Notes: It's almost that time again! NaNoWriMo! That wonderful (horrible) time of year when people from across the world try to write 50,000 words in a single month.
If you didn't already know, I make it a resolution to attempt it every year (this year is going to be brutal). So, that means updates are going to slow down for the month of November while I have a go at writing my own works.
Rumours and Gossip
Newspaper (CaraLee)
It was spread across the cover of the newspaper. Dick in the arms of his sister and her friend, being carried out of the latest Wayne function.
Dick's hands trembled as he read the article. Bruce went on record as saying it was nothing important but everyone was making theories, most of them linking it to his memory loss.
"They looked into my reports from the hospital," Dick shuddered as he read. What about patient/doctor confidentiality? They were saying he had a fit and collapsed because of complications with his brain. It was all lies. Stories the papers made up because Bruce was keeping the real story under wraps for now.
The paper was pulled from his hands and folded before his eyes.
"I've found it best if one does not read the paper after events such as last night's," Alfred said.
Dick slouched in shame. Steph and Cass had to leave everyone else in order to bring him back. Bruce had insisted on testing him for everything after he collapsed at the party.
"Where's Jason?" Dick asked. He recalled slurring out those words the previous night.
'Jas- Ja- Jay! W're's Jassson?'
He shivered. How had last night happened?
"Jason is alright," Bruce announced from the door. Dick quickly stood but had to pause as his vision blurred.
"Jas-," he mumbled. Then he tried to focus through the memories of the previous night, beyond being carried out. Biting the inside of his lip, he gathered the energy and courage to ask, "what happened?"
He had never been more terrified, despite the calm floppiness of his body. Losing control like that, it shouldn't have happened.
"There was a drug. You both have a needle mark on your neck." Dick's hand flew to his neck, pressing against the sensitive skin.
"We were attacked," he recalled. He had been chatting to Jason just outside the door to the main hall, where the party was taking place. Then some men surrounded him and there was a gun pointed at his head.
It distracted him for a moment. A moment where something sharp had punctured his skin.
"Jason was their target. The Wayne heir. They thought to hold him hostage. You were a bonus. The drugs still in your systems were to keep you unconscious and pliant."
"Pliant?" Dick questioned. His head grew foggy as he wondered how he came to be downstairs. He didn't remember coming down here.
He recalled going up.
"-keep you unable to-" Dick's eyelids felt heavy. Hands gripped his arms. "Dick!"
Did pliant mean the sleepiness? The weakness he felt in his bones? It seemed to come and go quickly.
"Where's Jason?" he questioned, the words tumbling automatically from his lips before his eyes closed and he slumped against Bruce.
Bruce sighed. Jason was in the cave, where Dick should have been. Somehow Dick kept waking long enough to escape and then wander the manor.
"He seemed lucid enough," Alfred commented sadly. "If I may make a suggestion, keep the boys together. Preferably before Master Jason awakes and pulls his own disappearing act."
Bruce nodded and heaved Dick over his shoulder. He thanked every deity he knew that Cass had been watching her brothers the previous night. She had seen the trouble and took the men out quickly.
Unfortunately, not quick enough. Both Jason and Dick had already been drugged unconscious.
Bruce pulled a cot into the medical room Jason was occupying in the cave and brought Dick in. As he placed him on the cot, Jason's eyes partially opened.
"Dick's okay," Jason mumbled. "Bruce. Where's Tim?"
"He's fine," Bruce reassured him. "Only you two were targeted."
"Ugh, worst part of being a Wayne," Jason grumbled rolling in the bed weakly. "Hate being kidnapped."
"At least they didn't get you out of the building," Bruce reassured him.
Jason just gave a small huff and closed his eyes to sleep off the rest of the drug.
Economy (CaraLee)
If he could choose, Alfred would take Tim with him shopping. Shopping was supposed to be a quiet time to replenish the manor's provisions. While he often enjoyed Miss Stephanie's energy, it was too much for shopping. Miss Cassandra would start out trying to read everything until she had a headache. He didn't like seeing her do that to herself so he left her at home.
Dick looked over everything. No matter how many times he came, everything just seemed so new to him. He wanted to try it all and the household budget did not allow for that kind of indulgence, despite what people may believe. Jason would switch out finer quality goods for their economy option wherever possible. Alfred did not like getting to the register to find that half of his trolley had been switched out.
Tim was quiet. He did not add or change the objects in the trolley. He was just tall enough to reach things when requested and did not complain about it; Damian was too short to be of use but Alfred wasn't going to tell the boy that, no matter how much Damian would grumble when asked to get something. Tim just pushed the trolley and listened to Alfred's requests.
Alfred preference was to do the shopping alone however, if he had to choose and could choose, he would take Tim with him.
Conference (CaraLee)
On one side of the table sat Roy Harper and Kori'ander. On the other side sat Jason Todd and Dick Grayson.
"This is weird," Roy opened with. Dick raised an eyebrow. "Well, I mean, you and Kori were an item for so long and yet you're comfortable sitting across from each other?"
Dick read too much into Roy's words and immediately started feeling guilty.
"I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," he said to Kori.
"I am not uncomfortable," she responded, holding her head high. "I came for the stories of your loving exploits after our parting."
"Is that a Tamaranian thing?" Jason questioned.
"No. It is a good friend thing," Kori responded. "I wish to know that the woman who currently holds Dick's heart will take care of it. Human hearts are almost as fragile as Tamaranian ones."
"Ah, you heard about Barbara," Jason realised with a smirk. "It's true, Dick and she have a thing."
"It's not a 'thing'," Dick countered, "we're dating."
Jason gasped, "so open about it!"
"Why is that surprising?" Kori questioned. Dick had been upfront in telling people when she and he started dating. That was before his accident though.
"They dated in secret," Jason said in a hushed voice, leaning across the table like he was telling some great secret.
"Jason," Dick groaned flopping his head to the table in annoyance.
"Is a lie? It was not. So you cannot complain," Jason half-sung as he seated himself back down.
"Sometimes, Jaybird, you're embarrassing," Roy sighed.
"This from a guy who's cornered me in the shower with a flamethrower."
"For science!" Roy quickly pointed out.
"In the shower Roy?" Dick questioned in disgust. "There are better places to corner someone. For Jay, try when he's watching TV."
"Alright, back to Dick and Babs," Jason said.
"We don't always have to discuss my love life," Dick pointed out.
"That's because you've had a lack of one until Barbara," Roy pointed out. "You know, that you can remember," he quickly added with a glance in Kori's direction. Dick's face went slightly pink.
"Actually," he slowly said. "There was a girl in Bludhaven."
"Oh! Do tell!" Kori insisted cheerfully.
"We met in the bar I started out working in. You know, before joining the force. She was nice and everything…"
"Until?" Jason prodded, catching the way the end of the sentence hung. Like there was something Dick didn't want to tell them.
"Until we broke up."
"Dick," Jason said in a warning tone.
Kori's lips pouted into a frown and Dick sighed.
"We were… we were going to get intimate one night." Dick wiggled in his chair and fidgeted as he spoke. "I… uh… I just felt guilty. Seeing her with her clothes off made me feel like I was doing something which would hurt someone. And then when I went to touch, the feeling was so strong that I had to stop." Dick looked and judged their expressions. He didn't find pity, just sadness, anger and even a bit of joy. "She wasn't happy about that."
"I guess losing your memories doesn't make you as free as people seem to think," Roy mused.
Jason gave him a baffled look.
"Of course. Look at the line of work we're in. Losing our memories would be a troublesome thing. It'd catch up with us and we wouldn't have any way to defend ourselves."
"He is correct," Kori said to Roy.
"Take it from me, it sucks," Dick added.
Roy slouched in his seat. He knew that, duh! He just didn't think before he spoke.
