A/N: Hey-o folks! Happy New Year! Hope you had fun watching the ball drop! I did, though I misplaced my champagne glass like a minute after the ball dropped which was sad...I like champagne and we only have that on special occasions. Anywho here is the next chapter! I hope you didn't mind the recap of Darren's torture, him killing Asher and all that. It was needed for the story. Also I have two quick questions at the end that I would love to hear an answer to from you guys. One will relate to this current story, the other-it's kind of a two part questions-to the sequel to this one. Surprisingly I actually don't know when this story will end...usually I already have an ending planned but as of no...nope, not even close. BUT I do have an idea for the next one and that's where the second question comes in. Thanks for reading and answering my questions(hopefully)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 21

Dick looked through the crack in the door he left on the way out from the room Darren was staying in. Darren was laying back on the pillows, still above the covers, his phone in his hands. His facial expression was one of perplexity, either he was trying to get the hang of a new game or he wasn't as used to up-to-date technology as he let on. One thing that became clear over the past few days was that despite Darren being allowed to be in Powers Mansion and to go to galas, he never really experienced the real world. He has probably never gone ice skating, or fishing, or seen a movie or a parade or gone to the circus. He didn't know what Halloween was, or any other holiday probably…to be honest Dick had been too scared to ask. Darren had been robbed of a true childhood and there was no way he'd get one back. Not with the colossal mess they were potentially in legally. If Slade ever came by here intent on taking Darren with him there wasn't much they could do to stop him…additionally without the will they can't prove the Powers weren't really the intended guardians of Amanda Crowne's son. Slade had more of a claim than Dick did…but he was a known criminal and even if he came with an alias he wouldn't get through the social workers that would be all over Darren's predicament, but Darren's brothers could—or at least Grant could, he was old enough to claim custody, despite once being declared legally dead. Slade probably hadn't thought of that yet so they still had time, but they had to work fast and the justice system as well as the social working system did not move fast. Dick dreaded the moment when Darren would have to deal with the social workers. Darren wasn't ready for all of that and yet they were in a time crunch to get it all done.

On top of that Darren didn't even seem concerned with what he'd just told him. Of course he cried and of course he had a difficult time telling Dick what had happened…but as soon as Dick left it was like nothing had happened. It may be a way of coping…maybe he was trying to ignore whatever he was feeling…but the lack of distress—as noticeable or unnoticeable as it was—concerned Dick. He wanted the best for Darren. He deserved it after what he's been through. And he had a lot of making up to do. He didn't know about him for fifteen years! Fifteen. It was all the Court's fault. They were all to blame for this and they were going to take them down, not just for Darren or for Dick himself, but for all of Gotham and all they suffered under the secret rule and reach they had over the city. With a sigh he turned and headed downstairs, to the Batcave.

Bruce, Tim, Stephanie and Barbara were standing around the computer desktop they had, Damian stood by Titus with a hand on his collar to keep him from wandering off into the depths of the cave,

"I still don't think it's a good idea to let him come down here Dami," Dick stated as he moved to stand by Barbara and Tim. They were hunched over looking at the news reports of several untimely deaths of certain rich elites over the past week and a half, "he's an excitable dog and will run off to dangerous parts of this cavern if you're not careful,"

"Tt, I can control my own dog Grayson," came the biting sneer,

"Don't bother Dick, I've already tried," Bruce stated, not looking up from the device,

"The Arberlys lost the husband of Valerie and the nephew of the husband,"

"A name of said husband would be nice Timothy," Stephanie replied, rolling her eyes,

"Edward," Tim replied,

"Nephew's name?"

"Terrance,"

"So this is how we wheedle out who are Owls of the Court? By the deaths at Harbor House?" Dick asked, frowning at the growing list of names,

"It's not pleasant," Tim said, "But it's effective. They were well known people and will be mentioned in the papers. We can find more of them through the dead's friend grapevine,"

"These are rich snobs Tim, that's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Barbara stated, "The actuality of these people having true friends is very low,"

"But it is a lead," Bruce stated, "What did Darren tell you?" Dick let out a sigh,

"Everything," Barbara looked up from an article she was reading surprised,

"Just like that? So soon after it happened?"

"I know…I was surprised too. But he did. It wasn't easy for him…but I guess he saw the necessity of it," Dick replied shrugging,

"That's such bullshit," Damian snapped, "Drake told him you'd ask,"

"Is that true Tim?" Bruce asked, narrowing his eyes, Tim glared at Damian before replying,

"He wouldn't have said a word if I hadn't mentioned Dick would ask him about it. Plus he'd lose all trust in us. He is practically a cornered animal right now. Not all of you sat with him through most nights, you didn't hear how terrified he was," Dick winced slightly, he'd been out almost every night helping Bruce try to track down the Court again…or at least get a lead on their new headquarters while Darren had been out cold, "He needed the push and it helped him at least sort of face what happened," Tim continued,

"We don't know him all that well," Stephanie added defending Tim, "Even if he's related to you Dick, he isn't you. You're different people and therefore we needed to play this out carefully, and keep what little trust he has intact,"

"I understand that," Dick said, "I just wasn't prepared for all of that myself,"

"What did he tell you?" Barbara asked. Dick bit his lip…he wondered if he should water it down a bit, but decided not to. It was better they heard the whole truth. With a deep breath he told them everything that Darren told him. Bruce listened with hardly a change in expression. Stephanie on the other hand ended up clutching Tim's hand, her face very, very pale by the end of it—Dick could almost see her remembering when she'd been beaten near death years ago in her watering eyes, and he felt terrible for making her remember but he'd been told to tell all he heard—Tim himself only listened with a blank face as if he expected it to be that bad. Barbara stood silently, her face grim and her jaw set. A hard look in her green eyes. Damian didn't seem to be listening, but Dick could see the clenched fist by his side. He was angry…and Dick hoped that emotion mirrored on his face because he was furious himself,

"They made him kill his best friend," Stephanie growled when Dick finished, "After they nearly beat him to death!"

"I know. It's horrible," Dick said, "He still feels guilty for it…he even cried…but afterwards, he acted as if he never said a word,"

"It's probably how he's trying to cope," Barbara said placing a hand on his shoulder, "Or it's just how he was trained…or raised actually. Ignore the pain and the sorrow…shoulder on or cease surviving. We may not know how he lived with the Talons but living in such a harsh and hostile environment pretty much guarantees he won't react the way we'd think he would to terrible things,"

"That's right. We know nothing about his childhood or the degree at which he was abused," Bruce agreed, "The only thing we can do now is try and help him. I am concerned for his mentality…at least towards what is right and what is wrong…he did say he realizes what he did at Harbor House was wrong, but his willingness to say they equally deserved it concerns me,"

"As it does for me," Dick said, "I see that he does want to change that, but he just doesn't believe it's possible. I'm worried he won't put in the effort,"

"And he won't just give up using that sword if he has to," Damian piped up, jerking his head towards the sword Darren refused to leave without. It was on a pedestal in a glass case, "It was his friend's,"

"He was really distressed when he realized he didn't know where the blade was," Tim added,

"It's sentimental. He wants to make right what he did to his friend, he's channeling that feeling through the sword," Damian stated, "It will probably fade in time…but just in case we'll need to teach him to be nonlethal with that weapon. Not that I care what he does with it, but I know you do father…and Grayson,"

"We are not forcing him to become a vigilante!" Dick exclaimed,

"That's not what we're talking about Dick," Barbara insisted, "This is all about training him to control his strength and speed. It will come in soon and he'll have no control over it either and he'll end up hurting one of us or himself. I don't think you want that burdening him as well do you?"

"No," Dick sighed, "But bringing him down here for that…it could get ideas in his head,"

"Dick is right about that," Bruce agreed, "I do not want to force this idea onto him that he has to become something like us. He's never experienced true civilian life, I'd rather give him that…or as much as we can give him of that in the time being…than grooming him to be another one of us. Unless of course, that is what he wants to achieve,"

"Fine…we'll try and help him without bringing him down here to fight," Barbara decided, "But if that doesn't help we need to get him down here to at least learn control,"

"Agreed," Dick and Bruce said as one,

"Speaking of Talon abilities coming in," Tim started, "He's healing rapidly now, which is good. His eyes aren't completely gold anymore which means he won't be actively healing all the time,"

"That's a relief," Dick said,

"Yeah…those eyes…they're a bit disconcerting," Tim agreed, "He's still getting dizzy or light headed when walking around though, he nearly passed out one time too. Alfred can't figure out why and neither can I,"

"Well he did lose over a pint of blood," Barbara stated, "It takes a full week to get one pint back, but more? He'll need more time,"

"That is true, but it could be something else—,"

"—something serious?" Dick interrupted whatever else Tim was going to say,

"Not as of yet, but we will keep an eye on that,"

"Dr. Leslie will be coming tomorrow," Bruce stated, "She may be able to shed some light on that issue,"

"We should let Darren know that," Stephanie said, flipping through the articles on the computer desk again, "Are the Michaelsons acquaintances of the Arberlys?"

"Maybe…put a mark next to them, we'll have to check them out," Tim said,

"Speaking of Owls," Dick started, "I think I have a lead on getting the true will of Amanda Crowne,"

"And what's that?" Tim asked,

"Well Darren mentioned that William had a chest in his room at the compound where he was trained…well recently trained, after the Night of Owls they moved the Talons from the Harbor House and to the compound. Darren remembered that chest being filled with papers and documents from Crowne Manor the night William took him,"

"So…the will is possibly in a chest that's in a location we don't know?" Tim asked,

"Well…I never actually asked Darren where the compound was…"

"And why not Grayson!?" Damian snapped, causing Titus to jerk awake from his doze,

"It didn't really seem like a good time to question him like an interrogator," Dick stated firmly,

"We can search tonight on patrol as we search for potential confirmation on Owl members," Bruce declared, "We'll ask him tomorrow for the actual location if we don't find anything,"

"That's fair," Barbara said, "We shouldn't bring up anymore bad memories for him tonight,"

"Yeah. That seems like the best plan…thank you for doing all this, for Darren," Dick stated. Babs rolled her eyes and lightly punched him on the shoulder,

"Dicky, he's your family and therefore automatically our family now. No matter what happened in the past he's going to get our help,"

"And even if he wasn't somehow tied to the Court of Owls we'd still help him out of whatever situation he was in," Tim added, "We aren't just doing this because it's the first lead on the Court's movement since the Night of Owls,"

"Yeah Grayson, I thought that was obvious," Damian snorted. Bruce gave Dick a nod, and that was enough for him to know that Bruce agreed with the others. What they said made Dick feel better about all of this, it gave him hope that Darren still has a place somewhere somehow with him and his family,

"Let's head out everyone. Alfred's on the comms. We're splitting off into pairs. And keep an eye out for Talons, something tells me they'll be more active now, even with depleted brains and brawn." That said they all geared up and headed out into the Gotham night.

A/N: Yay! I finally got to include Barbara and Stephanie. I don't usually include Cassandra because I don't really know her character that well and am afraid I won't do her justice or make her too OC and I don't want to do that. Additionally I hope I didn't make Babs or Steph too OC. I'm just glad I got to bring them into the story instead of just mentioning them in passing. Jason will be making an appearance too, probably in more later chapters too. I have a plan people, I have a plan.

Speaking of plans, here are my questions:

The first one, for THIS story: Dick is old enough to have a job. I have heard/read that he was once a police officer in Bludhaven and maybe that would work in this story but I already mentioned that Dick lives in Gotham not Bludhaven and Bruce Wayne's son working at the Gotham Precinct? He wouldn't be taken seriously!

Soooo...

my other option is to go the New 52 route and have him be in charge of the circus but additionally I don't know how that went down, if it did because I did not like the New 52 that much and didn't read all the comics for it so LET ME KNOW which you prefer, or if you have any ideas of your own. It would really help!

Second question, for the FUTURE: So, I want to bring in a new female character eventually into this series. She will be OC, but I think I have OCs down as being the main/a character without taking away from the original characters, but I need to think of the name. I have TWO names and I would love to hear what you guys think of them. Here they are:

Genevieve OR Mazikeen[NOT from Lucifer, love the show though ;) ]

And as for her background, I usually don't like revealing character backstories until it's time because...where's the fun in that? Plot twists can't be established if the readers already know the backstory...but I can't decide which is better or which is stupid and cheesy. So here are the options:

1) Her dad's a cop from Chicago who transferred to Gotham. 2) Her father's a ganster/mafia member 3) Her father is a member of the Owls 4) her father was a TALON and 5) she is a homo-magi but only she knows it...sort of(aka like Zatanna and her family)

You can write out what you want or would like to happen in the reviews but I will NOT tell you which of them will or will not happen. I just need to know these are at least viable/likable ideas and root out the cheesy and cliche ones.

Thanks for reading this super long endnote let me know what you'd like REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Friday and Things of the Future will be updated on Monday!