Melinda Zucco
The summer night was warm and Samantha Vanaver was enjoying the view out of her window overlooking Jump City. Soon, she would have everything she ever wanted. It was only a matter of time.
Samantha Vanaver sat in her house; Rachel was gone, no doubt spending time with Dick. She'd told her that the Titans had invited her for a sleepover. It was perfect timing, she didn't want her daughter to grow suspicious about her many late night meetings.
In her hands she held some documents. They meant more to her than anyone realized. It had been so obscure that the Court had given it no notice. How the organization had overlooked this was beyond her.
She'd been so obsessed with bringing Dick into the fold, with reuniting her family that she hadn't ever dreamed of anything like this.
Her John had been faithful and loved her more than anything.
But the paper in her hand told her something about this John Grayson, something that her original didn't even know. She wondered if he knew too, unlikely, or he would have made her his apprentice, she was the daughter of a criminal. She was Tony Zucco's daughter, but not the daughter everyone knew about, Sonia Branch.
Her name was Melinda Zucco, she was the daughter of Tony Zucco's first wife, a woman named Meili Lin. But she was not truly Tony Zucco's biological daughter, but her father did have dark black hair, which is why everyone assumed she was Tony Zucco's biological daughter.
Her father was John Frederic Grayson, and Samantha Vanaver had the DNA results to prove it. She'd even double-checked by asking William Cobb to give her his DNA, he'd obliged, overjoyed that there might be another willing to carry on his work.
She was raised in the Maroni family, a legit "mafia princess". Although women weren't permitted to work in the mafia, they still had connections, connections they used to "help" the family.
Samantha Vanaver wondered if Tony Zucco had murdered John and Mary over the affair, but no, there would be no elaborate sabotage of the trapeze wires, John would have been double-tapped and left to die in front of the family trailer instead. No, that wasn't right, he targeted John over his affair with Meili Lin, his first wife.
If Samantha Vanaver had still been Mary Grayson she would have been devastated by this news. Instead, she was elated. She'd been trying to destroy her counterpart's life in every way while she'd been alive, and now she knew that her counterpart's corpse was gone and there was no doubt she was alive and well.
How fitting that John's own actions would do more damage to Mary Grayson than Samantha Vanaver's blackmail ever could.
She heard a noise behind her, she didn't turn.
"Hello Richard," Samantha told her ex-boyfriend. He seemed surprised. He didn't recognize her.
"Who are you?" Richard asked, suspicious.
"Don't you recognize me, Richard?" Samantha asked, letting down her hair.
"But that's impossible," he was stunned. "Marie."
"It's not, let's just say that I've come from a world similar to this one, and I want my family back. But it's sad; the Marie of this world married a scumbag."
"I never liked him, but I never knew why," Richard smirked. "Maybe you could help me get rid of these nanoscopic probes, can't do anything against him, he'll kill me."
"You play along, Raptor, do what Johnny wants and then we'll make him pay for everything. He abandoned me when I needed him most, but even worse, he betrayed the me that lives in this universe. But he's not like you, you never abandoned me, I made the mistake of leaving you, I say it's time we rectify that. You always disliked him, and you were right to do so. I did some digging and I want you to look at this," Samantha Vanaver handed him the documents.
Richard stared at the papers, "Always knew he was a scumbag, even before he wore that "Slade" costume. Is this real?" Richard looked at the papers, "How could he do this to you, to her?"
"It doesn't matter; we're going to make him pay for everything, and then some. You always said you'd do anything for me. Do you still believe in my justice, Richard?"
Richard smiled, "I always have. Everything I've ever done is because of you."
Samantha Vanaver poured two glasses of wine, the Grandmaster and the Assassin raised them in a toast.
"To family, the most important thing," Samantha Vanaver smiled.
"Yes, to family," Richard smiled.
Amanda Waller sat at her desk at Bell Reeve Prison.
The Suicide Squad was on standby; Amanda Waller spoke into the comm.
"Let her be, let's see what she wants. She's good," Amanda watched the figure make her way towards her office.
Amanda Waller heard the door open.
"Since when does Mary Grayson break into a heavily guarded prison for metahumans?" Amanda Waller asked.
"I'm impressed you remember my name," Mary told her, putting her hands on her hips.
"Your death was one of the most memorable things about you. Along with the legacy you've left behind." Amanda Waller held up a photo of the Teen Titans and Slade. "It's not every mother that has a superhero for a son, or a supervillain for a husband."
"How do you know that?" Mary asked, curious.
"Your son's identity was very hard to find, along with your husband's but I have my leverage should I need it," Amanada replied.
Mary Grayson sat in the chair, "Honestly, Amanda Waller, this place is normally way above my metaphorical pay grade, but I do know you've wanted to recruit my husband into your little Suicide Squad for some time. I do know you deduced his real identity so he's perfect for your needs because he's already dead."
"Mary, people don't volunteer for the Suicide Squad. How did you learn about us?"
"I got into my husband's computer, he has all sorts of information on all kinds of people, including you," Mary folded her arms.
"You don't get to be on this team, and I don't care about you, you're an asset, if you keel over and die I'll just get a new asset," Amanda Waller warned her.
"You'll have to go through training, brutal training, we're going to torture you to see if you'll break. It's not simulated, it's real, after all, these people are criminal scum, and are disposable, and that's before you even get to be in Taskforce X. Do you understand me, no mouthing off and you follow orders, and maybe you'll come back alive. That's what your husband was going to do for us, and that's what you'll do, if you even make it to the Squad."
"The Squad's expecting Deathstroke, not Marie Lloyd, your husband's the best assassin on the planet. You've never even held a gun. How are you going to take his place?"
"My husband can teach me what I need to know, I've always been a quick study," Mary looked grim.
"You can't fake what he does," Amanda warned her.
"Of course not, I'll just have to become the best at what he does. Give me a week, I can do it. It won't be perfect, but I'm a performer, I can put on a good show, when it comes to acrobatics I'm the best in the world."
"We'll see, one week, Grayson, if you show up and you can't kill your target, you'll stay in Belle Reeve Prison, you know too much already."
"Yes," Mary crossed her arms, "I understand."
"We'll pick you up in a week, and you won't see us coming. Don't disappoint me."
Mary turned and left, vanishing into the night.
Rachel Grayson stared out at the people eating pizza. The Titans hadn't shown up today. They didn't have a set pizza schedule, but it was one of their favorite places to hang out.
She ate her pizza and finished her homework. She had no idea what she was going to do next.
"Mind if I sit here?" a voice asked.
"Mom?" Rachel blurted.
"Sorry, kid, I'm not your mom," the woman said, her voice sounded strained.
"What's your name?" Rachel asked.
"Marie Lloyd," Mary replied.
"Rachel Grayson," Rachel replied.
"It's nice to meet you, Rachel," Mary smiled at John's daughter.
Still she wondered, why would Samantha Vanaver name her Rachel. That was something that someone like her shouldn't know. Even though it was a very common name it had been the name they had chosen if Dick would have been born a girl.
"What's that you're reading?" Rachel asked, curious.
"Smith of Wotton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham", by J.R.R. Tolkien."
"I see, never heard of those," Rachel admitted.
"Aren't you a little old for fairy tales?" Rachel joked. The woman stared at her intently.
"Oh, I feel you get more out of them as an adult," Mary smiled at her. "Though it may be better for children to read some things, especially fairy-stories, that are beyond their measure rather than short of it. Their books like their clothes should allow for growth, and their books at any rate should encourage it," so John Tolkien said once."
"My mother says I don't need fairy tales or myths and that I need to face reality," Rachel explained.
"It'd still be good for you, Rachel, you need escapism one in a while," Mary smiled.
"Myths and fairy tales are cool until you're eight," Rachel laughed.
"Myth and fairy-story must, as all art, reflect and contain in solution elements of moral and religious truth (or error), but not explicit, not in the known form of the primary 'real' world," Mary handed her the book, "Keep it, it'll do you some good."
"Thank you, I'll read it, I promise," Rachel promised.
Mary got up and left.
Rachel was about to leave when a voice spoke to her.
"Hi, I couldn't help but notice the textbook, you're going to Murakami High School?" the teenager asked.
"Yeah," Rachel replied, smiling. "Are you going there too?"
"Just moved here, it seems nice, I'll start tomorrow," the young teenager smiled.
"My name's Melinda, what's yours?" Melinda asked.
"Rachel Grayson," Rachel replied.
"But your backpack says "Rachel Vanaver"," Melinda pointed out.
"It's the name on my birth certificate, but Rachel Vanaver is what everyone calls me," Rachel smiled.
"I see, Grayson, like the Flying Graysons?" Melinda asked.
"Yeah, like the Flying Graysons, why'd you ask?" Rachel looked at her, curious.
"Oh…nothing in particular," Melinda smiled.
Rachel didn't buy that and noticed Melinda kept staring at her.
"You never told me your full name," Rachel noted.
"My name's Melinda Zucco," Melinda saw Rachel look surprised.
"Yeah, I know my dad is that Tony Zucco," she said. "I'm not a scary person, they don't allow women to work in the mob, and I'm not a criminal."
"That's something a criminal would say," Rachel retorted.
Melinda laughed, "Yeah, you're right. I want to get into politics; I'm going to study political science in college. "
"I see, so you want to be a political bigwig, I'll probably end up running my mother's charities or something," Rachel sighed.
"Let's be friends at least, when I move back to Blϋdhaven, I might become the mayor, then you'd have some big connections in high places," Melinda laughed.
"Well, how else am I supposed to keep an eye on you, "Mayor Zucco," Rachel smirked, then giggled in amusement.
"Oh, scary, are you gonna dress up as Robin and play hero or something?" Melinda joked.
"Only for Halloween," Rachel smiled. Both girls laughed.
"I have a question, since your mom hosts all those charities and stuff, have you ever met Dick Grayson?"
Rachel was surprised, "Uh, why do you want to know?"
"There's something I've always wanted to ask him, but you know, since what happened with the Graysons, it wouldn't be fair for me to ask him something," Melinda looked out at the city. "Never mind, it'd be stupid to try to set up that meet and greet."
"I could try, my mom has connections everywhere, I'm sure that he'd want to meet with you, you aren't Tony Zucco after all," Rachel told her.
"Say, you want to catch a movie?" Rachel asked.
"Which one?" Melinda asked.
"The new Swordwalker film," Rachel said, pointing at her smartphone.
"Sure, haven't seen it yet," Melinda got up and the two teens left.
Unbeknownst to both girls, Mary Grayson had been watching them. She'd been staring at Melinda's face the entire time. Her mind spinning, her thoughts swirled around in her head, the simplest answer was the most obvious, but she didn't want it to be true.
Melinda bore a strong resemblance to someone Mary knew, and it wasn't Tony Zucco.
Mary noticed a woman sit down across from her.
"Hello," she said.
Mary stared at her startled for a second, but recovered quickly, being a performer; she can pull herself together for an audience. She recognizes the sound of Samantha's voice.
"Hello, who are you?" Mary asked, it's an automatic question.
"My name is Samantha Vanaver, you met my daughter Rachel, and you are?"
"Marie Lloyd," Mary replied, giving her birth name rather than her married one.
"Yes, I know who you are, quite well, so why don't we talk about John?" Samantha Vanaver asked.
"What about Giovani?" Mary asked.
"He did tell you about me, didn't he?" Samantha asked.
"I do know what you did to him, and I know he fathered your daughter," Mary told her. "But I suppose it doesn't matter, you made it all go away with your deep pockets."
"Yes, but deep down, I know he learned to like it, he did call my name when he conceived our daughter," Samantha smirked.
Something clicked in Mary's mind and she stilled. She looked at Samantha Vananaver.
"I'm sure you love this part, where the wives scream and cry in denial and then break down in tears when they realize the person they loved more than anything left them for you," Mary said, her mouth pressed itself into a thin line. "So how long have you been practicing this dumbshow to perform it just for me?"
"What are you talking about, Marie?" Samantha's smile remained.
"You're telegraphing, you're trying to get a reaction out of me, preferably the one you hope I'll have," Mary glanced at the wine glass on the table.
"What would you know about giving a performance, Grayson?" Samantha's voice became cold and filled with anger.
"Five nights a week, 10 shows, that's how often we performed for thousands of people all over the world. I most certainly know how to put on a show. Now you call me by my married name when you're angry. Get used to disappointment, I'm not going to play along with your stupid show, and I only indulged you because I wanted to confirm that everything John told me about you is true," Mary reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of cash.
Mary got up to leave, Samantha Vanaver looked at her.
"Oh, it would be that part, but this is so much better, because this isn't really about me, it's about John," Samantha stared at her.
"He did call for me when it was over, it could be sad if it wasn't so pathetic," Samantha taunted. "When I got the positive pregnancy result I was ecstatic, and to further spite you, I named her Rachel."
Samantha watched as Mary prepared to leave, "This city and your son belong to me! I rule Jump City, and there's nothing any of you can do to change or stop that!"
"You outran the law for years, and it's time you paid for it," Samantha smiled.
"Since when do you believe in the law?" Mary asked.
"Only one law, sister, my law," Samantha replied.
Mary rolled her eyes, "I thought Boston Brand had an ego, but you take the cake in that department. But you're lying, you're not my sister, you're not even the real Samantha Vanaver. She's dead."
Samantha Vanaver's smile widened.
"It always bothered me when John told me that you keep the lights dark when you forced him to have sex, it's like you don't want him to see you, and it has nothing to do with getting caught by the police. But you did tell me, just now, exactly who you are."
"And how do you know who I really am?" Samantha Vanaver.
"John told me everything you did to him the night you conceived your daughter, he remembered everything but what broke my heart the most is that he called my name when he spent himself. He called my name. You just told me he called your name, so that would mean that you are some sick and twisted version of me, correct. I know exactly what an awful person I am."
"Oh, us, we're not awful, I there's anyone who's awful, it's John. I'll show you something, I paid a fortune for this, but it's a small price to pay to let you get a dose of reality then it's worth it, just to see you squirm!"
Samantha Vanaver handed her the documents, Mary began to read them. Her face became pale and her heart sank.
It had happened before they were married. John had been in a relationship with a woman named Meili Lin, she was the mail order bride of a certain mobster, that mobster was Tony Zucco, the man that murdered them. It wasn't just a coincidence, he had targeted them. Together, John and Mary had protected her from him, but John getting her pregnant had made it personal for Tony Zucco.
"Why wouldn't he tell me about her? I thought he trusted me."
"He killed you, it's his fault you were murdered," Samantha Vanaver gloated.
Mary Grayson, blind with rage, seized the wineglass on the table and flung it in Samantha Vanaver's face, breaking her jaw.
Samantha Vanaver's face was filled with glee despite her broken jaw.
"You see Mary Grayson, this is reality, you don't know him as much as you thought you did. And you thought it was just all the horrible things he did for me that he was hiding from you!"
"Shut up!" Mary snarled at her counterpart.
Samantha Vanaver smiled gloating. "If you want the truth about the affair, why don't you ask him? He can tell you about Meili Lin. His little affair with her killed you. Tony Zucco targeted you both. His shortsightedness killed you. Go on, ask him about her. Keep the papers, you'll need them."
Mary got up, stunned; she took the papers and began walking away, blinded by rage and grief. She thought he trusted her, but it seems he didn't.
"Oh, and by the way, his daughter's name is Melinda Zucco!" Samantha called, laughing.
John woke up, glancing around as Batman dragged him into Titans Tower.
"Whoa, dude, what's the big B-man doing here?" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"Brought you someone," Batman said curtly, throwing Deathstroke at his feet. "Gonna need your medbay for awhile. I'll be gone in a few hours."
"Aren't you the least bit curious about how I came back to life, Batman? C'mon, you have to be, because I'm just some normal guy, there's nothing about me that's particularly special. You are the World's Greatest Detective, doesn't it eat away at you, just a little bit? Does it eat you up at night how someone like me could come back from the dead?"
"Shut up, John!" Batman snarled.
"Oh, come now, I have the utmost respect for you, you're an incredible human being. My son looked up to you for a long time. I've always thought you were a good guy."
"Come now, if you're so curious, then why don't you look into it?" John asked.
He suddenly suckerpunched his son, knocking out one of his teeth.
Batman rushed at him, but Robin stopped him.
"He's not worth it, I'll deal with him," Robin said to his former partner.
"They were going to take him from me, brainwash him, break him, turn him into one of them. It was something that was going to happen, but by pure chance, you took him in. They had planned this since the day he was born. It's what I've been trying to prevent."
"That tooth is a string Batman, why don't you pull it and see where it goes? I'd like to know myself," John smirked.
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Batman snapped.
"Come on, Bruce, you're the World's Greatest Detective, you're dying to know what it all means. After all, you treat him like your own son."
Batman turned away, "I heard you have a lawyer, you might want to give them a call."
"I have a lawyer that can make Darkseid look like a librarian," John smirked.
"I've got work to do," Batman turned and left. "Call me if he tries anything."
"He won't, I won't let him," Robin reassured his former partner.
"Hmm," John observed with interested.
Batman unceremoniously dumped John on the ground, turned on his heel and left.
After Batman left, Robin pried his father's mouth open and found the straightened paperclip he would have used to pick the lock on the handcuffs.
"You're much smarter than Warden Templeton, I got myself arrested in New Mexico awhile ago, just so I could be put in Kamen Maximum Security Prison, just so I could kill him. I picked the lock with a paperclip, cornered him in his own prison, and stuck a grenade in his mouth. I watched him explode as he created my exit," John smiled. "You're very clever, I'll give you that."
John got up and sat down at the table.
"I'll write my confession now, if you give me a pencil and some paper," John told his son.
Robin brought him a pen and paper.
John began to write.
Slade is merely an alias. Alex is my weapons maker. Marie Lloyd was my wife, she's dead now. Angelica is my informant. Nathaniel O'Malley was one of my many teachers. Thurston Moody was a patron of Haly's Circus in the 1830s. Henry Ballard taught me how to fight. Alton Carver was my predecessor. Raya Vestri is a family friend. Alexander Staunton taught me hand-to-hand combat. Nathaniel Haly gave my grandfather purpose in life and he became a Talon too. Alton Carver watched Dick Grayson perform on August 21st, 2006. Raya Vestri was Dick's first crush. Ephraim Newhouse was a patron of Haly's Circus. R.H. Orchard's son ran away to Haly's Circus.
Calvin Rose was Houdini's successor. He used to perform with us. The O'Malley family was in our circus for generations. Uriah Boone also taught me how to kill. Calvin Rose was also a friend of my son's. Thurston Moody was a man that kidnapped children in the 1800s in Gotham City. R.H. Orchard's hotels are there. Felix Harmon is the Gotham Butcher. The O'Malleys were sloppy and they retired. William Cobb is my grandfather. Lincoln March is a mayoral candidate in Gotham. I killed Sebastian Clark because I was ordered to.
Slade
Beast Boy picked up the paper and read it.
"Dude, you're old man's crazy, this isn't a confession, it's nonsense," Beast Boy pointed to the paper.
"No, it's a message, a message for me, so I'm going to figure it out," Robin said.
"Robin, someone just arrived at the Tower," Cyborg said to him. "It must be his lawyer."
Robin looked at the monitor. That was not his lawyer.
"Mom?!" Robin blurted in shock.
The door opened a few minutes later and Mary came in.
She set down the folder full of papers and knelt down on one knee.
"Hey rube," Mary smiled at him.
The other Titans were stunned to see him run and hug her.
"So tell me, Giovani, tell me about Melinda Zucco…your daughter that you fathered with Tony Zucco's first wife, our friend Meili Lin, or so says this paper," Mary said, her voice was as cold as space.
Robin stared in shock, utterly speechless.
"Dad, how could you? You cheated on Mom?!" he asked. "With Tony Zucco's wife?!"
"First wife, Dick, his first wife, not his current one," John corrected. "And it wasn't cheating, we weren't even together when this happened."
"Like that makes this any better?" Dick shouted.
"Is that why he murdered us? Did he find out you slept with Meili LIn? You knew she was married you idiot!" Mary asked, her voice was filled with a chilling rage and she was one breath away from screaming loud enough for all of Jump City to hear.
John crossed his arms.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, I did have an affair with Melei Lin. She was a mail order bride Tony Zucco had bought and he was an abusive, obsessive control freak. She ran away to Haly's Circus and we had a relationship, but she didn't tell me I had a daughter. I never knew. It was before we were married so I didn't cheat on you," John looked at her. There was no hint of the smugness of "Slade" in his voice. "How did you find out?"
"It seems your daughters have ways of finding each other, they struck up a conversation in front of me, and I figured out it was you. But I'm not stupid, Melinda Zucco looks like you, I'd have to be blind to not see the resemblance."
Mary slammed her palms onto the cold steel table, "He targeted us because you slept with his wife, this wasn't just about the money, it was personal!"
"He never said a thing about it when he tried to extort money from us that day, he suspected the truth about Melinda but he didn't say a thing about it."
"Was what you told me about you being sterile a lie? You have two daughters, daughters that aren't mine! I know how hard we tried after Dick was born. Is that just an excuse so you wouldn't have to be with me?"
John glanced at her, not meeting her gaze, "I wasn't lying, I'm sterile."
"Why am I here is it just so we can have sex? It's quite apparent you don't need me for that!" Mary spat with venom.
"You had no problem sleeping with me right when you got back, sweetheart," John said, raising an eyebrow.
"I put up with a lot when it comes to you, but I thought you trusted me enough to tell me important things like sleeping with the wife of a mobster! And not just anyone, a sick and twisted vengeful man like Tony Zucco!"
Dick however, was not surprised considering how often they had to hold each other up during their trapeze act.
"Nothing I say will make you forgive me," John told her.
"And I had to find this out now, when I gave up my life for you," Mary laughed in derision.
"I've trusted you with my life before, but it seems you don't trust me that much." Mary scowled at him slapping the document on the table, "You didn't think even once that sleeping with the wife of a mobster, one of Gotham's biggest crime families wouldn't have consequences?! You didn't think he wouldn't find out and get revenge?!"
"Well Mary, we did get into a fight with him, before we were even married, even without what I've done, we did humiliate him, he had it out for us no matter what we did," John looked at her as she gripped his shirt.
Mary let him go and turned away, walking out of the room.
"I need to be away from you for awhile," Mary said.
"This is not how I wanted our son to see me the moment I come back; you just have to ruin the good things in your life, don't you?" Mary snapped.
"It's what I do best," John said in a flat tone.
Dick watched his mother leave.
"You're trying very hard to break the pedestal we put you on, aren't you Dad?" Dick scowled.
"Son, I have no excuse for what I've done, this is on me," John admitted.
"Was this affair before or after you started killing people because you wanted to "protect" me?" Dick snarled.
"It was a long time ago, before we were married. Never said I was an angel, that was just my circus act after all," John got up.
John went out and found Mary standing alone on the roof of Titans Tower, the sun was rising and the view was beautiful.
"Mary…" John said her name quietly.
"What do you want me to say, John?" Mary asked. "How can I trust you when you don't tell me the truth?"
John moved closer to her, he held her for a long moment; she remained stiff in his arms before resting her head on his chest.
"For myself, I find I become less cynical rather than more–remembering my own sins and follies; and realize that men's hearts are not often as bad as their acts, and very seldom as bad as their words," John quoted J.R.R. Tolkien to her. "Maybe you should take some of his advice since you love to quote him so much."
"If you want something, take it Mary," John told her, he pulled away.
"It's not like we trust each other anymore. If you want our relationship to end Mary, you'll have to take my life," John handed her his handgun. "We're still Catholic, remember. We don't believe in divorce. But we do believe in murder, it's what confessional booths are for."
Mary raised the gun and pointed it him, she held it properly but did not place her finger on the trigger. She handed the gun back to him.
"You can go off to purgatory on your own without my help," Mary glanced at him.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Meili Lin," John apologized to her.
"Slade doesn't apologize, he doesn't feel remorse," Mary said quietly.
"John Grayson does, and "Slade" isn't the one who had an affair with a mobster's wife," John told her. "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you enough to tell you. After Tony Zucco dragged her back to him I never saw her again."
"I love you, but I don't trust you," Mary looked at him.
"Trust is easy to destroy but takes time to build," John told her.
"Yes, you know all about that, I'll stay with you, but it's for our son, not for you," Mary looked at him. "You owe me a lot, and you're going to pay for it, I might regret taking your place on Taskforce X."
"I have lots of regrets…but nothing I say will change that," John turned away from her.
"I do regret one thing," Mary told him.
"And what is that Mary?" John asked.
"That I love you more than my own life," Mary told him. "Enough of this, you have one week to train me, to turn me into "Deathstroke". If I can't kill my target I'll be staying in Belle Reeve Prison for the rest of my life for knowing about their little government project."
"One week isn't nearly enough time for you to follow in my footsteps," John said quietly.
"Make it enough time. You're supposed to be the best, remember?" Mary replied.
"I will, by the time we're through our own son won't know the difference."
"Thanks, I hate it," Mary smirked.
"Yeah, I hate it too."
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I waited specifically for "Nightwing: Rebirth #82" to come out so I could use the new info in this chapter. The writers managed to make the affair fit in canon by placing it before John and Mary got married so it fits without messing with the Flying Graysons' history. Nice save, Tom Taylor.