I do not own the teen titans
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Dick liked working out in the morning. It woke him up and gets his mind ready for the day. Being mayor of a small city kept him busy, so it was easier to work out in the morning. It was quiet because his two women were still asleep.
Dick thought of his schedule for today. He needed to talk to his chiefs this morning, budget for the upcoming month, talk to the city's lawyers about an issue on zoning, do more paperwork, and speak again to the Northrum company. He felt something is not quite right with them. He also needed to get some information on that new kid and his family that has got his family talking.
After a few more exercises, Dick decided he was done and went to shower. He also enjoyed a hot shower after his workouts in the morning. Sometimes his wife woke up early and joined him. Sadly, today he was by himself.
He got out and went to his bedroom to get ready for work. He did so quietly because his wife was still sleeping when he got there. He smiled when he saw her softly snoring with her head lying off the end of the bed. She is still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her bright red hair and her shining golden skin were just some highlights. Her expressive green eyes were something he constantly can get lost in. But it was her wonderful smile that takes him every time. He was very lucky to have Kori.
He frowned when her shirt moved up when she moved in her sleep. A scar marred her right side. She received it on Tameran during her last visit to the planet. If it wasn't for Raven, he would have lost her. He was still frowning, remembering that time in on that planet. He almost lost his whole family to that treachery. Those memories were not as bad as the war that would come later, but it was a close second. He shook his head and told himself that was the past. He let Kori sleep, knowing summer was nearly over and she will have to get up early again soon.
He kissed his wife's forehead and got dressed. He then went to his daughter's room to kiss her goodbye. She is the spitting image of her mother except she sleeps with her head on a pillow and her hair is dark like his. He also kissed her forehead allowing her to sleep a little longer.
He knows how lucky he is when he leaves his house to head to work. However, he wished his whole family made it here to enjoy the peace.
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When Dick got to work, he was happy to get started on some paperwork before anyone else got there. He got more work done that way just like his early morning workouts. After an hour of work, he took a coffee break.
When he got back to his office, the fire chief was waiting in one of his office chairs. Isaiah had a natural talent for fire and had worked his way up to chief. Of course, the credentials Dick created for him allowed him to advance more quickly.
"Hey, Isaiah. How is Toni?" The black man turned and smiled.
"She is doing good, but is having concerns on a new job for that company. It starts with an N?"
"Northrun. I have a meeting with them again today. If she is having problems, have her talk to me, so we can an idea of the problem. I have a feeling about them and I would love to confirm it one way or another."
"I'll let her know." Isaiah smiled again. "So I have the fire house budget here for you. I stayed between the lines, so you only have to worry about Roy's department.
"Hmpf. Thanks. I will deal with Roy soon. He has a meeting with me this morning as well."
"And he is here and doesn't need you two talking behind his back." A red haired man walked in Dick's office with an air of confidence. Having a badge on his chest might boost that big head his even more. He was smiling, but Dick noticed he was not carrying any paper.
"Roy, I have a budget meeting today and you better have yours in a pocket."
Roy was still smiling. "It is all in here." He was pointing at his head.
Dick was not happy. He turned to Isaiah. "Thank you for acting responsible. Can you excuse us as I do my and Roy's job? How he remains chief of police is beyond this mayor's belief."
Roy stopped smiling and looked a little annoyed. "I do a good job and I know my budget. I just have not had time to write it down because I was doing what you asked. I looked into Northrun." Roy then sat down and Isaiah did not get up.
Dick stared hard at Roy. "You have info already?"
"An initial evaluation." Roy got a serious look on his face. "They are a pharmaceutical company from Gotham. They were started by a Gerald Smith after the war. They focus on improving human biological performance. Not just steroids, but natural improvement to immunes systems, brain usage, longer life spans."
Dick look troubled. "They are trying to make regular people like meta-humans? They are doing this legally?"
"Right now, the government has no problem with them. No lawsuits or oversights. After the war, they allow more companies like this room to operate. Some are nasty and are shut down. But not by the government. You remember the one Lois Lane researched and got shut down. Government became involved when the people became outraged. No one seems to be talking or looking at Northrun."
"Are they being protected?" Isaiah looked concern as well.
"Might have a connection to Luther, but my investigation is too early to tell. Give me some more time and I can find out. If Vic helps me out, it will go faster. I'm with you now Dick these people could be trouble. They moved out of Gotham and came here. Was the bat looking into them?"
Both men glanced at Dick as he moved around the table and sat in his chair. " I have not talked to him since we moved here. Have you talked to anyone from then, Oliver or Lilith?"
Isaiah shook his head.
"Olly and Dinah talk on the computer to Lian and me, but we don't talk about that stuff. Should I reach out?"
Dick thought about it for a few minutes. "No, we will deal with it for now. It could be nothing."
"Oh, and that kid's father. He's a paper pusher for the company. Manager, not a scientist. However, kid's not really his or least not his wife's."
Dick looked up surprised. "How so?"
"There is a birth certificate that looks all proper, but I can tell fakes when I see one. His background seems too clean when I looked, but his wife's has not been touched. She has a few drug problems. She was in the hospital for a rehab stint when at another hospital she was having the kid, Andrew."
Dick looked at him. "We are now going watch all of them very closely."
Roy smiled. "Very closely. Do you think they will regret coming to this city?
Dick smiled. "I hope so."
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Dick did more paperwork and finished Roy's budget after the two chiefs left. For once, he did not mind doing Roy's work. He needed to think about what was said and start putting pieces together on how he was going to handle this new company.
His mind was so elsewhere, he did not notice a woman walking into his office. She was a young woman with short brown hair and a nobility about her.
"Dick?"
He looked up. "Sorry, am I late for our meeting, Tula?"
"Not if we start right now."
Dick smiled and asked her to sit. Tula sat down and started to pull out some files for the zoning and tax plans for the city. Another hour passed with his city's lawyer, zoning out certain land for a new commercial development on the lake and addressing tax concerns for fixing pot holes and a traffic light on Green street.
Once that was done, Dick looked at Tula questioningly. "Is there a chance you can get into legal records to a company in this city?"
"Legally or illegally?"
"All information you can get your hands on."
"Is it the company Toni complains about and that boy is from?"
"Yes, Northrun, it seems Roy has some bad smelling info he found and I want it to be confirmed."
"You want to see if we can do this in a non-vigilante way?"
"If possible, I do not want outside eyes staring at this city and I do not want Roy to be in the headlines. He always forgets Cheshire is still out there. She has not come to bother us yet, but if Roy puts a big bull's-eye on his chest, she might not resist."
Tula sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but my lawyering is not my power. It is something I did to help us here and I am only good at the paperwork stuff we just did. I do not know what I can get."
Dick smiled. "Any help would be great."
Tula smirked. "I'll see what I can do?"
As she got up to leave, Dick called out to her, "Make sure Garth is watching your back when you do this."
She turned around. "I am a Atlantean warrior. I can handle myself. Paperwork will be my only downfall."
Dick was still laughing after she was gone.
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Lunch time was usually short for Dick. He had a brown paper bag filled with a sandwich and chips. He bought a soda from the vending machines at his offices. He was eating on a bench outside because he promised Kori he would not stay in his office all day.
As he was opening his lunch, two men sat on either side of him. One was a red head had a McDonald's fast food bag and a cup of soda. The other was a small blonde hair man who also brought a brown paper bag.
The red head sighed. "Am I the only one who eats good fattening food here?"
The blonde looked annoyed. "Wally, not all of us have the metabolism you do or a wife who has vegetable garden that needs to be used like I do. Besides, those fast food places serve nothing but meat."
Wally looked up with three fries sticking out of his mouth. "They serve salads, Gar."
"Even their salads have meat essence on them. You can't trust them."
Dick looked at both of them. "How is your day going?"
Wally gulped down one of his burgers. "Mail is being delivered, Linda is reporting that I am the greatest husband in the world especially when I take the twins from her for a few hours, and the twins love me and can't wait for school to start." All this was said in one fast breath, then he was eating another burger.
Gar just laughed. "Can't complain. No animal emergencies at the office."
Dick turned his attention to Wally. "Can Linda do me a favor and look into that company we talked about at the beach party? Roy found some bad things and I want to know what she can do from her end."
Wally looked at Dick. "Anything she finds, she is going to report. No hiding."
"That is what I want."
"OK. I'll tell her. I'm done with lunch anyway." He slurped down his soda, got up and threw his trash in the can near the bench.
Dick was just taking the first bite out of his sandwich and waved good-bye to him. Gar was crunching on his carrots and did the same.
"Are your kids excited about school opening"
Gar laughed out loud. "The younger ones are, but the older ones are a sorry sight to see. Mel especially."
"This will be Mark's first year of school isn't."
"Yes, he is the most excited. Already he is showing his mom how he can write his abc's."
"Mel is not dulling down his excitement?"
"No, she doesn't bring down the boy's excitement. She knows what the wife will do if she does, but I know she still wants some happy things in her family's life."
"I can't see how you handle four kids, Gar." Dick she shook his head admirably.
"Well that is what Raven wants and that's what we are going to do."
Dick and Gar finished lunch quietly and went back to work.
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Dick was waiting for the representative from Northrun. They came to his office on time with their nice suits and briefcases.
"Hello, Mayor Grayson. It is nice to see you again. This is David Brown. He just moved here and will be part of our talks."
"Hello, Mr. Brice, Mr. Brown."
"Please again call me Guy."
"Only if you call me Richard."
"Of course."
The other man smiled and shook Dick's hand. "Call me David, please."
"Well gentlemen, let's get to business. I need to a little more about your business for the city's records and zoning and taxing purposes."
"Of course. We are a pharmaceutical company that specializes in strengthening the human body against terrible diseases and calamities that befall the world."
"What diseases and calamities specifically? I would like to have good press for this city and if we had a company like yours helping the world. That is good press." Dick was smiling calmly.
The two men looked at each other. Guy smiled. "We are experimenting on many different ones so we can have many breakthroughs instead of one or two."
"Can you tell one you are working on right now?"
"I am afraid not. Confidentiality purposes."
"I saw you plans for you new headquarters. Is there anything else you are building there that the city needs to know about?"
"Of course not! Why would we try to lie to the city? Are you accusing us of something? We have acted in good faith with Lakeville and you are treating us like we are dumping chemicals into the lake!"
Dick leaned back. "I'm sorry, but I have heard rumors and as mayor I have to ask. To protect my city. You must understand that."
Both men got up. "Well, I do understand we are leaving. If you still build up good relations with are company, you can talk to our lawyers."
Dick sighed. "I am a terrible at trying to be a non-threating mayor."
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When he got home, Dick was hit by a 50-pound ball of energy.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! You home. Can we go to the lake. Momma said we could if you said yes." His loving daughter Mar'i was jumping up and down on his feet.
"I said no such thing, Mar'i." Kori walked in and kissed her husband. "How was your day, Richard?"
"It was busy."
"Pwease, pwease daddy. If you say yes, momma will go too."
"Please is how you say it and why don't we just stay at home and enjoy the night. Let's order some pizza and play a game." Dick started to rubbing his chin. "I don't know, maybe play Candyland."
Mar'i's eyes got really big. "Candyland. I wanna play Candyland."
"OK, but only if you eat all of your supper and are good for the night."
"I can be good!"
"Then go with momma to tell her what pizza you want while I change ok."
"OK. Come on momma." Mar'i grabbed Kori's hand and dragged her to where her cell phone was. Kori looked back and smiled at her husband.
Dick was very happy to be home.
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After changing, Dick did not immediately go downstairs. Instead, he headed to his attic. He pulled down the door and climbed up the steps. When he reached the top a monotone voice spoke out.
"What is on your mind, Boy Wonder?"
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Roy looked through his binoculars at the new building of Northrun. He knew it was late and it was time for him to go home. Lian was waiting for him. He glanced at the clock. Too late. Lian will be angry. He is going to take her school shopping tomorrow. That will make her forgive him. Lian angry is not something he can live with.
"Roy, she always should come first." That monotone voice from the past told him the company was bad news, but Lian should not be kept waiting.