AN: I'm awful, aren't I? Sorry for taking so long. My mom's teaches, so the end of the year is always SUPER hectic for us. Plus, my sister was all like 'you're a good writer but I don't like superheroes. Write a story for Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons!' Because I'm a good sister, I'm now spending some of my time on that. And 33 reviews? We broke the previous record of 31 reviews per chapter! (Part of that is probably from lack of updates, but details, details.)
First off, stuff is about to go down! This is over 6,000 words, so just wait and see what I mean...I have a feeling we're gonna break the previously mentioned record again.
Secondly, for those of you Spitfire shippers who are reading this, I added something special! Mwahahahaha!
Thirdly, thanks to my fantastic beta, TooCreative4Life! Let's give her a round of applause for fixing all my late-night-writing mistakes and dealing with me messing around with my writing style!
And I now have a Tumblr, same username and everything, where I am a geek 24/7! Check me out if you want a full does of nerdiness daily.
Disclaimer: I don't own YJ. Otherwise, I would rename Warner Bros. Warner Sisters.
Day 1
Not twenty minutes after Superman's panicked request, all Leaguers, both present and future members, were gathered in the Cave's living room, having each been briefed to some extent. The Kryptonian himself soon stepped forward and held up the letter before beginning to read.
Dear Team, League, and Bats,
Bruce started a bit at hearing his name separate from the rest.
It's probably obvious to you now that the League of Talons aren't just widespread rumors circulating in the criminal underworld. They're real and, more often than not, deadly. I'm familiar, I guess you could say, with them. No, I don't work for them and I was never the mole. That much I can promise you. But, that doesn't mean I've never interacted with them.
I once told Wally that my glove has a petabyte of storage on it. For those of you who aren't exactly 'tech savvy', that's more than enough to hold everything I know about every single villain out there, the Talons, and, most importantly, Richard Grayson (But he prefers Dick).
A few of the less mature heroes gathered snorted a bit at that, despite the tense atmosphere.
However, there's a catch. In order to get access to the information, you need the password. That way, being the impulsive heroes you are, you won't barge into the Talon's base unprepared and blow everything up. You'll actually plan while you try to figure out how to unlock the files. I've left hints for it in the reachable data, plus Bats and Wally can add in what they know about me. All in all, work together, be smart, and you might actually determine how to beat the Talons.
You guys won't be seeing me for a while. Dick and I'll stall as best as we can, but the odds are against us. In other words, get your detective juices flowing or else it'll be too late by the time you get there. And all assembled heroes, don't you dare let Bats get all broody; it gives him too many wrinkles.
Sincerely,
Whisper (Dick too, even though he isn't here)
P.S. Tell Agent A I expect a plate of cookies waiting for me when I get back.
P.P.S. Dick doesn't blame you, B. He never did.
By the time Superman finished reading the letter, M'gann was crying and the rest were speechless. The Leaguers that had never fully trusted Whisper were still suspicious, not believing his former statement of not being the mole. However, the rest of them were wide-eyed, touched by how much danger he had placed himself in.
The first to get over his surprise was Batman, which was expected. Lifting the hand that had been gripping the holo-computer tightly, he pushed the button which would power it up.
He knew something wasn't adding up, but he didn't have time to think about that. Somehow, Whisper knew that Dick was alive and they had met. Why Whisper had never mentioned knowing the teen, he wasn't sure, but he couldn't stop and ponder it, then that would just make the two boys stay with the Talons longer.
So, as Whisper had said, time to 'get those detective juices flowing.'
Day 1
When Dick came to, he thought he was in the Batcave. It made sense, considering how dark it was, but as the youth's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and he realized he was anywhere but.
The room was small, about seven feet by seven feet, and made of grungy stones. A single lightbulb with a thin chain attached was the only source of light and the total furniture consisted of an extremely uncomfortable cot, which Dick was currently occupying. Across the room, a wooden door without a knob stood, no doubt thicker than it looked.
Dick sighed and lifted a hand to his neck. He was met with cold metal: an inhibitor collar.
Stupid, Dick scolded himself. Now, even if I tried to escape, they could knock me unconscious before I exited the building. The teen's inner thoughts were interrupted by a harsh rapping on the door.
A rough voice drifted through the door, speaking in strongly articulated English. "Get up and put your hands behind your head! Any funny business and we shock you!"
Knowing better than to try the patience of the Talons, Dick stood and did as he was told, hating every minute of it. Not a second later, the door was flung open and two people crowded into the room, both armed with guns, while a third waited in the doorway.
After the barrel of two guns were pressed between his shoulder blades and his hands were secured in front of him with handcuffs, the adolescent allowed himself to be led into a long hallway mirroring the design of his own room. The two assassins with the guns stood behind him, while the third walked ahead, leading the way. After only a few steps, Dick decided he should at least have some fun while he could. "Wow, I'm kinda honored. I mean, come on, three of you guys just for little old me?"
His only reply was a sharp hit to the back of his head via the stock of a gun.
"Well then," Dick muttered. "Guess the Talons haven't gotten friendlier over the years."
The quartet continued on in silence. As far as Dick could tell, his cell was at the far end of the long hallway they had just walked down. At the other extremity of said hallway, it turned to the right, leading straight into a steep spiral staircase. A few missteps resulting in more strikes to the head occurred before Dick finally reached the next level and scowled further at what he saw.
The floor was covered in lush carpet and decorative lamps lined the walls. The lighting was still dim, but not near as much as it had been below. At the end of that passageway, two extravagant door stood, engraved with several owls flying in front of the moon, sitting on branches, and devouring their prey.
No matter how long Dick lived, he was never going to forget that door. It had haunted his nightmares every time he slept for a year after his original escape and a day never passed when the mere thought of it didn't send a shiver down his spine. The third Talon stopped and knocked lightly on the right door, completely contrasting with Dick's own greeting.
A voice completely devoid of emotion answered, automatically making Dick tense and wipe his face clean of anything he might be feeling. After all, old habits die hard. The frontman swiftly pushed the doors open as if they weighed nothing - which they didn't, Dick recalled randomly - and the two guns were pressed further into Dick's back.
Dreading what was coming, the teen walked forward, shoulders hunched in as if they would protect him. But as Dick looked into the gleaming eyes of Feliciano Dimuerde, he knew nothing was going to protect him now.
Day 1
Songs. All they found was dozens of songs.
When Batman first pulled up a larger display of Whisper's computer files, it only had two folders on it. The first one was locked, sealed so tight Batman couldn't even hope to get past it. The second had a weak password system, one that was cracked in under a minute, only to reveal over thirty more folders, labeled using months accompanied by what year it was made in.
Batman clicked on the file labeled 'February 2008' and raised a single eyebrow at what he saw. There were eight audio recordings, all done in the space of one week; but it displayed clearly enough what Whisper expected them to use to find him. Not wasting any time, he assigned one folder to each person and ordered them to record anything they learned about Whisper form each song.
Not two minutes later, League and Team members alike were scattered around the living room, headphones plugged in to various iPods (curtesy of a certain Bruce Wayne).
Day 1
"Faster."
Dick clenched his hands and bit his tongue. He supposed he should feel lucky they had started out with intellectual training, but after reciting the states and their capitals sixteen times already, he wasn't feeling so lucky. That, accompanied by the fact that he refused to turn out like he did last time he was with the Talons, propelled him to say, "If you wanted it done faster, then maybe you should've kidnapped a speedster."
In hindsight, and from his newfound position on the floor, maybe that wasn't the best idea. At least, that was what the red hand mark on Dick's cheek was now screaming at him.
"Funny," Feliciano spat at him. "I don't remember you being this rebellious the first time around."
Rising, Dick glared and dusted off his pants. "Well maybe you should get your memory checked." In the back of his head, the teen told himself that it was stupid; insulting a highly trained assassin would only get him killed, but Dick decided to pull a Superboy and disobey orders, even though they were his own. "While you're at it, might I suggest an insanity test?"
The newly declared psychopath's eyes narrowed before he turned on his heel, heading to the door of the small room that almost exactly matched Dick's own cell, other than the fact the cot was replaced by a whiteboard, which Dick found slightly out of place on the dingy stone walls. Feliciano stopped with his hand on doorknob, head turned so that one eye could be seen glanced at Dick's stiff form. "Someone will be back shortly. Until then, stay put."
Dick felt a slight pang at hearing that, remembering the time Bruce had told him those last two words in the exact same tone when he tried to sneak out to go on patrol two hours after dislocating his thumb. Instead of pushing the thought aside as he had been doing for the past hour, the boy let the thought linger, welcoming the warmth it provided it his desolate surroundings.
Slowly, the teen's muscles loosened, his stance becoming less guarded and hostile, as he became lost in contemplation. Dick still believed that he did the right thing in implying that Whisper and Dick were two separate people; he figured he had dropped enough bombshells on Bruce for one day. Not to mention, he might be slightly...nervous about how Bruce would react. What if he didn't accept him? What if he arrested Dick for all the crimes he did when he was younger?
For the first time, Dick thought back to his late childhood years. He had been a model student to the Talons, but to the League, what would he be considered? A misguided child? An villainous delinquent? Would he even be able to talk to his friends again after they figured out what he'd done?
The thought of never playing video games with Wally or baking cookies with M'gann again was depressing, that was for sure.
Suddenly, the door opened, causing Dick to instantly fall back into a light fighting stance. His uneasiness didn't lessen as a Talon - Feliciano's personal henchmen, Alexander, Dick guessed - walked in adorned in full uniform, excluding the cape. He stopped a mere three feet away from Dick, whose stare bored into the black mask, and reached behind him to his back, before pulling out a thick, smooth piece of wood almost two feet long with a strap attached to the end.
A police baton.
Dick's glare hardened as he took a half-step back, fully prepared to fight back. But, as the Talon reached a gloved hand forward to grab Dick's arm, he had to remind himself that he wasn't there to cause trouble; he was there to stall so Bruce could find him. Fighting back would only speed along the process of Feliciano losing his patience; which would undoubtedly end badly for the teen.
So, Dick allowed his forearm to be grasped firmly, with more strength used than necessary, and only let out a sharp gasp when he was thrown to the ground, slamming against the wall in the process. He didn't try to rise, he knew that would only earn him more beatings, and pressed further against the wall as the Talon advanced on him. A hand was raised, the baton displayed like a flag in it, before it came rushing downward, right onto the side of Dick's shoulder.
Gritting his teeth as his body was propelled a few feet sideways, Dick pushed down the indignation rising inside of him and just grunted when the baton came crashing upwards into his stomach.
It was then that the Talon started speaking, each time in a different language, but Dick still understood each recitation nonetheless. "You will obey. You will obey. You will obey. You will obey." The assassin proceeded to declaim the message in Russian, Vietnamese (Dick tried not to dwell on the connection to Artemis' heritage), French, Spanish, and even Romani. When the League of Jerks started teaching their trainees that particular language, Dick wasn't sure; but if he wasn't being beaten by a now-bloody bludgeon, he would've protested greatly.
Eventually, one hit grew into many and the sharp pain of the individual strikes subsided into ongoing aches, only occasionally being picked out by small grunts from Dick. No bones were broken, which was definitely planned, but the bruises and other lacerations would be sure to remain a while, as would the busted lip. Finally, after what seemed like hours, though the boy was sure it hadn't been more than thirty minutes, the Talon stopped, the room going silent once more.
It was then that the door opened and Feliciano waltzed in, the tiniest, inhuman grin on his face. He stopped at Dick's battered form, which was halfway curled into the fetal position and still pressed against the wall. With a rough hand, the man lifted him up, supporting the boy by the underarm, and shook him to get his attention. "Well, what have you learned?"
Through the eye that wasn't swollen shut, Dick saw the adrenaline present in Feliciano's eyes. He enjoyed it, the torture, the pain, and it made Dick sick to his stomach. Still, mumbling due to the fact that his lip was bleeding, Dick managed to rasp out, "I-I will obey."
Even as he said it, Dick knew that he wouldn't.
Day 2
Artemis wasn't sure exactly when Wally came to sit beside her on the couch, listening to his own collection of songs through earbuds, or when he managed to stretch his arm casually enough that it lay behind her head, the fabric of his shirt barely brushing her shoulders, that she didn't notice, or even when she slumped into his touch the slightest bit because the song she was listening to was slow and quiet, almost like a lullaby, and it was well past midnight.
However, she was aware of the precise moment that Wally leaned down and let his lips lightly caress the edge of her ear, whispering as he did so, "I hope Whisper's alright."
Turning to face him, honestly surprised at the gentleness held in his voice, Artemis found herself suddenly staring into a pair of very bright, very close emerald eyes. Her words died in her throat, which was stupid because Wally's facial features were nothing new. They had just never been so...relaxed and tender. Artemis lightly cleared her throat, her hands nervously tugging out her own pair of earbuds, which were still playing that damn lullaby, and lifted her eyes up to Wally's. "Y-yeah. I hope so, too."
A slight frown tugged at her lips, eyebrows furrowing in worry, before she took notice of the dazed expression on the speedster's face. "Wally, you alright?"
Wally slowly nodded, his eyes roaming downwards to a spot that was a few inches shy of her eyes, and murmured, "I guess I can't help thinking about how sometimes..." He leaned forward even more, so that she could feel his breath grazing her lips, and a spark of desire burned not for the first time in the pit of Artemis' stomach. "...You don't realize how amazing something is until it's gone."
Getting the vague sense that Wally wasn't talking about Whisper anymore, Artemis hummed in agreement, craning her neck upward.
The stayed like that for a few moments, eyes darting from the other's eyes to their lips, only a centimeter apart, before Wally leaned in further and breathed against her, "I should've done this a long time ago."
Nodding, Artemis closed the gap and said through their kiss, "No kidding." The archer, having said all she needed to, snaked her arms around Wally's neck, ignoring the sounds of gasping and sputtering coming from Barry and Ollie in the background, who were thankfully shushed by Batman - God bless him.
They both shifted so that their torsos were facing each other and Wally slipped his arms around Artemis' middle, pulling her closer against him. She didn't protest, only let out a small sigh of happiness, before they both became lost in the joy of finally succumbing to their raging hormones.
In the back of his head, Wally swore he heard a kind, elderly voice say, "Find your own little spitfire. One who won't let you get away with nothin'."
Day 2
Dick didn't get a break after the baton debacle; in fact, the teen wasn't allowed to stop training until a time that Dick was sure, despite the lack of clocks and windows, was well after the usual hour he got home with Bruce after patrols.
Home.
The word bounced around in Dick's head as he stared up at the ceiling from his cot, sounding completely foreign. However, somewhere between the chess games with Alfred and the friendly spars with Bruce, home stopped being the small, cozy family trailer complete with a center ring that Dick could never see again and started being the entryway adorned with a perfectly climbable chandelier and a dark, but somehow still welcoming, Batcave that he was bound determined to get back to.
Sure, Dick hurt like hell and the next day's training was going to be extremely painful, but he knew that he had to be strong. For Bruce; for Wally; and for home.
When Dick finally fell into a fitful sleep, he dreamed of a bat fighting an owl while a small robin huddled in the background. The owl won.
Day 3
It was on the third day that every single song was completely analyzed and all facts compiled. It would've taken half that time if not for the fact that villains had absolutely no respect for a superhero's busy schedule, but nonetheless, Batman was creating a list of facts about Whisper on the Cave's database by noon.
Now, they just had to figure out what the facts meant, figure out what was important to him, go through all of his files, find the base he was being kept in, plan a rescue mission, then carry out said rescue mission.
Despite the looming mission ahead of them, Batman refused to get discouraged. He had evidence and all he had to do was connect the dots. He could do it. He was the world's greatest detective; he had to do it.
Turning to the Team and Captain Marvel, who was the only other Leaguer present, Batman quickly said, "Report."
Miss Martian tentatively stepped forward, lip caught between her teeth, and replied, "Well, all of my songs were from early 2009. He sang a lot about being scared and...and-" Her voice dropped to a whisper, eyes attached to the floor. "Sometimes, the way he put things, it sounded like...like...like he wanted to just end it."
The room fell even quieter than before, the tension visibly forming, until Batman nodded - stiffly, Artemis noted, extremely stiffly - and turned, typing into the database 'displayed suicidal tendencies'.
Everyone flinched at the bluntness of the statement, but they continue with the process. Hopefully, when - not if, never if - they got Whisper back, Black Canary would be willing to have a few sessions with him.
Day 4
It was after going through the twenty-four ways of shaping his hand into a fist that Dick came up with it. It wasn't his fault; he just got really bored and when bored, as Wally had taught him during those months, annoying someone was the best cure. Even if the only 'someone' in the room was a highly trained assassin that was much more skilled than Dick was.
So when, Feliciano asked what the most lethal fist position was, Dick replied with a muttered, "The sixteenth, Felix." He wasn't sure why he did it; it had tumbled out of his mouth without any permission whatsoever.
'Felix' paused, eyes narrowing dangerously, and suddenly, he was right in front of Dick, one hand gripping the collar of his shirt, the other raised in a fist - the sixteenth position - and Dick just stared back defiantly. If in his absence, Felix had become so temperamental that he snapped at a single sarcastic comment, then Batman was a closet 'My Little Pony' fangirl.
Slowly, inch by inch, Dick was released, before Felix - Dick thought the name suited him better than Feliciano - walked to the wall and pushed the intercom button that connected him to his personal assistant because apparently even villains needed them. Speaking in a dangerous tone, he said, "Send Alexander down to the training room."
Dick instantly stiffened. Alexander was, in essence, big, bad, and baton-obsessed. More specifically, police baton obsessed. Nothing involving him was good for Dick's health, especially if the adolescent had just done something considered 'bad', which meant that Dick was going to bed sore that morning. Perfect.
As expected, Alexander (Dick momentarily thought about calling him Alex) sauntered into the room, once again in uniform, within the minute; it seemed the larger man only existed to serve Felix sometimes.
Felix leaned in closer to Alexander, murmuring in his ear, and Dick found himself backing up slightly. If that was an order to do something specifically cruel, then Dick didn't want any part of it, even it if was only for him that it was happening. Dick could see the twisted smirk Alexander gave, even through the mask, and he didn't like it one bit.
An hour later, when Dick could still feel the knife cutting into his arm and could still hear his screams muffled only by him biting his lip echoing throughout the chamber, he looked at the red letters on his arm, the bright, evil color making him want to throw up, and knew that the name 'Feliciano' would be forever messily inscribed on his forearm.
Day 4
Batman blamed his shock on lack of sleep.
It was true that he had only gotten a few seconds of sleep when he happened to doze off in the Batmobile (he had missed that cat by a few measly inches), but with Dick and Whisper's lives on the line, sleep was far from a necessity.
But judging how he was reacting to the song - choking on air, eyes bulged out - Bruce thought that maybe sleep might not be a bad thing at the moment.
He wasn't exactly sure what he was expected when Wally had stepped forward slowly, which never looked natural on a speedster, and given him the iPod he had been handed just days earlier. But, listening to the song that Whisper had labeled 'This Song Saved My Life' {By Simple Plan}, Bruce knew that he wasn't expecting anything like that.
Understanding people had never been a top priority of his, but Bruce certainly wanted to understand Whisper. The boy meant much more to him than he originally thought and now...now he was determined to have the chance to get to know him better. He knew that failing Whisper, Dick, whoever the hell he was trying to save, wasn't an option. Even as he leaned his elbows on the Batcomputer and closed his eyes for what he knew would be longer than just a few seconds, something nagged Bruce. He was missing something, something important.
Bruce just sighed and gave in to his fatigue.
He would figure it out later.
Day 5
Dick was quickly reminded that individuality among assassins was not allowed when he received his third beating. Felix had found out that Dick had neglected to keep up his training with weapons besides his favored escrima sticks, and for that Dick wasn't able to reset his nose until three hours later, when Felix was called away to an important meeting.
Day 5
All the facts from the songs were compiled, forming a cruel and depressing list. Not even the fact that they had finished their first task could lift the Team's spirits after seeing what Whisper had been hiding from them.
Day 6
After Dick took down five Talons in hand-to-hand combat in under a minute, Felix granted him the luxury of not having to wear handcuffs while being escorted around the base. He still was guarded by at least three guards at all times, though, especially during his technologic training.
He was given a small lunch of rice and chicken and promptly plopped down at a school-styled desk displaying a laptop. Dick turned his head to look behind him and raised a single eyebrow at Felix. "You really trust me enough to give me Internet access?"
If it weren't for the man's haughty attitude, Dick was sure that he would've snorted. Instead, he merely narrowed his eyes and replied, "Of course not. I made sure that there is no possible way for you to obtain communications with any of your...acquaintances. You are merely here to hack the League of Talons' system."
Dick, true to his age, actually did snort. "What, did you forget the password or something?" The smack to the back of his head did its part to dissuade the boy's rambunctious behavior and he continued more subdued. "Fine, geez. What do you need me to do?"
"I wish to check your abilities with technology and seeing as how our computer base is the best in the world, I though it best that we test you using it."
Dick had always been chatty when hacking, whether over a mental link with the Team or orally with Bruce, and that specific trait came into play as soon as his hands hit the keys.
"You realize your system is actually really flawed, right? I mean, normally, backdoors this small wouldn't be a problem, but since it has incredible similarities to Ra's al Ghul's firewalls, I can access them without too much trouble. Bruce used to make me hack the easier Shadows' files for practice, so I practically could do this in my sleep. Well crap, there goes his secret identity, but wait, you know Bruce is Batman, right? You are the one who told me in the first place."
At that, Dick paused in his typing and turned in his chair, taking in Felix's definitely unamused face. He never knew forehead veins could throb that prominently.
"First off, boy," Felix spat, "I am nothing like that ancient fool. The League of Talons could always beat his 'Shadows' if we so decided, but as you should know by now, we prefer to operate behind the scenes. Now, shut your mouth and fix the firewall."
Dick just smirked and did his designated task, though not without creating a few more holes in the network for Bruce. He never knew getting under Felix's skin would be that easy, let alone be fun.
Day 6
Artemis was so done, it wasn't even funny.
She was done with her villainous family roots, she was done with lying to her friends, and, most importantly, she was done with that little brat Whisper managing to get under her skin even when he was busy being kidnapped by assassins.
The first few days, she hadn't taken the recording to heart - she still didn't know how he knew she would get that batch of recordings, she suspected Batman was in on it - but as time went by, Artemis started thinking about it more and more. Maybe if it had been a song, she wouldn't have reacted so strongly, but it wasn't. It was just Whisper talking, telling her that secrets can make people self destruct, that she should tell the Team her heritage, and that Wally would still love her.
She didn't even want to know how he knew to include that.
But, here she was, four days after first hearing it, getting ready to spill everything. Artemis dearly hoped the fear clenching in her gut wasn't needed.
And it wasn't. The Team accepted her as if it didn't effect anything; which in their eyes, it didn't. Wally gave her a quick kiss, just long enough to reassure her and calm her nerves. Kaldur smiled warmly and seemed to mentally channel calming ocean thoughts. Conner bluntly stated that his dad was Lex Luthor, much to the surprise of the Team, and explained what had happened with the Shields. Turned out he quit using them when Whisper left because he ran out and Lex hadn't contacted him to offer more. And M'gann...well, M'gann gave herself a makeover. Artemis had a feeling she would be the one to explain what all happened while he was gone to Whisper.
As she breathed a sigh of relief that it was all over - no more secrets - Artemis faintly remembered Whisper's closing words. "You aren't your family. You're one of us."
Day 7
Felix asked for everything Dick had learned about the Justice League and their sidekicks. Dick replied by saying that they weren't the League's sidekicks, they were their partners, and the day he betrayed any of them was the day he died.
The fact that that day might be coming sooner than later hurt more than the punishment.
Day 8
They had tried everything, but nothing seemed to work.
Not 'Whisper', not 'running', not 'Talons', not even 'peck of pickle peppers', which had been Wally's idea. Anything remotely related to the songs wasn't working and Batman was beyond frustrated.
Along with the dead end they had reached with the passwords, Bruce still wasn't one hundred percent sure what Whisper meant when he said he and Dick would 'stall'. It was obvious he had been captured by the Talons, but what about Dick? Was he being held prisoner, too? How did the acrobat even fit into the entire thing? Then, there was the fact that Whisper had left when Dick was the one being summoned. It didn't add up and it was driving Bruce crazy.
Every now and then, at least once a day, a single notion would cross his mind, but he pushed it away each time. To think that Dick and Whisper were actually the same person would make sense, but that...that just couldn't be the case. It was simply too wild to be true, leaving Bruce to believe he was just over thinking things.
That belief still didn't stop Bruce's thoughts from turning down that road, though.
Day 9
Dinah finally cracked.
It was only a matter of time, really, until the truth came rushing out of her, along with a barrage of pencil on paper. The only thing was, she knew she was doing a bad thing by betraying Whisper's trust, but it was for his own good, right? Dinah mentally assured herself that it was to save his life as she placed the folder in Batman's pitch black glove. It was a huge invasion of privacy and a betrayal of confidentiality, but it was worth it.
The letters didn't matter in the end. The only passwords it gave them was 'Haly's Circus', 'Daring Dangers', and 'death', none of which worked.
Day 10
"How."
Thump.
"Many."
Smack.
"Damn."
Wham.
"Times."
Crack.
Dick winced as his nose was broken, again. The beating had stopped as soon as it slid out of place but Felix continued to speak. "Do I have to tell you my name is Feliciano." It was phrased as a question, but the articulation was so flat, it couldn't be anything but a statement. Dick didn't let that deter him though.
"What," he joked, spitting out the blood that managed to finagle its way into his mouth. "You don't like the nickname?"
Felix growled, a feral sound deep down in his throat. The man had steadily been losing patience as each day went by until he finally decided to neglect calling his personal beater and just do it himself.
Dick was starting to miss Alexander. He didn't hit as hard.
"You will now begin fighting various Talons daily. Hand-to-hand, no weapons. Understood?" Slowly pulling himself into a sitting position against the wall, Dick nodded, a dark glare forming in his blue eyes. He wasn't ever going to stop fighting.
Day 11
"Nothing's working. Maybe...maybe it's time to try a different approach." Superman said it cautiously, carefully, but everyone still knew that he was thinking that it was all useless, just refused to say it in the presence of the Dark Knight.
The comment was met with silence; no one really knew what to do from there. Eventually, the lull in volume was broken by a ridiculously simple solution spoken by the least likely 'good idea man'.
"Why don't we just go talk to people from Rich-uh, Dick Grayson's past?" Everyone in the room turned to look at a certain red-headed speedster, who's eyes went wide and mouth contracted at all the attention. "I-I mean, Whisper said he was friends with the Grayson kid, right? Soooo, what if the password was about him and not Whisper?"
"That's...so stupid it might actually work," muttered Superman, face scrunched up in thought.
Wally, smirking and standing a little taller, proudly replied, "Thank you...I think." Trying to smother her giggles, Artemis gently nudged Wally's shoulder with her own, getting a wink in return.
But, of course, Batman chose that moment to interrupt. "Team, suit up and meet back here in five." Upon seeing that he had the teens' attention, he continued. "We're going to Haly's Circus."
AN: Eh, I tried. I'm not very good at romance, 'cause I'm a clueless dork when it comes to dating. ;) Oh well. I hope y'all enjoyed it anyway. Took me long enough to figure out how to finish it. Hmph.
The LoJ (League of Jerks) aren't too good at technology, just good at bragging. That's why Dick was able to sabotage it without them noticing. And I've actually been having a lot of similarities between Ra's and Felix just for that conversation.
And as for suicidal tendencies, I have never believed that to be a proper solution to anything. If any of you guys need to talk - PM me, review me, I don't care how you contact me - I will be willing to listen to you. Anything to make you realize how special you really are.
Until next chapter!
-GSDLover