Dick Wilson was bored.

At that moment he was alone at home since Slade had recently left for a contract and the acrobat had nothing to do. He had long since finished his homework and had no contract to complete.

He could not even go to Conner's since his best friend was spending time with his whole family -Cark, Lois, Ma and Pa Kent- and Dick did not want to bother him, knowing full well how excited the clone was to spend a whole day with his family.

Dick also did not want to bother Uncle Billy since he knew how much the man needed some time to himself instead of worrying about his and Slade's bullshit.

So yes.

Dick was bored.

The young man was lazily flipping through TV channels upside down from the couch when he heard the sound of a vehicle pull up in front of the house. His enhanced hearing picked up three sets of footsteps before the doorbell rang. The acrobat thought he knew who it was and his theory proved correct when he opened the door, revealing the figures of Adeline, Joey and Rose.

"Dick!"

The Talon smiled sweetly and wrapped his arms around Rose who crashed with the full force of her little body onto him. He picked her up and spun her around in the air for a few seconds, loving the joyous giggles emitted by the ten-year-old girl. He then put her back down, returning her bright smile. He then turned his attention to Joey and held his little brother in a gentle embrace, additionally giving him a tender kiss on the forehead. The 12-year-old's bright smile warmed his chest and the acrobat affectionately tousled his hair as he turned his attention to Adeline who was staring at the scene with a slight rise of her lips, her gaze a little softer than usual.

"Sup, Adeline. What can I do for you?" asked Dick wrapping his arms around his siblings, pulling them closer to him as he cast a curious glance at the woman.

Initially Dick and Adeline hated each other very much, mainly because they had totally opposite and conflicting opinions about Slade but as the years went by they gradually grew closer, mainly because of what they had in common: their unconditional love for Rose and Joey.

So they went from hating each other's guts to becoming sort of good friends who respected each other and would do anything for the children.

It also helped a lot that over time Adeline became less and less murderous toward Slade to the point of even being in the same room with him without screaming and trying to kill each other for an entire day.

It was definitely an improvement and a huge step forward.

"I'm finishing work a few hours later today and I thought Joey and Rose could spend some time with you and Slade." Adeline stated.

"Well, Slade is not home right now and will be back quite late but I don't mind taking care of my little siblings." said Dick casting an affectionate glance at the two children.

Adeline nodded and gave him a grateful look. "Thank you, Dick."

The Talon smiled at her and watched in silence as Slade's ex-wife greeted her two children and he brightened slightly when the woman gently kissed his forehead. The acrobat returned the nod she sent him before she turned to head to her car. He laid eyes on his little siblings and smiled at them. "Come on, let's go inside! There's so much we can do!" he declared excitedly, chuckling when both Joey and Rose began to mirror his excitement.

And just like that, Dick's boredom ended.

At first the three siblings played hide and seek for about half an hour, with Dick searching every time since he had the advantage of practically not being found by anyone thanks to his ninja skills.

Even on the few times Slade had joined in playing with them he could never find Dick and once tried to search for his son for more than two hours but without success, much to the super soldier's annoyance mixed with pride.

Dick promised his little siblings that he would not use his enhanced hearing to search for them but he was accused of cheating as he found the other two Wilsons fairly quickly, although for one of the few times in his life he had not actually cheated.

After playing hide and seek Rose begged her older brother to fly on the trapeze and of course Dick could not resist her damn puppy-dog eyes -Dick heard in his head Slade's voice teasing him and calling it karma-, so he agreed.

Dick had practically taught the Flying Grayson trapeze routine -unfortunately one of the few things he remembered about his parents- to all of his closest family and friends, without exception: Rose, Joey, Jade, Talia, Sandra, Tatsu, Cass, Nyssa, Conner and even Slade, Wintergreen and Adeline.

Damian still did not because he was still too young, although Dick's traitorous mind kept whispering to him that he had learned to fly on the trapeze practically since he was born, certainly long before he was five years old.

In any case, it had been more than an hour since the three Wilsons had been flying on the trapeze with Dick correcting the positions of his little siblings, watching them with a proud, moved and affectionate gaze as they performed the Flying Grayson routine correctly.

The constant hypervigilance over his surroundings was the only reason Dick detected a series of double footsteps approaching the door. He clapped his hands, attracting the attention of Rose and Joey. "Why don't you go make a snack? I bet you're starving: I certainly am." he said, lying about the last part since he did not need to eat at all but his little siblings did not need to know that.

They accepted his excuse to get them away from the gym without his vigilance over them and ran to the kitchen while the eldest son headed for the door, wary of who it might be. His initial wariness immediately disappeared when he opened the door and automatically a bright smile appeared between his lips.

"Baba!"

"Hey, buddy!" Dick smiled, taking Damian Al Ghul-Wayne in his arms and sprinkling kisses on his cheeks so plump and adorable, giggling good-naturedly when his child tried to slap him away with his face redder than a tomato. He held his five-year-old child -soon to be six!- in his arms and sent a smile to his aunt. "Aunt Talia! It's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Richard." the woman nodded as she smiled sweetly, giving him a quick hug and a small kiss on his right cheek.

"A little far from your base, don't you think?" Dick teased her a little, swinging his child in his arms.

"I wanted to ask you to look after Damian for a few hours. I have a meeting I can't cancel with some super-villains and although I trust my guards with my life, you are one of the few I trust unconditionally with my son." she spoke, tenderly stroking her son's hair.

The mercenary's gaze softened and he nodded. "You don't even have to ask me. You know I would do anything for you and Dami."

The Demon Head gave him a bright, affectionate smile. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Richard."

The acrobat returned the smile and held back a sigh when he heard a series of small footsteps approaching. Two little heads protruded from behind his back and Rose and Joey's gazes lit up when they saw Damian in their big brother's arms. "How nice! Dami is here too!" exclaimed Rose excitedly and Joey nodded in agreement with his sister, manifesting his excitement by bouncing slightly on his feet.

Talia greeted the two children briefly before turning to her nephew, lifting her lips a few inches in a smile. "I notice that you and Slade are very busy."

"Actually it's just me." commented the 17-year-old, shrugging casually. "Slade is out on a contract and will be back quite late."

A flash of concern crossed the face of the leader of the League of Assassins. "Are you sure you can handle all the children by yourself? I can always take Damian to someone else if it's too much trouble." she said, hating the frown that materialized on her son's face but she was honest when she said she could have entrusted Damian to someone else.

She certainly did not want to overburden her nephew.

The acrobat shook his head and sent his aunt a bright, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Aunt Talia. I've faced much worse than babysitting three children." he remarked amused.

Talia snorted and smiled at him. "You're right. Call me if there is an emergency." she ordered him, satisfied when the young man nodded.

The woman quickly hugged her nephew, tenderly kissed her son on the forehead, greeted the two younger Wilsons with a small smile and walked away. Dick returned home with the children, holding Damian firmly in his arms. "So... are you hungry, sweetheart?" he asked, closing the door behind him and looking at his child with a sweet smile.

Damian merely shrugged his shoulders and then hid his face in the crook of the neck of the eldest, his small hands holding his shirt wrapped in little fists. Dick placed a soft kiss on his hair and stared at his little siblings. "Have you prepared a snack?"

Joey shook his head. Actually, no. We were curious about the person you were talking to. He admitted, an embarrassed smile on his face.

The Talon held back a sigh and gave them a smile. "Never mind. I'll take care of preparing a quick snack." to the slightly guilty looks, he added: "If you want, you can prepare some games for the Wii in the meantime."

Excitement and happiness immediately took hold of the two children. "We will defeat you this time, Dick!" Rose promised, squinting her eyes toward her older brother in an attempt to appear threatening.

However, Dick thought her absolutely adorable and could not resist the temptation to kiss her forehead tenderly, smiling when he saw her blue eyes brighten considerably. "You've already said that like a hundred other times, sweetheart." he pointed out with a mischievous smirk.

"We're going to beat you this time." Rose pounded her fist on her chest, determination coloring her tone of voice. She grabbed Joey's hand and together they ran off, heading for their older brother's room that contained all the games.

Dick chuckled and directed his attention to his child. "You already know I'm going to win, don't you, sweetheart?" he asked as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Of course, Baba." Damian nodded with a look so serious and grave that Dick was sure he had taken it back from his father. "Joey and Rose don't stand a chance against you."

The last Flying Grayson smiled. "Thank you for the vote of confidence." he said, playfully rubbing his nose against Damian's and the five-year-old's pure, innocent giggles were true music to his ears.

"Incredible!"

Dick victoriously raised his fist in the air with a dramatic shout of joy as the speaker's voice rang out, the words Strike shining proudly on the television screen that soon replayed the acrobat's fifth consecutive strike.

"Oh, come on! How the heck is this possible?" Rose complained with a deep frown on her face, crossing her arms in a pout.

Joey's expression was also quite somber and he was casting a grim look at his older brother, his hands moving with a speed that reflected his annoyance and displeasure.

You are clearly cheating.

Dick burst out laughing. "How can I cheat at Wii Sport Resort of all games?"

I don't know but it's practically impossible that we're only in the third game of bowling and you've totaled more than twenty strikes!

"It's all part of my magnificence, buddy." Dick gave him a playful wink and Joey's grim look increased a notch. "It's not your fault I always win at every sport: I'm just too strong." he chuckled, remembering accurately all the expletives Slade threw at him every single time the two of them played Wii Sport Resort or any other game.

Being the best mercenary in the world meant being extremely and fiercely competitive and having a great deal of pride that was almost always dented in competitive video games.

Slade's worst part always came out whenever he and Dick played Mario Kart Wii.

Man, those were the occasions when Dick was really in danger of pissing himself laughing every time because of his father's very creative swearing.

Dick was so absorbed in playing with his little siblings that he barely suppressed a gasp when the doorbell rang. Joey and Rose exchanged a confused look. "Who could it be?" asked the 10-year-old girl.

An irritated sigh escaped the young murderer's lips. "I don't know but I hope it's something important." he murmured, handing the Wii Remote to Damian, who was staring intently at his older siblings' game, patting his head a few times. "Make sure you keep up the strike series, buddy."

A competitive look formed on Damian's soft features and he nodded gravely. "I will, Richard." he promised so solemnly that he seemed to be taking the most important oath in the world.

That was probably how it was in the five-year-old's head.

Dick snorted in amusement and headed for the door, listening in the meantime to two steady heartbeats outside the house. When he opened the door, his gaze instantly became flat and impassive.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Sandra Woosan and Cassandra Cain smiled at him with too-innocent looks. The Talon crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Let me guess: you have some business to attend to and want to leave Cass with me?"

The world's deadliest woman nodded. "If it's not too much trouble."

For heaven's sake-

Dick gave a long, surrendered sigh because for nothing in the world he could say no to his aunt and child. He automatically wrapped his arms around the 12-year-old girl, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "It's good to see you again, sweetheart." he enjoyed the warmth emanating from his child and wrapped one arm around his aunt in a half-hug. "Aunt Sandra."

"Dick." she returned the greeting, gently caressing his left shoulder for a few seconds. "Thank you for taking care of her. I owe you a favor."

"Yeah, well, damned if you all owe me." he grumbled, ignoring the woman's amused giggles.

After the final goodbyes Dick returned home with a new addition. Rose bounced excitedly when she saw Cass and ran toward her, pulling her into a fierce embrace. As Rose talked incessantly with Cass, Joey approached Dick and elbowed him lightly in the side.

Another one, huh?

The acrobat glared at him. "Shut up."

Taking care of two children?

Doable.

Taking care of three children?

Challenging but still doable.

Take care of four children?

Trouble began to knock on the door of Dick's house.

Not literally.

Dick swore he would destroy that fucking door if he heard the knock and the doorbell ring one more time, screw being a role model for his children.

Taking care of four children would have been a little easier if it weren't for one very small but crucial detail: namely, that two of them were the children of the world's most dangerous mercenary -and in Joey's case also of a former army general-, one was the child of the Demon's Head and the Gotham Bat and the last one was the child of the world's deadliest woman and a murderous bastard.

They really should raise the salaries of all those who babysit. I don't envy them at all: in comparison being a mercenary is child's play.

Dick's prayer went briefly to all babysitters around the world before he collapsed with a thud on the couch, doing his best to ignore the noise of chaos in the background.

There he was: Renegade, the second-best mercenary and assassin in the world, who had fulfilled all of his contracts in more than six years of his career, who had killed more than eight hundred scum criminals on Earth, who had taken down practically the entire Justice League single-handedly like it was a walk in the park, who had destroyed several mafias around the world just because he could and wanted to, the most dangerous, lethal, deadly and efficient weapon in the world-

Tired. Defeated.

Sure, his Talon physiognomy prevented him from being physically tired and that was a blessing.

But Dick had not been so mentally tired in a long time, damn the gods!

If Slade was with him at that moment he would surely have told him that it was karma that was biting him in the ass for all the countless times that Dick, acrobat-Talon-assassin-zombie-the-fucking-son-of-Satana-who-always-swinging-on-the-chandelier, drove the super soldier crazy.

And Dick knew that when he was younger he was literally much worse than Rose, Joey, Damian and Cass combined and that, well, it almost made him feel bad for his father.

Almost.

Actually Dick wasn't at all and he was going to drive his father crazy again every single time because yes.

The man already had white hair anyway.

But at that moment he began to understand what his father had gone through -or at least partially: Dick still remained the worst- and he was amazed that the former soldier had not gone as crazy as the Joker.

Dick loved his family -dysfunctional family but it was still his family and he wouldn't change it for anything in the world- but damn it, could they at least give him five seconds of pause?

Is that too much to ask, universe?

Crashing noises began to spread throughout the house and Dick jumped up, his eyes having turned golden long ago and have remained that way ever since.

"Jesus Christ- GUYS!"

Deathstroke had successfully completed his contract and was returning home. He deactivated the security systems of his home but froze, feeling all his limbs freeze when he saw his front door brutally smashed with a huge hole in the center and his inner panic increased dramatically when he heard too many heartbeats that should not have been there at all. He attempted to calm himself by thinking positively.

Dick is more than capable of taking care of himself and would have eliminated any intruder even before they could blink. There are probably only a few friends.

It did not help much and paranoia began to afflict him, creating a vastness of scenarios in his mind and none of them appealed to him at all. Slade silently opened the door, careful not to break it any further, and stealthily entered the house.

He froze, not at all prepared for what he saw.

Dick was lying on the couch and, given his slow, steady breathing, Slade realized that he was completely asleep. Four other children were using his body as a makeshift pillow and they were all tangled up in a messy pile, with Dick being the center of it.

As if that scene wasn't surprising enough -because, you know, what the hell were Joey, Rose, Damian and Cass doing in their house at the same time? Not that they weren't welcome but it was still surprising- Slade's gaze shifted to the side, meeting the faces of Wintergreen, Talia, Sandra and Adeline who were talking in murmurs in the kitchen, sitting in chairs around the table.

The mercenary walked silently toward them, careful not to wake the children, and the other adults in the room greeted him with nods. "What on earth are you doing here?" he murmured.

Wintergreen rolled his eyes and snorted. "Hello to you too, Slade." he chuckled at his best friend's glare and continued. "As far as I'm concerned I just stopped by to see how Dick was doing, so imagine my surprise when I risked getting knocked out the door only to find out that my nephew was having a mental breakdown from babysitting four problem children."

Slade had so many questions to ask but Sandra beat him to it. "Apparently each of us," she pointed to herself and the other two women present. "had the bright idea of leaving their respective children with Dick because of commitments that could not be postponed."

"It was not planned." Talia continued, an amused glint in her green eyes.

"The odds of that happening were very low." Adeline added, raising her lips a few inches in a small smirk.

The super soldier took off his mask and rubbed his temples wearily. "Let me get this straight. Dick babysat alone for who knows how many hours to four children at once and they practically drove him crazy?" he got several nods of his head and a mischievous smirk appeared between his lips, his one eye shining with satisfaction and vengeance. "Serves him right. That's simply karma for ruining my sanity all these years." he asserted, snatching chuckles from the others.

"I sent you a picture of the messy pile." Wintergreen commented, mentioning the direction in which the kids were sleeping.

Slade sent him a nod of thanks and sat in the chair next to him, participating in the quiet chatter of his friends.

This is karma kiddo, you son of Satan that you are.