Author's Notes: Also, going about the Chapter itself, it will contain more new characters that will be pretty much essential to the direction of the story, and more hints on different situations that I've been leaving trails off. So all in all is an extensive Chapter that serves to grasp more firmly the aspects that encompass all this array of scenarios that I just throw around here and there without actually throwing them around here and there all the same. More than one new character ahead, and had only pointed to two of them on the latest one, so kudos if you got it right. Enjoy.
EDIT.- Holy shit, I'm sorry. I really hadn't realized that the chapter I uploaded was the first save-copy I did by mistake on the folder with everything going on. My bad. Crap, almost a week to notice it and with the other one half-done when I wanted to update the Timeline. Sorry.
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to DC and I only use them for entertainment purposes. I own nothing. If I did the reboot wouldn't exist. Like other details.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Summary: Post-apocalyptic world. Six long years ago the world fell apart at the hands of Leviathan. Now, the Bats must decide if past events and strained relationships are to be put aside to end the Empire, while trying to remain alive. Pre-reboot.
Eventual Pairings: Dick/Jason and Dick/Tim with Dick being the center of the triangle; hints of Tim/Conner, one sided Tim/Stephanie, and one sided Dick/Barbara, Minor Bruce/Selina and Bruce/Talia.
Warning(s): Foul language, Violence, and mentions of Cannibalism and Death.
Wednesday June 13th, 2012 Words: 13,615 (Man, I'm good~).
War of the Bats
By Robin Wingster
Chapter XIII.- Recruiting the Forces: Old Friends and New Allies.
or
Robbie Malone's Army.
~-May 2017, 18:00hrs. Unknown location, Ruins of Old-Chicago, Illinois. (1 month and a half later).
The dirt grazed his left cheek uncomfortably after long hours on foot with the hard sun on his back. The weather was horrible, and for Chicago that was something; the Windy-city filled with only boiling-hot rasps of air scratching the portions of his face that weren't covered.
He'd found some dark sunglasses that fitted his frame nicely weeks back when he had been recollecting scattered gear in the ghostly capitals that stood no more, slowly making themselves his new favorite accessory in view of the fact that he was impervious to the heated dirt rasping his eyeballs dry with the way it felt on his cheekbones. A scarf served him to keep him from breathing too much polluted air and hide the gas mask when he was entering City grounds to avoid suspicion; Bruce's sophisticated equipment would have made him stand-out in the refugees' eyes (something he'd learned by his first nights in a row was not a good thing unfortunately), and the textile attached to his mouth supplied him nicely, aiding as well on hiding the light scar on his tanned neck.
Soon enough he'd have to change clothes, Dick summarized; the dirty jacket he'd placed over the sweated t-shirt beyond the point of hope, and his jeans ripped on the knees from sleeping on hard surfaces or crawling around to avoid searching eyes. The young boy was not so keen on wearing the pants with so inflexible material, but he'd had to settle for some things and then work it out. Besides, there was that whole 'not attracting unnecessary attention' issue. He was already walking on the road that pointed at what used to be a common area on Chicago or Naperville even, collecting his thoughts on the area in question by squinting his eyeballs on deep thought at nothing in particular just out of pure habit. Selina had told him to search on Illinois,—that it was the last place she knew they inhabited once when she attempted to speak with Bruce and caught sight of those files, before the Bat closed them and himself from her approach.
The circus boy sighed, shaking his head at his stubborn father and wondering for the up tenth time this day how his family was coping in the limited space.
He had seized communications with Jason, not particularly warm to the thought of the others suddenly finding out—and it would really happen; he just knew it—and furthermore pushing the raven with the white streak farther away from their circle. Communication with Tim was not a smart thing to do either, certain the tech genius would undoubtedly find his whereabouts in a nutshell and injure himself further just to get to him. With his leg in healing process or not, Dick simply couldn't allow the older male to strain himself for something so impractical. Damian had been a rough option, he'd clearly had considered talking with the youngster, but he was still too fresh on his wounds, and would just follow him on this path he needed to set straight first and keep pushing everyone but himself out of his Exclusive Two-members-only Club. He had Jason trying to form part of, and was pretty sure Cass at least had the spot of the Bouncer if any; so adding himself into the mix was not the solution. Cass would definitely be having her hands full, but they agreed to specific terms on his leaving, and the woman had brightened considerably out of her shut demeanor after their resolution, however weary she appeared. He trusted the female to keep her end of the bargain. Bruce was another story all together. In fact, Dick was sure the man was holding resentment towards him for leaving without a word, and he couldn't deny fault on it. The concept stung, and it just got him wary from discomfort and guilt on the action itself. It was kinda the same with Alfred, while he was sure both him and Steph would understand his actions better.
Dick sighed, thirsty from his long trajectory; he doubled on a corner of a broken coffee shop, almost smelling the sweet scent of brewed coffee in his imaginary delight. He needed to find some directions shortly, or else he would be losing precious time getting acquainted with the surroundings and with no clue as to the whereabouts of the speedster in search. Some food was in order as well; his provisions weren't running low and he certainly wasn't keen on leaving another defenseless refugee without basic needs that could be found somewhere on the vast ruins, but he never knew when the opportunity might arise again, so with that in mind, he entered the coffee place; eye awake in search of anything edible and not outdated when he caught sight of an elderly couple at the head of the bathroom resting on the floor.
They appeared quite old; maybe around their mid-eighties from the looks of it, both seniors holding each other close as they slept soundlessly leaned against the bathroom entrance and clutching their belongings in a desperate hold. It brought him a feeling he was uncomfortable with; he was clearly overjoyed at their shared affection and sight they gave him from the hard times, but at the same time an unspeakable indignation at how much things had changed in his absence: the clear signs ordering change ringing like alarms inside his head.
It was better if he left, the carnie decided without hesitation, rotating to another exit on a big window when some shouts came from the street outside and then a startled gasp followed, giving him instance to throw his attention briefly to the couple behind him and taking into their scared state after ducking with grace into a column and taking a look outside, providing himself a moment to throw a finger into his lips behind the scarf and suggest silence from the pair sharing the space. The woman nodded with a frenzied look, obviously petrified while the man grasped at her scared out of his wits and Dick glared behind his sunglasses; angry at the disturbance that caused the seniors such discomfort. Hopefully it wasn't a known evil; as far as his investigations while on the road had taught him, Old-Chicago was a zone for scattered refugees or a Ghost state, but one could never know.
Risking a calculating glance, the first sidekick scanned the outside, being throughout on the inspection of the zone when he saw some teens flapping their arms out while running at the end of the street causing the commotion. They appeared scared and then as quick as that hypothesis was out he moved from his spot with barely four steps, looking for the source of panic with no success.
A frown was masked from his features, and after waiting a full ten minutes he relaxed his pose, whirling his small feet towards the seniors who still kept their eyes trained cautiously on him. Dick eased his hands out; a suggestion offering he wanted nothing from them and wasn't looking for trouble that made the elders relax a little on their spot.
At what had the world reduced into if two full-grown adults feared a small child to such degree? He removed the thought from his mind-eye, not desiring in the least to be left with more sour notes on his mouth as he cleared his throat beneath the material covering his mouth.
"Hi Sir, Ma'am, my name's Malone—Robbie Malone," he said, attempting to show his smile within his voice and watching with fulfillment the woman's shoulders relax considerably at his friendly pitch, "I was just looking for some shade is all. Didn't mean to 'cause any trouble, sorry." He finished, the lady smiling faintly while the man looked less cautious after he finished his statement.
In all fairness he had gotten in to get a break from the shade, and he had been Robbie Malone longer than what he currently sported.
"It's alright dear," the woman spoke in gentle tones and he nodded in return, "you just spooked us a little. You never know with how things are these days," then her smile became tremulous-nostalgic, "but I imagine you weren't here to see how things used to be to understand it child."
He coughed a little into his wardrobe to feign understanding and the other male cleared his throat, standing-up and covering the female.
"Listen boy, I'm sorry if you're on your own," then he cleared his throat as well, ignoring the look his wife—probably—was throwing at him, "are you on your own son?"
Dick shrugged non-committed.
"Oh Kurt take it easy! He's just a little child!" The woman slapped him on the back of his legs, but the man paid her no mind, instead turning an angry glare at her.
"Dammit Christine, it's the same story with you! It doesn't matter if he's a kid or not, we're not giving him our provisions or taking him with us!"
Oookaaaayyy, better to dissolve the tension now, lest things get a little overheated.
"Um, Sir?"
"He's just a little child!"
"It doesn't matter—he's not our child—"
"Excuse me? Mister? I'm actually looking for someone too," he said, grabbing both elders' attention and nothing with special detail that the woman, for all she moved around, wasn't making a twitch below her waist; it reminded him of Barbara, and instantly shook those thoughts off. 'Focus, you'll see her later.' He thought shrugging one shoulder off and mimicking a disheveled appearance for acting purposes that served to calm the seniors down, "not alone; just lost."
"Oh dear," the woman named Christine murmured and gripped her husband's leg tightly in search of attention, "Kurt please, the least we can do is offer him shelter for today while he finds his parents."
"…" Kurt sighed in what Dick recognized was defeat and dared a chary look at him, "you'll be the death of us woman, but I guess that's why I love you. Okay kid, you said your name was Robert right?"
"Robbie." Dick corrected instantly, then shook his head. "Its fine Mister, but I could use some directions, my cousins are supposed to live here somewhere." He finished, gaining a new set of attention altogether.
"Oh my, what are they like dear? Perhaps we've heard of them—there's really few people around the streets here, and we mostly know each other around." Her husband scoffed in front of her.
"Yes, unless you want to have a bat on your head by some punks a little older than yourself if you trespass their grounds or something." He grunted out, not the least pleased at the amenity Mrs. Christine was making, though she rendered no mind to him on it.
Dick just moved from one foot to another a little uncomfortably, looking small on his own accord.
Awkward.
The woman just smiled politely at him, and it eased his tension at the obvious circumstances he was yet trying to swallow.
"Don't mind my husband dear, tell us, what are your cousins' names or what do they look like? There's no one in here my old mind doesn't know, and I'll be sleeping better at night if I know for sure a good little boy like yourself is safe indoors with adults." She said with that kind smile, stifling a cough in between words and he nodded in return; hope was not lost after all.
~-18:45hrs. Unknown location, Ruins of Old-Chicago, Illinois.
It had been a while since he stopped after the talk with the elderly pair, moreover Mrs. Hoffman had been so kind that she immediately told him into the right directions to whom she asserted were her lost family members he had been trying to find. By now, however, he was too thirsty to keep bypassing his need for liquid, so after going non-stop and avoiding the troublesome spots Mr. Hoffman was heedful to warn, he sidestepped into a clearing road, free of trucks and trashed cars with piles of garbage every step of the way, right next to some dead trees trying to find his path amongst all the trash in sight.
So far he hadn't run into more pedestrians, harmful or otherwise, and he was yet to be reassured by the comparison on the note alone. It had been a good change for his sanity to chat with another living being that seemed less than interested in cutting his head off and using him as sustainable nutritious material. The compulsive stabs beneath his Sternum had lost consistency on their sporadic attacks; the residual pain still remaining but with much less force involving the sudden blows at his insides, and it lifted his mood significantly not having to worry about falling into a quivering mass for an undetermined amount of time on no certain moments of the day.
Jays would be elated to hear about it, Dick considered making a face hidden from the world as he walked ahead, though considering it, Jason would probably be resented from being proven wrong. A grin found himself attached to his lips at the notion.
It was always good to have his first successor frowning in retrospect with being outsmarted.
Suddenly he caught sight of something shimmering in the sun and inched closer to find a better inspection, finding underneath a pretty obviously-placed pile of random dump one freshly polished 'Cased Colt Roy Rogers' (if his memory didn't failed him that is) standing innocently with the junk at hand.
… really? Dick let out a little puff of laughter at the silly notion of a trap—if it even could be called that.
Somebody needed to be pretty desperate or fool enough to fall on that one. Deciding this was worth his time (it was pretty obvious the perpetrator had put everything in himself or herself to attract the attention of any innocent or not so innocent bystander to get their hands on the other's personal belongings; or maybe something worse, but he'd considered it if more evidence pointed that later) he searched for anything that could serve him as leverage, finding almost immediately a long stick and adjusting his sight on the dry plant over him and the trap. It was easy to climb the branches, and his weight allowed him to stay over them without breaking the weak extremities, soon enough leaving him just a meter length-wise distance from the object of his attention. He placed his bottom on the branch, quickly adjusting his weight upside down and using his knees to remain in said position as he extended his arm with the stick at hand and moved the junk over the gun, expecting the trap to fall into action.
The soonest the stick grazed away the weight on top of the firearm he'd been proven right when a wire-strength cage closed itself on the stick, breaking it in two instantly. Dick had to summarize it was a pretty impressive triangular cage, if not a little on the small side, wondering who and how on earth did some civilian managed to get their hands on it. For now it was only logical to assume the simple trap wasn't part of Leviathan's—or Superman's for that matter—army since it lacked their O.M.; this clearly belonged to some person with a little too much on their free time to get acquainted with a) an impressible well-maintained Colt, and b) an equally impressible well placed strength based cage.
Somebody in here did some serious studying, and he double-copied the action by passing once again his covered eyeball over the ground where nothing stood amiss.
'Wait,' His mind ordered, halting him to the spot.
A few meters on his left there was a big group of teenagers succumbing to the curiosity the strenuous movement had erupted and nearing his spot. He supposed he'd handle the youngsters if the need came, and doubted they would even take notice of his frame hanging meters above them from the tree.
None of them were clean, which was an understatement with how much they lacked in personal hygiene, and were quite… 'rambunctious' as Alfred would state if he were here himself, while they neared his spot. Like he had guessed, the teens were too preoccupied with pushing themselves off and just being plain boyish in their own as they got closer to the mark that had the mini-prison to see him perched above it.
"Shit man, this will really give us a hand with gettin' those bastards at 5th and Main, sweet!" A rather filled teen gathered out, pressing with his elbow at one blonde who nodded greedily.
"Yeah, and that pig-tailed bitch? Ha! See if she fucks with us again!" Said blonde responded, gaining a leer from some of his friends who 'got the message'.
Dick just glared. Bristling in contained anger at the suggestion before calming himself down. They were just a bunch of kids who saw a gun and thought they could play being men.
"What the hell is that man?" One of them asked to the oldest of the bunch; a murky kid with some lose teeth (probably from fighting) as he scratched his greasy cranium and touched the metal bars forming the confined capture of air.
"How the fuck should I know Pencildick?" The one who had been asked answered arrogantly, pushing the first who spoke with his foot towards the dirt to move him from the trap, and Dick found himself insulted.
Sometimes it really wasn't funny how people used his name for mockery or derogatory purposes. One would think he was used to it by now.
"Argh! Watch it dumbass! Fucking prick!" Another one cursed when the one pushed fell on his dirty sneakers, and he kicked away, spitting at the teenager's back in distaste.
"Was that really necessary?"
At his blurted-out question the eight heads beneath him rotated in different directions, searching for him at the same time.
"Up here geniuses." He followed immediately in a joyous mockery-fashion; response to the failure from being found.
He raised an eyebrow beneath his glasses, and even him could sometimes admit that the turn-about of age affected his judgment from time to time; mostly when he found himself succumbing to the juvenile need to be a smartass with—mostly—older bullies.
A total of eight glares went up to him; teeth and nostrils flaring at the sight of a small child trying to get smart at their expense.
Boy, did this brought out some memories.
"Hi guys, how's it been? You looked disconcerted." The acrobat furthered the mocking with a crackle behind his childish voice, swinging merrily from the branch. His muscles jumped at the opportunity to stretch by knocking some sense into these bullies if they even considered walking away with the Colt.
There was a treacherous thought entering his mind as he thought of taking is as a souvenir for Jason—and bribery; the older raven had not been amused at being left behind.
Then again, he had been searching for something 'techy' for Tim—
"What the fuck do you want kid?" The oldest of their ragtag group yelled; his brown locks disheveled all over the place and pointing a clean knife at him that was almost touching his face where he perched upside down on the branch from the teen's advantageous height. "Think you're so smart now wuss?" He threatened with a sick smirk on his freckled tanned features at the leverage he thought he'd gained with the sharp object almost connecting to his head. "Better if you empty your fuckin' pockets now you little shit, less I might not be so forgiving to let you go home and cry to your mommy." The twisted rise of his lips grew, and Dick was faraway reminded of a smile that stretched longer and was always disguised in shades of red.
The others stood behind the 'leader', all pointing something sharp—broken bottles, penknives, one even had a rusty razor for crying out loud—and surrounding him.
"But what if I like it here? It's really comfy and you guys are so funny to watch; it's like monkeys at the circus." He laughed at his inner private joke, swinging without a care in the world—his purpose was settled beyond the point of no return; he was certain these were the 'punks a little older than himself' that kept every refugee on their toes; he was already ready to pounce to the first objective, he just needed to rile them up a little more to get them in one full-out free style array of moves.
"Says the monkey who will be dinner you fuckin' little fag!" One of the boys shouted, aiming the utensil at him and failing when height was not very forgiving to him and stepping into another one of his bunch's space, sending both to the ground in a mess of grunts and obscenities, and Dick just laughed at the action, pointing in juvenile glee at the failed demonstration of dominance.
Hey, he might as well enjoy the ride; it had been a while since he laughed as an immature little kid, and restraining took his toll most of the times in this frame. Besides, it was better than dwelling on the revelation they left out in the open. Cannibalism was a known practice in here Tim told him while they talked on his bedroom more than a month ago; at such a young age it stung.
"Get—ahh fuck!" A raven shot out, falling into his face a second after he uttered his first word.
Immediately his stare flickered: eyebrows furrowing in concentration at what he thought he had seen on a corner almost at the end of the block where an old department building was barely left standing before the first boy went down a few meters back; all signs of playfulness gone and replaced with the stern look he'd adopted more as the years grew on him. There had been a flash of color there, of that he was sure and no sooner than the dash disappeared did he saw it again when an orange mass of hair suddenly sprang to life on the soil below him, spreading open the cage in a quick sequence of movements and placing the teens into their well-deserved places with hands tied on the bars in a full-out circle; a mess filled with curses and very unmanly screeching.
He couldn't stop the cheerful grin that overcame his features; the scarf almost riding at his nose from the gravity he forgot had him inverted position-wise.
It was all over one second too soon, and grumbling male teenagers were left in the background as he took the welcome sight of one fifteen-year old Iris West (II) in a washed-out yellow shirt with a denim skirt that reached a little over her knees and some old tennis that had seen better days; he found happiness on the simple fact of watching that grown pretty-freckled face with a smile attached that instantly reminded him of his best friend in every single way.
"Hi boys! Mind if I join the fun? Ooohh, what's that? Is that for me? Looks pretty, I think I'll take it! Thank you!" She spoke in those hurried conjunctions of words that only speedsters were capable of uttering; picking the fallen artifacts that used to be the weapons of those overly-enthused bullies and dashing off in the distance to return four seconds after without them on her arms.
"Go fuck yourself bitch!" The lucky 'man in charge' spit out; his cheeks red in contained anger at being easily overpowered by a preteen with barely a sign of resistance.
"C'mon Flynn, you don't mean that," she chastised him, crossing her arms and forming an adorable pout that resembled the one Dick knew she usually reserved for her father; an imitation that soared his feelings towards his niece, happy Mrs. Hoffman had pointed him out in the correct way towards the West's kids (more like twins, but they didn't needed to know that) in the first place, "besides what did I tell you about roaming around here?" She spoke, sticking what he brought out as a particularly nasty sock at the brunette's mouth in the blink of an eye. Then she casted him a look and smiled prettily, conveying confidence and friendliness in the only way a Member of the Flash Family was able to, "Are you okay little guy?" she asked gently in normal speech tones that was considered slow for their standards, offering him a tranquil upraise of the corner of her lips. "They didn't do anything to you, right?"
It was then he figured he'd better move his gear.
"No, I'm fine." He spoke and the girl couldn't manage the girly squeal in delight at his child-like voice chords. If Dick had been any less sure of his virility, he'd been severely damaged by the reaction, instead he grinned and attempted—by faking of course—to stand up again and reach upward into a standard position, grunting when he couldn't and went down again in a sigh, having the speedster peer at him with worry care right below him and offering her arms for him to let go, promising to catch him.
"It's okay—I'll catch you. You can let go." She spoke unable to censor her quick words coming in a blur. "I promise I'll catch you. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. I'm a good guy. And I'll take you to your parents. They must be worried." Irey told him in a dash, her smile unwavering and Dick found his opening.
"… okay." He answered, swinging one foot out of the dead wood and then the other one after it, falling straight into the speedster's arms. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. Come on, let's get out of here." The redhead smiled, placing him in the ground and it was a funny panorama to see Irey towering over him for a little over a head now, needing to stretch up his neck to watch her. He noticed she had taken the gun with all the disarrayed utensils but decided against speaking of it; it was one point for him on nailing the reason of the firearm's existence. "Your parents must be worried, and these guys need some time to think about their actions."
He nodded, getting near the one male that got grief and spit by derision of his companions and watching him burrow his front in anguish at what he probably thought he'd do to him. Instead, the acrobat got further, going as far as standing almost face to face with him by kneeling just a smidge to be on his level.
"It's tough out there, but there are better people and nothing's worth this." He whispered so that only the teen and maybe the two at his sides could hear him. "We're not many, so that's why we need to help each other instead of blocking another's path." He took his scarf off just a little below his chin. "And you'll find everything can be overcome." At the look of hurtful angry-disbelief he removed his sunglasses, making sure to keep the eye-contact steady even with his uneven gaze, and the swallow behind the older male's end was enough to satisfy him; sure of the change he'd just make.
"Come on. I'll get you something to eat. You must be starving!" The cheeky voice meters behind provided, and he nodded from his spot, not breaking the gaze locked with the teen, and slowly smiling at him with his full-blown grin.
Every change was important, and little by little, they would make the difference.
As would others who learned the lesson.
~-19:01hrs. Unknown destroyed Bistro, Ruins of Old-Chicago, Illinois.
"Mom! Jai! Are you here?" Irey yelled as she entered through a barricaded entrance by the side of the building they've built two years ago. They had settled in the city, and she and her brother had taken it in themselves to restore the peace on this town by providing protection to the remaining citizens. It had been a while back since her brother had deviated all their arsenal of tricks to bring out the bullies that kept harassing the poor people who just did their best to get-by without mixing into Leviathan's proclaimed cities. Her twin had devised a way to let them know when a trap got activated, which was how Irey found herself acquainted with her new cute-little friend.
She casted a green curious stare at the very much covered-up child keeping a low profile at her side. She was sure the kid wasn't bad news; the poor boy had probably had the scare of his life when those bullies tried to overpass him, and she was glad she had been there just in time to stop a tragedy from happening.
By the way, where was her family? The young speedster thought frantically, her brain coming into the realization that today was Monday, and every Monday her Mother went over to the Linchpin's with her brother to recollect clothes and find new safe places to stay in case an emergency stroke.
"They're not here?" Her friend asked, and she couldn't stop her friendly smile as she leaned on the soles of her over-ran feet back and forth.
"I forgot they are busy today! But don't worry, we can find something to eat!" Then she dashed off and came back with a dozen of cans, her twin pig-tails moving at a par with her movements and framing her adoring face wonderfully.
Wally would be really proud of his little girl; Dick would make sure to let him know of her.
"We have tuna and beans! Do you like beans? Everybody likes beans! We can cook them until my mom and brother come here and search for your parents. You must be tired, you can take a break in here and have a nap after you've eaten something." She told the child, speaking a mile per second without actually trying; her brother and mother were too used to her that sometimes it was hard to censor herself to speak regularly to the point where she didn't register what she did at all.
"I'm okay, thanks." He told her, not removing an ounce of textile over him to keep his eyes shielded from those emerald orbs that he just couldn't stop placing in another redhead's face in nostalgia. "You're very pretty." Dick told her sincerely, watching with care only an uncle would feel the timid red going into his niece's cheeks. This was it, he thought before bracing himself and taking his cue. "Are you Flash's kid?"
Irey stuttered, some cans falling from her arms in shock and then he removed the scarf from his face to show his infectious grin that didn't portray any malice on it; an action that thankfully, made her relax.
"How do you—?"
"My dad knew Flash," he spoke with conviction, all the while thinking that he could go through this whole process without actually "lying" to the girl. Bruce did in fact knew the Flash—all of them incidentally. "You ran fast—and he knew he had two kids too." Then he shrugged timidly. "He respected the Flash a lot… I do too."
"Oh." Irey uttered flabbergasted. Sure, she'd get the occasional pedestrian identifying her as one of the legendary Flash's kids, but that a boy so young could tell the difference was pretty amazing. "Thank you," At the warm words filled with that boyish grin she couldn't help to keep her smile either, "he was amazing. It means a lot that people still remember him like that. Where's your dad? I would love to talk with him! Did he live in Keystone City too?"
"… he's… around." The carnie responded uncertainly, the change in the speedster's demeanor easy to catch. "He's with my brothers and sister, and I came here looking for help." Then he lifted his head some more to add the effect he needed; then he was rewarded with it.
"Tell me what you need. Where are they—are they okay? Did anyone take them?" The redhead asked frantic, worried for the small kid and kneeling to grab him by his shoulders.
"No, I just need to go to Mexico." He spoke with confidence to demonstrate his seriousness on the matter. "Can you take me? I promise that's all I need, and you don't have to stay there if you don't want to. You can come back. I just really need to go there."
"Mexico? What for? Are they there?"
He shook his head, "My… mom sent me there to find someone. They can't go, but I can, and I need to get there but I don't have any way to do it so I came searching for help. Because they told me you were here." Then he fisted both hands tightly. "Please. Help me. You said you would."
She could only stare in helpless at the strange request; completely unprepared at this turn of direction. Here was this kid she had known for barely twenty minutes and he was already asking her to take him to another country for something he wasn't even talking about; sprouting wonderful things of her father and his siblings and she just didn't know what to do about it.
What would her dad, do about it…?
"… okay; let me get some things and tell my mom and brother. I'll take you there, but I want some answers." The girl returned with hero-conviction; her sense to help everywhere she could strong on her role to live-up her family's legacy.
She'd never let her Legacy running through her veins disappear.
The Flash family was not extinct.
~-20:24hrs. Unknown location just meter's from the border of Mexico.
"And then there was this one time The Flash went to this town with a black-and-blue guy and got lost in a maze and saw a red-fountain with blood, but it wasn't blood at all[1]!" Dick said excited to his niece as they took a little break and he got off her back to let her take a breath. They've been going nonstop for more than an hour; the sky had turned dark and the air around them had lowered considerably as they approached the middle of the nightly hours and only speeded in the limits of Irey's well calculated velocity limits.
It was clear the redhead was being careful with how fast she went considering the cargo on her back, and while Dick appreciated it, he couldn't help but to want to tell her she could run a little faster since her father was certainly not privy to the speed he took most of the times with him on his back. Of course that wouldn't end well, and it was just his immatureness broadcasting.
"Really? Now that you mention it, I think my dad told me that story once too!" The teen spoke amicably and fairly excited at the sudden spark of recognition of that tale; her dad told her he had been on a trip with her Uncle Dick at the time and like every single vacation the duo took, it ended with both of them having to put the tights on like The Flash, and Nightwing. This kid's father must have been one of the citizens her dad spoke to on a regular basis, if not, how else would he know that to tell the tale to his son?
It just made her happy to help him all the more. She had been somewhat worried when all she could was offer a brief explanation to her family and Jai had wanted to go with her, but a thirteen-year old boy[2] mixing with an eight-year old boy was not good news. She'd seen the infectious grin the kid had thrown at her brother.
Iris was not going to deal with boyish antics.
Dick stopped walking, staring straight ahead with barely restraining a muscle and gaining the teen's attention full-out.
"Robbie? What happened—?" She started blurting out; emeralds fixated on the infant at her side while he just nodded straight ahead without losing his sight despite of the sunglasses on the dark afternoon.
"I think we're here."
Iris raised a thin ginger eyebrow in question.
"What makes you say that?"
"That." He just pointed at the forefront.
It was ridiculous how after he finished the statement and the speedster whoosh her freckled face to watch closely in the dark skies, an unbelievably numerous quantity of fire-weapons were charging at them with lasers covering at least 87 percent of their body masses.
"¡Levanten las manos y tírense al piso o dispararemos![3]" One deep baritone yelled in fluent Spanish at both kids; an imperative command that while it wasn't understood to its peak, broadcasted the message crystal clear:
Surrender, or die.
Iris went to move ahead to shield the infant; sirens flaring at her head; adrenaline high the moment her quick feet placed her in front of Robbie when at least five different shots—and those were the one's she heard—missed her spot by a millisecond and then proceeded to fire at her new position, where she just squealed in surprise and got back instinctively, shielding the boy behind by pushing him at the same time with her body.
"Hey! That's rude! What are you thinking? There's a little boy in here!" She screamed at them in righteous fury with her fast speech, and if the sun had been present the reds on her cheeks remarking her fury would have been notorious to everybody. She squealed in shock again when another bullet went by her right cheek, almost grazing her skin and her eyes widened to a ridiculous degree at her inhale of breath taken by feeling a bullet so near her face.
This situation was escalating way too fast. Robbie and her needed to get out of there, but the amount of weapons aiming at their bodies were too much to risk sweeping her friend off his feet and dashing off; even with her super speed, Irey was sure that at least some of the projectiles would make it through. She wasn't afraid of that for herself; a couple of days or more depending on the amount of pellets hitting her skin to have her accelerated metabolism heal her was all it took, but she couldn't risk the Robbie's life on a slim possibility of him going by unscathed.
"Iris, don't run." The circus carnie told the girl from behind, hoisting his hands in clear surrender and keeping his façade cool. Over the time and throughout a constant amount of practice he'd accustomed himself to watch closely on the dark enough to distinguish siluettes, objects etcetera while on the job, even without the additional aid of his domino mask and high-tech lenses, so Dick could actually see in the dark terrain the profiles of at least thirty-seven men and forty-two women alike holding their weapons against them.
But Irey couldn't. How could she when she wasn't trained for that?
Keystone wasn't Gotham, and even then, his niece had been far too young when she started wearing a mask and the family logo. Wally hadn't been allowed the opportunity to teach her that far along the road. Or let him do it.
'No time like the present time.' He thought grim regarding his last line of thinking before his attention was cut by his niece.
"What?" She asked him as she risked a glance at her back and saw him getting on his knees with orbs wide in fear for him. "What are you doing? Stop! They're going to shot—!"
He touched her wrist on his way down, ignoring her surprised gasp at another array of bullets almost grazing their united limbs.
"¡No volveremos a repetirlo! ¡Levanten las manos y tírense al piso o abriremos fuego! ¡Esta es una Zona Restringida y no tienen permiso de pasar![4]" The same voice yelled once more in a fluent succession of words the West girl couldn't understand for the life of her, turning her green gems from the fully-packed soldiers to the defenseless boy with worry heavy on her gaze.
"They won't. We are trespassing, and they're just protecting their home. Just stand down." He emphasized as he finally managed to lower her enough when he didn't put a stop on his descent to the dirt and just placed his cheek completely against the cold soil; Iris following shortly in an awkward array of limbs as she attempted to curl unto him with her middle pressing the black locks of his head from where she used to stood.
Her heart was truly that of a speedster, and instantly afterwards Dick could hear the hurried steps of the military covering more of their ground and nearing them; the red lights of their arsenals still adjusted on them when he felt the teenage girl tensing at her natural reaction of fleeing the scene at soon as possible and the heat of human bodies at least three meters from them.
The acrobat had purposely left his good eye-ball facing upwards; the additional effect of the dark sunglasses impeding his eye-sight ever so slightly to watch the torn-boots of the man standing the nearest to them in preparation.
It was okay; Selina told him it'd be like this.
"¡Comando número 1, aseguren la zona, comando número dos, conmigo![5]" He ordered and a different set of feet and voices moved from spots, but Dick just squeezed the ginger's wrist, feeling her rate faster than the speed her feet could take to reassure her everything was okay. Suddenly, that same voice came back, if not a little closer and he got a good look at the man who was pointing a very sophisticated M-1943 with laser adapted aiming at the girl's head, and he had to restrain himself with all his might to stop from jumping and landing a well-placed kick at the man's jaw. He was only doing what he thought was the safest answer, seeing how they were now with the knowledge of the teen's meta powers. "Comando dos, aseguren a los intrusos; revisen por armas u objetos de riesgo. Cuidado con la muchacha, es una meta.[6]"
'Yep,' he thought resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation, 'they know it.'
"Hey! Easy with the hands!" Iris yelled insulted at the women who searched her pockets and just about everything else. "Wait, that's not what it looks like! I swear! It's for good purposes!" She defended herself with her fast speech when a woman found the Colt on her bag while Dick was being search through himself.
"General, encontramos una pistola Colt en la bolsa de la niña, pero está vacía.[7]" She spoke handing the offensive object over to the man in charge, and he took a calculating gaze at them.
"¿Qué están haciendo aquí un par de niños a tan altas horas de la noche y cargando un arma vacía?[8]"
Iris frowned; not pleased in the slightest at the treatment and at being unable to comprehend what they were talking. She contemplated for a brief span if this was how regular people felt whenever she spoke, but dismissed the comparison right away due to her uncomfortable spot on the floor.
"Can you speak english? I'm sure this would be easier to explain. We don't want to 'cause troubles and my brother will kill me if I don't get him that back." She spoke in what she considered was a normal speed speech but got no response, sighing in defeat. "This. Is hopeless."
"Venimos en paz.[9]" Dick told them, "Always wanted to say that~!" he whispered in a very enthused sentence to a shell-shocked Iris. ("You know Spanish?") Before turning to the others again. "No estamos con Leviathan ni con Superman, pero venimos buscando ayuda.[10]" At the permanent silence and obvious tense figures surrounding them Dick swallowed heavily. "Por favor, sólo queremos detener la guerra.[11]" Some faces on the back shuffled, and he saw his opportunity arising. "Ella es la hija del legendario héroe Flash,[12]" he added with conviction on his fuel, ignoring the startled gasp of many others merged with the aforementioned girl in favor of helping their cause, "por favor, ocupamos su ayuda para encontrar a alguien.[13]"
"¿A quién quieren encontrar?[14]" A female asked from behind the 'General', earning a well-placed glare on her as she straightened her posture to her commander in chief. "¡Señor, si ellos son aliados de Flash es nuestro deber ayudarles, Señor![15]"
"Estamos buscando a la familia del Escarabajo Azul; es urgente encontrarlos.[16]" Dick brightened, finding the ray of light he was searching and quickly placed himself before the General found his tongue, not missing in the least when the same woman that had defended their cause stilled just like all military at hand. The dead silence following his statement lasted for what appeared to be hours before her voice resonated again.
"… ¿qué saben del Escarabajo Azul?[17]" She asked with coldness on her voice and the acrobat risked getting to a sitting position to lock his gaze at the dark figure in the night, not sparing a fleeting thought to anybody else in the penumbra.
'Bingo.'
~-21:04hrs. Daily Planet Edifice, Omicron-Metropolis.
Superman sighed, clearly agitated beyond belief as he waited for his second-hand to appear in the doors of his old office. Clark had been suffering the loss from Alpha back in Old-Louisiana for months now, and the pressure of Leviathan breathing on his neck after the disaster here on Omicron-Metropolis that resulted in the complete destruction of their Military Forces Department, Laboratories and experiments included, he added with a grimace, had been a big hit to the Man of Steel with their Lord.
As if the situation wasn't precarious enough with losing Alpha and having Bruce every step after him; destroying random pieces of the puzzle that even he wasn't understanding the point but wasn't stupid enough to let it go through; he had fought with the Dark Knight long enough to know there was nothing the ex-billionaire did without a plan ahead.
It scared him. Everything was falling apart, and to make matters worse, Diana wasn't giving him the time of the day, turning more antagonistic and downright cold with him since that faithful day on Old-Louisiana. Ollie wasn't answering most of his calls, insisting on watching over his granddaughter because he claimed the arrow-kid was sick or something. And to add to the pile of bad news, he had no idea what was going on with Beta.
Where was Dinah? He wondered, glancing at the golden clock fixated on the wall as it kept running-by with no care for his suffering. She was supposed to be here hours ago!
Was she planning to betray him too…?
Clark shook his head, cleansing the sweat made from the exertion he suffered from his own mind.
'No,' he thought, clearing his throat and glancing at the pictures on the computer screens at his back with the lines of his face hardening, 'she wouldn't risk doing that. She still has something to lose.' The man consoled himself as he raised a big hand at the burning screen from the monitor that held a picture of a young man battered from his feet to his head. Unconscious.
'She's one of the few who still has the privilege to say that.'
"I apologize for the wait my Lord," came the voice of the woman he had been thinking about, and he dropped his hand from the picture on the screen to rely his heavy glare at the bleached blonde who stood proudly on her clean uniform with her arms at each side; waiting for orders.
"Let's just not let that happen again Black Canary." The Man of Steel said sure the message was clear even when she just gave a nod in confirmation. "What have you gathered of Beta and Gamma?"
"Nothing my Lord. I was awaiting your specific instructions after the report of damages I sent you of Alpha, followed by the recent attack here to Omicron-Metropolis, your home."
He wasn't sure if it sounded right, Superman thought considering the options with difficulty.
"My Lord, if I may, it'd be better if you considered providing me with the information regarding the following Greek Points," and Clark sent her a glare that was flashing red with his laser-beams on the brink of turning her into ashes at the suggestion, if their Lord hadn't deem Canary with an answer regarding something only he and Leviathan himself were to know, then the blonde had no business meddling or asking for that, "I know it's not protocol, and that its Confidential, but given the circumstances it's best if we prevent the destruction of Beta and Gamma and Delta, and Epsilon from now. You know I'm loyal to no one else but you, and Batman has gotten bolder in these past months to the point where we can no longer afford ourselves the luxury of going unprepared to war." She spoke and the old reporter bristled in anger; she was right, naturally, but it wasn't easy to swallow that the woman was so capable most of the times, even when she had turned into his lapdog. It's just that, the whole option of disclosing the four point locations was too risky to consider, but Bruce had gotten bolder…
…what if he already knew of them and by some miracle the place wasn't blown to pieces at that moment, or if Canary wasn't there to prevent a tragedy like what could have happened if the Bats had gotten inside the Military Department…? Was it really worth the risk?
And his life…?
~-21:07hrs. Ruins of New York City, New York.
The day had been lazy, the Amazonian warrior supposed as she stretched languorously on the impeccably new-furniture that was at the terrace of her acquired house on the otherwise-ruined city that was known to never sleep. Her hair was wet, the natural curls drying in the cold air that swept across her god-like features she inherited when her mother, Hippolyta, created her from the clay on the shore of Paradise Island, dampening the white folds that covered her strong curves and muscles, creating an opalescent figure that made her remind her origins where the Gods had been merciful instead of unforgiving.
But she had learned her place, and the wisdom of Athena had taught her to swallow her pride and accept humbly her mistakes.
It had been nights since she had approached another living organism; being rather condescending to share her space with other creature, or another of her allies.
The Queen had made some research in vain, having felt cheated by the likes of Superman of Black Canary after the last two major events had occurred that left her with a sour taste and suspicions high on her privileged brain Hera had granted. Unfortunately, after weeks searching for clues to reveal the lies and treacherous undercover plots by the same ones she had come back empty handed and had secluded herself in her home in order to avoid meeting the snakes that offered her the apple.
"Why, such a pathetic sight you offer," A female with sultry tones invaded her peace on her sanctuary, and the exiled Warrior within her roared in fury with the power of Rhea, "makes me wonder if I'm really correct in searching your assistance."
"Talia al Ghul," Diana worded with disbelief and repressed rage at the sight the other female made in her black regal-like clothing with the same brown hair and beautifully exotic feature, age aside. "What on Hera do you want and what are you doing here?" She asked; as far as she had understood, nobody had heard anything from the Daughter of the Demon eons ago. She even had forgotten the woman who had once held Bruce's love far back in a time where she had thought only Selina was in the way of her path with Bruce.
Diana removed those thoughts from her mind, standing up to face her enemy tall. That had been one lifetime ago, and there was nothing else to it now; Bruce had become the enemy long back, and those sentiments were past due her time.
Talia was tall, she had forgotten so; her treacherous mind spacing to the times she'd been standing near the Cat of Gotham where the small female had been nothing but a pebble compared to her tall frame, but Talia while not taller than her, had an advantage in height that placed her in a comfortable middle ground between all three lover-aspirants of the Bat.
"Obviously the powers of observation of the Amazons are far better than this," she chastised her in that arrogant voice and Diana bristled, wondering why Bruce's ex was here of all places. Both women had really no business together, in fact, it was hard to remember a single occasion that had both of them alone for any expanse of time, "but after spending the last years with such brutes like the alien from Metropolis it's no surprise you find yourself preoccupied with such simple trivialities."
Diana stepped forward; her whole countenance ready to pounce when at the blink of an eye, an array of assassins stood between both women. She just stepped forward again, not heeding attention to the blades aimed at her neck.
"You are a wanted criminal, and if you have been helping Batman then by the Gods will I make you regret it and show you justice."
"My Beloved has nothing to do with this, and it's neither your business nor your interest to dwell on the matter. The simple fact that you dare question something beyond your comprehension is weight enough to consider leaving without granting you the help I was so graciously going to offer you." The brunette with matching eyes spoke to her derisively and the Amazonian exiled could see her son in her.
It was disgusting; to know Bruce ever felt something for someone like her when Diana had been so much more.
More than Talia.
More than Selina.
Just more.
"What are you talking about?" She questioned instead, fixated on ignoring the melancholic voice inside her mind that kept barking in jealous protests towards something that had no place.
"…" Talia levered her gaze, brown smashing with dark blue and both stood still with the wall of assassins separating each other. "While on my own business to wash out the Scum soiling my feet, my Assassins found something about your valued reporter that might interest you." Then she gave a pointed look at an assassin on her left, "Give her the file." She ordered like the Queen Diana was supposed to be, and the male over-went the sea of ninjas to hand her an envelope that Wonder Woman eyed with distrust and made Talia raise an elegant eyebrow in condescending fashion. "You ought to think well before rejecting my gift Prince," then Diana glared harder at her use of her last name, "while this doesn't translate to us becoming associates and certainly makes no promises of me halting to end your life if I see fit, I have my reasons to grant you a winning card like this one. What you decide to do with it is no concern of mine." Then she nodded to the male holding the enveloped who let it fall to the floor to appear at her retreating figure in the shadows.
Diana kept unmoving, not considering in the least to make something from the vain woman who was taking her leave.
"Do not be a fool to speak of my existence," Talia threatened halting her step and aiming a piercing glare with those almond-colored eyes that shinned in the darkness, "or you'll regret it in the form of those papers, Amazon." The Head of al Ghul finished, disappearing in the darkness with her army at her feet, and Diana was surprised at her lack of desire to pursue and incarcerate the perpetrator that surely aided Bruce on their quest.
At the end she had to admit it was all for the same curiosity Eva had found in the Apple of Sin as she casted a look to the envelope on her terrace mosaics that she picked up before ripping it open; her face hard at what she expected to be inside it.
"By the Gods—" The raven whispered, a strong hand making her way to her mouth to avoid releasing the awful truth that had that one picture within the folds of the deceitful woman, and Diana was unable to prevent the trembles of her knees as she fell to the floor completely flabbergasted and powerless to stop her widened pupils staring at the photo she was damaging from the force behind her fingers.
A photo of her sister back when she was alive, in conditions that had the blood on her veins boiling in uncontained rage; her eyes cascading in a fit of uncontrollable wrath and ire at the broken sight and teeth drawing blood from her lips freely.
She had promised Donna to avenge her death long ago, and the vision that right now was permeating her eye-sight demanded—ordered retribution of the worst kind.
Once she found out the perpetrators.
~-21:09hrs. Across the Border, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México.
"Así que están buscando a la familia del Escarabajo Azul,[18]" The General stated as he stood unmoving from her spot inside the lightened tent while Dick and Irey were kept with two military forces standing guard. He watched with curiosity the simple mended carpet making the tent that, at the very top had half of a plastic coke container that irradiated white light[19] as it was kept suspended on a hole. It appeared to have water stored inside it, and was helping a lot in the dark obscurity that was the Dessert of Coahuila, a trick he was certainly going to consider using on his arsenal of knowledge in the nearby future if it was needed, and that he was going to share with his family. Hopefully he would question more of what was inside the plastic container later to the Mexicans guarding their country.
"Sí," he answered, sparing a hidden glance at the soldier, and even when he could throw a wild guess at how much the glasses were annoying them, nobody uttered a word about it, "es importante encontrarlos lo más pronto posible[20]."
"¿Con qué motivo? Jaime Reyes está muerto, y su familia ocupada cuidando nuestro País. Podemos ofrecerles protección; son sólo niños, y uno de ustedes es descendiente de Flash. Estarían seguros con nosotros si deciden quedarse. Nuestro país ha durado seguro por años[21]." Another heavily-packed female head that used to be outside uttered into the conversation; her General facing both children without deterrent, clearly expressing his acceptance of his soldier's words.
Dick cleared his throat, slapping away Irey's hands aiming at something wrapped in the small table at her right in a patronizing manner that wasn't lost to the soldiers on the small space. He was enthused about the National Military offering as much to help them, but their purpose was very clear; it did, however, provoked a particularly interesting content that he was sure, could be handy in the nearby-future once he settled the deal soon enough.
"Gracias, pero debemos quedarnos en los Estados Unidos," then he made sure to turn his whole head towards the female soldier, "es ahí donde tienen tu joya Milagro. [22]" He spoke gravelly; the room filled with surprised gasps and the redhead's curiosity over the sudden change in atmosphere.
"Salgan. Ahora." That same woman spoke containing her emotion.
"Señorita Reyes, ¿está segura—?" The General asked, approaching the small woman who only glared at him behind her dark-gear glasses, then nodded, turning to the others in the room. "Regresen a sus puestos. ¡Ya![23]" Then, in a matter of discipline seconds, only the three underage people amongst the camp were left alone in the tent.
Iris scratched her hair self-consciously, obviously way too uncomfortable at being unable to comprehend what was happening and staying put for more than five minutes. Dick, however, just loosened the scarf to convey his natural smile at the female who was obviously glaring daggers at him to attempt a less hostile environment.
"How do you know that?" She spoke in perfect english, and the speedster perked considerably at it; her eyes glistening in excitement at finding herself within the conversation once more, and her feet were quicker than her mouth—pretty standard with her and her kin really—and then she was at the girls side, watching down at her with a big smile and matching emeralds until the other girl quickly moved from her place and planted a heavy-automatic rifle pointed at her jaw by instinct, and Iris quickly moved her hands gesturing surrender at the girl's quick reflexes.
"Hey! Take it easy! We're the good guys! I'm sorry I scared you! No harm intended!" The West girl quelled the olive-skinned teen who didn't loosened her hold or stance for that matter. "Um… Robbie? A little help here. I thought she could speak english." She spoke as fast as her feet, thinking that maybe she had overstepped her boundaries by assuming the Mexican knew their language and not just scraps and pieces.
"I can speak english." Milagro scoffed out, dropping her weapon from the speedster's jaw and removing her head gear to reveal a pretty tan face with wavy dark-brown almost black hair tight in a bun and some curls falling at her sides; her full lips a caramel color and eyes almost as dark as her hair itself as she squinted an exquisite full eyebrow at them. "I lived in the States for years after all." Then she placed her gaze on the little boy who kept smiling at her and she frowned, crossing her arms over her well-developed chest, and Iris found herself looking at her athlete body for a moment in comparison in the background. "Who are you really kid?"
"Robbie Malone," The circus carnie answered, walking to her to grasp her hand in a friendly gesture, and not expecting at all the glare he received from the brunette in the room in response of his name.
"Robbie Malone?" The teenage military spoke carefully, scoffing to her side and placing a disbelieving expression on the eight-year old. "My brother, knew the Malone's." Then she watched him with suspicion. "And Jaime never said anything about a little kid living up the empire of the Italian Gangster back in Gotham.[24]"At Iris's surprised gasp and glance to the boy Milagro raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know who he was? And you're Flash's kid?"
"Hey! I just met the kid today, and don't discriminate based on family trees!" Iris defended herself in a dash, resuming her stance at Robbie's side once again. "And what do you know? Gotham's not like before, and even Batman is having some troubles to keep the battle with Leviathan."
"Batman is doing his best from what we hear here." Milagro debated, placing her arms on her hips to return her watch on the boy who kept waiting for them. "But what I know, is that Matches Malone is no longer alive," she spoke, waiting for any slight misstep the lad could give at her knowledge without success, "is he?"
Dick shrugged non-committed. Selina had taught him the Mexican Army, who had Alberto, and Bianca Reyes as their Leaders, were acutely up to date on their info bank. He also understood the hidden meaning behind the girl's words.
That she knew exactly, who Matches Malone was.
Instead of proving to be a problem, it was actually going to help him seal the deal.
"Dad did his best." He answered cryptically, and Iris sighed in irritation. "Irey, if you want, you can go back now." Dick told his niece, a little ashamed she was caught in the midst of all. "I'm fine, and you helped me a lot."
"No. I promised I would help you out." Iris said with conviction before glaring heavily at both of them. "And you two are hiding something." She kept saying at a normal rate to emphasize the importance of this little gathering before crossing her arms. "I'm not going anywhere until I figure out what."
"This is all escalating way too fast," Milagros uttered like a normal teenager blaring her hand against her face in irritation; the first semblance of a girl she was supposed to be hidden underneath all the cargo she sported, "what am I supposed to tell my parents once they find out about this?" She scoffed, crossing her arms again and getting into a staring contest with the youngest of the three.
"… you know, this would be a lot less anticlimactic if you threw away those damn glasses." The olive-skinned girl uttered resentful, and Dick just shrugged in response, making her sigh in defeat and keep acting her age.
It was a well-earned change anyways.
"… how do you know of if?" She asked instead; a defeated tone slipping in her strong countenance that had the other girl burrowing her own slim eyebrows in defeat as well.
"I know people." Dick answered, catching the drill. "And I also know how they snatched it away from you when you were a little kid." Then, to both girl's relief he added, "My mom told me so. She has connections, and she was the one who sent me here to find you."
"What for?" Iris asked, confused at something suggested but unspoken.
"To make them give you back what they took from you." He spoke strongly, impressing both teens at his demonstrations that placed him as someone beyond average by his age. "And give you the chance to find something as well; for you and your family."
"¿…qué?[25]" The Latina asked with emotion straining her voice, not caring how much her hands trembled at being tight fists.
"Closure."
~- 21:11hrs. Primary Base underneath Gotham's Arkham Asylum.
"Batman, it's important that you come back to the Cave, there are some important news that you need to be aware of." Tim read to the computer console on the cave. His cast was gone, and his mobility had improved vastly in the last couple of weeks since Jason had "so thoughtfully" broke it. Unfortunately, for the past couple of minutes he'd been attempting contact with his Boss, the Bat hadn't been responding to his urgent codes, blatantly ignoring his requests for an auditory to discuss his recent findings on their Enemies.
He kept trying to locate the Gothamite, knowing Bruce would eventually answer his urgent calls and stop the search that consumed the Dark Vigilante for a second to listen to his report.
"Give it a rest Tim, I'm sure Bruce is busy right now, and will call you back when he has the time." Stephanie told him at his side, placing a sure hand on his shoulder plate in support with her cowl down her face. She had returned from their nocturnal check-up on the Asylum with Cass on her toes to find the third bird of the flock typing furiously at the holographic keyboard and her heart had sunk. The blonde had told Cass with a look that she would handle the bird as the other woman nodded and walked away to the dorms; surely to get a change of attire—at least that was what Steph hoped she did.
What with all the shenanigans poor Cass had to sit through now that Jason had made himself a permanent mix on their household and how the two other male Robins had taken it in themselves to team-up against the third remaining one the poor Wayne girl deserved all the time she could get to relax and be off duty.
"He won't be busy once he finds out what I discovered Steph," Tim shook her off with that detached tone she found was breaking her little by little without his notice, "someone in here needs to keep him alert, and Talia suddenly appearing in the face of the Earth is definitely something that can't wait." He finished telling her, and Steph took a step back in shock.
Talia was alive? How…?
"When did you…?" She sputtered out, confused at this change in events. Tim was right; this couldn't wait. "Talia has been off the radar for years now—we thought she was dead. How and why did she appear after all this time missing?" Then her blue gaze fell on the raven head of Tim who kept trying to communicate with Batman. "Tim," The current Batgirl commanded the attention that was still being denied from her predecessor, and in an array of compressed indignation, she grabbed hold once more of her past love's shoulder, turning him around with resolve and bypassing the icy glare she was receiving from those icy crystals to make her point, "does Damian know?" she asked harshly, and the compressing eyes told her everything she needed to know.
"What should I know Brown?" Another voice came in, and Steph twisted her neck to her back to watch the firm pace of the heir of the Wayne throne walking with all his mighty galore towards them. Jason, the ever-permanent accessory of the teen, a few steps behind with a smoke on his lips and the blonde woman furrowed her brow. Along this past month and a half, their Generation had clearly broken into two parts where she and Tim sided with each other (she mostly did it to protect the man from the other two males residing their hideout) while Jason and Damian had their own group that basically hated everybody around them. Cass had made the mature decision to stay out of any circle, stepping in as mediator (Steph grimaced at the place she was supposed to take was at Cass' side at that, more because she did cared for Damian too; it was just too hard to keep Tim alone on this little groups they formed) in favor of everyone, while Alfred acted the parent part and Bruce was kept out of everything with his usual escape routine.
None had found Dick after he came back, and it was now obvious, after weeks spying on Jason and watching his every move (well, Tim did at least) that the outcast vigilante had been true to his word and hadn't kept the acrobat before they all found him on that fateful day. She knew it, Alfred knew, Cass and Damian knew it, and she was pretty sure Bruce knew it was well.
Except Tim wasn't relenting on accepting it yet, evidence be damned.
"Evidently manners to start with," Tim responded cold towards the teen. Aiming another well deserved frigid glance at the older male that had stopped behind the Homunculus, "though considering your birthright it's understandable you lack them."
Damian glowered in distaste at his elder, standing high in his civvies and crossing his arms over his chest regally.
"You ought to know nothing about my origins you imbecile, and with that, avoid speaking of them as such."
"Ha, speaking like a true al Ghul," Tim stated cynically, enjoying the tense frame he got out from the youngest of their flock as well as the oldest one standing him company.
"Tim, stop it." Stephanie pleaded him as he stood tall, sporting with pride the splinter replacing the cast a couple of days back, courtesy of Leslie, but he ignored her as he touched a screen appearing at his side to provide the recent take of Prince's normal whereabouts.
"Tell me Damian, were you also aware of your mother being alive and plotting with the enemy?" The freshly suited Red Robin—minus the cowl—delivered in a cold punch to the other one, and at his right he felt Stephanie stiffen at the low blow.
"What?" Damian yelled out outraged while Jason bristled on his spot.
"That is a serious accusation Replacement," The Red Hood vigilante spoke carefully, aiming a well deserved sense of dread at his dangerous profile that made the cave darken, "if there's a moment you might want to take back, it better as fuck be that."
Tim didn't relent, popping instead, on another hologram, a picture of a younger-looking Damian with an assassin on another town.
"I know they've been making contact with you over the first year the War erupted, shortly after Dick's assassination."
"Damian?" Batgirl questioned at the evidence shown, casting a confused stare at the teen who managed to resemble a cat ready to attack.
"That, is none of your business Drake," the Wayne growled out, fisting his hands and avoiding the palpable temptation of slicing the impostor in half with a sword, "like you stated it was long ago, and since my mother had made no attempts to establish a connection with me."
"Hell yes," Jason added to the teen's favor, stepping ahead to block slightly a potentially dangerous situation; besides, if anybody was going to break another one's neck, it sure as hell was going to be him, "we don't even know if the bitch's alive."
"Do not call my mother a harlot, Todd!"
Jason rolled his head; an act clear as the day since he was without his trusty helmet out of his whole accustomed gear.
"You clearly have a lot to learn about her[26], Babybird."
"Stop it! We are getting off-topic here people!" Steph blurted out, hands out as well carrying her annoyed character at their incessant need to fight each other.
"And what is the topic sweetums?" Jason shot back derisive and Steph gritted her teeth patiently counting to ten. "How Replacement here can't stop being an incompetent piece of meat that consistently need to fuck people off just 'cause he can't get off himself?"
"Jason!" Steph yelled out of her patience at the crude innuendos Jason was blurting out; her cheeks betraying her with a rosy tone and aiming a glance at Damian, hoping the grown man got the point.
If he did, he did a poor demonstration by rolling those blue-greenish eyes of his.
"-Tt-, do not be naïve Brown," Damian amended for his brother, stepping ahead as well to recover his vision on the other band, "I fully comprehend Todd's foul demeanor and he suggests, and while not beyond his level to sprout such obscenities, I understand his trail of logic on it."
"Oh my god," The only women muttered as she passed a hand over her face in agitation. 'Just breathe,' she kept chanting to herself inside her head.
"The only logic in here that you two can understand is that what brings you together is the same dark nature that eats you away." Tim threw right back, another picture opening for the audience's eyes and basking in their perplexed and anguished expressions when this one demonstrated the well-known face of Talia al Ghul standing face to face with Diana Prince in the latter's place; a ninja handing the Amazon something out. "And that even if you didn't know she was alive, now you know she is plotting with the enemy. So if she comes to search for you again, you might want to be aware of it beforehand."
~-22:13hrs. Passing the Border, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México.
"Are you sure about this?" Dick asked the fleeing teen with a heavy bag on her small shoulders as the trio made their way around the security surrounding the Eagle Pass Border[27]. "Maybe it would be better if you told your parents—"
"No." She spoke with a Spanish enunciation, ducking away with them in the penumbra. "They wouldn't understand, and would just send me back to Aguascalientes to keep me safe," at that she frowned beneath her own scarf; she had stayed in her military get-up, bringing her helmet and glasses too for future use as well as a heavy array of fire and white weapons in case they were needed. Her parents had taught her well once the Enemy had taken her brother's life, and on the passing years, the Reyes' had united with the Mexican Army and kept a tight leash on the Country's well being to the point where they had needed to show her the ropes for her own protection. During some of her recent scouting's searching for survivors across the border, Milagro had found many atrocities that she wished she hadn't at the time, but that now where preparing her and her newly appointed friends for the heavy path ahead, "we can do this. If what you're saying is true, I need to go with you guys." She stared hard at the other two who kept their faces glued to hers, understanding the emotion. "Jaime would think so too."
"I'm staying too." Iris suddenly spoke out, glancing at both her companions seriously. "This is too big, and there's no way you're trying this on your own without me. My dad would be ashamed of me if I left, and I wouldn't allow myself to do it anyways. I'm a Flash. Period."
"This won't be easy, you girls know that, right?" Dick asked, already prepared with his future plans. Once they seized their price, Milagro could easily return to Mexico for assistance of the Mexican Army once the chips fell into place. She had assured as much, and with Iris' help and the rest of the Bat's crew they were slowly stepping out of their constrictions; Net and Mage would soon follow.
Both nodded, and then Iris smiled in conspiracy at the two as well.
"You said that we needed to go to California right?" When Dick nodded feigning confusion—he obviously knew what the redhead was pointing at—she smiled more cheekily; Milagro waiting in curiosity at her left. "I know someone who can help us, but we need to get to Old-Star City for it.
[1] From issue "The Flash Plus Nightwing". It's an awesome one-shot that depicts the tale of Dick and Wally's annual vacation trip going to the "worst" side when they need to stop some aliens out of the blue in the middle of Dick having to pick out a place because Wally never decides and on the last minute Dick needs to make the plans himself. It's one of my utmost favorite issues because it really describes the best-friend dynamics the two share.
[2] Irey took the full force of the Speed Force connection she and Jai shared and freed Jai from the pain it encounter. She also aged two years and while they are still twins, Iris is two years older than her sibling.
[3] Spanish for "Raise your hands and throw yourselves on the floor or we will shoot!"
[4] Still Spanish: "We won't repeat it again! Raise your hands and throw yourselves on the floor or we will open fire! This is a Restricted Zone/Area and you have no permission to pass by!"
[5] "Command number 1, secure the zone, command number 2, with me!"
[6] "Command two, secure the intruders; search for weapons or hazardous objects. Be careful with the girl, she's a meta."
[7] "General, we found a pistol Colt in the girl's bag, but it's empty."
[8] "What are a couple of kids doing here at such hours in the night and carrying an empty gun?"
[9] "We come in peace."
[10] "We are not with Leviathan or Superman, but we come searching for help."
[11] "Please, we just want to stop the war."
[12] "She's the daughter of the legendary hero Flash,"
[13] "please, we need your help to find someone."
[14] "Who do you want to find?"
[15] "Sir, if they are allies of the Flash it's our duty to help them, Sir!"
[16] "We are searching for the family of Blue Beetle."
[17] "…what do you know about Blue Beetle?"
[18] "So you are searching for the family of the Blue Beetle,"
[19] It's actually a project of sorts that they are using for people with low resources and on zones where electricity isn't available. Check it out at " www. visualnews 2011 /07 /14 / bringing-light-to-the-poor-one-liter-at-a-time/" without the spaces. It even has a video on Youtube, just write 'A Liter of Light.' Will definitely try it out myself.
[20] "Yes, it's important to find them as soon as possible,"
[21] "To what purpose? Jaime Reyes is dead and his family is occupied protecting our Country. We can offer you protection; you're just kids, and one of you is descendent of Flash. You would be safe with us if you decided to stay. Our country has remained safe for years."
[22] "Thanks, but we must stay in the United States," "it's there where they have your gem Milagro."
[23] "Miss Reyes, are you sure—?" "Return to your posts. Now!"
[24] For the story purposes, in here Jaime knew Batman, and Robin and Nightwing at different times, and on one of them, knew of Matches Malone, who was, of course, Batman disguised as a Head of the Mob in one of Gotham's Sectors and told Milagro that. Also letting him know that Malone was really Batman on it.
[25] "…what?"
[26] Reference to the arc of "Lost Days" of Red Hood. Yeah, figured it came out handy.
[27] That's the name of the Border of México, and the States in Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Will later update a map of it.
Author's Notes: *Smirks excited* Oh yes, I also went there. And Dick knew it too, so he's not so innocent either. This was a very fulfilling chapter to write, one because it depicted heavily my obsessions with playing with numbers, adding innuendos with hidden plot twists being tampered, and an extensive play of words (like the Colt being a Roy; yeah, I'm funny like that) and my enjoyment of basically every character added to the mix that could be added without breaking the harmony. Bruce and Selina would have made it perfect, but unfortunately didn't fit in the panorama.
Special note to Domi: It thrills me you enjoyed the past chapter and have been reading them for a while now. I'm sure you're following more closely than what you think, but it feels good to see you have the gears running in your head to keep up. And that you are glad that I updated here. Thanks, writing the characters interact with each other is something I thoroughly adore doing, and another person finding love on it and their encounters makes me grin in delight. Thank you for your words.