Chapter: 18
Darren winced at the loud clanging that rocked the Batcave as the throwing knife he shot off toward a training dummy glanced off the stone wall behind the static figures instead. It was a very, very off day it seemed. His gallivanting around with Bruce's telescope did not translate well to early morning training. Not that Bruce seemed bothered by the lack of sleep. Though in Darren's defense he never really got much sleep to begin with on any given day, this wasn't an occasional thing. Luckily training had wrapped up for the day; Darren opted to stay behind to refine his non-lethal throw, so no one was around to witness his failure.
A glancing blow thrown at the target's leg…right where the femoral artery would be…had Darren frowning, he'd been aiming slightly higher. Still a damaging throw but not so deadly. He was still somewhat reluctant to use throwing knives or batarangs on patrol, his throws were still too unpredictable even when he was actively aiming for less lethal areas on the body. One little twitch in the motion of the throw and the entire path of the blade's course was altered…and potentially someone else's life ended. It was hard to remind himself in the heat of the moment that these weapons did not need to be so vicious and cutthroat—literally. It was also harder still not to capitalize off his enhanced abilities…the force of the throw, the ability to detect vital arteries just by sound alone, and visualizing the target at such a distance…all added to the severity of using the weapon and the margin of error if Darren was not perfect in his intent and ability. So, Darren stuck more favorably to blunted weapons—eskrima sticks, batons, bo staffs, or even his own dual blades when appropriately blunted. Knives were not his most liked weapons, but they were an option. Still, Darren avoided them, they were William's fondest weapon within the arsenal of a Talon's skillset.
A shake of Darren's head had thoughts of his great-grandfather scattering. No need to think of William…he was dead. He was gone. Darren had killed him. He was free. If anything, at least he was free from that monster. The reminder of the Master Talon's demise still didn't ease the tension rattling through Darren, the wave of unease, nausea, and fear any memory of William brought. The tyrant may be dead, but his legacy of terror and pain never ceased. It was as if he lived on, not physically but deep in Darren's mind waiting for an opening to lunge for the opening to the forefront of Darren's thoughts.
The next throw with the dagger landed smack dab in the center of the dummy's forehead. Darren let out a bitter curse, throwing the remaining knife harshly into the ground out of anger, it stuck upright in the obsidian rock with a twang at the force of Darren's strength. A shuffling scuff echoing throughout the expansive training room had Darren snatching the dagger up as he whirled around, a vicious look on his face. A second later Tim appeared under the archway leading into the room, an eyebrow raised in amusement as he started over to where Darren stood, practically shaking with anticipation that melted away to mild embarrassment,
"Jumpy, are we?" Tim mused as he finally made it over to where Darren stood, "And…uh…maimy I see?" he glanced over Darren's shoulder at the impaled forehead of the dummy,
"That was…an unfortunate slip up," Darren muttered, "I-I…never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm working on it." Tim nodded, accepting the answer, though he still seemed somewhat troubled and…reluctant about something,
"So…I finished some preliminary research into that person you needed to find…?" Darren stared at him blankly, not getting where he was going, "…Charles Chamberlain…?" Darren's eyes widened with remembrance and surprise. It had felt so long ago that he'd asked for Tim's help…he'd momentarily forgotten the man and his threats. Charles had fallen through the cracks…as he did in their family's history, and in the Court's history. The forgotten great-grandson of Amelia Crowne's third son. The one who'd been written off as dead…the one who escaped and now felt the need to threaten Darren's safety to ensure his own.
An uncomfortable wave of rage rushed over Darren at the thought of Charles Chamberlain…at what was at risk for Darren by his existence. Though he pushed it away, forcing his expression to remain neutral. He couldn't tip his hand; he couldn't show the eagerness to learn this information…or at least not too much zeal in Tim's reveal. The timing though had Darren's brow furrowing. Why had it taken Tim so long to come forward with additional information? Had he deduced Charles' true identity, who he was to Darren and wondered why he wanted to know these details…questioned why Darren hadn't come forward to tell Dick about this new family member. He couldn't see any wariness in Tim's posture, or uncertainty in the papers he held out, which Darren took after a moment's pause,
"I honestly leapt a little too far into this rabbit hole and metaphorically, as well as technologically, tied myself in knots," Tim was saying, "That's what you get for doing in-depth research at two in the morning. But I was able to find his date of birth, his license, passport, professional information…he's a teacher at one of Mikey's potential schools, right?" Darren grimaced at that unsure if Tim would take that as a deception though remained silent, processing the information as Tim passed the documents over one at a time,
"Is there any reason you thought this specific teacher would be connected to the Court…?" Tim questioned, "Or are you just checking because Mikey might go...you wanted to make sure it was legitimate? You know Dick and Barbara have that covered, right?"
"Call it a hunch. Besides would you have done the search if I hadn't emphasized the Court?" Darren quietly questioned, scanning the pieces of information,
"No…probably not, we don't really do in-depth background checks on elementary school teachers without proof they're involved in something," Tim admitted, shrugging slightly,
"Then there's your answer," Darren murmured, his gaze focused on the papers,
"I also pulled his address…it's in Metropolis naturally. The school has day students and boarding students, so it's not out there that he has his own apartment," Tim rattled on,
"I see," Darren mused, "Thank you. For running the search,"
"Well, if it gives you peace of mind about at least one of the schools Mikey might decide to go to then it's worth it," Tim said with a grin,
"Did anything at all come up?" Darren questioned carefully; he didn't want Tim to question his curiosity about one specific teacher at this one school any further than he already had. It was Tim's turn to remain quiet as if considering his response, unconsciously rubbing his arm with a pensive look on his face,
"Well…there were a few cracks in the information I compiled. But some if not most can be rationalized. Certain exceptions applied, he lived abroad for a time and the documents haven't transferred over yet, or he legally changed his name when he was married…or just changed his name period," Darren froze, realizing Tim had come to the truth of Charles Chamberlain on a hypothetical, "But I haven't really looked into those avenues or really got any further than his address…as I said, this rabbit hole ended rather abruptly last night," Darren relaxed, relieved, as Tim continued on,
"Well," Darren started, "I guess since he's pretty much legit…there's no need to keep jumping into this rabbit hole. It sounds pretty rough,"
"Dare…are you sure? I haven't even delved into anything related to the Court yet,"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I think my paranoia got the best of me with this one," Darren lied.
A small slight white lie. Tim was quiet for a moment, his jaw clenched slightly as if trying to find a reason to argue with Darren. As if he wanted to continue the search for some unspoken reason. Darren worried for a moment, that Tim knew Charles Chamberlain was Charles Crowne and had set this up as a test to see if Darren would come clean. And perhaps…in truth…Darren should tell the others. But Charles' threats washed over him, the risk he posed to Darren's safety, to the control he had on the Court, to the anonymity Darren Crowne had, and to the mask that Renegade needed to keep…the potential wedge between Darren and Dick caused by this revelation grew into a fissure with a single thought…caused by a single word. A single truth. Darren couldn't do it, not yet. Not until Darren knew how to keep Charles in line,
Tim finally gave a nod of agreement, letting out a sigh of disappointment. And then Darren understood what Tim's reluctance had really been…eagerness for the thrill of the chase even if only through a keyboard. Darren couldn't help the grin that crossed his face,
"Don't worry, there'll be other information dives coming your way…Mikey still hasn't decided on a school and there's many more to tour," Tim let out a chuckle, shaking his head jokingly in exasperation,
"I don't think you can use the Court excuse that many times Dare," Tim stated flatly, though his gaze glittered with humor, which caused Darren to let out a snort,
"I'll try it as many times as it works," he stated, his gaze dropping once more to the papers, "Thanks again for this Tim. Very helpful,"
"No problem, I'll uh…let you get back to your um 'working on it?'" Darren jerked his gaze to the knife unicorn dummy with a scowl as Tim darted out of the training room with a cackle. Though Darren didn't move to retrieve his knife, he merely listened for Tim's footfalls to ascend the Batcave's stairs, his attention on the pile of information in his hands. For another thought, a realization dawned on him. Charles knew who Darren's father was, he knew he was Renegade…that had been one of his threats.
All that time…all that worry…wondering who could have let that information slip. Which of Darren's enemies would dare act out of line? Who would have something to gain from it? Charles…it was all Charles, it had to be. Charles needed pressure, he needed to push Darren into giving him what he wanted, and what better way than to toy with the relationship the Bats had with the GCPD, what better way than to stir up old rivalries and debts within the Gotham criminal underworld who hated Slade Wilson. What better way than to put a target on Renegade's back? No safe haven with the police…and only the sins of the father with the criminal underbelly. Darren let his hand curl into a fist by his side as he marched over the impaled dummy, snatching the dagger out with a snarl, his anger hot and wild.
If Charles was responsible for giving out the identity of Renegade's father…if he was willing to act on the threats he posed…then he had to pay.
"Are you sure about this?" Tim glowered, shifting in the chair at the desk in his room, scoffing silently at the voice on the other end of the phone,
"You're the one who called telling me he was heading to Metropolis," Tim muttered in reply. 'He' was Darren. Should Tim be mad…discouraged…despondent by that development? Maybe even round up the Bat troops to go and see why Darren was out chasing someone he said was insignificant? Perhaps yes…but Tim had other pressing matters, like the fact that his ex had called to tell him this. And he didn't know how to feel about this. Mostly he was ticked off at Darren…he hadn't even lasted five minutes before he went gallivanting off to a whole other city after a man who clearly meant something to Darren. Whatever that something was…wasn't good. Not if Darren felt he had to hide it from everyone else.
A part of Tim regretted giving Darren the information. Maybe the information had been a bit of a trap for Darren, a small test just to see what he would do…and Tim didn't know how he felt about potentially gambling with another man's life just to determine the severity of Darren's attention to the guy. It felt wrong…but Tim also knew Darren. He knew that while Darren was impulsive and quick to anger, especially when he felt wronged, he was also logical…he would fall back to reason eventually. Tim just hoped it was in time. The information itself wasn't much, it was only preliminary information as he had told Darren in the Cave. But even that little can do real damage. Especially when given to an assassin, and certainly when that assassin lied about the importance of the person and wouldn't reveal why they wanted to know anything about them at all.
Darren's reluctance to share what he knew about Charles Chamberlain implied there was a connection to Darren specifically. It was personal. Even though Darren said he met him at the tour for Mikey, he acted as if he knew the teacher personally…or that he at least had a better understanding of who Charles was than Dick or Barbara did, and they vetted everyone in that school prior to even considering touring there. Darren knew something, and that something, whatever it was had him going up the walls trying to—Tim paused in his whirling thoughts…what was Darren trying to do? What could a teacher at a school for the deaf do to a Talon? It couldn't be Court related, they don't venture out to other cities, and they couldn't with Darren's blackmail in place…not unless they were willing to destroy any future control or opportunity for the Court. They knew the consequence of stepping out of line, and Tim had the flash drive from Amanda ready at his fingertips. Though that equally didn't mean it wasn't necessarily Court related, there wasn't much in Darren's past that wasn't Court centered and Tim, as well as the others, would have known if Darren met Charles before that school tour. The Court was clearly the common denominator between Darren and Charles,
"He looked so determined…I thought it seemed serious," Conner's answer was simple. It was logical. But frustratingly, logic and Tim's feelings about Conner were never in sync. And he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan at the disrupted thought process,
"Yes, I know. It might be…I don't quite know why he's gone off to Metropolis or what he's getting himself into," Tim answered tersely, trying to hold onto the fleeting thoughts about the Court, Darren, and Charles,
"Do you want me to stop him?" Conner's tone was serious, and Tim knew that if he asked, his ex-lover would go toe to toe with Darren in broad daylight, well twilight—the sun was setting—of Metropolis. The scientist in him wondered who would win…the more humane side of him worried about the outcome. Conner was only half-Kryptonian…but Darren certainly didn't quite match that strength. It would be a test of wills and skill…and unfortunately, Darren was more skilled even if Conner was more powerful. And Darren would fight dirty, he wouldn't hold back with someone he knew was more powerful, while Conner…at least the Conner Tim knew…would hold himself back.
'His' Conner…Tim's Conner…there wasn't a word that described the pain of losing him…but the friction his return has caused not just between Tim and Kon but also within the Teen Titans…was scathingly more unbearable. Tim couldn't help but feel that was mostly his fault, his reluctance to accept Conner had driven a wedge between the people he cared about the most and trusted with his life. He feared a schism within his team…he feared the truth would come to light that this Conner that returned to them—to him—wasn't who he said he was. He didn't know what that would mean…the danger it would pose. Being right in that scenario, believing this Conner was not who he'd once loved…was protection from that outcome, from the pain the revelation of his manipulation would cause. And if Tim was wrong, the pain…the hurt would stamp out any reconciliation he'd thought possible when Conner first appeared back in the world of the living. He'd rather be hated for his suspicion than be lured by the bright blue eyes of the façade pretending to be the man he once loved. Tim would take the pain of being wrong to the devastation of being right,
"No," Tim stated decidedly, shaking himself from his grim, depressing thoughts, "Just…just follow him?"
"You sound unsure about that," Conner mused, amusement in his voice,
"No…just follow him," Tim tried not to sound irritated, "Please,"
"You got it Boss," Kon said, and Tim could hear the rush of wind as his—as Conner—took off to the skies. Silence followed, and Tim pulled himself back to the ever-elusive connection to Charles Chamberlain.
Tim had been considering the Court of Owls as a common point between Darren and Charles…but how, how would that connection work?
They grew up together? No, Tim thought, Charles was much older than Darren. Their time wouldn't align in the Court…at this point, Charles would outrank him. Darren would be insignificant to him. He wouldn't have Darren on his radar and Darren in turn wouldn't be chasing around a Master Talon.
That begged the question though…was Darren on Charles' radar? Was the source of Darren's desperation actually the other way around? Had Charles acted against Darren in some way? No, how could Charles have done that without alerting the rest of us Tim mused to himself, while perhaps not likely…this wasn't something to ignore, and it would certainly explain Darren's silence on this person and any connection they have to each other. Was it blackmail...? Tim pocketed that thought away, planning to do some digging on that later. The more pressing matter was the connection itself.
Charles was a rogue Talon and Darren was worried he'd recognize him. No, that wouldn't make sense Tim hissed to himself, a rogue Talon wouldn't go after another rogue Talon. There would be no reason. They were both free from the Court.
Charles was an Owl? No, Darren would have said something, even with Lincoln March Darren admitted he was an Owl and that was why he'd killed him—among other reasons. And there's no Chamberlain on the Alumni list of Owl members from Amanda's drive.
What was the connection? Where was the similarity? Did Charles know Darren's mother? Did he have a hand in her death? No, that was William…Darren witnessed it himself. William was the only person behind the wheel. He was the only one there, their original driver long dead.
Were their families connected…? Tim froze on that one word…family. His mind flashed to what Darren had told him what seemed to be an age ago—,
"You should bring Darren to Titans Tower," Conner's thoughtful conversational voice in his ear broke up his thoughts into static mush,
"Uh what—?" Tim tried to hide the flicker of annoyance, the Conner he knew didn't like long silences either,
"I was just thinking…you should bring Darren to Titans Tower," Tim blinked…he'd never really thought about that at least not recently. Not that he'd never considered it himself. And certainly, now would be the time since Conner and Cassie hung out with him during the Thanksgiving potluck and had an amicable time until Tim showed up. Bringing Darren to meet the Teen Titans, showing him the opportunities he had as Renegade…that he didn't have to be bound just to Gotham City…was important. Darren had grown up thinking he could only ever have one purpose, that he had no choice and nothing else to choose from. But with them, with the Bats, he could do whatever he wanted to as both Renegade and Darren Crowne.
Darren often cringed away from thinking about his future. Any conversation or question about his future—what college he wanted to go to, what major he might want, what career he wanted to focus on, things like that he just wouldn't entertain. Granted that was the reaction any kid would have when faced with deciding the expansiveness of their future when they couldn't even decide what to have for breakfast or weren't old enough to legally vote. But with Darren, it felt…deeper than that. It was as if Darren couldn't see beyond Gotham, beyond the Court. He was locked into the idea, the mindset, that his future would always be fighting the Court. There was no possible divergence, no ending in sight. Tim wanted to gently nudge Darren away from that thinking, all the Bats wanted that. Bruce had made some progress by introducing Darren to astronomy with his telescope. But it was clear that Darren was still trapped in the idea that he could only ever be a Talon, a weapon. Perhaps introducing Darren to his team might help with that,
"Rob…earth to Rob?" Kon's voice grated in Tim's ear. With a shake of his head, Tim let out a small sigh. His mind felt dislocated, locked on multiple points of conversation, thought processes, and analysis…this conversation was pulling him in too many directions and he needed to focus,
"Yeah…it's honestly something I've been meaning to do. But now is probably not the best time for that. But it'll happen, I want him to meet everyone…and I guess actually leave Gotham again for a bit,"
"Hmm, that I understand. Too much Gotham is bad for the soul,"
"Hey, that's my city you're dissing," Tim jokingly scolded…though it wasn't a lie and they both knew it,
"Ha! Sure whatever is best I guess. Though it would be good for him to be around other Metas,"
"Darren's not a Meta," Tim huffed, a little miffed by that statement,
"He may not genetically be a Meta, but he's still as close to being a Meta as anyone can get…there's certainly a big sense of feeling other when you are one but everyone else around you is completely human,"
"Well, when all the Metas shun you because of your past, it's a little hard to want to be around them," Tim bit out somewhat scathingly, feeling irritation on Darren's behalf,
"Yeah, I understand the feeling," Conner's voice was monotonous, but the tone felt heavy in Tim's ears, accusing,
"That's not the same thing and you know it," his tone sounded defensive and Tim hated himself for it,
"Is it? I remember my past…I remember the Titans, our friends, our missions, and our adventures together…I remember you!" Memories can be implanted, the thought flashed in Tim's mind before he could stop it. Tim gritted his teeth, fighting to keep those words in his head, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he tilted his head back fighting for breath,
"I remember you too," Tim stated brokenly, "I remember you dying in my arms,"
"People come back. You've seen proof of that…proof of that is living in your home…twofold!" Conner insisted his voice strained, "Why can't you believe I can too?" A part of Tim remembered Darren, when he'd come back…what he had to deal with in the aftermath of returning from the dead. Tim had no insight on Jason's return…but he could only imagine that it was a similar crucible…one they both still struggle with and overcome every day…and Conner was dealing with it alone. Tim could feel his heartbreaking, but he couldn't fall prey to the belief that this could be real. Not when it would hurt more to somehow be deceived. So, Tim remained silent…he couldn't answer that question, not without confronting everything he'd ever felt for Superboy. Not without admitting there was hope, not without letting his guard down…opening his heart up to an attack he wasn't sure he could survive,
"Right," Kon replied stiffly, "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to,"
"I'm sorry," was all Tim could say,
"Well, if you ever come by the Tower again, you could bring your brothers too, if that would help convince Darren to come." Tim inhaled sharply, a thought racing to the forefront of his mind, a memory. It felt as if it came from ages ago, "There were three Crowne brothers. Dick's grandfather, my grandfather, and a third brother. Two illegitimate heirs and one legitimate." Something Darren had told him when trying to figure out the deal his grandfather had made in the past. Tim scrabbled for his computer, haphazardly working to type that in, to get it in the system so he'd actually remember to look into it—,
"—Uh…Rob—?" Kon's voice pulled him from his reverie,
"What?" Tim snapped, not trying to even hide his irritation, he had work to do, he couldn't forget about this connection, not now…not when it was clearly central and significant,
"Well…he's leaving…and uh…I think he might have maybe—definitively –seen me."
The tint of the evening sun glanced off the silver skyscrapers of Metropolis as Darren crouched, balancing from his toes on the railing of a fire escape-turned balcony, glaring darkly through the window into the apartment. The living room faced where Darren stooped predatorily, the kitchen just beyond where he could see Charles preparing dinner. The man didn't look up, he didn't feel the chill of someone's eyes on him. No reaction to the potential danger he faced. Again, Darren couldn't help but see how unprepared this man was for the Court's potential involvement. If he thought they were on the Court's radar, there would be no means to avoid their pursuit. Darren couldn't help but wonder why Charles hadn't done more to prepare. He knew the Court's history, he knew they were real while even some people in Gotham still thought them a myth, he knew the danger they posed. And yet, there he was, in a sunny bright city without a care in the world.
The rage Darren felt, the fear of Charles' threats, and the possibility that he let the truth slip about Renegade's history had driven him to Metropolis. Guiding his actions, spurring him on with burning abandon. There was no plan, no thought of what exactly he wanted to do, only the need to be there. To follow the address Tim gave him. See for himself what Charles was capable of. Did he want to kill Charles?… Darren wasn't quite sure. It would make life simple; it would free him of threats and the risk of losing his family, it would keep his family safe as well. Safe from being at odds with the police, safe from the criminal underground taking unnecessary hits at their newfangled target Renegade. It would satiate his rage and desire for revenge…it would…it could…feel good.
It would be like scratching an itch. One that had been bothering him for so long, unyielding and merciless. It would ease the fear, the mind-bending concern that had started to grow unwanted and unprecedented in his mind as it became clear that the Court wouldn't stay still, that new threats were on the horizon, Klarion was still there in Livia's mind, perhaps even her body, they weren't sure of Slade's motives or what Ra's movements might be if it became clear Darren had little reign over the Court he was blackmailing and Charles could be the cause of those new threats…things were slowly slipping from Darren's control…and he wondered if he could do it again if he could kill again. It wasn't as if he didn't get the urge or desire, it wasn't as if the instinct to do so was gone…it was still there if the training dummy had anything to show for it. But in the thick of it, when it was him versus them if it was a matter of survival…could he still make that ultimate choice to fall back on those instincts? Could he willingly kill to keep himself and his family safe? Did he want to? He abided by the Bats no killing ideology. He would not be a murderer or an executioner as he'd once been forced to become…but could it be sustainable given the life he had. Given the new potential movement of the Court in the shadows toeing the line. Was Darren losing the edge he once had as a Talon-to-be? Could he find it again if he needed it…would he be able to do what he needed to do to survive? Was this one of those moments? Darren's hands curled into fists, unsure of how to proceed, teetering on the precipice of indecision and decisiveness.
But as Darren watched a tiny head bob around in the kitchen with her father…the anger had left him. He felt himself relax, his shoulders less tense, his jaw unclenched, his hands gripped the railing by his feet instead and his purpose became less clear. Darren wasn't sure why he'd come, what he expected to find. Why he decided to confront Charles at all. Would it really solve anything, would killing Charles do anything but orphan two innocent children? Darren had lived his life as essentially an orphan. He never knew his father until he was fifteen, and William was no parent to Darren. He knew that pain. The loss of a parent. Could Darren justify putting those two tiny kids through hell just to save himself from a potential threat? Could he force them through that pain and terror and yearning? Could he kill Charles and not feel the weight of the consequences? He didn't want that…Darren might know how to kill, he might have that instinct, the skill, and perhaps even, on occasion the desire, but it wasn't a necessity. At least not yet, at least while Charles messed only with Renegade's life. He could take that…he could survive that, but he couldn't tolerate anything impacting his family. The threats were for him alone…they were intended to hurt only him. That was manageable.
With that in mind, with a nod to himself, Darren shifted to turn, ready to jump off the building and to the alleyway below, only to freeze at the sound of the balcony door opening. On instinct, Darren turned to face the sound, tense and coiled to spring into action expecting a furious Charles bounding out onto the balcony but was greeted by the sight of a small girl with strawberry blond curls and wide brown eyes.
They stared at each other, Darren frozen to his perch on the iron railing, the girl seemingly content to be quiet, not raising alarm to the stranger on their balcony,
"Hi," she signed. It was then that Darren noticed the cochlear implants hooked over her ears,
"Hi," Darren signed back…unsure why he answered her or why she seemed to expect him to, or why he was still even there. Why was he engaging? Maybe it was her unquestioning innocence…her unconcerned affect. If Darren wasn't being threatened by her father, he would have been worried by that lack of caution or wariness. Or perhaps it was because this child was a relative…they were related if not a few times removed. A legacy in a sense of the pain and tragedy that plagued the Crowne family…yet she was also entirely untouched by it. While Darren had been forged by it and Dick dragged through it too…though not quite by their family's connection with the Court. This branch of their family was so far removed from it all, this family in the two-bedroom apartment on a teacher's salary in Metropolis. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like…if that could have been him if things had turned out differently. Darren then remembered a mirror, from what felt so long ago, of him free from the Court, from his past, from even Renegade…but alone…and wondered whether it would be worth it just to have that innocence back. A wave of melancholy swept over him…the cloak around his shoulders suddenly felt heavy and cold despite its inbuild heat,
"Who are you?" the girl finally signed, annoyed by Darren's inaction it seemed, numbly Darren signed,
"Renegade,"
"Why are you here?"
"I-I was around town. Figured I'd climb a building or two," he couldn't very well tell her he'd initially planned on murdering her father, could he? She laughed with delight before her little face got rather serious as if considering something,
"They're very tall…do you get scared?"
"No, I usually have someone to catch me. Why…are you afraid of falling?"
"Yes," she answered plainly,
"Then why are you on the balcony?"
"My daddy says in order to overcome a fear, you must face it!" Darren let out a snort at that. What an ironic thing for Charles to say, though he kept that to himself. Though, that brought a thought to mind, as he glanced through the window and saw Charles' cane leaning against a wall of the living room. The injury still pained Charles, at least it seemed so when they first met, it had to have been recent. And there needed to be a catalyst for why Charles needed to know if the Court had it out for his family, and why he needed to corner and threaten Darren,
"Who hurt your father's leg?" Darren questioned the kid. He didn't feel bad about asking the question, even as a sad—and fearful—expression crossed her face though she shrugged it off well. She eyed Darren as if considering something before giving him a twisting smile,
"A man with eyes like yours," was all she said. Darren's brows furrowed,
"What, a mask?" he questioned out loud not bothering to sign, reaching for his face only to realize it was bare…he wore no mask at all. Panic flared, and while his exit from the Cave had been haphazard at best…usually he was good about remembering a mask. Thankfully, kids typically had fickle memories…and they change or alter over time in general, which hopefully, applied to this one as well. Barring the fact that Darren had a lot of backtracking to do and surveillance video to scrub in case there was a glimpse of him without a mask, the panic ebbed a bit and instead, Darren focused on what the little girl had said. A man with eyes like yours.
It wasn't much of a descriptor, but it was enough to get the wheels turning. There were only four other people with exact eyes like Darren…and as he said memory was fickle, especially in a certain light as a stranger shatters your father's knee in front of you. Was this little girl speaking the truth? It made no sense. All his family members had alibis…and only one of them would have something to gain by the truth of Renegade's parentage getting out. But there was no means, no method. They could have hired someone or had someone from the outside threaten Charles into action. In all…it did imply one thing. Slade had lied.
Darren threw a glare through the window, to the kitchen where Charles still cooked, oblivious to his daughter on the balcony, spilling secrets to a stranger. He couldn't make sense of this or even trust this information. It could wait…but Charles couldn't. Perhaps Darren wasn't there to kill the man. Maybe he'd revealed the truth about Renegade to push Darren into giving him what he wanted…but Darren had been raised for the chase. For the stalking of prey. He knew the only means of success was to push back and add oil to the flame of paranoia. It was a mean trick…a Talon trick. But Charles couldn't be left to his own devices, a wild card that could throw Darren for a loop again.
Carefully, Darren pulled out the sheet of papers Tim had given him, he was sure there were copies, placing the one with Charles' address on the top, folding them up before handing it to the little girl,
"Give this to your father for me," was all he signed, with a light grin, "tell him who gave it to you; you remember my name right, Renegade?" Darren's grin turned darker after she smiled and nodded before hurrying to perform her important grown-up task.
Your move Charles was all Darren thought as he turned—his leering smirk still in place—still perfectly balanced on the thin metal railing. Vanishing silently before the girl had even finished opening the glass sliding door.
The game was afoot.
A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter!
This was the "insert" chapter that I added between what was originally chapter 18 and chapter 19. Unfortunately, that means I leave you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger if I am remembering correctly lol, once I finish this 10-chapter block with Chapter 20, but I think it was important to have this chapter.
Initially, the latter half of this chapter would have been included later, but I felt that Charles and his threats had kind of been left alone for way too long and that Darren's conclusion that it had been Charles who let the information about his parentage slip wouldn't just come to him on a whim as I had it originally. It would be spurred by Tim's intel on him, and with the chapter, before being about Tim delving into that information it didn't make sense for him to just sit on it for that long...especially if he had a hunch about Darren's potential ulterior motives about why he wanted that info to begin with.
I also just had this scene playing out of Darren interacting with Charles' daughter and I couldn't get it out of my head and I really wanted to include that part along with Darren falling back on his Talon ways and initiating this "game." Whether or not Charles rises to the challenge issued by Darren through his own child stays up is up in the air and whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is also up in the air. On one hand, he could ignore the bait set by Darren, on the other hand, he is a father and has two children to worry about which can be a strong motivator as well. Darren doesn't know Charles and he has no idea how far he might go...Darren isn't even sure how far he can or will go regarding this "game" either.
Finally, the whole section of Darren being maskless was a) a nod to that Batman Beyond episode where Terry had a similar situation where he had to remove his mask in front of a kid and b) a plot point to allow that cryptic response from the kid about, to Darren, Slade. Will it be significant later...who knows?!
The intro of this chapter served as a segue for Tim to provide the intel, though I also thought it would be good to see how Darren was altering/shaping his training to wane himself off of killing and using lethal force while on patrol. I know there haven't been many chapters of Darren on patrol or being involved in the Bats' nightly actions and there is a method to my madness regarding that; but that will be addressed/central later on.
The section of Tim and Kon kind of came out of the blue...I wanted a chapter with Tim keeping tabs on Darren as he takes his little trip to Metropolis, but I didn't exactly know how to logically have him doing that. I also originally had Superman catching Darren trapezing around Metropolis at the end of this section but I wanted to leave the ending ambiguous and slightly off-kilter and having Superman would make things too goofy so I used Superboy as the means as to why Tim knew about Darren going to Metropolis. It was also to have that nice nitty-gritty emotional aspect and to get into Tim's mind as he tried to work out why Darren was so amped up about this one random individual.
In all, I hope you liked this chapter!
As always PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I would really like to see what you are all thinking and feeling regarding this story so far. Any review would make my day, the good and the bad! :)