Foxes Upon Foxes – Titans Stories - Snippets and Magical Girls Galore –
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This one is Nightwing centric. When Dick was in Blud on his lost years mission in my arcs, he still had been hurt by Tarantula…Slade didn't like that. Not one bit. Dick tried to sink into his new life and at 16, one of his new gen kids finds out that his father is not a perfect person. His thoughts? Aiden learns to have some empathy for his dad. After these new years. Before chaos arc.
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Following Those Red Strings Of Fate
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I remembered in Tokyo about a story I heard from a guide there. It was about how a noble woman cut off her pinkie finger for the one she cherished most. Now, the pinkie promise, and the red string if fate they say are bound around such a gristly bit of history. Who would do something like that? For Nightwing however, there was a time someone forced him to hand over his pinkie to them. It was out of a love that felt….
/
Roku was somehow alive.
Dick woke in a heap of sheets in his complex beside Kori. It was a lazy Sunday in San Fran. He was off today for the first time in a long, long time.
June. Father's day. His kids were teenagers now. Anna was studying abroad so far in her new rank; Aiden was prepared to go away to college soon. Ami was in Tokyo to master her abilities with Shoji…and Ava….was a royal ice queen to be in a far away land.
Dick just sat up, not wanting to keep Kori from having her nine hours. He shuffled into his slippers and to the kitchen. His eyes on the room and no kids today. Not ever, only one
…
The stairs were not silent for long as a present was launched at Dick's head. He caught it, and there stood at the top, Aiden. "Still got that swing in me. Wanna go out today?"
/
They ate Dick's hiatus food. The food his family had forbidden only on sweet occasions like this one. Crocky – crunch.
"I always wondered why they made a villain more egotistically engaging by making him a part time celebrity? Who could have pulled that off?"
"Maybe the city needed the income, so the courts saw no harm in it. As long as there is no Joker flavored ice cream..." Dick shuddered at the thought and kept eating.
"Dad?" Dick tipped the spoon as Aiden leaned over to see what his father was currently thinking. "When mom, if she ever gets up, you still want to just hang out….but there is this one cool place I know you'd love. A ninja park."
Aiden bit down on the sugar laden green and brown chocolate- corn pop laced orbs with a satisfying crunch. "Damn, they should have made Firefly themed jolt – flakes! These are so good!"
"Told you." Grinned the cop nervously. "Sure, ninja park sounds like you're not forgetting to stay active. And that ball mean anything to you?"
"Baseball." Aiden grumbled and shoved another bite into his mouth with a low chew. "But it'd be your call. Whatever-
"Jeez…no mind to be a gentleman, Aiden?" Chuckled Dick as he got up and went to put their books into the dish washer. "Washing by hand is faster, dad."
"I know." Dick smiled back and tried to act casual as his post nightmare brain would allow.
The dragon wanted his son.
"But it's my day to be an even lazier slug. Gotta milk it while we can."
( I do not condone man baby syndrome, but Dick is a fictional feminine sided character and we can't say not to his goofy appeal!)
/
"How is your sister, and sister doing?"
"Sisters, and you should know." Aiden looked out the window as they drove into the city. Just then, Aiden remaining worked up by whatever his dad was insisting he do.
Aiden had three girl siblings and his mom to deal with. One was a chosen that had a unique past in a place called the Snowy Barrens of the Spirit world, Ava Maria was the eldest and also not blood related but adopted. She held the power of ice, snow and water with the moon as a counter element to Ami's balanced solar aspect of light.
Ami, was favored by a Japanese sun goddess as its next Vassal of power. Amelia (Ami) was the youngest and had the sun and wind as her totem's strength. She had twin sister fox familiars to aide her and worked as an Onmyouji to banish evil spirits in Japan as she followed her own path.
The third was Aiden's twin Anna, a naval officer's prefect and she could control starboard that became weapons of fire – cementing HER role as the incarnation of the highest Phoenix from another time line. She was a live cannon and had a great anger in her that everyone worried would have her burst into flames as her Aspect had long ago…
Aiden was the middle child by Anna, a Chosen that possessed two things. The element of earth as his protector, and a Power of the Golden Dawn; the golden dragon- even Horus from Egyptian myth knew of its gift. The light of the gods banished all darkness from their world by the rights of a dragon's fire.
It was all thwarted before… his dad had been in his shoes as a forced reincarnation had made Dick Grayson a target to the Dragon Lord Roku.
Lotd Roku had a very confusing history that made Aiden almost pity him, and Dick had suppressed the dragon for a long time until his kids had awakened to their abilities. Ava, the ice fairy here was actually not born on their world, but in the Barrens to an extinct clan called the Raven Winged. They called the daemon a soul stealer and he was even in contact with the strich fallen daemon known as Lilith. Like he'd mentioned, a very long history.
Now, Richard had gotten his will back to get along as he had before the curse. Before his kids had ended up in true mortal danger.
"So, where is it?"
"Ah…. oh!" Staring at the field from his days as a Titan, Dick pointed to the park he had come to on numerous occasions. "This is it."
/
It was after her mark, her bite had scarred over that Dick felt the heavily weighing consequences of his own actions. Catalina was escaping left and right from doing what she should have. That he had paid for pitying her so early on.
"There should be no tears in the rain, little bird."
Dick looked up and saw something tall blocking the pellets of rain from his back. "This is a pretty high fall. Are you thinking of making your way off of it."
This being, wasn't anyone Dick wanted to have bother him. He knew Slade carried half of the curse of Roku and when the time came the dragon would have that right at his lowest point to break from its shelled prison. "I can be alone, can't I? Did you want me to end up with no way out? Was that his plan?" Dick spoke to the mountain as it never bowed for him. Never for his eyes to see it. Red, one red eye looked over with a slit for an iris. "There are ways to go about breaking you. Why, you did this to yourself. Unless you wish it, there will be no happy end."
/
"Dad? Earth to pop?"
Dick sat up, his seat on the bench warmer than he remembered. "I'm getting something to drink. You ran like a demon was after you! It's supposed to be your day off. Hold on."
/
(All part of these new years part one…)
"Just a little longer. Why can't you let me go?" Dick moved away as his face in the mirror revealed Rokou, the copycat that was in guide, a part of his true possessor. ~ You are linked to thine lineage. Whence the child of my line is conceived, ye shan't be able to his him from his father's savior. She us not dead, yet in her mind she believes you belong in that web she hath crafted. What will you do? Shall I bury her memory away? ~
"No, I need to be reminded." Nineteen-year-old Grayson bit his lip and walked to his bed, away from the face in his dresser mirror. "I need to remember why I fight!"
/
"You need shade, stat." Aiden dragged his father back to the car as Dick had never felt feverish like this in a long time. Wad he just tired? Could it be the sugar? Diabetes?
No, it was a memory. One he'd hated to say gave him any peace of mind.
/
"I've been searching for a way to prepare far the worst. If we were to restore the past –
"The past ended a long time ago, Slade." Dicj stood in his Nightwing gear atop a spire of some dilapidated church in Blud. "You did your part by keeping her sway. But Desmond won't quit. He'd rather see me break before there us time to gi back to before this all started."
"I don't think it's wise two question the "whys" anymore than you do. It's a habit you still won't break by."
"Should I? My kid is going to suffer the same way I did and I can't stop it…Arianna had an unborn child, and now I'm responsible when I can't even go back home. Not until I get rid of what is trying to kill me…"
"Death, is what we aspire to realize. You recognized it when she shot your enemy, Dick."
Grayson stilled as he did remember Catalina pulling the trigger. Right as he watched, shaken apart as she lay on top on him. Barreling into his soul with her body. "She ruined Nightwing, but I can't lose to this pain. Roku knows I won't try break, when there is a way, there always has to be."
"Still hoping to avert the end of the world, Richard?"
"Of course." Dick rose, Slade holding a weapon on his own as the two faces one another. "I'd rather see it come, just to open you up some more, little bird."
/
"No, stay with me dad!" Aiden moved the body over and took the wheel. After having his license in no time, the kid was still reluctant to drive this car with the same care his dad did. But was his dad sick before he'd gotten up today? Was it an early heatstroke?
"Hold on…I'm going to get you to the emergency room…I'm sorry…"
/
"There is nothing for you to do the apologizing for, Richard!"
Kori held another hand as Donna came in to take it. As if a ghost, Ava in spirit to the delusional Dick Grayson looked at two lavender orbs; she hoped it wasn't a part of the story she'd been told on meeting her family. But it was, it would always be the case.
"I have to stay a little longer in Blud. It's ok, Kori. There is still time –
"Ava is not aware. She will not be here until the time has come to be together. That was a promise, Dick! They to us we must not break it no matter what!"
/
"He's dehydrated." The doctor helped Aiden through the process now that Kori was with them. "Why is he so malnourished? He has no issues with the sugar or –
"Stress, maybe? Lack of sleep? I'd see his primary doctor to look into this. We'll run some tests, but it's not going to show much. I'm sorry. Make sure he is ice cold today and you follow up should he seem still not one hundred percent."
"Doctor…" One clinician brought a tablet up to the doctor's eyes as he took a minute. His eyes looked very serious, so Aiden naturally was concerned enough to use magic to conceal himself. As long as sunspots existed down here, he could try.
"It's as if he is fine, but his temperature is not normal. Look!
"What??"
"There must be a malfunction. One thousand? There is no such number."
"Should we run more tests?"
A fire. Aiden ran back to his dad. "I know what to do. We need Vee for this, even Aunt Rachel."
/
A psychic attack focused on him as Dick saw his reflection to shatter it. The dragon was doing this, he had to be pushing until Dick told him off. Or worse. Asked to wish for any relief from his pangs.
~Fire in the body is medicine to a dragon. ~ Rokou laughed mockingly to the fallen wonder boy. ~ Wilson can ease it. His ability to fight back lies in his blood… ~
/
"Here." Raven brought up her fingers and looked at Kori. "Should we –
"No, Raven." Kori put a hand to her husband's sleeping girm. "What those villains did is not to be forgotten easily, yet Aiden will not need this burden. Nor will any of my budgets until they are old enough to know what wars he has fought."
"If it helps, Roku is still not showing. We think that he's finally leaving everyone alone …but." Raven looked to the body as it healed, slept on.
"He is a serpent. His firms can change to counter any medicine. Any tests we run. Dick is just fighting back, in his own time…"
"How is my dad? UNCLE Gar –
"He's gonna need time to rest, kiddo." Gar put a hand on Aiden's shoulder. "Wanna go play the console while he gets some time off? It's Father's Day, and he can do whatever he wants-
"But, nobody wants this…not even he did!" Aiden shouted. "Ava went far away somehow and I'll never see her again. Ami is a child goddess and everyone loves her but she still can't love herself …and Anna?? She hates the world! You don't know my dad. He can't hate things that go bump in the night. And Roku is –
The door swung open as Aiden's tears dried. "How is he? Please, Aunt Rachel."
Gar looked with a frown to Kori as they both said very few words to describe the rest. "It's not the dragon, not anymore. This will pass, but it happens."
"When??" Aiden shot at the team. "When, because he never…he was never sick like this when I was a kid! When I was…"
/
"I could kill her for you."
"No." Dick sniffed. "Slade, the dragon is telling you to take revenge for me. Why won't he just see that this is wrong? He can't be this crazy, you can't be this-
"If Trigon got his wish, little boy blue, then you tell us."
Us.
Dick wasn't just fighting the dragon, he gulped. "I'm saving you too. Whatever it takes."
/
Slade changed his body, made it anything but real anymore. The serum, the dragon the fever. As he woke the first time from its mysterious attack on his mind and body, he looked to find Kori and her tears in his skin. Like pin prices, a hand in her hair. "You are awake!"
Dick recalled telling her about…about Slade's big feat. Saving him from death's door. She had ignored the rest and simply never left his side for hours. They made love, spooned and waited to order take out as a way to cope with the reason for her visit. "The doctor has told us. Your captain as well" That was right, he was a cop. He wasn't nineteen in this memory.
"I'm sorry, Kori…I'm not going away..." He buried his face into her chest as she held him there. Her heart was as a hummingbird. The sun in her breast had him losing consciousness again.
"You will not be alone. I will be here, for as long as you still love me. Dick…"
"I love you Kori…" He sobbed into her bosom as he clung harder. "I love you so much…it hurts….please, all of this fighting…running….I can't. I need to see them. See if I'm right…"
He gasped and say up. "Did…was that a –
She sat back and laid a hand to her stomach longingly. "There will be twins, or so I have found out. You are the father, Dick." She smiled as he melted into her touch. "You will stay?"
"Always, Kori." Dick sobbed harder as they never got up to see the sun rise. No, the day breaking was enough to say, his curse was lifted.
/
At nineteen, Aiden found out the truth. They all did.
"You had the serum AND the dragon Roku's influence inside you, and you just…stayed quiet about it??"
Vee was furious. "Fuck."
The dog looked sea sick. "Um, anyone know about demonic possession?"
"CATALYST JUST MEANT SEED???"
Cy was not even able to process it. Raku stayed in the corner; his eyes downtrodden as his alter had made so many messes. Even before he'd gone home. This was his home; Aiden didn't hate him…right?
"So, Aiden exists because that "influence" of the dragon passed to him, through…" Anna grimaced, and then, she laughed. "All this time I thought it had NOTHING to do wkth making frickin babies! Holy shit, dad! You had a flipping parasite in you!"
Raku turned blood red with embarrassment.
"I wouldn't be here otherwise, either you. Or Ava." Grinned Aiden at the joke…
Ami shook like school girl at the image of tentacle abductions going on in her mind with censor bars and the screen having subtitles beeped out.
"KYAAA!! DAD, YOU'RE SO GROSS!"
"Ah…. they have the wrong picture…"
As it was, Raku quietly held back a smile under his robes. They, didn't care anymore? What he did was…. beneficial...I made no sense though!
"Humans are like that, Raku – dono." Vee shook his head and grinned at the young half djinn. "Looks like you're 'half' going to have to understand your human side in order to understand, well…this. Welcome to the pack, amigo. Not officially. No offense."
/
Back in the house after Dick had gotten onto his feet, it was near midnight when he went to the computer in his office and shut the door. In the drawer at his desk, he pulled out a cell. One that he could discard later if need be the case.
In the hospital, it had been placed with his belongings. He thumbed the buttons and powered on the screen. "You know this isn't right, why? …" He sat into his computer chair and groaned. Letting the object fully charge, he hit the dial and….
Rrrr
RiinnnnnnG
Rrrr
RiinnnnnnG
……..
~ Hello...?~
Dick sucked in a timid breath and sighed softly. "I…. I need to talk to you."
The line was quiet for a brief moment before the tough, calm voice came on again. ~ To what do I owe the pleasure, Grayson.~
"I know, I know you wanted me to answer, Slade." Dick kept his voice lowered. "It happened again. The dragon. The serum countered it but it's him. Not…. I need to be sure it's not time to tell them yet. I have to make a stronger mask. For my kids and Kori. You sent over the solution they used to stabilize me. You had it in that iv. They didn't know a thing."
~ Your wellbeing due to the same outcome has become top priority. You're still learning about the fevers that come and go. With his curse, it may just stabilize the test when he is banished, or something else might prevent you from fully being subjected to what I had to endure after the events that changed me. Are you asking for another solution sent anonymously to keep you company? ~
"Yeah, it was all out…. I never told the doctor." Slade made a disquieting sound with his mouth on the other end. ~ You have to be careful around her. Those children have abilities that the dragon would foster as his own to be in your skin. I remember the End and the books were salvaged to see to that. He can't come to your world as long as you force him back into his void. ~
"But how long until he becomes that cancer that takes over?? My own son –
~ Grayson. That serum is a gateway for you. A way out so you can be together with them long enough to stop the dragon from winning. Aiden already showed that to you. Ava is on her throne but there might be a sliver of a chance that their war is only starting. Keep an eye on –
"You know a lot about spirit news, Slade. It's obvious you're not just watching from a safe distance. Where are you anyway?" Dick turned on the computer to play mine sweeper on an old program he had installed. He needed a shot of something safer than elephant drugs. If only to stay wide awake.
~ Beirut. ~ Slade said with a grunt. ~ I'm working with my old Team 7 to gather intel. It's Biyalian forces that worry the captain. That boy, Damian. ~ Slade cussed at having cared at all. In this universe though, he had nothing to do with the fall. Not as much as others Autur had shown the man…how he'd lost his eye because of the boy in some single – called remake of the original.
"You helped free his mother from Ra's madness. We knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped. The Lazarus waters are connected to Trigon's realm. (Souls of Azarath in this.) "Raven says thanks, for the assist."
~ My son almost was corrupted psychically. ~ Slade lowered his eyes into his drink. The night was beautiful here, even after dusk. ~ She's won my thanks after that episode. Now, to see what your kids are capable of preventing. ~ He drank to the moon, to Ava's time to learn of her destiny.
"Slade…. you aren't by us for life. You know that. I do, but…. when are you ever going to –
~ As long as it takes to find my peace again, kid. ~ Slade chuckled. ~ Your family amuses me, especially that Anna. She and I had a talk the day of the bank robbery. It was interrupted by the doldrums she had to deal with so I helped her to settle. On a new path. ~
Dick nearly dropped the phone, instead resting it on the desk. His blood ran tepid cold, little by little. "Slade…. what….you….I told you not to come after!-
~ You've got me all wrong, pretty bird. ~ Slade grinned at the contents of his cup, lifting it in a new toast to his…. future apprentice. ~ She will make the right choice. Even if she says she's not up for the challenge. That fire in her has to burn bright and no one else can hand her the control she needs. Not in order to keep you safe, or the world. ~
All that time, it was a ruse. He was…. Dick was immortal in a sense to stop Roku, he was there, to challenge Slade in releasing his grip on Anna…Anna – Bear, his little spark – flower…. the child who had a raw temper and a big mind and heart if she just….
No.
"I'll find where her school is, who her teacher is and ban you from that campus." Snarled Dick protectively. "You won't get within ten feet of my kids, Slade…. I can fight you now, and I will…"
~ According to that prophecy, Grayson. You? Have to wait, just like me. Good day, officer. ~
"SLADE – WAI!"
………
.. ………..
…………
Red strings that bind them, sometimes all we want to do is sever those biting ties until they are no more. Yet debate, be it cruel and callous as a backhand in the worst of his every situation. There is only the drive to see how quickly it might last, before those chords forever SNAP to make the sweetest of sounds in one's vision. Of lives list, lovers losing hope and children crying for their father. He might drift away if the bonds loosen and become untethered from reality. What can we say, yet fate cares for no one being alone. There are no winners in its circle…only the chance at rebirth from the ashes on some desolate planet outside of the cosmos.
Or, so they begin to dream of a place, where fate can do no harm.
So is the wisdom of mortal men. That immortal means of survival have such power. …
/
Inside this void of time, the quaking of life erupts.
Painted in tar black essence, the king awoke to the scent of red fire lilies. He was…. not sure what to make of this power. The presence of life.
~ Your time, my child…. ~
Serpents burying under his skin returned his flesh to him as the king's eyes popped. His gasping breath as the tar that has bathed him in the powers of rebirth and rejuvenation by a God's mercy. Yet, he cowered before her. Her touch. Her threats…. double standard to his demise. ~ He is awake, and it may be time to visit an old family friend. Your grandchildren, my little lord. ~ She laid a sweet kiss upon his brown as his vision soon returned. ~ Lily…why have you done this? I…was banished before –
~ Because…~ She grinned to her child from her iron walled shell of a cell in the next realm over. ~ There is much to do, and you can never be dissuaded by our bond. MY sweet Tamuz…..~
( Chaos arc to come after. This is the epilogue to say and prologue of it and new gen arcs …..)