"It was Bruce Wayne who killed his parents."
The shocking revelation made Dick recoil as if he had been slapped in the face. Talia and Slade were also shocked by the other Al Ghul's words.
"W-what?" finally managed to stammer out Dick when his mouth was again working to get the words out.
Emerald sighed, quickly realizing that the three were not aware of this information. "I don't know the exact reason why Bruce did it but I am 100 percent sure. Somehow he also managed to blame it on Joe Chill who happened to be passing by. Joe was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Involuntary shivers ran down the back of the acrobat who had to fight hard against the urge to regurgitate the previous day's dinner.
Just the thought of Bruce, his father, willingly killing his own parents was enough to make him feel sick. Especially since he knew how hard the loss of his parents hit his father who never got over their death.
And this Bruce Wayne, a fucking monster who did not deserve to live, did one of the most despicable acts that can exist in the world.
God, Dick knew this world was fucked up but not that it was fucked up to this fucking extent.
And judging by the faces of horror on his allies' faces, the first Robin knew they felt the same way.
Dick mentally thanked Talia that she was still holding him up, otherwise he was sure his legs would have given out in the face of this horrifying and, to say the least, shocking news.
A horrifying and frightening thought hovered in the mind of the acrobat, who stared at Emerald with wide eyes. "So Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox and Leslie Thompkins are...?" he could not finish the sentence but the question was obvious.
"Yes. Bruce killed them too."
Dick felt cold in every inch of his body and thought he might vomit at any moment.
"That's not all." Emerald affirmed with a sigh. "During his later teenage years, as I think you know, he traveled all over the world to train in every field possible. My father Ra's Al Ghul, the former Angel's Head, was one of his main mentors as he saw good and potential in him, thinking Bruce could become a great hero."
It was unnerving and very strange for Dick to hear about a good, non-murderous Ra's Al Ghul who was not dedicated to his extravagant plans to change the world.
Judging by the looks on Slade and Talia's faces, they felt the same way.
Emerald shook her head, her green eyes filled with sadness and pain that made Richard's heart clench painfully. "It was his biggest mistake." she murmured softly.
"As soon as Bruce had finished his training under Ra's guidance, he killed my father and ran away like a coward!" Emerald's eyes darkened with an anger and vengeance that Dick knew very well.
She reminded him of himself in his early days at Wayne Manor, consumed by a thirst for revenge against Tony Zucco.
"So I stepped up and became the Angel's Head that my trained men needed." Emerald continued more calmly, her gaze fixed on a random spot as if she were reliving her own past.
"I suppose you only found out that Wayne was the murderer of his own parents later." Talia speculated easily.
Emerald stared at her own dimensional counterpart and nodded. "Yes, otherwise my father would not have trained him." she furiously clenched her fists. "Use everything you have learned from your mentors for your own selfish purposes." she shook her head in disgust.
For a brief moment a silence fell in the room.
"Not to be rude or anything, but do you know a way to get us back to our universe?" asked Slade, deciding to change the subject for the sake of both the Talia of this world and his former student.
Emerald stared at the mercenary, a look similar to bewilderment in her eyes. "You can't leave already!"
"Excuse me?" asked Dick confusedly.
"You three have done what the League of the Revolution has never been able to do: beat the Injustice League! You are our only hope to rid the world of their influence!"
"Listen girl, we didn't come to this fucking world just to play heroes! We were only catapulted here because of a fucking sorcerer or some such asshole, not by our own will!" growled Slade annoyedly, staring hard at Emerald.
"Wilson is right. We need to return to our world as soon as possible, and if you can't help us then tell us without mincing words." huffed Talia, casting her a cold glare.
When the acrobat said nothing the two assassins looked at Richard who was biting his lip nervously. "Don't tell me you're seriously thinking about it kiddo!"
"I'm a hero! I can't let the bad guys win, even if it's in another world!" defended Dick.
"This is not your world Richard. You took an oath to protect the people of our world, not another. You are by no means forced to play the hero in a world that owes you nothing." pointed out Talia.
"I am not playing the part of a hero, Talia! I am a hero!" hissed Nightwing angrily, staring grimly at the woman who was still holding him up.
And now that he thought about it, it wasn't exactly his best idea.
Talia let out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't mean it that way, Richard."
"What about your family?" asked Slade coldly, making the vigilante flinch. "You are needlessly prolonging the suffering of your father, your siblings, your friends, and the fucking Justice League!
"How do you think Wayne is reacting to your disappearance?" Deathstroke ignored Emerald's angry hiss. "We both know that if anything is going to lead your adoptive father to cross that line, it's really you. Do you really want to keep making your family think you're dead or something?"
The vigilante gasped but before he could answer Emerald looked at him with fire in her eyes. "Is that creep Bruce Wayne your father?"
Dick gave her a deadly glare that made her wince from the intensity of the lethal glare. "This Bruce Wayne might be a monster but my Bruce Wayne is the best man I've ever known and he's as much my father as my biological father is, if not more. You have every reason in the world to be pissed off at Bruce but don't take your anger out on an alternate version of him that you don't even know."
The Angel's Head gasped chastenedly and looked away embarrassed. Dick did not feel bad about this.
Call him mean but no one can insult his father except him and his family.
Richard sighed and posed a question addressing Emerald directly. "So? Do you know a way to send us back to our world or not?"
She returned her gaze to the 21-year-old and pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "We have some of the smartest people in the world. Perhaps they could be of help." she stated, disconsolate that she cannot use their help that is their best chance to eliminate the Injustice League.
Dick nodded, "Good. While your people are working to help us return to our Earth, we will help you defeat the Injustice League."
Talia and Slade's heads snapped toward him, horrified. "WHAT?"
The acrobat ignored them, dwelling instead on how Emerald's green eyes brightened considerably.
It was very nice to see a non-murderous Talia, who never suffered the same things his Talia suffered, so smiling and bright.
"Really?" asked the Angel Head excitedly, hope coloring her tone of voice.
The first Robin nodded with a gentle smile. "I'm sure it will be a long time before your people will be able to get us back to our Earth. In the meantime we can lend you a hand, perhaps advise you on some tactics to use against the Injustice League or, should we face them again, defeat them definitively. That sounds like a fair trade to me." he shrugged.
"Kiddo, this is a real monarchy. Don't we have to consult or something first?" asked Slade, raising an eyebrow.
"While we're waiting do you want to stay here and twiddle your thumbs without being sure if we're actually going to make it back home?" retorted the former Robin.
The super soldier annoyed clicked his tongue. "I hate it when you're right."
Talia sighed. "I suppose this is our best course of action."
Emerald's eyes shone with a bright light (and for a brief moment Dick thought how wonderful it would be to see that look on his Talia's face) and she ran toward the acrobat.
Air escaped Dick's lungs as Emerald slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his stomach. "Thank you Richard!"
Dick smiled sweetly and returned the hug with one arm, gently patting her back. "You're welcome, Talia."
Talia narrowed her eyes menacingly as a strange feeling made its way inside her threatening to erupt with more force and violence than a volcano.
She had never experienced such a feeling but whatever it was she did not like it.
For some strange reason she did not like seeing Emerald embrace Richard, even though she was her dimensional counterpart in this world.
Talia could practically feel her blood boiling with anger and another unknown feeling like never before.
With a fierce snarl Talia pushed Emerald backward, ignoring Richard who raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Watch out for his ribs!" she snapped, missing Slade's knowing smirk.
Emerald staggered backward but instead of getting angry with her dimensional counterpart she stared at Dick, an apologetic expression in her green eyes. "I sincerely apologize Richard! I had forgotten about your injuries!"
Dick waved his hand sweeping her apology, a charming, gentle, reassuring smile between his lips. "Don't worry, Talia. I've been through a lot worse." he reassured her.
Talia growled silently when she saw Emerald blush at Richard's gaze. She did not like at all the look that this harlot (had she just insulted herself?) was giving Richard.
Talia would keep an eye on her for the preservation of Richard's physical and emotional well-being.
No other reason was included of course.
"Please follow me. I will introduce you to the best of the League of the Revolution."
Dick, Talia, and Slade followed Emerald who, as they walked along the huge castle in which they now resided, greeted every single guard they encountered. After a few minutes the four of them heard voices coming from one particular room, a kind of huge living room.
As soon as Emerald stepped into the room the buzzing stopped and everyone looked in their direction. "Come on, folks! Introduce yourselves to those who single-handedly managed to stop the entire Injustice League!" incited the woman with a smile.
"No need for that, Talia." said Dick and in front of the confused looks of her and the others he explained. "We already know them."
"Right. Dimensional travel." nodded Emerald.
"Did you say dimensional travel, Talia?" asked a bald man in his 40s confusedly.
The three travelers advanced and the others approached them.
"Lex Luthor." called Dick in the direction of the bald man who nodded.
"Also known as IronTechn." declared Lex with a smile.
The smile on the face of the billionaire who was a self-centered egomaniac from them caught them briefly off guard before Dick continued.
"Harleen Quinzel."
The psychiatrist smiled and waved a hand in their direction with a happy smile on her face. "You can also call me Vitality."
"Floyd Lawton."
"Shot Down at your service." he winked playfully.
"Pamela Isley."
"Natural Entity." the red-haired botanist introduced herself with a warm smile.
"Jonathan Crane."
"You can just call me John or Ghost, whichever you prefer."
"Sandra Woosan." continued Dick, this time with a warm smile when he saw his (dimensional counterpart) former mentor.
Sandra noticed it and genuinely returned the smile. "Call me Lady Crimson, boy."
"Victor Fries."
"Iceman."
Dick then could not stop the grimace that came out. "Bane."
The asshole who broke my father's back even though it isn't really him.
If the burly, muscular man noticed it he did not comment. "Strong Masked."
Dick's eyes went wide as he came to the last person. White hair, clearly ex-military bearing, no patch over his right eye but two very familiar gray eyes.
"Slade Wilson."
"When I'm in the field go ahead and call me Red Knight, kiddo." he said even though his attention was clearly on the other Slade who returned the stare.
Dick sighed and rubbed his temples.
I'm going to have to live with super-villains that I fight with on a regular basis. This is a disaster, heavy on the dis.