Full Circle
Chapter 8

Lagecy. So this is what it's all about.

A circle of people, intertwined by the tragedy which befelled them, united by one man's obsession, divided by his fear.

Obsession.

Shea O'Briley thought she understood that more than any others. Or, at least, more than any others she'd met. Moreso even than Alvia and John.

John Grayson.

She searched through the CRAY's file for "Grayson," and a full profile of a dark-haired young man appeared on the screen. "Not bad," she smirked, admiring his figure, before her eyes were drawn to the emblazoned insignia of a large blue bird in flight. "Nightwing. Hm..."

If John were this...Her eyes flicked to the screen...Dick Grayson's descendent, would he know anything about his history?

Absently, Shea left her seat and drew the Batarang she'd taken from the belt only hours before, flicking it open and snapping it into place, pausing to pick a target.

"Crime."

Would John want to know more about Dick? Would John know about Dick already?

Shea took aim at the face of a puppet, and threw the Batarang. It flew erratically and veered wildly off course., vanishing into the darkness of the shadows of the cave.

Damn.

"Dick Grayson? I know who he is. He's my...nine...ten times great-granddad. Can never keep the numbers straight," John grumbled.

He, Alvia and Shea sat in his room, after Shea had called him and arranged to meet.

"Yeah, okay. But...anything else?"

"What 'anything else'?"

Alvia rolled her eyes at Shea's exasperated sigh.

"What do you really know about Dick?"

"Circus kid, parents kille, adopted by Bruce Wayne, and then left for Bludhaven years later to join the PD. Married Barbara Gordon, divorced, then remarried Kyla Burton. That's kind of all."

Alvia watched Shea carefully, noting her hesitation and reluctance to speak. "Is there anything we should know?"

There was a long pause, as Shea took her time clasping and unclasping her hands, almost deliberately drawing the silence out. "Ever heard of the Batman?"

"The Batman's just a fuckin' legend those bloody cops came up with ta scare bloody wusses like ya!"

"I dunno, man. Word on the streets that he took out Thorne. And it ain't just him, yanno? Others like him, four, five of them. Everywhere at once man."

"Put Ricky in the slams, y'know."

"Thorne's a bloody idiot. So is Ricky. Will ya just shut up and knock this joint off?"

"Okay, okay!"

CLLAAAAANGGG.

"What's that, man?"

"I don't like this."

"Shaddup and do it quieter, ya hear?"

"But I didn't make that noise!"

CLLLAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG.

"I didn't make that goddamned noise!"

"Now, look here. A bunch of wannabe circus kids prying into a joint. What's the odds of that at this time of the night?"

"It's the godamned Batman, ya hear? Run!"

"I'm not Batman. But I'm close enough."