The Dark Knight Chronicles; My Brother the Renegade; My Father, The Batman

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Chapter 5; Animals; Clock Strikes at Midnight

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Selina Kyle's full definition of the word 'animal' was a little spotty. When in this city she figured it could mean one of two things. Things that crawled and cajoled like freaks in the underbelly; those that gave no value and were primal, carnivore by nature. Or, those that used symbols to overlook their human emotions at night. Like with birds, or…

Cats and bats.

She'd known something was up from day one. Her birds of prey had been Batman's top covert team in this city beside the Outlaws. She knew Bruce kept her hanging upside down, yet cats preferred a perfectly flat surface to leap away from, nothing too twisted as she spied a rather tallish ghost of any afterlife, rappelling on his lifeline…

"Please, if you'd not gawk. Catwoman."

Hunters. The enemy of animals, whether freak nor God. His smooth tone hit her nerves head on as she landed in a crouch feet away from the gargoyle the visitor from cities away was perched alongside. "He's spread his wings, though I doubt they'd stay open until midnight strikes."

"How do you seem to know how to turn off a girl, Deathstroke?" She cocked her head at the brute full of muscle and bone so tough. Traders could make them look like rhino horns if they were wise. This man irritated her greatly. "I know that isn't Gotham's finest."

"In a way. I never doubted it myself."

She scoffed with a cat's annoyed hiss, but he didn't want to scram. "I'm busy with, attending to my city."

"Selina, the bat put you in charge of your pack of sirens. That was clear." He crossed his arms and stood in a military stance, feet apart. "However, these skies tonight on that side of the city are Bat territory –

"How??" She seized him up, claws out if need be. "That isn't Bruce, I wasn't told to drop the hero mask and get kicked to the curb by a poser. What's your history, you took his son."

"That's old news –

"HE suffered." She let her eyes turn to cat slits by how he just dismissed his ills unto this city. " You made him lose more than that, family. And I won't care if you use your petty threats. I'm no sit – stay trained cat. You of all people have my story, so stick to it and go."

"Not until I've passed on the missing bat's message." He stepped over her light, the other in flight was not paying mind. His grace was familiar to another bat's, one she felt cold as ice to describe. "Who is in, that suit." She sneered. Fearlessly and reckless. Also loyal to her lover, hers. No one else.

"His temporary stand in, only…. temporary. You know him. Bit of a drama queen. And I'm here to see that he won't get any bright ideas." Slade leaned in, her body bouncing back as he rubbed his chin and faced the opposite edge. "Funny, he'll need more practice in not standing out. But isn't that what teachers are for...not that he has to put up putting on an act with you

" Bastard!" She let her whip slash out as Slade dodged the first few strikes, then caught it bare handed. She pulled, yet he reeled her in as a dancer to her feet. Twisted, as she'd avoided with a certain dark knight number one.

Flipping before she could hit his armored chest with her feet there to propel her back, he tossed her whip to her and turned with one armored boot to the ledge. That glance through the grills of his or on masks still gleaming with curiosity. How she wanted to shove him off the edge and be done.

"The bat may not be here in spirit. Yet I want you to be present with the new boy." Slade's eyes softened and Selina melted onto her knees. "He's still fighting a few base changes. Such as who's puppeteering this city while I stand in it. If you see anything, report." Slade recited in Bruce's tone.

"The only one being "puppeteered" in this city is the kid; I'd recognize that razzle – dazzle flight pattern anywhere off the east coast…You're planning to drop your kindergarten kid off at the manor? Make some new friends, then scurry off to that hole you stashed your precious songbird in for years? Well, Bruce still stayed in touch." She growled. "I will see that you don't raise your paws at any of those bats. Or this cat." She slunk by. "Will claw that eye until it final tears up." She smiled with a hum before bounding off over the edge, the darkness a cover she could stay used to. "Black cats…cross paths, some would call us good luck, but never to those with a guilty mind."

"My mind is forever wallowing, Cat." Slade chuckled, turning as she flicked her tail, eyes flickering hotly behind the mask. "And yet, my songbird does sing such a mournful tune…" He smiled and walked off, her ears hearing those words before vanishing before a midnight bell's fated toll.

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Slade left the scene barren, vacated to find his bat of the hour in its bellfrey. Whilst doing so on one side of the city, the underground had to tresspassers narrowly dodge the tired and sugar crashed sights of Gotham's officers of law and order. Dami and Cass had the stairs in no time as the abandoned staiton made her shiver, sticking to her younger brother like glue. Technically, they were an age apart and no more mentally. Both had similar childhood trauma, so both knew how to scout on ahead. A song played in the back, a radio with a faint light as a stinking hobo, a homeless loafer with his scruffy clothing and vocie seemed to be the only one down beside the platform. Rats scuttered below as Cass covered her mouth. Dami squinted up ahead before the two came to confront the man. He wore a hat that hid his weary eyes, his overcoat was dusty, old but as Dami saw…

Not the man's, originally. Now this, would have been normal, but it bothered Dami as if this man were a guard to some secret realm of danger below their feet. "This space is off limits, sir –

"Sir, I was once…." The man chuckled under his breath, eyes as dark and green as his face was weathered by what looked to be a very good bit of make up. Or reconstructive surgery. He wasn't the real deal.

"What is your M.O. Wh –

"Can't a man live in pieces in his home like ever'body else?"

Was he drunk, or was that an act too. Dami's senses went wild with everything his father had raised him to realize. Cass's mental mind was shaking, vibrating to attack this faker too. "We'll get you to the station."

"Notin' them coppers can do about my grit. I'm just as bad as they come if you touch on my topic a' bein' here." He raised a dirty, gritty brow at the teens. "Wanna know? I know., he knows yah too. Wants ta' meet the new boy and you look like a kid who gets my boss real swell."

"Who is your boss, and if he's any threat." Dami's fists gritted as Cass got into her best defensive pose.

"We'll stop him."

"Where is your biddy' bat – flipper, now? He's gotta have that still at my head, before I blow tis' stand." Chuckled the older male, his coat moving to the side as Dami watched the man's rotten teeth and glowing chest enlighten them both. "You wanna know what I want? To meet the new boy scout on trial for guttin' my siblings ta' ribbons!" The bomber hobo sneered at the teens. "Gonna blow this mess up till he comes to save us!! Save us!!"

Dami dragged Cass out, but the tunnel was rigged to blow. The scare was also that they tried to get to a tunnel but were pushed by some cloaked apparition. Dami fought, but without seeing who he was facing, the trap was set. "You can't go…. take my message back to daddy B….you lost family, but I can fix mine. You're, done with this city. I'll get what's comin, and so will the glamorous imposter…"

The bomb beeped and with a face full of fire, the apparitions vanished long enough for someone to get through. In the tunnel, Cass was carrying Dami with all her strength before she saw a shadow with a set of white eyes scoop in to carry them both off, out of the fire…

/

The haze melted as Dami coughed a bit of the ash out of his lungs, to his front was a rather peeved Dark Knight.

"What were you doing on patrol when I told you not to come."

He sounded like him, Dami scowled and shot a glare at the man behind the ex - hero. "Wilson. Did you –

"I had nothing to do with a bomb going off over our heads. I was lucky to recall the address of the last incident posted. Batman just took the bait and, here we are."

"That man, he used some sort of trick to trap us. There were others." Cass gasped out. "There is more –

"And that is why you aren't ready to join me, not until we know the rest of what attacked the city tonight."

"Stop it." Dami muttered, swearing in his native tongue as Slade picked up what it meant. "Bastard, it's the other way around for you, isn't it."

"Slade." Batman snipped. "Let me work. Robin, you could have been crushed if I -

"Bruce's voice, everything you are…is nothing like him! Do you hear me!?" Bothered by Grayson's façade, the bat didn't grab the kid in time, yet Slade wasn't going to wait up. "I'll see to his behavior."

"What is he going to do?" Cass turned to Richard's masked stare. "Why are you letting him do anything after what he tried to do to us?"

"WE. Are done, tonight. Black Bat. We're going back." Dick was cold like the man and now, Cass understood. Slade wasn't the one to watch out for. She rubbed her arm and with the false bat, made her way to the last place he'd parked the Bat mobile. Silent as a thief, Slade set off to find not only the demon head's demoted brat, but a lead that was getting on his nerves. Long enough to keep Dick away.

Away, and Cass was starting to think the same. He wasn't the newest double - threat to watch for.

Grayson was .

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Dami scrambled out of the area and down an alley, looking at a gap in the roofs above his head as he pulled out his grappler to cling to it.

"Running away, little bird?"

Slade's voice wasn't so pitched, no. that was someone else.

A man in a dark trench like the one the hobo had one, he was seated on a few crates by the opposite wall. When had he missed his presence? Dami set his look back, taking out a hand to his hip in case he had to draw first. "Then are you up to no good, citizen? Why should I care?"

"You could have a listen. I know a lot about this city that he'd never tell his own flesh and blood…"

Dami moved his foot a scuffle forwards, the man getting up with a grin on his cocky face. Green eyes, just like the hobo…

"I won't use force, not unless you –

"You know what? How about I DO tell you?"

The man moved to fish something out of his coat. "Here. A tip, from some lost soul before midnight. Good boys should head to bed now." He waved and left the card on the crates as he started to fade out. Dami walked slowly close to the crate as he picked up the business card. Examining it before looking up.

"Ho –

He was gone, and Slade was right around the corner, teeth and fists gritted as he waited for Dami to find his way home. Watchdog only feet behind as the kid was to the gates in record time.

/

Slade got busted about letting Dami navigate as Cass and the boy wonder of this current era were sat in the cave, and lectured while Dick pulled down the cowl and growled back at the two teens. "How do I even begin tonight…..I think you owe all of us an apology. You scared Duke witless."

"Slade cleared his throat. "He told me that your espionage tactic wasn't without a few stray hairs. Cass and you both, but the alarms never buzzed to alert your bulter."

"I did it, so punish me. But not Him." Slade was glared at as Dami took the fall. "I pulled her in because we both believe that Slade, you are manipulating my brother. He's still family, but you are not welcome in this house."

"Master Damian!" Alfred tutted and was sure that he too still had his brows knit at the real reason. "Their involvement together is not for any such malicous intent. Slade Wilson if you must hear of it, was HIRED by your father in case of the city being without his leadership. Slade will not devise some elaborate trap if there is a paycheck. Is that not right by your files, Master Wilson?"

"Don't call him master or anything of that nature! "Dami shouted and pointed at Dick's wrist. "He's abusing him, I know. Cass saw you hiding your wounds and I will not drop this resentment I've fostered until you show us the evidence of Slade's previous tantrums towards his unwilling partner." The boy crossed his arms, waiting as Cass hunched her shoulders.

"Fine." Dick clicked his tongue and began to remove his gauntlets. Gloves off, he put his hands out and showed them, even rolling up an arm to the wrist as Dami saw how the prickish former hero wanted to play this game till it was over. Till Slade could keep getting his way.

"Anywhere, else –

"DAMIAN."

The group turned; Jason was with Steph as she stayed close enough while his arm was still in a cast. "You got it all wrong, kid detective. He's not hurting Dick, he…. you should know, but why not tell em?"

Dick flushed as Slade sighed. "Should I, Renegade?"

"No, I will." Dick leaned into the bat computer console and looked at the roosting bats all in a cluster above his head. "Slade, saved my life and I found out, that I'm attracted to…. men, it was a strange enemy that exposed that and it's not in the way I'd describe as natural. Maybe." He rubbed his neck. "The truth is, the serum changed more than my timing to heal my own wounds. It changed my sexual attraction to, guys. As in." He pointed to Slade. "We have no real relationship due to my age, status. He's made it clear if this is a fluke, that's what Cass saw…."

Cass was stark white; Jason rolled his eyes and awaited the shock. Alfred rubbed his temples and muttered a cuss. Steph got into fan girl mode and fanned herself dramatically. "Those two?? What??" She giggled partly, nervous because she could blab if cupid pinched too hard for her to open up her last blog on…. wow…. wowow!

Dami was stammering, bearing down as he looked ready to slap an adult in the shins. "He….you….that….i ….Grayson! Explain!"

"He did, twice. Or should we just call it a night –

"Todd! You knew about their relationship and said nothing." Dami glared at the wounded Outlaw. "You will explain then. Was is a trauma caused by the contract? Was Slade using a different chemical format to manipulate the ser –

"I'm Gay. Dami, and Slade is not hurting or doing anything. In fact, without him I'd be a drooling baby in a coma right about now."

"That is Stockholm then –

"No!" Scrunching his brows, Jason tried to pause and "explain."

"Lil D, being gay in this case was not by choice. Even if he wasn't then, I know. Slade and I had a nice chat in the hall after you bolted."

Eyes of emerald darted over to Deathstroke. "What??"

"He asked, and for our benefit, how could I protect Grayson otherwise? He's still my protégé, despite the age gap."

"That gap is why he won't let me do anything, we just…. I guess it could be a side effect from the poison Ivy used. I think, yeah. But I am, my data confirmed that this might pass…. or…"

"Or?"

"I could still be legit, that we are a match. According to said, data…" Dick swallowed and Dami rung his hands through his hair. "Then, you can use willpower – motivate yourself to be…to stay away from that cradle – robbing piece of –

"Ok!" Jason clasped his hands together with wince, Steph moving in to see to the man not getting more bodily injuries. She laughed and tried not to sound like Babs. "Sleep cures cranky brats like all of us. Why not call it a day, because it is technically after midnight…"

"I'm in, my joints are cracking up. You two?"

Cass was looking at the floor, face red as a child's. Dami was flushed red out of rage, out of pure embarrassment of being one - upped by the main mercenary he'd sworn to never fold to. He had Grayson here, and he still was not himself.

Oh, it showed. Every movement was ridged or rehearsed. Dami's detective skills would not falter. He saw right down to the bare basics as Dick just swallowed his guilt and smoothed back his hair. Something his father was not always akin to doing.

"We'll pick back up a little later tomorrow. Alfred? Could you, I need to speak to Jason and Slade right now."

"As you need me to, Master Dick." Slade's pity didn't come from the "butler," as Wilson was treated like a wall ornament he'd forgotten to dust throughout his day. Need it only remain that way as Cass hopped up and was excused, Dami muttering nothing this time as Slade brushed him on the way out of the cave.

Sire, he was not . Dami growled and bumped back rudely.

Never his, not in another lifetime.

/

So, can they get this toaster any warmer? When I said he would be in a Slash here, it was the science; Dick had the serum and that makes his libido sharper as well, the strength so maybe there is some stereotyped connection – or it could be because he's had no one BUT Slade to cling to all those years. As Dami said, Slade wants to keep his prized protégé as close as he can for all eternity if he has to. OR! Or, the effects of the poison are still lingering and left a side effect that they are hoping will fade once it finds reason to clear the mens' recent trysts.

If not, Dick is covering his ass for Slade and his sake out of what that might do. Dami does not hate his brother, he hates Slade for doing what he did but what…if Dami makes Slade pay for bearing his claws so soon?

For Selina, she knows her boys and bats from their fluid movements. Dick's graceful swinging is not Bruce in her eyes but like Dami, she doesn't trust the man to have anyone's back like he pleases. She was more of a watch – cat as a Bird of Prey so her loyalty isn't only to Bruce but his kids. That includes Grayson, who's false death opened her eyes a little years later when Bruce told her the truth no sooner than he'd found out. This is right out of Torn Legacy and we'll see why Slade didn't stop there. Dick is aware of a crooked face among the people he knows, yet not those still watching where he's left them to stay buried. Or, is this more of a family matter, and what is Slade up to with his brush offs and smooth words?

Find out! This is gonna get spicy!

Noted; the things that stopped Dami and Cass from leaving the subway terminal were cloaked, but by tech they've not seen before. The green eyed man in the trench is important so keep watching! Also, bringing a Titan or two into this for a big guilt trip. Find out!