To say that Talia Al Ghul was shocked by Richard's words was the understatement of the year. She was ready for anything but this.
She thought Renegade was just a replacement for Ravager, Wilson's firstborn who died because of a contract he failed to complete, just as Richard was just a replacement for Grant.
Now she knew she could not have been more wrong.
Not only was it obvious to her now that Wilson really cared about Richard, was very protective of him and stared at him as if he were his sunshine but from what she had just heard Renegade was far more skilled and prepared than Ravager.
Talia could not believe his words. Richard had not gone into details but still his words moved something in Talia's cold heart.
Richard had seen his parents die in front of him when he was only seven years old.
Richard had been kidnapped and killed by the Court of Owls when he was only seven years old and later turned into a Talon.
Richard had been brainwashed so that he would carry out any order of the Court without any hesitation.
Richard had been tortured and brutally trained for three years since he was seven years old.
Talia was many things: a ruthless murderer, a manipulator and other things but she marked a line not to be crossed when it came to children.
The Court of Owls was truly a ruthless, brutal criminal organization without any morals or scruples.
It was absolutely disgusting to Talia who felt her stomach churn abruptly at the mere thought of what the child in front of her went through.
Talia stared at Richard and she felt something make its way inside her. A kind of warmth that she could not identify and that she had never felt before.
Her first thought was to wrap her arms around Richard and protect him from all the badness in the world that unfortunately he had already suffered. Which was absolutely surprising and unthinkable since she was the daughter of the Demon Head.
What the hell is the child doing to me? Am I really softening in such a short time?
But then Talia continued to study Richard carefully and despite the mask that hid his eyes she knew that they concealed a vast amount of pain, horror and suffering that no child should ever have to see and endure.
It is a real miracle that Richard is standing in front of her at that moment instead of being a brainless murderous zombie that he mentioned earlier.
Is it possible that the credit belongs to Wilson?
She found her own thought ridiculous and absurd but then she remembered the protective streak Deathstroke showed toward his apprentice -no, his son- and she really began to believe that perhaps indeed Wilson was able to help Richard come to his senses in one way or another.
She felt an escalating anger she had never felt before toward those sick bastards of the Court of Owls overwhelm her like nothing ever has before at the thought of Richard broken because of them. She also felt a strong protective instinct toward the child in front of her.
For the first time ever in her life Talia Al Ghul screwed the rational and coldly analytical part of her mind, choosing instead the emotional one. So she listened to her earlier thoughts and suddenly knelt down to Richard's level and hugged him tightly.
Dick did not know what to do when Talia merely stared at him silently for a few minutes, absorbed in her own thoughts. He became even more confused and surprised when he saw her kneeling at his own level and the next thing he knew he was pressed against the assassin's chest.
His first instinct that ran through his whole body and mind was to easily slip out of her grasp and shoot or stab her in some vital organ. Or non-vital, if he was feeling particularly generous.
Somehow he managed to resist his own impulses -which he was quite proud of himself for having succeeded- and his brain needed a few seconds to process and understand what the hell was going on.
Talia fucking Al Ghul was hugging him.
I must be dreaming, right? Because it can't be true. And I'm pretty sure it's not some mind game.
Slade had described to him that Talia was almost as ruthless and manipulative as her father but had also told him that it was because of how Ra's had treated her.
Dick's hatred of Ra's grew even more as he felt sadness and compassion toward Talia.
She was just a product of the League of Assassins and certainly did not deserve to be born and raised there, knowing only violence and death, and to have a bastard parent like Ra's who did not care for her at all and who only treated her as if she were an expendable pawn within his chessboard.
Yet in spite of this Talia was embracing him after he told her in general lines about his life.
There is still hope in her. Dick thought confidently to himself.
Eventually his muscles relaxed and he melted into Talia's arms, beginning to love the warmth and comfort that comes with it.
Talia's hug was awkward -and it was sadly and painfully obvious that no one had ever hugged her- and her awkwardness reminded him of Slade's. Although neither murderer was the more experienced in the area of feeling and initiating physical contact, both did so with Dick.
He thus focused exclusively on the feeling of warmth, love and protection that somehow the woman managed to convey.
...Not a bad first hug.
Talia did not know what the heck she was doing and why she was doing it but it did not matter so much to her.
Hugging Richard seemed like the right thing for her to do, no matter if she sucked at feelings and gestures of affection.
Finally they broke away and Talia crossed her arms, looking away. "Don't tell anyone about this or I'll cut your throat."
Dick chuckled, knowing full well that it was just an empty threat and her way of keeping her reputation as a ruthless emotionless killer intact. "Crystal."
"Good." Talia nodded to him abruptly and motioned for him to follow her. "I'll take you to meet someone."
The acrobat arched an eyebrow under his mask as he followed her. "Is that so? You're not going to make me face like 30 ninja assassins to see what level I'm at and then report it to Ra's?"
Talia stared at him briefly before grunting and continuing walking. "I don't need that proof to confirm how skilled you are." she said without even asking him how he knew.
"Really?"
"Really." she confirmed. "There are some rumors circulating that you are more brutal and ruthless than even your mentor." she said casually.
Dick's mind involuntarily flew back to the one episode in which he had failed to keep his own fury and control at bay and how it had given even fucking Deathstroke nightmares.
"I didn't believe it before because, you know, it's hard to believe that a child could be scarier than a mercenary of Wilson's caliber." Talia continued, unaware of the emotional mess Richard was in at that moment. "But now I'm beginning to change my mind."
Renegade did not know how to respond to her and he simply gave her a polite nod. Talia understood that he did not want to talk about it and remained silent until they arrived at a more secluded place away from prying eyes and met the person she wanted him to meet.
"Talia." Lady Shiva nodded to her and her gaze shifted to the 11-year-old girl beside her friend. A look of recognition flashed in her eyes. "Renegade. Or would you rather be called Richard, boy?"
"When I'm in uniform, I'd prefer Renegade." the acrobat replied distractedly, staring at the deadliest woman in the world in front of him aka Sandra Woosan aka Lady Shiva.
"Sandra, how would you like to personally test our host?"
Dick's head snapped toward the daughter of the Demon Head, the split of his mask wide open. "What?"
"League assassins would be too easy for you to take down." Talia began to explain with a slight smile. "So I would like to test your fighting skills through Sandra in a fight without weapons and gadgets."
"Why not you?" Lady Shiva asked with a growing knowing smirk.
Talia stared at her impassively. "I wouldn't want to humiliate our guest too much."
"Certainly. We all believe in your motivation." drawled the world's deadliest woman sarcastically. Before Talia could retort she continued. "However, I accept. You boy?" she asked with a defiant smile aimed at Dick.
Dick bit his lip, thoughtful.
He was now aware that he was one of the best fighters in the world and one of the deadliest and most deadly despite his young age. But to face the best fighter in the world in a fight with no weapons and only fighting skills?
The only thing that can save him will be his superhuman physical abilities.
It will be a disaster. Heavy on the dis.
"I accept."
Renegade's back slammed hard into the ground again by courtesy of Lady Shiva.
"That's enough."
He got back up with an irritated sigh and stared at Sandra wiping the blood from her split lip.
Dick knew Lady Shiva would kick his ass and indeed she did but at least he had managed to get a few hits on her.
He was a little proud of himself for that fact.
"Not bad for a meta-human kid." Lady Shiva approached him and extended a hand. "I admit I am impressed not only with your fighting skills but also with your abilities in general."
Dick smiled and firmly shook her hand. "I thank you, Lady Shiva."
"You can also call me Sandra, boy." Dick nodded and she smiled. "Graceful. Fluid. But also extremely deadly and lethal if you really wanted it. You are full of potential. Slade chose his apprentice well. But you can still improve. And even a lot."
Renegade tilted his head to the side, asking a silent question.
"I would like to train you, Little Bird."
Dick's eyes went wide in shock both at the fact that Lady fucking Shiva wanted to train him and because she of all people gave him a nickname. "Little Bird?" he repeated in surprise.
Sandra smiled at him. "You really remind me of a little bird, Richard. I hope you don't mind the nickname."
"No. I like it a lot." he admitted.
"Good. Because now you're stuck with it, Little Bird."
"I can get used to it."
Lady Shiva handed him a slip of paper and he took it. "There is my personal phone contact there. Call me when you make a decision or even just to distract yourself a little in case Slade acts like an idiot."
Dick emitted a laugh that made both Sandra and Talia smile. Then he ran over and hugged Sandra tightly. Lady Shiva froze when she felt his arms wrap around her in a tight embrace but then a small smile appeared between her lips and she returned it.
"Thank you." the world's best acrobat murmured softly.
"You're welcome, Little Bird."
Next it was Talia's turn to give him another piece of paper with her phone number on it without saying anything.
Dick smiled, knowing that she was a little embarrassed and full of feelings that she never felt until now, and he hugged her tightly. "Thank you for everything, Talia." then in a lower voice so that only she could hear: "You are nothing like your father."
Talia froze on the spot and she swore her heart missed a beat. She would never admit it even under torture but those words meant to her more than anyone could possibly think.
She said nothing but merely tightened her grip on Richard.
Sandra and Talia watched from a distance as Slade and Richard's plane took off.
"Richard is something special, isn't he?" the deadliest woman in the world asked her friend.
Talia nodded. "He has made me feel emotions I have never felt before."
"Me too." she paused. "Little Bird managed to hit me a couple of times but I don't remember you ever being able to in our sparring sessions."
"Shut up, Sandra."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Slade exclaimed abruptly, staring at his son as if he had grown a second head. Dick chuckled and shook his head. "Are you seriously telling me that you managed to make friends with both Talia and Sandra?"
"Yes!" Dick replied excitedly. "I know on the surface they may seem cold and emotionless but in reality they are amazing and sweet!"
"God, kill me now." murmured the more experienced mercenary, making the Talon chuckle. "I never thought anyone could call Talia and Sandra sweet."
Dick laughed with his typical creepy giggle and Slade swore he heard the pilot mutter a "who the fuck is that kid, the Joker?"
Slade shook his head with an amused snort and stared at his son.
Only Dick was able to bring two ruthless and deadly assassins like Talia and Sandra to his side and impress Lady Shiva to the point that she would want to train him personally.
And all this only in their first meeting!
Slade felt something akin to jealousy overwhelm him as soon as Richard told him that fact but he knew that his son would become even more skilled if he trained under Lady Shiva.
At this point Slade already knew that it was a matter of a few years before Dick would be able to take him down in hand-to-hand combat.
The super soldier shook his head to dispel his thoughts and turned to Dick, affectionately tousling his hair. "Good job, Renegade."
The young mercenary lit up like a Christmas tree and smiled brightly at him. "Now you'll have to tell me that story and about your meeting with Ra's today."
Slade groaned annoyed but reluctantly agreed anyway.