AN: Number the third.

DISCLAIMER: Warner Brothers and Netflix owns all of this.

|WASHINGTON, D.C.
|February 20, 05:33 EST

I woke up in the last place that I would have ever expected. I was handcuffed in what was clearly an interrogation room. I sat on one side of the table opposite an empty chair in an all white room with my hands in cuffs behind my chair. Along the wall to my right was what was clearly a two-way mirror, and in the corner behind my left shoulder was a camera mounted to the ceiling. On the wall opposite me, just next to the mirror, was a simple, unremarkable door. My hood was down and my mask was gone, along with all of my weapons. Wait, scratch that, whoever had captured me had missed the three inch switchblade I kept in my left boot. The wound in my left leg was bound and treated. Skillfully I might add.

My head hurt. I must've hit it when I collapsed. When I could fully gather my thoughts, I tried to think up a way out of the room. I didn't have to think long though, because before long the door opened.

One man walked in (I made a note that the door opened inward) and it was not who I was expecting. I instantly recognized him. I sat back in my chair, surprised and exasperated with my bad luck. He was somewhat tall and muscled with shaggy dark hair. A mask covered his eyes and he wore a combat suit with a blue bird insignia emblazoned on his chest. I noticed he carried no weapons. Either he was confident of himself or doubtful of me.

"Nightwing," I identified him.

"Parakeet, I believe it is." He sat down in the chair at the table opposite me. "Could I get you anything to drink?"

I looked him up and down. "Can we cut the formalities?"

He sighed. "I'm sure you have many questions."

"I can think up a few." He didn't use my real name. Did they not have a file on me? "I imagine you have a few yourself."

He cracked a smile that seemed forced. "Yeah. A few."

"So..." I let the word hang in the air. "Who goes first? Do we Ro-Sham-Bo? Cause I'm a little tied up."

"How about you just tell me your real name for starters?" He asked.

"Clint Eastwood," I replied. He just stared at me. "A gentleman would offer his first."

He sighed, "This will go a lot faster if you cooperate with us."

I leaned forward. "And who is 'us,' precisely?" I asked with a sneer. "The Justice League? Last I heard you weren't a member. Batman? This room is a little too well lit for his style."

Nightwing groaned and leaned back in his chair. "I don't have to be your enemy."

"That's why you restrained me," I pointed out.

"That's why we bandaged you up," he countered.

"What am I doing here?" I asked, annoyed. "Last I remember I was in Bialya."

"I'll tell you everything, but we need to have a quid pro quo here." He put his elbows on the table and tapped his fingers together.

I tried to size him up. If I could keep him talking then I might just get out of here. Plus, it wasn't like I had any real reason to lie to them anymore. Not after Slade and Rose both betrayed me. Thinking of that made it hard for me to keep my stoic face for a second, but somehow I managed. I would get out of here, and I would get them for what they did to me. First, I had to find Bucky, and if they had me... Well, it wasn't that much of a long shot. Though, I had this unshakable sinking feeling. As if I was being watched, and by more than just him or the camera. It felt to me almost as if there was someone else in the room with us. I couldn't explain it, but my body was certain that there was someone else in this room, despite what my eyes were telling me.

"Fine," I huffed.

He smiled, "Good. I'll start with something small, what were you doing in Bialya?"

"I don't know," I admitted.

"I thought we had an agreement," he sighed.

"We did. And I honored it. I wasn't permitted to know the reason we were there. I was told nothing," I told him. I couldn't tell if he believed me.

He seemed to stare at something behind me for a second. "Alright."

"My turn," I insisted. "How did you, and whoever you're working with, get a hold of me?"

Once more he seemed to focus on the walls for a second. This time I caught sight of his earpiece. "My compatriots found you in a stasis pod in an underground cavern in Bialyan territory."

"Was I alone?" I asked.

Another second passed as he was told whether not he could tell me by whoever was behind the glass. "No. There were several others there."

"Who were they?" I prodded.

"Quid pro quo, remember?" he said.

"Fine. Your turn," I sighed.

"Who do you work for?" he asked.

"Did would most likely be a more accurate statement," I corrected.

"Alright, who did you work for?" he corrected himself.

"I guess they were called... 'The Light.'" If that meant something to him, he was pretty good at hiding it. I hazarded a glance at the two-way mirror. I knew there had to be someone there, but somehow, I knew exactly where to look. As if I knew precisely where one of the people back there was standing. "Although that is literally all I know about them. I couldn't tell you how many members they have or who any of them are."

Once more he took a moment to listen to the response from his ear piece. "OK," he sounded satisfied.

"My turn," I reminded him. "When 'your team' found me, and I was with 'several others,' was there a small girl of about nine, with blonde hair and blue eyes?"

This one did seem to surprise him a bit. Once more, he waited for a second to see if he was allowed to tell me. "I believe there was a girl fitting that description."

"Is she here?" I asked.

He took a second to respond, which told me all I needed to know.

He reacted a second too late. Now with one hand freed from the handcuffs, I lifted the chair over my head and chucked it at him as hard as I could using my right hand. He stood up just in time to get hit dead in the chest and knocked backward. Simultaneously I took a step onto the table, I pulled my knife from my boot and threw it at the door with my left. It embedded it'self in between the door and it's frame just above the handle. Before he could recover, I charged the door, ripping it open. The automatic lock instantly jutted out, throwing my knife away. I had lost a precious second with the damn door opening inward, the door next to the one I came out of blew in as two people stepped out to block my way. The first was a tall man with black hair wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt with the red S shield of Superman on the chest. The second was a girl wearing an all black combat suit with a cape which showed off her red hair and lower jaw. She had the symbol of Batman on her chest. Great... Not wanting to deal with them, I charged the Super-jock, making it seem as if I was going to attack him. He readied himself for the attack, but at the last second, I dove and slid through his legs. When he turned to face me, I threw my elbow into his jaw, knocking him to the ground. The Bat-lady took out a tazer to subdue me. I simply ducked at the last second and kicked her in her solar plexus. She went flying into the wall and crumpled to the ground gasping for air.

I left my knife where it landed and bolted down the hall, for all I knew in the wrong direction. However, in my experience, whenever someone specifically blocks you from going somewhere, go there. I made it all the way to a dead end before I heard my pursers approaching fast. Swearing to myself, I desperately began to search for any place to hide. I spotted a vent near the ceiling on the wall to my left. Quickly I jumped up, ripped it off and hid inside, replacing the vent behind me just as I heard them all get to the hallway.

"You see him?" Nightwing asked.

"No, he must've taken a different hall," a male voice, Super-jock most likely, replied.

"Someone should go and check on that girl," what I assume was Bat-lady said. Bucky...

"You go, Superboy and I will sweep the area. Put the whole Hall on alert," Nightwing instructed.

"Right," they both responded at the same time.

As I heard them leave, I slipped out of the vent and peered around the corner. They all ran in three different directions. Bat-lady went left, that's what mattered. Using all fourteen years of my stealth training, I followed her through the building to a simple unmarked door. If they had her tied up in there, I was going to make them pay!

As she reached out to open the door, I charged her. Just too late to stop me, she turned to see my shoulder. She was just fast enough to move out of the way as I smashed through the door, desperate to save my sister. After getting over the shock of hitting a metal door full force with my shoulder, I was hit with a second shock, I was in a library. An empty library. I turned and glared at Bat-lady.

"Where is she?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"You know," I heard a voice behind me, "if you were trying to win our trust, this was probably the worst way."

I turned to see Nightwing and "Superboy" as Nightwing called him, along with a new woman. She seemed to be a little older than me, with short red hair. She wore a navy blue, tight fitting suit with a cape that had a red "X" across her chest. Course, the main thing that stood out about her was her green skin.

"Huh... it was a trap," I surmised.

"Yeah," Nightwing confirmed. "Come with us, kid. We're not trying to hurt you."

"So long as you don't try to hurt us," Superboy rubbed his jaw in irritation.

I stet my feet and stood up as tall as I could. "Where is she?" I demanded.

"Safe," the green woman promised.

"I want to see her," I insisted.

"First, we need to finish our conversation," Nightwing offered with a smile.

"I'm not saying anything until I see her," I told them firmly. I set my legs firmly into the ground.

They all readied themselves for a fight.

Bat-lady walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, we can talk about this."

"I'm done talking," I sneered.

I threw her off of me and ran towards the other three. I jumped into the air to get a good downward kick on Nightwing, but before I could, the green woman raised her hand. Her eyes glowed green and I was stopped in midair, floating helpless.

"What the-?" I asked.

Just then, Bucky came running into the room.

"Bucky!" I shouted.

"Where'd she come from?" Superboy asked.

"Batgirl!" Nightwing shouted.

"Bucky run!" I shouted.

"Batgirl" began to rush to Bucky, but before she could get to her, Bucky opened her mouth. I had just enough time to cover my ears.

"CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Bucky let out a loud, very high pitched screeching noise that paralyzed everyone in the room.

The green woman was so thrown for a loop that she dropped me. Because I was the only one who had been able to prepare myself for her attack, I rushed over to her, only partially deafened.

"Bucky, come on! Let's go!" I insisted, grabbing her arm. I turned to run, assuming she would run with me.

To my surprise, she stood where she was. She jerked her arm out of my grip. "No!"

"What?" I asked. "Bucky we have to get out of here now!" I looked up to see everyone recovering from the surprise attack.

"You don't understand," she looked up at me with eyes that were stronger than steel, and just as sharp, "they're trying to help us."

"They kidnapped us!" I said, before adding, "We're not having this conversation now. We need to go!"

"Tommy!" she insisted.

"Bucky!" I retorted. "We are leaving!"

I grabbed her hand and began dragging her to the door. Unfortunately, I was too late. Two figures appeared in the doorway, blocking my exit.

I recognized the green hooded archer as Green Arrow. The other was a slender woman with long golden hair. She wore a black leotard, a denim jacket that was cut short to show her midriff and had the sleeves rolled up with gray leggings and combat boots. The way they both entered the room, they were prepared for a fight. Probably heard Bucky's cry. I instantly threw up my hood and turned away.

"Black Canary, Green Arrow," Nightwing greeted.

"What's going on here?" Green Arrow asked as he cautiously lowered his bow. "Who're they?"

"That's kind of a long story," Nightwing sighed.

"We heard-" Green Arrow seemed to struggle to put it into words.

"We heard my canary cry," Black Canary said. She didn't sound angry, but her tone made it clear that she'd better get answers.

"It was the girl," Superboy told them. "She did your cry, somehow..."

"Who is she?" Green Arrow asked.

"Bucky, let's go. Now!" I insisted, trying to shield her from the other's gazes.

She forced her way past me and into the center of the room. "My name is Elizabeth Laurel Crane. I am the daughter of Arthur Crane," she announced, "and I am your genetic offspring, Dinah Laurel Lance."

Everyone in the room, myself included, was completely shocked. It seemed, no one more so than Black Canary. Everyone stood there in stunned silence. No one moved. Hell, I don't think Black Canary was breathing.

"Bucky!" I hissed through my teeth, trying to hide myself under my hood more than was possible.

"Dinah?" Green Arrow asked. "You have a daughter?"

"I-I," she stammered. She set her feet and stood up straight. "I don't have a daughter."

"I'm your clone," Bucky stated. I didn't think anyone in the room could get anymore surprised, but they all took a moment of silence to let the new fact set in.

"Who is Arthur Crane?" Nightwing asked after a pause. He seemed to be the only calm one here.

Black Canary paled a little at his name. "An old boyfriend."

"What?!" Green Arrow demanded.

"From high school!" Black Canary quickly added. "When I was just fifteen! But we never had a daughter. Arthur and I-"

"You had a son," Bucky finished.

"H-How-?" Black Canary stammered.

"Bucky! Shut up, now!" I snarled.

Instantly I regretted speaking at all. All of a sudden, all eyes were on me. My stomach dropped. I found the air growing rather thin. The room felt like it was spinning. I hated where this was going. All I could think was that I wished that my hood was deeper so that it could hide my full face. Hesitantly, Black Canary took a step towards me. I took a step back. She took another step forward, and I took another back. Then she took two steps forward. I took three back. She began walking towards me. I started backpedaling as much as I could. Why was there only one way out of this room?! And why was Green Arrow still standing there? I kept backing up until I bumped into a table, nearly falling over onto it. I looked down and suppressed a swear. When I looked up, she was only about six inches away from me.

With a heavy hand, she reached up to remove my hood with her left hand. I caught my breath. My heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, my left hand darted up and stopped hers, grabbing her wrist. She didn't even hesitate to reach up with her other hand and pull back my hood. Her breath caught.

"H-He looks just like her," Batgirl muttered.

I released her hand and she proceeded to run her fingers over every part of my face. When she was this close, I could see that she was about four inches taller than me. Her eyes were the same color as mine, a deep, silvery-blue. My hair was a little darker at the roots, but it was still nearly identical. From her cheekbones to her brow, I really did resemble her. It took me until seeing her that I realized that I had my father's nose, slightly upturned at the tip. Though, I think I had her lips. My fathers were small and very business-like. Hers were larger, more... sensual. She was very pretty. I could see what my father saw in her.

"Thomas?" She muttered.

I had never really thought of what I would say when I met the woman that abandoned me at birth. In the end, I just flatly said, "Dinah."

"Is it really you?" She asked me.

I tried to slip out from between her and the table, but she followed me. I swatted her hands away from my hair. "Yes."

She looked over my outfit very confused, "What is this?"

"My combat uniform," I said plainly. Normally I would have a more sarcastic answer, but I was just at a loss in this situation.

Black Canary looked over at Nightwing, "Nightwing... how?" was all she could ask.

Nightwing tried to force a smile. "I think we all need to have a long conversation."

Black Canary raised her eyebrows at his lightness. "I'd say so."

"First, let's all get away from anywhere with a viewing deck before the Hall opens," he said, gesturing to a platform just above a glass section of the ceiling.

"Yeah," Green Arrow agreed.

Everyone began to lead Bucky and me through the halls, there was no way I was getting out of here now. I tried to glare at Bucky but she was talking with the green woman about something. Black Canary was whispering with Green Arrow about something. They both kept their distance from me, which suited me just fine. Every few words one of them would look over at me before quickly looking away. The conversation did not seem to be pleasant.

"I meant to congratulate you," Nightwing said from behind me. I turned to him and raised my eyebrow. "You picked the handcuffs a lot faster than I thought you would."

"Picked?" I asked, as I popped the knuckles of my right hand back into place.

"Oh..." he muttered. "Well, here." He unlocked the handcuff off of my remaining wrist.

"Thanks," I said.

We all walked into another room, one with no observation platform for the sheep. This one was furnished like a typical living room. There were several couches surrounding a coffee table all facing a big screen television mounted on the wall. Along the other wall was a series of cabinets with a mini-fridge. The green woman walked over and took a grape soda out of the fridge and handed it to Bucky, who happily opened it and sat down on the center couch. The green woman turned to me.

"Can I get you anything, Thomas?" She put emphasis on the last word as if in all the commotion she had just barely heard my name. Though, maybe it just seemed like Black Canary was screaming to me.

"No. Thanks," I said awkwardly.

I leaned against the armrest of the farthest couch from Black Canary, who seemed to have the same idea as me. Avoid each other. Green Arrow sat next to her and then Superboy sat next to him. The green woman (I was going to need to ask her name if I was going to be around her any longer, which I hopped not) sat by Bucky in the center. Batgirl and Nightwing both remained standing until they saw that I was at a couch all alone. Batgirl walked over and sat at the opposite end as me, attempting to bridge the gap I guess. I didn't feel any less of a pariah.

"Miss Martian, would you mind?" Nightwing asked.

The green woman, Miss Martian, looked at me and smiled, "To help everyone understand everything properly, I need to link us all mentally. Basically, we'll all see and hear everything without needing to speak."

"Is that really necessary?" I asked.

She frowned. "Unfortunately it is. This is the only way we can be sure that everyone is being truthful."

I sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice then."

"I'm sorry." She did sound legitimately apologetic.

There was a strange sensation in my mind, indescribable and unlike any other, overcame me for a moment. Then I heard Nightwing talking in my head.

"I think it would be best if we have Dinah start," he said.

"OK..." she sounded reluctant. Not that I wasn't. "When I was just fourteen, I was what you would call the weird girl in school. Then, I met a boy named Arthur Crane." An image of my father as a young man appeared in my head. I was a little taken aback at how dashing he appeared. His eyes were filled with wonder and care, much unlike I knew him. "This was when I was still coming to terms with my powers, and he could relate. He was the only one who ever actually looked at me like I was a person. Looking back, I guess it's just one of those age old stories. I never learned much about him, but he told me he was different too. We were young and..." I noticed Black Canary glance from me to Bucky. "Things happened, as they so often do to two children so... desperate for each others attention. By the time Thomas was born, I was only fifteen." She paused for a moment, the memory clearly a bit much for her. Green Arrow put an arm around her and told her something that I didn't hear. Probably something reassuring.

"I was only fifteen, and I wasn't ready to be a parent. Neither was Arthur, but he said his father insisted that he keep him. So when Arthur said he was moving away and taking Thomas with him, I didn't stop him." I glared at the floor. Black Canary caught it. "I was too scared of being a mother. I never-"

"You never thought you'd see me again," I finished the thought aloud.

"I regretted letting him take you," she insisted. I just huffed. She stared at her boots. "Where is Arthur?"

My eyes darted over to Bucky. I couldn't just say it. It would crush her!

"He's dead," Bucky croaked.

"What?" Black Canary gasped.

"You know?!" I demanded.

Slowly she nodded. "I was in his lab when Mr. Slade attacked him." She burst into tears and Miss Martian put her arm around her to comfort her. I was a little apprehensive about it, but she seemed like an OK person. Plus, I was still pissed at her for announcing me.

"Slade? Deathstroke?" Nightwing asked.

"Yeah, that's him," I confirmed. "He killed my father."

"Why?" Superboy asked me.

I looked over at Bucky. Nightwing seemed to catch my meaning.

"Batgirl, maybe you could take little Elizabeth here to go and get something to eat," Nightwing suggested.

Batgirl walked over and escorted her out, Bucky failing to suppress her tears. I hated letting them take her away from me, but I was fairly certain that they wouldn't hurt her. If they did, no one would be able to stop my wrath.

"Why was your father..." Nightwing seemed to struggle for the words.

"Killed?" I offered. "Murdered? Done in? Slaughtered? Use whatever word you like it changes nothing."

Everyone looked at me as if I had two heads. "You're awfully lax about this," Green Arrow noted.

I shrugged, "There's no point in lying anymore. He may have been my father but he was never a father figure to me. I was just another project of his."

"Project?" Superboy asked.

"Yeah, both Bucky and I. See, the part Dinah," she seemed to try and subconsciously hide herself behind Green Arrow when I said her name, "doesn't know about is that my father was a scientist. He experimented on himself. That's how he was 'different.' And apparently his 'differences' were passed down. He used me like a lab rat. Bucky too. Like she said, she's your clone." I looked at Dinah, who seemed to recover some of her composure, rather quickly I might add. "Father didn't create her, but he was given custody of her because she's 'defective.'" I shook my head, "Horrible way of putting it. The only thing wrong with her is that she was born a baby, and actually ages. Anyway, my father was a scientists for these people called the 'Light.'"

That one surprised Black Canary. "Arthur was-"

"Yeah," I sighed.

"So, did they have him killed?" Miss Martian asked.

"I think so." I was still unsure about that.

"So, why?" Superboy asked.

I shook my head, "That's what I don't get." I told them about the argument I overheard.

"Sounds like the Light was trying to send you and your sister to their mysterious 'benefactors' and he refused," Nightwing surmised. "What's not to get?"

"What I don't get, is my father refusing," I told them. "As I said, my father treated me and my sister like experiments and nothing more. I can't see him caring that much about us."

"Was he really that awful?" Green Arrow asked.

I thought for a second. "Not awful. He was just... cold."

The room went quiet for a moment. Everyone had a lot to think about.

"There's just one last thing, Thomas," Nightwing said.

"Enough of this 'Thomas' crap," I growled. "Tommy."

"OK, Tommy, we need to do one last thing," he repeated.

"You're going to have the Martian read my mind," I guessed, "make sure I'm telling the truth."

Everyone seemed impressed. "Sorry, but it's the only way we can know for sure." Miss Martian said. She seemed sympathetic, if nothing else.

"Just get it over with," I sighed.

She walked over to me. "You might want to sit down." I slumped over into the couch fully. "Just try to relax."

She stood right in front of me. She held out her hands so that they were fully outstretched on either side of my head. Her eyes glowed green, and everything went black.

Next thing I know, I was floating in empty space. Everything around me was white, though random visions of my memories flashed around me. Then, the whiteness dissipated, replaced by some form of coalition of everywhere I'd ever been. It was a mess. I saw the Bialyan Desert underneath me. London stretched out to my left. Times square was above me, somehow. The Himalayan base where I learned archery was right in front of me. A few feet in front of me, Miss Martian appeared.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Inside your mind," she said, "In here you can't lie. Go ahead try."

I thought for a second. "When I first saw you I thought you were cute despite the green skin and I couldn't help but stare at your-" I threw a hand over my mouth.

She was very surprised by that. She even seemed to blush a little. "You know, covering your mouth does nothing."

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"It's OK," she smirked, "that means that you're genuinely sorry as well."

"So, uh, how exactly does this work?" I asked.

"Just relax, this will only take a second," she assured me.

The next thing I knew, I was back in the room with the others. I was a little light-headed, but mostly no worse for wear.

Miss Martian turned to face the others and announced, "Tommy was telling the truth. He's not on a secret mission for the Light, and he has told us all he knows."

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"As I said," I grumbled, "there's no point in lying."

"We'll need to run a few blood tests to see if you really are Black Canary's son, but for now," Nightwing smiled, "at least we know we can trust you."

"Though, it might be best if you don't go around telling people you worked for the Light," Miss Martian told me, "we've recently had some trouble with someone we thought was our friend."

She sounded very bitter. I don't know what happened, but I made a mental note to steer clear of that topic.

"Greeeaaat..." I sighed. "But what does that mean for me?"

"We have a secret facility where you could-" Nightwing was cut off mid sentence.

"You'll come live with me," Black Canary insisted.

"Oh, so you actually want me now?" I blurted out unintentionally. I regretted it a bit as soon as I said it. Black Canary was visibly hurt by my comment.

"Tommy, I always-" she began.

"Save it," I huffed. I didn't want to hear her try to convince me she cared. "This 'secret facility,' is it isolated? No one around?" I asked.

"Uh, there are a few others living there, but you won't be getting any entrepreneurs," Nightwing told me. "But, if Dinah really is your mother, we wouldn't be able to take you away from her."

I glared at him. "Why not?"

"Because you're fourteen and the law doesn't allow it," Dinah insisted.

"What law? I haven't lived in the same country for two years in a row, ever!" I snapped.

"Well, now you're in America," Dinah said, "and I am not letting you out of my sight again." Her gaze softened, "Tommy, I just got you back, I'm not just going-"

"To dump me on someone else?" I asked. "Again."

"Why do you have to say things like that?" She asked. "Can't you give me a chance?"

"The world gave you a chance," I said, "you gave it and me up. Now, all I want is to protect my sister, and make Slade pay." She looked like she wanted to say something to me, but couldn't put it into words. I just glared. "You chose not to be a mom, why should you start now? I've never needed a mother."

She was clearly hurt deeply by my words. Maybe I should've felt bad about it, but I was just pissed at her. She thinks she can abandon me until it's convenient for her?!

"Hey, kid, how dare you-" Green Arrow was stopped by Black Canary putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Be that as it may," she said, "I'm still your only living parent, and therefore guardian. You and 'your sister' will come live with me." She said the words 'your sister' as if she were scared of them.

"Huh..." I growled, "I don't have a say in the matter, do I?"

"No," she told me.

I felt like I was still in chains. Actually, chains would've been preferable.

AN: I really have nothing to say here, so... As always thank you for reading.