for a real workout." Owl said with a cocky sneer. The cons who heard him growled, cracking knuckles in warning. Owl ignored them and continued his stretches.
Later, once the boys were back in their cell Tommy and Cameron watched in slight awe and mostly out of boredom as Owl quite literally scaled the wall of their cell, using the two walls as they connected in the corner to climb up and cling to the top corner of the room. Their heads turned as Ivo dumped new prison uniforms through the slot in the door.
"Tommy-boy, I'd advise putting the new rags on, sooner than later. C'mon Owly, fly on down and I'll help you change." Cameron said with a beckoning grin. As Conner talked with Megan he absently absorbed Jr. and Owl talking.
"So why you called Screech Owl anyway?" Cameron asked flirtatiously.
"Named myself. After all, owls eat bats and birds don't they?"
Conner tuned Dr. Strange out, staring to the left with his head being supported by his fist as he thought.
Though about Superman, thought about the rest of the team, thought about Robin and thought hard on Cameron and Owl, who'd explicitly stated that's the only thing he'd respond to because he apparently hated his name.
His thoughts on how riled up Owl made him, despite the cloying thoughts of Robin, nearly made him miss what M'gann was saying. His scowl deepened as his one time girlfriend bared his soul to a stranger against his will. He snapped when she started telling Dr. Strange things he'd like to keep to himself.
"Well maybe Tommy refuses to live in Tuppences' stupid fantasy world where every problem is solved in half an hour!" he snapped, though felt guilty when one of his closest friends looked hurt and drew into herself. He turned his guilty look back into a glare when Dr. Strange butted in.
"Excellent! I think we've made a real breakthrough today!" the doctor proclaimed with a smile.
Conner took his seat across from Cameron, looking between him and the table with the other boys' father confusedly.
"So how come you ain't sittin' with your pa?" he asked, noting Owl in the food line over Cameron's shoulder.
"Cause my pa is a jerk, who only wants me around when he needs me!" Jr. sneered over his shoulder.
"But I try not to live or die over getting his approval, y'know?" he continued, making Tommy duck his head with his oh so true words.
"So, would you be pissed if I went after Owly? Or hey! If you want him tell me about your sister." Jr. said slyly. Tommy rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh.
"What? D'ah, she's a pain! Why? And what do you mean if I want him?" he said, truly feeling that statement, though it was mixed with what he now knew to be familial love. He didn't flinch when Jr. punched him playfully in the shoulder.
"Dude! She's hot! I mean, you can't see it cause you're family, but I look at her and Owly and think, that chick, gets me, well, dude in Owly's case. And really, that's all you need! Someone who sees the psycho that you are, and likes you anyway! And don't even get me started on you two, I've seen the way you look at each other. But hey, Owly might be up for a threesome, whatta ya say?" Cameron said with a teasing grin.
"Yeah, you're like, an evil genius." Tommy said with a grin of his own.
"Word." Jr. grinned back, the pair of them brofisting while Owl sat down beside Jr.
"Boys, my ears are burning, talk to my face, not my back." The shortest of them teased.
"But your back end is so nice to look at!" Cameron shot back as quick as anything, getting himself punched in the shoulder by Owl. The three of them were interrupted from their laughing when a commotion started at the Capo's table.
Once all was said and done and the ice villains had been subdued, Superboy and Miss Martian were extracted from the prison and were glad to see the team sans Robin back at the cave. In the chaos of the breakout, Conner had lost Owl and had been worried when news came of his escape (alongside the Riddler) from Belle Reve.
The team turned as Batman entered the room, and M'gann and Conner both gaped when Screech Owl meandered in on his heels.
"Owl! What are you doing here?" Conner exclaimed, rushing forward to grab his friend by the shoulders. He pulled back, confused when a familiar laugh echoed from Owl's lips.
"Man, I'm better than I thought I was! Hey love, it's me. Surprised?" Owl with… Robin's voice reached up and pulled his hair up and out of his face. Now that the hair was gone Conner could see the resemblance to his boyfriend.
"Robin! You were in Belle Reve too!" M'gann exclaimed, hands over her mouth in surprise. The rest of the team looked back and forth between M'gann and Conner and Robin, completely lost.
"Yep. Couldn't let you and him go in alone could I? Bats' and I decided that I would be your silent back up. Just in case something went wrong. You guys did a bang up job though, and I wasn't needed." Robin said with a grin and a thumbs up.
As the team dissolved into it's usual chaos Conner kept his gaze intent on Robin, who was watching and laughing at the team. Robin glanced up and caught his eyes, smiling and gripping his boyfriends' hand in reassurance.
"Hey, Batman and I pulled some strings. Mr. Freeze and Icicle Jr. are being transported to Arkham Asylum today. Wanna go visit Icy?" Robin asked with a smile, and Conner broke out into a similar one.
"Anytime you want, daawlin'." Conner drawled, his New Orleans accent thickening his voice. Robin shuddered with a grin.
"Do you know how hard it was to keep from jumping you with that accent. Speak to me love, speak to me." The Boy Wonder said with a laugh, leaning up to peck his beau on the cheek.
Superboy's reply was a sweet, chaste kiss.
Oh gawd! Who saw that coming?
I had so many plans for Screech Owl that didn't make it into this!
Like his outfit! Argh!
His boots for his thieving outfit were supposed to be special. A long, sharp claw-like heel that when dug into something caused two similar claws on the top of his boot to snap into place and dig into whatever he was pressing on with an equal amount of force. Like an owl's talon. And his cape was supposed to be like Owlmans' from Crisis on Two Earths! Agh!
Lol, please leave a review. (like it? Hate it? Guess the ending?)
Kira