"Are you sure the stores are open at this time? Isn't it too early?" asked Talia as she and Grayson walked through the daytime streets of Gotham City.
"I'm pretty sure. After all, most store managers plan to start work as early as possible to close before night comes." explained the acrobat with a small smile.
Talia nodded, accepting his explanation. The two did their best to ignore people's stares directed at them and at their uniforms.
It happened a couple of times that Nightwing had to physically restrain the daughter of the Demon's Head before she beat to death some passers-by who, either bravely or stupidly (Dick was pointing at the latter), had approached them with some unpleasant comment about their suits.
Dick noticed that Talia was staring fiercely at another passerby who was laughing at them. Quickly he grabbed her wrist and restrained himself from shuddering when he was now on the receiving end of the deadly glare.
The things I do to protect others.
"I know you were planning to kill him-" the vigilante began but was quickly interrupted.
"Badly injure him." she corrected him.
Dick raised an eyebrow, surprised and also slightly pleased that she did not intend to kill the poor unsuspecting man.
"But only because if I killed him I would attract too much attention and now we just don't need it." Talia explained as if she were reading his thoughts.
It makes much more sense now. Thought Dick slightly amused but exasperated.
"Anyway, I was saying that I can't let you kill him or seriously injure him. That would also attract too much unwanted attention. Even more than our costumes." finished the hero's explanation.
Talia took a few seconds to contemplate his words, and finally she nodded, though clearly reluctantly. A few seconds later she stared at him fiercely and Dick groaned inwardly. "You can take your grubby hands off me now." she growled.
Honestly, Nightwing had not noticed that he was still holding a hand on Talia's wrist, and after her words he lifted it away, awkwardly massaging the back of his head with a nervous smile as a small blush made its way onto his face. "Sorry, I didn't notice."
Talia rolled her eyes and muttered, probably something dismissive towards him.
Dick suppressed another sigh.
This is going to be a very long morning.
"Come on, let's go inside." Dick said once he and Talia stood in front of a clothing store.
A store that Dick never saw on his Earth but still remained a store.
Talia said nothing and walked past him, entering the store first. The last Flying Grayson looked up but followed her soon after.
No sooner had they walked through the door in front of them than a woman in her forties, brown eyes, good hair, and an overly broad smile arrived.
"Good morning!" she exclaimed before her eyes went wide when she noticed their costumes. "Those are really great costumes! Where did you get them?" she asked excitedly.
Talia's left eye twitched in a nervous tic. Not even five seconds had passed and already the urge was rising in her to kill this ignoramus.
Of course the sales clerk had to be so meddlesome and annoying.
"Don't you recognize our costumes?" asked the acrobat.
Talia noticed something different in the 21-year-old's tone of voice that she could not decipher and she looked at him, mentally wondering where he was going with his rather silly question in her opinion.
The sales clerk tilted her head to the side, looking at him questioningly. "No. Why, should I?"
"No no, sorry." Nightwing chuckled with an embarrassed giggle, shaking his head as he smiled at her, the white slits making him look kind despite him wearing his mask. "It's just that where we come from it's practically a tradition to dress rather... extravagantly, that is." he finished with another small laugh.
Talia restrained herself from staring at him with a raised eyebrow before mentally scolding herself.
They had not thought of a cover story to run in case someone was too nosy like this woman.
She only hoped that this saleswoman would not ask any more awkward questions.
"We are just here for a change of clothes since we are in a hurry. You know, it's quite uncomfortable the stares that passersby give us." continued Richard with a casual shrug, the smile still present.
Fortunately, the woman nodded, accepting his explanation. "Well, then you are in the right store. Have a look around." she said and with one last smile she dismissed them.
As soon as she left Dick looked at Talia with a look that clearly said he would have to tell her something next. In response Talia nodded abruptly at him and Richard smiled. "Well then. So we'll split up and meet again in... how about half an hour?"
Ra's daughter nodded briefly, neutral about the newly established time. "As for clothes for Wilson?"
"I suspect he's the same or similar size as Bruce." affirmed the first Robin with a shrug. "So I'll get him those."
"Good."
She turned on her heels ready to visit the store when Richard took her wrist again, his smile half amused half serious. "Don't kill or maim anyone."
Talia growled and slapped his hand. "Don't touch me!" she said instead of giving him an affirmation or something.
Dick snorted a laugh but quickly removed his hand.
Talia did not give him time to say anything else to her that she walked away muttering under her breath.
Grayson and his silly and useless mania for tact!
Eventually Dick and Talia met again exactly half an hour later, as scheduled. The daughter of the Demon Head was carrying two bags while the Wayne eldest son had twice as many and also three rather large and spacious suitcases.
How he managed to carry all that stuff Talia did not know.
The same saleswoman from before raised an eyebrow as she passed the different items of clothing that were meant to be used by Slade to the cashier. "Don't you think these are too loose and big for you?" she asked, turning to the acrobat.
This time it was Talia who answered her, if only to try to get her to shut her damn mouth.
Not even Grayson's continuous and constant chattering was so unbearable and annoying, and that said a lot.
"They're not for him but for a... friend of ours." she said practically forcing herself to get the last word out as if she wasn't spitting venom or something.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw an amused smile on Grayson's face and she was really tempted to slap him but restrained herself.
After all, there was always a next time.
The blonde nodded and resumed talking incessantly and Talia practically blocked her words.
They were not even worth a tenth of her time.
Continuing to smile, the former Robin grabbed his wallet and paid for all the clothes. A short time later the two stood outside the store as they carried all the bags.
"Do we have to go back to that shack now?" asked Talia, unable to keep the annoyance from seeping out of her voice.
"We can always change on the rooftops so no one sees us." he casually shrugged.
She stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me." she said impassively.
"No but if you want to go back then that's fine. It's all the same to me."
When Talia did not respond Nightwing shrugged again and began walking toward the direction of their momentary refuge.
"Wait!"
Dick turned his gaze with a smirk, as if he knew what she was going to say, and Talia gritted her teeth before sighing deeply.
I can't believe I'm about to say this.
"Your idea is not... so bad."
The Bludhaven vigilante looked as if he was about to tease her but then changed his mind at the last. "Fine." he said instead. "We just need to find an alley where no one can see us climb up and then come down from the rooftops."
"Like that?" asked Talia, tilting her head sideways toward an alley several meters away from them.
Dick turned to stare at it and then returned to look at her with a small smile. "Like that." he agreed with a nod.
In a few minutes the two reached that alley, which fortunately for them was empty. Talia turned to Grayson when he threw something at her. She caught it easily and quickly discovered that it was a grappling hook. When her eyes were set on Batman's first protégé again he had another grappling hook.
"Do you always carry two grappling hooks with you?" she asked even though she knew that was a rather idiotic question on her part.
"Always. Once again: Bat paranoia." he smiled at her.
Talia couldn't help but snort in amusement before she glared at him. "We'll do one at a time, and there's no question about that." she asserted fiercely.
Dick raised his hands peacefully as he stowed his grappling hook in his utility belt. "I am sincerely offended that you think so little of me. I would never look." he declared seriously.
Talia did not doubt his words half a time.
Of course she did not express her thoughts aloud (may his ego become even bigger than it already is!) and without saying anything she shot the grappling hook toward the roof.
Within five minutes Dick and Talia emerged from the alley dressed in civilian clothes and their uniforms stowed in suitcases carried by Richard.
"Well? What did you want to tell me?"
The last Flying Grayson looked at her confused for a few seconds before remembering and nodding more to himself than to the woman. "Right. The fact that neither she nor the passersby recognized me is an important fact."
"Get straight to the point and avoid your enigmatic talk!" snapped Talia.
Dick bit his tongue and when he was sure she would not insult her in six different languages he answered her after a sigh of patience. "I am beginning to think that in this world Nightwing does not exist."
Talia remained silent contemplating on Grayson's statement but could not understand what he was getting at. "So?" she asked reluctantly, hating that she did not come to the conclusion.
"So I thought there were two options. Either I never became Robin and therefore there were never any other hero kids, or heroes don't exist at all."
"Or you died while you were still Robin and before you became Nightwing." she added with a grin.
Dick looked at her grimly but could not deny her idea. "Damn it, Talia. I love you too!" he bit back sarcastically.
Talia sent him a sharp smile before turning serious. "We should do some research on the heroes that exist in this world to see who can help us." she said with a sigh at the end of her words.
"You're right. We should do some later. Now I think we can go back to the shelter."
"What? And the food?"
"Quite frankly, we don't know how much food we need and how much we can take back to the shelter. We don't know how long we will be there and I don't want to waste more money than we have unnecessarily. So I simply opt to go and have lunch and dinner at some restaurant." he shrugged.
Talia could not fight against that logic, yet she was still angry and looked at him grimly. "So we changed for nothing?"
"Would you have liked to go back with all the people giving us strange looks?" he asked impassively.
Talia growled annoyed but did not answer, merely crossing her arms.
She hated it when Grayson was right but she hated it even more when he smiled cheekily at her.
"Careful, Talia. Don't pout." hummed Dick happily as they walked back.
"I don't pout Grayson! Don't talk nonsense!"
"If you say so."
When Dick and Talia returned to the shelter Slade was already there waiting for them.
"Well? What have you been up to?" asked Dick as he and Talia set their bags and suitcases down around the building.
In response Deathstroke silently placed some items on the coffee table with a smirk. Curious Dick and Talia walked over to take a closer look.
There were three earphones, a sword (presumably for Talia), some firearms (for Slade himself and Talia), three disposable phones with no internet connection, and, to top it off, three different passports.
"How did you get all this back in such a short time?" asked Talia distractedly as she analyzed her new sword and then nodded in appreciation.
"Some things don't require an answer, Talia." said Slade, his one eye shining mysteriously.
Dick was flipping through the fake passports and almost choked with his own saliva. He looked up shocked at his former mentor, his cheeks slightly flushed. "What the fuck Slade?"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"What's going on Grayson?" asked Talia with a raised eyebrow and Dick motioned for her to see the passports, which she did.
A few seconds later the scene changed to Dick Grayson having to physically block Talia Al Ghul from killing Slade Wilson with her new sword (just bought or stolen by Slade himself by the way), which is not easy since he himself also wished the super soldier dead.
"I will kill you in the slowest and most painful way possible, Wilson!" growled Talia fiercely, her green eyes glowing dangerously. "Let me go Grayson!"
Slade was completely unperturbed by the sword Talia was waving at him and instead gave a smirk. "What?" he repeated innocently.
Talia emitted several animalistic growls as she was still being held back by the first Robin. "Talia says why the heck did you do that."
"Since when did you know how to translate Talianese?" the mercenary asked amused.
"It's quite similar to Damianese." replied the acrobat simply.
Slade stared at Dick with a smirk. "Mr. Mark White." then shifted his gaze to the infuriated Talia. "Ellen Robinson or Ellen White, wife of Mr. Mark White." Slade ignored two different growls and pointed himself. "James Robinson, father of Ellen Robinson." he concluded, clearly pleased with himself.
"Slade." spoke Dick in a calm and very controlled voice.
Emphasis on the very.
"Yes kiddo?"
"Why did you think, for our cover story, that Talia and I being married was a good idea?"
"Because it's our best chance. As you like to keep saying, I'm too old, ergo I can't be Talia's husband so that leaves you." replied Slade easily but it was obvious he was hiding another reason.
For now Dick ignored it. "And couldn't all three of us just be friends instead of a dysfunctional family?"
Slade stared at him impassively. "You know too that this is our best story we can come up with."
"Allow me to disagree!" growled Talia but finally she stopped fighting Dick who released her slowly while keeping an eye on her. "Why do I have to be the one to get the worst of it? How in the hell can you even think that I could marry a dumb imbecile like him!" she pointed furiously at Grayson who looked at her impassively.
"Pointing fingers is very rude."
She ignored him. "And to have a blind idiot like you as my father?" finished the woman with a snarl.
"If I had chosen to pretend to be Richard's father he would have literally kicked me in the nuts." declared Slade impassively.
"You're damn right, old man."
Talia clenched her teeth so tightly that both men feared they might break. Finally Talia took a deep breath, stared with a deadly glare at the mercenary, and spoke.
"If I attempt to kill you, it is solely your fault, Wilson."
With that said she spun on her heels before the super soldier could even respond and she turned away.
"You'll have to stop her yourself, Slade. I don't have the mental energy to stop her." Nightwing warned him with an amused smile.
Slade huffed. "She can try."
"Slade." Dick waited for the older man to look at him before continuing to speak. "I know you have another reason why you decided to pretend that Talia and I were married."
Deathstroke's gray eye shone with an emotion that the acrobat could not register. "You'll find out soon enough, kiddo." he patted his former student on the back and he too walked away, leaving the former Robin alone, who sighed.
"I'm going to need to see a psychologist after all this shit. Facing Slade and Talia is too much."
"I heard you!"
After having lunch at a restaurant (and Dick considered it a victory since no one was killed in the process) the three literally traveled all over Gotham in search of a computer they could use freely.
Nothing.
Not even at the library.
When Slade proposed stealing one he received a dirty look and from that moment on it was no longer an option.
When night fell Nightwing, Talia and Deathstroke scattered across the rooftops of Gotham looking for Batman or any other vigilante.
So far no one spotted a sign of the Bat or anyone else.
Talia landed on a rooftop thanks to the grappling hook Grayson gave her, and before she jumped onto yet another, she stopped suddenly when she heard a female scream along with more high-pitched, childlike screams coming from below.
Talia approached the edge of the roof and looked out.
What she saw made her eyes go wide and she shakily brought a hand to the earpiece Wilson had borrowed (or probably stolen).
"I found Batman." she said, somehow managing to keep the fear out of her voice.
"Finally! I was getting tired of playing bunny from rooftop to rooftop!" grunted Deathstroke.
She said nothing and remained silent. Nightwing was the first to realize that something was wrong and called her sincerely concerned. "Talia?"
"Batman just killed a woman and her children."
