ISOH-Chapter 3

Legal Disclaimer-Marvel and DC own these guys, I don't. No money made here, move along, move along (fanfiction writer's Jedi Mind Trick)

Author's Note-Have I mentioned that I love my reviewers? I do love all of you. Thank you so much.

Here's Chapter 3

Dick Grayson stood at the edge of the monitoring station in Adam's Med Lab. He hadn't moved in the two hours since Adam had drugged Bruce Wayne into oblivion. He didn't like doing to the superhero, but he knew that medically it was the best thing for him. It was hard on Dick. Adam had tried to get him to talk, telling him about Wayne's condition, but the young man was not really hearing him.

"How is he?" Jesse asked, wandering into the med lab.

"Out cold, my choice," Adam began, his eyes motioning to Dick, "He's going to be that way for a while. I thought it would be best for him, since he's really needed the rest for so long, and I still don't like his lung function. I've been running blood tests, but I can't seem to find anything on the biotoxin that he mentioned."

"Biotoxin?" Jesse asked, a bit stunned, "What is going on here?"

Dick turned. He finally felt like talking.

"The Riddler has been manufacturing a biotoxin that he plans to use in Gotham harbor," he turned to look back at Wayne, "As it turns out we were on a lead when we wound up in that cave."

Jesse stopped for a second and looked at the man sleeping in Med Lab.

"Wait a second, that's Bruce Wayne, Wayne Industries," Jesse looked back at Adam, "When you said I might know him, you didn't mention it was him."

"After what your father told you, I didn't know if you could handle it," Adam joined Dick at the window, "Jesse here was one of the first people that Wayne Industries helped, much like you, but..."

"He walks through walls," Dick interrupted, "I mean, I saw him do it."

"Yeah, you did," Jesse's reply was quick, "I saw you practically fly up that cliff face."

"I'm an ex circus acrobat, what's your excuse?" Dick replied, "You a mutant or something?"

"Yeah, we all are," Jesse replied, watching Adam's face.

The look Adam gave Jesse was the usual 'careful' one that he knew from years of working with him.

"Explains the name, huh?" Jesse smiled, "You hungry Dick?"

Dick's stomach growled loudly at the thought of food.

"Yeah, actually, I am," Dick laughed, the laugh a tinge bitter, "I think I ate yesterday."

"Come on, then," Jesse caught the silent thank you from Adam and led Grayson out of the room, "A little food, a little basketball..."

After a meal of soup and sandwiches, Dick Grayson found himself sitting at a table of people who he knew were mutants, but were very much like him. He was also grateful that the awkwardness of earlier had seemed to have worn off as he got to know them. Shalimar had been kind, Brennan had asked him questions about the Gotham football team and Emma, well, she had sat quietly not really talking, but seeming to watch the conversation than participate in it.

"You know, Dick, I don't know how to bring this up, but," Jesse felt like asking the question because it simply had been bothering him, "Why do you guys do what you do?"

"What do you mean?" Grayson smiled. He knew what Kilmartin was getting at. How come two perfectly ordinary guys go out in costume and fight crime, "The costumes?"

"Yeah," Emma replied for Jesse, "I mean, it did seem a little odd, two guys, dressed in leather..."

"You guys watch too much SNL," Dick tried to laugh his way through the question; "I do it out of vengeance for my parents. Two-Face and Riddler killed them in front of me. I lost my family that night, and Bruce and Alfred became my family."

"Oh, god, I am so sorry," Shalimar said, putting her hand on Dick's, "That's horrible."

Dick stopped for a second. Shalimar was being very sincere. He wasn't used to talking to anyone even close to his age, let alone a group of people that had like minds.

'You're getting way too cynical, Grayson,' he thought to himself.

"Bruce is a kindred spirit in that way, he lost his parents early as well," Dick tried to keep a happy tone to his voice, but the concern for his friend was finding a way in, "He's been there for me more than I like to admit. Jesse, you said you knew him from when you were younger?"

"Yeah," Jesse stared at Grayson, the instant feeling was that he needed to change the subject, "I was very sick as a young child, and Wayne Industries was the first company to try and find me medical help."

"I never knew that Jesse," Shalimar said, "So this is payback?"

"In a way," Jesse replied, his eyes meeting Dick's, "More of a pleasure, seeing how he helped Adam get some of us out of Genomax."

"Really?!" Shalimar's surprise was shadowed by Grayson's confused stare.

"Genomax? Wait a second, isn't that the genetic research lab that is working on 'biology for the future' or some kind of crap like that?" Dick continued, "Man, I wish I had the mansion's computers here, I have files about that place. Weird stuff was and is still being done there."

"And you're looking at four by-products of it," Brennan said, "Jesse here was rescued by Adam, Shalimar as well, Emma and I came later. Eckhart is an evil man, Dick, we try to steer very clear of him."

"As does Bruce," Grayson added, "He seems to know an awful lot about that man. How were he and Adam connected?"

"They worked together," Emma replied, "Mason knows all about us, even wants to stop us, that's why we tend to work at night, and we try to get all mutants underground."

"Giving them their own secret identities?" Grayson smiled, "See, we're very much alike."

"Yeah, I guess we are, but the powers are a great tool," Jesse replied, getting up to get another Coke from the fridge, "They can really help when you need them."

"I guess so," Grayson replied, "I know you walk through walls, how about the rest of you?"

Brennan grabbed the coke that Jesse threw him.

"Me, electricity."

Shalimar smiled.

"Simply put, I'm a feral, kind of leader of the pack, and really agile."

She demonstrated by getting up, kicking her shoes off, and back flipping down the hall.

"Impressive," Grayson laughed, "We'll have to talk later. Circus acrobatics teaches you a tremendous amount of stuff as well."

Shalimar nodded as she came back and put her shoes on. The challenge would be a good one.

"Telempath," Emma said quietly, "Feelings, thoughts, I pretty much can pick up on all of them."

Dick nodded. Made sense now what she was trying to do when Bruce was lying in the park.

"You're worried about him," Emma said, her hands going on top of his, "Adam knows what he's doing and he wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't safe, Dick. You're going to be okay."

He looked up into Emma's eyes and felt calm for the first time since he pulled off the mask in Sanctuary's guest quarters.

"Thank you, I mean thank you all," Dick stumbled over his words for a moment, "I mean I was an ass to you guys as you were saving our lives, I appreciate it. Now I just have to get that biotoxin away from the Riddler."

"What's this I?" Brennan asked, "You aren't alone in this room, boy wonder."