The Odyssey

Chapter 10: Home

Dick the old beggar walked into his front yard and realized a lot had changed in such a long period of time. The garden and flowerbeds were full of done cigarettes and garbage. There were faint liquid stains on the windows and on the ground there was dead grass and patches of dirt. He saw his swine head with the pigs which were in their pen downward diagonal to the left of the palace. He went down to see him and walked over to see him. He was watching the pigs eat their food he looked up and saw Dick.

"Hi, stranger," the swine head said. He had black hair, dark skin and blue eyes.

"Hello, sir," Dick said. There was some silence. "What has happened to this palace? I left this place merely twenty years and it was full of life and now it's so…"

"Filthy," the swine head finished. "Yeah, it's been this way ever since my friend and master of this house, Richard Grayson, left for the Great War. There has been no word of him and so every good looking guy is lining up to try to sway his wife, Starfire, into marrying them."

"Is there any word of your friend Richard, good sir?" Dick asked.

"Nope," the swine head said. "Hey the name's Victor Stone. So please don't call me sir."

"Ok, sir," Dick said. Victor glared at him. "Is their son still around?"

"You mean Gar?" Victor replied. "He's practicing his aim in the archery range."

"Thank you for that," Dick said. "And for this chat." He walked away from Victor and was about out of Victor's sight when he turned around and called back to him in his real voice. "Later Vic!" He then walked out of his view and headed for the archery range.

"That voice," Victor wondered aloud. "Dick?"

Sure enough Garfield Grayson was in the archery range. He was a brown hair young man. He had bright blue eyes and tan skin. He was shooting his fifth arrow and he missed the middle by a little bit.

"You need to focus," Dick told him. He walked over to his son. "Raise it up, close your left eye, aim, then release." He guided Garfield's hands and arm. Garfield then got it right in the center.

"Wow, thanks, sir," Garfield replied. Dick smiled. The beggar's disguise was then temporally dropped for his son. Garfield dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry. I thought you were a mortal but you're a…"

"No, I'm not," Dick interrupted. "I'm pure mortal last time I checked. The disguise was given to me by Athena. Do you know who I am?" Garfield shook his head. "I'm your father, Richard Grayson." Garfield launched himself into his father's arms and they shared a hug. Soon enough it was broken.

"Now there's no time to explain how I got there and what took me so long," Dick said. "We need to plan our revenge on the men who have insulted our house."

That night Garfield gave his father a bedroom and some basic necessities. The next morning Athena put the beggar disguise back onto Dick. He went to breakfast along with the several other suitors. He noticed that his enemy Red X was among them. After breakfast Starfire came into the room.

"Alright everyone, I have a challenge for you all!" Starfire shouted. "Whoever succeeds in doing so will become my new husband!" She held up a small black piece of metal in the shape of a bat. "This was a gift given to my husband from his father. Dick could throw it while performing a triple aerial summersault and land a perfect bullseye and I will not marry a lesser man! Follow me to the archery range!" All the suitors followed her outside as well as Garfield and Dick in his beggar's disguise. They went out to the archery range and the suitors formed a line. Starfire then gave the bat boomerang to the first man in line, Red X.

"This should be easy," he said to himself. He tried to do the triple aerial summersault while throwing it and he made it hit it but it wasn't a bullseye.

"Next!" Starfire said. Red X passed the batarang to the person behind him. That person failed as well. They soon enough went all and none seceded. Dick then stepped out.

"Excuse me," Dick said. "I'm an old man and don't want such a young, beautiful woman as yourself to be my wife for I am too old. But I am good in the wrist and would like to try."

"Go away old man!" Red X said. "You have no place here!"

"X, it's my boomerang," Starfire said. "And I say…"

"No, mom, it's mine," Garfield interrupted. "It was my father's and so now it is mine. I say we give the old man a chance. Mother go to your chamber I'll over see the rest of the contest." Starfire was a little surprised to see Gar take charge but she was a little tired of the suitors.

"Alright Gar," Starfire sighed. "See you later." Starfire left and went for the house.

"Now give me the batarang," Garfield commanded. The last suitor gave it to him and Gar gave it to the old man. Dick picked it up and threw it while doing the summersault and landed a perfect bullseye. The suitors were shocked and surprised at the old man's agility. He then pulled the batarang out of the target.

"Did you not think that I would return!?" Dick asked the suitor. Athena then removed the beggar disguise from Dick. "I will always return to those I love! I am Richard Grayson!" He threw the batarang at Red X and it hit him in the heart. "How dare you men do this to my wife?! Bug her and try to force her to be your wife?! She's not yours to take! Now leave before I forget that I'm not a murderer!" The men backed away and ran away leaving the ground. Dick then walked back up to the palace with his son and went to see everyone at the palace. Victor saw him and gave his friend a hug. He went around hugging old friends and servants. "Raven could you bring Starfire down?"

"Sure," Raven replied. She ran into Starfire's chamber and saw her friend on her bed. "Starfire, your husband has returned!"

"What?" Starfire said. "You must be dreaming Raven."

"Starfire why would I lie to you?" Raven asked. "Why would I tell you that the suitors are gone and that your husband has returned unless I meant it?" Starfire pondered this for sometime. "Come down and see for yourself that your husband and my friend have returned." Starfire sighed.

"Alright, Raven I'll come and see," Starfire said. She and Raven walked downstairs and in the living room she saw someone that looked so much like her husband sitting on a foot cushion across from her son, who was on an armchair. No it can't be? Dick? My Dick? But what if it's not what if... He was talking to his son and laughing about several of his adventures before he saw that Starfire was in the room. He turned to her and stood up and came up to her.

"Hey, Star," he said. Starfire turned to look and saw one of the maids. She knew what to do.

"Maid, bring out our marriage bed to the living room so that we may…"

"No, need," he told the maid. "It won't be and can't be done. For it is made for a living tree as a sign of our lively love. And none knew but you and me." Starfire flung herself into his arms.

"Dick," Starfire knew it was him. She removed her head from his chest and held his hands. "Welcome home." Just then the doorbell went off.

"Who could that be?" Dick asked. Starfire went to the door and opened it to reveal Bruce and Tim.

"Hi, Starfire," Bruce said. "We brought you the stuff you requested."

"Thank you," Starfire replied. She gave a genuine smile as an idea came into her head. "How about you come in and join me and Gar for a little meal?"

"I don't know," Bruce told her. "We didn't…"

"Yes, we'll come and have a little meal," Tim interrupted. "I came here to see Starfire and my nephew and I want to see him." Bruce sighed.

"Mom who's at the door?" Garfield called from inside.

"Just Bruce and Tim, Gar," Starfire told him.

"Alright, but only for a few minutes," Bruce told her. They came inside and made their way to the kitchen. "Am I going deaf?"

"No, why?" Starfire asked.

"I don't hear any of the suitors," Bruce told her.

"Well, they've gone," Starfire replied.

"Why?" Tim asked. They were nearing the living room for the kitchen was near it. "Last time I checked they all wanted to marry you and you had to pick one or they'd…" They had reached the living room. Bruce and Tim's faces held pure shock. They saw Dick, alive, well, and not dead.

"Dick?" Bruce asked as he moved toward the man.

"Yes, Dad," Dick told him. Bruce forgot his pride dropped the items he had been holding and gave Dick a big hug. Dick was surprised but returned it. They held each other for a while until it broke.

"Welcome back, my son," Bruce said. Tim then gave Dick a hug.

"Brother," Tim breathed. Dick gave his brother a big hug. They broke it soon enough.

"You've grown," Dick noticed.

"Well, a lot can happen in twenty years," Tim told him. Dick smiled as he realized he was home.