"We should get out of Gotham."

Dick Grayson and Talia Al Ghul stared at Slade Wilson with the same confused look. "Because of this Batman?" speculated the acrobat.

The mercenary grunted. "It's been two days and your wounds have healed pretty much completely or so. We were lucky that Batman didn't find us."

"Perhaps because he too had wounds to heal from that were far more severe than ours." the last Flying Grayson pointed out with a smug, proud grin.

The older man raised his one eye but did not deny it. "Very likely." he agreed with a sigh. "But we don't know how long he will be out of the loop or if he doesn't have other allies he can count on."

"Unfortunately, we know nothing about this world except that Batman is an unscrupulous villain." declared Talia with a heavy frown on her face, clearly displeased with their very little information.

"Exactly. We need to solve this information gap." nodded Slade. "And that's why I went out earlier to go steal a fucking computer."

"Slade." sighed Dick wearily in a warning tone but was immediately interrupted by his own former mentor.

"It's either that or we keep staying in this world not knowing shit about it." growled Deathstroke annoyed, looking at him grimly.

"I hate to admit it but Wilson is right, Richard. This is our best guiding action to follow." said Talia pressing her lips into a straight line.

"Besides, it's not like I killed anyone." Slade added.

Nightwing twisted his lips but it was clear that this was a 1-on-2 battle that he could not win. He gave a surrendered sigh and waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. Well? Where is this computer? I didn't see you coming with it." he asked, looking around briefly before returning to stare at the older man.

"That's just the thing. In this godforsaken town, there's no fucking electronics store." grunted Slade angrily.

Dick and Talia blinked in surprise. "Are you saying the whole city doesn't have a computer?" asked Talia frowning, her tone of voice incredulous and skeptical.

The mercenary merely grunted and nodded abruptly.

"It seems strange to me that there isn't even a computer." Talia commented, squinting. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Are you calling me a liar?" hissed Slade in a low voice as he advanced menacingly toward Talia, his gray eye flashing dangerously.

Talia was not intimidated by the other assassin and met him head-on and proud. "Maybe. Are you?"

The two assassins had come within a short distance of each other but were separated by Dick who stepped between the two (again). "That's enough. Both of you." he began, casting glances at his allies. "Back off. Now."

Reluctantly they obeyed him and took a few steps back. The hero of Bludhaven nodded in satisfaction before looking at Talia. "Talia, I know Slade is not exactly the type you can trust unconditionally," he ignored the mercenary's indignant protest. "but in this particular situation we find ourselves in Slade has no reason to lie. He wants to return to our Earth just as we do, so I'm just asking you for a little more trust in him."

Talia crossed her arms but said nothing and stared at the younger man with a look that clearly said she was still not fully sure.

The vigilante sighed and decided to go with Plan B.

Dick looked at her with his puppy-dog eyes. "If not for him then do it for me."

Talia's protest died in her throat when she saw Richard's baby blues and she sighed in defeat. "All right." she grumbled disgruntledly, mentally cursing herself for the 100 percent effectiveness of those damn puppy-dog eyes.

How the hell could she have said no?

Dick sent her a bright smile, making her heart beat slightly faster. "Thank you Talia." he thanked her sincerely.

Talia silently scoffed but looked away, unable for some strange reason to hold a candle to Richard's bright blue eyes.

Slade watched their exchange with an amused smirk, his eye twinkling knowingly. He lost his smile when Richard turned to him, pointing a finger at his chest.

"And you need to work on your temper! You can't explode over every little thing!" the first Robin chastised him sternly.

"Yes mom." Slade sarcastically rolled his eye.

The acrobat's glare increased a notch and Deathstroke raised his hands in mock surrender.

"You can't lecture me about my temper when your temper is legendary." casually observed the mercenary.

Dick squinted his eyes. "We're talking about your temperament, not mine." he said without denying the super soldier's statement.

Slade sighed. "All right, I'll try to control my temper." Dick still looked suspicious and wary, and he growled. "I promise on my mercenary honor. Happy now?"

"I am now." nodded the acrobat contentedly and arrogantly.

Slade was already feeling the urge to strangle his former student.

"So where do you think we should go?" asked Talia to the mercenary.

The super soldier shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, I don't have a specific destination. How about you?"

The room dropped into a brief silence that was broken by the former Robin. "What do you think about New York?"

Talia pondered for a couple of seconds before nodding slowly. "It's neither too close nor too far from Gotham. I think it might be okay."

"Fine with me." grunted the older man.

"Then it's settled." Dick smiled, clapping his hands. "New York it is. Let's start preparing everything we need for the trip."


Dick Grayson, Talia Al Ghul, and Slade Wilson, or rather say Mark White, Ellen Robinson/Ellen White, and James Robinson, arrived in front of a hotel in New York City thanks to a cab whose driver did not blink at either Slade's menacing appearance with the blindfold or Talia's cold stare.

Dick had to give it to him.

Even if that was one of the quietest and most embarrassing trips Dick had ever had the displeasure of participating in. Unfortunately, his allies were not the best conversationalists in the world, and the taxi driver seemed even worse.

And that was saying a lot.

Eventually the strange trio, after paying the driver, arrived in front of the hotel reception where there were several managers and one of them, a man in his late twenties, walked up to them to greet them.

"We wanted to book three-" Dick did not finish his sentence when he was interrupted by his former mentor.

"Two rooms for a whole month, if possible, sir." Slade finished with the kindest smile he could offer the receptionist. "You know, we are from Europe and my daughter and her husband particularly wanted to visit New York and since I am very close to both of them I personally paid for the trip." he commented casually, a lazy smile on his face.

Both Talia and Dick stared coldly at the mercenary before a bright smile appeared on the acrobat's face. "That's right." he fastened an arm around Talia's waist, drawing her slightly to him.

They both felt something move in their chests but ignored it, concentrating on making the act as convincing as possible.

Forcing herself not to maim Richard's arm, Talia gave a forced smile. "I'm lucky that my husband and father get along." she said, gritting her teeth as she continued to smile feignedly.

The man gave a small smile before swallowing nervously at the older man, probably a little frightened by his right eye patch and menacing build, and typed on the computer in front of him.

Meanwhile, both Dick and Talia were casting glances at Slade who whistled innocently, pretending not to be aware of their wish for his death.

"Sorry sirs but there is only one bedroom left." the receptionist said apologetically after checking in.

Slade quickly lost his smile and his gray eye flashed angrily, which frightened the poor man but he was soon rescued by the last Flying Grayson.

"All right, we'll take that one." he smiled reassuringly.

Now Dick was the recipient of two deadly glares but his allies did not contradict him and Richard gave their fake passports to the receptionist who checked them and finally after a few minutes nodded and returned it to them.

After Dick paid the amount and also received the key to their room, the three headed for the elevator and entered it. As soon as it closed Slade turned sharply to stare at Dick but he beat him to the spot.

"Would you have preferred to go to another hotel without a guarantee that there were vacant rooms?" he asked without even looking at him.

Deathstroke did not answer and the elevator ride was spent in complete silence. Dick thought about breaking it, maybe with a joke or something, but Talia's glare changed his mind and he shut his mouth tightly, rolling his eyes as the daughter of the Demon's Head nodded self-satisfied.

Slade huffed out a laugh but muffled it as a cough when he received a deadly look from Talia.

Eventually to the great relief of the Bludhaven vigilante the elevator doors opened and they came wandering out into the corridors.

134... 135... 136... 137!

Dick stopped in front of their room and launched a short prayer to whatever deity existed praying that there would be two beds and a couch.

Hell, he would even rather sleep on the floor than with Slade or Talia with the risk that they might kill him during the night.

The Dark Knight's first protégé took a deep breath and slipped the key into the lock of the door, which opened almost immediately. After they entered with Dick closing the door behind them, the three took a brief tour of the room.

There were two bathrooms (much to the relief of the Demon Head's daughter), a small living room with a medium-sized television with even a laptop computer (much to the happiness of all three) but the worst part was that there was only a double bed and only one couch.

Dick, Talia and Slade remained frozen in place and a silence fell in the room that stretched a little too long.

"I'll take the couch!" yelled Slade, throwing his suitcase on the couch claiming it as his own.

Talia shook her head awakening from her sudden trance and cast the deadliest glance she could at the mercenary. "Absolutely not! I will not sleep in bed with him!" she hissed dangerously, pointing at Grayson as if he were garbage to be thrown away.

Dick ignored the woman's barely veiled insult and looked imploringly at the older man who was staring at them openly amused. "Please! Let me have the couch!" he pleaded, crossing his hands in prayer.

"NO! The couch is mine!" growled Talia.

Slade lay down on the couch and crossed his legs, throwing them a cocky grin. "No to either of them." then he looked seriously at his former student. "Don't you dare give me your puppy-dog eyes. I'll fall asleep if you do."

Dick pouted. "Please?"

"No."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"You're an asshole, you know that?" growled Talia in Deathstroke's direction.

The mercenary smiled broadly. "I know."

Talia tightened her lips thoughtfully. "If I said please would you let me have the couch?"

"No."

"I'll be Renegade for two weeks!" Dick offered hopefully and desperately.

Slade raised a surprised eyebrow.

This... he had not expected this.

Richard must have been truly desperate if he made this offer. However, no matter how tempting it might be, he could not accept it.

Slade had set himself a task and he would be damned if he did not complete it. After all, his mission was getting slightly better by the day.

"No."

"One month."

"No."

"Fuck you."

"Thanks kiddo."

Dick growled, raised his hands in exasperation, and threw his suitcase on the bed. "You win!"

"What? No!" Talia's head snapped toward the 21-year-old. "Don't even try! Just because we have reached half an understanding that does not mean I will share my personal space with you!"

"You are husband and wife. I see nothing strange in that." commented Slade innocently, turning his head just in time to dodge the knife thrown by Talia. "Missed!" he asserted smugly receiving a dangerous growl from Talia.

"Do you want me to sleep on the floor?" asked Dick impassively, stoically raising an eyebrow.

Alfred would be so proud of him right now.

Talia was surprised by his offer for a moment but finally she nodded sharply as she too threw her suitcase on the bed.

Slade stared at Richard. "Don't tell me you're going to do that." he asked bewildered.

The acrobat shrugged in response. "I've slept in worse places."

The mercenary grunted.

This was not in his plans.

Screw them all.

"That's not important right now." continued the first Robin as he sat down in front of the computer. The hero motioned the two assassins to approach them as he began typing on the laptop.

Dick craned his neck noisily, a smirk present between his lips.

"Let's find out what the hell happened in this world."