AN: okay so yes, it's been a month and a half. but in my defense, the world is BANANAS right now.
Dick Grayson
Bloomingdale's, Downtown Boston
Sunday, December 19th, 2012
The target runs.
For a guy who works as Bloomingdale's night security, he's pretty fast. The racks of clothing he pushes over leave disaster in his wake, but it won't slow either of us down.
"Go high." The voice in my comm gravels.
I nod, then launch myself into the air and onto the top of a fancy display set. From this view, I can see the target sprint into the furniture section. He's heading for the back exit. It takes me about a second to catch up to him, and then another half second to launch myself onto the high dividing wall between the main store and the show rooms. He's too focused escaping to notice me.
When I drop down right in front of him, bo staff crackling with electricity, he skids to a stop with a panicked shout.
"Nowhere to run, Sebastian." Deathstroke says, walking up behind him like he's got all the time in the world.
"W…w…what do you want?"
"I think you know exactly what I want. That's quite a lot of mess you just made." He gestures to the mess of dresses, sweaters, jackets, purses, belts, bags, shoes and fallen racks. Seriously, it looks like half the store is on the ground.
The target looks around nervously. Beads of sweat roll down his face and neck, with large sweat stains appearing on his white uniform. I see him tense up like he's about to try and make a break for it. Slade sees it too and hums condescendingly.
"I wouldn't recommend running. Renegade has been dying for a chance to test out his new staff and I certainly wouldn't want to deprive him of his fun."
Sebastian turns to look at me again and pales. He actually turns the same color as his platinum blond hair.
"Now Sebastian, this doesn't need to be difficult."
"Don't kill me! Please!"
"Kill you? Who said anything about that?"
"You… you're not here to kill me?"
"Please. If I were, you'd already be dead. No, Sebastian, I'm here because Mr. Cohen is a very generous man. But you knew that already. After all, he gave you money, helped you bury those unfortunate domestic assault charges against your girlfriend Rebecca. Stealing from him is a very strange way to show your appreciation."
"I'll repay the money! I will, I swear it!"
"Oh, I'm sure you will. But that's not why we're here."
"What do you want?!"
"You oversaw a weapons deal for Mr. Cohen about a month ago. When the shipment arrived, however, there was something missing. Would you like to guess what it was?"
Any color that was left on his face disintegrates.
"I thought it was heroin! I swear, I didn't know what it was!"
"Those vials you stole contains a very valuable formula capable of mutating a man into a superweapon. You are very fortunate not to have spilled it on yourself, as the effects are irreversible."
"Oh shit! What the hell is he doing with something like that?"
"I could tell you, but then of course I'd have no choice but to kill you."
"No no no no no! I don't wanna know! Don't kill me!"
"That's what I thought. You have two days to return all of the serum to Mr. Cohen, along with all the money. A single word to anyone, and I'll be back."
"I won't!"
"Good. Renegade, let's go."
I stow my bo staff back in its pocket and follow Slade, behind sure to push past Sebastian roughly. I don't want him dead, but I've seen his rap sheet (or at least, what would've been his rap sheet if Cohen hadn't bribed a judge into letting him off). He deserves to go to prison; he's getting off too easy.
The meeting takes place in an empty office building overlooking downtown Boston, which is a refreshing change of place from your standard evil abandoned warehouse.
"Where's my Venom?"
"On its way back to you. You were right that one of your men got light-fingered."
"Course they did. Who was it?"
"Howser."
Cohen leans back in his chair and cusses loudly enough to make his bodyguards look over.
"That kid's been more trouble than he's worth."
"He's been informed that he has two days to return the shipment to you on pain of violent dismemberment."
The mob boss scowls.
"And if he runs? Then I paid you all that money for nothing."
"If he declines to take up your generous offer, which he won't, then all you need to do is call me again. I'll clean up the mess."
"I paid you to get me my Venom back!" Cohen barks. "You took my money and gave me nothing!"
"Nothing? I tracked down your thief from only the intel you yourself said was worthless. You paid me to find it, I found it. If you want me to spend an extra day in town to retrieve it, that would double my fee, which I thought you'd be delighted to avoid. Sebastian will make his amends and you'll get your Venom, but I believe our business is concluded."
"You'd better hope you're right or…"
"I'd highly advise against you threatening me. You see, my apprentice isn't very forgiving towards people who piss me off and my patience is wearing thin."
Cohen looks at me, then turns back to Slade. I can see the wheels turning as he calculates how badly outmatched his men are and how much he doesn't want to be on Slade's bad side, before the situation diffuses. Cohen sits down and waves his hand dismissively.
"You got your money. Now get out."
"A word of advice… the venom has an amplifying effect on a subjects' mental state. If you plan to use it on one of your men, be sure to pick someone who doesn't have any unresolved grudges." He snaps his fingers and barks, "Renegade. Let's go."
"What a piece of shit." I growl, crossing my arms.
"I knew you'd think so." Slade answers. He flicks the direction light and smoothly changes lanes. Traffic is light at ten on a Sunday night but it's still going to take three hours back from Boston.
"So he just gets away with it all?"
"I thought you'd at least be relieved Cohen won't have him killed."
"I am." I let out a breath. "It just… it doesn't feel right."
"Not surprising. You did very well though."
I roll my eyes.
"I chased a security guard through Bloomingdale's. Not exactly a tough job."
"No. But you played your part well."
"Are you ever planning to tell me why small-time mob bosses are stockpiling Kobra venom?"
"Have you figured out a way to pass information without exposing yourself?"
"Since when do you care about that?"
"Since I have reason to doubt your ability to maintain your cover. Tell me, how have things been at home?"
"I'm not talking about this with you."
"As the gossip rags haven't seized the story of the Wayne/Kyle breakup of the century, I'm going to assume she's still living with him. With you. How have things been between you two?"
"Shut up."
"What was that?"
"I said, shut up. Please."
"What's your plan to expose her?" Slade presses like he didn't hear me, and I bite back a swear that I had to go and push him. Now there's no way he'll let it go.
"I'm working on it."
"Talking to Bruce didn't go according to plan did it?"
Instead of answering him, I reach for the radio dial. Before I can turn it on, Slade smacks my hand away. Hard. His hand feels like a tire iron slamming into my knuckles and my fingers feel numb when I pull them back.
"Ow!" I snap, rubbing my hand. The bruise is already starting to form and the back of my hand is turning black and blue.
"Answer the question, Richard."
"It's none of your business."
"Wrong. If you're going to be disrespectful, I see no reason why I should respect your boundaries."
"I'm sorry I was rude!" I say, forcing out the words and trying as hard as I can not to roll my eyes. "Alright? I'm sorry."
"Better. Now answer the question."
I let out a huff and cross my arms even tighter over my chest.
"I haven't talked to him yet. He's going to need proof and I don't have anything he'll believe. I mean, he waited two years after Selina said she was going clean. It's not as simple as just telling him Selina's a liar, it's telling him he was wrong."
"Batman doesn't like being wrong? Shocking." The corner of his mouth raises into a smirk. I sink lower into my seat. "Do you still intend to tell him?"
"Of course I do, I just don't know how. I don't have any proof and I can't just waltz into his study and go, 'Hey, guess what! When I was at the museum with the mercenary I'm secretly working for, I found out that Selina's been using you to steal information on Batman and the Justice League! Happy Hanukkah!"
"Have you considered any other angles?"
"I've been thinking about getting the team involved. Or the League. I know Wonder Woman doesn't like Catwoman, she'll probably look into it even if I just say Selina is giving me a bad feeling."
"That's not a bad idea at all." Slade answers. "But I do recommend that you have reasons to give her beyond simply a bad feeling. It shouldn't be hard to come up with."
"No, it's not." I agree. "But I don't think that'll be enough. I can tell the whole world I don't trust Selina, but at the end of the day Bruce is the one who invited her to move in. If I get everyone involved without talking to Bruce about it, he'll just be angry that I didn't talk to him. But I can't talk to him until I have proof. I'm stuck there. I need proof to convince Bruce."
Slade is quiet for long time. I watch the exit signs pass, the numbers counting up as we head towards Gotham City. My eyes feel heavy and all the lights on the road are starting to blur together. A yawn escapes before I can stop myself.
"You can sleep the rest of the drive." Slade says without looking over. My back tenses and I sit up.
"What?"
"It's late. You've had a long day. I'll wake you up when we get back."
"Uh…"
On one hand, I don't trust Slade enough to fall asleep while I'm alone in a car with him. The last time Slade woke me up somewhere, he'd just shot my best friend and nearly murdered the rest of my teammates. I don't want to be that vulnerable.
On the other hand… I'm exhausted. The week before Winter Break is always the worst, and I've had three pre-midterm tests, a coding project and a five-page essay due Friday. Plus, I missed the math homework and turned in two essays late last week, so I've been working even harder this week. My eyes are starting to burn from the effort of just keeping them open.
"This isn't some evil plot, right?"
Slade clicks the radio on instead of answering. Soft classical music comes on, strings, winds and soaring chords filling the car. I lean my seat back and let my head drop onto my shoulder. The car rumbles down the highway and the music is soft and fills my ears, and then the tiredness takes over.
I wake up as the car turns into the garage and pulls to a gentle stop. The sound of the engine turning off reminds me where I am.
"What time'sit?" I mutter, rubbing my eyes as I sit up.
"It's half past one."
"Mhm." I mumble, reaching over to unbuckle my seat belt. One thirty means it's too late for me to go back home to the manor, so I'll have to stay over in the Haunt tonight. It sucks, but it could be worse. I'll still get five hours of sleep, not counting having slept on the drive.
"What was your excuse for tonight?" Slade asks as we climb out of the car. I stretch my back out and listen to the cracks and pops from sleeping in a weird position.
"Sleepover with Josh." With a wince, I add, "Alfred thought it was a good idea. So… don't have to worry about Bruce checking in tonight."
"Good." Slade grabs the duffel bag with his uniform and the even bigger duffel with his weapons and slings them over his shoulder. I grab my gear bag and shut the trunk, turning to go down through the office to the Haunt. Slade is standing in the way, looking down at his watch. He looks up and nods. "Once you've put your equipment away, I have something for you."
"Why do you keep checking your watch?" I ask, yawning as I follow his down the hidden stairs. "Do you have to be somewhere?"
"Keeping an eye on the time."
"Was that a pun?" The words slip out before I can stop them. Slade stops and turns, one eyebrow raised in a decidedly unimpressed manner. Okay, note to self, no one-eye jokes. "Sheesh, sorry."
"Go put your gear away."
"Yup, on it."
I head for my room before he gets annoyed and changes his mind and decides to be an asshole. I throw the duffel bag on the bed and start pulling out Renegade's uniform. Everything is clean, since chasing a guy through a department store isn't exactly a grueling workout, so I hang it back up in the closet and throw the mask on the dresser.
The hardest part is removing all the weapons from the assorted pockets and pouches, mostly because there's so many of them. When I pull the last smoke grenades out and throw them into the duffel bag, I can't help but wonder how Slade gets the uniforms cleaned.
Between the multiple sets of Robin uniforms and the specialty washing equipment Alfred installed, I always have a clean uniform, but how does Slade clean his? What kind of dry-cleaners takes blood-stained Kevlar body armor? Unless he just washes it himself?
The thought of Slade standing over a front-loader and tossing in his uniform with the rest of his laundry is enough to make me burst out laughing. Honestly, I can't even imagine Slade doing laundry. Or any kind of cleaning. That's just another mystery I will hopefully never know the answer to.
With the bo staff added to the pile, I have all the weapons out of the uniform. Looking at the bed is a mistake; I just want to fall asleep, but the sooner I get this done, the sooner I can go to bed for real. I throw the bag over my shoulder and head for the armory. Slade is already there, stripping down his guns and cleaning them. He doesn't say anything when I walk in, just nods and keeps working. His watch is set on the table in front of him though, and he keeps looking at it.
As I put the smoke grenades, projectiles, knives and various other pointy things back into the cabinets and shelves, I catch Slade checking his watch at least six times. I won't say that it's freaking me out, but I don't like it. Is he timing me? Wouldn't he just tell me if he was?
No, of course not. He loves making my life harder.
Instead of asking why he's obsessing over his watch, I wipe down the bo staff and check the charges on the electrical component. The batteries discharge fast, so I have to replace them after every five or so charges, but I haven't had to use it on anyone since the last change.
I don't know if Slade checks how often I replace the battery packs, but I hope he doesn't notice that I've barely used it. I didn't realize until after I saw the specs, but it is a really strong charge. Anyone who gets hit is going to HURT and I don't want to do that unless I absolutely have to.
Snap the battery port closed, spray some WD-40 on the release mechanism, and test the spring-loading. It works perfectly. I put the collapsed staff on the shelf and close the cabinet with all my equipment.
When I turn around, Slade is disassembling something with a lot of small parts. He doesn't seem to notice me, which means he absolutely does see me and is ignoring me.
"So what's the thing you said you had?"
"You're done?" Slade looks up, feigning like he just noticed me. Okay, something weird is going on.
"Yup. Cleaned and put away." I cross my arms over my chest.
"Good timing. Go past the workshop, take a left and go through the doors. I'll meet you in there."
"And then you'll explain why you're being so weird?"
Slade snorts.
"It's always gratifying to see that my lessons in observation haven't gone to waste."
"Not just your lessons." I shoot back before I can stop myself.
"Of course. Wayne is the great detective after all." Slade answers mockingly. I bite down on my tongue and take a breath. Letting him bait me is a terrible idea and I know better.
"Right past the workshop and through the doors?" I ask.
"Correct."
Finding the door is easy. Figuring out how to open the next door is not. Guess I'll just wait for Slade to get here. Luckily, the door behind me opens after about a minute.
"So now are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"I think it'll be fairly obvious in a minute."
"So that's a no?"
"Correct."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're the worst?" I mutter. Slade at least looks amused by that. He unlocks the door somehow and holds it open for me.
"You're by no means the first to express that sentiment." He says. I snort.
"Maybe it's time to take the feedback to heart."
Slade just shakes his head in response, the ghost of a grin on his face.
"In."
"Fine, I'm going." I never know exactly where the line is between banter and warning, but I'm getting better at finding it. The problem is, Slade isn't actually the worst company when he's not being an evil asshole.
It's a storage room. The whole room is filled with filing cabinets and every single drawer has a padlock and a scanner pad on it. After a second, it hits me why the room has so much security; it's all evidence. This must be where Slade keeps hard copies of anything that could legally tie him to his crimes.
"I'm sure you've guessed what's in this room." Slade says, stopping in front of a cabinet and swiping his finger over the scanner pad before pulling out a set of keys. "Getting any bright ideas?"
I swallow. The denial is sticking in my throat; Slade knows as well as I do that anything in this room would be all the proof a judge and jury need to convict. He also knows that I know he would never, ever let me know this room existed if he wasn't absolutely positive I'll never be able to use it against him.
Besides, I agreed to work for him. For real this time. As much as I hate it, that means no plotting against him. When I look up, Slade is watching me carefully. His face inscrutable as he waits for an answer. Finally, I find my voice.
"No." I shake my head. "It's not worth it."
"Good." He smirks. "You wouldn't be able to get anything even if you were trying. The door lock is on a timer; it can only be opened once a day during a five-minute window that rotates on a thirty-day cycle."
I knew it. Between the door timer, multiple locks and biometric scanner, I'll never be able to break in here. But that does explain why he kept checking his watch.
"Regarding the difficulty we discussed earlier… I have something that might help." Slade pulls a file out from the top drawer of the unlocked cabinet. He passes it to me and I hesitate before taking it. There's a stack of papers inside, along with an unmarked flash drive. I glance over the papers and my heart skips a beat; it's a detailed analysis of crime reports tying Catwoman to recent burglaries and thefts.
"I called in some favors. Those are all of Catwoman's suspected activities over the past two years, in the time she was supposedly reformed. You're correct that Wayne will need proof of any accusations you might bring him. Now you have it."
"What's on the flash drive?"
"Surveillance footage from the museum."
I pick up the flash drive and turn it over.
"Am I… on it?"
Slade inclines his head in affirmation.
"The angle will make it impossible for facial recognition software to be run on it, but Renegade is visible in parts of the footage."
"I can't show that to Bruce!"
"Why not?"
"What do you mean, why not?! He'll recognize me!"
"Very doubtful."
"He's the world's greatest detective! 'Doubtful' isn't good enough!"
"Watch the video yourself. If you're still worried, then don't show him. The files alone might be sufficient proof."
How can he sound so confident about something like this? Bruce is Batman. He knows everything. He sees everything! If he sees Renegade, he'll recognize me instantly. How could he not?! He's my dad!
But Slade sounds so sure of himself. He might be an asshole and a manipulative bastard, but he's never been wrong.
"I'll look at it." I say, tucking the drive back into the file.
"You don't need to use it." Slade says offhandedly as he closes and re-locks the filing cabinet. "In fact, you don't have to expose Selina at all. But…"
He turns around and looks me right in the eye.
"I want you to understand that I will hold up my end of our new deal. And I trust you will do the same."
I match his gaze, not looking away until he breaks it first. With a gesture, he leads me out of the room and closes the door, locking away the trove of secrets behind an unbreachable barrier. That's a problem for another time. For now, there's a bed with my name on it.
"Night." I say. Slade nods in dismissal, and the second I get back to my room, it's head to pillow and lights out.
Wayne Manor
Tuesday, December 21st, 2012
It's not until I get home from school on Tuesday that I finally have time to look at the flash drive. After shaking Tim off and leaving him to do homework with Jason, I barricade myself in my room. I dig out an old laptop from under my bed and plug in the drive. The clip has no sound, but it's easy to see what's going on. When Renegade appears on screen, my heart stops.
Slade was right.
I know it's me. But… it can't be. Renegade somehow looks bigger and taller than I am, with more muscle around his chest and arms, but standing next to Deathstroke he looks almost insignificant in comparison. I mean, I do. It's me. It's me wearing heavy body armor and steel-tipped boots.
But it's the face that I can't look away from. I never realized how the weird mask sits on my face, but it makes everything look longer and sharper. Maybe it's the shadows or the lighting or the weird angle or the fact that it covers more of my face than a domino mask, but no matter how long I stare, I can't recognize myself.
It's not me. But it is me. It's a version of me that I don't recognize… a look at what my future will be.
I can't get away from Slade. Our new deal is the best possible outcome, the one way that guarantees nobody I care about will get hurt. But I'm still stuck with him. I'm stuck playing a part I don't recognize and it makes me sick to my stomach that someday I might look in a mirror and Renegade will be the only face that looks back.
I'm on my feet before I can talk myself out of it. The sooner I get this over with, the better. I spent all day in class reading through the files and memorizing all the jobs Selina almost got away with in the last few years. I can't let this go on any longer than it already has.
The knocking sound echoes through the hall, pulling me back to myself. I have to focus.
"Do you need something?" Bruce calls. I take that as my cue to ease the door to his study open.
"Uh… Bruce? Can we talk?"
"Of course."
Bruce doesn't say anything while I walk in and sit in one of the chairs opposite his desk. He just waits for me to start, which is great and all except now I have to figure out how to say what I need to without blowing everything.
"It's about Selina." Bruce frowns but doesn't interrupt. I take a deep breath. "I want her out."
"What?"
"I don't trust her."
"Did something happen?"
"She's using you."
"Excuse me?"
My mouth feels dry and I can feel my palms get sweaty.
"Selina's using you."
Bruce's frown has disappeared and his face is an unreadable mask.
"In what way is she using me?"
"Bruce, you can't trust her. It's not safe to have her here, she needs to go."
"Dick."
"I want her out. I don't want her in the house, or near you, and I want her away from Jay and Tim and Steph and Cass. She needs to go!"
"Dick, you need to calm down."
"I am calm!"
"You're acting hysterical. Take a breath and explain to me exactly how you think Selina is using me."
"She's using you to get information! She's been lying the whole time, Bruce! She never went clean."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because it's true!"
"Dick, do you have proof or are is there something else going on? Is everything okay at school?"
"This isn't about me! It's about Selina!"
"What do you think she's doing?"
"She's using you for information! Are you even listening to me?!" I shout.
"Of course, I'm listening to you!" Bruce snaps, his hands pressing into the desk. "All I'm asking for is a reason. Just give me one reason why you don't trust Selina."
"Because she's using you!"
"To do what?! How is she using me?"
"She's working with the Light."
The study goes silent. Even the clock stops ticking. Bruce just stares.
"Do you have proof?" Bruce asks, his voice quiet but sturdy. I don't know how he has the self-control to keep the words from shaking.
"Security footage from the GMA." I answer, trying to keep my own voice steady. The flash drive in my pocket feels like a lead weight when I pull it out and place it gingerly on Bruce's desk like it's about to explode. Bruce looks down at the drive, his face an unreadable mask. But before I can work up the courage to say anything, he's plugging it into his computer and watching the video feed play.
Selina and Deathstroke are easy to see in the footage, and even though there's no sound, it's unmistakable that they're talking casually. Selina looks as relaxed and in-control as she did that night, and it makes my stomach turn.
"She's working with him." I say, when the Deathstroke onscreen hands Selina a flash drive and Bruce still hasn't moved. He hasn't so much as blinked. "Whatever's on that drive is part of one of their plans. She's using us, Bruce. I'm sorry, but she's using you. I have other proof too; I've found fifteen robberies she committed in the last two years when she said she'd gone clean. I can pull up the case files right now!"
"Where did you get this footage?" Bruce interrupts. That's when I realize he still hasn't looked away from the screen and that the frown on his face keeps getting deeper. Something's not right. I swallow and try not to choke on the shards of glass in my throat.
"From the museum's system. I found a backdoor and copied the clip."
Bruce frowns, looking up at me. His eyes are narrowing into his detective glare, the one he uses when he's just found the clue that will crack the case wide open.
"No you didn't."
"What are you talking about?"
"Selina is setting up a temporary exhibit in the north portrait gallery. I've been in that room dozens of times for fundraising events; the camera has the left corner of "Blue Danube" in the frame but the doorway is visible. The camera is also pointed down at a twelve degree angle from eight inches below the height of the ceiling. To get that exact shot, the camera would be exactly where the east-facing window is."
"I got it off the server." I protest.
"That footage didn't come from the museum's security cameras." Bruce stands up. I've seen him terrorize criminals just by looming over them hundreds of times, but it always feels different when I'm the one he's looming over.
He doesn't look angry, but he's not happy. He knows I'm lying. He knows.
"I…"
"Where did you get it?"
"I…"
"If you want me to be able to trust anything you have to say, you need to answer me honestly. Where did you get that video?"
"I'm not the one you should be interrogating! Selina's the mole! She's planning to rob the museum!"
"I already knew about this." Bruce answers slowly. "She told me the night it happened. And as far as the robbery goes, it's a part of a much bigger plan to lead the FBI to high profile art thieves."
"What?"
"Selina is not the mole."
"No, you're wrong."
"Where did you get that footage?"
"Why aren't you listening to me?!"
"Tell me where it's from!" Bruce shouts.
"It doesn't matter!"
"Then I'm supposed to sit back while you hurl around outrageous accusations?! Dick, I've heard enough!"
"Bruce! You can't trust her!"
"If there's someone I can't trust right now, it's not Selina."
I step back.
"You can't be serious."
"Give me a reason to trust you."
"I'm your partner." I say.
"So is she."
"Bruce."
"Dick. Either tell me where you got that footage, or go to your room."
Artemis Crock
Gotham Academy
Wednesday, December 22nd
"And that's the bell! Have a really great winter break. Merry slash happy Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, Ramadan, Festivus or other holidays that you celebrate." Mr. Torcado said cheerfully.
Artemis packed her folders into her bag and checked her phone. No new texts from either the Team or the League. As guilty as she felt for thinking it, she was glad for the break. Even with all the League's medical magic and the physical therapy Green Arrow was making her do, her knee was still killing her and after a string of bad missions, she wasn't complaining about a little time off.
"Did you bring lunch?" Babs asked Bette.
"No, I was going to buy a sandwich."
"What about you, Dick?"
"Uh… you guys go ahead, I have to talk to Mr. Torcado for a second."
Babs frowned.
"You didn't miss another homework, did you?"
"It's fine."
"Dick, come on. Two meetings in the same day?"
"Babs, it's fine. I'll be down in a few minutes."
Artemis frowned. Nick raised his eyebrow and stared at them.
"Come on. We should go before the lines get too long." He said, and they all hesitantly followed him. Artemis took two steps out the door before she paused and turned around to stare at Dick. If she had to explain exactly what it was that made her stop, she wouldn't have been able to, but as soon as she really looked at Dick, her feet cemented themselves to the ground. She couldn't have walked away if she wanted to.
"Babs, wait." She put her hand on Babs' arm before the younger girl could follow their friends to the cafeteria. "Something's wrong."
Babs stiffened, eyes locking on Artemis' face like an empty lifeboat in the wreckage of the Titanic.
"You think so too?"
Artemis nodded.
"He's acting weird. Especially last week, he was really freaking me out. It seems like everything is just getting worse."
"What do you mean?"
"When we were working on our homework, I tried to give him back his pen and he told me to keep it. But the way he said it was like… he was leaving."
"What do you mean, he was leaving?"
Artemis sighed.
"He said it was something to remember him by. He said it was just a joke but it freaked me out. You don't think he's… you know, going to…" Artemis felt her chest tightening and tried to get the words out anyway. "…I don't know… hurt himself?"
"He hasn't been acting like himself." Babs frowned, pulling her arms tighter around herself. "I mean, he's skipping homework and last week, he didn't turn in either of his English essays on time."
"Look, it's going be alright, Dick." Mr. Torcado's voice effortlessly carried out of the room, making them both look over. "Your average is high enough that a few late homeworks won't take off more than a percent or two. After we come back from break, make sure to plan ahead so you get your work in on time and really study hard for the midterm. If you do that, and by the end of the year you're on the edge of a letter grade, come talk to me again. Alright?"
They couldn't hear Dick's response.
"It's going to be alright. You've got this." Mr. Torcado said kindly.
"Yeah, thanks." Dick said, voice glum as he left the room. He jumped when he saw them standing there, his hand flying up to rub the wetness out of his eyes. "You guys didn't have to wait."
"Of course we did. We're your friends." Babs answered.
"What was that about?" Artemis blurted out.
"I missed a homework. Don't worry about it." Dick looked away. "Come on, let's go get lunch before the lines get any worse."
He started down the hall, but neither of them followed him.
"Is everything okay, Dick?" Babs asked.
"It's fine." Dick stopped, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Okay, it's clearly not fine." Artemis frowned.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"But something happened?" Babs pressed.
"Just leave me alone."
"Okay, cut the miserable loner act. You're clearly having a bad time and we're your friends. Tell us what's wrong."
"I'm not doing this with you!" Dick snapped. Artemis took a step back at the sudden anger. "I've already messed up enough stuff, please just go away before I hurt you guys too."
"No." Babs frowned.
"Babs, please."
"No." She repeated. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry you're having a bad time but you're an idiot if you think you can get rid of me that easily."
"It was my fault. It's all my fault. Everything is my fault and I thought I had it under control but everything is falling apart and it's my fault!"
"It's gonna be okay. I'm not going anywhere."
"Me either." Artemis added. "Dick, you can talk to us. What happened?"
Dick's shoulders slumped over and he looked around before heading for an empty classroom. Artemis followed him in and Babs shut the door behind them. Dick sat in one of the chairs, leaning his head in his hands.
"I had a fight with Bruce."
"Oh, Dick." Babs put her arms around him and Dick accepted the hug with his eyes squeezed shut.
"What happened?" Artemis asked, crouching next to them.
"It's Catwoman."
Artemis and Babs looked at each other. Whatever they'd been expecting, it wasn't that.
"What?"
"Bruce's girlfriend. I just found out she's Catwoman."
Artemis choked.
"Your dad is dating Catwoman?!"
Babs shot her a glare.
"Is that what you were fighting about?"
"He doesn't care." Dick nodded miserably. "He thinks I'm just making stuff up to get rid of her."
"He didn't believe you?" Babs asked.
"No! It's… it's complicated. He already knew she was Catwoman, but he really believes she's gone clean. I don't know what to do! If I say something again, he'll get mad at me for not trusting him to date who he wants. But she's living in my house! She takes Cassie to preschool! She's been lying to me the entire time I've known her!"
Artemis reeled back.
"Dick, I'm so sorry. That's terrible."
"I don't know what to do." Dick repeated, lost in thought. "No matter what I do, everything keeps falling apart. And just when I think I have a way to fix it, it just gets worse! It's too much! Every single one of my classes gives so much work and I have to do what S… for my internship, I can't quit. It's just too much work for one person."
"Can you take a break?" Babs asked. "Just take some time to focus on school?"
"Babs, you know how important my internship is."
Babs nodded seriously.
"What's your internship?" Artemis asked.
"I work with a public defender." Dick answered. "It's really important to me. We help people."
Artemis felt a new sense of admiration for her friend. Dick was a freshman taking the coursework of an upperclassman while spending his time working to help the people who were most vulnerable. She'd dealt with the criminal justice system enough to know how tirelessly public defenders worked. They might not be superheroes, but they were heroes all the same.
"If I could just… if it was just one less thing, I'd be okay. But right now it's just everything. There's so much work and I'm falling behind and my job has crappy hours and now Selina turns out to be Catwoman and Bruce thinks I'm making up problems to screw with him! I can't do this anymore!"
"It's gonna be okay." Babs assured him. Dick sniffed and wiped at the tears on his face.
"And whatever you need, we'll always help you." Artemis added.
"You guys are really good friends but… I don't think there's anything you can do."
"Yeah there is." Babs said. Dick looked at her in surprise. "I promise, I can help."
"I can too." Artemis said. There wasn't anything she could do about being overworked, but Catwoman? That was a problem a hero could definitely fix. If she had Wayne fooled, that was one thing. But if Batman knew one of the League's biggest donors was being conned by a supervillain, he could shut it down in an instant. All she had to do was tell Batman what Catwoman was up to.
Easy.
And then Dick would finally be able to catch a break.
Dick Grayson
Mount Justice
Friday, December 24th, 2012
"Artemis, how's your knee?"
"Better. Still hurts. How's your throat?"
"It's fine. You here for Canary or the medbay?" I ask.
"I was actually going to watch a movie with Zatanna." Artemis says. There's a little too much hurt in her voice; spending time at the cave used to be fun. Somewhere along the line that changed for me, especially since I still haven't figured out what the hell to say to M'gann. Or Wally. They're going to be so angry and I'm not ready to face either one of them. "What about you?"
"Canary. She thinks I need to talk about… you know…" I wave my hand around and trail off, gesturing to the metaphorical shitstorm we've all been through this year. Artemis laughs.
"Yeah, I'm supposed to do that tomorrow. Lucky for me, she's been cutting me slack since I'm stuck walking at the speed of smell."
"What speed is that?" I ask.
"I guess slow? Never really thought about it." She whacks me on the arm. "And now I'm over-thinking it. Thanks a lot, bird brain!"
"All in a day's work." I grin. "I should get going though."
"Come on, Rob, it's the holidays. Stay! Hang out. Watch a sadistic child terrorize a pair of burglars with me and Zee."
"That's a great way to describe Home Alone. Also, it's Zee and I."
"You're a massive nerd. I hope you know that."
We both laugh.
"Seriously, you should stay. It seems like Batman's been working you really hard lately."
"You know how he is." I shrug. "It's really fine though. Besides, I have a thing tonight. We'll watch movies about violent children next time, I promise."
"I'll hold you to that." Artemis grins.
"See ya!" I wave. As soon as she turns, I check my watch. Crap! M'gann's going to be out of her session with Canary any minute, and I can't deal with that fallout right now. Running without looking like you're running is hard and looks pretty stupid, but I think I manage it okay. At least until I bump into the person coming out of the still-whirring Zeta tube.
"Whoa, Rob, what's the rush?"
"Red Arrow? What are you doing here?"
"Long time no see." Roy answers, raising his eyebrow. "Are you leaving?"
"I… yeah, well… I was but… what are you doing here?"
"I thought you'd have heard by now."
"Heard what?"
"I'm joining the Team."
"What?"
"I thought it was time. Um… I thought you would have been a little happier to hear that."
I frown.
"Why should I care what you do?"
"Because we're friends?"
Friends?
"Are we? You haven't said a word to me since you accused my teammates of being traitors."
"Rob, that's not fair."
I turn on him. My heart pounds and I think about everything we've been through this year, everything I've given up or had taken away from me.
"Fair? You think life is fair?! I think that ship has sailed for us." I turn towards the zeta tube, ready to end it there, but things are bubbling to the surface. All the resentment and anger and hurt that's been building since Roy turned his back on us. I whirl around, shooting him with a furious glare. "And by the way, I'm still waiting for an apology for what you said about us back when the team formed. You know, I was so excited that the League was finally giving us a chance and I wanted you to be a part of it. I wanted to fight alongside you just like we used to when it was you, me and KF. And what did you do? You threw it all back in my face! Even after everything we went through our friendship didn't mean anything to you."
Roy shakes his head at me, mouth hanging open. He lets out a disbelieving huff.
"How could you think that?!"
"Are you kidding me? You haven't been here, Red Arrow. You only show your face when you need something from us and you've taken every single chance to try and tear apart what this team built! You've so desperate to show the League you're worthy that you're acting like getting the title of Super Hero is the only thing that matters! So don't you dare ask me how I resent the way you've treated us! Treated me!"
"Everything I have done has been to help the Team! I'm trying to keep you all safe!"
"Yeah, well you've done a great job of that!" I shout back. "Thank god you were there to stop the Reds from ambushing us in our home base! What would we have done without you there to take down Clayface?! And let's not forget how you got Deathstroke out of the way before he could hurt anyone!"
"I was there! I came to get you all out!"
"But he didn't hurt you!" I scream. The sound echoes through the hollow mountain, ringing with anger. "You didn't have to watch him hurt everyone you care about! You didn't wake up in a cell in god knows where and see him standing over you and not know if your friends were even alive! You weren't there! You've never been there! And now you just show up like everything's fine and expect me to be okay with it?!"
"Robin…"
"I don't care what you do. Just leave me alone."
I try to push past him but he grabs my arm.
"Robin." He repeats, his voice firmer. His grip on my arm is strong enough to cut off the circulation and his mask lenses are narrowed into slits. "Your report said you and Superboy were alone when you woke up."
My heart skips a beat. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. There's no way to take it back. I take a deep breath and charge forward.
"Yeah, well I lied."
"Why?!" Red Arrow demands, his voice hard as steel. If I don't answer him, he'll never let it go.
"Because. He came to gloat."
"What did he say?"
I steel myself and look Red Arrow straight in the eye.
"That if Light didn't want me, he was going to take me for himself."
Red Arrow reels back. The accusation evaporates and leaves behind an expression of horror.
"Rob, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"
I wrench my arm out of the grip to cut him off.
"Yeah, well now you know."
The entire team is huddled around the door frame, and they all jump back when I make eye contact.
"Don't." I say, cutting them off before any of them can make apologies for eavesdropping or comment on what just happened.
'Recognized: Robin B01.'
Wayne Manor
"Mistress Stephanie, kindly hold still." Alfred chastens, trying to stick the final bobby pin in her hair while she wiggles excitedly.
"But we're gonna be late!"
"Yes, it certainly seems so." Alfred answers with a sigh. "Master Jason, where is your bow tie?"
"Bow ties are stupid."
"Jason, please put on your tie." Bruce asks with the air of a desperate man. Cassie is resisting all his efforts to put her sparkly black shoes on.
"I want to wear one of your ties." Jason crosses his arms and puts his foot down.
"Fine."
"Yes!" Jason whoops, turning and sprinting up the stairs to the first-floor landing. "I'm gonna wear the gold one!"
"Jason, you are not wearing an eight-thousand-dollar tie tonight!" Bruce calls after him. Cassie wriggles free of his grip and Selina steps forward before things get any more hectic.
"You go get him a tie, I'll get her shoes on."
Bruce nods gratefully and disappears up the stairs. I snatch Cassie up before Selina can get to her.
"I've got it." I say coldly. She looks a little surprised but shrugs it off.
"No shoes!" Cassie grabs my nose.
"Nyes shoes," I say, my voice garbled until she finally lets go. I let her put one shoe on by herself, and then she's happy to let me do the other one, and then pick the first shoe off the floor and put that one on too. By the time they come back, Jason is already complaining about how uncomfortable the tie is and Bruce looks like he's coming down with a bad headache.
"Please tell me we're ready to go." He asks Alfred in a voice bordering on defeated.
"Tim's not here!" Steph announces loudly. I fight the urge to facepalm as Bruce and Selina both look shocked.
"He's been waiting in the limo for half an hour." I remind everyone when Bruce is about to go running back up the stairs.
"Why isn't he waiting inside?"
"He's playing Smash." Steph reports.
"After I specifically told him not to bring his DS?"
"Nice going, narc!" Jason rolls his eyes at her.
"I didn't narc! He asked!"
"That's what narc-ing is, you narc!"
Bruce's eye twitches. Selina laughs and rubs his arm, leaning in to tell him something that makes the stress lines on his face fade; I turn away with a scowl.
"C'mon guys." I mutter, carrying Cassie and dragging Stephanie after me; she and Jason are still going at it and they probably will be until we get to the gala. Then it'll be all perfect smiles and best behavior for six hours. Can't wait.
"Happy holidays, Bruce!" Elizabeth Bishop exclaims, throwing her arms around Bruce and kissing him on the cheek lightly. "And this must be Selina. It's wonderful to meet you!"
I see Jill and Lenny sitting together on one of the low benches and leave Bruce and Selina to chat with the Bishops. Jason, Tim and Steph trail after me. Cassie wriggles around to try and follow us, but Bruce has a firm grip on her and whispers something to her that gets her to stop.
"Parties are stupid." Tim grumbles, leaning against the wall. "There's not even enough chairs."
"Please, you haven't even been through Bar Mitzvah season." Jill teases him. "Imagine this every single weekend for three months. Plus you have to sit through the services."
"I won't go." Tim shoots back.
"Lucky!" Lenny whines.
The cocktail hour passes pretty fast. We take turns grabbing appetizers and coming back to our corner bench to share where the best ones are. Lenny spends a hilarious five minutes pretending to be a food critic ripping apart a ricotta and fig spring roll. Jason almost manages to get a glass of whiskey before Alfred appears from nowhere to intercept it. Steph doesn't stop complaining about how bored she is until Jill drags her away to go judge everyone's dresses.
Things get bad when the appetizers get taken away and everyone gets herded into the main ballroom. No more food and no more places to sit. Alfred leaves a little while after that to take Cassie to bed. I seriously debate going home with them, but they're gone before I can make up my mind. An hour after that, things get worse. A few late arrivals show up. Including…
"Roy!"
"Hey there Tim." Roy grins and pulls him in for a side hug before fist-bumping Jason. I do my best to hide behind a flower arrangement before he gets to us. Roy clearly sees me but since he doesn't make any effort to call me out, he must not want a repeat of the Cave.
My phone starts buzzing while I'm still debating how long I can pretend to be a flower. I check it and there's a call from an unknown number. Tough choice… face Roy or answer a spam call. My siblings are crowded around Roy so he's totally distracted, Bruce and Selina are busy socializing, and Alfred already left. Nobody's going to notice me leave. I duck into the hallway and answer my phone.
"Hello?"
"I have something you'll be interested in." Slade says. My heart pounds. Okay, not a spam call. Way worse than a spam call could ever be. Thank god I went outside to answer it.
"What is it?"
"Luthor wants to meet you."
"What?!" I hiss. "How does he know?!"
"Take a guess."
"Selina." I growl. "I can't right now. I'm at the holiday party."
"I'm aware. Exit through the service door, I have a change of clothes for you in the car."
"Are you serious? Right now?!"
There's no answer. I look down and see that he disconnected the call.
"Shit!" I hiss, tucking my phone back into my pocket. Why does he have to pick the worst time for everything? Crap, there's no way my family isn't going to notice that I'm gone for that long… but it's not like I've never ducked out in the middle of a party before. Maybe if I get back in time, I can get Jill and Lenny to cover for me.
That'll work.
This hallway leads to the kitchens and the rear exit of the building. I turn the corner and slip out onto the back patio.
It's cold outside; almost like it's the middle of December. A light dusting of snow covers the garden but the path to the driveway has already been trampled out. Lucky for me, since I won't leave prints behind. There's a black van parked out behind the building, exactly where Slade said it would be. It's got armored tires and the tinted windows are so dark it's impossible to even see the outline of a driver, let alone see who it is. The second the service door closes behind me, the van door opens. Looking around to check for the millionth time that no one is watching, I slip into the backseat and pull the door shut behind me. The car takes off.
"Get changed." Slade throws my uniform at me. "Everything else goes into this bag."
"Thanks for the short notice." I grumble, but I'm already pulling off my tie and jacket and working on the super pinchy shoes.
"Luthor only contacted me a few hours ago and the opportunity was too important to pass up. Meeting Luthor is a crucial step; once the members of the Light see you as an asset, they will speak more freely in front of you and allow your presence in meetings they would otherwise forbid."
"Is Renegade supposed to be an asset for the Light?" I frown. Talking in third person makes it easier to pretend it's not going to be me playing this part. Never mind the fact that I'm putting on the chest armor and gloves as we speak.
"Renegade is my asset." He answers. "As far as the Light is concerned, he is not ready to operate on his own."
"So any mission you go on…"
"I won't make you come on any Light missions that you don't wish to." Slade interrupts. "That being said, if you want information, you'll have to find it out in person. I will protect you from discovery, but I won't pass anything along to you if you weren't present for the mission. Consider it incentive."
I take a deep breath before putting my mask on to finish the uniform. Slade crosses his arms at me, waiting for my response.
"I didn't really expect anything else."
"I'll warn you in advance, this will be unpleasant. I don't know what Luthor wants, but presumably he has another purpose to meet besides confirming your existence; that reason will likely culminate in a job at a later point."
"Do you have any idea what the job is?"
"Unfortunately not. But I will not involve you in anything you're not ready for."
"So it could be a contract."
"Renegade." Slade says in a low tone. "I'm not giving you any more information for your own good. Regardless of what Luthor's mission is, you cannot interfere. He will be watching incredibly closely. All of your actions reflect directly onto me. So long as you intend to act the spy, your mask must be flawless."
"I know."
"There is no room for error."
"I know." I repeat before taking a deep breath. "What do I have to do?"
"We need to establish Renegade as separate from either of your other personas. It will be crucial to intersperse his appearances with Robin and Grayson. As I've said before, this meeting will be extremely unpleasant."
"Yeah, I know. It's a meeting with Luthor."
"He will be interested to know your identity, or at the very least how you came into my employ. At no point will you be given a name beyond Renegade; he'll investigate any fake names too thoroughly. He will be told that I staged your disappearance several years ago. All you need to do is act defeated and obedient."
"Great." I say sarcastically. "Anything else?"
"Don't speak. Not a single word. The fewer clues to your identity, the better."
"No complaints there."
Slade nods, fixing his chest armor and putting on his mask.
"Good. Are you ready?"
I take a deep breath.
"Nope."
"Keep your shoulders back and your posture straight." The car pulls to a stop and Slade reaches for the door. "Let's go."
"Apologies for the short notice. I didn't intend to come to Gotham this late in the year, but I heard rumors you were in town and I couldn't resist." Luthor is standing in the middle of the room, looking perfectly put together even in a creepy basement. It was too dark outside to see where the car stopped, but Slade led us down some utility stairs and into a weird underground office building.
"This worked out well for both of us."
"I was surprised that you requested a face-to-face meeting after our last transaction, but I believed it had to do with your recent work with the brats. In a way, I suppose it still does. I admit, I wasn't sure how much stock to put in rumors."
"Face to face makes introductions simpler." Slade agrees.
Luthor grins, turning to look at me. There's curiosity and greed and the full force of his attention makes my stomach freeze. My breath catches in my throat and I can feel satisfaction coming off Slade in waves. Luthor is right there. This is really happening.
Luthor isn't just a bad guy, he's THE bad guy. It hits me again that I'm alone in a room with an evil billionaire obsessed with destroying Superman and the dangerous, sociopathic mercenary who's threatened to kill my friends and family. What the hell am I doing?!
"By all means, introduce me."
"I believe I mentioned a time-consuming project. Well, he's finally up to my standards. Lex, this is Renegade."
I manage to stay still by sheer force of will. Not even Slade is going to be able to blame me if I flinch a little.
"Renegade? Interesting name."
"Oh, it suits him quite well."
Lex takes a step towards me and I scramble back without thinking. Slade's hand grabs my arm in a death grip and he orders, "Stay."
I freeze. Slade told me to be obedient, but it's hard to pretend to follow orders when this is the most terrifying thing I've ever done. Lex grins even wider and tilts my chin up and the touch chills me to the bone. His fingers dig into my skin like he's handling a piece of meat. Not that Luthor would ever stoop so low as to prepare his own food.
"He's more skittish than I would've expected."
"It's been a long time since he's seen another person." Slade answers, letting go of my arm. I still don't move and neither does Luthor. "And most of the time, he's in his cell."
Slade said this would be unpleasant, but there aren't enough words in the English language to capture how horrible this moment is. I have to get through this. Slade's giving me a cover story and making sure Luthor or anybody else won't suspect who I really am.
"When will I see him in action?" Luthor finally drops his hand away and it takes all my self-control not to fall over in relief. My heart is pounding so fast it hurts to breathe.
"He goes where I do. I brought him out for a test run at Hizer. I'm afraid Green Arrow didn't enjoy that encounter very much."
"Fascinating." Luthor grins. "I admit, Wilson, you never cease to impress me."
"That's quite a compliment."
"Your work with the sidekicks? You wouldn't believe how many people I've hired that failed to do the same thing."
My stomach twists. Luthor hired Slade to hurt my friends. That means Slade wasn't just doing it to get back at me… but that's still part of it. He always has more than one motivation.
"The trick is knowing where their weak spots are." Slade answers, squeezing my arm warningly. I flinch. Luthor watches me sharply, eyes trained on my face. There's no moisture left in my mouth and my legs are threatening to shake. "You mentioned you had a job for me."
"It's less of a job and more of a consulting opportunity. I believe you're familiar with the Superboy already."
"He's an easier takedown than the standard Kryptonian." Slade replies and it takes all my self-control to hold still. But it takes Luthor's attention off me and that's enough for me to catch my breath again. "Still, he held out longer than the rest of the brats."
"Superboy is one successful creation of an organization known as Project Cadmus. Officially, Cadmus is a biotechnology company which provides cover for its more… clandestine research directions."
"Would this be the same Cadmus that collapsed suddenly last summer?"
Luthor smiles, but not in the way that a regular human being would smile. The look on his face is like watching a crate full of puppies being stepped on.
"I do enjoy working with professionals."
I miss whatever Slade says in response because I can't tell which of them is winning the weird, evil creepy "I'm more evil and manipulative than you are but we're working together so we have to pretend to get along but I will turn on you in a second if I have a chance" contest they have going on. Thank god I just have to stand here and not say anything. I am nowhere near ready to deal with Luthor at his worst.
"The most successful project Cadmus has produced are known as genomorphs. Genetic hybrids with advanced psychic manipulation capabilities."
"Useful." Slade says.
"So far, that research has been a fruitful investment." Luthor agrees.
"What's the problem?" Slade crosses his arms over his chest.
"They're disappearing from Cadmus. Millions of dollars' worth of scientific progress simply vanishing into thin air."
"And you need me to find the thief?"
"Oh, I know exactly who's responsible and where they're hiding them. The creatures are still somewhere beneath the building, but my security teams have been unable to find any hint of their presence. That's the issue with rogue psychic manipulators."
"I see. The issue is how to recapture them when any attempts lead to a mind wipe?"
"Precisely. That's where you come in. I have constructed a gambit that lies outside my usual area of expertise. As a capable tactician, I want your input. You'll be fairly compensated for your time, of course."
"Of course."
Luthor turns to the screen on the far wall and pulls a device from his pocket. The screen turns on and a scientist in a stained lab coat appears. He jumps when he sees Luthor.
"Uh, Mr. Luthor, sir, we weren't expecting your call until—"
"Do not speak unless you have any progress to report." Luthor snaps. The man gulps, stammering out excuses.
"Well, sir, we have managed to… um…"
"Shut up. Get me Dubbilex. NOW."
The scientist scrambles out of the frame and a minute later, a very familiar blue horned creature appears on screen. It's the same guy who led us to Superboy and helped us all escape Cadmus.
"Mr. Luthor. How may I assist you?"
"Retrieve Project Matchstick."
Dubbliex hesitates, with obvious reluctance to ask the next question.
"Are you certain?"
"Did I stutter?" Luthor snaps. "Have Guardian and Dr. LaRue assist with the preparation and have it ready for injection by tomorrow."
"Very well. Is there anything else?"
"Not yet."
Luthor cuts off the call and the screen goes black.
"This Dubbilex is responsible, then?" Slade asks. I can hear the raised eyebrow in his tone.
"He's been hiding my genomophs for months now. It began slowly, but that's only built his confidence. He doesn't realize I suspect him and has been particularly hardworking to disguise his activities. Cadmus' researchers have led him to believe that my current plans rest on the original Kryptonian clone."
"Not the Superboy?"
"The current Superboy is the second viable clone we produced. The first one we developed had a crucial flaw; its full Kryptonian genetic code passed on an immunity to psychic manipulation. Human DNA was introduced in the next attempt to ensure that the weapon would be programmable. Despite the loss of raw power, it was an infinitely valuable adjustment."
"Then Project Matchstick would be the first attempt?"
"Very close. Project Match is uncontrollable. Initial implantation with knowledge and memories was successful, but after his disastrous first escape, it became clear that the implanted control codes had failed to take hold. The project was immediately cancelled and he was placed into stasis. Cadmus' best and brightest continued to study him, of course, and the results were fascinating."
He hands Slade a file.
"Project Matchstick."
"Clever name." Slade snorts.
"We may not have the ability to control his conscious mind, but we can overwrite it. I always believed it would be useful to have a way to temporarily induce a Kryptonian into a mindless rage."
"Interesting." Slade says, scanning through the file. My neck hurts from holding still, but this is important. This kind of information is exactly why I agreed to do any of this. There's another Superboy out there that no one knows about.
"Well?" Luthor asks after a long pause.
"Well what?"
"You are the tactician here. Dubbilex knows the location of the missing Genomorphs and distrusts me completely. He will assist Match in freeing himself before Matchstick can be administered and lead him to safety, allowing us to discover what Dubbilex has hidden without risking our own personnel."
There's a long pause while Slade considers it. Luthor looks perfectly relaxed, adjusting his polished cuff links as he waits. I realize I'm holding my breath and try to exhale as quietly as I can without drawing Luthor's attention again. Finally, Slade shakes his head.
"It won't work. It's far too obvious a ploy."
"Is it now?"
"The genomorphs are disappearing slowly and carefully. If this Dubbilex has any intelligence at all, he knows you're suspicious. He won't hide any creatures that are high profile or likely to cause trouble once they've been hidden. This Match is an unknown, especially since it has been in stasis for so long."
"Then how do you propose I get my genomorphs back?" Luthor scowls.
"Send Superboy."
"Amusing."
"Inform him about this Match, say that Cadmus has created a new super-clone. With his hero complex, he'll investigate."
Luthor pauses as he considers Slade's suggestion. I can see the moment when the idea he dismissed takes hold.
"How does this find my missing experiments?"
"Dubbilex already trusts Superboy. He helped to free him, after all. If Superboy returns to Cadmus, he will be taken to the missing genomorphs, if for no other reason than the faint hope that he might be able to liberate them as well."
"Hmm."
"And of course, be prepared to offer Dubbliex a deal. Once he's been exposed, he'll be desperate for any chance to minimize the fallout, especially for the other genomorphs."
"Naturally." Luthor glances down at his watch and then straightens his tie. "I'll consider your advice. Unfortunately, I'm on a tight schedule so we'll have to cute this meeting short. I'll be in touch."
"It was a pleasure, Lex."
Staying still while Luthor disappears out of the warehouse feels like an eternity. My head is spinning and my pulse is only just starting to slow down and I feel like I jumped off a building without a grappling line. Slade's hand lands on my shoulder and I jump a full foot into the air.
"We'll talk about this later. For now, you need to get back."
Bruce Wayne
Wayne Foundation Annual Holiday Gala
"Any sign of Dick?" Bruce asked as Selina returned from her tour around the room.
"No. The kids haven't seen him in a while either."
"Should I call him?"
"Give it a few minutes. He might be in the bathroom."
"He better not have left."
"Bruce, relax. It's a holiday party. How much trouble could he possibly get into?"
Bruce tried to take the words to heart, but any events that forced him to split his attention between his kids and his role as Billionaire CEO Philanthropist put him on edge. He'd already lost track of Stephanie three times so far, Alfred wasn't here to keep an eye on Jason, and he was pretty sure Dick ducked out before dinner had been served.
Even worse, Gladys and Randolph Ashton-Laraby were heading towards them with the unique determination that was only possessed by the top tier of society's Upper Crust.
"Oh great." Bruce muttered to Selina under his breath. The sight of Lex Luthor striding into the room like he'd personally funded the whole event never got less infuriating. It was a constant joke in the Wayne Foundation board room; trying to figure out a way to not invite Luthor without insulting a major donor was THE impossible challenge.
"Quite a party, Bruce." Even Lex's attempts at charm oozed insincerity. The Ashton-Laraby's would've been far better company, and that was truly saying something.
"Just our way of thanking donors for their support." Bruce answered, plastering a harmless, vapid smile on his face.
"No need to thank me." Lex said in a tone he might have called charitable but anyone else would call sickening. "I'm delighted to give this crumbling city a chance to grow. LexCorp is the true backbone of Metropolis, after all. Imagine the wonders we'll do in Gotham once we start growing."
"Well, we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen." Bruce said cheerfully, tossing back the drink in his hand. It looked like champagne, but Luthor didn't need to know it was carbonated cider. Lex sneered at Bruce under the guise of a pleasant smile, then turned his attention.
"Well, who have we here? Aren't you going to introduce me to this exquisite flower?"
"Selina Kyle." Selina said, practically snapping the words at him.
"A pleasure. You're a very lucky man, Mr. Wayne."
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Lex." Selina shot back. A look passed between the two and Luthor inclined his head. Bruce took the man's distraction as a chance to scan the room for Luthor's guards. Two bodyguards, both ex-CIA, stood by the door and somehow managed to be out of the way. Mercy blended in with the guests, almost unrecognizable in a tailored pantsuit and a ponytail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a door open and Nathan Bishop's son snuck back into the ballroom, doing a terrible job of being sneaky. Walking far more casually, Dick followed him inside. Even from all the way across the room, it was easy to see the chocolate staining their white shirts and the extra chocolates obviously concealed in the napkins they held.
Bruce felt a knot of tension in his chest loosen. The situation was so complicated right now, that seeing Dick sneaking junk food like a normal teenager was reassuring in ways he couldn't describe. Dick saw Bruce looking and flinched, hiding the napkin behind his back before offering a very cheesy grin. Then Dick scowled and stuck his tongue out while making a truly unflattering face.
Bruce hid a laugh under a cough when he turned and saw the irate distaste flashing across Lex's face.
"What a… charming young man." Luthor said sarcastically.
"I'm very proud of him," Bruce agreed. "Well Lex, it was good to see you. I've got to finish the rounds, but thank you for coming and we thank you for your continued financial support. Happy holidays."
AN: I can't thank you guys enough for all the support this story has been getting. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, it made my day every single time. I hope you're all safe during this mess; wash your hands, practice good social distancing, don't rub your eyes or nose.
I have a lot of time to write right now, so hopefully the next few chapters will all be out soon.
Thank you again so much for your support and leave me a comment if you enjoyed this chapter!