AN: Welcome back. This chapter is one part history lesson on the Cold War, one part homage to other comic characters, one part cheaply executed Heist movie, one part people yelling at each other, one part Batman being a detective, one part "the child finally goes to therapy" and one part evil villains being sinister without actually doing much. I hope you enjoy each of these parts and everything in between.
Wally West
Abandoned Weigh Station, Happy Harbor
Thursday, December 30th, 2012
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I was really hoping you weren't going to show." Wally said.
"I wish I didn't have to." Megan frowned, wrapping her arms around herself.
Wally took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks before pushing the air out with a huff, but there was no point delaying the inevitable.
"How long have you known?"
"A long time." Megan's shoulders slumped as she sat at one of the tables by the wall. The building was a mess, but there was plenty of discarded furniture to sit on. "I read his mind accidentally when the team had just formed. I didn't mean to and what I saw was so confusing that I really didn't know what I was looking at. By the time I realized that the thing I'd seen was something bad, I was so ashamed that I invaded his privacy. I didn't know what to do so I talked to him. I told him everything I'd seen and he told me what was really going on."
"He just told you everything? Just like that?"
"It was different back then. The way that Deathstroke treats him now, it wasn't like that before. Dick trusted him. He really did. I was so scared that someone was hurting him and he told me he wanted Slade to train him."
Megan looked up at him, eyes burning with guilt.
"He made me promise not to tell anyone. And I was so confused because I'd only been on Earth for a few weeks and I was so guilty about reading his mind and relieved that he wasn't in danger, that I promised. I even…" Megan's voice wavered, tears welling up in her eyes. "…I told him a secret in exchange. To prove to him I wouldn't tell."
Wally felt his stomach sink as pieces fell into place. Megan running out of Dick's room crying, one secret exchanged for another.
"Mutually assured destruction." He said.
"What is that?" Megan asked, tears dripping slowly down her face.
"During the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union were stockpiling nuclear weapons. It was an arms race to become the most powerful. But even though there were enough weapons to kill everyone on the planet fifteen times over, both countries knew they could never use their nukes for fear of retaliation. Kennedy called it Mutually Assured Destruction."
Megan didn't answer, she just stared at him.
"You threatened to tell the League, didn't you?" Wally asked. Megan nodded and he closed his eyes, a swell of sadness washing over him. "And he threatened you with your secret."
"Yeah." Megan whispered.
"Jesus." Wally sat down heavily on a table. "Meg, I'm so sorry."
"I feel so stupid, I never should've threatened him. I just want to help him."
"It's messed up."
"There has to be something we can do! We know what's going on. We know that he's being threatened, we know who's doing it and we know what Deathstroke's threats are. We should be able to help him instead of just watching it all happen!"
"The whole thing is beyond fucked up. Megan, this has never happened before. Yeah, we fight bad guys, we've dealt with some really dangerous people, but this is different. This is personal. Deathstroke doesn't want to take over the world or ransom a nuclear stockpile for a hundred billion dollars. He wants Robin and he's not fighting fair. Dick has younger siblings. He has friends. And us, you know that he would die for us. Because we did. Rob and I went down fighting trying to protect the world from destruction." Wally got up and started to pace, too anxious to keep sitting down.
"That's what's so messed up about it. Deathstroke is using us against him. He held a loaded gun to my head and said he'd kill me if I got in his way again. If Dick doesn't do what he says, he'll make him. I'm terrified every single day that he'll decide to come after me or my parents or my friends, and he doesn't give a shit about me. Dick has been living in terror for years."
"So there's nothing we can do?" She demanded.
"No, I'm not saying that. I just… have no idea what to do. I don't know how to fix this."
"There has to be something! What if we tell Batman?"
"That only works if we can be sure Deathstroke can't get to either Robin or his siblings." Wally thought of the mathlete's trophy cabinet in Gotham Academy and the picture of a younger Dick beaming with his arms around his fellow nerds. "Or his friends."
"You think he would go after his civilian friends?" Megan asked, horrified.
"No question."
"Then there has to be some way to deal with Deathstroke directly!"
"I know it seems impossible, but we have to assume he's thought of everything we might be able to come up with, because if we're wrong… it's life and death."
"He's just one man. He can't have thought of everything! There has to be something! What if we send the League after him?"
"I already tried. Remember Lisbon? He beat half the Justice League with no warning or prep time. And he will literally murder us all if we go up against him again. That's not an exaggeration; he told me that after he shot me in S.T.A.R. Labs."
"So we can't tell the League what's going on and we can't get rid of Deathstroke. What do we do?"
Wally pinched his lips together, weighing his options carefully.
"Robin had a plan. I don't like it, but it's the best he could come up with."
"What is it?"
"He gives himself up. This whole thing started when Deathstroke saved him from a fire and brought him to a safehouse. Their original deal was that Deathstroke would let him go if he agreed to work for him. If he goes with him permanently, Deathstroke has no reason to hurt his family. Especially if he pretends to cooperate. As soon as he disappears, we protect the people he'd target, we find Robin, and we bring him home. Whatever it takes. I don't know when it's going to happen, but it can't be much longer."
Megan looked stricken and Wally's heart sunk into his throat.
"What?" He asked, more than a little terrified at the answer.
"He tried."
The room was silent.
"What?" Wally somehow managed to choke out.
"He went to Deathstroke's hideout knowing he wouldn't leave."
Wally knew he was staring, his jaw hanging open in shock.
"He told me Deathstroke offered him a new deal, one where he gets to pass information to the team. He said it was the best case scenario."
"When did this happen?"
"I don't know, Wally. A few weeks ago, I think."
"Weeks?!" Wally sputtered. "No, that can't be right. It can't be. He would've told me. He would've said something if the plan changed, unless it didn't and he's still planning to…"
Wally collapsed onto the nearest chair, the wind going out of him as the realization sunk in.
"He wasn't going to tell me. He… he lied to me."
Megan crossed the distance between them, slowly reaching out to put her hand on his shoulder while she crouched to meet him at eye level.
"Wally... Dick is done. He's given up on himself, all he wants is to keep us safe from Deathstroke. If someone is going to get him out of this, it has to be us. It's up to us to save him."
Wally took a deep breath, letting the words absorb. Megan was right. And as much as it killed him to think of Dick giving up on anything, she'd exposed the truth he'd been hiding from. Dick was the victim here, he needed to be saved.
Wally took a deep breath and pulled himself together, somehow drawing himself to his feet.
"Okay. There has to be some way we can take away his leverage. What does Deathstroke have over him?"
Megan was silent.
"I know the answer is basically everything imaginable, but we have to go through everything logically if we're going to untangle this."
Megan nodded.
"Dick is scared that Deathstroke will try to hurt his friends and family."
"And we can't protect all of them because that includes us, his family and all of his civilian friends."
"And the circus."
"And the circus." Wally agreed. "So, way too many targets and unknowns. What if we try to track Deathstroke down and specifically go after him?"
"We'll need the whole League. All the power we have, plus they'll need to know what they're really up against."
"So we have to tell the League everything if we want to have a chance of beating Deathstroke."
"But the problem is, there might still be a leak. And if Deathstroke finds out that the whole League knows, he will A: kidnap Dick and we never hear from him again, B: go after his friends and family which brings us back to problem one, or C: use the threat of killing his loved ones to blackmail Dick into 'voluntarily' being kidnapped."
"So who can we be sure isn't a mole?"
"Batman." Wally said. "Aside from the fact that he's Batman, Dick has spent the last four years trying to keep it a secret from him. Superman too. Deathstroke knew his secret identity and practically shouted it at the League. That's how he does misdirection; gives an obvious target so that you don't notice the other five going on behind you. It's the same reason he left Aqualad behind; he had to act unpredictably so they wouldn't realize he was after me and Robin."
Megan nodded.
"Wonder Woman."
"Are you sure?"
"Remember the night Wolf jumped on him?"
"Yeah? Wait, don't tell me that had something to do with this."
"There were texts on his phone that would've given away everything. Somehow Wolf knew and tried to stop it. He knew Wonder Woman and Superman were in the Cave that night, he must have known they could help."
"Smart dog." Wally shook his head. "No wonder Rob's been avoiding Wolf. I can't remember if I've even seen them in the same room since then."
"Do you think the three of them are enough?"
"Honestly? No. But if they know what's really going on, they'll be able to help. They can figure out a way to fix everything."
"Now all I have to do is figure out a way to meet with them without raising anyone's suspicions."
"It'll be easier for me to get a meeting." Wally protested.
"You said Deathstroke is watching you. If he finds out, he'll kill you."
"And if you do it, you risk Dick telling everyone your secret."
"I don't care."
"What?"
"I am not going to be blackmailed. If the League sends me back to Mars for it, then at least I know my friends are safe. You guys are what matter."
"Megan…"
"Besides, I knew I'd have to tell it eventually. After…" She trailed off, going quiet for a few seconds before steeling herself. "In Bialya, Queen Bee found out. She tried to blackmail me and I let her think it worked so she would let us leave."
"Meg, you don't have to do this." Wally told her, trying to give her one last way out. But his teammate stood firm, confidence written on her face in permanent marker.
"I do. When we were in Bialya, you asked me what I really look like. I lied because I was scared. I'm not scared anymore. Not of this."
With that, her body started to expand. Green skin bleached to white so pale it glowed in the poor light, bulbous red muscle bloomed out of her spine and the figure kept getting taller and bonier until a creature from a Steven King novel loomed over him. Wally flinched, his back hitting the wall. The towering white alien stood proudly even as it looked down at its claw-like talons.
"Meg?" Wally asked cautiously, moving closer even as he cursed himself for reflexively running.
'I know what I look like.' Megan's voice sounded exactly the same in his head, and that was all he needed for the tension to evaporate. Wally tried to think of a joke to lighten the mood, but even he knew how serious the moment was. 'I used to think I was a monster. My whole life, everyone told me I was for so long that I believed it. But I've met real monsters now. I've seen the suffering caused by people who choose to be cruel and whose greed leaves nothing but pain behind. I can't change what I am, but I can choose to do the right thing.'
Wally moved forwards and threw his arms around his friend. She stiffened sharply before wrapping her bony arms around him.
"You're not a monster. You're a hero. But even if you weren't, you're one of my best friends."
Wally could practically hear the telepathic sigh before Megan said, 'I know you were scared. Thank you.'
She trailed off, but he could hear the "for not running away" as clearly as if she'd said it out loud. With one last look at her claws, Megan started to shrink and fold in on herself before the green-skinned teen reappeared.
"Are you okay?" Wally asked her cautiously.
"I will be. If we can save Dick, I will be."
"Okay." Wally nodded, repeating the word for what felt like the millionth time that night ashe pushed through the hailstorm of emotions. "Did we forget anything?"
"There's another big thing. Deathstroke knows his secret identity. In the bioship, when we were coming back from Geneva, Dick and I had a fight." Megan paused. "Do you know? About the…"
She trailed off, pointing at the inside of her arm. It took Wally a full second to realize what she was saying.
"Drugs?!" He demanded, heart churning out a thousand beats a second.
"No. Not like that, it's some kind of chemical. Parasite took our powers; that's how he figured out I was a Martian, but he said he recognized the 'taste' as some kind of experimental acceleration serum."
"Deahtstroke has been giving him the serum?!" Wally yelped.
"Dick wasn't sure what it was. He said he had no memory of being injected with anything, but he…" Megan's hands balled into fist. "We started yelling at each other and he told me there was no point worrying about it. That even if Deathstroke really was injecting him with chemicals, there was nothing he could do about it."
"We have to figure out what it is. Meg, this is bad. Deathstroke was involved in a top-secret military project to recreate the super-soldier serum. Remember Captain America?"
"The comic book character?"
"He's based on a real guy. Steve Rogers, served in World War II in the 107th, you know what? History lesson later. The point is, the scientist who created the formula was killed and everyone thought it was lost forever. In the early sixties, the super-soldier project got restarted and they dragged in a bunch of new volunteers for human trials. Forty candidates. Slade Wilson was the only survivor. The next best candidate made it three months past the injection before he killed himself. The serum that made Captain America? This is not it. If something goes wrong, Dick could literally drop dead on the spot."
Megan looked sick.
"But if it's so dangerous, Deathstroke wouldn't risk it, right? He's been blackmailing Dick for years, he wouldn't risk accidentally killing him!"
"I don't know but that is NOT a chance I'm willing to take. We have to get a blood sample, figure out what the hell Deathstroke injected him with, and find some kind of antidote." Easy, right? Wally's lips curled in bitterness. They'd need Batman for that part; there wasn't any way to ask your friend for their blood without raising every alarm in existence. "Jesus, we haven't even gotten to the whole secret identity thing."
"I actually might have an idea. For that part."
"What?" Wally asked, absolutely desperate for a tiny bit of good news.
"Dick Grayson can't be Robin if they're two different people. Just like Bruce Wayne can't be Batman if there's video of the two of them together."
"We stage a public appearance." Wally's eyes went wide at the thought. "Not just Bruce and his Batman stand in. Robin and Dick too. But how do we… I mean, it has to be perfect."
"I've been practicing." Megan said, holding out her arms as her body rippled and changed forms. Gone were the obvious differences from the last time she attempted it. Instead, Wally was looking at a mirror image of his best friend, every detail in place. "I can't get the voice right, but if we could get a recording somehow, I can synch it up."
"That's good. That's a good start." Wally said. "One step at a time, but I promise you, we're going to fix this. We'll figure out a way to stop Deathstroke once and for all."
Dick Grayson
Mount Justice
"Superboy, I got your message. What do you need?" Zatanna asks, walking into the hangar. "Oh, hey Robin."
"Hey Zee." I turn to Superboy, too tired to fake a grin. He pats Sphere a few times and with a beep, it unfurls into the super-cycle.
"I thought it might be fun to go take a flight. Would you guys come with?"
"Uh… sure?" Zee answers.
Superboy wouldn't really call me all the way to the Cave for a joy ride. There must be something else going on.
"I'm in."
We're flying over the Harbor when Zatanna asks, "So why'd you really ask us out here?"
Superboy grins. "Busted, huh? I need to break into Lex Corp."
"Okay." I shrug.
"Why?" Zatanna asks. "Besides, isn't that illegal?"
"And stealing DNA and using it to make sentient clones as weapons isn't?"
"Fair point, I'll give you that."
"I went back to Cadmus." Superboy says. I choke on my breath but it only takes a few seconds to get back under control. I knew something like this would happen. "Something's not right there. I think Luthor is still running it and he's hiding some things."
"Well, duh, it's Lex Luthor." Zee raises an eyebrow. I can't make my mouth work, so instead I point at Zee to second what she said.
"What happened at Cadmus?" I ask, after Superboy's silence gives me a chance to breathe. "And, what made you think it was a good idea to go back in the first place?"
"It's complicated." Superboy says. "Remember Dubbilex?"
"Blue guy with the glowy horns?" I know how loudly my heart is pounding, but if Superboy notices, he'll just think I'm remembering our dramatic rescue-escape from Cadmus the first time.
"Yeah. He asked for my help. A failed experiment got loose and was causing massive damage to the facilities."
"Hang on, how the hell does Cadmus still exist?!" Zee demands. "It's an evil cloning facility owned by Lex Luthor."
"Because it's owned by Lex Luthor." I remind her.
"Basically." Superboy agrees. "Dubbilex asked for my help, so I went. I… owe him. It's complicated, like I said."
"Makes sense to me." Zee nods.
"I found the experiment, we fought and, in the end, I was able to get him under control. Luthor was waiting for me outside. It turned out that Dubbilex was helping to hide genomorphs and get them out of the facility. Luthor wanted to find them, so he set Match loose. He knew Dubbilex would get me to help since he trusts me and… since Match is like me. A clone of Superman."
"What?!" Zatanna practically shouts.
"Except something went wrong when they made him. He's alive and he's angry, but that's about it."
"So when you said you got him under control…" I ask slowly.
"I helped Dubbliex put him back in a pod." Superboy's hands tighten into fists and his face twists up in guilt. "He can't be loose. It's too dangerous and to just keep him chained up… I couldn't do it."
"I'm so sorry, Superboy."
"Why are we going to LexCorp? I mean, shouldn't we be storming Cadmus? We can't just let Luthor keep a mini psycho Kryptonian." Zee asks.
"Remember how I told you it was complicated?" Superboy asks. We nod. "It was a setup. The whole thing was a ploy so that Luthor could find the missing genomorphs. And it worked. The thing is… I knew it was. Or at least, someone told me. I was covering patrol in Metropolis for Superman a little while ago and I ran into this guy. I didn't have a clue who he was, but he knew about me. We fought and I pushed him out of the way of some debris…"
Some debris? Slade practically dropped an entire building on our heads.
"...and I guess he was grateful I saved him because he told me Luthor was setting a trap. I didn't know if I could trust it, but everything he said turned out to be right."
"Uh-huh." I somehow manage to squeak out.
"There's one thing he said that I didn't find out about at Cadmus. He told me to watch out for Matchstick. Not Match. He said things weren't what they looked like and I shouldn't trust Luthor."
"Good advice." Zatanna chimes in.
"So you want to find out what Matchstick is." I say, trying to lead him to the point.
"There's a chance Match isn't just… there's a chance I can save him. For real."
"Which is why we're breaking into LexCorp and hacking Lex's personal computer?"
Superboy nods.
"If you don't want to help, it's fine. I get it. I'll take you back to the cave. But I have to know."
"I'm in." Zee says instantly.
"Me too." I say. "But before we go haywire, I need to check in with Bats."
"Since when do you ask permission to go rogue?" Zee grins with a raised eyebrow.
"We… it's complicated." I open a line to Bruce's work phone. He picks up on the second ring. "Hey B."
"Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, everything's good. I'm with Zee and Con, he found a lead that he wants us to check out. I thought I'd give you a heads up."
"Where are you going?" Bruce asks, but he doesn't sound mad. The line is secure so I tell him.
"Conner found a tie between Luthor and Cadmus. We're going to see if we can find anything at LexCorp."
"If it's possible, the Metropolis headquarters is your best bet. It's home base and he's out of town so usual security is different. Zatanna's there?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Facial recognition is active on all their security cameras, so have her change your faces as much as possible. Make sure you have an exit strategy and if anything goes wrong, evacuate immediately."
"Got it."
"Good luck." There's a pause. "And Dick?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." Thanks for letting him know instead of going behind his back again.
"Mhm." I hang up as quickly as I can, taking a half-second to thank every force of power in the universe that I got through the phone call without bringing utter disaster down on myself. "Alright. Let's go break into LexCorp."
Wow. Breaking into secure facilities is literally the easiest thing in the universe with some very carefully placed magic. I barely have to hack anything and Superboy doesn't even get to punch anything. We're standing in Luthor's secure office with full access to his computer in under an hour. Absolutely no one knows we're here. We didn't set off any alarms or traps, and Zee cast spells to diffuse every anti-Kryptonian defense mechanism we came across. And even if we do get caught, the three of us are covered in magical glamors that will make us look like Luthor's personal cleaning crew.
Seriously, Zatanna wins the prize for best Heist partner.
Of course, that was the easy part. The hard part is finding the files on Luthor's computers and server networks without tipping him off that anyone is snooping around.
"The good news is that we're in. The bad news is it's a mess of encryption. Looks like he has a rotating encryption key that has to be manually entered anytime he wants to access stuff."
"Can you hack it?"
I check the desktop for any kind of malware protection and it's Luthor's personal brand. Great news; his was one of the two main systems Batman and I designed our worms for. I plug my holocomputer into the USB port and unleash my favorite virus, grinning when the little faces turn green to show they've matched another index of the encryption key.
I press enter on my keypad and the jumble of unreadable files rearrange into perfectly legible, neatly ordered files.
"And… we're in." I grin.
"You are so cool." Zee pushes in next to me.
"You're the one with magic," I remind her, but something in my chest warms up. I shake my head to clear it and start looking for the files we're after. If it were me, I wouldn't leave my private evil files on a work computer, but this is Luthor. He's too egotistical to imagine anyone could possibly make it into his private office deep inside LexCorp, let alone hack through his security systems. Which, to be fair, we only managed because we have an alien, magic, and a virus created by some of the best hackers in the world. (Mostly Hardison. I guess Batman helped me too.)
"Can we take it all?" Superboy asks. I think for a second before I shake my head.
"We'll be undetectable as long as we're just looking at files. If we try to download anything, I won't be able to erase the access logs. We don't want him to know we were ever here."
"Alright."
"What am I looking for?" I ask Superboy.
"Matchstick." He doesn't hesitate. I start typing, searching through the terminal for anything useful. Zee catches my eye before flicking her gaze at the screen.
"Superboy, you know this is Luthor's private computer, right?"She says.
"Okay?"
"So, any files he has on you are on here."
Superboy doesn't answer, but I just got to the tricky part where I have to open the files without leaving any trace of having opened them, so I have to pay attention to the screen.
"So… you could find out what they did… if they did... you know…" Zee trails off. My stomach drops as I nearly miss the instant-alarm activation sequence and start frantically typing to stop the room's defenses from all triggering at once. I finally get the system under control when Superboy says, "Later. Match comes first."
"Guys, I've got it."
I move my head out of the way so Superboy can read and scroll through page after page of reports and writeups and what would be bureaucratic nonsense if it wasn't about illegally experimenting on alien clones.
"It's there. It's all there, just like he said. Project Matchstick was developed using the original clone to incite a state of overwhelming fury in a Kryptonian."
"So he was telling the truth." Zee says.
"Looks like it." I deserve to win an award for getting through this without giving myself away.
"What now?" Zatanna asks.
"I have to go back for him."
"Right now?"
"I… I don't know. If they used this Matchstick stuff on him, then he'll be angry and psychotic until it wears off. And that could take… weeks? Months? I have no idea what to do to help him. Or where it'll be safe for him to stay so that Luthor can't find him and drag him back."
"Or to make sure he can't hurt anyone." Zee adds.
"Plus, I don't know if Luthor expects me to go back. He might have new security installed, or maybe Match is a trap."
"You shouldn't go alone." I remind him. "Cadmus made you. As long as Luthor is calling the shots, it's not safe. If you want to get Match out in one piece, you need a plan. A really, really good plan. Charging Cadmus without a plan is a great way to wind up inside a cloning pod."
"Seriously?" Zatanna asks.
"Have you never heard this story?" A beep goes off on my holocomputer. "We have to go. Luthor's personal elevator just started up."
"Wait, click that file." Superboy holds up his hand to stop me. My stomach drops thirty five flights to the ground floor. There's no way to avoid it without drawing way too much suspicion, so I hold my breath and hover over the file with the keyword Deathstroke. My blood freezes but Superboy and Zatanna are both staring at the screen in anticipation and there's no excuses I can make. I open the file.
There's not a lot of information, but what's there is interesting. Luthor doesn't trust Slade. He doesn't know where his weak points are. Luthor likes that Slade works for money, but he needs to be able to control the people under him.
The thought that not even Luthor wants to cross Slade sends a shiver down my spine.
"It says he has an accomplice." Superboy's face is set in a frown. Zatanna looks queasy.
"Like a sidekick?" Zee asks. "That's bad, right?"
"If it's true." Superboy answers. I swallow, accidentally scrolling far enough to see the top of a video. Of me.
"It's true."
They both turn to look at me. I move the picture away while they're not looking.
"You're sure?"
I want to laugh as much as I want to start crying. Yes, I'm positive. I'm also positive that I need them not to look at Renegade on screen, especially when I'm right here to compare him to.
"Deathstroke calls him Renegade. That's all anyone knows about him." My hands shake and I pray that neither of them notices. "He's only been seen a few times."
"Where?" Zatanna asks curiously.
"I know he was at Hizer. He punched Arrow in the face and got away with a bunch of samples. But it looks like Luthor barely knows that he exists, let alone knows any of the details."
"There's a video." Zatanna says, clicking on it before I can stop her.
"It's him!" Superboy exclaims, leaning in closer.
"Who?"
"The guy I told you about. Who warned me that Luthor was setting a trap."
"Deathstroke's apprentice is the reason we're here?!" I demand. "We have to go, it must be a trap."
I close the file reader before they can protest (or look too closely), rip out my holocomputer cable, and double check to make sure there's no trace of us.
"Teleport us out." I order Zatanna. She nods and puts a hand on each of our shoulders, trusting that the urgency is for a good reason. Which it is, Luthor's people are almost at the door.
"Ekat su ot eht efas tniop!" She exclaims, throwing back her head as her eyes glow with power. The world disappears in a flash of light, and when it clears, we're standing on the edge of the rune circle she drew around Sphere. Superboy looks completely lost in thought, Zee looks tired, and me? I feel more nauseous than I've ever felt in my life. That was way too close.
Artemis Crock
Mount Justice
"Mind if I tag in?" Red Arrow asked. Kaldur looked over and Artemis was forced to stop too.
"I think we're good here." Artemis scowled. Kaldur touched her shoulder lightly.
"Actually, I believe that could be of value. I have something to discuss with Black Canary."
"Kaldur. Kal. Kal!" Artemis hissed, trying to drag him back onto the mat as he stepped off to let the walking tool he was dating take his spot. Kaldur pretended not to hear her and stepped back. Artemis fought the urge to punch Red Arrow and pointed an accusing finger instead. "Alright, you hurt my knee, I will stab you in the eye with an arrow."
"I won't. Clean spar only, I promise."
Okay, so he sounded like less of a tool than usual, so that was already off to a better start.
"I'm serious. Tornado only cleared me yesterday and if I have to spend another month in a cast, I will haunt you for a million years."
"I promise." Red Arrow repeated, his voice lacking the usual bite. "Now can we spar or are you just going to stand there making threats at me all day?"
"Fine." Artemis dropped into a fighting stance, balancing her weight evenly between her feet. Red Arrow moved first, taking the attacking part in one of Canary's practice routines. Artemis followed along, getting a feel for Red Arrow's movements and height.
"It's quiet today." Red Arrow said.
"M'gann has something for cheerleading. I think. Wasn't really paying attention when she said it, I don't really like cheerleading."
"You? Really?" Red Arrow said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I mean, it's fine, it's just not for me." Artemis shrugged, matching his strikes with an inside-outside block combo and ducking before spinning back to give herself more room. No pain in her knee, that was great.
"And the others?"
"Not a clue. Kaldur was the only one here when I zeta'd in." Artemis answered. She kicked Red Arrow lightly in the stomach to finish the routine, waiting for him to roll backwards with the motion. He was back on his feet with the practiced ease of someone who'd long since perfected the routine.
That was one of the only things she didn't resent about him; he really was good at fighting.
"Open spar?" He asked.
"Whatever."
He moved first again and even though it was a much more aggressive pace, he was fighting clean.
"So? What happened?" Artemis asked as she ducked under a spinning hook kick and countered with a punch at his diaphragm. Red Arrow blocked the strike and parried with a hit at her shoulder.
"What?"
"With Robin. I've never heard him blow up at anyone like that, you must've really pissed him off."
"I… I've been… kind of an asshole. I deserved it."
"Well at least you can admit it." Artemis mumbled.
"Very funny."
"I'm serious." Artemis threw a right cross that Red Arrow blocked, but it brought them in closer. Their spar picked up speed and Artemis felt sweat drip down her arms and back. Block, punch, jab, redirect, rinse and repeat. "Are we being honest with each other now?"
"Might as well."
"You're a dick."
Red Arrow shoved her back and followed with a punch that grazed her upper lip. Artemis drew back, touching a hand to her face. She'd cut her lip on her teeth, but it was a small scratch. Barely worth noticing.
"Real mature." She waited for Red Arrow to get back into a ready stance before charging. The intensity picked up right where it had left off and Artemis was surprised to find herself almost enjoying it. "Seriously. I get it, you thought one of us was a traitor and you were trying to protect your friends. But you've been an ass the entire time I've known you. And I know there must be something good in you, because Kaldur's an amazing guy and he has great judgement, but I don't know what he sees in you."
"You have to make difficult choices to do what's best for everyone."
"Then stop trying to do what's right for everyone. Maybe just try to treat the people you care about a little better."
"I'm trying to keep everyone safe."
"Look, you were right about there being a leak, but Batman found it. None of us are traitors. We're a team and you have to stop acting like it's a matter of time before someone turns out to secretly have been evil this whole time. You're just making everyone miserable!"
Red Arrow opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in favor of catching Artemis's arm and trying to spin her into a lock. She snapped her head back to smack him in the face, giving her an opening to get free.
They stood at opposite sides of the floor, chests heaving as they looked at each other.
"Robin was just the one who said it out loud. Maybe you were right about the leak, but you still messed up big time. If you want to make it right, you're going to have to do better."
Bruce Wayne
Gotham City
"Charlotte Pratt." Batman graveled, letting his voice echo around the chop shop at the same instant he cut the power and plunged the room into darkness. The woman jumped, letting out a shriek as she grabbed a torque wrench and swung it wildly.
"Who the hell are you?!" She shouted, looking around the dark garage. Through his night vision lenses, Batman could see her left hand move around the workbench for a flashlight. "Come near me and I'll take your head off!"
Batman waited until the device clicked on and a small beam of light shot through the room before finally landing on him.
"Holy shit!" The flashlight dipped before settling on his face. "Batman?!"
"Stolen cars, forged registration papers, all the equipment to strip the parts and sell them on the black market? There's more than enough to send you away for five to ten."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She denied, as if she wasn't waist-deep in car parts they both knew were stolen.
"Save it. GCPD has a task force that's about to move in on this whole operation. One phone call and two dozen officers storm the place with you right at the center. Or, if you cooperate, the GCPD can wait until you're gone."
"Do you think I'm stupid? You're going to arrest me no matter what I do, and I'm no snitch."
"You're better than this, Charlie." Batman stepped forward, swiftly pulling the torque wrench out of her hand before she could move. "You got caught boosting cars when you were seventeen, did two years inside and then five more of community service and turned yourself around. Started working as a mechanic, made a real living. Why go back to stealing?"
"I didn't want to! But what the hell else was I supposed to do?! I have bills! Harris shut down with no warning and nobody's hiring. I can't get work in any of those fancy garages on the upper side, it was this or lose my apartment."
"What happened to Alan Harris?"
"I don't know! I show up to work one day and the place is boarded up. All the equipment is gone and there's five of us standing around with no clue what's happening. Mark thinks Harris skipped town and screwed us all over. I don't think he'd do that though, he's a good guy."
"Harris was a good man?"
"He was to me. It was good money, almost double what I was making in my last job, and he let us do our own thing. Wasn't gross like a lot of the guys in the business and he's way less of a prick than anyone else I've worked for."
"Is this him?" Batman held out a picture and she took it, shining the flashlight at it before nodding.
"Yeah. I always thought he was ex-military." She stared at the picture a little longer than necessary. "He looks weird without the eyepatch."
"How long had you worked for him?"
"Almost five years. He hired me about three months after the garage opened and they started getting busier."
"Did you notice anything strange about him or his activities?"
"Of course, but who isn't a weirdo these days?"
"What kind of strange things?"
"I don't know, the guy was territorial. No one went into his office unless they were meeting with him. He worked weird hours, you never really knew when he was going to be there. It wasn't anything bad, he was still really on top of everything. It only looked like a mess."
Batman paused.
"Did he ever have someone with him?"
"What?"
"Was there anyone who spent time in the garage that shouldn't have been there?"
"Gary, he was an idiot who barely knew how to do an oil change."
"I mean someone young. Kids, teenagers."
"No. Harris ran a safe shop. I mean there was Sam, but he stayed away from the machines and equipment."
"Who's Sam?"
"His nephew. He helped out with the electronics, went through all the paper files and put them on the computer. He's a good kid."
"Tell me about Sam."
Charlie blinked at him.
"What's there to tell? He's sixteen, seventeen, drives a sick bike. Worships the ground Harris walked on, other than that, he's a pretty serious kid. Got the patience of a saint, I couldn't have put up with the boss long enough to teach him how to use a mouse."
"Did he live with Harris?"
"No, he lives with his mom in the Narrows. From the sound of it, money's pretty tight. Harris fixed the bike up for him, it's the only reason he could afford it."
"Did you notice anything strange in the relationship between Harris and his nephew?"
"I mean, I didn't see that much of him. He'd show up and disappear into the office for a few hours."
"Did you ever actually see him working at the computer?"
Charlie froze.
"Uh… I mean, it's Harris' office, I told you he's territorial."
"Did Sam show up with any bruises or unexplained injuries? Prone to accidents? Joke about being clumsy?"
"Sometimes, but nothing serious. I mean, yeah, he could be a little clumsy but…" She trailed off, the frown on her face deepening. "You… you don't think Harris would…"
"The man you worked for is not who he said he was. Everything about him was a cover." Batman said. "If he ever contacts you again, stay away. He is armed and incredibly dangerous."
"Who is he? What'd he do?" Charlie demanded.
"He's the prime suspect in a kidnapping case." Batman answered evasively. The mechanic's jaw dropped.
"You think he kidnapped Sam?!" She practically shouted, eyes wide with horror. Instead of answering, Batman held out his hand.
"I need the keys to the garage." He said. "Breaking in will raise unnecessary suspicion."
Wordlessly, Charlie dug around a draw and drew out a ring of keys. Balancing the flashlight under her chin, she pulled one of the keys off and immediately handed it over.
Batman took it and said, "Get your stuff and clear out. Don't leave any personal items behind, you won't be able to get anything back. Expect a call in a few days about a new employment opportunity."
He turned to disappear into the shadows, but Charlie called out, "Wait!"
He turned back.
"I'm coming. If you're right, I worked for that asshole for five years without a clue what was going on. I need to know."
"It could be dangerous."
"I'm coming." Charlie met his gaze dead on; an impressive feat of bravery considering all she could see was a pair of eyes in the darkness.
"Okay."
He shot a grappling gun at the ceiling and disappeared through the hatch he'd entered through. By the time she made it out the door, he had the Batmobile pulled up out front, one passenger door wide open.
"Get in."
It was a silent ride to the boarded-up building that still bore the sign for "Harris Auto Repair." Charlie managed to tear her awe-struck eyes away from the Batmobile's interior long enough to climb out.
"Is this the place?"
"Yeah." Charlie answered distractedly. "This is it."
Batman headed for the front, keeping an eye out for cameras. He'd spotted three so far, one obvious and two hidden to give a complete view of the front. If this was Deathstroke's hideout, he'd know when anyone approached.
He looked back at Charlie and assessed the risk; if Deathstroke was here and decided to attack, she was in danger. But Wilson was smart and knew how an encounter would end; Batman wouldn't let him get away if he found him. The entire point of tracking down his hideout was to let Deathstroke know he was closing in. Bringing his old employee would show how confident Batman was.
"Be careful. If he shows up, stay behind me."
Charlie nodded.
The door swung open easily when he unlocked it, revealing a garage that had been mostly emptied. After a moment's consideration, Batman flicked the lights on. They turned on without so much as a flicker. The car lifts were still installed, but all the machines and tools that usually filled a workshop were gone. Neatly stacked crates were pushed against the back wall, filled with spare parts and detritus.
"There used to be a couch and fridge there," Charlie pointed. "Desk with a phone there to make calls, everywhere you see a light patch on the floor was a piece of equipment. When we showed up that day, it was all just like this."
Batman looked around the space, checking for any clues that the garage had been anything out of the ordinary.
"What's through there?"
"The back yard and the shed. It's just a closed lot to keep cars in while we worked on them."
Batman eased the nondescript door open and found the gravel-covered lot. There were two cars sitting under the enclosed structure that could have loosely passed for a shed. One was a black sedan with a crushed bumper and the other was a van with a dirty sheet covering the back half.
"Whose cars are those?"
Charlie shrugged.
"Those things have been sitting there for years. Figured at some point Harris would get the parts in to fix them up or we'd sell 'em for scrap."
Batman nodded.
"Where's the office?"
"In here." Charlie pointed to the door. "Still feels wrong to go in, even though… you know."
Batman didn't share her hesitation and pushed open the door. The office had been emptied just like the rest of the shop. There was a table pushed up against one wall with an ancient computer whose black screen was covered in a layer of dust. Filing cabinets lined the rest of the walls, but a quick search of the drawers revealed them to be completely empty. On the right-hand wall was a small supply closet with a flimsy door made of wooden slats.
Unlike everything else in the room, there wasn't a speck of dust on the door.
"What's in there?"
"It's just a closet. Coat and hat, I think."
"Why would a coat closet be locked?" Batman asked her after trying the door and she frowned, examining the space with newfound suspicion.
"What do you think is in there?" She asked.
"Let's find out."
The lock held until Batman kicked the door in. The door fractured and splintered apart, revealing not a coat closet, but a dark stairwell.
"What the hell." Charlie breathed, staring into the darkness. "What the actual fuck."
Batman looked for a light switch, but there wasn't one. He could see a bulb set into the ceiling, which suggested the lights could be operated remotely. There was only one way to find out what was at the bottom of the stairs.
Batman took out his flashlight and shined the beam down, illuminating the vault door and ten-digit keypad.
"That's been there the whole time?!" Charlie hissed, grabbing Batman's arm in shock. After a minute of silence, she asked, "Well, aren't you going down there?"
"Not right now. I don't have the equipment with me to hack the door. There's a chance that everything beyond the door is a trap and going in without backup won't help anyone."
"So what now?"
"Now, we get you out." Batman said. "We know he was here and that this was one of his major hideouts. That's enough information for now."
Dick Grayson
Mount Justice
Sunday, January 2nd, 2013
"You wanted to see me?"
Canary looks up and smiles gently, pointing to the green armchair across from hers. I take a breath and sit. This is going to suck.
"You and Roy had a nasty falling out. I thought it would be helpful to try and unpack it before things gets any worse."
"Oh great." I roll my eyes. "It doesn't have anything to do with you, Canary."
"Look, you and Roy are both mature individuals and I respect that you both had your reasons for being angry. I'm not here to force you two to reconcile or fix your problems for you, I'm here because I haven't seen you that upset in a very long time. It's not like you to lose your temper."
"What, I'm not allowed to get angry now? I'm sorry for having emotions!"
"That's not what I'm saying at all." Canary holds up her hands, but her soothing tone just grates on my nerves. I'm not a bomb; I'm not going to explode if she doesn't use her patronizing voice on me. "You've been great about coming in for our sessions, and for the most part I've been happy to let you guide the conversation wherever you want it to go. But enough is enough; you just badly lost your temper in front of them entire team."
"I was having a bad day. Just leave me alone."
"It was just a bad day?" Canary asks kindly. I feel a bubble of hope rising up in my chest. If she believes me, maybe she'll call this intervention off.
"Yeah! I was just upset and seeing Roy just brought it all up at once. I'm fine, really."
The lines of tension fade off Canary's face and her shoulders drop in relief.
"Good." She smiles, nodding in relief. "Good. I'm really glad to hear it."
I feel light enough that I can actually smile back. Disaster averted.
"So, can I ask?"
"Uh… yeah, I guess. Roy was—"
"Not about that." Canary stops me and my stomach sinks again. I can't help but feel like I've fallen into another trap. "Would you mind explaining why M'gann ran out of your room crying a few days ago?"
"I…"
"Robin, this isn't just one bad day. Is it?"
Shit.
"…I…" Dammit. There's no point denying it; she already knows the answer and I'm sick of lying. "…uh… no. It's not."
"Okay. So what's going on?"
I hesitate.
"Nothing you say leaves this room. Nothing's being recorded, Batman won't hear about anything you say to me. Whatever's bothering you, this is a safe place to let it out."
I slump forward with my elbows on my knees, hands digging into my hair.
"No, it's not." I mutter. "Nowhere is."
Canary leans forward.
"You're scared." She says. "It's okay to be scared. I just want you to help me understand why."
I bite my tongue to stop myself from snapping out a response. Instead, I cross my arms over my chest and lean away, staring at the door. Canary's lip quirks up in a small, sad smile and she tilts her head like she's looking through me.
"Wait as long as you like. Neither of us are leaving until you talk to me."
"Are you serious?!"
"I am. Robin, everyone is worried about you."
"Even Red Arrow?" I mutter.
"Especially Red Arrow. Aqualad had to promise him we would have this talk in order to convince him not to storm the Batcave to talk to you. We all thought it was best to give you space."
My fingernails dig into my arm and my cheeks start burning. If Canary had dragged me in here three weeks ago, I would've told her everything. Everything Slade had ever done to me, why he shot Wally, why I've been falling apart. But now?
I can't.
Slade and I made a deal; my friends, my family, they're all safe now. And I know what Slade wants from me. I can handle him now.
And getting ten minutes notice before sneaking out from under Bruce's nose to go stand a foot away from Lex Luthor while Slade helped him manipulate Superboy. I can handle that too. Maybe the feeling of Luthor's fingers digging into my chin turns my stomach and also makes it hard to sleep at night, but it's Luthor. He's a creepy asshole. And besides, I got valuable information on Cadmus that Superboy can now use to rescue Match and the other genomorphs.
And… and finding out that Selina is using Bruce to get information on the League. I can handle it. And I'll find a way to prove it to Bruce. It'll be okay. It has to be.
"Would it be easier if I start?" Canary asks, breaking the silence. I shrug.
"Whatever."
"Are you upset about Roy joining the team?"
That's not a terrible question. I take a breath.
"No." I don't know which of us is more surprised that it's the truth. "I… actually, I think I'm glad."
I try to stop there, but it feels so good to say stuff out loud that I didn't even realize I was thinking.
"I really missed him and it hurt so much when he quit being Speedy and left us behind and… I was really scared that it was because of me. I mean… you know how much this means to me. I believe in what we do. The League, the team, Batman… Robin. It's important to me. It's everything. It's who I am. I…" A tear slides down my cheek and I reach up to wipe it away. "I don't know who I am without Robin."
A lump forms in my throat. That's not true. Slade made sure I know.
"No." I swallow the panic rising in my chest. "I do know who I am without Robin. And I… hate him. I can't be him. Robin is the part of me that's still good. And having Roy look at all that and spit on it… it was seeing him hate the only part of me that I don't."
Canary sighs. When I finally drag my eyes up to her face, there's no sign of pity. Just a furrowed brow as she nods to show she's listening.
"Roy's decision to strike out on his own had nothing to do with you. He was furious that the League lied about inducting you all to the team, and justifiably so. For what it's worth, I didn't know that you'd been told you were becoming full members. I would have pushed back if I'd known."
I wipe my eyes again and push myself further back into the armchair.
"We were all mad. But none of us left."
"Roy's situation is complicated. Oliver had made a bad habit of not telling him the truth, and that was one lie too many. I promise you, Roy respects you a lot. Not just Robin. He respects you. You've been friends for a very long time. And once he and Oliver talked everything out, he was excited to come back. He wanted to be the one to tell you."
"And I blew up at him. Because all I do anymore is hurt people."
"You lost your temper at him because you were angry. Your anger is justified, Robin. No matter his reasons, Roy hurt you. He's had months to apologize to you for the way he treated you and he didn't; he just expected that you'd be happy to see him and didn't consider your feelings at all. Robin, nobody is upset with you for being angry. Nobody blames for you for losing your temper. They're just worried."
My eyes start to itch again and I take a deep breath, trying to stop myself from crying.
"You don't have to deal with any of this by yourself."
"I know."
Canary hesitates, legs shifting like she's trying to find her balance. Slowly, carefully, she asks, "Why didn't you tell us what Deathstroke said to you?"
"Why didn't I tell you?" I repeat while my brain short-circuits. Sheer panic sets in for approximately thirty seconds before I remember the lie I told Red Arrow, the one I shouted in front of my entire team. The lie that isn't a lie at all.
If the Light doesn't want me, Slade will take me for himself. Except that he already has. And this whole time, Canary has been acting like talking about it will magically fix everything, like telling the truth will undo all the things Slade has done to me.
"What do you mean, why didn't I tell you? Because it scared the shit out of me!" My voice comes out ragged and gets louder as I fight to hold back tears. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have someone decide that you're their property?! That the only thing between you being a person and having everything ripped away from you is just convenience?! I thought he killed my friends! That they were gone and nobody would come for me!"
Tears drip out from under my sunglasses.
"I thought they were all dead, Canary! And it was my fault! I found Slade in the server room, I had time to warn them away, I could have gotten them out before he hurt them!"
"Listen to me, Robin. What Deathstroke did was not your fault. He is a very dangerous man and none of you should have ever had to deal with him. Our intel was flawed and it was our mistake. Not yours."
"Of course the intel was bad! Selina's been feeding their side everything they want to know and fucking with our system so we don't have a chance!"
"What?" Canary breathes. Her eyes are wide and her jaw drops. Shocked silence hangs in the air between us.
"You really want to know what's wrong?" I demand, eyes narrowing into furious slits. "Selina is the mole. She's been playing us this whole time and I have proof. But it doesn't matter. Bruce doesn't believe me. Even with… it doesn't matter. After everything I've done for him, he doesn't trust me. He won't listen to me and there's nothing I can do. I can't stop her. I can't fix it! I can't do anything! I'm so sick of being powerless and I just want them to be safe. My whole family is in danger and there is NOTHING I can do! There's never anything I can do! I can't deal with being helpless anymore! And just when I think I've gotten something back or found a way to fix one thing, just ONE THING, it just gets worse! I just fuck it up more! And I can't… I hate… I can't do it anymore."
"You don't have to."
"What are you talking about?" I sniff.
"You don't have to do anything. If you want to stop, just stop. Nobody will blame you, especially if it's hurting you so much to keep doing this."
"Wait, you mean quit being Robin?" I ask. Canary nods once, not breaking eye contact. "No! Robin is the only thing that's still okay!"
"Ok. Let's just take a step back. You tried telling Bruce your suspicions? What happened?"
"He didn't believe me. He thinks he was careful enough checking her out."
"Can I ask… what proof do you have?"
"Selina has been meeting with villains. Taking jobs from them, passing information, organizing thefts from the museum she's working at. I found video footage. And there's half a dozen thefts from the last two years when she claimed she'd gone straight. She's been lying the whole time."
"Did you show Bruce any of it?"
"I tried. But he didn't care after… he wanted to know where I got it and I didn't tell him."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I had to do things I shouldn't have to get it." My heart races and I take another breath to calm it. "I know it was wrong but I just wanted her gone. I needed proof so that Bruce would listen and—"
I cut myself off, trying to find the words to make Canary understand.
"Every second that he believes her, my family is in danger. It wasn't a choice."
"Sometimes we have to make hard choices. It's not always clear what the right thing is. You're trying to keep your family safe. I'm sorry that you've had to carry all this guilt around, but not as sorry as I am that you weren't comfortable taking your fears to Bruce directly. He is your guardian; it's his job to keep you safe. You should not have to feel like you need physical proof before you can bring up any concerns with him. Especially when the concerns are this serious."
I cross my arms over my chest even tighter and try not to feel how hard the words sting.
"I believe you, Dick. I promise you, I will handle this."
"You believe me?" Just like that?
"Of course. I trust you, Dick. I know you'd never make up something this important."
My throat closes as tears prick at my eyes. She believes me. After everything I had to do to just get Bruce to listen to me for two minutes, and she believes me.
"You are not alone, Dick. And I promise you, I will not let her put your family in danger."
"Thank you. For… for everything."
"Of course. Now, I want you to go do something that relaxes you. Something that has no purpose other than the fact that you enjoy it, okay? I have something very important to go take care of."
Ra's al Ghul
"I saw that Ocean Master has sent his orders." Ra's al Ghul offered his guests a drink. Vandal Savage took the glass while Queen Bee waved the alcohol off with a flick of her wrist. He didn't need to specify which orders he was talking about; all three of them knew this was Ocean Master's final chance at redemption before his expulsion from the Light.
"An unfortunate waste of our resources." Queen Bee frowned.
"He may still succeed." Vandal reminded them.
"Do you really believe that?" She raised an eyebrow.
"No. Orm has become blinded by his hatred and lost sight of our goals. But until he proves himself unworthy, he is still among our numbers and will be respected as such."
"It's hardly a matter of respect." Ra's interjected. "He is a strong leader and inspires devout loyalty among his troops; neither of those things are to be ignored. However, it is his failings as a strategist that have nearly cost our alliance everything."
"Then you would prefer a strategist for his replacement?" Savage sipped his drink, waiting patiently for the response.
"It is not out of the question. However, the loss of Ocean Master's troops will strain my Shadows even further." Ra's answered.
"Bodies can be bought; men can be hired, forces taken over whether employed or controlled. Choosing based solely on resources is a rash decision." Queen Bee countered. Savage set his glass down with a thud and opted for the direct approach.
"Deathstroke would make a good ally."
"That remains to be seen." Ra's was unperturbed.
"I hear Luthor arranged a meeting in Gotham. He sought counsel in the matter of Camdus' disappearances."
"If that's true, then it appears Deathstroke is to thank for our recovery of the missing genomorphs. The Superboy acted exactly as he predicted." Savage answered.
"Have you met his apprentice?" Queen Bee asked interestedly, gracefully shifting the subject.
"Not personally. Although my assassins have worked with him recently."
"And you?" She asked.
"Not yet." Savage answered. "Although I have known about him for some time. In addition, Luthor sent along some video he recovered from the break-in at Hizer labs. I was quite impressed."
"Do you still have the video?"
"Of course."
"I'd like to see it as well." Ra's said. "He impressed my assassins. He survived his trial by combat, which would be an impressive feat without nearly setting a record time."
"Has any progress been made in determining the boy's identity?"
"Not yet. Unsurprisingly, Wilson has been very protective of him."
"He's very skilled at keeping secrets. Is it wise to invite a man into our fold when his motivations are so carefully shrouded?"
"Unlike yours?" Queen Bee asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow at his hypocrisy.
"Wilson stands to gain a great deal by joining us." Savage said, sitting down on the armchair opposite her. "In return, we will be able to keep a much closer eye on his activities if he has an obligation to us."
"A man with no honor has only an obligation to himself."
"And is Deathstroke a man without honor?" Queen Bee asked Ra's. He frowned.
"That is what remains to be seen." Savage answered for him.
AN: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and how close everything is to falling apart. Batman is closing in, M'gann and Wally are taking a stand, and the whole encounter with Renegade has given Conner a lot to think about.
The next chapter is almost done, I'm aiming to have it up by next Thursday! Get ready for a lot of high-stakes disasters and Batman finally getting some (but not all of the) answers.
Leave me a review if you're enjoying it! Your support means the entire world to me and it really helps motivate me to write. Thanks again for reading!