"I'll be over later today to speak with Dick and Leslie" Canary informed Bruce over the screen as their meeting adjourned.
Bruce nodded, "I don't want Miss Martian to be entering his mind under these circumstances" Bruce reminded her.
She glared but Superman cut in, "Bruce, I thought we all agreed that the final decision would be Dick's, especially considering how well he's healed; mentally"
Bruce glared at Superman, "We decided nothing. You told me your opinion on my son and I heard you out. That is all" Diana sighed beside Superman. "Bruce, please try to keep an open mind., They are teammates and friends-"
"I am his father and that is final"
"Bruce, he is a grown adult now. You cannot keep playing that card" Canary crossed her arms, "Is he 17 or 22 Bruce? Pick one. I'll see you and the boys at 2" She logged off without another word.
Bruce glared at her dark screen before turning to Clark and Diana. The pair of them shrugged before looking down at a notification. She looked back up to Bruce, "Barry and Ollie have news for you, apparently. It's probably on the genetics request and the formulas you had their labs looking into"
Bruce sat straighter in his seat, eager to speak with them. He nodded his thanks before logging them off his screen. He quickly sent an invite link over to Ollie, allowing them to hop onto a video call with him. Green Arrow's screen came to life with Oliver Queen glaring at him in a neatly pressed shirt. Barry's image popped to life next to Olliver, also in his civies.
"What have you found?"
"Nice to see you too, Brucie" Oliver snipped. Apparently, he was still sour over Bruce withholding information about Dick's presence from him and Roy and Canary, and then over Canary finding out first.
"Now is not the time, Queen. I have a busy day. Diana said you had news for me?"
Barry chimed in, "Well he's just here because I used his lab and scientists for a lot of the double checking and triple checking of what I found buuuuuut..."
"What?" Bruce ground out.
"It's not great" Barry admitted. He sat straighter in his chair, "I found traces of concentrated adamantium in the blood sample you sent us. With Di-er Nightwing returning recently, I'm assuming this is his blood you sent us"
Barry took another breath, "Bruce, there is no way for someone to survive like this. Adamantium can only be concentrated once it's heated to its boiling point as a liquid. For any amount of concentrated adamantium to be in someone's bloodstream, the injection had to have basically felt like molten lava was being injected into them. They also wouldn't survive past a few hours because the toxicity levels are through the roof. The only person I can see safely surviving that would be Wonder Woman, Supes, or maybe like, Deathstroke or something. With concentrated healing and replenishing cells like that, a body could counter the cellular breakdown from the adamantium. I-I just don't understand why this would be in anyone unless it was for torture"
"Could it be combined with anything else?"
Barry blinked, "Well, I mean I guess"
"Could that combination turn out to be beneficial or strengthening to the body at all?"
"Well no, not really-"
"Are you certain?"
"Well, in the way you're asking it, yeah that could be possible in the same way anything is possible in the multiverse. If we are speaking hypothetically here, and someone used concentrated liquid adamantium with other ingredients to strengthen someone with regenerative healing capabilities because the injection wouldn't actually hurt them; I guess my answer would be yes. But this is too far-fetched at this point I mean it's-"
"That's all I needed confirmed. Please continue examining the contents I sent you. Also, let me know if there is any connection between the cryo formula from Dr. Freeze and the new blood sample not mixing well. I'm not sure on a chemical level, but on a reactionary level, the formula forces the blood cells to slow down dramatically"
Barry nodded, "I'll double check but my knee-jerk reaction is just to say it's from how fast the cells as moving from working over time and healing the body almost 24/7"
Bruce leaned forward at that so Barry continued, "I bet if you gave this to Slade Wilson it would slow him down and hurt like a bitch too. Maybe not as severely, but it would pack a punch"
Bruce grunted as he made a note of this on a monitor to his side. This was good progress but Bruce couldn't help but spiral down various other possibilities from this theory and half conclusion. Did this mean they had a new weapon against Deathstroke?
Did the Court find or create the super soldier serum?
Was Dick's body only susceptible to the cryo liquid because his cells were running on overdrive? Was Dick's body healing himself every second of the day just to stay alive?
Was the concentrated adamantium from the fetal experiments or the 5 years they had him? Were there medical records on his son that Bruce wasn't even privy to?
Was the adamantium administered simultaneously with the regenerative capabilities or was it a later experiment that the court attempted on Dick?
Why Dick? Why is his son and no one else's?
Why?!
Bruce forced his hands to unclench, watching as the crescent indents in his palm stayed red and inflamed. Bruce vaguely noted that Dick's skin healed too fast to ever have small imprints like these. Bruce's mind flew back to the night when Dick shattered a solid countertop with a punch. The countertop was demolished but so was his skin. The skin on his knuckles, fingers, and backs of his hands were flayed and raw; dripping a black-red insistently. By the time, that night wrapped up, Dick's hands were pure and as perfect as ever…Just as the world imagined the first Robin to be.
He growled to himself as his oldest's smiling face flashed in his mind. Dick's award-winning grin and dimples across a flawless complexion and strong jaw. The world had been much too cruel and unjust to a boy who did nothing but open his arms to it.
A small eastern European acrobat who knew nothing of sadness or loss or toxic love until it was thrust upon him at 9 years old and never stopped since.
Bruce wouldn't allow his boys to become him, but most importantly, not Dick. If Dick was saved, then he could save his brothers from the darkness and damnation of the Bat and Gotham that had claimed Bruce. Dick was capable of anything just from touching them with his light.
He couldn't allow his son to be taken again, no never again. Bruce was never worried about how far he could go to make sure his son avoided any more pain and hurt. The Court of Owls wouldn't drop this issue. Secretly, Bruce was hoping they were struggling or too busy but there was always the possibility that they were merely biding their time and building their forces. If they were able to bide their time for 9 years for one boy, Bruce could only imagine how long they'd hold out for that same boy with proven potential and genetic capabilities beyond anyone's imagination. Second Deathstroke possibly to Deathstroke.
Bruce grinded his teeth together. It hurt just to imagine Dick as cold and cruel and rugged as Deathstroke, wandering the earth years after his time should have passed because a successful experiment had held his soul until the war hero turned into a battered villain.
He and Dick hadn't confronted a lot of things concerning Dick's possible meta status but Bruce knew they were coming. If Dick could really heal as well as he suspected, and could regenerate or control his super strength; then they were in trouble. Other groups and individuals might hear of this and be interested. The League of Shadows or the Joker; god forbid the Light set their sighs on his son. They'd hurt Kal-El and Clark enough already.
Dick may be a 1-in-a-million consequence or he may be the first line of next-generation super soldiers; depending on whoever got access to his blood and body.
There was a small part of Bruce that wanted to be hopeful, to see the world like Dick did. That part of him whispered that maybe this year was the start of the rest of their lives and that nothing bad would come of this mess. His son may be able to heal and recover quicker now but that didn't mean he would look 40 when his brothers grew to be 80 and decrepit.
Maybe, just maybe they could work this out. Dick already had some ideas on how he could smuggle old stories of his return into public life and act like nothing ever happened. They could just ignore the Gotham Gazzet and reporters for a while-
"Bruce!"
Bruce jolted out of his musings to see Barry and Ollie watching him with intense expressions of worry.
"We have ya back old man?" Oliver joked
Bruce grunted before folding his arms, "You have permission to use the captives to confirm or test any theories. So far, we haven't been able to kill them but I'm assuming that, like Deathstroke, decapitation is pretty much the only firm line that will do them in"
Barry and Ollie shared a look before nodding hesitantly to Bruce.
Bruce frowned at the expressions marring their faces, "Jason killed one temporarily and has tried again on a few others in the field" he explained.
"Bruce, I also wanted to give you a heads up that Ro-"
"Keep me informed of any progress or changes"
Bruce turned off his screens before Oliver could finish. He didn't want Green Arrow's nephew or crazed ex-wife around his son. Maybe in 40 years when Dick wasn't so much of a wild card…Bruce sighed.
He knew it was pointless, Dick seemed to attract the best and the worst of types of people. His attention and personality was addictive.
Later that afternoon Bruce found himself staring down Black Canary in her favorite black jean jacket with a sheepish Miss Martian behind her shoulder.
"I swear we won't do anything without you knowing," Miss Martian said to Bruce as her gaze flitted between Bruce and her team captain.
Bruce narrowed his eyes but grunted and moved aside so both women could enter. Canary sniffed and brushed past him before flipping her expression, "Dick! How have you been?"
Bruce narrowed his eyes further as Dick jumped over the back of the couch to hug both vigilantes. Black Canary had left Tim and Damian with the team for 1 on 1 sparring instructions which left Bruce, Dick, and Jason at home for Dick's therapy session today.
Dick had already been informed of what was trying to be forced but Dick had previously confirmed he was alright with Miss Martian looking around in his head for a bit. They'd completed a training mission when they were all about 15 years old that Miss Martian had accidentally taken control of because her mind had felt too comfortable dictating the other members' minds in the fake scenario mission.
Apparently, that experience was enough for Dick to reason that Miss Martian couldn't seriously damage his psyche.
Bruce still wasn't convinced but had promised to be more comprising with Dick when he wanted to make a decision concerning himself.
Alfred greeted everyone and brought out refreshments and sandwiches, placing everything down between their group in Bruce's study. Alfred closed the tinted glass doors slightly, leaving the right side of the intricate wood and glass double doors cracked slightly.
Dick sat cross-legged across from Bruce and Dr. Leslie while Miss Martian and Canary chose some spare seats in their circle.
Jason was upstairs somewhere but was firm when he said he wouldn't stay to 'hold Dickhead's hand'.
"How are you feeling today, Dick?" Leslie asked.
Dick smiled back, "Pretty good, a little tired, but good."
Canary sat back to watch the therapy session while Megan did her best to stay quiet and crossed her hands and feet.
"How are you feeling in a non-superficial sort of way" Leslie asked with a knowing smile.
Dick smiled sheepishly, "Ummmm, I'm feeling the opposite of turbulent I guess"
Leslie smiled as she humored his verbiage. "Really?" She asked with a peaked brow.
"Uhh, yea. Well, whatever the opposite of turbulent would be. Maybe un-turbulent or dis-turbulent"
Bruce's lip tugged upward at Dick's usual word massacring.
"So you're feeling very at peace right?"
"Uhhhhh, well yes and no. There's nothing wrong, like nothing that would cause me to feel upset but every now and then I get a little antsy or anxious but I don't have anything making me feel that way so like-"
"You don't need to justify feelings or emotions, Dick" Leslie reminded.
"I know. I know but you get what I'm saying right? Like sometimes I randomly feel these un-positive emotions and then the fact that I shouldn't be feeling that way makes me feel 'em even harder. Does that make sense?"
"Completely" Leslie nodded as she typed something down on her ipad.
"Have you been able to find a pattern to link when or how you are feeling these emotions?"
Dick rubbed the back of his head as his eyes fell to the floor for a bit, "I-I'm not certain but I think it's when we are in public. Sometimes I think we are being watched but I know we aren't so I think it's just me being paranoid and adjusting and all that….which kinda makes me want to get out there even more to desensitize myself"
Bruce frowned after hearing Dick's confirmation that he wasn't feeling well that day at the mall.
Leslie nodded, "Good, I'm glad you can self-reflect on these situations, even a little"
She placed her ipad down and pushed her glasses onto the top of her hair, letting some of her bangs fall into a flush around her face in a blonde halo.
"How do you feel about why Megan is here?"
Dick fidgeted and sent Miss Martian a quick glance, "A little nervous, but I'm like 90% ready to do it"
Bruce leaned forward, "Dick, you shouldn't go through with this if you aren't 100% okay with it"
"Bruce, please. You're lucky I'm allowing you to sit in on this" Leslie reprimanded.
Dick sniggered as Bruce leaned back in his seat with a huff.
Leslie looked back to Dick, "Do you feel hesitation because of the act of because of her?"
Dick shot a glance towards Miss M who was smiling softly at Dick. He returned her smile before answering, "I think it's because of the act….I-I don't want…..I don't want us to see anything disturbing. I wish it would just be like some non-emotional data pull"
Leslie nodded in understanding, "Can I take a leap here and guess that you mostly mean her when you said 'us'? That you don't want Megan to see anything too distributing that would put you in a severely vulnerable position?"
Dick nodded while peering around the room.
"Dick, I-" Canary cut Megan off with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Let Dr. Leslie handle the majority of this. Dick is taking a big leap in being genuine and vulnerable in front of us, we need to respect the interaction between patient and Doctor"
Megan nodded before falling silent.
"Sorry Miss. M" Dick said embarrassingly; to which she smiled.
"Well, I don't mean to rush you but I believe that it would be best to keep the 50-minute timer of the therapy session on our little mind experiment here as well. Just to make sure that no one dives too deep and we can ensure you kids don't exert yourselves too much, how does that sound?"
"Dick, are you sure you want this?" Bruce asked again, ignoring Leslie's and Canary's sharp looks.
Dick nodded, attempting to convey a steely emotion through his eyes, "I can't not be nervous, but I do want to do this"
"Alright" Canary clapped her hands as she stood up. She directed Miss Martian to put the chairs away so they were flush against the wall, except for 2.
Dr. Leslie stood beside Bruce as Canary stood closer to the pair of young adults. Dick and Miss M sat down and faced each other so their knees were knocking.
She gave Dick her best reassuring smile before reaching for his hands. "I've heard it can be uncomfortable if you're aware of it" She explained, "So I think it's best if we do some breathing exercises and I slip in without informing you"
Dick's mouth thinned before he nodded, grasping her fingers back tightly.
"Ok" She said, "Let's take 5 breaths in" Dick did just that.
"And 5 out", he copied her.
"And 10 in…And 9 out"
"Now only 4 in and 11 out. Try to make each breath equal to each other-"
Miss Martian slipped in the second she felt Dick's hyper-focused concentration waver to her directions and away from the matter at hand.
She felt his mind tense as if he wanted to trap her or kick her out before the walls of his psyche relaxed and allowed her to breathe and move freely.
Dick's mind was a very dark and shrouded mesh of blues and blacks. The different shaded hues melded and flowed as if underwater. It reminded Miss Martian of sunlight projecting down through steady waves onto the ocean floor, beneath the sea life. Except there was no sunlight to be found.
She kept her movements slow and steady as she made her way forward. Every few steps, she caught a shadowed glimpse of one of Dick's brothers. It made sense, the most cherished or newer memories always held more power and could be visualized more easily.
As she continued, she noted that she could only hear voices and whispers. Megan came to a particularly shaded portion of Dick's mind that groaned and trembled with heedy emotion. She thought she caught a whisper of Batman's voice so she tried to stay clear of any family drama and fights.
Megan wandered around, trying to pinpoint anything substantial for a bit. Every now and then a ghost of a memory would run by her or she would hear someone finishing half a sentence in her ear. She heard whispers and yells, too much crying from boys of different ages and every now and then she would see a smiling young raven-haired boy run past her. She wasn't sure which brother it was. She always found it ironic that Bruce had adopted so many children that could have come from the same family line; Nightwing liked to say it was because they were always fated to be brothers.
Making her way in the opposite direction, she noticed there was a translucent barrier, shimmering a few feet from where she stood. She approached and tried to touch it, noticing how she could phase her hand through with steady slow force. Megan steeled her own emotions, aware that this might be emotionally uncomfortable for both of them.
She pushed forward and the moment she felt the tickle of the thin shimmering barrier hit her face, everything fell away to complete darkness. Megan blinked widely to confirm her eyes weren't closed as she did a double take.
She had never seen something like this, not even from the amnesia victims she had helped in their later recuperation stages.
She backed up a few steps and almost gasped at how fast the light returned. She found herself facing the shimmering waving wall again. This must be it, or at least something blocked and significant she assumed.
Megan pushed forward and kept her arms out just in case she hit something.
Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her front foot give way and the air rushed into her face and lower belly as she lost her footing completely.
Megan clenched her eyes on instinct but gasped out a breath as she felt her back hit the ground with a rough thud. Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring up at the ceiling of a forest of pine trees.
Before she could orient herself, all the sounds and sights came rushing at her too quickly. Somebody grabbed her right foot and jerked her along the moist rough forest floor. She tried to scramble to her elbows for leverage but couldn't get situated with the steady tug on her body. She looked down herself to see that a large man with dark brown short hair had a grip on her leg. The man was clad in all black with gold goggles strapped to the top of his head and a cloth mask covering his nose and mouth.
Megan tried to kick out and noted that she was only clothed in black cargo pants, socks, and a blue t-shirt; she felt her shirt rising up along her back as she was tugged along.
The man turned around sharply at her struggling and she froze, feeling her throat close up against her will. She tried to swallow but found her heartbeat and pulse were too rapid and pounding for her to do much of anything besides heave erratic hefty breaths from her nose.
The man read her anxiety and lack of action before huffing out a smirk, "That's what I thought, Talon. Behave and your punishment upon our return home to the nest might not be too grizzly"
Megan blinked before she suddenly came to herself and realized that she was living a memory. God, she thought morbidly. Dick's emotions must be through the roof for him to be able to project her into his body for this memory. Usually, she had to watch them third person.
"Linc-Talon" Someone called to the side. The newcomer jogged to greet the man gripping her calf. He tossed her-Dick a look before bowing slightly. "We won't be able to hold him for long, I thi-"
The sharp, explosive sound of glass shattering drug her and her attacker's attention to a cabin behind her. She hadn't even noticed that half the 2 story cabin was on fire and the closest window had just been smashed as a body was tossed out from inside.
She turned her head upside down to witness the hulking form of a man in a t-shirt and sweats clamber out of the window sill. He only had one sock on and his face was smeared in blood to the point where it was dripping off his chin in a thin rivulete river.
His hair seemed to be grey or white blonde and was matted beyond belief. Megan was about to call out for help when he turned fully and made eye contact with her. Megan gasped, "Deathstroke!"
But that's not what came out of her throat. She jerked as she felt her throat contort to spit out a strangled, "Master!"
Slade's face was bare and his left eye was covered in a dark eyepatch. His visible eye widened in fury as he stomped over to the 3 of them watching. Suddenly, his shoulder jolted back as a small black dot appeared in his clothing and a steady red line began to make its way down his chest. Slade roared in fury as he was shot 4, 5, 6 more times. During which, multiple men dressed like the man grabbing her calf had jumped onto his back. They tackled him from every angle possible before Slade had no choice but to topple beneath the piles of meta-enhanced men.
Megan made to push onto her shoulder and take advantage of the confusion when suddenly she looked back at her attacker and found him and the forest gone. She whipped her head around furiously to find herself in a concrete cell.
She was staring at the wall for so long it felt like her eyes had gone dry. Her lips were so chapped, they stung when she licked them. When she looked down at herself, she found a man's bare chest and legs clad in ripped yoga pants.
She tried to push herself up, realizing she was Dick again in another memory but was stopped by clinking next to her ears. She froze as ice-cold fear washed over her neck and shoulders, she-he was manacled into the wall she realized in horror.
She groped around herself, finding blood smeared hands free of chains and dirty blistered feet, free of chains. She brought her hands up to her face and halfway there she felt the metal collar around her throat. It was tight and thick and large and heavy. She knew this wasn't real, that it would be over in a few minutes but Megan felt dread pool in her gut all the same.
Suddenly a tall older man with a grey neatly trimmed beard and a spindly middle-aged woman in a pantsuit came to a stop in front of the barred cell door.
"This is how you are treating your prized possession?" She sneered at the man next to him, while keeping her gaze on Meg-Dick.
She felt the need to shy away from such an assertive domineering gaze but had nowhere to go.
"Do not worry yourself, Lydia. We've already confirmed his healing factor has set in nicely. The only fetal experiment to make it to term and then some" The man replied. He sounded like she assumed a human grandfather should sound. Like Alfred appeared many times towards Nightwing and his younger brothers. This man was proud beyond belief, but it didn't make Megan feel any better.
"When will phase 2 be ready?" She asked, looking down her nose at him.
"When the last of the board arrives" he informed her in a soothing tone. "I've already confirmed that the latest formula won't kill him. Nothing will at this point, but our theoretical reports have told us that this batch has the highest chance of succeeding when paired with his DNA while his natural electrum is maxed out. He needs to be weak enough for the formula to take its palace in his bones and white blood cells but not weak enough for him to actually relapse and die from it"
The woman nodded, "You need to make sure that none of the chemical compounds and components get out, William. If you manage to prove he is a success past what he already is, the Board will want a front-row seat to what he becomes"
William smiled to himself and seemed to stand even straighter, his polished shoes and silk tie shining in the greasy overhead light, "It won't be long now. We will begin the process next early next week, and then all that is left to do is finish his conditioning and training; which" he gestured to Dick's crumpled bloody form, "you can see is already taking place"
Lydia turned up her nose, "Prepare yourself for failure, nothing has worked on any subjects in the past 100 years or so. You are not the first to attempt this evolution of our Talons"
William replied, "No, but he is the first to fight us so gallantly"
Megan opened her mouth to say something but all she could do was cough and choke around her chapped lips and swollen tongue. Her throat felt like was burning and drying up, robbing her of her air. She bent forward and scrunched her eyes to try and focus herself; she took deep breaths, reminding herself she wasn't actually Nightwing and she wasn't in a real cell being oggled at behind rusted bars and concrete.
She felt the tension on her throat relax enough for her to take a deep breath. Megan took another to confirm her suspicions before she slowly opened her eyes. She was in the same underground area but in a different room. There were multiple people spanning the outskirts of the room but in the center stood Nightwing, dripping, shivering, and barely coherent.
Dick stood 20 feet away and stared right through her. He was bare-chested again and had a limp bloody rag tied loosely around the base of his neck that made her think he had been gagged recently. He was clad only in boxers and was soaking and shivering. His muscles strained underneath his skin as he trembled uncontrollably. Dick's eyes were barely open, his long eyelashes fluttering as he tried his hardest to stay upright and firm. His form swayed violently in a way that had Megan suspecting he had been drugged or recently woken up.
Megan made to move towards his vulnerable form but stopped as the same man, William, stepped forward.
William grinned broadly, his straight white teeth mirroring his finely pressed suit and polished loafers, "Ladies and gentlemen of the Court…I present to you your future Talon"
Surrounding William and Dick was another man with dark brown short hair and bright brown eyes; he was a little shorter than Nightwing and looked like the same one that was dragging her only moments ago. Beyond them were 9 men and women of varying heights and races in the same dark cloak and mask. The cloaks reminded Megan of American Judges' long black robes. Each person had a white mask strapped to their face that portrayed Owl features in different art styles. Some had very thin black lines with eye slits surrounded by red swirls with gold accents that reminded Megan of East Asia. Others had green and gold linings and swirls that looked like Celtic and Gaelic knot designs.
Megan noted that there were about 5 or 6 different general cultures represented among their observing group of Owls. Who were these people? They were obviously complicit in Nightwing's captivity and torture.
The cloaked figures around them clapped politely, superficially. A few nodded when one stepped forward, he had a West African design to his Owl mask features and Megan could see a bundle of tied back dreadlocks down his back.
"We already know of your genetic success Cobb. The boy is no surprise, why have we been summoned?"
William smiled, "I'm glad you asked Roan". He turned back to Dick who was still swaying heavily. William approached Dick who jerked suddenly when he grasped his chin between his strong calloused fingers. Dick's glassy eyes tried to focus on William's face as the older man ran the pad of this thumb across Dick's lower lip. Without looking away from the drowsy young man, William announced, "My grandson here is the first to successfully survive the evolution serum"
A few people gasped under their breath while Roan clenched his fists at his side. Another woman, tall and gangly, stepped up beside Roan, "William! You were warned to cease your experiments after how many talons and soldiers we've lost. You must cease disobeying the mass votes of the Court. It does not matter if you are an Owl; do not mistake yourself for the only Owl"
William smiled demurely, dropping Dick's chin, "Forgive my disobedience Lydia but let me repeat myself. I present you with not only our lost Talon, my grandson; but also the only survivor of the evolution serum"
Lydia crossed her arms, "Do you expect us to believe that you have not only perfected the serum but also successfully injected someone?"
"That is exactly what I expect you to believe, my dear"
Roan and another man straightened up and tensed over William's statement, "Prove it, Cobb" the man ordered.
"With pleasure", William turned back to a trembling Dick, his raven dark locks were limp and soaking. His hair was plastered to his hair and down the nape of his neck. Megan just noticed that Dick had half his head shaved as well. She did a double take as he turned to his left, barring that side of his barren head to her view. There was about 4 inches of shaven scalp above Dick's ear that was wrapped and bandaged; covering something that was done to him recently.
Did Dick know he had a wound under his hairline there, presently?
William smiled at Dick's unsteady figure, his eyes struggling to lock onto the older man in front of him.
"The time has come, my boy. Do you remember what we have talked about? The final plans before you can truly be one of us?"
Dick's glassy eyes gave no sign of recognition to William's words. The old man dropped his smile, his beard hiding his superficial smile from the room.
"Talon" William's hand snapped up and grasped a handful of sopping wet hair from Dick's head; wrenching his head and neck back to stare into the Owl's eyes.
"Are you ready?"
Dick's breath caught as he was forced to come back to himself somewhat, his eyes jerked to find something familiar to lock onto before he just started nodding wildly forcing water droplets to spaz from his head, hoping to appease whatever negative force was upset with him.
William glanced at the others in the room, "Please forgive the boy. He recently finished his procedure and additional conditioning within the same day" he said nonchalantly.
"Is that what happened to the lad's head? Some…training?" a deep voice in the back of the room asked. This man was rather short but had bulging biceps and wore a mask who large Owl eyes encircled with the purple and gold of France's past royalty.
William hummed and nodded absently, "That was a separate appointment, just to remind the boy who and where he belongs to. But yes, that was also during his training and conditioning". He turned to the man beside him, "Lincoln, if you would…"
The talon bowed and exited the room briefly. Megan couldn't help but try to look around the room while Dick stood in the center, trying to appear more stable than he felt. Megan noted that there were 10 of these Owl authorities total, if she counted William and not the Talon/Lincoln man.
Linc- was that truly the same man who had her-Dick by the calf?!
Before Megan could think more of it, Talon re-entered with a young man with a tight black velvet sack over his head. He dragged the person in front of Dick by the bicep and nodded to William before bowing.
William stepped up to Dick closely and looked into his lidded gaz, "Gray Son" Dick's eyes widened at that title; clarity seeping into his being.
"Do not forget your place, my boy. Listen to me and all will be well. Yes?" Dick nodded fervently, trying to stand straighter.
William smiled warmly before stepping back and reaching into his pocket he pulled out a mask that possessed Gaelic knots outlining the eyes and beak of of predatory owl.
Behind the mask, William's muffled deep tone came through as a firm order, "Gray Son. Heel"
Almost too fast for Megan to believe, Nightwing's body jerked to attention. His broad shoulders straightened and fell back, lifting his chin high and cementing his feet to the ground. The vulnerable wobbling young man was gone in 2 seconds.
Why was Nightwing listening despite the obvious pain and torment he was in? What was going on? Megan thought.
Without any prompting or explanation, William withdrew a long sleek knife from inside his robes and plunged it into Nightwing's chest. Megan gasped so horridly and fast that she started to choke on her uneven intake of air. She stared in morbid shock as Dick doubled over, choking out a mouthful of dark vibrant blood onto his chest and ground.
His bare chest started to leak blood rapidly, steady audible dripps and drops echoing onto the ground beneath him as more and more blood escaped his chest cavity.
William withdrew the blade in one clean pull before gripping Dick's shoulder and plunging it into the base of his throat. Megan couldn't hold in her cry at seeing the majority of the crimson blade sticking out the back of Nightwing's neck. His eyes were wide and crazed in pain as he jolted and bled freely.
William pulled the blade out as Dick reached for his neck blindly grasping and slipping his fingers through the thick torrent of his depleting life force.
Within 30 seconds, Dick had been stabbed in 2 vital places and was bleeding exorbitantly. Dick tried to gasp and choke but was unable to make a sound. He fell to his knees with a crack, splattering deep dark crimson everywhere around him before crumbling and collapsing to his front.
Megan felt herself start to go into shock. She knew this wasn't real, truly she did but she couldn't stop the pain and horror she felt. She pressed herself into the wall behind her and watched as blood so dark it shined black, began to pool around his torso.
"Have you just killed your first success, William? This is why we warned you to be modest in your trials and expectations" A man next to the shorter man admonished.
William didn't reply, watching Dick's still body with utter fascination. After a whole minute, the room fell silent waiting for Dick to either prove them wrong or for William to realize the young man was dead.
"Gray Son" William demanded. "Rise"
Roan snorted in amusement behind William but found himself speechless as the body on the ground began to jerk. A small breathless whimper escaped the body before falling still.
Megan didn't even blink once.
"I know it hurts, my boy, but you know I am your master and you must obey. I will only say it once more. Rise" William didn't raise his voice but his tone became severe and firm in a way most children dreaded from their parent.
Dick groaned and weakly shoved an arm under his chest, forcing his body up onto all fours. He gulped in large mouthfuls of air before shoving himself to his feet forcefully. Megan gasped when she glimpsed Nightwing. His electric blue eyes were gone and replaced by bright gold. His chin, all the way down to his broad heaving chest was drenched in wet sticky blood, still dripping down his body. The only exception was where his tear tracks left slightly pinker trails of blood down his cheeks and chin. Megan couldn't even tell what the state of his chest and throat wounds were.
William smiled broadly, his bright white smile conveying the pride of a parent to its fullest. He stepped up to Dick as his wide eyes struggled to lock onto William before him.
"Shhh. Shhhhh my dear boy. There is no need to cry. You have made me immensely proud. It is almost all over, just one more task before you may rest"
Dick was gasping and struggling to hold in his sobs too violently to respond, but William did not persist. He turned back to the owl-masked attendees with an aura of smugness, "And now" he announced loudly, "The main event"
He turned back to Dick with a wicked gleam in his gleam behind his masked eyes, "Gray Son. I want you to remove this man's heart in the next 30 seconds"
Dick turned to the hooded and bound man to his right and studied him for barely a second before advancing on him, shoving him back against the brick wall by the entrance door with a powerful shove. The man must have been gagged as well because his 'oomph' was muffled and quiet.
Megan's eyes flew wide as she suddenly realized what was going to happen. She panicked, realizing she couldn't step into the memory and cause Nightwing's mental state to be disruped but she couldn't stand to watch this murder either. Before she realized it, Dick was reaching for the man and she jerked her head to the side, slamming her eyes closed.
She heard a cry and thud simultaneously before a wet shredding sound threatened everyone's senses in the room, followed by a thundering crack of concrete. A moment later a larger thud was heard followed by tiny echoing drips.
Megan could almost feel the silence. She slowly forced herself to turn and look at the scene.
Dick stood before everyone with a large bloody somet- 'oh my god' Megan thought morbidly. 'That is a heart' she realized.
Dick was standing before the slack body on the ground, holding the man's heart in his chest. Slightly behind Dick, she could make out a 5-inch hole in the concrete wall about 5 inches long.
"Dear god" someone finally muttered in the back of the group.
"William" Lydia replied, dumbfounded. William smiled back broadly as he watched Dick study the bleeding dripping organ in his hand.
"William" Lydia tried again. "That boy survived a stab to the heart and an esophagus puncture and then ripped that man's heart out of his chest with his bare hand"
"And overestimated his use of force, accidentally destroying about 5-7 inches of concrete as well" William added with a beaming smile.
Suddenly, Dick's body dropped to the hard ground with a similar thud, the organ rolling for his limp fingers. Roan looked pointedly at William, "Your experiment-"
"Yes, yes I know" William waved him off, "The boy hasn't slept in 4 days only to be stabbed in 2 vital regions. He'll be fine"
With a nod to Talon, the shorter man approached Dick's body and hefted him onto his shoulder in a fireman's carry before standing at attention by the main entrance of the room.
"While I applaud your success, the severity and potential this boy holds now should not have been kept from us, Cobb" Roan said firmly.
"This was as much a final test for you as it was for me" William replied calmly. "The boy was injected a few days ago and once I confirmed with our medical staff that he had lived and was stable, I called you all here"
Roan grunted, not pleased. Lydia took another step towards the dead young man on the floor.
"We need to meet. We need to plan and discuss" She turned to Roan, "I don't wish to hear any pushback from you. I don't care how much you dislike William, he had just provided us with a weapon like no other. As heads of this Court, we have an obligation to utilize this to its fullest in the name of Gotham"
She turned back to William, "I want this boy under 24/7 security and I want to make sure that this conditioning and training you are putting him through is actually conditioning and not pointless torture. We want him loyal, not broken"
William smirked, "My dear, there is no difference if the method produces the same outcome"
She sneered up to him, "You often mistake a broken will to live for obedience, Cobb"
Megan had heard enough. She was trying to hold her stomach together as well as she could but she was too nauseous and bothered. Her emotions were about to overflow and it wouldn't be safe for either of them if she was still in Nightwing's mind when she let loose.
Quickly, Megan forced herself to focus on the translucent wavering door where she had found these dark hidden memories in. She felt Dick's mind relax, allowing her to access that portion easily. She closed her eyes, focusing on where she wanted to go, throwing her arms out and reaching for the light shadows of his mind, where she knew she would be safe.
Megan heard a joyful laugh sprint by her right side and threw her eyes open. She was relieved to see she was back where she entered Nightwing's mind, underneath the shimmering lights of the shadowy blues and blacks. Around her, she could see young black-haired boys playing and laughing before the ghosts of their memories flowed away to be replaced by another.
Megan quickly made her way back, following her footsteps to the lightest portion of Dick's mind; his most cherished and recent memories.
She was about to focus on her body and focus on releasing Dick's mind when a voice caught her attention. A dark smooth deep baritone that the entire vigilante community had become familiar with when they believed he had murdered their brother. Deathstroke. Megan felt the cold nauseous pit in her stomach drop even lower; what was Deathstroke doing in a recent memory of Dick's? Was this connected to the cabin memory she had experienced?
Slowly, she followed the sound and suddenly found herself staring at a shadowy image of Slade Wilson in civilian clothes. He was facing a smiling Dick who appeared to have just cracked a joke and was trying to pull a reaction from the out-of-uniform mercenary. She was facing Deathstroke's back and could only see Dick's beaming face. She reached out and barely touched Slade's shoulder when she found herself sucked into the memory in much more clarity. The air around her seemed to stutter as more potent color seeped into the scene around them. Before she realized it, she was standing on a rooftop, watching Deathstroke and Nightwing smile at each other.