Chapter Four: Weekend Visiting Rights
A soft yellow light cast flickering shadows along the empty street. There wasn't a soul to witness as an eerie pair of yellow eyes appeared from within the dark. Only to vanish as an ear splitting crack broke the silence. A silent curse wrent the air as the sound of pounding feet fled the scene.
"Evergreen code N83! Repeat code N83!" The voice growled out with fear coating their voice as they fled. A moment later the street light flickered before dousing the street into darkness.
Damian was unsure about visiting Grayson. Not that he didn't want to see his Baba but that strange voice he'd heard was cause for concern. It had a distinct accent that he couldn't place and the relatively calm demeanor Grayson had around the voice was. . . strange. Now he was here in a seemingly random alley waiting for this 'transportation' Dick said would meet them there.
All in all Damian was on edge. Alfred was here with him, their overnight bags sat between them as they waited. The urge to call Grayson and demand answers was growing by the second. The only reason he hadn't was the reassuring hand Alfred had laid against his shoulder. So when an orange light filled the alley ahead of them and a tall white haired man stepped out Damian wasn't exactly enthused.
"You must be the 'spicy' child Dick's talked so much about. And of course the Butler who tried to keep him off the chandeliers." The white haired man spoke with amusement as if the pointed glare was nothing more than an average glance. Damian was nearly affronted. He was NOT a 'spicy' child, whatever that meant.
"Yes I do believe you may be our 'transportation'. Though I'm afraid this is a most unconventional method." Alfred said with barely any tells to his discomfort at the situation. Damian could feel it though. It was in the way his hand tightened against his shoulder and quick glances at the man before them as if looking for weapons or danger.
"He didn't explain anything, did he. . . " Apollo asked after a moment. With a put upon sigh Apollo ran a hand through his white hair. "At least he lives up to his namsake, fucking Dick. My name is Apollo. It is through my 'door' that we will be getting to Dick. However we will be making a pit stop first to remove any and all tracking devices." Damian paused at this before glancing at Alfreds stoic face.
"Master Damian, if you would call Master Richard please. I wish to verify our. . . Friend." He paused for a moment "Before we go anywhere." Giving a single nod Damian pulled out the communicator while pressing the earbud into his ear. A second later the still unfamiliar click and tone sounded before it connected.
"Grayson." Damian demanded into the device.
"Hey Dami, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Damian could almost feel Dicks worry and it bloomed something warm in his chest.
"Alfred wishes to verify our contact." Damian stated while staring down Apollo. Dick mumbled on the other end before a deep laugh cut him off.
"Shut up Tiger! I meant to tell them it wasn't going to be a normal mode of transportation! Don't you try and pin this on me! It was at least half your fault! What do you. . . It takes two to tango you ass!" Damian scrunched his nose at the one sided banter he could hear.
"Richard!" Damian growled out.
"Sorry Damian. Yes Apollo is going to bring you here via his 'door' ability. It's the only way here unless we can get a zeta tube set up nearby. He's probably being over protective and going to deactivate any trackers that may have been slipped onto your person or your bags. It shouldn't take but a moment."
"Very well." The device went dead again as he shoved it back into his coat pocket. "He's clear Alfred." Damian said as he grabbed his bag from the ground.
"Midnighter is on the other side. He'll be taking care of any unwanted devices before we take you to Dick." Apollo said with a gesture as another door opened in between them. The orange glow gave Damian an unsettling feeling but he marched forward with Alfred behind him.
Stepping through the orange portal was surprisingly calming. It was as though someone had wrapped him up in a heating blanket. The feeling lingered even as he stepped through and into a dark room. There was a large window with a view of stars, a door on the far wall was closed, and a man dressed in all black was leaning against the frame. Damian jutted his chin out with a glare as he felt Alfred step beside him.
"No need for the attitude kid. lay your bags on the table and I'll give em a quick scan." Damian scowled but still followed the request.
The orange light from Apollo's door Lit up the Living room. Dick sat sprawled across the couch as he waited for Damian, Alfred and Apollo to exit from the door. He'd be lying if he wasn't nervous. The subtle bounce in his leg was a dead give away. In the next moment a Dark figure was stepping through the door and dick suddenly felt disappointed.
"Oh don't give me that look. We have a problem, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Dick sat stock straight at Midnighters words. He knew he was giving him an intense stare if the stiffening of his shoulders was anything to go by. "The younger one has a tracker embedded in his upper arm. I didn't want to touch that with a ten foot pole with the daggers he was glaring at me."
"Let me grab the kit from my room." Dick said without preamble. With swift steps he was digging through his closet for the small medical kit he kept there. It was a sleek matte black case slightly smaller than your average textbook. It held a scalpel, forceps, gauze, a small vial of anesthetic, a syringe and tape. Everything he would need should he have to dig out a bullet in the event he got shot. Or in this case a tracker embedded in Damians arm.
Without a glance at Midnighter he stepped up to and through the door. The familiar warmth faded as his foot landed with a solid thud against the metal floor. He paused for a moment with recognition before he zero'd in on Damian and Alfred.
"Dami stop glaring at Apollo." Dick chided as he tried to fight the smile pulling at his lips. He could see the moment Damian went from lethal glare to pouting and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.
"Master Richard, it is good to see you again, even under such circumstances." Dick could see Alfreds unease as clear as day and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Sorry Alfie, it's for my safety as much as it is your own. Now what's this about a tracker in your arm Dami?" The case felt heavy in Dicks hand then as he remembered his ignorance of his own embedded tracker years ago. He'd had his own help getting it removed but it was an unpleasant revelation.
"I have no such thing Richard." Damian denied while fighting the pout on his lips.
"Right and the signal we're currently blocking isn't coming from your upper left arm." Midnighter snorted.
"Be nice M." Apollo said with exasperation. "We've already removed the other trackers. I'm unsure how you want to handle their phone situation." He said with a gesture to the table and the small pile of destroyed electronics and two cell phones.
"Will you let me check Dami? There should be a little bump you can feel with your fingers." Dick said as he placed the case on the table before crouching in front of Damian and reaching for him. Damian's scowl flickered for a moment before he allowed Dick to feel along his arm.
"Here, you can feel it Dami." Dick whispered as he grabbed Damians right hand and placed his fingers over the device. He knew what Damian would feel there. Soft skin would give way till a small hard spot would refuse the pressure. He saw the moment realization bloomed on Damians face followed by the ever present scowl.
"Remove it Richard." Damian said without looking up from where his fingers were pressed into his arm. with practiced ease Dick flipped open the black case. Grabbing the vial and a clean syringe he prepped the anesthetic before laying it to the side. Setting up the needle and thread with a simple bandage to the side Dick reached for Damian.
"I have a local anesthetic to help. I can do this or we can have Alfred if you prefer." Dick said as he finally glanced at Alfred. The man was as stoic as ever but he could see the confused expression regardless.
"Richard." Damian nearly growled with exasperation. "Remove this tracker before I do it myself."
With a sharp nod Dick swiftly applied the anesthetic. rubbing at the area for a moment he grabbed the sterile scalpel before feeling along his arm for the device. He gave it a few more moments for the anesthetic to kick in before glancing at Damian.
"I'll be quick ok?" After receiving a sharp nod Dick pressed the scalpel into Damians arm making a small incision just below where he could feel the device. It didn't take much pressure before the device was extracted and Dick was stitching up the small wound and placing a small bandage over it.
"See, all done Dami." Dick said with a smile as he crushed the track with his fingers before dropping it into the pile. Feeling a sense of relief Dick pulled the boy into a tight hug. "I've missed you Dami."
"Missed you Baba." Damian whispered as he briefly returned the hug. Pulling away Dick dropped the scalpel and needle back into the kit before closing it up. He then reached for their phones and pulled out the sim cards before handing them back to Alfred and Damian.
"Shall we? Tiger is out at the moment so it'll be just us once Apollo and M leave." Dick beamed at Alfred and Damian as he stood. There was a warmth blooming in his chest as reached over to grab their bags and his med kit from the table. "Thanks again Apollo, Midnighter. I owe you dinner." Dick threw over his shoulder as he pushed Damian towards the door.
"How's Tuesday sound?" Apollo asked "You and Tiger can cook again and we'll bring the groceries." Dick paused a moment with a look at Apollo.
"Tuesday won't work, I'll be out of town." Dick said with a smirk as he pushed Damian through the door before gesturing to Alfred. " Maybe next week if everything goes well. I'll see what Tiger has to say about it." Then with a flourish Dick was through the door leaving just Apollo and Midnighter alone.
Dick watched Damian and Alfred a moment as the warmth from the door dissipated again. They seemed a little lost for words at the sight out the window, or maybe they were both still processing the hidden tracker. Either way Dick felt a smile spread across his lips as he dropped their bags by the stairs. His family was here, in his home.
"Welcome to my humble abode." Dick joked as he ruffled Damian's hair. "Your rooms are upstairs but I can give you the grand tour before we head up. Tiger should be back in time for lunch which gives us plenty of time to get settled."
"I say, that view is spectacular. May I inquire where we are, Master Richard?" Dick paused a moment and looked out the window at the inlet spread out and stretching towards the mountains. They were still snow capped and given that it was August the sun was still rather high in the sky. Dick knew if he stepped outside the breeze would nip against his skin with a chill.
"If you can keep it from bruce." Dick said as he watched Alfred turn to face him. There was a look of grief in Alfreds eyes that tore at Dick but he couldn't sacrifice this place just because his grandfather would prioritize Bruce. "If you can't keep it from him, don't ask me to tell you. I rather like this place and would regret having to move."
"I understand Master Richard." Alfred didn't ask again, instead he just gave Dick an understanding smile.
"Anyway! Living room and kitchen you can obviously see with the dining room right there as well." Dick said with a gesture to each space. The living room in front of them with the balcony as the kitchen sat behind them with an adjacent dining area by the stairs. "Down this hall is where my bedroom is, first door on the left, the bathroom is the first door on the right and Tiger's room is the last door in the hall. Should you need anything feel free to knock on my door."
"Richard." Damian called out to stop his tangent. "Baba. . . " Damian called again with a quiver to his voice. Dick stopped and turned towards him with a look of concern. In a matter of seconds he had an armful of child as Damian clung to him. "I missed you Baba."
"Oh Dami." Dick whispered as he clutched to the child wrapped around him. His heart was fluttering with appeased apprehension as Damian clung to him. Each second brought an ember of warmth and hope back into his chest.
For the longest time it had just been him and Tiger. Then Midnighter and Apollo had joined his little makeshift family. Yet there was still that yearning to be back home. The last few weeks had slowly shattered those thoughts.
"Come on Dami, let's get you and Alfie settled upstairs then we can pop on an animal documentary till Tiger gets back." Dick said as he slowly released his hold. One sniffle later and with a scowl in place Damian was firmly clutching Dicks hand as they went upstairs.
"Master Richard, are you doing okay?" Alfred asked after they had settled back in the living room. Dick had made some tea which sat still steaming on the coffee table.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected Alfie." Dick said as he munched around one of the biscuits he'd managed to dig out of the pantry. He knew Alfred was just worried. As much as he wanted to trust the man with the truth Dick wasn't sure he could. Not because he feared any kind of judgment or retribution. No it was the fact he knew the man would go to Bruce, or at least that's what he thought would happen.
"There are things I won't, I can't share with you Alfie. Not because I don't want to but because I wouldn't be able to survive Bruce. I know you mean well Alfie but. . . I can't trust him anymore. This. . . This mission broke that" Dick confessed. He could feel relief and tension warring over his shoulders.
"Whatever trust I had in the man is gone. I love him like a son would a father but I was never returned that courtesy. Words can only appease one so much before they're just done. His actions proved that to me." Dick struggled a moment as he saw the raw grief cover Alfreds expression. It was the understanding soon after that almost had him taking back his words and confessing everything that had happened. "So Alfie I'm sorry but. . . I can't share with you things about my private life knowing you will, at some point for one reason or another, tell him."
"Regretfully, I understand Master Richard." Dick gave him a small smile before the front door by the stairs was opening.
"Grayson! Come help me with this!" Tigers voice called over the sound of the T.V. Dick was up and walking to the door leaving Alfred and Damian in the living room. Dick was fleeing from the conversation, he knew that, he couldn't help it when Tiger was right there. If he was being honest he was still bone wary from the truths he'd spilled the days before.
"Evergreen to Cross. Cross, do you copy?" Static filled the communication line. A curse later and another screech of static filled the air. "Evergreen to Vanguard."
"Go for Vanguard." A reply broke the static.
"Code N83. Cross is MIA. Last contact 12 hours ago."
"Copy that ETA on Nightingale?"
" 70 hours. Destination Moscow."