Teen Titans Presents Robin; Torn Legacy of a Prodigal Son -

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Chapter 63: Auld Lang Acquaintances

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Finally, a few days and Terra took to a private jet sent by Mr. Wayne with a regression – prone, depressed and sullen eyed Grant Wilson holding her hand to his. He would not let go, and his behavior worried her as they set off on their trip back to Wayne Manor.

"Do take a moment to –

"Hi, Alfred. No time." Tim dragged the two vagabondes into the manor's walls as the cold air breezed past. "Aren't you forgetting something. Master Timothy." Alfred cocked a brow as Terra thwacked her own skull at the same reason for such a pregnant pause. "We missed Christmas, entirely!!" She groaned. "Did –

Grant put a hand to his lips as Terra recalled one pastry, just one. "She, she had the best cake I'd ever tasted…" Terra smiled warmly to the other teen before he shuffled down the hall, ignoring her grin as Raven was used to doing to BB. "He's had a tough month on the run, so have I. And, Tim?" The geomancer turned back to the younger techie. "How are, the Titans. Did they get out of Paris in time."

/

Bruce was down in the cave with a timer on the screen in front of him. Guessing it was not splendid news, Alfred went to retire until he was needed, right as Tim and Terra had found the bat while Alfred was busy trying to right Grant's unfortunate mood until nightfall.

"Hours from now in Time Square, Gotham Central and Metropolis's main Plaza, three New Years celebrations are happening all at once. Including, Jump City California and Star."

"That's the bad news?" Terra cocked her head at the images on camera of the balls like Time's Square that were lit and ready to –

"Joker? Riddler?"

Bruce didn't shake his head as he stood up to tell them, no.

"The Light."

/

They didn't speak for a minute as the screen to the corner warped and formed a new box. ~ Better get those eyes check, Batman, cause Dick's not a criminal like ya'll in the JLA are sayin."

"CY!" Terra leaped over as he smiled back. Kori and BB hovered over. BB blushed, but then his gaze changed when Bruce came to interrogate them. "I did check into the data and from what I saw, his reaction was purely out of self defense. Slade threw the body in his path, and now –

~ Robin truly must believe he has done a very bad thing…~ Kori sobbed. ~ But, he has not! He was –

"Pushed. Like all of the other times. In India, the same. But the Brain." Bruce stopped himself. "His brutality was not Slade's doing. That's why he needs to be taken into custody. The serum could have done neurological damage without –

~ Just so you know, I went into Slade's mind before he betrayed us.. ~ Raven chimed in from the background. ~ He was using this chance to gather the spot with the Light by giving himself to the Brain. Having his guard down, using Richard as the one thing he wanted the most. ~

"He….then Grant and Blood, there has to be some real connection here. Right?"

"Where is he?"

Bruce moved to his intercom. "Alfred –

~ Master Grant is fine, Master Bruce.~ The butler had them all sighing in relief. ~ He's seemed to have regressed psychologically back to, a rather tender age. It worries me; that perhaps the damage done –

"Was better than Slade might have intended."

~You think….~

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste…" Tim nodded. "He didn't have to kill Grant, just get him out of the way."

~ Dude! He's totally cheating so Rich…. that's his kid –

~ So was Joey, but he knows better to stay away where it's safe. ~ Raven nodded as Joey came by with a tea pot and a frown on his face. ~ Dad, gets what he wants in ways that are there, but still hard to spot. I noticed when he was trying to "help" us that he wouldn't rely on his full strength. He had the ability to use it, but held back. Collars don't work on him. Dick was the same, but it was more for a shock than for controlling his super – enhanced status. ~

"Slade had a weapon handy and Dick used it, he refused to hurt his captor. He's –

~ Don't say it….that's so in overuse…!~ BB growled. "But, it could be. Look at the signs, Garfield." Terra responded. "He's not sure what to do; fight or stay and watch someone else suffer so that Slade can change him...I was that close to losing myself. Grant needs our help, so I won't give up. He wanted to get out, I told you."

~ But, then maybe we need to send a statement to the Light. Tell em that axing Slade is why they have to lay down their weapons. He's more than guilty – he's a traitor on both sides and –

"Slade plays for no team." Batman said. "None but his own agenda. What he wants is a Legacy, and by any means he'll carve it from the bones of his fallen foes. It's that simple."

"He's meant for the chair, B." Tim said as Bruce turned away to reflect a moment. He couldn't leave yet. Not until the Light revealed their reason for rigging those glitter bombs from coming down on so many innocents.

"A chair won't kill that man. A lesson, wouldn't come close. Even in death."

"Dick…. Dick isn't like that." Terra shook her head. "We know Rose gave it up, so did –

"Grant is practically living somewhere…else." Tim sighed and scratched his neck, debating that observation. "He won't show us his real reason of hiding his motives, until something goes horribly wrong."

~ And I thought Raven was Miss – Doom – N' – Gloom. ~ Cy almost got the chills from Timmy's prediciton. ~ We have ta' monitor the ball on the West Coast. How y'all doin on the East side? ~

"Terrified." Terra tugged her arms around her. "If we can't stop Slade, get the probes away from you guys…then what are we going to do once Dick is allowed to pull that trigger on us??"

"Waiting is invaluable. We have to be patient." Bruce told her softly. "No matter what, heroes make sacrifices. Despite the odds being stacked against you and my team at the Watchtower, we all have a common goal."

"Justice, for all of those who can't defend themselves. Right, B?"

Bruce nodded. "Like an officer of the law, or a fire fighter scaling a burning building, we have an obligation no matter how much we dislike the odds that we'll come out of them…."

~ So, if Slade won't go down…~ Bb's skin went as pale as Tara's.

"We just keep pushing until something starts to crack ."

/

Grant was looking out at a falling bit of snow, face completely solid as ice as he watched it go. As if the violent and goofy young man who had come to the manor only a year before, was no more. Just, a shell as Alfred brought a tray of his famous cookies and a cooling cup of tea. "I thought you might enjoy a more, stimulating distraction for a while. The snow is rather –

"Dad, had a cabin. A lodge." Grant swallowed as he spoke the words of his past. "He told Joey not to go too far off, to stay close to me but…. he was such a baby. Always crying and curious, that wasn't me." Grant raised his hand to clap it over the stained glass. The flakes as frosted tears while he finished weaving his story along.

/

" It's cold as sin out there, Slade!" Addie shouted from the doorway as a drift too large to cross blocked her boots. "The rangers –

"There's no one coming, Addie! I have to find him. Stay here with Grant."

"Grant??"

Slade gave her a gloriously enraged look. "I thought he was with you??"

"He was, then he asked if he could –

"Did they both run off??"

"Don't you remember, Slade??" She screamed. "He wanted to be with you –

/

"They forgot about me, my own mom and dad…they thought I…. was in the lodge." The kid was crying and laughing as he put his face to the glass. "Joey, this. No, Grant that. First born and treated like a clown when I was running after my dopey little brother!"

Alfred looked on and saw a lot of Todd in those green eyes, like brothers even. "Tell me, did they ever locate you and your brother in that awful blizzard?"

The crying eased a bit as Grant was handed a kerchief and blew into it. "They had to; we weren't alone in that park. We still had too much noise to make."

/

"Joey!! You're gonna get us in trouble!!" Grant stamped along as his brother was "following invisible voices," yet again. After the incident that had his throat cut and voice severed, Joey was different to them both. It looked to be that a trace of the gene Slade would one day tell his family about, was lying dormant within the youngest Wilson boy. "You've gotta…argh!"

A rumble came from the woods behind them, the path rocking with feet as large as snowshoes. A hare doubled out, but that was done once the bear approached with eyes hungry in the dead of winter. A blind, hungry and bumbling male bear. "Joe…jo?"

The bear roared again, and this time Joey turned to see his big brother with a rifle holding it off. He'd taken it without permission to show his dad how great he was. Like his dad, the war hero. Only, that was against their code. He was still young, and Joey wasn't safe. Grant used it to hold back the jaws of such a beast, his own growls as hurtful to the poor empath's ears as ever. He crawled into himself as Grant finally got his gun back, aiming it with a wrist so tight and...

'/

"My word! How old were you to be operating a fire arm, boy? That is terribly –

"I shot it, then dad took it on and got it to back off, injured the thing's shoulder. It lived…. but it shouldn't have."

"After that, something else happened." Alfred wondered to know. "Didn't it."

"Dad, treated me with more respect, I was his kid for once." Smiled Grant with a croak in his voice. "I was…. the favorite again…. Joey…. Then….then Dad….left us….and never came back. I went off to military school, ran away and he helped me…trained me. Ever since then…"

"Your expectations, were to never let him see you at your most vulnerable. As the Batman tells his children every day that he's known them."

"He was Jason's dad, Jay told me. But…Dick never…. got that." Frowned the boy with a shake of his skull. "He lost his mom and dad, but he never wanted to replace them. Why?"

"Master Bruce did offer, yet after the breakup of the dynamic duo for a time…. Robin then, wasn't so certain he could have happiness that raw for a very long time. After Jason showed up, he threw a fit." Sighed the old man.

"He's more like that man than anyone could guess. Stubborn, yet supportive if ever need be the time…your father did love you and your brother, but he isn't keeping to that same support up till now."

"He treats Dick like he had me, priceless until he blows himself up." Grant huffed and traced his finger across the glass as it continued to frost up. "They called you a wiz with the Bats, but now I think I get you and Will. Despite Wintergreen's strict loyalty to my dad for saving his life, you two might even have some old history." Grant smiled; a genuine smile that was hard not to feel enamored by. "With all of my good faith, I do hope you secure some justice of your very own, and sublime reason to do what is right. What Slade would never think to accomplish with his own family. I just hope as it's as you've said…that Richard is for now, not being tortured as we're led to believe…"

"I hope so too…" Grant said, surprising the old gent.

"Why then, the change of sudden heart?"

"Because, he's a dumb kid like T said." Grant replied. "Never wanted to steal a crown or rule any empire. Just…wanted to live right…" Grant dropped his head before Alfred had a hand to the teen's flinching shoulder. "I do believe Miss Terra was right to concede in a boy that would protect his own brother from a starving grizzly. That, is sometimes, something only a hero might do to save a life."

/

Slade and Dick would be on their jet for a few more hours. The next stop however was back to seek out some old alliances. And maybe, or maybe not, to see if he could gather some new tactics along the way.

Dick slept all day, his body still on a soft food diet as he refused to eat much. Slade believed his apprentice was not supposed to catch viruses, but this…could be the awakening he'd been looking forward to. There was only one pseudo response in Rose, none in Grant and Slade was a delay only once and a coma practically. Dick, was about to become the acceptation as Ra's had no intention of turning them back away. He wanted a truce, that the Light could go about their own business while Slade walked back into the house of the Demon Head's front gateway. He'd figure out the boy's condition as they made use of the lab there. Came up with a new way to see to Dick never really realizing what Slade's plan was for his brand-new year as Deathstroke's prodigal son.

/

Damian Al – Ghul's innocence never lasted thanks to mad science within Talia's halls. She got him older quickly, something well above average as age one turned into four. Before long, he was going on five years and Jason was made full time nanny's helper around the compound. "Dami! Hey! Slow down!"

Rose was polishing her blades in the corner of the next room, while there was no one else. Jade had left, Tim was too good to be a bit sneaky and Grant…well, he was always gone somewhere in the stratosphere.

"Stop him, Rosie!!"

Her blue eyes flicked up as Dami ran by, her reflexes less motivated by the unforeseen. Her foresight allowed her to predict the movement of an individual. Dami was swept up as he kicked and clawed his hell – spawn way out, not stopping until Rose had a bloody face by one martial art inspired hit. "You….my eye! Hey!"

"You should really learn to test yourself better in combat." The boy said, emotion in his voice not really there. "Mother would cry if you ever came to her in that way, getting dirt all over her halls." He grinned. This was a challenge and at five, he did not know anything else. "Damian, apologize."

Rose gasped as the lovely Talia moved in from down the hall with her two guards blocking Dami's path. "But –

"No, butts. My son, as an Al Ghul you must show humility to your allies and foes. This is not up for debate. Apologize to your ally. Rose, I am sorry for hurting you." She said, trying to have her son play along. Hoping he would…

"M….s…o..sorr…..i can't! She was supposed to –

"Damian, come here."

"But…" The boy looked so meek now. Rose almost wanted to say something, yet Jason was the one that did instead. "He's just a kid. He can't play like the other kids do. He –

"He must learn restraint with discipline." Talia shot back. "The two of you are there to monitor, not to teach. That is not your job." She told the them sternly. "He learns from myself, his tutors and his grandfather. You may be right, but the way one's diction is interpreted, is all here in the house of Al – Ghul."

"You granted us protection from Slade and the Batman." Jason stated. "We stayed, but don't just treat us like throw away objects, Talia. We still have a contract. New year, new clause."

Talia clicked her tongue and Damian did the same, earning a tap by her hand to not further upset his mother. "The politics we speak are not around my children." The mother warned. "Another time, another place. Right here, Damian must understand why causing pain to family when unauthorized, is wrong. You, are family. Like a pack of wolves, you keep us humble and together."

"It is, a bit more like a bargain." Rose bit her lip. "Ah, I mean…eventually we'll have to go –

"Why?" Dami's eyes lit up. "Did I do something, mother? Will they be back? I..i am sorry I hurt eyeball…it wasn't….very kind to do…"

"See?" Smiled Talia. "He needs you, we need you." She praised the two former assassins as they didn't know how to flee the scene this time. "Uh, so…what's the hubbub on the procession?" Jason turned his head. "Heard from a guard out back earlier that a guest is gonna show for assembly?"

"You were invited to it, Mr. Todd." Chuckled the brown eyed woman. "Do you not recall? Rose?"

"Oh, yeah. They said a new ally is helping out around the compound for a bit. Who is it by the way?"

"You'll have to see for yourselves. And Damian?" Smiled the daughter of Ra's. "You'll get to meet your family from across the water. Won't that be very exciting, my son?" Jason sped on his heels as Talia watched Rose shake her head at the witch in disbelief. "You…you said we were safe."

"He won't harm you." She replied smoothly. "My father has a proposition through our ally, the Light. You'll be bystanders, and besides…. he's a bit preoccupied at the moment. Too much so to even look a Damian I'm afraid."

"Or, relieved." Rose snorted and turned to the exit to follow Jason towards the courtyard. "He'd take Ra's Al – Ghul down if you let him get too close. He can forget a lover, but not a legacy. My father…" She grunted and went away, leaving Talia to contemplate those words as her child clung in close. "He could, and maybe…" Talia gave a halfway smile at the silver haired vixen in her throws.

There, she smiled.

"He should."

/

Oh, boy… recall. Talia respects Slade, but her father was…. how do you say…. quacky. Was too reliant on being goody – goody while Bruce still had him tied down to his old laws. Now, Ra's is with the Light, and a bit reluctant to step it up. Unlike the film, Slade won't hurt Talia because he knows that she can always knock him down and toss him around until he croaks. Talia actually wants Slade and his apprentice to stay and train Dami while Jason can't fight off her agreement that easily. When joining a cult, always read the fine print and have a lawyer with an iron clad alibi. If not…. call in Superman? Find out!! The part with Grant fit for me, he was twelve and Joey was maybe eight or ten. About there, so Grant was not treated the same because Joey had the gene. Just like siblings with a high IQ, or a super talent or autism. I said it, my twin Mollie was that way and always felt jealous of how many toys I was bribed with to go to my psychologist on Saturday morning. I missed sooo much cartoon - age but we got the best coffee cake from a local place….and cookies there, no longer there it was an old building but those are the best. No gallbladder because I cut the stuff, ended up a fasting – binger and literally shrunk, thus organs went nuts. But ditching chocolate saved my kidneys. Even raw cacao is not safe…. Ah, so anyway? Did Alfred play the role he was born to play? Will Grant be cured, or will Blood be his guide instead? Find out!

Way ta go, Alfred! Turn Grant into a Titan, yet!