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Chapter: 36
Tori stood on the roof of the manor again, gazing at the stars. It was March, the air was still chilly and she could feel her fingers and toes start to stiffen but she still stayed in her spot. Bruce had been trying to convince her to see Dinah again, but Tori didn't think she was ready and she was tired of him pushing for her to go. Tim and Stephanie were on a date, their first real date since the Joker attacked everyone. He was dead apparently. When they told her, Tori just shrugged, "One less crazy to worry about," Tim and Steph agreed, as did Dick…Barbara especially agreed. Tori had yet to see Jason again since the time he lay next to her during her forced sleep. She didn't know if she should be worried about that or not…but she tried not to dwell on it. If Jason needed space for whatever reasons, then she would give him that.
Tim and Stephanie were helping Tori catch up on all the schoolwork she had missed. To the public of Gotham, Tori had been kidnapped for the past three months, not held prisoner and trained to kill for that time. In order to graduate she needed to make up all the tests, classwork, labs, projects and quizzes. Tori was determined to graduate despite what had happened. She had been hard at work since four days ago, when she had woken up three days from when she'd been stabbed. Tori was making progress, but it was hard. That was where Tim and Steph came in.
It was amazing how fast everything moved back to the mundane life she'd been living before the Court captured her. She went to school—she had to wear finger-less gloves all the time to hide her mutated veins—, she came home and did her homework but everything felt different. It was strange to be around people as if nothing had happened, yet at the same time it distracted her from what did happen.
Even with that distraction of school she felt like she was drowning, falling with nothing to catch her…like she was still over that edge and in the abyss of darkness. Dick was the one who helped pull her out of that funk. He brought her to the cave and taught her how to fly on the trapeze. While with the Talons she learned acrobatics and gymnastics—on a much more extreme level than before—they did not use the trapeze and the lessons were not just for the enjoyment of soaring through the air, "You may feel like you're falling. But I'll always be here to catch you," he had said. It was exhilarating and brought a real and happy smile to her face, it brought her spirits up. The trapeze down in the cave became her refuge. She could go alone—with a spotter—or with Dick. But that was the only reason she ever went in the cave.
She did not go in the cave to monitor everyone's movements and she did not beg to go out at night with the others. Everything was as it had been, and Tori did feel the need to make a difference like the others—but she was scared. Tori worried that if she went out, if she tried to work with them like she'd always wanted to do, she'd turn back into the mindless killer she'd been before. Bruce noticed the change, but didn't comment…until that night. As she stood facing the stars, she heard his footsteps clomping up the stairs,
"Yes Bruce?" she asked, before he could speak,
"How did you know it was me?"
"I heard you coming…you have a particular footfall. I was trained to hear and detect any kind of sound I may hear," she said, "What is it?"
"Your training is it. We need to talk," he said, "In the cave," Tori didn't say anything but followed him. They descended into the cave and Tori found it mercifully empty,
"It's been a while since I've been in here for anything other than trapeze…" Tori said, looking around the cave. She froze when she saw her Talon uniform in a glass case, next to Jason's Robin uniform. The latter covered with a sheet,
"He asked to have it covered while he looked for you with us. It…unsettled him. Brought up bad memories," Bruce said as he went over to the computer, "What is this about my training?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking away from the glass case, not voicing how it made her feel,
"You were trained by assassins," Bruce said, typing on the keyboard. Tori watched the screen as he did so,
"Yes. As were Damian and Jason," Tori said,
"You haven't asked to go out with us despite being trained. Something you've wanted since last year," Bruce said,
"Things change," Tori said, teeth set,
"Yes. They do," Bruce said, jabbing a button. Photos of bodies, bloody dead bodies, littered the screen. Six from Gotham, the others from London, all people Tori had killed while being with the Court. Tori's arms fell to her sides,
"Is this why you haven't asked, haven't offered me a chance to go out with you guys?" Tori asked, "Is the fact that I did that to survive going to change your belief that I am still me?"
"I just want to know, that if given the opportunity to help Gotham alongside me and the others, would you do this again?" Tori was silent for a moment,
"I don't want to be that person again Bruce. I never wanted to kill those people…but you have to understand, for four days they tortured me and on the fifth they changed me into a Talon. From the sixth day on I was trained to kill and hurt and destroy and spy…and that's all I trained for. That's the only training I know. I don't want to kill people. I don't want to be that person…that dark evil person that lingers down in my bones, but I cannot guarantee that won't happen again because that is the only training I have ever known. I can't take that risk…I don't want to kill another person because I'm afraid I won't stop…that I'll always be the Talon William wanted," Tori's voice wavered slightly,
"I can teach you not to kill Tori. I taught Damian…and you are not alone. Many had to learn restraint before going out in our City, myself included. There are also the others to help you. You have the potential to do great things, and now that you are trained, we could teach you our way of doing things. I know I left you out before, but I can't do that this time…not just because you are potentially dangerous…but because you shouldn't fear yourself. You shouldn't fear the strong, independent and skilled young woman you've become. You should embrace your strengths and weaknesses…but only if and when you learn restraint and control," Tori nodded, her eyes watered,
"Thank you," she said. Then, "Can…I just look at my old suit for a moment. I—I need to reflect on everything…I need to find closure from what happened and accept that I cannot change the past," Bruce nodded,
"We are all here for you," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze before moving toward the exit. Tori walked over to the glass cases, slowly, watching Bruce leave the cave. Once he was out of sight she turned around and headed for the computer.
Bruce may have tried to hide it, but her new eyes saw it anyway. A folder…a new one from the last time she'd been on the cave computers. The folder was labeled 'M Surveillance,' there was only M name Bruce would be keeping tabs on. One person Tori wanted dead more than anything. The man that changed her life entirely and brought the attention of the Court to her and her family: Mac. Bruce had been keeping an eye on Mac, the man who he promised he'd find and bring to justice.
He had lied and said that he didn't know where he was, but in fact Mac had been in Gotham the entire time. William Cobb had told her the truth. That is why he hadn't been in London when she attacked. Tori bet the abductee bionic super soldiers were with the scientist, which meant that Tori had to act now. Bruce had lied to her, Bruce kept information from her and worst of all, he had no intention of telling her about it. Undeniable fury bloomed and Tori embraced it, one last time she would hunt her prey and if this last hunt turned her into a monster then so be it. Whirling to the glass cases she snagged a mask and put it on before opening the one case with her suit in it.
A Talon was a part of who she was.
Talon's left no loose ends.
A/N: Nice Bruce, let her go patrol at night AFTER she's been trained by evil assassin killers. Not only that but don't tell her things, that'll really make her trust you. *Eye roll*
Well...you'll have to wait till Friday to see what happens...unless...I perhaps...get a few more reviews. Thursday and Friday are good days to have chapters to read. Plus, it will get you the third installment faster...which I have started by the way. So in other words: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!