AN: New chapter! For future reference, I always try to make my chapters long enough so that they can be read using the "Reader" button by the search bar. (Yes, I do use an Apple)
And just saying, anyone notice how in "Drop Zone", Batman and Red Tornado looked at each other, then gave an answer? Maybe Batman is a robot so he can communicate silently with Red Tornado!
Anywho, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own YJ! DC Comics does!
Batman and Red Tornado stood stoically in the briefing room. They watched impassively as the Team filed in. Whisper hung back slightly; he wasn't a part of this, he was just the cause of this.
Batman's gaze swept across the room before settling on Aqualad. "Explain."
The Atlantean stepped forward and looked at the ground. "Apologies, Batman, but we found this boy unconscious during our mission. He says his name is Whisper and he lives alone in Gotham."
"And why did you deem it necessary to bring him here?"
Aqualad lifted his head slightly and replied, "He is sick and his captors mentioned the League paying money for him. We did not believe he was a criminal, but we couldn't be sure. We brought him here to be positive that he is not a juvenile delinquent and to provide him with medication."
Batman nodded slightly before saying, "I see. Team, you are dismissed. I expect a written report of the mission from each of you."
The Team gave sounds of acknowledgement before exiting in the direction of the living room. Whisper made to follow, but upon a look from Batman, he stayed put.
After the teen heroes were out of sight, Batman began his questioning.
"Who are you?"
A mischievous smile spread across the youth's face as he said, "Aqualad already told you that. It's Whisper."
"Your real name."
"Would you believe me if I said I was Bruce Wayne?"
Batman's eyes turned to white slits on his cowl. He did not like this boy. "What do you mean by that?"
Whisper's grin grew larger and he said, "I mean, I know plenty about you and you know nothing about me, B." His face turned serious before he continued. "But I assure you I won't attack you or the Team. I'm not a threat to you."
"Are you saying you're a threat to other people?"
"Depends on who the person is."
They fell silent, surveying each other's faces. They both wore emotionless masks, but each could see through the cracks of the other. Finally, Batman broke the silence. "You'll be permitted to stay here for one night. If we find any new information on you, we'll go from there."
Whisper nodded and turned to leave. At the doorway, he paused, and turning to look back at Batman, he smirked, and said, "Good luck on finding any info on me. Even the world's best have to fail sometimes.
Whisper walked along the hallways of the Cave. It really was a huge place. He had already passed the doors to a pool, several bedrooms, and even a music room (He had stored the location of that away for later). After wandering around for about 15 minutes, he turned left and found himself in a large room with green furniture and a flat screen TV. Everyone on the Team except for Miss Martian was sitting around on couches. Artemis and Kid Flash were arguing, Aqualad was reading, and Superboy was watching static on the TV.
No one noticed his presence before Miss Martian flew into the room levitating a tray of cookies. Seeing him lurking in the doorway, she shrieked, "Whisper!"
The room fell silent and everyone turned to look at him. Aqualad closed his book and asked, "What did Batman say to you?"
Whisper shrugged, remembering his conversation with the Caped Crusader. "Nothing much. He said I could stay here for the night and *cough* and we would go *cough* from there." As Whisper rubbed his sore throat, Miss Martian slapped her forehead once again.
"Hello Megan! You need medicine for your cough!" Handing her cookie tray to Kid Flash, she sped out of the doorway on the far wall. Kid Flash wasted no time in downing the entire tray, earning him a smack to the head from Artemis.
"Save some for the rest of us Kid Stomach! We need to eat, too!"
Kid Flash swallowed the last cookie before raising his hands in defense. "It's not my fault I have a serious metabolism!"
A light cackle sounded throughout the room. Goosebumps raced up everyone's arms as they turned to face the source of the laughter.
"Dude! That laugh is seriously creepy!"
Whisper chuckled once again before it turned into a cough. He cleared his throat right as Miss Martian flew back in holding a brown bottle and a small, plastic cup.
Smiling, she glided to the kitchen and set the cup down on the counter. "It looks like I came just in time, then. What's your weight?"
Whisper shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere around a hundred pounds?"
Miss Martian squinted at the bottle, then carefully poured the needed amount into the measuring cup. Once she finished, she picked the cup up and floated to Whisper.
"Here you go!"
Whisper slowly took the cup from her. He sniffed it, shrugged, then downed the entire thing. He cleared his throat once again and said, "Thanks. So, now that that's done with, where am I going to sleep?"
Whisper surveyed his room carefully. It was small with a bed, dresser, desk, and doors leading to a closet and bathroom. The bed was adorned with sheets and a blanket, while the dresser only had a digital clock and a mirror attached to it. The desk had a red spiral-bound notebook, loose-leaf paper, and several pens and pencils.
The young teen stifled a yawn before looking at the red, digitized, numbers. 10: 06 pm.
It wasn't that late, but then again, it had been a tiring day. He had been kidnapped, handcuffed, and now he was sleeping in a hollowed out mountain with two aliens, a former villain, an ADHD speedster, and a guy with gills. He deserved some rest.
Slipping off his shoes and sweatshirt, Whisper then eased himself into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He turned onto his side before drifting off to sleep.
The Team and Batman were standing in front of him, all with smiles on their faces, (with the exception of Batman). He was officially part of the Team, officially a hero. He had a new family.
Suddenly, he wasn't in his body anymore. Whisper looked on as a bystander. He- no, his body- laughed. Not his usual laugh, but an evil sounding laugh. He pulled a long sword from seemingly nowhere and attacked. Metal ripped through flesh. Soon, the only hero left standing was him and Batman. No, just Batman. He- no, his body- wasn't a hero after this. The Dark Knight looked at the bloody sword, at his face, then a single tear strolled down his cheek. Whisper stared, terrified. He- no, his body- had broken Batman, the Caped Crusader, the Protector of Gotham. The boy watched as the black-clad man fell too. He-no, his body- stood in the pool of blood. Bodies were strewn around him- no, his body.
A shadow moved, and Whisper was back in his own self. His old mentor strolled into the light. Smiling cruelly, Whisper bowed and said, "They have fallen, Father. They are dead."
He had killed them. Not his body. Him. It was all him. He was a murderer. A killer. An assassin. A slaughterer. A butcher. He wasn't Dick Grayson. He was a monster.
He was Whisper.
Whisper awoke with a start. He pushed himself into a sitting position and quickly took in his surroundings. Just as he was about to panic about being in an unknown location, yesterday's events came rushing to him, along with the dream.
That was the first dream like that. Many of them involved him starting to become what he desperately didn't want to be. A murderer. But, in this one, he killed everyone around him. And he enjoyed it.
Unable to take it any longer, Whisper shoved himself out of bed and pulled on his sweatshirt and shoes. He grabbed the notebook and a pen from his desk before striding out the door. He knew it was too early for anyone to be up. His clock said it was 2:23 am. But that was good, he needed time alone.
Hearing the notes starting to come together in his head, Whisper quickened his pace. He knew exactly where he was going. The one place he could be himself. The place he saw after his talk with Batman. The music room.
AN: And there it is! I just love having Batman be all confused! And that was Whisper's first laugh so far! Mwahahahaha, evil ideas are at work! ;)
If the dream seemed rushed, it was supposed to be. Dreams for me always have warped senses of time, so this is supposed to show that. And like I said in the Prologue, singing is Dick's way of expressing himself and a way for the Team to understand him better.
Read on, Fanficteans! And thanks so much for your compliments to the name "Hero Volcano"!