Damian knew things could be a lot worse, but he also knew things could be a lot better; a lot better. He was still irritated that no one woke him up when Richard had a medical emergency last week but, apparently, the unexpected flounder paired with their guests seemed to have placated Richard's healing psyche for now. It was obvious he was mentally stuck in a time where things were calmer and less horrific on a day-to-day basis. He was calmer for greater parts of the day and work less disoriented more often than not. He'd mentioned a few things that had clued them all in pretty early, referencing things he had to do for school or people he'd just seen. Damian was worried that Richard would suffer another episode but everyone had been able to tip-toe admirably well around their brother, leaving him in the dark and functional enough not to be strapped down 24/7. This peace only lasted a day or two before his own memories and questions would conjure a polar switch in his behavior and priorities. Most of the time, when Richard instigated his own dilemma, it was difficult to find its source. The last time it happened had been when all 4 boys were lounging across the sparring mats, letting their own stupid quips dull each other's brain cells.
"I wish I was a bat" Dick sighed.
"That's foolish Richard. Everyone knows humans are at the top of the food chain; you're already what you should wish to be"
"I hate this kid," Jason said.
Dick sniggered, "I gotcha Little D, but sometimes being a bat doesn't sound too bad. We can fly but we also have stories and stuff that make us look scary. I mean the biggest bat is literally a fruit bat, a vegan, but you don't hear anybody wanting one as a pet"
"Yeah, but we're robins; birds. Bruce is the creepy one hanging upside down by himself, by his claws" Tim said
They all huffed a few breaths, laughing at the image of Bruce hanging upside down by his talons. Dick suddenly sat up. Damian glanced at the older boy, shooting him a peculiar look. He'd assumed that Richard had thought of some homework, from 5 years ago, that he thought was due soon but when he looked at him and spotted a different set of eyes in Richard's profile he froze. He quickly looked to Todd who was already slowly sitting up, his stringent gaze on the other boy as well. Richard was mouthing something under his breath as he turned his hand over in his lap.
"Ey Son"
"Sn"
"Ry Sn"
"Dick?" Jason asked with heavy caution layering his tone.
"My name is Talon" The other boy snapped back. He tried to turn towards Jason but the other boy was already crouched and ready. Damian cringed remembering how hard it had been to subdue his brother. Father, Todd, Drake, Harper, and West all had to hold him down in some manner while Richard's old teammate, Fowl, sedated him. Damian sometimes had trouble centering himself after remembering the way Todd's thick arm and bulging muscles coiled around Richard's throat.
Today was going better so far. Every moment Father had alone, he was arguing with Dr. Leslie to initiate proper therapy of some sort. She's argued and said that she was, that letting Richard's family ease him out of his conditioned behavior and trauma-learned responses was a better and safer therapy than the direct questions and reflections method they tried before.
"Stop arguing with me and go spend time with your sons, Bruce" He stormed off and placed himself in his office for the rest of the day. They were trying to recreate a positive environment at the moment, which left them all in the cave on their 4th round of Uno; again. Damian had placed himself beside Richard, he'd refused another stupid card game after he'd lost in Old Maid. Around their circle were Todd, Drake, Fowl, West, and Harper. Fowl had pulled out her phone and propped it up so that their teammate Kaldur could participate while still attending to Atlantian duties. It was on Facetime while he made his way around the palace, taking care of oversight and royal administrative tasks. Megan and Superman's clone had joined earlier but had to hop off the call by lunch, promising to come visit in person over the weekend. Dick showed Damian his last blue card, smiling smugly because he'd kept the middle card pile blue for the last few turns. Damian beamed internally at being on the inside of his big brother's plotting.
"Change it to yellow" Kaldur said to Artemis over the phone screen.
"Uhhh, no" she said and slapped down, grinning at her 2 cards. Everyone had been so busy talking and relaxing in an effort to erase what had happened the last few weeks that no one was actually paying attention to Dick's hand. Ironic, since he was unknowingly always the center of attention. Dick looked at his cards and then back at his family and friends with a light smile. He was looking at the floor while Tim took his turn when suddenly he had a massive sense of deja vu envelop him. It was like remembering a dream that had reminded him of overdue homework. His nerves pitched up and he furrowed his brow in concentration. For a good 5 seconds, he was convinced they were just playing this in the living room upstairs. Why were they all down in the cave again? Weren't Connor and Megan just on his right?
"ck" dck?"
"Dick!" Dick jolted upright, realizing everyone was staring at him.
"You alright dude?" Wally asked.
Dick hesitated and then smiled smoothly, "Duh. In fact, I'm more than alright, I'm winning" Quick as light he slapped his second-to-last blue down, "Uno!" he and Damian cried together.
"Uhhhh, no" Kaldur mocked Artemis now that they could see why he suggested anything besides blue. Across from them, Dick was mouthing the word strategy to a fuming Jason.
"Damian can't say it too, he's not even playing" Roy pointed a finger.
"Oh I'm sorry, this isn't Damian" Dick threw a long arm around the youngest member, "This is my beneficiary. He has my authority to act on my behalf and in my stead"
"Dude, so uncool. You wouldn't even know what that is if Bruce wasn't rich"
"You don't know what a beneficiary is either dumbass" Artemis snapped.
"Exactly my point!"
Damian smirked, perfectly content with the single arm over his shoulders.
"Hey, no no-" Roy and Jason started to protest as Dick laughed, throwing his head back at how offended everyone was becoming. His cheeks were beginning to ache with how much he was smiling. It was a wonderful euphoric feeling to always be happy and fulfilled.
"Monopoly next" he winked at Damian.
"Let's ease up, yeah?" Tim said, "We can literally pick any other game, it's obvious Dick basically won this round"
"Aye aye captain " Wally and Dick saluted Tim at the same time; jumping to their feet and straitening their backs, staring straight ahead. Tim rolled his eyes at their in-sync immaturity.
Dick looked at Wally with a stern expression, "At ease soldier" Wally nodded back, "At ease" as they kept up the charade. Wally broke his stance with a giggle and looked at Artemis as he sat down. She wasn't looking at him though; her gaze was still on Dick and the severity of her eyes made Wally whiplash back to Dick. He was still standing at attention and his gaze was unwaveringly set on something before him. His jaw was clenched but his eyes held a murkiness to them as if the blue of his irises were muddled.
"Guys…" Wally said as she slowly stood back up.
Jason stopped from where he and Roy were talking with Kaldur on the phone screen, "Fuck," Jason said as he leaped to his feet. He looked like he wanted to approach but stopped himself, "Damian" the youngest boy seemed frozen and unsure. He watched Dick closely with worry spread across his features, "Damian!" Jason snapped, jolting the shorter boy and catching his attention, "Get Bruce, now. Or Leslie, someone!"
Damian looked hesitant to leave but must have acknowledged that they needed someone no matter what. He edged around Dick like he was fearful to touch him and sprinted up the stairs, his socked feet making light patters on the stairs.
"What do we do? What's wrong with him?" Roy asked as they slowly approached Dick's statuesque form.
"Fuck if I should know. They fucked him up" Jason whispered as he examined his older brother.
Dick was doing his best to mimic a statue. His eyes were a dirty gold, targeting something beyond them that none of them could see.
"Is this an episode?" Artemis asked, "Is something happening?"
Jason tried to quell his rising anxiety and ran a hand through his hair. He gripped his neck and tried to keep a level head as best he could, "It might be brainwashing " he said, "The Court-well Cobb said something and it totally stopped Dick from moving. He just stopped in place, it was freaky"
"Did we say something to trigger him?" Artemis asked as she peered up and down the acrobat's body.
"I think so," Tim said, "But not the same thing Cobb said-I forget what word he said but this was different". He stepped up close to Dick and slowly reached out, gripping his forearm, "Dick? Can you hear me?" Tim tried.
"What happened?" Bruce demanded as he approached from behind with Damian on his heels.
Artemis, Wally, and Roy backed up, "I dunno! We were joking around and in the middle of everything he just froze"
"Where's-"
"She's out, not back yet"
"Father, we need to do something" Damian insisted.
"We will Damian". Bruce reached out and touched Dick's shoulder, unsuccessfully drawing more than a blink from him.
Tim grabbed Bruce's attention, "It's like whatever Lincoln said to Dick that one time to make him stop moving and look at Cobb"
Bruce nodded as he observed Dick, "We may need to call J'onn. Stand back" he ordered everyone. Damian and Jason frowned but stepped back beside Tim and the others.
Bruce deepened his voice, almost falling into Batman, "Dick, answer me"
No response.
Bruce's jaw twitched as he took on a more aggravated expression, "Grey Son, answer me". That drew an immediate response and Dick seemed to spasm in place. His lips thinned and his confused, desperate gaze darted around the room before settling on Bruce. He looked like he was struggling with something unknown to even him.
"You're confusing him," Tim said. Bruce frowned but acknowledged the fact.
"Do you-they call him Talon or Grey Son? Didn't Cobb say Dick was supposed to be their next Talon?" Jason asked. At the title of Talon, Dick flinched violently and almost stumbled back a step before he regained control of himself and stood still once more.
"Grey Son it is," Roy said.
"Grey Son" Bruce growled, "Touch my hand"
Dick reached out and touched Bruce's palm with the tip of his fingers. The cave was eerily silent.
"It's brainwashing" Tim breathed with wide eyes.
"We need to snap him out of it," Wally said. He looked uncertain if he could safely step forward.
"Grey Son, explain this" Bruce demanded. Dick didn't reply, "Dick" Bruce barked, feeling a frantic bubbling in his bones. He'd only ever seen his son this still when he was bedridden after reckless decisions on patrol.
"Bruce I um, I think you need to act like Cobb" Tim suggested. His face had taken on a pale greenish color as if the suggestion alone made him veritably grimaced but knew that this was the worst audience to highlight any uncertainty with. He had to make sure his sons didn't know how doubtful he always felt nowadays, how murky his once sure decisions felt. His youngest son and his comrade's successors were all present as well.
"Grey Son" he barked, letting Batman resurface, "What key phrase put you in this state"
"At ease, Grandmaster" Bruce scowled hard. Dick's stance made sense and Damian had explained that the boys were fooling around. It must have been thrown into their joke and triggered this. He despised the notion that Dick could see him as Cobb and refer to him as such but he knew that Dick's genuine mind was very far from making sensible conscious decisions at the moment. Cobb was most likely the only person allowed to ever use these phrases with him, turning it into a learned behavior on top of any conditioning and brainwashing. With the forceful question and answering that Dick had been cajoled into, his face appeared slightly more relaxed. As if the lack of options and autonomy scared him less-gave him less opportunity to second guess his own decisions. Bruce sighed internally, the one time that their on-call doctor and resident mind readers weren't present….
"I'm going to sedate him," Bruce said to the group, "Whatever they've conditioned into his mental state makes him too reliant and responsive to things we have no grasp of yet; it's dangerous' The young adults nodded hesitantly, trusting the Bat.
"I know this might sound fucked up but it might be smart o test a command before we sedate him," Tim said slowly. Damian protested quickly but Bruce shut him down with a look. He was confident Tim would never put his brother at risk, "What is it?"
Tim swallowed heavily, "Just to see if you can order him to sleep. It would help sedate him but it would also give us a huge clue as to how much power this conditioning has over him"
"Can Martin Manhunter expel this from Richard's mind?" Damian inquired in a high voice.
Bruce didn't answer, "It's worth a shot. Grey Son, stand on the padded mats"
Jason interjected with a disapproving scowl, "Woah, woah, now we're just fucking around and playing 'Simon says' with Goldenboy?"
Bruce glared bus his brow seemed to waver, "Tim's right, this will either do nothing or put him to sleep for us and give us more insight as to how much the Court wormed their way into his head. Knowledge is power Jason, and right now Dick is a locked book"
While they were arguing, Dick looked down at his feet and spotted the sparring mats behind him. He quickly stepped back until he was a foot onto the mats and looked back to Bruce expectantly. Bruce fought the obvious urge to swallow the rising urge to wretch. The way Dick observed his surrounding and made a decision based on an order didn't sit well with Bruce. He'd seen different forms of mind control where the orders confused the victim or the victim needed additional supervision to be kept under control. This wasn't sloppy mind control, it was severe detrimental physiological conditioning, down to altering the way decisions were made and beliefs formed. It might have been made more effective due to the key phrases or certain voices and methods in which it was said, but Bruce suspected that it was heavily dependent on Dick's reactions after as well. He'd reviewed some of the medical files the Court's doctors had on him and saw how they switched their methods to positive reinforcements quickly after realizing Dick's attitude and effective responses to warm and gentle behaviors.
"Grey Son, sleep"
At once, Dick's eyelids flickered and his torso swayed like he was close to following through. His right heel seemed to give out and he collapsed backward, hitting the mat with a thud as his back made quick contact. At once everyone rushed to crowd him, "Don't" Batman barked. He stepped closer while the teens kept their distance and watched as Dick struggled to either stay awake or follow through with the order. Either way, he was walking a fine line and it showed.
"It didn't really work," Tim said after a few moments of watching a drowsy Dick. jason shot him a blatant 'no shit' expression.
"It obviously did, Drake. Richard just collapsed on command"
Bruce acknowledged this and allowed Jason to pass him a sedative. He only administered half since it seemed Dick was close to the tipping point and would only need a light or mild push to send him over the edge. Bruce withdrew the needle and watched as Dick's eyelashes fluttered valiantly before finally closing. His breath was deep and even but nothing about his oldest sat peacefully with Bruce.
Grey Son watched the bats rustle and move about, clinging to the cave's ceiling above him as if their claws were velcro and not precariously latched into the perfectly edged grooves. He absently wondered how many baby bats fell to their deaths before they were forced to come out of the womb as proficient clingers,
'Clingers' he thought with a soundless chuckle. Bats should be called clingers, 'no' he thought with a corrective frown,'they should be called hangers'. He stopped and felt an immense save of stupid wash over him, "Hangers already exist" he reminded himself aloud.
"That they do" Jason smirked at him.
Grey narrowed his eyes spitefully. Redhood, or Jason as he insisted, hadn't left his side since he awoke today. He despised Jason. He knew he was one of Batman's Robins as a child and was now coordinating and managing his own territory within Gotham but he was a wild card through and through. He was most likely right around Grey's age but he observed him in a way that always made him feel a step behind; like he wasn't in on the joke. Jason spoke and acted around him in a casual manner that implied he either knew Grey in a way Grey didn't know him or that he wasn't concerned about the risk Grey posed to him.
Either one infuriated him.
He knew he must have had more than a few run-ins with Jason in the field because he was one of the boys always bothering him in the maze, in his sleep-deprived addled moments of weakness. Jason found him everywhere he went and it peeled a sensitive layer of emotional skin he hadn't been aware of; exposing his vulnerabilities and insecurities in a way that he wasn't equipped to deal with. His sharp green eyes had a strange other-worldliness to them. Grey suspected it was from his time spent in the Lazarus Pit, but it didn't make the goosebumps and raised hair on his body any less real. He was taller and broader and handled himself like he knew he had weaknesses and decided to throw himself into a tight spot despite that. That level of self-awareness and confidence in a vigilante is what made them dangerous, Lincoln said. He didn't smile, he smirked and he didn't walk, he prowled. Grey felt underlying intimidation almost constantly, but almost in a softer sense. He had trouble finding the most accurate word to explain how he felt but competitive didn't sound right. It was too brotherly of a term.
Jason also knew too much. He saw how he held his head or bit his lip after speaking too loudly. He knew when to bring aspirin and painkillers with his cell-served meals and when to include an extra apple juice. Grey felt exposed and raw- flayed open like a book that Jason had memorized. Like an atheist debating a Christian on the Bible. It was their book and their belief system, how could you ever find a way to circumvent their words. Grey sneered back and turned away from the skunk-haired boy. He was in basketball shorts and a hoodie yet still exuded casual power, leaning back in a chair that Grey wished would tip over.
He felt alone in his cell and longed for Lincoln or another member from the Court. He'd tried to imagine what Grandmaster or Lincoln would say but it only sunk him further into depression. He knew he would be in enormous trouble when he finally escaped and made it back to the Court. Lincoln said he'd find him but he doubted he could find him within the Bat's clutches. He still wasn't sure why the Batman and his sons were keeping him. They hadn't threatened him or withheld nourishment. No bribes had been sent his way and he was kept social and accompanied almost every second. It was as if they were preserving him, he wasn't sure how to fight back. He was never allowed out of his cell and he couldn't break the thick plastic walls, which told him he was in a sort of meta-dampening container.
He watched the bats above him mingle and chirp to each other, reinforcing Grey's loneliness. Dejected sadness overwhelmed his senses and tightened his throat with guilt when he remembered how many others still needed help. The Court was disbanded and in the wind, he was a pathetic captive, and there were still brothers and sisters back at base that were in cryo sleep and hibernation. He felt weak and foolish for not escaping the Bats. He should be with Lincoln, helping reform re-gather the Court, and awakening his sleeping comrades. He was the next Talon. The Grey Son. But here he was in a small plastic cell with a 20-something-year-old as his only companion for the day and a half-finished bottle of chocolate milk.
He had so many people depending on him and expecting more from him. He had failed Grandmaster and the Court. He couldn't even imagine the punishment that he deserved when he returned.
"Why the long face Dickhead?"
Grey's expression turned sour at the snarky tone. He'd come to realize that Jason's sharp tongue was pointed tip-first to almost everyone but the family butler. He had insulting nicknames for everyone, which made it come across as almost endearing. It was like that middle child who learned empathy late in life and was only able to communicate compassion and attachment through insults and verbal barbs.
"You can't ignore me forever"
Grey resisted the urge to sigh. He sent the bats above him a peculiar look, "Did you guys hear something?"
"That's not nice Dickie"
He pretended to look around, "I swear I heard something. It sounded…stupid"
"Ok, we're going in the wrong direction here"
Grey snickered to himself.
"Boy am I glad you don't talk like those other creeps"
Grey jerked his head to Jason, "What?"
Jason shrugged from where he was leaning back with his feet on the high back of another chair, "I mean, no offense but some of those other guys and girls need to finish English 101….Wait" Jason frowned, "That sounded hella racist" He shrugged again and looked at Grey, "It was weird to see all these teens and adults leaving out every other word. You too" He scrunched his nose, "You were growling and talking in broken sentences. Trust me; this is waaaay better"
Grey frowned darkly, "Don't speak ill of my brothers and sisters"
Jason peaked a brow, "Are we still acting like you're related to every dirty freak in the sewers, the kidnappers?"
He hissed in offense, "I'm the sullied one! I let myself get captured and they still need me!"
Jason rolled his eyes, "Wow, dying really shot up your ego"
Grey stood up angrily. There was no one else to speak to, to vent to and he was desperate to have someone else understand how much of a failure he was for abandoning his comrades. All those soldiers and members of the Court that were relying on him to be strong and resilient; to lead them and to pave the way, "No!" he exclaimed, "We-that-that's Lincoln. He said he would find me later. Lincoln is always fine; always. My brothers and sisters are stuck in sleep! They need me! Grandmaster told me I could help pave the way for their return; for their wake. He-he said it was part of my purpose to grow the Court and make us stronger"
Jason's apparent interest was slowly declining, devolving from humoring Grey to cold regard, "Your purpose" he scoffed.
"It's true!" grey emphasized. He carded his fingers through his hair and registered the urge to pull. He'd been doing it so often his scalp had started to numb and tingle slightly, "I-I gah! I'm so weak, I abandoned them and left them defenseless and alone"
Jason pushed to his feet, "This is pathetic, you're so desperate for your psycho grandpa to tell you what to do, you're basically giving yourself a panic attack. It figures, even when you aren't the same kiss-ass old Dickhead, you still gotta be blackmailed into hurting someone to save others. Is that what he told you? That if you obeyed, those freaks could wake up?"
Grey snarled lowly, intent and anger curling violently in his gut and bones.
"The Dick I know wouldhate" Jason spat "Being at the whim of anyone, being told what to do. He knew that being strong was all about exerting your own free will"
"You want me to use my free will huh?" Grey stepped menacingly closer to the wall separating them
Jason returned his aggression with a cold challenging stare.
"Then let me out" Grey demanded, "You wanna see whatI want to do? Let. Me. Out"
Something in Jason's eyes brightened and the angry crinkles around his eyes lessened ever so slightly, as if pleased with something, "That's better" he said.
Grey watched him, feeling manipulated in some sense. Redhood had gotten something out of him without his consent and that was counted as a loss on his part, no matter how small or miniscule; he couldn't give the enemy an inch.
"You claim you're a hero" Grey began
"Whoa, whoa, let's not throw that word around yea?" Jason shifted himself and pretended to look around like they had an audience, "I got a reputation to uphold you see?"
"You work with Batman to do good"
Jason sniffed like he was considering arguing the fact, "Sure"
"Then do what a hero would do and let me out to go save my brothers and sisters from eternal slumber"
Jason sat forward, "Ok!"
Grey nodded excitedly.
Jason flopped backward in his seat quickly with a dull look, "Not"
Grey growled and pounded his fist on the transparent wall, "They will suffer! Die!"
Jason watched Grey struggle and exert himself. Batman had told him, Tim, and Damian about the frozen talon soldiers and the secret storage room of bodies dating back to the 1800s. They were obviously being preserved somehow and for some reason but Jason and Bruce weren't confident how the sewer tunnel collapse would mean for those men and women now, "They're talons, you guys were built to be immortal n' shit weren't you?"
"Durable, yes. Immortal, no"
Jason waved his hand, "Technicalities aside, we know they need electric juice to keep going but those sleep pods obviously keep them alive and from decomposing"
Grey frowned, he wasn't sure how to feel about Jason and the Batman, most likely, already knowing about the cryo pods and sleeping army within the Court, "They are still in danger" he insisted, "If enough time passes for our oldest members, even the Court's technology can't keep time from affecting their bodies. Eventually, they'll need electrum again, just to keep sustained"
Jason internally beamed, it was good to hear that even frozen in time and space, the talons weren't undefeatable.
Jason reached back and stretched in an exaggerated motion, "You aren't going anywhere, pretty boy. Try worrying about yourself for once in your life"
Grey recoiled, "I'm not pretty," he said with a disgusted face, forcing a barking laugh out of Jason. Dick gave Jason a suspicious look, keeping his distance.
Jason held up 4 fingers, "I know at least 4 redheads who would beg to differ"
"You can't make me" he growled.
Batman narrowed his eyes, "I can and I will. I am being lenient and allowing you the option to choose if you will give a sample conscious, or unconscious"
Grey stood with his back to the furthest wall, watching the Batman and his irritating Robins through his cage. Batman had come down this morning with a blonde doctor demanding a sample of his blood for vague verification purposes. Grey seethed, angered by the fact that Batman could force him asleep. There had to be inconsistent drug levels in his food, there was no other way for Batman to ensure he slept every time they needed to plan or share information without his awareness. It was almost predictable at this point, a raging headache would start in the back of his head, usually out of nowhere or during a conversation with one of his captors. From then, he usually remembered very little until he woke with full faculties again.
Batman stepped up to the glass with a syringe poised in his hand. He was dressed without the cowl, as his civilian persona and Grey despised that everyone seemed to regard his abilities with such little regard that they didn't even dress appropriately when around him.
"Stay away" Grey snarled back. He found himself instinctually crouching, in position to slash back as if he still had his favored iron claw-tipped gloves.
"Come on, Dickhead. Don't be difficult" Jason reminded in an irritating sing-song tone.
"I will ensure it hurts minimally Richard" Damian reminded.
Grey scoffed, "Pain means nothing" he snapped.
"Then this will be easy breezy" Jason lilted.
"This will not be easy breezy lemon squeezy" Grey snapped. Jason startled before grinning. Grey hated that everything he did seemed to please Redhood, "I refuse to give my enemies anything, especially my blood"
"We aren't your enemies" Tim replied firmly.
"You are enemies of the Court; therefore, my enemies" Grey recited. Batman frowned and Grey smirked, pleased to be causing grief for the superhero.
"You're not my enemy, Dick. You could never be my enemy". Grey growled back, "I am Talon"
Bruce was about to argue but Damian intervened, "Richard be reasonable. You are currently trapped and are being restrained because you are not yourself. If you don't cooperate then you'll be sedated and wake up with 1 less pint of blood. This will undoubtedly wound your ego and pride. You rarely brag but I know you take great pride in many things you cannot easily brag about, one of which is your resilience. If you cooperate and allow us to take a blood sample, which will happen no matter what, then I promise to bring you another box of chocolate cereal. You will get the cereal and won't have to be subdued, this will not wound your honor as you will be permitting us to do this"
Damian crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Grey squinted back and looked down his nose. After a minute he spoke, "Count Chocula?"
Damian nodded, "I can easily do that within the hour" he promised as if he were holding a Board of Directors meeting at Wayne Enterprises.
"I want 2-and with chocolate milk"
Damian nodded and held out his fist, pinky straight out. Grey gave the motion a bewildered look and Damian explained, "It is a pinky primrose that I will follow through on my word. If I could touch you we would do this" Damian gestured a pinky promise with both hands.
Grey shook his head, "I've never heard of contracts or negotiations being settled that way"
Damian scowled, "You have, you were the one who taught me that only the most honorable people uphold pinky promises. Liars like Todd use handshakes"
Dick stiffened and seemed to take it as a compliment, "Alright" he acquiesced.
Bruce said nothing as he opened the door and made his way towards Dick. The younger man sized up the other man before eventually holding his arm out.
While Damian and Bruce were handling Dick, Jason leaned over to Tim, "When Dickie's back to normal I can't wait to tell him that we got him to barter off of chocolate cereal. He'll never be able to deny that the little demon has got him whipped like a dog"
Tim smirked, "Don't jinx us, he's got a soft spot for Damian even now, and we need every advantage we can get after what they put him through"
Jason was silent for a moment, "You weren't supposed to go through all the files"
Tim didn't look at Jason, watching as Damian stepped closer to Dick the moment he winced under the needle, "I know"
He'd taken the first opportunity to sneak down and review all the evidence and Court documents on Dick while he could.
"It's rough," Jason said quietly.
Tim nodded, "At this point, we're lucky he's not actually crazy. Can you imagine...that?"
Jason was solemn and dark in his tone, "I can" he said simply.
Tim tried not to react but mentally facepalmed for forgetting how awful the end of Jason's teen years were. He was struggling with death, the negative influence of Talia Al Ghul, and Pit-motivated madness. He'd gone after Tim for replacing him the same way Dick should have for Jason when they were children. Dick intervened and saved Jason's mentality and kept him out of Arkham but it was a rough few years. If anyone could understand the mental struggle of fighting your own mind, Jason could. Even now, he had to fight to maintain emotional control over negative feelings and urges on a daily basis. He worried, at times, that if he divulged too much, Dr. Leslie would diagnose him as some sort of bipolar or manageable modicum of schizophrenia.
"I'm serious, father"
"I know you are Damian, that's why I listened and then said no"
Damian rolled his eyes, "Richard has been fine for almost a solid week now, he will start to get suspicious and demand to be let upstairs at some point"
Bruce crossed his arms, "The fact that he has been somewhat himself for so long just tells me that any minute his behavior could drastically change"
Damian shook his head, "You're thinking as if it's inevitable that he will react aggressively and try to escape"
Bruce frowned like Damian said something utterly stupid, "Damian" he said slowly, "Dick has barely been back a month. At this rate, it is inevitable. I know you love Dick dearly and place a lot of faith in him but Dick is only human"
"But Dr. Le-"
He sighed, "I know what Leslie thinks, but no matter how much good progress you boys are making with Dick, he is still prone to lash out when things don't make sense to him", Bruce's gaze softened, "I know you miss Dick, but don't rush him, Damian"
Damian looked at the carpet and fiddled with his t-shirt hem, "I'm not trying to" he said.
Bruce sighed and watched his youngest. In the beginning, Bruce was very conflicted about Damian. His existence opened a wound Bruce never thought he would have to suffer through, highlighting how Talia made him vulnerable and took advantage, leaving him in the dark for years. He wasn't sure what to do with Damian as he had never had to raise a child like him. Jason had been prone to aggression due to his rough upbringing and crude environment but Damian was prone to maliciousness. By the time, he found himself prepared and willing to raise Damian, Dick had already taken over. Dick was barely 15 when he started to mother and smother the child assassin. Bruce had to intervene quite a lot during a handful of attempts on Dick and Jason's life but found himself in a strange position after Damian started to adjust.
For the first time in his life, he found himself jealous of his son. He had always envied Dick's brightness and natural positivity. He wished that he would be able to siphon off or learn some of the natural goodness from Dick and his perspective on the world in an attempt to actually feel the same genuine acuity and zeal as his oldest, instead of just faking it. Never had he been jealous before. Despise all his faults and ineptitudes, Bruce was thankful that he was mature enough to withhold any negative emotions he may feel because he knew that none of his emotional and maturity shortcomings were Dick's fault, but his. As Dick encouraged Damian out of his shell and into a new one of his own making, shaped by his own decisions, for the first time in his life Bruce found that he struggled with connecting with his biological son.
By the time they started to truly bond and learn about each other, Bruce had taken a back seat in his son's life in preference for Dick. Dick was his caretaker and friend, his brother and companion, his confidant and teacher. Bruce was his sire and nothing more. Bruce would never be proud and grateful that Dick had been brought to him because as much as he loved Tim, Jason, and Damian he was confident that they would have fallen apart as a family. Dick encouraged love and loyalty and optimism, bringing out the best in everybody; including him. It's thanks to Dick that Bruce has a relationship with his youngest, and had Jason back under his roof, and had Tim watching his own self-destructive habits.
Bruce sat up, "Let's find somewhere in the middle chum". He wanted to prove to his son that his father was his father, not just when his brothers were too preoccupied.
Damon seemed to perk up at the offer, "I have an idea" he offered.
Bruce grinned, "I'm listening"
Later the next day Bruce, and his sons, Artemis, Wally, Roy, and Kaldur were all in the cave. Bruce was uncomfortable with how packed the cave was but considering the light mood and atmosphere, knew he shouldn't be complaining. Kaldur, Artemis, Roy, and Jason were relaxed near the weapons rack while Dick, Wally, Tim, and Damian were on Dick's acrobatic equipment. Roy was swiping through his phone, showing Artemis and Kaldur new pictures of Lian.
Damian finished his single backflip on the balance beam and wobbled before losing his balance and falling to the mats below.
"Hah!" Jason pointed a finger.
Dick ignored him and smiled as Damian stood, "That was great Damy! You've got it all down you just need to work on your landing now, but the flip is the hardest part and you've got that"
Damian scowled at Jason before dropping his negative look and turning to Dick, "I don't know why you insist on practicing women's acrobatics, Richard. Besides I can do single and double flips just fine. These showy pointed-toe landing attempts are useless in the field"
Dick shrugged, "It's not women's per se, It's just the type of moves they usually perform in the Olympics for the gymnastics team, but being able to do both routine sets only improves your strength and mobility"
Tim was playing with the pommel horse, trying to balance on his forearms with both legs straight on in front of him. Wally was leaning against the pommel horse, "Good job, Damian"
"Shut up"
Damian hefted himself onto the balance beam and watched as Dick padded his fingers and hands before jumping onto the bars. He started swinging and gained momentum quickly, swinging to a stop at the top before allowing himself to speed up into the turn and slow at the top once again. Damian wasn't sure if it was gymnasts in general or just Richard but there was something fascinating in watching such a specific art. The way they could control their bodily movement through and around objects. The way they made the air calm around them so that a perfect flip seemed effortless. Richard's shoulder and back muscles bulged and flexed obscenely as he threw himself onto the higher bar seamlessly. Damian still wasn't quite used to his brother's physique and he often caught himself staring at him like someone who was seeing a Greek god statue in a museum for the first time. The blunt genuineness of muscles and veins was beautiful but strange to look at. He knew it was steroid and drug use that the Court forced onto him but the bulkier brother was not something he was used to. Muscular and lean was always the image that Dick fit into when he remembered his brother, a gymnast, not a weight lifter.
His large shoulders tapered into a trim figure and were almost polar of Todd's bulky physique. Damian was glad that his father had allowed this excursion today. His brother had been waking up more and more like himself recently and his old teammates were able to be present more and more often. His father had allowed everyone down on the exception that his word was law while Dick was out of his cell and that they would have a heavy sedative prepared just in case. Damian suspected that his brother knew something was wrong though. He'd often find him in considerable thought. His brow was almost constantly furrowed like he was trying to remember something important. He hadn't asked why they were always in the cave and hadn't brought up school or changes in anyone at all either. Granted, he was asleep for more than half of every day and acted like he didn't remember spending the previous day isolated in the cave, but Dr. Leslie said it could be some temporary short-term memory loss as a result of the new PTSD he may have.
Damian's father's patience was wearing thin with their resident doctor. Every time Bruce asked for confirmation on something in regards to his oldest, Dr. Leslie would give an approximation followed by, "There's no way to tell just yet". Bruce had lost his temper and demanded she have a 1 on 1 therapy session with Dick to be able to discern at least one thing about his mental health and status but Leslie was adamant that rushing that or making Dick worry and become self-conscious would be detrimental to what healing he's accomplished so far. Bruce wasn't appeased, they weren't even sure what age he thought he was as he talked about 9th 10th, and 11th grade all in one day sometimes. Damian had a small, small fear in the back of his mind that his brother was faking this positive progress to lower their defenses but it was a risk he was willing to take as he wasn't ever fearful of Richard's intentions. He assumed that Dick's mind was most likely caught in different timelines and he was trying to figure out what was wrong without worrying everyone, ever the wondered if his brother was mentally reliving a year ago or back 5 years ago. He was too worried to outright ask and risk him falling into that strange cold and aggressive talon behavior. He hadn't claimed to have any allegiance to the Court in almost a week but he found that deception was not Richard's strong suit so if he greeted them with a smile or a scowl, it was usually easy to determine who was directing Richard's mind that day.
Dick transitioned his position to practice one-armed pull-ups on the highest bar while keeping his legs straight out in front of him. His abs and pectorals contracted and tightened as he slowly brought himself up and down. While crazy shows of strength and maneuverability weren't anything new, it still shook something inside Damian to see someone who looked like his brother, acting like his brother. 5 years ago he would have believed this to be a dream.
Jason had pulled out his favorite gun and was wiping the barrel and handhold down with a clean rag while he and Artemis murmured. Bruce saw the gun and scowled, "Put it away, Jason"
Jason frowned and said something to Roy who snickered quietly.
"I'm serious, Jason"
Jason rolled his eyes, "Whatever" he pulled the gun down with the rag on top but didn't fully put it away.
Dick assumed Bruce didn't like the gun out and around Tim and Damian, "Come on Jay don't be like that. You aren't even cleaning it right; that's just a basic wipe down"
Jason looked peculiarly at Dick, "How would you know if I'm cleaning my gun right, Dickhead?" While Bruce had taught his boys how to disable most common street handguns and sniper rifles for field safety he'd never taught them about common models or gun types; he'd never reviewed how to clean and disassemble them, much less how to care for and upkeep a gun. There was no need since the Batman didn't use guns. As Jason took over more and more territory in Gotham, combating Sionis and Falcone for their drug smuggling and weapon ring profits, he'd found that gun use and knowledge was a necessity. It didn't take long to realize that familiarity with guns offered more than the ability to intimidate your opponent.
Dick cocked his head and swiveled his legs so he was hanging upside down. He smirked and crossed his arms.
Jason frowned, "Seriously, Dickhead. You don't know shit about guns or ammunition, much less how to clean one"
Dick frowned and Damian watched as he seemed to freeze and consider something before dropping down, headfirst and spinning into a crouch. He walked over, oblivious to all the attention on him, and sat cross-legged in front of Jason, "I thought you hated being proven wrong Jay" Dick smirked challengingly.
Jason glared back, "That's cause I'm not"
Dick smirked and shrugged, "Ooookay"
"Fine" Jason picked up the gun and tossed it to Dick, after checking the safety was on. Bruce tensed horrifically from where he sat. Dick picked it up with his dominant hand and spread his legs wider to work on the gun. He kept eye contact up until the 3rd piece was off, smirking, he looked down and began to disassemble the gun and wipe the pieces down with a rag. The cave was eerily quiet as everyone held their breaths and watched but Dick seemed content and focused; peaceful took apart the barrel and slide notch before laying them down beside the grip and empty magazine. He placed the hammer and take-down notch in a slightly separate pile and ran the rag over those as well. There was a portion of the inner metal where Dick hummed and commented, "This is a bit dry, Jay, you need to lube the inside better or you'll have more recoil loges"
After a handful of minutes, Dick finished putting the cleaned gun back together and checked the safety. He heard a clean concise click and switched it back on before handing it to Jason with a pleased smile, "You're lucky you didn't bet shit" he said sassily. He passed the handgun back to Jason but hesitated when he saw Jason's stunned face. He began to feel self-conscious when he saw similar expressions spread over Roy and Artemis's face, "What?" he said. Slight defensiveness marred his tone.
"How did you do that Dick?" Jason asked seriously
Dick recoiled slightly, "What do you mean? You just watched me do it? It's no biggie"
"Exactly," Jason said with a slightly less judgmental tone, "I just saw you do something I know you didn't know how to do"
Dick furrowed his brow, utterly confused, "What are you talking about?" he said stronger.
"You not only cleaned my gun, Dick, you just dismantled it and put it back together in less than 10 minutes; like really well"
The feeling of self-consciousness and increased gazes seemed to burn Dick's skin where they lingered. He didn't know what to say. He knew how to clean and take it apart and did just that. Everyone seemed to have a strange issue accepting such a basic skill.
"Who taught you how to dismantle a gun, Dick?" Bruce asked.
Dick looked at Bruce and opened his mouth before pausing. His gaze jumped from Bruce to the floor as if realizing he didn't have an easy answer. He mouthed the word 'you' but didn't voice it as if realizing that Bruce had never taught him teach him that.
"I mean Jason is always messing with them. Sionis can be a real pain" Dick said hoping that his justification didn't sound as weak as it felt. No one said anything and Dick felt a soft pressure in his chest start to squeeze his ribcage more firmly. He looked behind himself, realizing the cave was still quite watchful. He found Tim and Damian's gazes on him and felt himself flush under their attention. He couldn't read their gazes very well but he hoped the judgment he felt was mostly just Bruce; as usual. For a moment no spoke again and Dick felt the sudden urge to defend himself, to soothe any worries over his person and skills.
"I-I mean…" Dick trailed off uncertainly. He wasn't sure. At first, it was confusing but the feeling was quickly escalating into a fretful concern. He wasn't sure, he realized. He wasn't sure how he knew how to do something so efficiently it was almost casual.
"Is it from the Court Dick?" Bruce asked quietly. His tone sounded forcefully quiet like he was smothering the urge to demand more. The detective who never truly left Bruce's mind screamed that this was the next clue as to what they did to his son.
At Bruce's question, Dick jerked and coughed to smother a choke, "What?" he asked roughly.
"The Court, Dick" Bruce repeated quickly, not wanting to permit any room to change the subject, "Is this one the things the Court taught you?"
Dick's expression was a combination of defensive and confused. He sounded caught off guard and frustrated that everyone was just watching their interaction, "What are you talking about?" he stressed angrily, "I-what Court?"
He pushed himself to his feet, feeling slightly cornered and far too vulnerable on the ground. Bruce took a step forward but within a single blink, Dick's baby blue bright eyes were a swimmingly gold hue.
"Bruce" Tim warned, "I don't think-"
"It's fine," Bruce said, forcing a calming held up his hands slightly, "We just want to know where you got so comfortable with guns"
Dick's gaze was ping-ponging between Tim, Bruce, and the gun in Jason's hands. His breath picked up slightly and he clenched his hands, trying to find an answer that would make sense to anyone. Wally took a step closer from where he had been leaning against the gymnastics equipment with Damian and Tim, but the sudden movement, however slight, triggered something in Dick. He snapped to Wally with a sudden snarl, "Don't"
Wally froze and held up his hands placatingly. Dick's expression was far too sharp and dangerous to be Dick but the fact that he was warning them to stay away instead of coming closer made Wally feel like this wasn't completely the talon behavior the Court had forced onto his best friend.
"It's cool, man" he tried casually.
Dick narrowed his eyes and swung his gaze around the room but stopped when Damian stepped forward, "Richard, it's me. Are you feeling…like yourself?" Damian struggled to find the right words. Dick watched Damian approach with a wary expression. He looked like he wanted to lean away but couldn't find it in himself to do so. Once Damian was within touching distance, he reached for Dick's hand; grasping it firmly.
"Are you feeling alright Richard?" Damian asked seriously.
Bruce noticed how Damian's hold over Dick seemed to calm him down measurably and he opened his mouth to recenter their point of conversation. They'd come incredibly close to getting first-hand knowledge of what the Court did to Dick. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Jason promptly kicked his ankle and Tim elbowed him in the side.
Dick watched Damian's hand hold him as everyone did their best to stay quiet and not upset the calm that Damian had brought out in their friend. Roy stiffened and tried his best to be prepared in case he, Artemis, Kaldur, and Wally would have to subdue their friend and teammate.
Kaldur felt him shifting and sent him a sharp look. He shook his head, hoping that Roy had enough sense not to escalate the situation any further. They cared for Dick deeply and found that the safest way to interact at the moment was to do their best not to trigger anything by bringing up specifics from the past or anything to do with the Court. Kaldur asked if Dick was experiencing some version of bipolar but Wally, Roy, Artemis, and Megan had informed him that Dr. Leslie had diagnosed him when he first returned and that wasn't the case. Apparently, most of his behavioral difficulties came from negative mental stimulation and trauma. Kaldur regretted not being able to come in person the first time Dick was rescued and brought home but he was determined to be a part of the task force that dismantled the Court of Owls. Dick didn't answer for a long time and Dmaina wondered if he'd fallen into some sort of mental trance on accident; dissociating with everyone in the room, "Richard?" he tried again.
Dick blinked as if realizing he had missed something. His eyes seemed to refocus and lose a portion of their glazed-over look. His eyes still had a troubling gold shine to them but his face had lost the hard edge of danger. His eyes weren't narrowed in threat anymore, more so in confusion and weariness. He realized he was holding Damian's hand and trailed his gaze up the appendage until he found his youngest brother's dark green eyes and long lashes. Dick furrowed his brow and focused on Damian. Damian was unsure if he should say something to refocus Dick in the present or if that would only make things worse as he was struggling to work something out in his moaned lowly and brought a hand to his head, massaging his temple and side of his head with his palm, "Gah" he hissed, clenching his eyes in a wince.
Damian tightened his hold on Dick's hand and waited to see if this was progress or if he would need to jump away quickly. He spotted his father's gaze over Dick's shoulder. Bruce's eyes were focused and attentive but his stance mirrored every other vigilante in the room. Dick had just under 10 people ready to jump him if he proved to be in a dangerous mental state.
"Dick?" Tim tried from where he stood beside Bruce. That seemed to snap Dick out of his self-indulgent moment and he moaned again, bringing both hands up to grip the sides of his head. His fingers scrunched and dug into his sheared hairline, "Mmmmmy head" he moaned. Within a few moments, he found himself sitting on the ground and he wasn't sure if he had done that himself. At once, everyone tensed and halted like they wanted to step closer. Bruce made a disgruntled noise, keeping Dick's teammates seated for now. Bruce knelt beside Dick and grasped his shoulder, "Dick? Chum? Do you have a headache?"
Dick blinked his eyes open and tried to focus on Bruce's doubling figure, "Goddamn" he moaned as a sudden spike shot through the backs of his eyes. Suddenly the pain increased and Dick yelped, gripping Bruce's hand, "Fuck" he cried out, clenching his eyes shut again. Bruce wasn't sure what was happening but knew that Dick was struggling with negative mental conditional and traumatic memories. He was so confused his brain was hurting him. Leslie wasn't back and Bruce didn't want to risk Dick doing any more damage to himself. He nodded to Tim over Dick's shoulder, knowing he would understand. In an instant, Tim appeared with a small clear syringe, "Dick, I'm going to give you something to help with the pain, alright?"
Dick moaned deep in the back of his throat but it sounded like an instinctive response and not consent. Bruce sighed before readjusting his grip around the needle and quickly inserting the point into Dick's bicep. He and the others watched as Dick's figure slowly started to loosen and slump. His clenched eyes and features lost their tightness and painful look before he slumped forward fully, resting his head on Bruce's chest. Bruce checked his pulse before relaxing fully.
"What the fuck" Roy exclaimed.
Jason dropped his head back and slouched further, "Yea…"
"Stop being idiots" Artemis kicked them both as she stepped over their legs to crouch beside Damian and Bruce, "Is he alright? Was that another episode? It didn't really look like before" She trailed off not sure how to explain Dick's behavior under conditioned phrases.
Bruce nodded as he examined DIck, "You could call it that. The Court must have made him familiar with weapons and Dick recalled the memory but didn't challenge the nature of it until I forced him to. I should have expected them to integrate Dick into more lethal practices"
"We're lucky Damian is a Dick whisperer-Wait" Jason said, "We're lucky he's got a soft spot for the little demon"
Tim checked his phone, "Alfred just buzzed Leslie back through the gates, she can take a better look at him". Bruce nodded, doing his best to shift Dick's position so he was leaning on Bruce but not suffocating against his chest.
"I know we haven't been here for all of it, but is that normal?" Kaldur asked Tim and Jason.
Jason sighed and Tim shook his head, "It's actually happening more and more"
"He had a good streak for about a week" Jason muttered. Tim nodded in agreement.
"He uh, he had worse but fewer episodes last time but the more it happens the more progress it shows"
Artemis lifted a brow and then look at Dick, "Really?" She was entirely unconvinced and wasn't trying to hide it.
Tim nodded, "Megan and Connor can help explain some more too. Megan helped Dick and they had a little mind session in the past even"
Roy frowned, "I heard about that"
"Dr. Leslie believes that emotional outbursts and inconsistent behavior are a sign of his predetermined and preconditioned mental barriers breaking down" Damian explained sternly, "She said the more it happens the more he is forced to face reality a-"
"She thinks this is the most efficient way for Dickhead to heal his fucked-over brain" Jason interrupted, ignoring Damian's scathing glare.
"I mean I'm not a human doctor but causing brain injuries and more psychological trauma doesn't seem very healthy, " Kaldur said hesitantly.
"That's where we have to be careful" Tim explained quickly, "We have to let it happen and handle it carefully. Forcing it" He shot a sharp look at Bruce, "Will only stress him more in the wrong way"
"Just get Leslie down here," Bruce said, after a moment he added, "Call Canary too"