Notes: A while back, CaraLee gave me a bunch of words at my request. These words were to be used in my own idea, an AU where Dick is kidnapped by the Court before the Night of Owls. As you can guess, being an AU made the characterisation a little wonky but, I hope you enjoy.
Also, Dick's reasoning might not make sense (or make too much sense) but that's because he has been greatly affected during the time the Court had him. He's just good at hiding it (maybe).
Where to Belong
Nursery
The Court had a place. They called it the 'Nursery'. It was different to the maze where they dropped their enemies. It was the place they took their Talons after the maze.
Usually took their Talons after the maze. There existed one exception.
Richard Grayson.
The young boy had gone to the Nursery first, back as a young child who had lost his parents. He had been a child escaping from Juvie hall every night. The Court defrosted his great-grandfather, William Cobb, to entice the child into the fold.
They couldn't just take him. Not while Gotham was watching the child. They were content to wait until his parents' murder was solved or shelved.
Unfortunately, they waited too long. Before the murder was solved, Dick Grayson was adopted by Bruce Wayne. He stopped meeting up with William Cobb and they knew they would not be able to grab the child while he was under the care of Bruce Wayne.
The next time Dick entered the nursery, he would be an adult. The Court was patient. And the Circus always delivered.
Paranoia
Dick stumbled around the white walls. He couldn't take much more of this. He knew what they were attempting to do. All white walls, little other stimulus, twists and turns which generated lost and helpless feelings and possibly drugged water.
He should have been suspicious. Raya inviting him into her room - no one would tell him where Raymond was - He should have suspected something.
He figured out that he had been set up during his first few hours down here. Raymond must have been kidnapped and used as leverage to get Raya to hand him over to this place.
The Court of Owls. The Court. A place he never thought he would be.
It wasn't because he didn't belong there. It wasn't because they hated him.
'You are nothing like your parents!' Dick flinched away from Raya and rammed right into another wall.
She wasn't really there. Neither was Raymond, 'you don't belong with us!'
He tried to breathe but he was beginning to panic. It was right. He hadn't been a part of the circus for years. Not since he had been a child. His parents had been the ones who belonged.
He…
Dick looked down at a beaten, bruised and dead Robin.
"Jay?" he squeaked.
…
…Birds weren't meant to be caged. Dick flared up, leapt up, and bounced off walls; going higher and higher. He danced around the top of the maze.
Loft
Dick tossed the knife into the air and watched it arc before catching it. Again and again he tossed it, thinking and not thinking.
"What's on your mind, oh, great-grandson of mine?" William Cobb questioned from the shadows.
"Very little," he admitted.
Cobb frowned.
"I tell you my life story and you don't even have a comment?" he questioned. Dick glanced over at him, his cold blue eyes seeming to shine.
"You loved, lost and learnt that Gotham is not kind to those who enter high society without being born there. Congratulations for telling me something I knew since I was ten."
Cobb shook his head and wondered where Dick got his attitude from. He really thought Dick's time with the Gotham upper-class would have made him docile. But, if anything, the kid was more defiant. They had gotten him to kill but still Cobb wondered about his loyalty to the Court. His great-grandson needed to be watched.
Dick tossed the knife and wondered about the man from his childhood memories, the one who first talked about killing those nights he snuck out from Juvie hall. He hadn't known then that William Cobb had been his great-grandfather, although the man had talked about him being chosen for something important.
A great legacy and the place where Dick belonged.
Code
Talon shut down the equipment and disconnected his great-grandfather from the tubes and wires.
"I can't believe you went after Batman," he grumbled as Cobb defrosted. "Bat. Man." He huffed in annoyance. He didn't want to go anywhere near Batman, didn't want him to see what he had become. "The Court sent me to find you. Good thing too." Even without the codes, Dick knew how to get into the cave. The only sign of his presence would be the missing Talon. "Or you would be–"
A claw wrapped around his throat as he turned back to face Cobb.
"You," Cobb hissed as Dick spluttered.
Cobb's claws tightened around his neck and Dick tried to remember that he couldn't die from this. It was difficult when spots were dancing before his eyes. "Bruce Wayne is Batman. You. Knew."
Dick's heart plummeted. His greatest secret from the Court and his great-grandfather knew it.
"How?" he croaked and then realised, "you could see?"
Cobb's blank, savage smile was all the answer he need. Dick never wanted to be frozen. He didn't want it but it was something he couldn't escape, just like how he couldn't escape being the Court of Owl's Talon. He knew his skin would lose its dark complexion and go ghostly. It was terrifying to learn that he would be aware for all of it.
"That's horrible."
Cobb banged his head against the cave wall. One of the lenses in his owl mask cracked.
"It's a privilege," Cobb hissed, "and it allows us to serve the Court for all our days. They made you better, Richard, and you betray them for this," with one hand, Cobb motioned to the cave around them.
Dick didn't care to explain. He flicked a knife from his wrist into his hand and shoved it up into his great-grandfather's jaw. He landed on the ground and made use of the distraction the death would grant him.
He had a few moments and he used them wisely. He hooked the senior Talon back up to the cold and bound him to the table before reclaiming his knife and erasing his presence from the security cameras.
Moon
The Night of the Owls began. As the current Talon, Dick flew with the rest, heading straight towards his target.
Mayor Hady. He would be in the City Hall and Talon could get their easy enough. They were simple targets.
With a blade in one hand and knives in the others, he quickly dispatched of the three guards. A stab to one's chest, a knife tossed into the neck of the other and slicing the head off the final guard as he tried to flee in terror.
It was quick, simple and they would feel no more terror or pain.
Talon shut off the power, leaving only the light of the moon and the light of the owl signal in the sky. Footsteps sounded in the distance and he coolly smiled as he slipped into the darkness. He was a hunter, an owl, waiting for his prey to slip into his talons.
Councilman Davis was the one who walked through the door first, freezing in horror at the sight of the guards.
Talon took his head as well. His target revealed himself.
"Mayor Sebastian Hady." He was corrupt and part of the corruption was keeping Gotham's upper class from impacting what he saw as his city. To the Court of Owls, that was a betrayal of Gotham. While Dick didn't believe in that, he would at least give the man a quick death and end the pain, fear and stress of a life like his. "The Court of Owls has sentenced you to die!"
Glass smashed and Talon cartwheeled out of the way. A flash of red lit up the darkness. He sprung away as bullets were fired.
"Red Hood," Talon realised. He readied his knives and flung one to try and disarm the taller man.
"What-what is that thing?" the Mayor stammered in terror.
Talon paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes at the man, even though they were hidden behind the yellow goggles. He was not a thing.
Rude.
"It's a Talon, an assassin from the Court of Owls, here to kill you!" Red Hood quickly explained, "didn't he give you the spiel?"
"The Court is a fairy tale!"
"And Batman's an urban legend," Red Hood responded, sounding as unimpressed as Talon was. "Just get out of here! Ack!"
Talon had thrown his knife, disarming Red Hood of one of his guns.
"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" Red Hood growled.
Talon flipped one of his knives, ready to tear into the Red Hood (but not kill. Not him).
"I leave my friends with Freeze to fight a reanimated assassin for this," Red Hood sighed, pulling a sword off the wall to replace his lost gun. "Alright, I've got this. Give me your best shot-" bang! The thud of a bullet hit his chest. "-Talon."
"Not. Fair," Talon wheezed out. His legs collapsed for a moment and he had a moment to be pleased that the bullet went through before he 'died'.
"Uph! Another one?" He 'awoke' as his body was dropped to the ground and as three knives sliced past Red Hood's chest armour.
Talon stared at the blood for a moment before he realised who had entered the room.
"Great-grandfather," he hissed, moving into a battle crotch. He had left him in the cave, to Batman's mercy. If he was here…
Talon forced himself to drop that trail of thought right there.
"I am here to kill you," William Cobb announced, walking into the room.
Talon could hear Red Hood cursing from behind him. He paid it no mind. He was alive and that mattered to him.
More than his great-grandfather ever could.
Dick shoved the other Talon out the window, flying through the air with him, heading straight for the ground.
"…such a waste," his great-grandfather lamented as they crashed.
Dick was slower to regenerate than the older Talon. He could still feel bones mending as Cobb stood over him, already healed.
He closed his eyes.
It was worth it. Worth whatever Cobb would put him through. Worth it, to save Jason.
"Get up you idiot!"
Dick's eyes flew open as Red Hood landed between then.
"Me?" he questioned in surprise, sitting up.
"Yes, you!" Red Hood growled, yanking his mask off and revealing his now dark blue eyes and dark hair. "You, Dick!"
"How?"
"He said your name as you fell. What the hell are you doing, dressed as a Talon?"
"He is the Talon," William Cobb said and Dick realised that Jason had shot him when he landed. "It is his destiny! For all he tries to fight it! For all he betrays!"
Dick's head sunk down. He did betray. Not the Court, he couldn't care less about the Court but, his family. Bruce, Damian, Tim, Barbara, even Jason, he had betrayed all of them by giving into the Court.
By not telling them about the Court in the first place.
"Come on," Jason said, holding out a hand for him to grab. "Help me get this guy."
Dick took it. Helped Jason guide Cobb into the subway where Jason could freeze him.
Dick vanished the moment the place was flooded with freezing gas.
He didn't know if he could go back.
Market
Dressed in a hoodie and pants which he had stolen, Dick walked through the grocery market. He had no money, but he liked looking anyway. Besides, he could come back under the cover of darkness and take what he needed.
Survival was at the top of his list. With the Court gone; Batman had flooded their maze and underground, Dick was listless. He felt like he was going about without a safety net. Lost.
A hand gripped his wrist.
"Dick?"
He looked back to see earnest blue eyes, hidden behind glasses and dark ruffled hair.
"Tim?" he questioned, tilting his head. Tim: Red Robin. "Aren't you meant to be with the Teen Titans?"
Tim's eyes narrowed behind the frames and Dick tilted his head as he read the annoyance in that gaze.
"Why would you ask me that? Where have you been?" Tim wanted to know. "We thought you were missing."
"Missing?" Dick questioned as he wondered if they had noticed. Had they gone down to the circus and questioned everyone before he resurfaced as a talon?
"Yeah. Alfred put out a call for everyone a few days ago. You didn't answer and we thought something had happened to you."
Dick couldn't hide his flinch. They hadn't noticed his disappearance? Then he realised something.
A few days ago had been the Night of the Owls. He had been exposed that night.
Bath
Jason came out of the bath with a towel around his shoulders and his hair dripping wet. He blamed the wet strands in his face for not noticing the person in his safe house until they moved.
"Dick?" he questioned. He took in the familiar face in the wrong, disturbingly familiar, uniform of the talon.
"You didn't tell them," Dick said, hands unconsciously tracing the knives tucked around his waist. "About me being there."
"About you being one of the Talons we were trying to stop?" Jason said bluntly, ignoring Dick's little flinch. "Of course I didn't tell them. I could barely believe it myself. Why you?"
"I was chosen. 'Marked by destiny'," Dick snorted as if he didn't believe that.
"You don't believe in destinies," Jason reminded him.
"No. And I don't believe the Court. I don't follow them by choice, I had nowhere else to go. I should have stopped it." Dick's voice dropped into a raspy whisper on the last phrase and Jason went on guard. There was something wrong with him. The way he paled only elevated his fear for his brother.
"Stopped what? The Court?" Dick's lips parted as if he was going to answer but then he just froze. "Dick?" Jason cautiously stepped towards him. "Stopped what?"
Dick twitched.
"I answered that," he responded.
"I didn't hear," Jason said instead of denying Dick's response. His heart was doing flip-flops in his chest as he realised Dick was probably mentally unsound right now. "Now, were you talking about stopping the Court?"
"No, no." Dick shook his head. "Not the Court." His voice cut off again but this time Jason could read his lips.
Goosebumps trembled over Jason's skin. No, no, he couldn't be reading that right.
Joker, the pain, should have stopped it all, you, him, them, everyone, stop the pain, stop the fear…
"Dick, Dick, stop!" he cried, grabbing his brother's cheeks. His eyes widened as he realised how cold Dick felt. "Look at me!" Dick hadn't looked at him during this whole conversation. "Look at me, please!" He never thought he could sound that scared. Not in front of Dick. Dick snapped out of it and he looked right at Jason. "It's okay. You're okay."
"I should be saying that to you," Dick said with a sharp smile. "You look scared. Who scared you, Little Wing?"
"I'm not scared." Lie. "I'm cold. Haven't you noticed that I just came out of the bath? I'm all damp and wet and you couldn't wait until I dried of before having this conversation."
"Oh," Dick realised. "Sorry about that. It's just, I ran into Tim and you didn't tell him or them about me and I… what did the Court do that they didn't notice my disappearance?"
"I really don't know," Jason said. He ducked out of Dick's reach as the smaller man tried to rub his hair dry with the towel. Dick smiled at him, looking a little more like Jason remembered. "I'd have to be in contact with more than just Tim to know that. Do you know when you went missing?"
Dick gave him a blank look which conveyed, 'of course, stupid.'
"I went to visit the circus and decided to travel with them. We were outside of Gotham and… the next thing I remember is waking up in the Court's maze." Jason felt the blood drain from his face and his hands clenched at his sides, trembling with horror and fury. "What's wrong, Little Wing?"
"Dick. That was months ago."
"Months…?" Dick started to tremble. He should have realised that. Why didn't he realise that? "I should know that. Jay-" he dropped and Jason caught him, nicking his fingers on one of the knives. "I don't, it doesn't feel like months. Weeks, maybe."
"Weeks add up to months," Jason pointed out, forcing his voice to be calm. The pain from his hands helped. "Look, I'll check in with the big guy and see if he can shed some light on what happened. Maybe he just didn't tell the kids about it, protecting their feelings or something. Just, stay here. I don't have a spare bed but my bed is big enough for two."
Dick looked up at him and Jason wondered if he had always been that pale.
"I can stay? Here?"
The words were out of Jason's mouth without hesitation or thought to what they meant, "sure. However long you like."
Saddle
"Should I get you a saddle?" Jason commented when he climbed through his window to find a pommel horse and a fully dressed talon twirling atop it.
Dick paused and then moved himself onto a handstand above it, yellow googles staring right at Jason and making his heart accelerate in fear.
Who would have thought a Talon practising could still be terrifying? Jason also didn't like the realisation that the Talon could kill him from that position.
"That was a joke, right?" Dick questioned, his voice distorted by the talon mask. "It wasn't a very good one."
"Consider me distracted by the piece of equipment in the middle of the room. A piece of equipment I don't even own."
"Yeah. It's mine."
"Yours?"
"Hit a sports store last night for it."
"Wait? Did you steal that?"
Dick flipped off and stretched.
"I took it. I required it for practice."
"You stole it?" Jason had trouble computing this. The Dick he knew didn't steal and if put in that position would at least leave money or go back and pay for it later.
"Took. No one will notice."
Jason shook his head in disbelief. He was living with a thief.
"If it bothers you, I could return it?" Dick said and Jason didn't miss the hesitation and fear in that tone. Dick was, no, he was the Talon, standing tall as if he was a soldier awaiting orders or punishment.
It sent a shiver down Jason's back to see the way his time at the Court of Owls had affected Dick's bright personality. To see the smiles and jokes locked away in an instant.
Report
Jason stared at Batman's back, helmet tucked under his arm and a worried, slightly sick expression painted to his face. He had decided the best course of action was pretend to be looking for Dick. To break apart Bruce's lies until he knew everything the Batman knew.
"Dick didn't turn up to help. We've tried contacting him but nothing's going through," Bruce sighed. Jason could see he hadn't been getting much sleep which he felt vindicated about. The report on the screen was evidence that Bruce hadn't realised Dick was missing until he failed to turn up.
Therefore, Jason's expression was partly due to the realisation that Dick had been missing for months and not a single one of them had noticed.
"The kid not notice Dick missing?" he asked, referring to Damian.
"We've been busy," Bruce responded, "and Damian has trouble communicating with people when they are not in front of them. He's used to being able to travel to wherever people are or having people travel to him. He's been worried but didn't think Dick was missing."
"How's he taking the news?"
Bruce didn't answer. Jason's eyes widened.
"He doesn't know."
"Correct. And he won't. Not until he find him."
Jason didn't want to report this to Dick. He had no idea how the unhinged assassin would react. Because, while Dick seemed normal enough, he also had moments and odd turns of phrase which made Jason question the other man's sanity and hate the Court for what they must have put him through. However, he had promised.
When he had promised, though, he had thought that Bruce had accurately known when Dick went missing.
The Talon stood before him.
"I can't do this," Jason sighed, "take that hood off. I need to see your face."
When revealed, Dick's expression was confused. He patiently waited for Jason to speak.
"I talked to Bruce." Dick nodded his understanding. "He didn't realise you were missing until that night." Jason swallowed a shiver as Dick's eyes turned dark without a change in expression. It was almost as if his pupils dilated. Dick had described the feeling to him once; it was like his vision sharpening. He was provided with night vision and enhanced vision. "He's looking into it now."
Dick nodded stiffly.
"Did... anyone notice?" he questioned, voice breaking.
"I don't know," Jason admitted.
"Did you?" Dick's eyes were wide and Jason almost wanted to lie. He wanted to. But he knew that Dick would probably figure it out.
"I'm sorry." He would have hung his head but he wanted to keep Dick in his sight.
Dick was silent as he processed Jason's apology. Then he started shuddering.
"Dick?" Jason questioned. He hesitantly stepped towards him.
Something whipped by him. A moment later, Jason's arm stung. He was bleeding.
"No," Dick said, his voice so soft Jason could just hear it. "I'll stop it."
"Stop what?" Jason asked.
"He's hurting," Dick stated. The Talon grabbed his hood and pulled it over his head. "I'll stop it."
"Dick, what do you mean?" Jason said, annoyed with the double-speak. Dick had snapped again, like he expected.
He had a sudden thought about if this is how Dick felt when he had been killer crazy. Worried, annoyed and just wanting the person he knew back.
Immigrant
Dick thought about putting Bruce out of his misery. He leapt across rooftops as he considered it. The Court of Owls had instilled in him the idea that killing people stopped their pain and gave them the gift of peace. Something a talon never gets to feel for more than a moment.
Dick thought he was selfish. He landed outside of the cave entrance and pulled off his hood. He shimmied out of his talon outfit and walked into the cave wearing a singlet and leggings. This was the selfish way of doing things. Bruce wouldn't get peace this way and Dick would end up hurting him more.
He plastered on a smile. The show had to go on and he couldn't let them see his fear.
"Hey Bruce!" he called, "I'm back!"
Batman flinched and turned away from the Batcomputer. Dick ignored the report on the screen and smiled wider.
"What did I miss?"
No backing out now, Dick was a part of the family again.
There was a lot of yelling about where he had been. Dick took it all with a smile and a light-hearted attitude.
The knife shredded through Dick's Nightwing outfit. There was only time for a whimper before it gutted him.
"NIGHTWING!" Robin and Red Robin cried in unison, their cries hurting Dick's ears as he went down.
"Why? Why would you do that?" Red Robin screeched, agony clear in his voice.
Dick tried to answer, his body quickly going cold. Then everything went dark.
He didn't hear Red Robin's cries for him to wake up, his babbling that this couldn't be happening. He didn't see Robin take down the sadist with the knife in a single blow of controlled rage.
"We need to get him home," Robin said to Red Robin, trembling as they looked down at Nightwing's still body. There was so much they hadn't said to the man, too busy being angry at him for his disappearance.
"What. Happened?" Both boys jumped at the sudden growl from behind them. They hadn't heard Batman arrive. Batman took one look at Nightwing's body before looking away.
"Hey, what's with the gathering? Another thing I wasn't-" Red Hood cut himself off as he got a good look at the scene and Nightwing's still body on the ground. He walked over and knelt by it.
He took his hood off and the rest of the family could see the tightness in his face. The way his lips turned to the thin line. Red Hood didn't like the reminder that Dick was not the same. He had been doing well as Nightwing, putting the killing behind him in a way which actually convinced Red Hood to do the same. They had talked about how hard it was.
Dick would talk about how he wanted to end the lives of everyone they protected as well as the criminals. About how ending their lives offered them a better chance in the afterlife or whatever happened after. Jason agreed with him on ending the lives of the criminals however, he couldn't understand why Dick would want to kill the innocent. He couldn't make Dick understand.
Dick said he knew why he thought his way and why Batman thought his way but, he no longer could understand it.
"Killing makes sense," Dick had explained one night. "But if I don't give innocents a chance at peace, then why should the criminals get it? It's not our job to decide if one person deserves that.
"Even at the Court, others decided for me who would live and die."
"So it works how?"
"Hm," Dick mused, "I guess killing makes more sense but if the Batman doesn't make that choice, I think I could follow that." Then Dick had looked pained. "But it hurts to leave them alive, knowing they will face more pain because of it."
"C'est la vie," Jason had responded reaching in his pocket for a cigarette.
Some understanding for Jason must had been born of that conversation because he didn't kill as often and even went out of his way to keep those he fought alive. He still used his guns and had noticed some of the knives added to Nightwing's uniform because change was hard, especially change which was for others and didn't conform to their beliefs.
But that's life.
Red Hood noticed the lack of blood spewing from the slowly mending wound in Dick's chest. He noticed the way Dick had gone stiff and cold despite only being dead for a few moments.
He was certain that, had they not been blinded by grief, the rest of the family would have noticed.
Dick's still chest gave a sudden heave. Robin, Red Robin and Batman jumped back in fright. Jason reached out and hovered a hand over Dick's chest as he tried to sit up.
"Welcome back," he said with a smirk.
Dick's chest hurt as it heaved its first breath. His eyes snapped open and the first thing he noticed was the hand hovering over his chest.
Like when the Court would wake the talons. The familiar gesture relaxed him as he looked past the hand to the person attached to it.
"Welcome back," Red Hood said with a smirk.
Dick heaved a sigh of relief as he sat up. Red Hood helped him to his feet, although he didn't need it.
"So, it was the criminal over there, with that knife, in your chest," Red Hood joked, pointing at each thing in turn. "How'd you even let 'im get you?"
Dick's hand curled around one of his hidden knives.
"He went for Red Robin. I could only get in the way or kill him."
Understanding dawned on Red Hood's face. Then gave way to an uncomfortable expression as he realised Dick was leaning on him.
"Uh, you okay?" he asked. He knew the healing should have fixed Dick to peak condition.
Dick was fine. He realised he was leaning on the other man.
"You're warm," he explained, resting his head on Red Hood's shoulder. He could feel some of the cold in his body retreat at the contact. Feelings started to slowly defrost. He was happy to still be alive, for once. He still couldn't feel the cold of the night (at least, he assumed it was cold).
He could fear, he realised as he spotted Batman, Red Robin and Robin watching them. He could worry and fret.
"Nightwing," Batman stated and it felt like ice in Dick's heart. He jumped away from Red Hood and bolted.
He didn't want to hear the accusations. Not now.
Socks
Jason found Dick with his head in the sock drawer. The talon was pulling out whatever colourful and warm socks he could find, the chosen socks being shoved into a bag. There was no sign that he had been stabbed and killed earlier.
"Dick," Jason said softly. He had tried not to startle his brother however, he still had to duck out of the way when a knife was flung at him.
"I can't, I can't go back," Dick stammered, still shoving clothes into his bag. "He's going to freeze me with the rest and I-I don't want to be frozen." Dick shuddered a breath as he tried not to cry.
"Dick," Jason sighed, "Bruce wouldn't do that and you know it."
"They know what I am, Jason!" Dick countered. He turned to Jason with the dark, fully dilated eyes of the talon. "How can they not? I'm a Talon of the Court, nothing more than a murderer!"
"You're more than that!" Jason said. "You're Dick Grayson. They know that and they know you-"
"They're not perfect, Little Wing!" Jason stiffened at the old nickname, one he only heard the Talon use when he was upset. "I thought I could go back, be Nightwing but…"
"They asked me, you know," Jason said, not taking his eyes off the still-packing and hurt man. "Asked me about what happened to you."
"What did you say?"
"I said they're the great detectives, they can figure it out!" Jason laughed, finally getting the Talon to pause. Dick looked up at him with dark eyes, although Jason could see a touch of blue around the edges.
"And?"
"And nothing. If you want to tell them," Jason took a deep breath. What he was about to promise would not be easy for him. "I'll go with you. If they decide they want to freeze you or anything else you don't like, then I'll help you escape."
Dick thought about it. Jason was pleased to see more blue return to his eyes.
After a few moments, he said, "no."
Jason felt like tearing his hair out. The family wouldn't let go of Dick, why couldn't he see that?
"Why not?"
It was the wrong thing to say. Dick's eyes went dark again and he was on his feet in an instant.
"I don't belong there," he stated. "I tried. But, I belong to the Court. Always have."
"Dick, the Court of Owls is gone," Jason countered.
Dick smiled coldly.
"Is that what you think? I thought you were smarter than that, Little Wing. The Court still exists and they are waiting for my return."
When he had come out of the Nursery after his time in the Maze, the Court had told him about how they had waited for him.
"They are very patient."
Epidermis
Talon stood in the armour of the Court, minus the helmet. He had escaped from Jason's apartment, only to be cornered on the rooftops by the birds and bat. They had seemed shocked but quickly recovered.
"Get out. Of my way," Talon ordered Batman. Don't watch me choose them over you.
"Jason says you're going back to the Court!" Red Robin cried out. "You can't!"
Talon twisted to face the vigilante.
"I am their Gray Son of Gotham," Talon stated. "Theirs ever since the night I was chosen." I don't belong with you, I bring death.
"You don't have to be," Batman said.
"The Court will make me great," Talon droned. I can't stay.
"Fine. Run away since you seem to know your true place in Gotham," Robin sneered.
"I'm not running!" Dick snapped.
"So, you're disregarding your ancestors' wishes for bloodthirsty killing?" Robin stated, not the least bit swayed by Dick's attitude. His comments, more than the others, itched under Dick's skin. Under the mask he had been forced to wear with the Court. "I happen to be the authority on such things and, let me assure you, you can do it at any time."
"Ancestors?" Dick questioned, looking at each member of the group around him.
Red Robin eagerly explained;
"One of the talons, a William Cobb, is your great-grandfather."
"I knew that," Dick stated, "but I did not know you knew that."
"We don't care who you're related to!" Red Robin insisted.
"Besides, Cobb was a pushover," Red Hood announced as he landed on the rooftop. When all eyes shifted to him, he shrugged. "I guessed we're talking about Dick's great-grandfather? Fought him, froze him and it wasn't even a struggle."
"I remember someone getting stabbed. Multiple times," Dick muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"And I remember someone jumping out of a window and landing on his ass," Red Hood countered. "Besides, they were only surface wounds. Didn't cut below the top layer of the skin."
Liar. Jason had left a trail of blood that night. Another thing Talons couldn't do.
"On that note; didn't your great-grandfather say something about you being a betrayer?" Dick froze. "He wouldn't have said that if you wanted to be with the Court."
"He said it… because he learnt that I had been Nightwing. That I knew who Batman was and hadn't handed him over to the Court."
"Wait," Red Robin interrupted, "you didn't tell the Court who we are?"
Red Hood started laughing.
"And B just had to go and ruin that by leading the Talons into the cave! Exposing everything!"
Batman shot Red Hood a glare.
"At least it wasn't Nightwing who told them," Robin said. Robin smirked at Dick. "I am… impressed that you managed to hold out against whatever the Court of Owls did and not tell them who were are."
Dick wondered what the bursting feeling in his chest was. Belonging? Acceptance? It seemed like it should have a name like that. He hadn't felt this way in a while and he couldn't remember exactly how it felt the last time he felt like this.
"I've killed," he admitted.
"Oh, whoop-dee-do," Red Hood said in a childish tone, waving his hands in the air. "Hear that? He's killed! Ooooh!" Shut up. Dick was not impressed.
"Shut up, Hood," Robin spat.
"Whatever, Angry Bird." Robin hissed and spat at the nickname. Red Hood just looped an arm around Dick and hugged him close. "How about we make tee-shirts? 'I'm a Killer Robin' or something? Come on, kid, we'll even get you one."
"This is not the time for jokes!" Red Robin claimed. However, Dick couldn't help the laugh which escaped him.
"I'll take one," Robin said. "But mine needs to say, 'I'm THE Killer Robin'. You two can't hold a candle to me."
Red Robin dropped his face into his hands but was glad that Dick's flight risk seemed to have diminished.
Dick looked over at Batman for the older man's assessment on things.
"Agent A missed you," Batman grunted. After a moment and silent stares from his other sons, he added, "we missed you."
"Don't go to them," Jason said.
There wasn't much Dick could say to that.