- The Twirl of a Knife -
Summary:
Dick Grayson-Talon AU: Batman has torn the Court of Owls apart. While surviving on the streets of Gotham, Jason stumbles upon one of its last Talons. The pair strikes up an unlikely friendship.
Years later, Jason decides to clean up Gotham as the crime boss Red Hood while Talon grapples with his past sins. It is only a question of time until they end up on Batman's radar.
– eventual light Birdflash -
AN: Here it is. Another Dick Grayson Talon AU because I love reading them. I'm hoping to bring a fresh spin on this AU. It takes place in Young Justice continuity with the Team making an appearance in later chapters. There will be light Birdflash later but it won't be a main focus.
I'll loosely play with various continuities but I will be changing quite a lot of stuff. That's the fun thing about writing for these characters. There are so many incarnations to take from.
A warning for mature themes, violence and a lot of body horror. Dick is an assassin with healing abilities and he fights like one.
1. Jason
Jason scrambled for food in a dumpster. The city was eerily quiet. A rat jumped out behind the mountains of trash. Jason ignored it.
There was a moldy slice of pizza near the bottom of the dumpster. It would taste like greasy cardboard but it was better than going to bed on an empty stomach. Jason went on his tiptoes longing for the slice and reaching it with his fingertips. He grinned to himself and turned around.
Then he saw it. The thing – he could only call it a thing – was perched on a ledge and looked down on him. It wore a black suit lined with gold and a face-mask with golden goggles. Jason could see flashes of its freakish eyes behind the tinted glasses. They had locked on Jason in a predatory gaze.
He wondered if the thing's eyes were golden or if the goggles made it look like they were. The scariest thing were the knives strapped to its chest that were coated in blood. They glinted in the light of the streetlamps.
Jason flinched - losing his precious slice of pizza. He wondered if it was one of these freaky vigilantes but the Bat worked alone. Not even the Idiot League of America was allowed to come into Gotham. Not that they would care.
Jason stumbled back but the thing stayed motionless and seemed uninterested in him.
"No harm done, buddy", Jason put up his hands in a non-threatening manner, "I'm just leaving for another alley. Please don't kill me."
The thing radiated danger. It cocked its head and seemed to look at Jason. But otherwise it stayed unmoving. It seemed lost.
"See?", Jason said, "Everything's fine. I'm not harming you and you aren't harming me. Good deal, isn't it?"
He walked backwards out of the alley and bumped into someone. Jason froze. The smell of Cuban cigars told him what he needed to know.
"We've been looking for you, brat", one of Black Mask's enforcers said.
Jason cursed the day his father had lent himself drug money from Gotham's most dangerous crime boss – only to be thrown into prison before he could pay it back (not that Willis had aimed to. No. The honor fell to Jason who couldn't afford a slice of bread right now).
Jason looked for a way out but the enforcer had brought all of his usual friends. No way he would outrun them before they shot him.
"Money, Todd. Now."
Jason stumbled back: "Look, man. I didn't take any of your money. My father did."
"Your name is Todd, his is Todd. Enough for me", the enforcer growled, "We've been patient enough. If you don't have it, the boss will find another way for you to earn it back. And it won't be pleasant."
The enforcer cracked his knuckles.
Jason's throat was dry. He would kill himself before he would let these assholes take him – murdering as many of them in the process as he could.
Mask's enforcer reached for Jason. But before he could touch him, a shadow appeared in front of Jason. The thing shoved a knife into his attacker's arm. One of the other guys pointed a gun at its head. Before he could shoot, the thing flipped over to him and grabbed his head. It cracked as the thing twisted the guy's neck. Jason shuddered.
Mask's people ganged up on the thing but with a singular blow it crushed a guy's throat. A knife in the throat stopped another one. And the third received a kick to the chest. Ribs cracked and Jason knew that it was lethal. Should he be impressed or fearful?
The thing stayed still. It seemed to wait for the two attackers that were still standing - idly twirling a knife. Apparently, it liked to play with its food. Golden claws flashed at its fingertips. The two men decided to flee without even trying to attack. But the thing lunged at one of the guys. It ripped the guy's throat open with its claws while it threw the knife at the other one. The man went down - the blade embedded in his neck.
Only the injured enforcer remained. He jumped up and tried to run. But the thing threw a knife to the back of his knee. He crashed to the floor. The thing walked towards its victim and perched itself in front of the gangster.
"What do you want, freak?", the enforcer spat.
The assassin tilted its head and observed the gangster. It sent shivers down Jason's spine.
"What the fuck do you want?"
The thing examined its claws. Blood dripped from them onto the floor and the enforcer's face. Jason should move but fear had him frozen.
"Tell Mask that- that-", the creature seemed to have difficulty forming words, "Todd not paying money back. Not threaten Todd again or-"
The thing actually drew its claw over its own throat. Blood coated its pale skin making Jason sick. But the wound mended itself instantly. Where did this thing come from?
"What the fuck, freak?", panic flashed in the eyes of the enforcer.
He stared at the blood.
"Not threaten Todd again or Talon find Mask."
The enforcer stumbled in his haste to get out of the alley. Jason didn't blame him. The freak didn't pay any attention to Jason picking up its scattered knives. It jumped up to its place on the ledge again playing with the blade in its hands. Seemingly without aim.
Jason should just leave but he had never been known for good decisions: "Hey dude. Thanks for helping me out. Really cool of you."
The thing looked up from its bloody knife. It remained on the ledge reminding Jason of a gargoyle.
"I really owe you."
It seemed to think about its words: "Do not like people hurt."
This was a weird statement when Jason looked at the corpses littering the alley. His pizza was coated in blood. Maybe he could salvage it by cleaning it with water…
There was a fluttering of a cape. Jason immediately recognized it. The Bat was near. The thing shrunk back and seemed to hide on the ledge.
"You hiding from the Bat?"
"Batman hunting Talons."
Jason didn't know what the thing meant but he said: "You need a hiding place, buddy?"
"No orders. Don't know where to go."
"You can come to my place. It kind of sucks but it's better than a ledge."
His personal assassin could come in handy. And Jason really owed the dude – even if it was the weirdest thing Jason had ever seen. The golden claws were especially disturbing. They seemed to be part of its hands. How was this even possible?
The thing flipped down from the ledge without making a sound and trailed behind Jason. It seemed unnerved – tilting its head to listen for the flutter of a cape.
Jason didn't blame it. The Bat was terrifying. He had a no-kill-rule but Jason wondered if something so obviously inhuman would be an exception in Batman's book. The thought terrified him. He had finally found a kind-of friend. He wouldn't lose him to a costumed freak.
They reached Jasons shitty one-room flat which he paid for with stolen money. It was far too expensive for him but Jason was dead if he ended up on the street.
The thing seemed hesitant. It stayed in the middle of the room. Unmoving. Head bowed.
Jason frowned and sat on his dirty mattress.
"What are you doing... Talon?"
"Awaiting orders."
"You can sit here next to me. I need to know some stuff about you."
The thing (Jason should really stop calling him that) stiffly moved towards Jason.
"So your name is Talon?"
It- He nodded.
"Who are you?"
"Serve the Court but the Bat destroy Court. No purpose."
Jason tried to connect the pieces: "Whoever did this to you is dead?"
Someone had to have done something to make Talon like he was. He was clearly conditioned to obey.
Talon shuddered: "No masters anymore."
"But that means that you are free. That's great isn't it?"
"Not know what to do. Useless."
"You can do what you want now, buddy."
Talon tilted his head: "Want?"
"Wasn't there anything you really wanted to do but the Court always kept you from doing?"
"Not know", Talon pulled his legs to his chest.
Jason internally cursed. It was the saddest sight he had ever seen. Talon seemed completely lost.
"How about you take the mask off, buddy?"
Talon obeyed instantly - revealing a boy only a few years older than Jason. He looked almost normal if it wasn't for the freakishly pale skin, the black veins and his golden eyes. OK. So maybe he looked far from normal. But he must have been handsome before someone had made him into this.
"Todd giving orders now?", Talon asked.
He looked almost hopeful.
"Call me Jason", he internally winced when he noticed that he had phrased it as an order, "And I'm not your master or some bullshit like that. I'm your friend. And you can stay here until we figure something out."
"Friend?", Talon frowned.
"You know? People who like each other?"
"You like me?"
"You saved my butt out there didn't you? That was really heroic."
"No hero."
"Me neither. That makes two of us."
In the first few weeks Talon almost said nothing, He stayed in a corner and observed Jason. He didn't sleep or eat and only changed out of the suit when Jason gave him some clothes he had found in a dumpster. It looked almost comical to see an undead assassin in a Gotham Knights Jersey.
Talon only went out at night and always wore his golden goggles ("Light hurt"). He returned with food and other supplies for Jason.
"You don't owe me anything", Jason said repeatedly, "You don't need to steal stuff for me."
Talon just frowned: "Talons take care of masters."
"I'm not your master."
He still seemed confused. Jason internally sighed. He wondered if Talon would ever be able to live on his own. The thought made him sad because there was no bad bone in Talon's body. Someone had clearly taken a good person and twisted him into this caricature.
Jason couldn't count how often Talon returned with blood on his suit. When he asked him about it, Talon said something along the lines of: "Women surrounded by attackers. Ended them." or "Men tried to hurt little boy. Couldn't let them."
In another world the guy would have made a hero more noble than the boy scout himself. He clearly seemed to want to make the world a better place – just like Jason.
"Hey, Talon", Jason said one night, "You want to help me learn how to fight?"
Talon seemed delighted. He actually smiled – which was incredibly rare: "Jason learn how to defend himself?"
"Yes. And others."
"Starting tomorrow. Jason need sleep."
He grinned. There was no bigger mother hen than the assassin perched in the corner of Jason's room. His eyes glinted in the dark. It used to be unnerving – but now Jason felt protected by the freakish gaze. It was Talon's way of showing that he cared. And after being alone for month, Jason soaked in the attention. Not that he would ever admit that.
As caring as Talon was, his combat practice was relentless. When they sparred, Talon held the wooden sticks they used instead of knives at Jason's throat.
"Jason dead."
He shoved it into Jason's stomach.
"Jason dead."
He pinned Jason down and gripped him by the neck.
"Jason dead."
It was infuriating in the beginning. They couldn't go ten seconds without "Jason dead". It haunted Jason's nightmares. But he couldn't be angry at Talon. He clearly wanted only the best for Jason and didn't plan to provoke him ("Jason dead. Jason need to learn. Don't want Jason dead.") So, he pushed himself and became better.
At some point there was only one "Jason dead" every minute. Then, one every two minutes. And after years, one after every two and a half minutes. Talon still wiped the floor with Jason – but Talon did that with everybody so Jason didn't take it too seriously.
"Jason learn a lot", Talon said one day after they had raced each other over the rooftops.
He never managed to catch the assassin but he could keep up with him. Jason grinned widely at that. There was nothing more exhilarating than flying over the rooftop with his friend.
They had grown up. Jason had celebrated his seventeenth birthday only days before and Talon must be in his late teens.
"So you're giving me the clear?"
For years, Jason had planned to clean up in Gotham. But he didn't want to do it by the ways of the Bat. He would win the game by playing it.
Talon cocked his head: "Jason ready if he want. But scared for Jason. Dangerous."
"I got you as my backup, don't I?"
"Always protect Jason if Jason in trouble."
"See. Nothing can happen to me."
It was time for the second phase in the plan. Become the biggest crime boss Gotham had ever seen and impose his own rules on the game. The gangsters could kill each other all they wanted but they would keep their hands off innocents.
Jason took care of the lieutenants of Gotham's crime bosses himself. Talon had offered to do it for him but he had declined. Out of multiple reasons:
1) For his own pride. Jason needed to prove himself. He didn't want to be the crime boss who was only successful because of his enforcer. They never lasted long.
2) To keep a target of Talon's back. The Bat had backed off. But he would look for Talon again if the assassin openly showed himself as the lackey of Gotham's biggest crime boss.
3) Paradoxically, Talon was less of a killer than Jason was. There were instances when Talon had looked down on his hands. When Jason had asked what he was doing, Talon had sounded horrified: "Blood everywhere."
He didn't want to add to his friend's guilt. He wouldn't make him kill for Jason like the Court had.
(Jason tried to forget the instances when Talon had carved marks into his own skin that mended themselves instantly.
"What are you doing?", Jason had taken the knife.
"One for every kill. Punishment.")
Gotham's crime bosses yielded easier than Jason had expected. They trembled in front of him in fear after he had cut off the heads of their lieutenants. He forbade any kind of forced prostitution, drug sale to kids and extraction of protection money from businesses. The ones who resisted, he killed. Gotham had never been so quiet on the scale of organized crime.
Jason planned to take on the crazies of Arkham next. The Joker had especially been on his mind lately. (And apparently the feeling was mutual as the Clown had sent him a box of bloody Joker cards.)
It was only a question of time until the Bat went looking for the Red Hood.
The Dark Knight fought himself through Jason's headquarters beating his people to a pulp. Jason rolled his eyes when the Bat found him.
"It was not necessary to be so violent", Jason's voice was distorted through the helmet.
Batman observed him. It would be unnerving if Jason wasn't used to Talon's stares.
"It's quite impressive for a new player to take control of the city. Especially such a young one. It makes me wonder how you learned to fight."
"You would like to know, wouldn't you?", Jason pulled out a hunting knife, "But you gotta kick my ass for me to tell you."
In hindsight, Jason shouldn't have provoked Batman. He was able to hold him off for a while but after less than three minutes Batman had him pinned against the wall by his throat.
"Who trained you?"
"Doesn't matter. It only matters that I achieved in months what you haven't in years. Gotham is safer for innocents."
"You kill. You don't make anything safer."
"I kill killers and keep them in line."
"Who are you?"
"A concerned citizen of Gotham."
Batman's fist hit the wall next to him breaking the concrete: "You are going to prison. Or maybe even to Arkham."
"I'd prefer Arkham. It's easier to break out of. And man, you got some anger issues. I know what I'm talking about."
Jason cursed internally. Not only would going to prison destroy all of his good work, it would also leave Talon on his own. Jason doubted that the assassin was ready to live on his own. While starting to develop interests outside of Jason (Talon learned how to read – he unexpectedly loved romance novels), the assassin still looked to him for guidance.
Speaking of the devil – or rather zombie. His friend entered the room and soundlessly moved towards Batman. The claws glinted in the neon light. Talon meant business if he forfeited knives.
"We're nothing alike", Batman seemed to have taken the bait.
Heroes were so predictable.
"Tell that to yourself, old man", Jason said.
Talon had reached Batman. He put his claws against the vigilante's throat. The Dark Knight jumped when he noticed that someone had gotten the drop on him.
"Leave Hood alone", Talon said.
Jason was proud of his friend. His speech had improved in the last few years. The monthly salary he spent on Nicholas Sparks' novels really paid off.
"And you are?", Batman asked.
"No one", Talon looked to Jason
His claws were twitching: "Kill?"
Talon's stance had changed. His eyes were bloodthirsty behind the goggles. It was shocking to see. Jason often forgot that the guy - who scolded Jason for smoking and generally hovered over him – was still a deadly weapon. He was like a rabid dog on a leash. And Jason was the only one holding him back. Talon depended on Jason to hold him back.
"Don't. As annoying as the Bat is, Gotham needs him. I still want to talk to him."
Talon nodded. He took off Batman's utility belt and the rest of his weapons (in places Jason didn't want to think about). It was a large pile on Jason's desk. The assassin shoved Batman out of the room and towards the interrogation room. He kept the knife against Batman's throat while Jason handcuffed him to the table and restrained his ankles. He also chained him to the chair and put another two pairs of handcuffs on just for good measure.
Jason sat himself across from Batman while Talon positioned himself behind him ignoring the second chair next to Jason. He hated it that his friend still acted like a subordinate around him.
Batman stared at Talon and the assassin reciprocated the glare. He still hadn't drawn in his claws.
"Do you even know what you are keeping for yourself?", Batman looked at Jason, "This thing is more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. It's only a matter of time until it stops being your lap dog and bites."
"I'm not his keeper", it irked Jason that Batman talked about Talon like that (although he had just internally compared Talon to a rabid dog).
Still, it confirmed to him that Batman indeed didn't see the Talons as humans. He must have killed them. And it would always be killing in Jason's eyes. Talons may acted like mechanical weapons but after years of being treated like a person, his Talon showed his personality. It was as if it broke out after years of being suppressed.
"He chooses to stay. I'm not forcing him to do anything."
"So you just found him?"
"He found me. And I helped him instead of just killing him like a certain Bat did."
"Do you even know how Talons are made?", Batman said, "During the process, the person is stripped away until only a weapon is left. Someone has to die for a Talon to be created. There is nothing to kill - just a weapon to destroy."
Jason actually hadn't known how Talon had become how he was. He shivered at the thought that his friend had went through this.
"I don't know what you see. Maybe they just need someone to give them a chance. It's sad that I have to tell you this, hero."
"You seem to care about Gotham in your twisted way, but your vendetta is causing more harm than good."
"In which way?"
"The city lives in fear."
"Criminals live in fear."
"If you kill, you become a murderer. There is no going back from that."
"Hypocritical from someone who murdered a bunch of Talons."
"It is not murder but granting mercy to an undead puppet."
Talon increasingly seemed to get upset. He looked from Jason to Batman and back again.
"You wanna leave, buddy?", Jason asked.
But Talon shook his head. He clenched his fists pushing his claws into his hands.
"You are making him upset", Jason said.
Batman indeed seemed surprised at this display of emotion if his silence was anything to go by. Without warning, Talon jumped forward and gripped Batman by the collar of his suit: "Hood says I'm a person. I trust Hood."
"You really made him upset", Jason grinned, "He actually hasn't killed anyone for over a year. And he isn't involved in any of my operations. So, I'm not using him for anything."
"What is your aim here?", Batman asked.
"I'm making you a proposal", Jason said, "We both want Gotham to be safe. Only our methods differ. Therefore, I'm promising to not kill anyone unless someone forces my hand. And you leave me alone."
"What does 'force your hand' mean?"
"Self-defense. You have no choice but to agree. You can take me out of commission, but it will only start another gang war with a bunch of innocents dying. You need me to keep balance."
Batman hesitated but he said: "Fine. But no killing. Not even by your people."
"Deal."
Jason had already eliminated any major threats anyway. Gang politics were quiet at the moment.
"And he won't kill anyone either", Batman nodded towards Talon.
"I don't want to kill", Talon said, "Hood doesn't make me."
"Good."
Talon looked to Jason.
"You can free him now."
Talon nodded and drew his knife. Before he opened Batman's restraints, he held the blade in front of the hero's face: "Don't hurt Hood."
Batman growled. He glared at Talon. The assassin twirled the knife. He was toying with his food again.
"T", Jason warned, "Not that I don't appreciate you defending my honor but we need the Bat intact."
Talon stopped twirling the knife and opened all of the handcuffs with it. Who needed the key anyway?
Talon shadowed Batman on the way out of the room and pushed himself in front of Jason. Jason rolled his eyes. T was in his paranoid mood again.
The vigilante went back into Jason's office to get his gear. Batman looked at Talon.
He seemed surprised: "You didn't miss any of the weapons. Rare that someone manages that."
"I don't miss", Talon twirled the knife.
Did Batman just grin? Jason couldn't believe his eyes.
"I still need the Batarang back", Batman said.
To Jason's surprise, Talon pulled one of them out of his suit. He weighed it in his hand: "Good weapon."
Batman took it. He walked down the stairs like a normal person until he reached the front door. Jason and Talon followed. On the way, they saw dozens of knocked out henchmen. Jason's people.
"Remember our agreement", Batman said.
"I'm not senile, old man", Jason said.
Batman used his grapple gun to cross to the other side of the street. He ran over the rooftops and vanished into the night.
Talon took off his mask. He watched in awe: "Batman flies."
"You wanna leave and go with him?", Jason joked.
Talon seemed mortified: "Never leave Jason. Jason is only friend. And Batman threaten you."
"I didn't mean it like that, T. It wouldn't be bad actually if you want to find some more friends. You can't center your life on me."
Talon frowned: "Don't understand."
"You will one day."
AN: Feedback is always welcome. So, please let me know if you enjoyed it and if I managed to introduce a new spin on this AU. Or if it's just the same tired old tropes.
I plan to update weekly on wednesdays. This upload will not interfere with A Question of Loyalty. I just have more time on my hands because of current events… Stay safe, people.