Broken Wings

by Seraphim 0

He had been called many things in his life. Nightwing. Monster. Talon. Son. Hero. Each title had been true, for a certain amount of time. Then he would shed it for the next role that 'destiny' assigned to him. But no matter what others called him, he would always be Dick Grayson. And one thing that Dick Grayson embraced...was that destinies did not exist.

1. Nightwing

Author's Notes: Is three-shot an actually thing? If not I am creating it now! I am a big Young Justice fan and I am so glad it got a third season! I just finished it and it was really incredible! I also love Dick Grayson is a Talon stories, as you're about to see.

Summary: He had been called many things in his life. Nightwing. Monster. Talon. Son. Hero. Each title had been true, for a certain amount of time. Then he would shed it for the next role that 'destiny' assigned to him. But no matter what others called him, he would always be Dick Grayson. And one thing that Dick Grayson embraced...was that destinies did not exist.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy

---

Tim

Tim smiled from the Gotham rooftop he was perched on as he watched Jim Gordon step up to the stage. He had announced his candidacy for mayor some months prior. And so far things looked pretty good. His election was a lock.

Now Tim had always been a somewhat of a pessimist. He always operated under the belief that if you expected the worst, you would never be disappointed. And that especially applied to how he viewed Gotham. This was the city where his mentor lost his parents, his innocence. Where Dick had been orphaned. Where Jason had been killed. Where he had lost his own parents. There had never been a doubt in his mind that Gotham would never be beautiful, no matter how many criminals Batman and Robin soundly defeated. But as he looked down, Jim's face set in determination as he gave his address, Barbara smiling from her seated position behind him (1), he felt something for this city he had never felt before. He felt hope.

He wished Dick was here though.

That immediately caused him to curl in on himself from his seated position on the roof. He hated the fact that all it took was the mere thought of Dick to make his mood do a complete one-eighty.

Tim had always been mature for his age. He had never really been childish, and never was the most open about his feelings. Now being Batman's protege, that attitude had turned out to be to his benefit. And it had caused him to further resign himself to never doing anything childish. But in this case he didn't particularly care how childish it sounded. He missed Dick. He missed his older brother.

It took an effort on Tim's part to not jump out of his skin when a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. "You okay?"

Tim let out a sigh of relief and turned before nodding to the clone behind him. "I'm good. Thanks SB."

Conner

He was definitely not okay. Clearly his best friend had a very low opinion of Conner's ability to read his emotions. That said, the bats did seem to have hiding their inner turmoil down to an art-form.

Conner let out a small, inaudible sigh as he took a seat on the ledge next to Tim. He knew what this was about. But he still decided it was best not to bring it up. That decision was in part for Tim, but also for himself. After all, it was still a sore subject for him too. And with good reason.

When he found out that Nightwing had formed a plan with Kaldur to make him a double agent, he had been furious. Nightwing had even told Wally about his plan, and the speedster wasn't even a part of the Team anymore! More importantly, he had let them all think that Artemis had died. So when Nightwing had declared he would take a leave of absence from the Team, Conner had no objections. He had still been angry. But in the months to follow he had come to understand why Nightwing did what he did.

He couldn't tell the entire Team the truth without risking the whole operation, and by extension, Kaldur's safety. And he hadn't told Conner or M'gann because he didn't want them to carry the burden of having to lie to the entire Team. In the end, the plan had been a success. They had captured Manta and the Brain, and no one had been injured (sans Wally on the Arctic mission, but he had recovered since then). (2)

But after he realized this, he still chose not to see Dick at his place in Bludhaven. It came partially out of the resentment he still carried over being lied to, and partially out of his own guilt for the way he had treated Nightwing after the fact. But in the end it didn't matter.

Batman had come into the Watchtower one day with a new mission for the Team. It had been less than a month since Nightwing's departure, and apparently Batgirl (or rather, Barbara Gordon) had gone to Dick's apartment to check up on him. What she found instead was the apartment all but destroyed. Furniture had been smashed, windows broken, and claw marks of all things along the walls. And neither Nightwing nor Dick Grayson were anywhere to be found.

The Bludhaven police department looked for their missing officer using more conventional methods while the Team attempted to track him with the benefit of their powers. Neither path lead anywhere. Garfield had transformed into a blood hound in an attempt to sniff him out only to find that at some point it simply vanished into the air. Zatanna's tracking spells also proved ineffective, meaning that whoever took Dick had no small amount of magic on their side. And even Batman's many, many trackers had been discarded around the city, at seemingly random locations.

Officially Dick Grayson's missing person's case was labeled cold, and the Team had other missions that took precedence, even though no one was happy about it. That seemed to be that. Conner never got the chance to apologize to Nightwing, nor did Nightwing get the chance to explain his actions to Conner. Really the last time they spoke was Conner's outburst on him at the hospital with Lagoon Boy. Conner's heart sank every time he realized that might have been the last conversation they ever had.

That had been five months ago. And no one had seen him in all that time.

"We'll find him Tim." Superboy said with conviction. "You have my word."

Tim couldn't bring himself to meet his friend's gaze. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

Before either could continue, voices burst through the static in their earpieces. They were linked to the same frequency the security guards for the event were using. Right now they were saying something about a commotion with their rooftop teams.

That was all they needed.

With a quick nod to each other, Robin and Superboy were off.

Tim

Perhaps they should have listened in a bit longer to find out which rooftop was active. Robin had basically been jumping from building to building in an effort to see if something was out of place. And he didn't even know how far the perimeter extended. He imagined Superboy was having no luck on his end either. But eventually he found the one. And what he found promptly freaked him out.

One of the guards was lying flat on his back, with what looked like several throwing knives lodged in his chest. Robin instantly ran over to him to check for a pulse and let out a small sigh in relief when he found a faint heartbeat. He then looked down at the knives. He knew better than to try and remove them, which left him to gaze at the hilts. And on them he found a strange crest of sorts carved into the handle. Was that an owl?

Robin was pulled from his thoughts when he heard gunfire from another roof. He looked just in time to see two guards firing their weapons at a man Tim assumed was behind this attack. He wore a black skin-tight unitard with gold armor around his shoulders and arms with what looked like a feather design. He also had several silver daggers strapped to his chest identical to those embedded in the chest of the guard laying next to him. He also wore a black hood that covered his entire head with a pair of orange goggles, obscuring his identity. The hood itself was also owl themed, just like the knives. But the most eye-catching part of his attire were the golden claws adorned to each of his gloves.

The man was expertly dodging the gunfire, doing a series of flips and maneuvers to keep himself from getting hit. The firing came to a halt when he leapt up into the air and landed on one of the guards shoulders while throwing several knives at the other. Each knife hit their target and caused the guard to fall back. The man then jumped off the other guard with enough force to cause him to stumble. Just as he landed back on the roof, the man used the guard's confusion to his advantage and threw more knives at him, lodging in his back. As the guard fell, his still-conscious partner made an attempt to get up, which was finished when the man delivered a swift kick to his jaw, most likely breaking it and knocking the guard out.

The man then made his way to the edge of the roof and reached for something strapped to his back. Something that Robin hadn't noticed before. A sniper rifle. And that rooftop gave him the perfect vantage point to put Gordon in his crosshairs.

Robin immediately reached down for the guards com and put it next to his ear. "There's a sniper on the roof! Get Gordon out of here now!" He listened in just long enough to make sure someone heard him before heading out.

The assassin was taking his position just as Robin got to the roof. He seemed to be instantly aware of the Boy Wonder despite the fact that he barely made a sound. The moment Robin's feet touched the roof the assassin abandoned his rifle and moved like a possessed man. He turned and ran towards Robin at break-neck speeds. He attempted to swipe at him with his claws but Robin managed to parry the blow, only to take a fist to his gut. The impact pushed him back to the ledge of the roof. Before he could even attempt to get up, the assassin rushed him with blades popping out of his gauntlets, stabbing him through the shoulders and pinning him to the wall. Training be damned. Tim let out a loud shout in pain.

The assassin dislodged the blades, leaving them in Tim's shoulders and pinning him to the ledge as went back to retrieve his rifle.

Conner

He came running as soon as he heard the gunshots. He leapt over several buildings at a time, trying to get there as fast as he could. Superboy arrived just in time to see Tim being run through with a pair of gold blades.

Conner snarled as he jumped down to the rooftop. The assassin seemed to invested in collecting his gun to notice Conner until he was right on him. Once he was within range, Superboy delivered a swift and powerful uppercut to the assassin's jaw, only to watch in horror as he felt something crack and saw the mercenary's head snap backwards at an angle that shouldn't be possible. Conner took a step back in horror as the assassin stumbled backwards. Oh God. Had he really hit him that hard?

Then with a horrified fascination, Superboy watched as the assassin's taloned hand reached up to his chin and with one fluid movement, brought the head back to it's rightful position. He then twisted his head to either side, eliciting a series of cringe worthy cracks as he did so.

Superboy's eyes threatened to bulge out of his head they were so wide. "What are you?"

Rather than a verbal response, the creature before him proceeded to lift his arm, a holographic keyboard popping up on his forearm as he did so. He then clicked on a few of the buttons before lowering his arms. That's when Conner heard it. It sounded like rushing water, and it was coming from the assassin's gauntlets. Something was flowing into them.

Suddenly, a feint green glow emitted from the claws. Conner felt a small burn as well, like you would get from standing too close to a fire. 'Kryptonite' his mind whispered. Before he could even begin to wonder where an assassin could have gotten something like that, his adversary lashed out with the claws, scratching the front of his chest as Superboy pulled away. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he did his best the fight back.

But as the fight dragged on, it was clear they were not on an even playing field. Superboy couldn't get a single hit in. The assassin was moving too fast, dodging too well. The speed with which he moved was insane. He was no speedster, but it was clear he was anything but human. That didn't stop Superboy from trying. But this time, the assassin actually caught his fist. Superboy's eyes widened as he felt the assassin's wrist break under his fist, only to click back together. Distracted, the assassin shoved his claws directly into Superboy's chest. White hot pain exploded in his chest as the Kryptonite dug into him. The assassin then twisted his hand to dislodge the claws and leave them buried in Conner's body. As the clone fell to the ground, the assassin once again went to get his rifle.

Conner tried his best to get up, and he could see Tim doing the same as he tried to get the blades out of his shoulders. But neither was successful all they could do was watch as the villain looked down his scope. He knew Tim had called this in, but there was no way they had already gotten Gordon out of there. Not with this crowd. He tried again to get up, but it was in vain. The kryptonite left him too weak.

He stopped struggling and stilled when he heard a gunshot ring through the air. At times like these super-hearing was a true curse. Not because of the pain in his ears over hearing the gun go off, but because he could here the aftermath as though he were next to Gordon. He heard Gordon hit the ground. He heard the people from the crowd panic and scatter about. And he heard Barbara's screaming fill the air.

Then he saw red.

With a renewed drive, he pushed past the pain and managed to get up before running towards the assassin and punching him square in the face. However, the pain from the shifting claws in his chest caused him to lose his balance and fall directly atop the assassin, resulting in them tumbling towards the edge of the roof together, while the impact of his punch caused the owl hood he wore to go flying. The continuing rolling towards until the hit the ledge, with Conner pinning the assassin beneath him. He raised his fist, still blinded by rage when he took note of the assassin face.

Superboy felt the strength drain out of him once again. No.

No it couldn't be.

But it was.

Beneath that hood lay a head of ebony hair and a face he was all to familiar with. Beneath him lay Nightwing, Dick fucking Grayson, trying to get free of the clone's hold on him.

This couldn't be right. This could not be Nightwing. He was Babs' best friends for God's sake. He wouldn't do this to her. And he looked so different. Dick always had naturally dark skin due to his Romani heritage. And his eyes were a clear blue. This...this creature beneath him looked nothing like that. Rather it had two large eyes that glowed an unholy yellow in the moonlight, and skin paler than death. From beneath the collar of it's unitard Superboy could make out black veins creeping up his neck. No. This wasn't Dick.

But then Superboy's mind flooded with how they were alike. He had Dick's jawline. His brow, his nose. And the way he moved. His entire life there had been a fair amount of people to best him in hand to hand combat, but only one person who could use that level of acrobatics and combat training to do it.

"Dick?" He said breathlessly in an unsure voice.

That's when his yellow eyes narrowed in a way that made Superboy feel like they were piercing his soul. He then used Conner's shock to his advantage and broke free of the grasp on his wrist and grabbed the ledge. Before Conner knew what hit him, the legs pinned beneath him were flipping him over the ledge before Dick did the same and delivered a sharp kick to the claws in his chest, burying them deeper in him as his back hit the brick wall.

Conner shouted as he was left to fall into the alley below. He let out an audible groan of pain as his back hit the asphalt. He looked up just in time to see Dick kicking against the wall to bring himself back over the ledge. He then took one last glance at Conner with a glare in his golden gaze before disappearing again.

His mind raced. What happened to Dick? Why would he target Gordon? And just what the hell was he now? But as the pain from his injuries reignited in his body, his eyes rolled back and the world went black.

Tim

"Dick?"

That was enough to pull Tim's attention away from trying to get free and look to Conner and the assassin. He looked just in time to see the two go over the edge before the assassin masterfully flipped back over. But his head was no longer obscured by the odd hood he had worn. Tim could see him now.

And what he saw would haunt his nightmares.

"No"

Dick's whole body snapped to attention, despite Tim being sure he had only just whispered, and turned to stare down the Boy Wonder.

Tim felt his whole being go stiff when he caught a glimpse of his brother's eyes. Even though they were a fair distance apart the glow of his eyes could be made out fairly easily.

And those eyes were staring at Tim the way a predator stares at prey.

He recomposed himself (as best he could) and went back to trying to free his shoulders of the blades as Dick slowly approached him. Tim tried his best to fight best the pain that exploded through his arms with every tug, but it was no use. Abandoning the attempt entirely, Tim looked back at Dick, who continued to slowly close the distance between them.

"Dick! Dick it's me! It's Tim!" He could practically hear Bruce scream 'no names in the field' as he spoke. But that hardly mattered now.

There wasn't the smallest bit of recognition in his eyes. Only a savage snarl as Dick lurched forward and grabbed his head, pulling it forward before slamming it back into the concrete behind him.

Tim's vision became decorated with black spots as Dick released his hold on him. Pushing down the pain and fighting tooth and nail to stay awake, Tim watched through his white lenses as his foster brother narrowed his new golden eyes at him, as if to determine if he needed any more injury inflicted on him. With that in mind, Tim allowed his head to slump to the side and stopped moving. He just hoped that Dick bought it.

Seemingly satisfied, Dick reached into his pocket and fiddled with the inside for a moment before pulling out a small rectangular object. Tim recognized it right away. He had seen them enough during the Justice League's ongoing war with the Light.

"Father Box..." Dick's voice sounded worn and frayed, as though he had been screaming for days on end or simply stopped speaking all together. "Take me back to the court."

With that, a boom tube opened up beneath Dick's feet, pulling him inside. And just like their shared mentor had a million times before, Dick vanished into the night.

That's when darkness overtook Tim.

---

Bruce

There were not many instances in which Batman allowed emotion to show on his face while it was concealed by the cowl. In his entire career, there had only been three in total. And each time it had been over one of his sons.

The first was when he had first seen Dick patrolling Bludhaven as Nightwing. When his longtime protege told him that it was time for him to become his own hero, that he could no longer remain a sidekick, and that he needed to grow and mature into his own hero...well, logically, Batman understood. But Bruce Wayne was a whole other matter. (3)

For the first time, his son would be fighting alone. Everywhere Dick had gone he always had someone watching his back, be it Batman, the Team, or even Barbara. Now he would be on his own.

Bruce had said no.

Dick had simply given him a look that said 'are you for real?'. Bruce couldn't blame him. He was already independent in every other sense of the word. He had his own apartment in Bludhaven, he had a part time job as a self-defense instructor, and he was going to Gotham University for his Criminology Degree. And he had done it all on his own dime. Not once had he asked for a loan nor had he tapped into his trust fund.

But again, Bruce said no.

And Dick stormed out of the cave.

Later, Bruce went to Dick's apartment to apologize. He was just worried. No matter how old or independent he became, Dick would always be his son.

After not getting a response, Bruce opened the door with his spare key (the one that he made without Dick's knowledge) only to find the apartment empty. Panic swept through Bruce's chest. How had he not seen that coming?!

After slipping into the suit he kept in his car for emergencies, Batman took to the rooftops of Bludhaven. After what felt like hours of searching, he finally found Dick taking down some thugs in the alley below.

It may have been a new suit, but Bruce swore he knew Dick's fighting style better than anyone else.

For the first time in his life, Bruce allowed the corners of his lips to turn upwards while under the cowl. He couldn't be more proud of his son.

The second time was when Jason had died.

Bruce could still remember the feeling of ice in his veins when he saw the small building the Joker had stashed Robin in go up in flames.

At that Batman had tried to actually will the Batmobile to go faster, but it didn't make a difference.

He found Jason's body among the rubble, the torn Robin uniform clung to his body, drenched in blood.

This time, Bruce allowed the facade to slip so he could turn his head skywards and scream. He was Batman. He of all people should have been there in time. He had been able to rescue hundreds in his life, but what was that worth if he couldn't save his own son?

And how would he ever summon the nerve to face Dick again after this? How could he tell him that his little brother was dead?

This was the third time.

His expression was contorted in worry as he waited for Red Tornado and Black Canary to give him the status on Tim. He didn't think he could bare the world taking yet another son away from him.

He fought his defensive instincts as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "It'll be okay Bruce." Clark reassured him.

His cynical side disagreed, but he wouldn't voice this to Clark. He knew his friend was equally worried about Conner.

When the two of them had found their proteges, all hell broke loose. Batman and to tear the blades out of Tim's shoulders just to unpin him from the ledge of the roof. Meanwhile, as soon as Superman the kryptonite weapons sticking out of Superboy's chest, he pulled them out with his bare hands, earning a few burns from the kryptonite in the process.

God. The things these kids drove them to.

"What's the status on Gordon?" Clark asked.

Bruce could tell his friend was just trying to change the subject to keep him from worrying. He appreciated the effort, not that he would ever admit it aloud.

"He's gonna pull through. Barbara is with him now." He answered. "That said, tomorrow the papers are going to say that he was assassinated during his speech by a lone gunman who protested his policies. I want whoever did this to think they were successful and they got away with it."

That was hardly Bruce's main concern though. Just who in the world was that skilled with both long and short-range weapons and had the close quarter combat skills to defeat both Robin and a Kryptonian?

Bruce was pulled from his thoughts when the door to the medical bay hissed open and Black Canary emerged. He got out of his chair and was on her at speeds that would put Barry Allen to shame. "What's his condition?"

"Their both stable." He heard Clark let out a breath in relief beside him. "Conner's still unconscious because of how long he was exposed to the kryptonite, but he's out of the woods. Tim's pulling through though. He has a mild concussion and we've closed up the wounds on his shoulders; there was no nerve damage fortunately. He should be coming around any minute now."

"Already?" Bruce asked.

A guilty expression crossed over Dinah's features. "His surgery was completed a few hours ago. I was going to come right out to tell you but there was an emergency with Superboy so I went to assist Red Tornado first. I'm sorry Br-Batman."

Bruce didn't give her much time to explain herself before he made his way into the med bay. Subconsciously he knew that Dinah was right to go to Superboy's aid, but he was to concerned with Tim at the moment to really care. There was time for explanations later.

Tim was laying down on the cot with his mask off and eyes closed. There were large ace bandages wrapped around his upper arms and shoulders; a sight that caused Bruce to flinch. They were lucky his arms hadn't been sliced off.

Bruce sat down by his bed for the next hour or so, taking care to remind himself that this was Tim, not Jason. He wouldn't...he couldn't lose another son.

Eventually he heard a soft moan and looked up to see Tim's eyes beginning to flutter open. Tim whimpered slightly, his eyes still adjusting to the bright lights above him.

Bruce was at his side right away. "Tim? Timmy?" He knew his youngest hated the nickname Dick has bestowed on him but it never failed to get a reaction.

Tim's eyes focused more as he peered up and saw his guardian hovering over him. "Bruce?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

Bruce nodded as he pulled down his cowl. Tim didn't need this comfort from Batman. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder, gently so as not to agitate the wound. "You're going to be okay Tim. You're going to be just fine." He said this to some extent for his own reassurance as well as Tim's.

"Wha' happened?" Tim said. The fact that he slurred his words alarmed Bruce just as much as the apparent amnesia did. Usually Tim's grammar was impeccable. Lord knows he had lectured Dick a number of times whenever Dick used his butchered words like whelmed or aster. Perhaps they underestimated the severity of his concussion.

"You and Conner were attacked at Commissioner Gordon's address to the city. You don't remember?" Relaying it to Tim seemed to spark something in the boy. His expression changed somewhat as though he were thinking deeply on something. And as quickly as it came, it was replaced by a far more concerning expression.

Tim's whole body snapped to attention and his eyes widened despite how he had to keep shut against the lights a moment ago. He immediately got to work on trying to rip out his IV, before a strong hand gripped his wrist.

"Tim what do you think you're doing?!" Bruce was no stranger to having to force his proteges to take time to recover. That said, it usually only extended to Jason and Dick. Tim had always been rather obedient compared to the other two. What elicited a response like this?

Tim looked directly at him, blue eyes piercing his own. "We have to go back! We have to get him back!"

"Who?!" Bruce demanded.

"DICK!"

Bruce dropped Tim's wrist in shock, allowing the Boy Wonder to continue in removing the IV. He was not proud to admit that for a full minute, he sat there with his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. It was Tim trying to get out of bed and being rewarded with a searing pain in his arm that brought the Dark Knight back to reality.

He pushed Tim back down on the bed, carefully to avoid further pain, and tried to keep his voice level. "Dick was there? What happened? Was he captured?"

Tim shook his head furiously.

Now Bruce had always trusted Robin, no matter who it was that donned the suit. Sure, he may not have always got along with them, but he loved and respected them all, and they returned his feelings in kind. But the next words out of Tim's mouth had him tempted to scream at him that he was a filthy liar.

"It WAS Dick! Dick was the one who attacked us!"

---

(One Week Later)

Wally

Wally was pacing back and forth around the room so fast he ran the risk of wearing down the floor. He couldn't help it. He needed to find out what was happening!

Batman had initially tried to keep the news of who attacked Tim and Conner a secret from the rest of the Team until he could figure out what happened. But Conner, who had been dosed with every painkiller they had, let it slip that Dick was their assailant and would be assassin of Jim Gordon.

That information spread through the Team like wildfire.

Batman was not pleased.

The result was several closed door meetings with Batman and the rest of the League. Barbara and Tim had been meeting with him in private as well, and declined to share anything with anyone else, per Batman's instruction, of course.

Then suddenly Batman called the Team's founding members to the Watchtower for a meeting regarding Nightwing. Which is how Wally found himself creating a hole in the floor where he paced.

How hard was it to give them some kind of update before this?! This was his best friend they were talking about!

Nightwing had gone missing before Wally got out of the hospital and recovered from the injuries during the Arctic mission. He hadn't seen Dick in over half a year. That, combined with the fact that Nightwing had supposedly attacked Conner and Tim, caused his anxiety to go through the roof.

And it was beginning to damage his relationship with members of the Team.

It started with Conner, when he had first heard the clone's report on the events of that night. The speedster had outright told the clone that he was either a liar, or had lost his mind. Conner had not taken well to the implications, and the fight had nearly gotten physical. Wally was lucky their respective girlfriends had intervened to calm everyone down before Superboy had done something they both regretted.

The next time was with La'gaan. Even though he had gone back into retirement with Artemis and was no longer a member of the Team, he began to constantly show up at the Watchtower to pester Batman for information. It was during one of these visits that he overheard La'gaan saying that he wasn't surprised that Nightwing had turned on them after what he did during the invasion, and that Batman's former protege had outdone himself in finding new ways to betray the Team.

That remark had ended with La'gaan getting a black eye and a broken nose, as well as being benched for the next two weeks. Wally still felt like it wasn't enough.

And then there was Tim. Wally sighed. Unlike the other two, he had absolutely no excuse for the way he had treated Tim. After days he had finally caught Tim in his civvies exiting Gotham Academy. He tried to get him to talk about the situation but Tim had answered that Wally was no longer a part of the Team and Nightwing was not his concern, all in a tone so impassive that it could put his mentor to shame.

Wally had lost it. He demanded to know how Tim could be so callus about the fate of his own brother, and told him he never deserved Dick. When that hadn't gotten a rise out of him, Wally took it a step further, and said that Tim was probably hoping Nightwing wouldn't return so that Tim could be the favorite son.

The next thing he remembered was lying flat on his ass on the pavement with Tim standing over him, a positively enraged look on his face, and blood smeared across his knuckles. Babs had come in seemingly out of nowhere and escorted Tim away from the small crowd their argument had drawn, shooting a dirty look at the redhead as she did so.

Wally supposed the truth was that he simply was angry at himself, and was just taking it out on everyone else. It didn't matter that he had been on bed rest at the time. He could have called Dick. Texted him. But he had been so conflicted over Artemis's 'death' that he hadn't summoned the nerve until it was too late. And now Wally had to wonder if he hadn't ghosted his best friend would any of this have happened?

Not that it was Dick that attacked Conner and Tim. That was simply not a possibility. Shapeshifter? Clone? Android made in his image? He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't Dick. Dick Grayson wasn't capable of betrayal.

"Dude." His cousin's voice caused Wally to stop in his tracks and look over at the time traveler. "I know this is rich coming from me, but you might want to slow it down."

Wally snorted. Yeah, when a kid that everyone knew to be the most energetic person on Earth told you to slow it down, that was a pretty clear message that you were taking it a little too far.

"I'm just saying," Bart continued. "It wouldn't be very crash if you wore down the floor."

Wally relented and took a seat at the meeting table. The other founding members of the Team were there, including Artemis. They both found it odd that they had been invited despite no longer being on active duty. But they agreed that they had to come nevertheless. Bart was only in the room until Batman showed up. Wally was glad that his cousin wanted to lend moral support, but right now Wally was hoping there was something else that Bart could do for him.

"Hey Bart." Wally addressed his fellow speedster, to which Bart perked up. "What...what does history say happened to Nightwing?"

Bart seemed to be caught off guard by the question and rubbed the back of his head. "Well...you know...spoilers..."

"With everything that's already been changed in this timeline, I don't think it matters if you tell us now." Artemis joined in, to which Wally was thankful. "We just want to know."

Bart let out a small sigh. "Well...no one knows exactly. He disappeared just before the Reach officially took over the planet. There were all kinds of rumors of what happened to him. Killed in battle, taken hostage, used in the Reach's experiments...but nothing was ever confirmed. And his..." Bart gulped. "His body was never found."

Wally didn't feel any better after hearing the answer. If anything, he felt worse. Were the people that took Nightwing here the same as those that had in Bart's time? And what did this have to do with the assassin that looked like Dick? His mind still refused to accept that they were the same person.

Apparently, they were about to get their answers.

Recognized: Batman 02; Robin B 20; Batgirl B 16

Everyone's attention turned to the Zeta tubes when they announced the arrival of Gotham's local heroes. They all had neutral expressions on their masked faces as they entered.

Robin and Batgirl stuck to Batman's side as he sat at the head of the conference table, neither so much as glancing at Wally. That's what people from the Batclan did. They never outright screamed or yelled when they were upset with you. They were completely passive aggressive and pretended like you didn't exist.

Batman had to clear his voice before speaking. "Kid Flash. This is a meeting of the founding members of the Team. You're excused."

It took Wally a moment to remember that he was talking to Bart. The young speedster mouthed 'good luck' to his predecessor before speeding out of the room, the Zeta tubes announcing his departure.

"As you all know, one week ago Superboy and Robin were attacked by an assailant who attempted to assassinate James Gordon." Wally noticed a small flinch that ran over Batgirl's frame at the mention of her father's name. "While the attempt on his life was unsuccessful, we have placed Gordon in our protection and have lead the public to believe he was killed in the attack. But the most concerning matter is that it appears the assailant was Nightwing."

Lies. Wally added in his mind.

"After investigating the incident and surveying the scene of the attack myself, I now believe that it was in fact Richard Grayson."

"That is bullshit!" Wally couldn't keep himself contained anymore. How could Batman do this?! How could he bring himself to drag his own son's name through the mud?! And how could he do it all in that goddamned callus tone?!

"Sit down Wally!" Kaldur said, sitting up from his own position at the table. But Wally was having none of it.

"You are a goddamn liar! Dick would never do that to Gordon! He wouldn't do that to anyone!"

"Sit down or leave!" Batgirl hissed, her eyes finally meeting Wally's. That's when Wally saw it.

Her eyes were filled with denial too. She didn't want to believe that Dick was capable of this, never mind that fact that it was her father that was almost killed. So whatever it was that Batman had, it must have been good enough to sway her.

That didn't bode well.

It was Artemis putting a hand on his shoulder and urging him to calm down that did the trick.

"Fine." He grumbled as he plopped back down on the chair.

Batman went on as if nothing just happened. "There is something that this Team doesn't know about Nightwing's past. Something that he and I chose to leave buried from the moment we found it."

Another secret? Shocker.

"And I want you all to listen to the entire story so that you can understand why this happened." He said, eyes briefly shifting to Wally.

No one objected, so he went on.

"In Gotham there exists a secret organization, composed entirely of the most elite and influential people of the city. From the shadows they have ruled Gotham with an iron fist since the city's founding. And they will do absolutely anything to maintain that power. Over the course of Gotham's history several people have posed a threat to their way of life without even realizing it, only to suddenly disappear or have an unexplained accident. That is who they are. That is the Court of Owls."

The Court of Owls? That sounded familiar for some reason. Though Wally couldn't remember why.

It was Tim that continued. "The only thing that comes close to evidence of their existence is a nursery rhyme from Gotham. 'Beware the Court of Owls; that watches all the time. Ruling Gotham's shadowed perch; from granite and from lime. They watch you at your hearth; they watch you in your bed. Speak not a whispered word of them; or they'll send a Talon for your head.'" (4)

That's where he had heard it! Dick had told it to him once when they were kids to scare him. They were real?

"Sounds almost like a fairy tale." M'gann added.

"In a way, it is." Robin responded. "No one's going to go looking for an organization that only exists in a nursery rhyme, nor will they suspect that organization of murder. It provides for the perfect cover and blanket anonymity. As they say, the devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he did not exist."

"What does this have to do with Nightwing though?" Conner asked.

"Nightwing and I only became aware of their existence two years ago, when they sent an assassin to kill me. The 'Talons' that the rhyme refers to are the names given to the assassins that serve the court. The Talon's are the main component to their staying in power." Batman explained before typing on the holographic keyboard before him. In an instant, a 3-D rendering of a man appeared in the center of the table. His appearance was somewhat similar to what Conner told them about Nightwing. The man seemed ordinary enough at first glance. He looked about late twenties and had wavy brown hair. But it only took a moment to realize this man was anything but ordinary. His skin was impossibly pale, like sunlight had never touched him. Black veins swirled up from his neck and crawled across his face, further drawing attention to his eerie yellow eyes. He was wearing a skin tight black unitard with silver blades strapped to his chest, and golden claws at the end of his gloves. One glance and it was obvious. This man was a monster.

"This is the Talon that was sent to kill me. His name is William Cobb...and he is Richard's great-grandfather."

A pregnant silence covered the room as everyone contemplated Batman's words. Wally himself had so many questions swimming through his mind that he couldn't voice them, even to himself. He simply allowed the words to sink in for what seemed like an eternity before allowing himself the first question that popped into his head.

"H-how is that even possible? T-the g-guy would have to be over a hundred years old. Doesn't look a day over thirty." He mumbled, but in this still silence he was sure Batman heard him.

"Talons are no ordinary assassins. They have a powerful chemical in their bloodstream known as electrum. It greatly increases their strength, speed, stamina, and most of all, healing. The wounds they are able to recover from would redefine what you think is possible. In the simplest of terms, they can't die. The only successful way to kill one seems to be decapitation. But even though they are virtually invulnerable, they are still subject to aging, albeit much slower than humans. To prevent their prized assassin's from being rendered useless by the affects of time, Talon's are cryogenically frozen whenever they are not performing a service to the court. This way, they can virtually never age. There are likely Talons far older than Cobb amoung their ranks. It's not a coincidence that he's Richard's great-grandfather and he works for the court. You see, the court is very traditional. In pre-modern times, gladiators were chosen from a group of performers, jesters of the court, fortune tellers, some manner of-"

"Circus." Wally supplied, finally catching on.

Batman nodded curtly. "Exactly. Around the world they have groups of performers under their thumb. Once every decade or so, they choose a child from each group to become a new Talon. Haly's Circus was amoung those controlled by the Court."

"Haly's Circus? The one that Dick grew up in?" M'gann asked.

Slowly, what Batman was saying dawned on the group. The Court only would have wanted the children with the most talent to be their new Talons. And they had seen the footage. Even as the runt of the family, Dick's acrobatics had been, and still are, impeccable. If they were going to choose someone to take in then...

"Dick was supposed to be a Talon." Wally didn't bother to phrase it as a question. It was clear.

It was Babs that responded, her head hanging low. "That's right. The Court had there eyes set on Dick from the moment he was born. They called him the 'Gray Son of Gotham', and believed he would come to be the greatest Talon they ever created."

"Why didn't any of us know about this?" Artemis demanded, standing up. Wally understood why. Dick was their friend. His best friend. They knew each others identities even as kids. They told each other everything. And even though it wasn't easy, M'gann, Conner, and Artemis trusted the Team with their secrets a long time ago (5). Why didn't Dick do the same?

"Because he didn't know." Batman responded. "Neither of us did. Not until two years ago. At the time I met and took in Dick I had no idea of the Court's plans for him, or his ancestry. It appears I got to him in the nick of time. The Court was planning to steal him from the juvenile ward he had been placed in before I took him in."

"But you did find out. Why weren't we told then? Again with the secrets..." Conner trailed off. After sighing the clone looked at the two Dark Squires. "And you two? You knew about this too?"

"Tim didn't." Babs answered for both of them. "It was before his time as Robin. I found out by accident. I ran my own background check on Cobb when Batman asked me to help him investigate the Court. From there I found that Cobb had a single son whose surname was changed to Grayson and was sent to live with the performers at Haly's Circus. It wasn't hard to put the rest together."

"As for why you weren't told, I left that decision to Nightwing. I believe he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to think less of him." Batman added.

"Less of him?! Over his family?!" Artemis asked, clearly frustrated with Nightwing's choice. "Between Conner, Kaldur, and I, bad blood isn't exactly a new thing for this Team. He really thought we would hold him responsible because his great-grandfather is-"

"Not just his great-grandfather." Batgirl interrupted. "Cobb's bloodline stretches back to the Court's founding. There are generations on generations of Cobbs who became Talons. It's a legacy Artemis. Talon's are chosen primarily by relatives the Court has already taken in. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the Talons are related to Dick in some fashion. It's a sad thing to contemplate, but Dick's family tree is stained with blood."

That caused the stunned silence to creep in again. They had to admit, that was more understandable. It was one thing to have one or two relatives that were criminals, but to have nearly every person in you gene pool be a mindless killer? Anyone would be ashamed of that.

It was Tim who cleared the silence. "That's enough about the past. We need to focus on what's happening to Dick now."

"What is happening?" Wally asked. "I mean yeah, that stuff about his family sucks. But how does that-"

"Because we think that Dick is a Talon now." Barbara said, not able to hide the shaking in her voice.

Everything Wally had been about to say; what this had to do with Dick, more denials about him being the assassin, demanding an explanation on why the Court would go after Gordon...that single sentence caused it all to just slip away from mind and mouth.

No.

No, that wasn't right. It couldn't be. Batman had just described Talon's as being blood thirsty monsters, not able to remember anything but their last kill. Not able to look forward to anything but their next. That wasn't Dick. That was as far from Dick Grayson as one could get.

No.

No it didn't happen often, but Batman was wrong.

"That can't be." Wally managed, finally finding his voice again. "You...you said that they were taken as kids."

Batman somehow managed to maintain his ever-present cold tone. "While it's true that they normally undergo the procedure as children, it is not impossible to complete the transformation to Talon as an adult." He answered, stoically as ever.

Wally shook his head furiously. "No. No! Even if they did take Dick and turn him into one of those...one of those things, he would never hurt anyone that didn't have it coming!"

Tim looked down at his feet. Despite all the training he had from Batman in terms of hiding his emotions, he was trembling. "W-we think we have an explanation for that too."

Batman, seeing that Robin couldn't bring himself to say it, took over. "In my research on the Court we discovered that upon arrival, the Court ensures the compliance of their Talons using a very intense form of conditioning."

"Conditioning?!" Kaldur repeated. Even he could not remain calm given the information they were processing. "You mean torture!"

Torture.

Wally went limp and slumped down in his seat.

Torture.

That word was impossibly surreal. That couldn't be. That was not something that happened to people that you cared about. It happened to other people in history. It happened in some parts of the world today. But it didn't happen to Dick. It couldn't have happened to his best friend. He was the original Boy Wonder for crying out loud! The first sidekick! Of everything else he had denied; Dick being a Talon, being the assailant, being related to Cobb, this is the one that simply could not be true. Please let it not be true!

But in his heart he knew it was. The stray tears in Barbara's eyes. The quiver of Tim's lower lip. The way Batman clenched his fist and scrubbed a hand over his face clinched it though. Batman never broke posture.

"Oh God." Wally said under his breath, completely horrified. "What...what did they do to him?" His voice was so small he wondered if anyone heard him, even with the silence of the room.

"I don't know..." Batman mumbled. Even though he knew about this in advance, being confronted by the truth like this couldn't have been easy. "All I know is that after being subjected to this process, Talon's don't seem to retain any of their former personas. They only have one drive. Obedience."

Wally shook his head. No. He couldn't listen to this anymore. This wasn't real. This was all some masterfully orchestrated joke. Any minute now Dick would burst out of the corner, scare him senseless, and start laughing his ass off. Any minute now...

"Wally." Artemis' voice managed to get through to him. "Breathe."

Right. Breathing was a thing. Breathing was good. He complied, releasing the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in before inhaling deeply. In. Out. In. Out.

"Oh God." He whispered shakily. "Oh God. Oh God Arty. How did this happen? What are we going to do? What if...what if..."

What if we can't get Dick back? What if we're too late? What if he's gone?

"Wally." Artemis said. "We will get him back. He's not gone. I won't let him be."

From her responses Wally realized he must have said that last part out loud.

Wally continued to breathe deeply until it no longer felt difficult. Once he felt comfortable he looked around the room and saw the entire Team staring at him intently. He didn't realize he had caused a seen with his panic attack.

Once Kaldur was satisfied that his comrade was okay, he turned to their de-facto leader. "What would you have us do?"

The next words caused yet another stunned silence to pass over the group.

"This Team is going to infiltrate the Court of Owls. You will find Nightwing. And you will bring him back."

---

(The following night)

Wally blew the black strands of synthetic hair out of his eyes yet again. God he hated this wig. It seemed foolish, but Batman was convinced that his red hair would draw unnecessary attention.

The plan was relatively straight forward. For the first time, Batman would be breaking his 'no metas in Gotham' rule. The original members of the Team would all be going to the Court under the guise of being members. Luckily Batman had secured a few owl masks from his previous encounter with the Court, and Robin had picked up chatter on the location of tonight's meeting by hacking the emails of all known members. Once they were in, they would do there best to locate Dick. After that was accomplished, they would alert the League, who would mount an attack from the outside. The Talons would surely be sent to stop it, leaving them to ambush Dick and capture him so they could get him back to the Watchtower.

It still bothered Wally. The idea of thinking about Dick as a target. He was their friend. Wally still couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea that Dick was to be considered an enemy.

"We'll be there shortly. Best prepare." Alfred called from the other side of the limousine's divider.

Wally took a brief look around. He, Tim, Conner, and Kaldur were all wearing ordinary suits and ties (Kaldur's collar was somewhat higher up his neck to hid his gills, and he wore gloves to conceal his webbed hands). Apparently younger members of the Court were not completely irregular, so Tim's presence would not be that odd. Beside him was Artemis, wearing a white dress with a single strap on her right shoulder, with a large pearl necklace on. He forced himself not to get caught up on how radiant she looked and look over everyone else. Apparently, the red hair limitations were not exclusive to him. Barbara was wearing a blonde wig and seemed to hate it as much as he did. She had on a high slit red dress and matching red heels. That left M'gann. She had used her shape-shifting abilities to take on the form of a middle aged woman with blond curly hair that was slowly becoming grey. She had on a gold dress and a fur coat on top of that, with all manner of jewelry adorning her person. A look that practically screamed wealth.

The form she had taken was apparently that of Maria Powers, a prominent member of the Court who Batman had captured the night before. This way if they came under suspicion, M'gann could remove her mask and vogue for the rest of them and if worst came to worst, use her telepathic powers.

"Okay, you're all going to need these." Tim said as he and Barbara began handing out the Owl masks, along with strange syringes filled with a clear liquid.

"What are these?"

"They're needles made completely out of glass and reinforced polymer, so it won't come up on metal detectors." Tim responded.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure he meant what's actually inside the needles." Conner added.

Tim sighed. "Look...none of us want to face it but that fact is that when we find Dick, he'll likely attack us. Now besides decapitation, the only way to stop a Talon without lethal force is using the cold, the same way the Court does to put them in cryosleep." He explained before lifting one of the needles. "These are filled with liquid nitrogen. If you're cornered, inject it into his bloodstream."

Wally didn't mean to snarl, but he couldn't help it. There was no way this was safe. Part of his brain was still coming to grips with the fact that Dick was no longer human. And even then, there was a chance this could still somehow harm him. He hated it.

Tim clearly caught on to it. "I don't like it either but we have no choice. If we screw this up we'll never get an opportunity like it again."

"Yeah I get it." Wally said as he tucked the needle into the pocket of his coat.

Barbara narrowed her eyes at him. "Ok, what's your deal? And if you say nothing I'll slap you."

Wally groaned. He almost commented on the hypocrisy of a member of the Batclan lecturing him on expressing his emotions. Instead, he relented.

"For the last few days I've been acting like an ass to all of you. I guess I couldn't decide who I was most angry at. Tim for not telling me what was going on. Conner for accusing Dick of attacking them. Even Dick for not telling me about this whole Talon thing. I mean were best friends and he thought he couldn't tell me something like that." Then he let out a long sigh. "And you know what? He was probably right not to. I've been such a jerk to him lately. I completely ignored his existence for weeks. If it weren't for you going over to his place to check on him, I probably never would have found out he was missing. And who knows? Maybe the fact that I iced him out is what let the Court take him. Maybe this is on me."

Tim and Babs looked to each other. Unlike the rest of the Team, they never lost touch with Dick after he left the Team. And they knew he had missed his best friend over the last few months. Even though they were pissed at him for leaving Dick like that, Dick wouldn't want them to leave Wally that way.

"That's not true Wally. The night it happened Nightwing got injured in a fight with Harely Quinn. That's the reason I went to check on him. The Court was just waiting until he was injured to take him. There's nothing any of us could have done." Barbara reassured.

Wally sighed, not entirely believing her. "Yeah if you say so." Then he raised his eyes to hers. "Let me ask you something. Why did Batman call us in? I mean, I'm grateful. But I'm not exactly his favorite person right now. And Artemis and I aren't with the Team anymore."

Tim answered before Barbara got the chance. "It was my idea. If we do end up having to fight Dick, I was hoping that seeing people that he has a better connection with would jog something. I know it's a long shot but right now Dick doesn't know what he's doing."

"Maybe he does." Barbara mumbled. Everyone looked at her with an expression of shock, save Tim who looked downright furious.

"BABS!" He shouted.

Barbara countered his glare with her own. "No I need to tell them. I don't care if you and Bruce think I'm crazy. They need to hear this."

"Hear what?" Kaldur asked.

Despite the glares from Tim, Babs turned to the group. "Look, my dad surviving shouldn't have been possible. We've linked hundred of deaths in Gotham to the Court. This is the first time a hit took place where the target survived. Talons have impeccable senses, so missing is nearly impossible."

"But he didn't miss." Wally interrupted. "He got a clean shot off."

Barbara shook her head. "You don't understand. There are very few places on the body where you can shoot someone without hitting an organ or causing severe damage to the skeletal structure. My dad happened to be hit in one of those places. If it weren't for the fact he's under League supervision, he'd be out of bed rest by now."

Wally still didn't quite see what she was getting at. "Okay. So he made a bad shot. It happens."

Barbara shook her head again. "Not with Dick. Definitely not with a Talon. Plus, those guards all made full recoveries because they were stabbed in similar locations. The chances of hitting those spots on four different people are astronomical. I don't think it was an accident."

Now Wally was finally catching on. And he couldn't help but pray that she was right. "Are you saying..."

"I don't think that Dick is under their control." Babs said with determination in her eyes. "I think he's playing the Court."

Before anyone could share their thoughts on her theory, Alfred announced their arrival.

---

Kaldur

Once they were inside, they were escorted to a room roughly resembling an amphitheater. They all took seats closest to the center. The center of the arena itself was serveal feet lower from the balcony where they were sitting, and was completely marbled. It was also covered in blood.

In the center there were a pair of Talons fighting each other to the death. It was incredibly disturbing. One had an arm completely torn off and the other had several knives sticking out of his chest. And they just wouldn't stop. If Batman was right about the healing, nothing would make them.

"What is the purpose of this?" Kaldur asked through the mental link M'gann had set up.

Tim gave a disgusted groan. "Right now the Court is waiting for their leader, The Judge of Owls, to arrive. This is their...entertainment." Tim spat the last word like venom. Kaldur could not blame him. There was enough death and violence in the world. He couldn't imagine watching it for fun.

And yet that ended up all they would be doing for the next hour or so. Eventually one of the Talon's had his other arm destroyed and could no longer fight. Not until they reattached it that was.

Then more Talon's came into the arena. Three emerged from one side, wearing identical uniforms. But another came from the opposite side, wearing a uniform adorned with gold plating.

"Oh my God." Tim's thought leaked into their link.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Artemis asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"That Talon, the one in gold...that's the uniform we saw Dick wearing." Conner answered, causing all eyes to fly to him. Only for a moment though. Then their attention was pulled back to the Talons.

The three Talons were the first to move. They ran directly at their adversary with incredible speed. But as soon as one got close and attempted to swipe at the Gold Talon with its clawed hands, the Gold Talon's own claws shot up and grabbed its wrist. Once the others got close he swung the Talon like a weapon and caused the other two to get knocked back and hit the ground, before he threw the Talon he was holding at the wall with so much force that it caved in slightly. The Gold Talon then threw a pair of knives at the Talon on the wall, burying them in its wrists and pinning him to the wall. The other two got up and tried to come at him again, one taking out a large dagger. The Gold Talon grabbed its knife hand with both and and snapped its arm backwards. The Talon dropped the knife just as the other came at the Gold Talon. He flipped the Talon over by its broken arm and grabbed the knife as it was falling, promptly burying it in the oncoming Talon's head. The last Talon tried to get up, but once it was on it knees the Gold Talon snaked his hand around its' jaw before snapping its' neck.

The theater was filled with clapping from the Owls as more Talons came in and carted off those defeated.

Another Talon came in, but the sight was far more disturbing then the others. It was a child. A girl no more than eight or so. She had her head completely shaved, and her skin was just as pale as the others. Black veins covered her face and neck, as well as her exposed arms. She was wearing a small grey uniform with short sleeves, which showed off the several scars decorating her body. She was carrying a tray with a water bottle and a towel and she looked ahead with a blank, faraway stare. The sight of her made Kaldur's heart sink.

The Gold Talon walked over to her before removing his hood, sending a collective chill over the group. A small part of them had been hoping that Conner and Tim had been mistaken. But now, there was no denying it. That was indeed Nightwing, carrying the exact same expression that said he was numb to the world around him.

"Oh God...Dick." They didn't need the mental link to know what Wally was thinking.

A series of emotions was sent across the link. Guilt, horror, fear. Kaldur had no idea which emotions were coming from which members of the Team. He was only aware of what he felt. Rage. This wasn't right. Dick had always been the best of them. Despite working with Batman, despite working in Gotham, despite all the awful things he had seen on a daily basis, he never gave up hope. And for the Court to take this noble hero and twist him into something dark and unrecognizable. It was unforgivable.

Dick placed the hood on the girl's platter and took the bottle, uncapping it and taking a few sips. Then he wiped his face with the towel and put both back on the platter, gesturing for the girl to leave. She did so with a slight bow of her head.

"Gray Son." A new voice called from the stands. They group turned to see another Owl, though this one was different. His mask was splattered red and he had a black cloak on. They recognized him from the mission briefing. This was the Judge of Owls. The Leader of the Court. "That was quite the impressive display. Your skills are improving."

Dick approached the balcony the Judge stood at before getting down on one knee and bowing his head. "I live to serve the Court, Grandmaster." It took an effort not to flinch at how raw and unused Dick's voice sounded.

"It almost makes up for your failures." The Judge added, his tone turning dark.

Dick's head snapped up and the emotionless mask slipped, fear igniting in his yellow eyes. "Failures, Grandmaster?"

"Shall I list them?" The Judge hissed. "Your mission was an utter failure. Our sources report that James Gordon survived your attempt on his life!"

Dick's head went back down to a bow. "I apologize Grandmaster. I will rectify thi-"

"You will hold your tongue unless you wish to lose it!" The Judge barked, leaning against the rail. "You also failed to eliminate the heroes from the Justice Leagues' covert Team, Robin and Superboy! You lost your hood and allowed you identity to be revealed, compromising the Court! And the most egregious of your failures. You abandoned the kryptonite infused talons provided to us by our partners with the Light! Lex Luthor will be in no hurry to replace the ones you lost!"

Kaldur's eyes widened. There was a partnership between the Light and the Court? Was it legitimate? Were they more scapegoats like the Reach had been? Whatever the reason, Dick seemed to have other concerns.

His entire form was trembling, and he refused to look up at the Judge. "G-grandmaster. T-th-there's no excuse for my actions. I have failed you."

"At last he speaks truly." The Judge sneered. "Perhaps you are overdue for punishment. A spell in the cryochamber will do you good."

Dick's face went even paler if that was possible and his eyes flashed with golden light as he spoke. "N-No! I have failed but I will redeem myself! I am the loyal servant of the Court of Owls! The Gray Son of Gotham! I beg your forgiveness Grandmaster!" Dick's responses were laced with a hysterical edge. Even if Batgirl was correct and he was playing the Court for fools, this was real. That amount of terror could not be faked.

"There is no forgiveness in this Court. Only penance." The Judge responded. "Talon!"

No one noticed the second Talon that had been sneaking up on Dick until he yanked the younger Talon up in a choke hold and injected something into his neck. They recognized him instantly. William Cobb.

The elder Talon kept his arm around his descendant's neck until he went limp in his arms. He then lifted him up bridle style and walked out of the room slowly.

Kaldur felt a strong sense of wrath and resentment come in over the link. He looked over and saw Wally gripping the arm of his chair so hard that the wood was beginning to chip. "Calm down Kid. If we want to help Dick we can't react and need to stick to the plan!"

The original Kid Flash growled but relented and sank into his seat.

Suddenly, the entire structure began to shake. At first they thought it was an earthquake, but a voice sounded over the speakers saying otherwise. "Evacuate the facility! The Justice League is attacking the entrance! Make to the nearest exit!"

That was there cue. Blending into the evacuating crowd, they ducked out into a conference room and stripped out of their suits, their uniforms laying just beneath the fabric.

It was time to get Dick out of this godforsaken place.

---

They were currently making their way through the Court's labyrinth. Robin had a holographic map constructed during Batman's last confrontation with the Court.

They were going to the center. The place where they kept the slumbering Talons.

Once they got there, they were greeted by the sight of an enormous fountain; the waters pouring from a giant owl statue. Lined up and leaning against the walls of the room were what looked like coffins.

"There are people inside them." Superboy said, using his x-ray vision. He narrowed his eyes at them though. "It's weird though. I don't hear any heartbeats."

"That's not unusual." Robin responded. "Talon's have very slow heartbeats. About one every five minutes."

They began to search the tanks. There was a clear layer at eye level for each one that allowed one to look inside and see the Talon within. Many of them were young. Too young.

Kaldur scoffed at the thought. As if one could ever be old enough for this to be acceptable.

"I found him!" Wally yelled at the top of his lungs. They all gathered around the coffin he was facing. Through the clear layer they saw their long time comrade inside with his eyes closed, but his face contorted in fear.

He looked dead.

It vaguely reminded Kaldur of when they had found Superboy in his Cadmus pod. Based on how Superboy was clenching his fist hard enough to draw blood, he wasn't the only one who thought it.

"We have to get him out of there." Wally said before scouring the coffin to find a way to open it.

"Wait!" Artemis said as she grabbed her boyfriend's shoulder. "We need to think about this."

"What's there to think about?! That's Dick! You saw that out there. He was terrified of going back in there. He could be in pain right now!" Wally looked at her like she was certifiable. How was leaving him in there even an option?!

"He attacked us Kid." Superboy said, trying to defuse the situation, keeping his hands raised in a nonthreatening manner. "He's dangerous."

"Oh yeah?! The moment we found you in Cadmus he worked to get you out!"

"And how did that work out for you?!" Superboy wasn't proud of the fact that he had attacked his teammates after being freed. But the fact was now the situation was reversed. And they knew better this time. He didn't like the idea of leaving someone in one of those damn pods, but the alternative did not bare thinking.

"So what then?!" Wally demanded, throwing his hands up in the air. "You want to carry out the whole coffin?!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." A new voice said from the shadows. They all looked around for the source, but were pulled from it when a small circular device dropped from above and landed in the center of the group, a small beeping noise sounding its arrival.

"Get down now!" Kaldur ordered.

Everyone did their best to get away from the grenade, but M'gann's side still got hit by a piece of shrapnel. She shouted out in pain as she fell to her knees, Conner arriving at her side instantly.

Once they were all on the other side of the fountain, a shadow dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of Dick's coffin. It was Cobb. He had on the most disgusting grin any of them had ever seen. "Don't be so surprised. The Court was aware of your arrival from the moment you stepped foot in the facility. Our sensors allow us to pick up on the presence of meta-humans, or any non-human DNA."

Kaldur stood up and used his water-bearers to collect water from the fountain and mold them into a pair of blades. "The Justice League is coming. They attack this base even as we speak. You cannot hope to win no matter how many Talons you have. Allow us to leave with Richard Grayson and perhaps we can come to an arrangement."

Cobb's grin only widened. "I'm afraid the League won't get here in time." He said as he pressed button on the side of Dick's coffin. Then the lid made a hissing sound as it turned on its hinges and swung wide open. The sight made Kaldur sick to his stomach. On the inside of the coffin's lid was heavily oxidized blood that coated several claw marks. Embedded in one of these long cuts was something jutting out from the metal, which Kaldur realized with a start was a fingernail. Dick must have been scratching to get out. And some of the blood was fresh.

"As for the Gray Son, he is the property of the Court of Owls. He goes nowhere. But since you're so invested in helping him..." Cobb took out a syringe before promptly injecting it right into Dick's neck. "...you'd be the perfect opportunity for him to redeem himself."

The effect the serum had on him was instantaneous. Dick's hand snapped up, breaking the layer of frost that had formed over his clawed hands, and gripped the edge of the coffin. The other hand did the same. Then his eyes snapped open. He looked around the room for a moment, taking in his surroundings. His gaze seemed to barely drift over the Team before it finally settled on Cobb. Dick looked back at the Team for a moment, and there was a soft glimmer of what looked like fear in his eye and what Barbara hoped was recognition.

"Take them down."

The reaction was immediate. Dick's form sprung to life and he leapt into the air, landing on the side of the owl statue before kicking off to send himself flying at Superboy and landing a well placed kick to his jaw. Superboy lost his balance but refused to let himself fall. In his disoriented state, the young Talon took the opportunity to swipe at him with his claws, giving him severe cuts to the face.

Kaldur took action and used his water-bearers to attack. The water from the fountain blasted Dick before taking form and locking him in a small dome of the liquid. Dick fought to get to the surface of the bubble but Kaldur willed the current of the water to keep him in place. He would keep Dick there until he ran out of air and passed out. However, Dick reached behind him and pulled out a grenade identical to the one Cobb just attacked them with. Without a moments hesitation, Dick pulled the pin. Aqualad didn't have time to react as Kid Flash suddenly yanked him off his feet and carried him out of range just as the bomb went off in Dick's hand.

The water burst and spilled all over the room, but Dick was still standing. While the water had muffled some of the impact of the explosion, his hand was nearly destroyed. Fingers were bent at odd angles and a layer skin had been all but blown off, revealing a layer of pink and red beneath it. The Team watched in morbid fascination as the bones seemed to snap back into place and correct themselves, while the tearing of the skin stitched itself back together. Dick's expression didn't change in the least as it happened. It was as though he had been through this a million times before. Given what they knew about the Court, he probably had.

Dick went after Superboy again, who was still clutching the lashes on his cheek. Miss Martian responded in like by using her telekinesis to raise him into the air and did her best to keep him from moving. Dick fought past her grip and launched another device at her. This one was a type of red circular disk. It attached itself to her forehead before she could react, and sent powerful electric shocks through her whole body. M'gann screamed and clutched her head as she fell to the ground.

"M'gann!" Conner ignored the pain in his face as he ran towards her, only to have a throwing knife sent through his back while his guard was down. He pushed down the pain and still tried to run to her, but the room started to spin. This wasn't kryptonite, he could tell. The knife. It had been coated in some type of tranquilizer. Superboy collapsed just arms length away from M'gann.

Kid Flash had enough of this. Talons were fast, but they were no speedsters. He ran at Dick and got behind him, grabbing Dick's right wrist with his left hand and left wrist with his right. He then pulled the both back towards him, forcing Dick's arms to cross over each other. Dick snarled animalistically and tried to break free of Wally's grasp. The red head refused to let him.

"Dick it's us! We're your friends! You don't have to listen to them!" His words fell on deaf ears as Dick jerked his head backwards, the back of his head colliding with Wally's nose. It wasn't broken but it certainly didn't tickle. Taking full advantage of the injury, Dick managed to break one arm free of Wally's hold and elbowed him in the gut. Dick got his other hand free and back-handed Wally in the jaw, sending him crashing into the wall. Wally, just barely conscious, tried to get up only for Dick to grab him by the throat and hoist him up.

He seemed intent running Wally through with his claws when an arrowhead burst through his chest. Dick snarled and turned towards the source to see Tigress firing another arrow at him, this one sinking into his shoulder. It seemed like the Talon would rush her when Wally took out his syringe and plunged it into the arm holding him. Dick retracted his arm like he had been burned. But it was too late. Wally had managed to press down the plunger.

Dick ripped the needle out of his arm as a cold feeling ran up the limb. That's when Batgirl and Robin both attacked him from above. He evaded Batgirl's attack, but Robin had managed to punch him square in the jaw. Dick managed to stay on his feet, but his arm was limping to the side like he couldn't move it.

Tim grunted. It looked like they would have to inject the liquid nitrogen directly to his chest or neck.

Dick let out a snarl as he pulled the arrows from his chest and shoulder using his good arm. The wounds closed the moment the arrows were gone. Tigress came at him while he was preoccupied. Dick's reflexes kicked in and blocked her katana with with a large silver dagger. He could see Robin coming towards him out of the corner of his eye and swung at him with the dagger, but the Boy Wonder narrowly dodged it. Though he was rewarded for his efforts with a thin cut across his chest.

Batgirl went in for the finishing blow. While distracted by Robin she snuck up behind Dick until he was in arms reach and plunged the needle into the back of his shoulder. He turned and tried to swipe at her but she got out of the way in the nick of time.

Everyone looked on in morbid fascination as Dick began to claw savagely at the area he had been injected, tearing apart his own skin. He was likely trying to open it up to drain out the liquid nitrogen but it was too late. Red ice poured from the wound before it closed up and Dick wrapped his arm around himself, fell to his knees, and started to shake from the unyielding cold. It was painful, they could tell. The sight caused the smallest pit of regret to form in Barbara's stomach. She couldn't ignore the absolutely terrified look on Dick's face as he fell to the ground and his breathing slowed before it stopped altogether and his eyes rolled back.

They seemed to pause a few moments, as though to make sure it was really over. Dick didn't move a muscle. Didn't so much as twitch. Wally, still disoriented, made his way over to lift Dick up and get him out of here, when a knife came out of nowhere and struck his foot.

He let out a shout, more out of shock than actual pain, and looked up.

Talons.

They were everywhere. They were at the edge of the top of the labyrinth wall and beginning to slide down and take their stance in the room. There were dozens. Maybe even hundreds.

Batgirl and Robin fought them off for as long as they could, but eventually they were overpowered by the sheer number of them. Both were knocked to the ground and didn't get up. Wally was not able to put up much of a fight, his foot still pinned to the ground. He did his best but he too was taken down. Tigress put up the best fight. Following Batman's advice and going for the head (6), she managed to take out several Talons and insured they would not get up. But eventually another Talon's blade broke through her own before sending her flying directly into the owl statue, before she fell to the ground defeated.

That left Kaldur. He supposed he had been fortunate, fighting next to the fountain was like being able to battle next to a fully stocked armory. The water helped him keep Talons away while he was able to pressurize it so it could slice through the flesh. But one last Talon dropped in between him and his water barrier. Cobb. Kaldur went after him with a water blade only for Cobb to dodge it and grab his sword hand. Stuck in that position, he could do nothing as Cobb struck him in the jaw and sent him flying into the fountain. The Atlantean was about to get up when a strong hand gripped the back of his neck and pushed him further down into the water. Being able to breathe underwater, that was hardly a concern. Kaldur lit up the markings on his body, allowing him to send an electric current through the water. He felt the body atop his own convulse wildly before falling into the water as well.

But when Kaldur tried to stand up, he almost fell right back down. The whole world was spinning. Everything he saw looked blurred out. He felt sick.

The fountain water. It had been drugged. Kaldur managed to take a few steps forward before he collapsed to the ground. The last thing he saw before the darkness set in was Cobb's smirking face.

---

Barbara

She was the first to come to. She felt incredible dazed and confused.

The first thing she noticed was that she was bound. She looked up to find a pair of metal braces were confining her wrists to the wall behind her. She looked to the side and saw all her teammates unconscious and in a similar state of bondage. There were also inhibitor collars on all of them except Tigress and Robin.

"I'm surprised you're the first to wake." A voice called out. Her head whipped ahead to see Cobb sitting on the edge of the fountain, an unconscious Dick laid out on his lap as he dug through a medical bag of sorts at his side. "We took care to drug you all just in case. I thought it would be the speedster who woke up first. Perhaps the collar wears down his metabolism as well."

Cobb then withdrew a needle from the bag filled with a strange blue liquid. He then pulled back the collar of Dick's suit and gave him yet another injection into one of his very visible black veins.

"What are you doing to him?!" Batgirl demanded in an accusatory tone.

He looked at her and arched a brow. "Only undoing what you and your friends did. Liquid nitrogen? Now that was clever. But the Court always has contingencies for such...annoyances."

Ignoring that comment, Batgirl looked around the room. Besides the headless bodies of Talons and the black-stained blood, it was empty. Not even the coffins remained anymore. Besides Dick and Cobb, there were only three Talons in the room, lined up next to each other with their arms folded behind their backs. "Where are the Talons?"

"They were sent outside to deal with your mentors. The Justice League is without doubt a force to be reckoned with, but even they cannot kill that which is already dead."

Barbara had never been good at pulling off the batglare, but she sent him the strongest one she could muster. He wasn't looking at her though. His eyes were locked on Dick. Deciding to make a better use of her time, Barbara looked next to her. Wally was the closest one, and her legs were unbound. She kicked his leg with hers a few times. "Wake up!"

Wally's eyes came open slowly. "Wha happnd?" He asked groggily. He underwent the same process of looking around the room but when his eyes landed on Dick, his whole body snapped to attention. "DICK!"

There was no response from their friends still form. Only the small rising and falling of his chest that assured them he was alive.

Wally gave Cobb a glare that could melt steel. "Whatever you did to him, we will get him back! Then we're going to burn your Court to the fucking ground!"

Cobb gave a throaty chuckle at Wally's words and finally looked up at them, his yellow eyes taking in their anger. "'Whatever I did'? I merely gave him back his birthright. The one that Wayne stole away from him." Cobb then turned all his attention to Babs. "You really must thank your mentor for me though. We can only train Talons to such a degree. But Wayne? He actually went through the courtesy of teaching this young man how to defeat metas. He is our perfect weapon."

"He's not a weapon!" None of them realized Conner had woken up until he shouted out. Babs turned and saw that a lot of the others were beginning to come to as well. "And he's not yours! He's our friend! And he's leaving here with us!"

Cobb smirked at the clone. "Oh dear boy. You won't be leaving here with him. In fact, you won't be leaving here at all."

They noticed Dick beginning to stir in Cobb's arms. His eyes began to flutter open. Just like when he was released from his coffin, Dick allowed his eyes to focus in for a moment on the Team. This time Barbara was sure that she saw fear, but it did not look like he was afraid of them outright.

As Dick became more aware of his surrounding, his eyes went to the man holding him. Terror ignited in his golden eyes once again, and this time it was clear. There was something about Cobb that terrified Dick. Made all the more plain by the fact that he tumbled out of Cobb's grip and fell to the floor, quickly positing himself in some type of kneeling position before the man.

"At ease." Cobb said. Dick got back up and stood straight with a posture like he had a board nailed to his back. Cobb looked back and forth between Dick and the Team and smiled like something just occurred to him. "Gray Son. These people seem to be under the impression that I have kidnapped you and forced you here against your will. I'll tell you what, after all your training you probably know the Labyrinth like the back of your hand. You know the quickest way to the exit. Leave if you wish. I won't stop you."

Dick kept his gaze straight ahead, not daring to look at Cobb nor his teammates. "I cannot do that Grandmaster."

"And why not?" Cobb asked.

"I belong to the Court of Owls."

"And without them?"

"I am nothing."

Dick answered every question without missing a beat. Those words were not his own. They had likely been drilled into him everyday since his arrival here. It was sickening.

"You failed us again Gray Son." Cobb's words pulled Barbara from her musings. "You were told to defeat these people, yet you only took down two before your own loss. But there is something else you can do for us."

Dick seemed to perk up at Cobb's words. "What would you have me do Grandmaster?"

Cobb got up and walked over to Dick before cupping his great-grandson's chin. "On the Court's order...kill them all."

Babs saw Cobb's grip tighten as he said his next words. "You have been given a second chance. You will not be given a third chance."

Once he released Dick's chin, the ebony nodded shakily. "Yes Grandmaster."

Cobb smiled as he turned and began to walk out of the room. "Wait for our orders, Gray Son."

Babs craned her head to see Cobb walking out the exit. "Where are you going?!"

Cobb's cackle rang through the room as he left. "I wish to see the look on the Justice League's faces when they watch you all die at the hands of your friend."

---

Bruce

Fighting the Talon's seemed like it would never end. Even using lethal force, it was fruitless unless enough damage was done to the head. And they just kept coming.

The League had been scattered. Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman had all went off into various areas the Talons had run off to in an attempt to prevent them from attacking civilians.

This left Bruce to face the Talons that poured out of the entrance alone. He threw batarang after batarang, but was like trying to climbing a wall of ice. There were currently five Talons circled around him, and they all healed faster than he could injure them. They were expert fighters, and more than likely had several centuries worth of experience.

It wasn't just a matter of healing and knowledge though. They all moved in a particular fashion. They all moved like Nightwing.

This was all of Dick's natural talent bent in a twisted way that his own tutelage never allowed for. This was not meant to simply incapacitate or capture a target. It was meant to kill them.

"Halt." A voice commanded. All at once the Talons stopped their assault. They stopped whatever they were doing and simply fell to their knees in a sort of bow. Out of the entrance to the Court came a strange looking Owl.

This one had a mask that was red, like it had been splattered with blood. And the bulk of their body was hidden underneath a black robe that with a hood. Batman knew who it was immediately.

"The Judge of Owls." He ground out.

The Judge seemed amused. "I see my reputation proceeds me. I must say I-"

"My entire life..." Batman interrupted, not caring what the Judge had to say. "...I've never killed anyone. I've been tempted of course, and I'd be lying if I said I've never met people that deserve to skip due process. People that truly deserve to suffer and die. Yet I've restrained myself. Every. Single. Time." His gaze never left the Judge, even as he pulled a pair of batarangs from his belt with sharpened off edges. "But what you did to my son...I may just be able to make an exception."

The Judge chuckled at his remark. "Look at all the Talons around you. You'd never get within ten feet."

Batman knew he was right. He also knew the threat was veiled. He couldn't do it. He wished to God that he could bring himself to end this man's life. But he knew that if he let himself go there, he would never come back. This man had already taken Dick from him. He didn't get to take his soul.

"Now as I was saying, I was hoping that the entire League would be present for this part." He said as he pulled out a holo-projector. "But I suppose you'll do." And with that, an image sprung to life.

It was Dick, with the other members of the Team right before him chained to the wall. Batman clenched his teeth hard enough to chip them. The mission had failed.

---

Barbara

"Begin." A voice said over the speakers in the room.

At once, Dick got up from his seat at the fountain and walked over to Barbara. She was ashamed to admit how scared she was at that moment. She had been trained by freaking Batman. She was supposed to be stronger than this. But when she starred into Dick's soulless yellow eyes, her hope eroded.

She accepted that she had been wrong. She must have been. No one could have taken what the Court put him through and come out the other side of it unscathed. And the ferocity and indifference with which he attacked them could not be faked. This was real. This was Dick.

When he was close to her, he stopped in his tracks. With one hand he clutched a handful of knives on his chest while with the other, he reached out and cupped her face. Barbara had no idea how she managed not to scream.

That's when Dick's expression changed. The cold mask they had seen thus far slipped to reveal one of sadness and regret.

"I'm so sorry..."

Before anyone could react, Dick turned and flung the three knives at the Talons behind him. Each knife was planted firmly between there eyes. Each one fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Dick turned back towards her and ripped her cuffs from the wall with his advanced strength.

Barbara, still shocked, let herself sink to the floor as Dick went to do the same for Wally, whose green eyes looked like they would bulge out of his head. "Help me get the others free. Those Talons are down for now but they'll recover...and believe me they won't be happy." He said as he ripped off Wally's collar and freed his friend.

Both redheads looked at him like they had just seen a miracle take place before their eyes. Babs had been right! Dick had played the Court like a cheap fiddle. He was okay!

He looked to both of his stunned friends and gave them a look of urgency. "Come on move it!"

Dick's words knocked some sense into them. Both got up and rushed to the others aid.

They were getting out of here.

---

Bruce

Bruce felt himself surge with pride as Dick worked to free his friends. Barbara had been right. He was still Dick. He was still his son.

"No! No! NO!" The Judge yelled as he watched the footage unfold before his eyes. He raised his communicator to his mask. "Gray Son! Recapture the prisoners! That is an ORDER!"

Dick's response was to throw a knife at the camera, cutting the feed.

"He's not your Gray Son!" Batman yelled, suddenly in front of the Judge. The Talon's didn't move. They seemed just as shocked by their supposed leader's betrayal as the Judge did. Even if they had sprung to action, it wouldn't have mattered. Bruce was too fast. They remained completely still, even as Batman punched their leader hard enough to shatter his mask.

"He's my son! He's Nightwing!"

---

Please tell me what you think and I'll give you the next chapter soon.

(1) This is before Barbara becomes Oracle.

(2) Wally West is alive in my heart and hopefully alive in canon so why not have him alive in my story?

(3) I prefer the story of Dick graduating to Nightwing because he wanted to become his own hero rather than him getting fired as Robin.

(4) I changed the rhyme somewhat so that it has enough syllables to actually sound like a nursery rhyme.

(5) Refers to the Season 1 episode "Usual Suspects", where Conner comes clean about his Lex Luthor being his genetic father, Artemis about her family, and M'gann about being a white martian.

(6) Finally, we have at least one hero who GOES FOR THE HEAD!

To Be Continued...