"OW!" Cash cringed toppling off the couch as he recieved a good thwack to his right rib. He curled up tighter on the floor cradling his knees to his chest as he whimpered in pain.

"Yeah, well now you know how I feel." Dick Grayson wandered back toward the kitchen, opening cupboards.

"What the fuck? You jerk?" coughed out Cash, trying to peer up through the bright morning light shining through the shades of the small living room. Dingy really didn't begin to describe Nightwing's place, it had the sense of a thoroughly used and run down apartment too it. Some of the walls had rot and rust ridden spots on heaters that Cash hadn't thought even existed in buildings due to health and security codes.

"It's a siiiide- kick-" again Dick swung out with his leg and kicked the top of the couch making it nearly fall down ontop of Cash. Luckily he rolled out of the way just before it toppled over just beside him.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Cash snapped up and saw him quickly fixing himself breakfast. His leg was better bandaged up and it seemed Nightwing had applied better necessities to it upon Cash's past examination.

"It's what you get for getting in my way last night." Dick scoffed while awaiting the coffee grinder to finish, he leaned up against the counter and smirked down at the cowardice shaking boy on the floor before him.

"I'm sorry..." Cash began thoroughly coming off apologetic as he put on his best sympathetic expression, "Are you a prepubescent girl?" Dick's face fell and he was only greeted with another snicker from Cash before the dirty stove rag with Nightwing's dried blood was thrown at him. It landed on Cash's face and he gagged reeling back pulling the thing off of him and throwing it back on the floor over the couch.

"Pick that up." Dick ordered finally finishing the coffee off as he poured it into his favorite mug. He'd nabbed it from the bar where he worked part time. As he lifted the mug to his lips he made sure the black lettering, 'Working on that that buzz' were facing the kid. If he had to suffer this brat would have to feel that ten times more. He wasn't Damian after all, and thus no relation to Bruce or likewise meant to considerable sympathy from him.

"I thought you were going back out to fight the evils of the world?" asked Cash slowly moving back up to try and push the couch back over. He didn't have the muscle Dick did so it took him a few good shoves and a load of grunting. All the while his formidable hero only leaned against the kitchen counter sipping his coffee.

"I would and could if someone hadn't decided to step in yesterday-" Cash paused finally with the couch fully flipped over. He turned slowly to look right at those dark blue eyes, unable to believe this guy.

"Without me you would have died!" Dick chortled at the kid's sudden heightened temper, "Without me 'stepping in' last night you would have been crushed to a pulp."

"Oh please, dramaqueen." Dick rolled his eyes and finished his coffee as space between them seemed to grow wider with each passing spare second they glared at each other. "I fucking had slipped up but with no one to 'step in' I would have come up with something. Same as always."

"..." the kid was speechless he just stared at Dick mouthagape, "T...that's...the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard."

"That's how I work." Dick argued, putting the mug down and quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You have no back up plan? No Plan B or C just in case?" Cash asked slowly nearing him, closing the distance with weary completely stalled steps. Clearly Dick had confused him and what more pressed some easily pressed buttons. After all he'd seen Green Arrow interact with Batman, it wasn't that surprising that someone who trained near the Arrow would have a similar behavior. Easily manipulated.

"I take it you do." yawned Dick already looking at the shades, wishing he could go out and start researching a new lead. Hunting down BlockBuster couldn't wait, he'd go anyway even if he had to limp around town and look stoically odd. He needed to know what the fuck was going on out there.

"Of course." Cash puffed out his chest proudly and smirked cocking his head to one side, it was the first somewhat smile of the day and if Dick had known any better it would be the expression he usually saw on his new side brat's face. He turned away as Cash explained, slowly circling the island in the kitchen and thus Dick too. "Black Canary taught me several ways to alert my enemy both to my presence and to my serious maneuvers."

"Serious manuevers?" he could have laughed, who was this kid? Who did he think he was and where, "This isn't the National guard."

"I know that if all else falls I can use Scream." Cash crossed his arms, "It launches all my enemies back about two or three yards." Dick raised an eyebrow at that and so Cash had to admit, "...already...more like one yard." Dick cleared his throat, "...half...a yard."

"How old are you anyway?" snapped Dick calmly leaning into the island beside him, the kid glanced away then back up again, moss green eyes flittering back and forth in avoidance.

"...25."
"Ha!" Dick barked, "I'm 29 kid. Try again."
"...24."
Dick raised that same eyebrow, knowing he was lying as he wrang his hands in front of him, "...2..23..."
"Hmmm?"
"...22."
Dick snorted, "what is this? A space launch?"
"Alright! I'm 21." Cash turned away and quickly took the seat at the island, the same one he had when he'd first come over. He reached out for the bowl of apples before Dick pulled it away.

"When did you start training?" ordered Dick now and the kid quickly pulled back glancing him over.

"Why...do you need to know?" Dick didn't seem to give him a answer as he just took the apple he'd been aiming for and took a big bite. Cash glanced down then sighed in frustration so his flecked dirty blonde hair blew back up a bit, "I started with Black Canary when I was 19."

"Ahhh, so you haven't been out and around much?" Dick chuckled, "No wonder they handed you over to me." Cash glanced away again, fists clenched in front of him over the island, "Experience is everything in this business, kid."

"I have a name."

"And I have no time to babysit you." Dick corrected, "This is dangerous." his blue eyes swiveled over the kid's just once catching them and making him look directly up at him. "Most people can't handle it."

"I know."
"what do you know?" Dick argued, "I've been in this buisness since I was-"

"12." Cash incited for him, Dick's face fell in surprise as the kid looked right back at him, "In the shadow of the Bat, right? I know."

"How do you know?" Dick asked slowly, "Green Arrow tell-"

"Shit no." Cash argued, "He didn't tell me anything. Barely talks to me actually...without sucking Canary's face." Dick couldn't help but snort as the kid sighed out again and his bangs blew up over his face. Cash glanced back up from behind those bangs once they resettled themselves, "Nightwing...I know who you are because honestly when I was a kid you were my hero."

Dick couldn't but lose in this, he broke into a deep snort then broke into a festered fit of laughter, lowering his head onto the island. The whole time Cash glared him down, "I'm serious!"

"I was barely old enough to leave Batman's side when you were a kid, kid. I was probably still in the circus. I'm not even that old and I certainly wasn't yet Nightwing."

"No," Cash said simply as Dick barely peered up at him from behind his fits of laughter and folded arms where he rested his head. "But you were Robin, the Boy Wonder." slowly the laughter died, slowly the moment became as icy and dead as the silence around them. "I know only that and what I've read." Cash said, "And I know if anyone is going to teach me when I'm clearly still...wet behind the ears...it's you."

Dick pulled back and slowly stood up straight, eyeing the kid. He'd just admitted he wasn't experienced.

"I'm not as talented or as in shape as you." Cash admitted.

Dick shook his head, that was the understatement of the century, the kid wasn't obese but he certainly wasn't fully muscular. If anything his shoulders looked strong and his upper arms had some strength to them but that wasn't even remotely close to the kind of punch necessary to take out someone like Bane or especially BlockBuster. "Then you accept that it will take a great deal of pain and dedication to get there."

"If that's what is necessary." nodded Cash, "But their is one condition I have to follow."

Dick frowned, lowering his brow slowly, "What?"

"Black Canary gave me specific orders and a diet of her own. I can't surpass a certain weight or else my abilities don't have the same 'umph' either." Dick frowned not getting it, "If I don't way at least as much as her or Black Canary before her then I lose what I've got.

"From a diet?" muttered Dick.

Cash shrugged, "It was her words, not mine."

"Wow, you really come with a fucking manual don't you." Dick muttered turning back toward the mug, he was beginning to think he needed more coffee. This kid was giving him a headache. He had a feeling not even Bruce had had to put up with this shit with him.

"Take it or leave it." Cash snapped and they once again returned to glaring each other down until the doorbell rang.

Dick moved to answer it and once the door swung open did a little black blur rush forward and throw her arms around his neck, "Clancy!"

"Oooh, Dick. I'm glad your here. I wanted to talk about..." slowly she drifted off before looking back at the young boy at the island. He was glaring over his shoulder right at her, just daring her to say a thing. "...about some work I can do as your landlord on the-?"

Dick suddenly took in a deep gasp as he turned around to grab the coat off the hook rack to his right, "Shit! Shit I'm late!" he rushed the door and quickly moved down the steps.

Cash grumbled in annoyance as he heard Dick make it out to the street, "Heey, can you close up behind us? Thanks?" he passed Clancy in the doorway then quickly moved out of the way to the stairs after Dick.

"Hey! Hey!" Cash jogged up to him as Dick kept that really intense strut up, "HEY-" he whacked him in the arm and noticed he finally looked back down at him.

"Oh, it's you." Dick sighed and looked ahead again, "I was thinking you were the paper boy." Cash glowered right ahead as he tried to hold in a bunch of words he wanted to use right now. "Anyway you better run off...I work in a bar."

"I'll hang around then." Cash snapped, "I'm of age."

"Just barely." Dick shook his head before glancing back up and around the streets ahead, "Look I don't think you coming with me to work is a good idea or-" Dick had to stop midstep as up ahead he saw the 'caution' tape and blinking warning lights just around the front of the Bludhaven Ale Bar he worked at.

The kid peeked out from behind him before quickly speaking up, "Woaah, what happened?"

Dick swung around and shoved the kid back, "Go home."he ordered once more and then turned back toward the crowd of cops and fed around the bleering lights. "Hey boys, whats going on?"

"Piss off concerned civilian." snapped one of the closest cops, he looked pretty important even with his greying hairs although they were few under the thinning cap of hair. His sideburns with the only thick part in style on his head, they had deep black crisp hair. Unfortunately Dick had dealt with many old grumpy men in his life and this was no different to Bruce on one of his nastier attitudes.

"I work here." Dick explained, "I think I have a right to-"

"Duuude is that guy gutted?" Dick and the cop were shoved aside by none other then the kid, obviously he had not done as Dick thought.

"Hey! Kid!" Instantly a piece of paper out of the kid's pocket was held up right in the cop's face. Dick barely peered at it himself before he noted the large emblazoned golden lettering, "Queen Enterprises'. "m...Mr. Queen?"

"Son of ." corrected the kid simply before grinning out from behind light brown bangs, "And I'd like a closer look for a movie idea my father is thinking of running some cop program...and we're looking for both good crime ideas an even better cop characters." Instantly the words made the old rash cop slowly butter up, he puffed out his chest and choked out-

"R...really? C..cop tv?"
"You betchya." the kid pushed past the tape and other cops eagerly stepped aside, clearly all wanting a strike at Hollywood. "So Mr. Hero...what do we have here?" Dick glanced over as the cop slowly took to the kid's side. But of course it was just barely fast enough for Dick to sneak in behind him. In the back alley of the bar was a simple little dumpster full of junk and ridden on all sides with rust.

"Well Mr. Queen as you can see we have a victim in a dumpster."
"Oh, please Officer..." slowly the kid began before quickly kneeling down beside the dumpster and eyeing the bloody hand sticking out of it's side.

"Officer Keaton." reported the balding grey haired brute with black sideburns.

"Officer Keaton! Now that's a star name if I ever heard one-" grinned the kid and Dick was between smiling and inching as close to the dumpster as possible. Keaton beamed back before the kid asked again, "So...the victim was murdered?"

Keaton quickly pushed back the top of the dumpster before quickly setting himself up against it. While the legs popped out just by the back of his balding ugly neck, "no, no. We believe he overdosed."

"There are puncture wounds in his arm. " Dick breathed seeing them now as he leaned just past the back of Officer Keaton. Keaton spun around and glowered at him so Dick held up his hands and back off a bit, while sending Cash looks to help out.

Cash just smiled at the officer and spoke up, "Are you sure about the overdose thing?"

Keaton blinked in surprise, "Well yes. We believe all the evidence-"
Cash nodded as Keaton went on to explain exactly how they'd arrived there, "Plus the man is clearly dressed in drag. We have reports he lived in Vaseline Tower."

"What?" Dick looked at Keaton in disgust.

"It's a annual gay house for runaways in Bludhaven." Cash had heard of it as in Liberty Avenue where he'd grown up, they talked about those sort of places all the time. Lots of charities were held for the poor kids who were unaccepted in their homes anywhere like that.

"For fags you mean." snapped Keaton while a bunch of coppers laughed nearby. Cash glanced down then back at the body. It was pale for sure, bits of crushed flesh from the smashing of the dumpster top and of course the deep dots on the upper arms and lower abdomen where clearly injections had been made. The deep blue dots were slowly turning purple as the body lost it's initial bloodflow and went cold.

"There have been many deaths like this recently...boys like that are unstable as it is." Keaton reported crossing his arms before his chest as he explained to the young boy he was undoubtedly hoping really was a member of the remarkable billionaire Queen family. "They just aren't able to keep it together."

"Well considering they don't have the family or fortune I have it's not too shocking." Cash muttered as he looked at the corpse the guy couldn't be much older then him. He swallowed down abit of fluid that rose up from the back throat with bile laced in it. He felt like he couldn't tear his eyes away from the victim until he had every last detail committed to memory.

Officer Keaton sent him a glance in shock, "Well you're a good man there, Mr. Queen. Thinking so sympathetically of such a sicko." the fine officer slowly glanced over at Dick who now was leaning just over the dumpster as closely as possible. "He with you, Mr. Queen?"

"Nope." Cash said simply while glancing over at Dick, "See anything concerned civilian?"

Dick glanced over at him and pointed down at the kid's forehead, behind the strange blonde fringed hair. "What is that?"

"What?" Keaton grumbled, looking past Dick's pointed finger. "That...headband. Fashion fag statement no doubt."

"Or a gang symbol." Dick muttered stepping back and eyeing it, the black cloth was tied around the boy's forehead and on the center piece was the clover stamped in red. "I hardly think he'd just be out wearing it."

"Well that would make sense too. Most of these kids now a days- running around, playing with drugs, joining gangs-"

"Getting butt fucked and gang banged." Cash interjected as he bit his bottom lip. "I don't suppose you've checked his system for amounts of cocaine, marijuana, or even meth?" Officer Keaton frowned and nodded then a few of the cops chuckled between each other.

"I think I know how to do my job, kid. Say...can I see that piece of paper again?" Dick knew then that Cash was indeed in trouble. "Mr. Queen...or some ID?"

"Look boss," the kid smiled and quickly stepped out from behind the tape, "I'll get my pops to give you a call, Officer Keaton so you know I'm legit. Thanks for the look." quickly he turned back and back from the alley. Dick knew it then he'd finally get what he wanted some time alone; peace and quiet.

Dick set out the two beers the men had ordered and quickly sat back as out the bar window he could see the dumpster's top. The flash of the lights and of course the cops still lingering around. The sun had set and Dick's shift was nearly over but he'd begun to think that maybe just maybe there was nothing more to be done for that kid. He saved people, not the dead. It was to late for them.

And in Bludhaven there is no limit to the dead.

"Hey there, lad!" a new customer stepped up fedora slightly tinted red with a matching black suit made in suede.

"What will it be?" he asked turning to the beer pump, most boys came down at 8 or 9 for just that. Mostly because these guys didn't have families and needed something swift and kick to knock them through the loneliness. Dick knew that because even he had a nice beer around this hour every time he could afford it between missions. The crisp clean shot of alcohol through him always alerted him in a new way to just what didn't matter.

"Vodka, little ice." Dick paused and glanced over his shoulder at the fedora, a little black feather stuck out of the side and as the man curved himself over the bar Dick recognized the suit. He quickly moved across the bar and grabbed the collar of it. "Heeey there sonny-"

"I'm gonna need to see some ID...twerp." he hissed primitively and partially growling as he glared Dick down and didn't give him a chance to agree or argue.

"C'mon man. I'm undercover." hissed the kid peering up with the same olive green eyes flashing with the little light in this woe begotten bar. He pressed his hands into the table and grinned up at Dick from beneath that ridiculous fedora and the suit that didn't even remotely fit his body, "When do you wear this? 60's dinner parties?"

"Did I ask you your opinion on my style? And what are you doing here?" Dick hissed leaning down as he just glared right at his new sidekick coldly.

The kid leaned up over the bar bending his legs into the seat a bit so he came nose to nose with Dick, "I know some stuff you don't knoooow~" Dick blinked losing his glower for only a minute. "I know who our little dumpster pal went diving with."

"What are you talking about?" Dick muttered, turning back for a second toward the beer pumps so he could keep clearing off the tops of the beer mugs he hadn't.

"Don't tell me you already forgot about him?" Cash pointed to the flashing lights outside, of course the sounds of engines starting up and the cops leaving clearly showed that it was over for them.No one can save the dead.Cash however looked thoroughly peeved at this. "You didn't! You can't give up-"

"It's not giving up. He's already dead." Dick shook his head, god the kid was naive.

"So?" the kid shouted and instantly all eyes were toward them. Dick smiled around the bar waving at people and then glaring the kid back down.

"Do you not get what undercover means?" he snapped back at least keeping his voice down.

"B-bu-but you said...you came closer. You wanted to investigate the cops." Cash clearly had gotten the wrong idea from earlier.

"There isn't anything to learn from this case. The victim is dead-" Dick lectured continuing his mug cleaning. Trying to play off that the kid in front of him was actually some fool in a fedora asking for a drink.

"Yeah, but there were others."

"O-others?" Dick said, completely humoring the brat now.

"The cop said it." Cash frowned tugging at the black feather in his fedora, "...he said their have been other cases just like this one. All the kids from Vaseline tower."

"Yes, if you were listening." Dick interjected finally, the kid really was going on a tyraid. "They overdosed so...case closed."

Dick smirked as the kid's face fell instantly.
He really needed to go home and change so Dick could just get his head together and of course then there was the fact that he really wouldn't drop this.

"That would make sense since..." Cash mumbeled, "...you know he totally stabbed himself in the arm with a needle, shot up...then died."

"Yeah, that tends to be how overdoses go." Dick shook his head as the kid tapped the top of the counter and then tilted his head so far to one side the fedora fell over the right side of his face. The black feather flipping out to that side too as the bangs stuck out awkwardly and the kid's pout fully formed out with his lips tightly knit together until he spoke.

"Fine, we won't do anything." Cash sighed not bothering to fix the fedora until he grinned again just as Dick turned toward the beer pump to pour some other customer a drink. "But then why the dumpster?"

"Oh, the kid in the dumpster?" laughed the customer to Cash's right he grinned over at the middle aged black man as he nodded in appreciation at the conversation at the bar. "Real shame ain't it?"

"Ahem," Cash quickly fixed his voice so it was lower and the fedora was fixed, "Yes, well I was talking about it with our fine bartender here."

The black man laughed and looked over at the suede suit, "What are you gay, man?"
Quickly Cash looked down so the fedora once again slipped over his nose, "Besides it's good riddance if you ask me. Kids like that shouldn't be in Bludhaven."

"Why's that?" asked Cash voice tripping up higher a bit accidentally.

The black man frowned while sighing in frustration and rubbing a hand through his entirely shaven head, "Well the gang life and violence around here...there is no way we're ready for something likeThat."

Cash quickly quipped in grinning up a bit at Dick while the backside of the older man remained pointed toward him. "So it's quite likely that violence got that kid?" Dick finally turned around and handed the black man his beer.

"I suppose." the black man said and Dick glared Cash down from the side, as if telling him to knock it off. "I mean it's more likely then-"

"Overdose?" Cash offered smiling with his chin resting on the palm of his hand, elbow resting against the bar.

"They found puncture wounds in his arms." snarled Dick, trying to get the kid to just get it. "Case...closed."

"Right, well I'm not talking to you, am I?" Cash turned to smile fully at the lovely black stranger beside him. "Now you seem to know your stuff-"

"I should," laughed the black man, "I'm a marine."

"Reallly?" Cash laughed, "Well seaman." Dick couldn't help but roll his eyes as Cash chuckled, "I'm sure their have been some overdoses in the army?"

"Yes, well...actually." the fine marine nodded, "Unfortunately. I lost my close friend...that way."

"Well Mr. Marine...how exactly do overdoses go? I mean...how long does it take for the drug to take effect-" Cash puffed out his bottom lip and let the hat tilt just enough so the kind marine saw his young face. He knew his innocent looks could get him all the information he wanted.

"Uh...well...well young man, I mean it would normally take about 1 minute. Maybe less. Depending upon the drug...and if a main artery was hit." answered the marine calmly, smiling gently until he saw Cash turn back from him toward Dick.

"Aaah, so you mean it's hardly enough time from the drug intake to the eventual death?" Cash turned back and looked at the polished bar Dick had finished polishing. Dick looked pretty pissed as he glared at Cash for keeping this up, the kid was clearly just stalling or- so he thought.

"Exactly. No real time at all-"

"So...riddle me this, Grayson." Cash said coolly, harshly and ready to really just deliver the final punch he'd thought of before grabbing the suede suit and fedora. "How did he end up in the dumpster?"

"D-d-..." Dick turned slowly and just stared at Cash with wide shocked eyes.

"That!" the marine instantly sat up, looking right at Cash from the side, "That's right-"
"If he fucking overdosed as everyone insists then did he take the hit in the trash bin?"
Dick was staring at him but Cash knew he was on a roll and he wasn't stopping now as he looked right at the marine, "Technically he would have to overdose in there, right? To end up there?"

"Yes. You're correct. Their is hardly time for him to climb into it." the marine murmured just staring ahead now seeing some of the lies come undone before him.

"Even if he could...I doubt he would." Dick looked down at the ground, I was blind. I was so fucking blind.

"One hell of a place to die." the marine downed the scotch he'd been given, "...in a dumpster."

"No one deserves that." Cash smiled up at Dick, moss green eyes flashing again as the fedora fell back, "No one."

"Hey!" Dick called out as the kid, the suede suit, and the fedora were being stripped off. He collected them as the kid in the hoodie kept well ahead of him out of the bar, "HEY!"

"Oh? Sorry..." Cash finally glanced back and smirked at him, "I thought you were the paper boy." Dick grabbed his elbow and forced him to look at him as they stood under the streetlamp for just a second, eyes locked on one another as just behind them was the empty alley with the dumpster completely gone now, no doubt taken for evidence.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"HE COULD HAVE BEEN ME." Dick stopped and just gawked in silent shock, he'd expected another walk around way. Another bit of silence, even a shove for him to back off but the kid looked dead at him and told him exactly what he'd been thinking. "He could have been me in that fucking dumpster. " Cash chuckled trying to keep the pained look off his face as he smiled up at him, "Don't you get it? I..i want to believe he'd look out for me if I were in his place."

"You don't even know him." so naive and fucking wrong, this kid was way to emotionally invested in this. He took the boy's shoulder blades and made him look up at him, "...and this is too much for you. You need to forget-"

"You don't know me." Cash shook his head and smiled up at him, "But really...I can't let anything go." Dick just looked again, stunned and confused. He was not used to this...blunt honesty. "Now wether you help me or not I'm going-"

"I'll help. Alright?" Dick sighed and just pressed a hand to his forehead, "But we have other stuff we should be doing."

"Other...stuff?" Cash blinked for once looking thoroughly confused. Dick nodded and the streetlamp light flickered across his dark but defined face. "ooooh-" Cash opened his mouth suddenly realising it, "Y-you mean that superhero dut- mgmhhpgpggg-" Dick covered his mouth quickly and just glared him down, while quickly looking around them. Cash seemed to blink once then a yell later and Dick quickly looking at his wet stroked hand did he see Cash grin as the tongue he'd just licked his hand with stuck out at him.

"I'm gonna cut your tongue out!" Dick snapped at him. Cash rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, wonder boy we both know you've gotten a little tongue." Cash put his hands behind his head while looking down the alley again. Dick wiped his hand off on his jeans at his side before turning back to just glare Cash's back down. "...we'll just have to return to it later."

"I won't let it go." Cash said not looking back at him for once, just keeping his head tilted up as the hands behind his back pulled down to hoist the hood on his jacket up over his head. Then his hands fell back down to his sides, "Hey...are you ready to go?"

"I have to go...change?" Dick frowned in annoyance at him while the kid just grinned, then took off. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"I'm already dressed! Meet you out there!"