Megan held her breath as she took in the scene before her, more importantly, the lack of action between the two men before her. It was dark and the only light available was the smoggy Gotham moon. Dick was sitting on the edge of the skyscraper-esq building in just a t-shirt, opened hoodie, and jeans. Deathstroke sat relatively close on his right side in a plain white t-shirt and pressed blue jeans. He had on large black tactical boots and an expensive-looking watch with a large cigar between his lips.
"Sooooo?" Dick egged on with an arched eyebrow.
"I don't see why you need to know my favorite animal"
Dick pouted, "Not your favorite, the animal you think you would be. Totally different, because you have to be honest with yourself to decide what the balance between your favorite animal would be and what you would survive best as in the wild"
Deathstroke returned Dick's look with a deadpan expression, "Fine. I would be a household dog so that all my survival necessities and health needs would be taken care of and I would ensure my above-average life span"
Dick stared at Slade, "You suck"
Deathstroke quirked up an eyebrow, "And what would you select little bird?"
Dick made a dramatic sigh as he thought it over, "I would either be a supertiny bird like a Robin or a big bird like an Eagle. That way I'd either be so small no one could catch me or I'd be protected by laws and stuff"
Deathstroke turned to Dick, "Now will you answer my question, pretty bird?" Dick fell silent and stared at his feet hanging over the building ledge, kicking them softly.
"How are you feeling?" Slade repeated.
Dick shrugged, "Today was my worst feeling day so far and I don't know why"
Deathstroke didn't respond, merely watching Dick hug his knees to his chest and sigh deplorably.
"I couldn't stop staring at myself this morning. I felt a little silly but I just couldn't stop. I was fascinated by the differences between what I look like now and what I remember my reflection being; it was like rubbernecking at a car crash. Does that make sense?"
Deathstroke nodded but didn't say anything.
"I kept trying to see my tattoo and my body still doesn't quite feel like me. Jay keeps joking that the Court fed me steroids but it bothers me so much that I can't remember how I bulked up this much. I don't even have the scars to point me in the right direction Slade! Like, oh look a cut on my arm or bruises on my stomach or needle marks literally anywhere"
Deathstroke huffed out an amused breath, "Welcome to the world of metas being inconvenienced, pretty bird"
Dick frowned, "Feels like a lot more than an inconvenience" he muttered.
Deathstroke nodded, "Yes, it probably does right now. But give you a few years to acclimate and adjust and the things you just complained about will be an inconvenience in comparison to the advantages and successes your future has just been granted"
Dick frowned so Deathstroke continued, "Take our spars for example. I don't pull out all the stops to try to kill you but I no longer hold back little bird"
Dick slowly uncurled himself, looking at Deathstroke in astonishment, "No way" he breathed. Slowly a wide smile spread across his face and Megan could feel the excitement oozing from his body.
Slade nodded, a similar grin contorting his goatee. "Don't underestimate yourself bluebird. None of your vigilante comrades could match you" Deathstroke's expression grew serious, "None"
Dick blinked back.
Deathstroke sat back and relaxed his shoulders, "When you can't remember something because of all the trauma and damage you suffered, remind yourself that you only survived that amount of suffering because of your determination and new capabilities. Like me, you'll be able to rise from a military-grade bomb drop or only need a few hours to heal from an assassination attempt"
Deathstroke reached over and ran a hand up the back of Dick's neck, up into his hair before resting on top of his head. Dick seemed to be enraptured with Deathstroke and couldn't look away.
"This experience didn't cripple you Dick, it only extended your limits. This is a gift, don't mistake this for a curse or a burden" Dick nodded absentmindedly, his throat bobbing to swallow his overly dry throat. Deathstroke smiled endearingly and dragged his hand down to Dick's chin and jaw. He ran the pad of his thumb over the sharp line of Dick's jaw for a moment before letting his hand drop.
Dick blinked a few times as if realizing his behavior and close proximity. He cleared his throat and sat straighter, pulling away slightly. Deathstroke smirked in response, "Did yo-"
"No!"
Suddenly Megan was yanked away, sounds and sights blurring by her too fast to comprehend. She let out a cry as she was thrown back so harshly she toppled backward out of her chair in Bruce's study.
"Megan!" Dick!" all the adults cried out at once as they collapsed away from each other. Dick didn't give anyone a chance to get to him. He scrambled to his feet and backed himself against the farthest wall from her. His chest was heaving and sweat had plastered his dark locks to his forehead and neck.
Bruce was standing in front of Dick with his hands raised in a placating manner, "Dick! Dick? Talk to me, Chum. What happened? Are you hurt?"
Dick didn't answer, his wide frantic gaze was locked onto Megan but what took the breath from her lungs were his eyes. They had all seen Dick's strange eyes the first time they had seen him, but since then his otherworldly glowing yellow eyes seemed to have made themselves scarce; until now. Dick's eyes were bright gold with rings of deeper yellow hues. Megan allowed Black Canary to help her stand as Dr. Leslie came to her aid as well.
"What happened? Is everything alright?" She asked. That brought Megan back to what she had just witnessed for the past hour. Megan had been taken from memory to memory as the little brother and comrade she had known since 13 was tortured and manipulated. The memory she couldn't wrap her head around was of Dick and Deathstroke on a rooftop recently; interacting like they were allies.
Deathstroke had always been an off-limits topic for the Young Justice team. He not only had a strange obsession with the first Robin but had been deemed a code red by Batman. A category too dangerous for the YJ team. They were trained from day one to abandon the mission and refer to the first adult available if there was ever a code red at a mission. Most were easy to avoid as they consisted of the light, Bane, and most of the League of Shadows but Deathstroke went out of his way to separate and play with their youngest teammate many times. It always bothered the team but it struck a deeper cord on many levels when they were told that Deathstroke was the reason they'd never see their youngest teammate again.
"Why?" Megan whispered. Everyone in the room turned towards her.
"Why what? Megan?" Canary asked in a soothing voice.
A choked whimper squirmed out of Dick's throat before he cut himself off. Batman whipped his head towards his oldest son to see his wide eyes were still trained on Megan. There were too many emotions bulging from Dick, fear, anxiety, shock, and more.
Batman turned on Megan, "Miss Martian, what did you see?" he demanded in his Batman voice.
Megan was startled as it was Bruce Wayne speaking to her like they were at the Cave and not a fancy office. "He-He. You-" She swallowed hard as she turned towards Dick.
"Miss Martian, pull yourself together. What did you witness"
"Bruce!" Canary snapped.
"I warned you this was a bad idea" Bruce returned spitefully.
"Deathstroke…" Megan whispered as she kept her gaze on Dick. Too many thoughts were running through her mind. She couldn't distinguish her feelings from Dick's yet and was still attempting to cement herself in the reality around her.
The room fell silent at that name. Canary inhaled fast while Bruce turned sharply to Dick. Dick felt his stare and turned to meet his gaze, his gold irises were steadily becoming glazed as he disassociated and fell into shock.
"Dick…" Bruce began as he took a step forward. Dick tensed and tried to press himself into the bookcase behind himself. "Why did Deathstroke come up in memories with the Court of Owls?"
"They weren't Court memories" Megan tried to explain. Her voice trembled as she tried to calm and re-center herself.
Bruce tensed and turned to Dick fast. He gripped his upper arms and shook him once; hard. "She didn't witness your murder did she Dick?" Bruce demanded as he studied Dick's bright eyes.
Dick stared back at Bruce while the whole room fell silent. Almost a whole minute passed as they shared a look that spoke volumes to each other. In the moment Bruce knew he saw fear in Dick's eyes, but not the kind that he expected. It was fear of discovery, fear of Bruce finding out something about Deathstroke Bruce concluded.
In the blink of an eye, Dick roared out and jumped, bringing both legs under himself and slamming them forward into Bruce's gut.
Bruce's eyes flew wide open as he was thrown across the room into the parallel bookcase before collapsing to the floor.
"Dick!" Leslie exclaimed. Dick looked at Bruce for a second before sprinting out of the room and down the hall.
"Jason!" Bruce yelled out as he got to his feet and ran after Dick. Loud thundering footsteps pounded down the stairs case as Jason threw himself down the stairs to see why Bruce called for him. Bruce pointed down the hallway, "We need to get Dick. Now"
Jason nodded before spirning down the hall after him. Bruce spared a dark irritated look at Canary before he ran after both his sons. He followed the boys' and tracks down the hall before spotting a rug corner upturned at the entrance of the greenhouse, Bruce took a sharp turn into Dick's favorite yoga room before finding the doors to the backyard wide open.
He started sprinting towards the sound of Jason calling for Dick when he saw the back of Jason's broad form for a second. Bruce tried his best to keep up with his son when he heard a yell.
After another second Bruce heard a loud curse and thud before the commotion and scrambling amidst leaves began. Bruce caught up to the clearing both boys were in to find Dick pinning Jason to the floor with an intricate handhold. Dick had Jason's right arm was stretched above his head and his other arm was twisted backward and pressed down against his ear. Bruce had seen this tactic before with the League of Shadows when they wanted someone subdued. This incapacitated them unless they could force their weight and their captor's weight up off the ground with their core muscles alone.
Jason was struggling and cussing Dick out as Bruce approached, "Dick" Bruce barked.
Dick froze and Jason took the opportunity to knee Dick in the butt so hard he toppled forward over Jason's head. Bruce jumped in to help pin down Dick's squirming form.
"Dick! Jesus Bruce-argh- What did you do to piss him off now?"
"Jason not n- Dick! Listen to me. I just want to know what happened!"
Dick twisted so hard to the side he pulled Bruce with him onto the ground in a messy splayed jumble. He shoved Jason away and into a tree before standing unsteadily. Jason felt the back of his head with the tree trunk and gritted his teeth. He pushed away before advancing on his older brother again.
"Dick!" he yelled. Dick froze where he was wrestling with Bruce on the ground. He had one thigh over the base of Bruce's throat and was struggling to pin his arms down while his remaining leg kept his balance over Bruce's lower body. Jason had never seen this type of pin before. Where did his brother pick that up? The Court of Owls? Dick's bright gold eyes jumped to him and Jason felt his hackles rise. Something horrible had set Dickie off for those damned Court eyes to come back. Dick's chest was heaving as he panted for breath. Bruce mirrored him in his casual jeans and rumpled t-shirt. His usual hair gel was gone and his hair was messed.
"Dick. Stop, right now and explain to me what B did to piss you off ok? You don't even have to let him up"
Bruce scowled at Jason's statement but remained quiet. Dick jolted as if realizing how heavily he had Bruce restrained before pushing off his adoptive dad with sudden force and taking a few steps away from each man. "It's not what you think" Dick started as he tried to catch his breath.
Bruce got to his feet and crossed his arms before realizing how aggressive he might appear and dropped them unsurely, "I have my suspicions Dick, but I need you to explain everything. Why did Miss Martian see Deathstroke in your memories? It was something recent wasn't it?"
Dick swallowed and looked to Jason as if he could step in and be the family mediator for once.
"I-I. I- nothing happened or -er, nothing is happening I swear. It's just nice to get out every now and then and he's been looking for stuff on the Court for me-us, on the side. He explained he wasn't the one who shot me 5 years ago and he's trying to help, seriously, B"
Bruce's expression darkened, "You've been meeting with Deathstroke" It wasn't a question.
Dick's eyes darted away before he nodded meekly. Jason whistled lowly, "Damn, Goldie. Didn't see that one coming"
Dick swallowed but didn't reply.
"Why Dick?" Bruce took a step forward. "You know how dangerous he is. I know you two have always had a strange relationship in the past but that doesn't warrant the amount of risk you undertook by sneaking out to see him. Do you even realize that the Court may be following you every time you leave the Manor? Or that he may have a hidden agenda? You don't even know what he wants from you Dick"
"He doesn't have a side agenda Bruce I swear-"
"He's a killer for hire, Dick. That man does nothing for charity or pro bono. Just ask his ex-wife"
Dick scowled but didn't reply.
"What are you two doing during these meetings?"
Dick looked up for a few moments before starting to twiddle with the hem of his shirt, "We just meet and talk. It helps to talk to different people you know? And he's been looking into the Court for me-us, to see if there's any new news"
Dick seemed to become upset and irritated during his explanation and crossed his arms. "We sparr sometimes too. Slade said that stretching my new limits is just like stretching during actual workouts"
Jason sniggered, "Holy shit, Dick. I mean if it helps, it helps, but I mean this was pretty damn stupid of you"
Dick looked up sharply, affronted by Jason taking Bruce's side. Jason quickly caught on, "I'm not taking the old man's side, don't get me wrong. But you've been back with us for about a year and are now a meta right? We don't know why or how, and in the middle of all of this you think it's smart to not tell anyone that you're having side dates with a 50-year-old immortal assassin who has a proven history high key obsessing after you"
Dick's face fell slightly, unsure after Jason's speech. "At the end of the day Dickhead, if he did had a secret motive and decided to take you one night. All our clues would point to the Court. We would've never realized what happened. You gotta talk to us, and by us I mean me"
Dick felt his cheeks heating in embarrassment, "Sorry" he mumbled. Jason shrugged.
"Are you sure that these have just been informal meet-ups thus far?" Bruce pressed. DIck scowled but nodded.
"We seriously just talk about nonsense, he has a smoke and we sparr for a bit"
"Dick, you know better than anyone how important it is to keep our names and lives separate and safe"
Dick threw up his arms in aggravation, "I know that Bruce! He already knows about all of us. He left a note for Nightwing in Dick's bedroom"
Everyone realized the implications of that at the same time. "He was in the Manor?" Bruce demanded.
Dick dropped his aggressive stance, "I-I mean I didn't see him personally but yea. I think that's safe to assume he was here"
Bruce took a deep inhale and closed his eyes, "Go find Alfred. You are to stay within the Manor until I say so"
Dick glared, "You can't ground me because I decided when and where to go out Bruce"
Bruce clenched his fists and took a step forward, "I will not lose you Dick!" he made an effort to quiet his voice, "Not again. I-I will not lose you, even to your own recklessness and stupidity"
Dick's eyes softened; slightly. "You can't lock me up out of fear Bruce"
Bruce glared right back, "Do not test me because you decided to put your brothers and Alfred at risk by fraternizing with a killer"
Dick's brow pinched together after that, he bit his bottom lip to keep quiet, and his shoulder slumped.
"You know I'd never put Dami and Tim in harm's way," Dick said lowly.
"Do I? Bruce demanded" Dick's wide shocked gaze flew up to Bruce. "You've been gone for 5 years and are now no longer fully human. We have no idea what you can do or have done. Additionally, you are hiding things from us. I love you Dick but that doesn't mean you have my trust yet"
Dick took a step back at Bruce's declaration, "I haven't done anything to actually make you think I would hurt anyone!" he cried out at Bruce. "You're being too unfair Bruce. It's not like I chose to leave!"
"No, but you chose not to come back, at least at first"
Dick's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared with rage, "Fuck you"
Without another word or a glance at Jason, Dick sprinted away, back towards the manor.
Bruce turned to Jason to asses if he was hurt to find Jason fuming, "Fuck you Bruce"
Bruce frowned at Jason's words, "We can't keep tiptoeing around this forever Jason. He can be as mad at me all he likes, it's the truth. We have to work through this; together"
"Work through it together? Is that what you call this?" Jason let out a fake crude bark of a laugh. "Your 17-year-old kid was kidnapped and fucked over genetically. We finally get him back and you can't keep from throwing the last 5 years in his face! What is wrong with you!" Jason crossed his arms, "If Dick was 17 again right now, you would just ground him and be mad that he put himself at risk by sneaking out again. Why the fuck do you think it's ok to victim blame the victim right after his shit show of a therapy session?"
"I'm not saying the last 5 years are his fault. I'm pointing out that he can't go galavanting with dangerous criminals until we know everything that happened. We can barely find anything on the Court, Jason"
"You don't think I know that!" You remind us, and Dick, every chance you get" Jason growled out. He threw up his hands in astonishment. "I don't know why I'm even trying with you. You're denser than a fucking brick wall"
Without waiting for Bruce to respond, Jason shoved his hands in his front pockets and started the trek back to the Manor.
Later that night Dick took a shower and found himself staring at his reflection again. The memory of him and Slade that Megan had pulled up kept circulating in his thoughts. It was his second meeting with Slade but it felt like such an invasion of privacy. He was conflicted because he had 100% agreed to Megan digging through his mind to pull up memories and thoughts but he had only intended for her to find memories that were related to the Court; things he needed help remembering.
His meet-ups with Slade were private and intentional and only for him; Bruce could go screw himself. Dick sighed, he would have to figure something else out moving forward. Slade would know something was up if he didn't show after so long but he didn't want to roll over and listen to Bruce, especially after his justifications were plain offensive and rude. How dare Bruce ever insinuate Dick would risk his family. Bruce was the one who had problems prioritizing his family over the Gotham.
Dick could feel his anger rising, heating his skin in a way that made the top layer of his being heat and prickle with restless energy. Dick stared himself down in the bathroom mirror as if glaring hard enough would be an appropriate outlet. His eyes were blue right now but he could feel the strange yellow color hiding just beneath his natural shade. He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that his eyes could change color if he was in pain or over-emotional. It was like fate had put a big red 'Hi my name is' sticker on his forehead but instead of Richard, the nametag said 'vulnerable'.
What did the Court do to him to make him stronger, heal faster, and apparently have yellow eyes when he felt like crying?
Did Slade do something to him? Was Bruce being realistic? Was Dick being too naive?
He knew he had spent a little time with the mercenary in the past 5 years but Dick wasn't sure how the timeline all fit together. He wasn't sure how ask Slade and didn't want to accuse the mercenary of anything. Dick gritted his teeth. This was so unfair, the definition of unasked-for tribulations. Dick had lost his parents at such a young age and most people would think that would be enough trauma for a lifetime; but no. Batman had to take him in and show him the world of vigilanteism; ruining Dick's chance at normality. Then Dick had to be replaced over and over again as Robin and Bruce's first kid. Which was even worse because those people turned out to be his beloved brothers over time; which made them very hard to hate. Apparently, he hadn't paid his dues yet because his latest trial was dying, only to be brought back and be guilt-tripped over his own death!
The thought of Bruce again, made Dick's fingers and shoulders quake as he tried to hold in his fury at Bruce's hypocrisy and treatment of him. Depending on Bruce's mood for the day, Dick wasn't sure if he would be viewed as a criminal or his PTSD-stricken son.
"Fuck you" Dick mumbled furiously. Before he realized it, his fist had snapped out and shattered the mirror in front of him. The cracking cacophony in the silent bathroom spooked Dick so severely, all he could do was stand there for a solid minute. He blinked at the mirror frame, there were only a few shards around the frame of the mirror left. The rest had splintered off into the sink and his hand.
Dick grimaced as he examined his fist. There were only 4 large shards in the groove of his knuckles but Dick felt shame burn across his cheeks and nose. How could he lose control like that? That was for children and inexperienced heroes; Dick knew better. He'd been doing this since he was 8 and performing since he was 3. He knew self-control like the back of his hand. Didn't he?
Dick looked down at the shards of mirror in the sink, watching morbidly as blood drips from his knuckles joined them. He saw a warped version of himself staring back from the shards. The reflection didn't look or feel like Dick Grayson, and that wasn't just because his eyes were yellow now.
Jason sighed irritably as he watched Bruce and the Justice League converse in front of the bat computer.
Bruce had dismissed almost every concern of Dr. Leslie's when they all returned, and then let Dick avoid him for the rest of the night. Dick had avoided Jason as well but Jason tried not to take it to heart.
Black Canary sat off to the side with Megan, rubbing her back in a comforting manner. Jason's attention was redirected when Martian Manhunter entered as well. Megan perked up slightly but her tired watery eyes stayed fixed in place.
J'onn made his way over to the pair with a nod of thanks at Canary, "My niece" he said lowly. Megan attempted a watery smile for him but crushed her face into his chest all the same.
Bruce allowed them a moment before clearing his throat. Clark, Diana, Diana, Barry, and Ollie all looked at Bruce.
"Miss Martian, I understand that this afternoon was exhausting for you but we need to debrief. More importantly, I need to know what you saw from Dick and any details you can give us". The unspoken 'me' was blatant.
Megan nodded, her gaze falling to her feet. J'onn encouraged Megan to sit down closer to everyone in a chair at the main consul. Megan fidgeted with her thumbs slightly, still avoiding eye contact.
"I'll try to start from the beginning. I am still attempting to process everything and remind myself that what I witnessed didn't actually happen to me"
"It was that horrific?" Diana asked
Megan looked up, "No, well yes, it was. But mostly because I viewed most of the memories from Dick's perspective instead of the third person". Beside her shoulder, her uncle stiffened noticeably.
Bruce turned to Canary, "I told you none of them were ready for this. This was a bad idea from the start, every party involved was unprepared"
Before Dinah could respond, J'onn did, "It's not that, Batman. Unpreparedness may be a significant factor, but the issue here is that when psyche-capable individuals review memories and unearth emotions such as these; we try our best to view them from the third person. This is normally not an issue unless the emotion or memory is severe or significant to the person in question in some way. When we are pulled into their inner psyche to experience the memory exactly as they did, it warps our reality and is detrimental to our ability to distinguish ourselves from the other's mind"
Bruce crossed his arms, "Are you saying, there is no way to control how the memory is viewed?"
J'onn nodded slightly, "Depending on how important or traumatic the memory is to someone dictates how the memory is viewed. I suspect that either all of the 5 years in question are horrifically traumatizing to Richard or Megan was merely unlucky and unlocked a few rather choice memories that Richard did not like"
Bruce glared at J'onn, his figure tense and cold. Without looking at Megan he said, "Continue"
Megan nodded, "There were a few different memories that we experienced. When I first entered Dick's mind it was all very murky and shadowed. There are very dark corners of his mind but I didn't touch them. I found a barrier and after I pushed through it I found myself in a forest and I-I was being dragged away. There was a cabin on fire, and a um- Talon, I presume. Actually, there were a lot of them, all over. One was dragging me-er Dick and there were others behind us. I don't know if they set the fire but the man dragging me seemed to know me well. He talked about punishing me-Dick when we got back to the nest? And oh!" Megan exclaimed before suddenly falling quiet.
She was aware that mentioning Deathstroke earlier had triggered something in Dick and he had set off, fuming. She was conflicted, should she divulge more of Deathstroke's involvement to the JL? Or was it ok because in the end, Dick's father would know more about his past?
"What?" Batman prompted gruffly.
Megan took a shuddering breath, "Deathstroke was there as well but he seemed to be fighting the others. He broke a window and threw some of the men around. He was shot a few times and finally taken down but Dick seemed to be very happy to see him….He called him Master" Megan finished meekly. Her voice sounded small to her own ears.
The adults around her were still and silent. She chanced a look behind them to where Dick's brother, Jason, sat staring her down. He was so different from Dick that it was hard for Megan to discern if he was glaring at her or just mad in general. Dick wore his expressions and thoughts on his sleeve, it made it much easier for Megan to bond with him because she knew she could ignore the urge to poke at his mind and still know how he was feeling toward her.
"Continue" Batman ground out. He was fuming and as tense as a rock.
"I didn't mean to but the memory switched after that and I was super cold. It was from a cell and from Dick's perspective; again. I hated this one a lot because I could feel his pain and see the blood all over myself-him I mean. My hands were bloody and dirty and I had no shirt and um, I only hand pants" Megan's stomach dropped as she added the next detail, "I was also chained to the wall….by my throat" She could sense some of the adults shifting as they heard this detail.
There were these 2 people and they were like ogling me from behind the cell door. There was an old-ish man and there was a middle-aged lady but they didn't help and didn't talk to me. They talked about Dick like he wasn't 10 feet away"
"Describe them" Batman ordered.
"The man looked like he was in his 50s or 60s and the woman looked a little younger. He was well dressed, like Oliver Queen or Bruce Wayne. He also had a beard and was pretty tall. The lady was white and had on blue suit like she was a politician, and her hair was pulled back. Oh! William and Lydia. Their names were William and Lydia" Megan nodded as she walked herself through the memories.
Bruce nodded as he checked the computer to his left to make sure her debriefing was being recorded still. "They talked about a lot. I'm not sure if I couldn't make sense of it because I don't know a lot of details or if Dick didn't and that's what I was feeling but I felt pretty lost and in pain."
Megan sat straighter as she felt her uncle squeeze her shoulder reassuringly, "William said I had a healing factor and that it was tested or proven, I think. Lydia, she was very skeptical and didn't seem to like William or be on board with him or something. She also said that Dick was the only successful fetal experiment?"
She looked up, "That can't be right, right? Is there another word that I could have mistaken it for?"
Bruce looked away, "No, you heard correctly. Continue"
She looked back down to where she was fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "He said that there was another injection or experiment happening soon and that it had to be while I-he was healing and using a lot of his eclectim"
"Electrum" Bruce clarified. Megan was starting to wonder what they needed her for after all. She nodded nonetheless.
"He said that the new formula will pair with my-his bones, and he said that it'll happen as soon as the rest of the Board shows up. Oh, and the Lydia lady said that the experiment would probably fail because no one else has been successful in the last 100 years"
Megan glanced around and caught Jason's gaze. His bright green eyes were narrowed in on her and he was breathing heavily, sitting straighter too. His eyes seemed to be glowing with rage and he was gripping the back of the leather rolling chair so hard, she could almost feel the indents on her own skin.
"The next memory we were pulled into was the worst but it was also the first one I didn't see from his eyes. It-It was awful, Dick was really hurt and not doing well-"
"Describe his status in detail" Batman requested.
Megan nodded, "Sorry, he uh, he was wet, like super soaking wet to the point of dripping on the floor. He was only in some underwear, like boxers I think. He was a little bloody, but more dirty and I think he was drugged because he was having trouble standing"
"Someone was supporting him?" Bruce asked.
"No, he was just swaying a lot. And his eyes looked super glassy" Megan clarified demurely.
"There were a lot of people there too and they all had masks on. There were 9 other men and women and then like a bodyguard. I think the bodyguard was in the forest memory too. Oh, and Lydia and William were there too"
"How many in total?" Bruce demanded.
"12, including Dick and the bodyguard man" Bruce nodded as he typed something down.
"They all had masks on that looked like Owl faces but as interpretations from different cultures, like Asia or Africa or Ireland and Scotland, it was a bit strange. William presented Dick to them all and called him a Talon, which didn't make sense to me because I thought the other guy was called Talon or named Talonm or-"
"It doesn't matter how you are confused Miss. Martian, relay what you saw". J'onn grunted and tensed over her shoulder but Batman didn't respond to her uncle's displeasure.
"They seemed to agree with Lydia and basically didn't think that Dick was special. William told them that Dick was his grandson and was the first to survive the evolution serum? I think that's what he called it. He…He stabbed Dick" She took a deep breath, "Multiple times to prove he could heal, I think"
"He stabbed him in the chest and the throat and Dick fell over and was bleeding everywhere and-"
"Megan!" Canary shouted. Megan stopped, realizing she had started speaking too fast and was ranting instead of explaining what happened. She felt embarrassment flood her features, "It's all right Megan, take your time"
Megan nodded and tried to give a small smile to her mentor, "Um, after a moment William ordered Dick to stand up, and he did, like-like nothing was wrong. He was so bloody, that I thought I would get pulled into the memory too closely again. Then the bodyguard brought in somebody with a bag over their head and William ordered Dick to-to"
"To what?" Batman demand. He must not be doing as well as he appeared to be.
"Bruce!"
"Give her time!" both Diana and Dinah admonished the man.
Megan took a shuddering inhale, "He ordered Dick to remove the man's heart in 30 seconds…and he did. I think"
The room fell deathly still' Megan was afraid to breathe too loud so she held her breath and awaited Batman's explosion.
"He murdered that man," Batman said in a somber dark tone.
A chair scraped loudly behind them as Jason lurched to his feet, "Don't you fucking dare!" he roared at Batman.
Everyone turned to Jason as he pointed a finger at Batman. "You weren't there. This is all second-hand knowledge. She just fucking added 'I think'. Don't you dare start calling him a murderer"
Bruce frowned, "Jaso-"
"No" Superman intervened, "Bruce, you need to calm down and hear her out completely. Jason, control yourself until this meeting has ended" Without waiting for their responses, he nodded to Megan, "Please continue, why did you say you think?"
"Well, just because I didn't actually see it. I turned away because it was so awful" Megan stammered. "When I looked back, Dick was holding his heart and the man was on the floor and there was a dent in the wall behind the man like Dick had punched through the man. I don't know how to explain it"
"He wasn't ok, immediately after Dick collapsed and William said he was sleep-deprived and healing. The rest of the group seemed really happy but a few were mad and they all wanted to make sure the formula William mentioned was kept under lock and key"
"Is the first memory you mentioned, what set off Dick earlier? Did he not like remembering anything about that memory?" Diana asked.
"No" Megan answered quietly, "That was the next, uh final memory before Dick's emotions became too potent and negative. He broke the connection after that one" She looked up, attempting to convey her earnestness to Jason in the back, "I found this one on accident, really. I was trying to backtrack out of Dick's mind so we disconnected safely but then I heard Deathstroke's voice and saw a vague image of Dick laughing and I touched it on accident and was sucked into the memory really fast"
"We-they, were on a rooftop and it was night. Dick and Deathstroke were both in their civilian attire which was strange. To be honest I've never seen him dressed so casually; Deathstroke I mean. They were just talking about mundane things, I think Dick was asking Deathstroke what his favorite animal was and Deathstroke's answer annoyed Dick a little. There was a lot of personal stuff they talked about it and it seemed very uh…intimate"
"Personal? Like identities?" Canary asked
"No, like uh feelings and emotions" Megan clarified. "But they didn't have their masks on so I assume they both know each other outside of their masks?"
Batman and Jason both seemed ruffled over this speculation.
"Deathstroke was asking Dick how he was and Dick talked about how he didn't like feeling so vulnerable and altered. Deathstroke said that Dick's new meta status was a gift and not a curse, he said that Dick could walk away from bombings and assassinations now, like him"
Megan peeked up, "There wasn't a ton that happened after that and then Dick pulled me out. I heard him yell and suddenly we were both back in the study"
Bruce didn't respond, he grabbed his chin and studied the ground as he thought over the more recent details Megan had told them of. After a few minutes, Clark laid a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "This is good, Bruce. All these details. Maybe Megan can mentally project some faces and places she saw as well, this would really help our search for the Court"
Bruce frowned at his friend, "I know" he growled.
Clark's face grew cautious over Bruce's fowl mood. Jason stood up behind them, his face twisted in displeasure, "Don't mind him, Clark. He's just pissy that he little loyal soldier killed…again"
Bruce's face didn't change but his brooding dark aura increased tenfold. Dinah turned to Jason, scrutinizing his words.
"Bruce?" She said without turning. Bruce didn't say anything, ignoring her.
"Wayne" Ollie barked, frustration bleeding through.
Bruce did his best to ignore everyone's gaze, his focus was on the the main monitor as he typed out notes. "Uhhh, Bruce?" Barry approached.
"It's none of your concern" Bruce barked.
"No, you are not cutting us again" Clark growled out. "Why did Jason say 'again'? What are you hiding from us?"
Jason stood up, a malicious grin on his face as he seized his opportunity to inconvenience Bruce and throw him under the Bruce in front of the big-time capes.
"The old man here is having a mid-life crisis because when the Joker killed moi. Dick killed the Joker" Jason glanced around trying to confirm if the others believed him. He saw Megan's wide gaze and winced internally, he did not mean for Dick's teammate to know that tidbit; oh well.
"Bruce covered it all up and revived the fucker and then turned around and acted like I was the only low life in the family. Now Dickie's gone and done it again. Once again, not his fault if he was like 18, tortured, and drugged out of his mind"
Before Jason could continue, Bruce folded his arms, "This incident is what led Leslie and me to realize that Dick had increased regenerative healing capabilities. His recovery rate has increased over the years but it appears as if the Court did something additional to make him physically resistant to most things, and stronger as well. I have no idea what formula is pumping through Deathstroke, but I assume that the increased muscle mass and padding to his nerves are a similar chemical design"
"Bruce…are you kidding me?" Dinah exclaimed slightly. "You can't just gloss over the fact that Dick killed the Joker. If this was right after Jason's death then Dick was younger than 16 years old!"
"I'm aware of how old my children were. They're my children" Bruce replied monotonously, to which Dinah glared furiously.
"Bruce, this is unacceptable. You are a founding member of the League, you can't expect to be able to hide things from us and then expect the full truth in return"
Bruce turned on her quickly, "This is my city. This is my family. They are my children. You are the ones who forced your way in here. You wanted to be involved. I supply 98% of everything that the Justice League uses to function well and in excess. Do not lecture me Dinah"
She stared him down angrily until Clark stepped up, "Dinah, we need to be there for the boys. I know Bruce can be difficult but this can't be about taking sides and holding him to our own personal standards" With that he turned on Bruce, "Are you saying that Dick has killed before?" he asked in a low serious voice.
"Nu uh! Not you too. Don't hold this against Dickie. Why the fuck do I get to be here if we are gonna shit on him for the same thing huh?" He scoffed, "Actually, don't listen to me. Go ahead, screw yourselves over with the only non-asshole amongst this group"
Superman sighed, "It's different Jason-"
"How?!"
"You were suffering from the effects of being murdered and under the pit's influence"
Jason ground his teeth loudly, "I had just died and then the second time he was going through what you literally just described!"
Superman sighed, "Jason, please calm down. We aren't going to arrest Dick or anything but whether we like it or not; this does change things; Especially because Dick may be meta"
Jason glared, "You have no right to hold aggressive self-defense against Dickie. None of you"
"Nothing is going to happen, Jason" Bruce replied sternly. "I suspected something like this would have taken place considering a cult of assassins was after Dick and had him for an unknown amount of years. It's still needed knowledge"
Jason glared but Bruce continued, "This gives us more insight into who and what Dick is now and it gives us more insight as to what the Court wanted him for and what they were attempting to do"
"Jason" Jason tensed, "Knowing this information gives us an advantage. The more advantages we have, the better we can protect Dick; from others and himself"
Jason sneered at Bruce, "You're an asshole. Don't try and justify your crazy habits with Dick's safety"
"You know I'm right Jason. This isn't up for discussion" Bruce growled back. "On top of what the Court of Owls had your brother doing, now Deathstroke is trying to manipulate him and he is too damn naive to acknowledge the danger he is putting himself in!" Bruce's voice had raised in volume by the time he finished.
Jason crossed his arms, "I know that Dick and Deathstroke aren't great news right now but I think Deathstroke is the least of our concerns when we're worrying about Dick's safety"
Bruce shook his head, "Deathstroke has a proven clear track record of being obsessed with Dick from his first year as Robin. He will always be one of my first concerns because his possessiveness is still not clear. I know why Penguin would kidnap Robin. I don't know why Deathstroke would take Robin. I don't care if you think that Deathstroke not wanting to kill Dick is proof of his safety, he is a risk to Dick either way"
Without giving Jason a chance to respond, Bruce rounded on Megan, "I want you to transfer this and convey everything to J'onn as soon as possible. J'onn, I want you to formulate digital pictures and images of William, Lydia, and Lincoln Marsh; anyone else as well"
He turned slightly to the other JL members, "I'll run them through every known public and private database associated with Gotham's citizen history. I bet these individuals have personal or central ties to Gotham in some way and I want somehow to track them; soon"
Superman sighed before nodding. Megan gave a hoarse confirmation as well.
Bruce turned to Canary, "I will be tracking down Wilson on the side. I want you to let me know if there is even a whisper about him and Dick between the team or the boys" he ordered. Canary's icy features softened slightly before she nodded, her gaze dragging to the forlorn Jason fuming in the corner.
"Alright Bruce"
The next day found the entire manor in a terrible mood. Dick was still adamantly avoiding Bruce and Jason in favor of Tim and Damian. Tim and Damian estimated that something had happened but chose to offer silent support by doing whatever Dick wanted the following day. They were holed up in Tim's room and Dick's favored greenroom for the majority of the day.
Shortly before dinner, Alfred called everyone down to the Batcave and administered yearly flu shots, left by Dr. Leslie apparently.
Dick was determined to avoid Bruce's gaze as if he wasn't there, putting on a large goofy grin for his younger brothers and avoiding Jason's figure like he was the modern-day plague. Jason was struggling with feeling offended and pissed over the position Bruce had put him in.
Dick lent Alfred his arm for his flu shot, making a joke about how his new healing powers might be the only flu shot he needed anymore. Alfred tsked and insisted Dick accept the shot either way. They all watched Dick for any tell-tell reactions but he hardly flinched, staring at Alfred's shoes until the needle tip had left his skin.
Jason knew without a doubt that everyone else was thinking back to when Dick was willingly injecting himself with street-grade drugs to minimize his headaches because his healing factor was too regenerative and powerful for over-the-counter ibuprofen. His memories were forcing themselves to the front of his psyche and his mind was at war with himself over what was fact and what was fiction.
After the 3 boys had allowed the injection and trekked back upstairs, Alfred turned to Jason but stopped over his menacing look.
"Don't even bother Alfred" Jason sneered. His bright green gaze flickered to Bruce beside him, "I'm not sick and I'm not letting Bruce put a fucking tracker in me"
Alfred sighed before setting the syringe down. Bruce crossed his arms, the intimidation attempt failing as Bruce wasn't in uniform.
"I need a way to make sure that Dick doesn't sneak out anymore" Bruce informed him.
"Yea, I got that" Jason quipped back. "You didn't have to lie and put one in Tim or Damian though"
"It was more believable" Bruce replied.
"It is a tad repetitive, don't you think, Master Bruce?" Alfred replied from where he was tidying up the medical supplies.
Jason froze, his eyes narrowing in on Alfred, before his wide eyes swiveled to land on Bruce, "You fucker!" he exclaimed.
"We're already fucking chipped, aren't we? Like dogs!"
Bruce didn't reply at first, "I've never activated them but it is a back up safety precaution. The old ones were unreliable after Dick's short-circuited too easily"
Jason couldn't contain his harsh bark of laughter, "Ooooh my god, we've been chipped more than once? God damn, you're good old man. I'll give you that"
His fake smile fell, "I want it out…Now" he demanded firmly. Bruce glared, "Only on the condition that you always take a tracker with you and let me clip your Redhood Jacket"
Jason sneered, "Don't play me. Like you don't already have trackers in each of our cellphones"
"That's not enough, Jason. I need something more reliable in case you are taken or searched"
Jason threw up his hands, "Fuck this. I'll remove it myself" he turned and stormed off. Alfred started to jog after him, "Master Jason I insist you do not remove a medical-grade implant on your own, especially since you have no idea where it is"
Bruce watched them leave. He sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache climbing. Everything would be fine he told himself, he could make everything right with Dick and Jason later, their safety was his priority.