Here is another chapter. i apologise for the wait xxxxxxx
January 8th, very early morning
After returning home to Bludhaven, Dick got an update from Red Robin.
They had inspected the island findings painted a chilling picture: what appeared to be a military training camp was in fact a breeding ground for assassins, their movements synchronised like clockwork. The unsettling automation of the inhabitants raised alarms, suggesting a sinister force at work. moving large crates of most likely firearms and weapons from the boats to a Villa which was situated in the centre of the island.
Luckily they didn't have to engage with any of the troopes, they seemed in too much of a haze to notice them according to Tim. What was shocking however, was that they had intercepted a radio signal, and managed to recognise Queen Bee as the voice on the other side of the line communicating with the warden of the island who did not sound familiar.
Dick ordered them to return back to base and that they would try to organise a more strategic inspection of the island, and asked Blue Beetle to keep tabs on it.
Before heading to bed, Dick finally got the call from Wally, Artemis had proposed. He couldn't be happier for the two of them, they were perfect for eachother and he couldn't wait to be a best man.
The news did make Dick reflect hard on his relationships. Zatanna was perhaps his first love but that soon died. Raquel was short and sweet. He for a time thought Barabara might be the one but after a year they seemed to argue more and more and quickly resolved to remain as best friends like before.
He was still young. His time would come. Wally and Artemis weren't the first team members to get married, but seeing two of his best friends get married, well, the reality of Dick's relationship status was really beginning to dawn on him.
He never thought of himself as a womaniser, he loved every woman he had been in a relationship with. He did not do one night stands. On second thought, that wasn't the case anymore.
Dick had worked with many attractive women and managed to compose himself, but Belladonna had managed to finally crack him. Perhaps it was because she was far from anyone he would imagine to be with that she had such an allure. It felt so wrong but so right, and after years of being the perfect son, trying to see the good even in the darkest times, he felt freedom in accepting his lust, and boy was he lustful for Belladonna.
He had asked Red Robin to look into the archives, maybe try to retrieve something that might have been erased. Tim was perhaps the only person better than him and computers - but he would never admit it. Batman had been M.I.A the past couple days, so the Batcomputer was all Tim's. Dick reckoned Bruce was following up on the gunpowder found on New Year's Eve that could be traced to Wayne Enterprise. It was becoming clearer and clearer that things were more connected than first thought, and Dick felt that his world was gravitating more and more towards Faber.
After a relatively calm year, things were getting interesting very fast. Belladonna's proposition, for instance, was intriguing. He knew not to get feelings involved, but in the quiet archives, just them two, it took all his restraint to hold back when she started pressing kisses on his neck. He knew not to be blindsided by emotion, and when looking at the situation, it was strategically beneficial to work with Belladonna. She, like him, knew the city, and when he couldn't be here, he wondered if Belladonna would be watching out for Faber, since she owed her or whatever. Boy, he had so many questions and the sun was beginning to rise, so first, sleep, he had promised to babysit Lian so Roy could have a night off.
That evening
Faber had spent the day meticulously planning her next heist, but tonight was different. Tonight was promised to Harriet, a girls' night in while Kate pulled her night shift as a security guard. Faber couldn't recall the specifics of Kate's job, but it didn't matter much tonight.
Despite the weight of her impending scheme, Faber was in surprisingly high spirits. It had been too long since she and Harriet had simply ordered takeout and curled up with a movie. Despite being best friends and roommates, their hectic schedules often kept them apart.
"Hey, looks like there are no delivery drivers tonight, so I'll go pick it up," Faber announced as she entered the living room, where Harriet lounged on the sofa.
Harriet's brows furrowed in concern. "Faber, it's Gotham. It's not safe to wander around in the dark."
Faber waved off her worries with a confident smirk. "Come on, it's just a quick ten-minute walk to the restaurant. Besides, who's going to mess with me? You know I can take care of myself, super strength remember?" Faber said, flexing her arm. "I'll be back before you can even pick a movie. Don't worry, just have something good queued up for when I get back. Nothing sad though, I feel like my life is dark and depressing enough right now."
"Okay, comedy it is," Harriet replied with a chuckle.
Faber reached for her long afghan coat, pairing it with grey joggers and suede boots for comfort against the chilly Gotham winter. She contemplated adding a hat to further disguise herself from any lurking paparazzi, as well as to look unassuming to any potential muggers
Walking through the streets of Gotham at night was akin to navigating an alley without knowing what lurked at the other end. It was essential to stay alert for survival. Even if the streets appeared deserted, trouble could always be hiding in the shadows.
Faber was fortunate to make it to the pizza restaurant without any run-ins. As she entered, the warmth and aroma of freshly baked pizza greeted her, instantly lifting her spirits. She scanned the room to find it relatively empty until her eyes landed on a table near the window.
There sat Dick, engrossed in conversation with a little girl who couldn't have been more than five years old. Faber couldn't miss Dick's wave as he spotted her, beckoning her over to their table. She felt a twinge of embarrassment at her casual attire, especially compared to Dick's usual sleek appearance in his black buttoned-down shirt. But she shrugged it off and made her way over, determined not to let her outfit dampen her confidence.
"Hey, Faber" Dick greeted her with a smirk.
Faber stood by their table in between where Dick and Lian sat opposite eachother. "Dick, what a surprise." Faber looked at the small child and was deeply intrigued. Her firsg thought was that she could be Dick's daughter - though she didn't look that much like him. "And who is this?" She said cheerfully looking at the young girl.
"My name is Lian." The girl said with a big smile, and then took a large bite into her pizza.
"What a pretty name for a pretty girl," Faber replied. "And she's your…?" Faver inquired looking at Dick.
"Goddaughter," Dick said smiling at Lian.
Faber was quite surprised but she didnt make a display of it.
"And uncle Dick is only one of my Godfathers," Lian said giddily, "there's Wally, Connor, Kaldur…"
"And we each love to spoil you," Dick said with a big smile.
"Well, you're a very lucky girl, i'm jealous"
"Are tou jealous because Lian has a hot Godfather," Dick pried with a smirk.
"Gosh," Faber laughed, "i guess Wally is a sexy guy."
"Ha ha" Dick said dryly.
Faber couldn't help but chuckle at Dick's teasing. "Oh, you know it," she replied, her tone playful. "But I must say, Lian, you have excellent taste in godfathers. I mean, who wouldn't want Dick Grayson on their team?"
Lian beamed at the compliment, nodding vigorously with her mouth full of pizza. "He's the best!" she exclaimed, spraying a few crumbs in her enthusiasm.
Faber laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I can see that," she said. "You're a lucky girl indeed."
Dick grinned at the interaction. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Faber?" he asked, gesturing for her to take a seat.
Faber shrugged nonchalantly, sliding into the chair beside Dick. "I came to pick up some pizza for girl's night. But I see I've stumbled upon a little family reunion instead," she replied, giving Lian a wink.
"What's girl's night?" Lian asked.
"It's when girl's get to spend time together, and do whatever we want."
Lian's eyes lit up with excitement. "That sounds fun! Can I come to girl's night too?" she asked, looking eagerly between Faber and Dick. Faber chuckled at Lian's enthusiasm
"What gives Lian? You're gonna ditch me?" Dick said feigning shock.
"Noooo," Lian droned.
"Who knows, maybe one day we'll have a special girl's night just for you." Lian's disappointment was evident, but she quickly perked up as she took another bite of her pizza.
"Okay, maybe next time," she said with a hopeful smile. Faber then looked to Dick's striking blue eyes, and saw them soften.
"How have you been doing?" Dick's tone was sincere as he leaned in, his eyes reflecting genuine concern. "I saw you on the news the other day, completely bombarded by journalists and cameras. That can't be easy."
"It was tough to keep my cool," Faber admitted, her expression softening. "But things have calmed down a bit since then. I mean, I managed to get here unscathed." She offered him a grateful smile.
Dick nodded in understanding, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer.
As the aroma of freshly baked pizza filled the air, someone called out from the counter, "One extra-large Hawaiian!"
"Fruit on pizza?" Dick scoffed, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"Don't knock it till you try it," Faber retorted with a playful smirk, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Turning her attention to Lian, Faber offered a warm smile. "It was lovely to have the pleasure of meeting you."
"Bye-bye," Lian chimed in, waving enthusiastically.
"See you around, Dick," Faber said, flashing him a smile before grabbing her pizza and heading out into the dreary Gotham air.
Much later that Night
Dick arrived back in Bludhaven well past midnight, the city's usual traffic delaying his return. As he made his way to his own lair, a sense of unease settled over him. It felt like something ominous was looming on the horizon, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the entire team was being naive about it.
Deciding to trust his gut, he reached for his phone and dialled the one person who could never be fooled by anything: Batman. Since New Year's Eve, contact with Batman had been sparse, supposedly due to League business, but Dick couldn't shake his suspicions. And so, to his surprise, Bruce picked up.
"I didn't know you were back in town," Dick said, relief evident in his voice.
"I got back this evening. Everything okay?" Bruce's tone was as stoic as ever.
"In Gotham, never," Dick replied dryly. "But I'm curious to know what you found out about the Wayne Enterprise gunpowder."
"It was stolen that same night by someone with full access and knowledge of the security codes," Bruce explained.
"So someone close then, very close," Dick mused.
"There are very few people alive besides you and me who have full authorized clearance, and I don't think Alfred or Lucius have any motive," Bruce added.
"Half of those security measures are face recognition-based," Dick pointed out. Then, a concerning thought struck him. "You don't think someone has our DNA?"
"I don't know, but as I said, there are very few people alive who have full access," Bruce replied before Damien's voice interrupted him, calling for 'Father'.
"I have to go. Come by tomorrow," Bruce ended the call abruptly, leaving Dick to ponder the implications of their conversation alone in the dimly lit lair.
He looked at his phone absentmindedly to see a message from Wally,
Hey bro,
Engagement party next week at the Rendezvous club.
Same crowd as christmas party, no costumes.
If you're worried about an engagement gift for me, bring Faber Loralle ;)
Dick smiled as he read Wally's message, feeling genuinely happy for his friend. In their line of work, finding genuine happiness and love was a rarity, and seeing Wally and Artemis together was a testament to that. Their relationship was like something out of a storybook, and Dick felt privileged to witness it firsthand.
He couldn't help but chuckle at Wally's cheeky request for an engagement gift, mentioning Faber Loralle. Dick shook his head, knowing that Wally was always one to add a playful twist to things. But the mention of Faber's name brought back memories of their recent encounter at the pizza restaurant.
Faber had seemed surprised to see him there, and Dick couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought of her. Their interactions had been laced with tension and uncertainty, yet there was an undeniable chemistry between them. He wondered what she was up to now, whether she was safe, whether she was planning her next heist.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, Dick focused on Wally's message. An engagement party at the Rendezvous club sounded like a perfect opportunity to celebrate with their friends. And perhaps, amidst the festivities, he would have a chance to catch up with Faber and see where things stood between them.
I know this is shorter than the past chapters but i hope this will suffice. I have big plans for this story it is just a matter of getting the pacing right, i dont want the story to be slow but i also dont want it too be rushed. let me know if it feels like either xx