Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After blowing up in their last mission, Dick didn’t expect that he would wake up another time, but he does, waking up in a place full of darkness. There is nothing but unlimited darkness around; Dick takes the view in and wonders if this place is hell or not, but before he can draw a conclusion, the darkness around him shifts, it moves toward him and quickly consumes his whole body. Dick doesn’t struggle; he just lets it happen.

‘So, this is how my afterlife is?’ - along with a bitter feeling

His eyes open once again, but instead of darkness like before, he is facing his parents’ bloody bodies on the ground. His mind is frozen because this view is nothing strange to him; he saw it multiple times in his nightmares, the times he was exposed to the fear toxin. Dick is unable to forget this day despite two decades having passed: the day he lost everything, the day his world was destroyed, and the fateful day that his parents were murdered.

Even though he is in a frozen state, he is still aware enough of his surroundings, and this is how he notes people aren’t moving; there is no noise either, as if the time has stopped. And then he senses a new presence right next to him. Slowly looking up, he sees a handsome gentleman, maybe in his twenties, based on how young his face is. The mysterious man is wearing a gray suit with a black turtleneck underneath, along with a black trench coat and a pair of black gloves. Thanks to his experience from years of being a vigilante, he can be sure this man has the ability to use magic, which is pretty strong for sure with how he can stop the time.

"You don’t seem surprised by my appearance?" - the man titles his head down to ask

"Well, if you have years of meeting supernatural beings, magic, gods, aliens, and a hundred other things, you will not be surprised by anything any more" - he shrugs.

"Is that so? Then, after analysing, what is your conclusion about me? Brief is enough"

"You can use magic, which is very strong because you can stop time—the thing that a few can do but still have limited time, in your case, the limitation is not there. You are far stronger than the magic users that I have encountered until now. Your appearance maybe not how you really are, and my situation is your doing too" - Dick says with a firm tone.

"You are very good, child, more than good. I can use magic like your observation, and yes, I am quite strong, far stronger than your friends and villains that you met before. And what else?" - the man smiles down at him, there is a hint of amusement and appreciation in his eyes

"You are not human; you are not the same as any being that I have met either. A god, potentially" - he really hopes not the last option because it will not a good sign.

"Hum… A god is the nearest definition of your human for me, but a human doesn’t worship me, and I don’t need their worship to remain powerful. I am very impressed with your skill and mind, my child. My turn of questions is over, now is yours"

The man doesn’t need to do anything, and Dick doesn’t hear him say anything either, but when he shifts on his stand and sits down, a single armchair appears right behind him. He chuckles lightly when he sees Dick’s eyes widen, then gestures for the young man, now a child, to sit down, and instead of only the air under his rear, a similar armchair is there. Dick carefully sits down and squirm a little to find a comfortable position.

"How old am I?" - he asks while frowning down at his small hands.

"5 years old"

"5? But my parents were killed when I was 8" - he frowns harder.

"Yes, but at this time, 3 years earlier, is how it is working"

"The same man? The same reason?"

"That is for you to investigate later"

"But why not sooner? Before my parents die"

"Your parents can be presented in your path in the future; they are going to die at one point, now, 3 years later, or some years after that, but will never be alive far longer than when you turn 10 years old"

"Then why am I still alive?" - Dick bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from crying.

"Your fate is not dying in some unknown place, dying without honour. This was not your time to die; you haven’t reached your full potential either as you didn’t finish your adventure. I refuse to let such a strong, brave, and beautiful soul like yours come to an end like that"

"My soul can’t be wonderful like what you said; I am a terrible person, the worst" - Dick laughs bitterly.

"Time will show you are wrong, my child" - the man replies with a small smile.

"… Can you tell me how they are after my death are?" - he asks uncertainly

"Would you like a detail or a summary?" - he titles his head

"A detail, please"

"Your once family is crumpled and broken, regretting all the things they have said and done to you, regretting that they take your love for them as granted. Your once friends and allies who know who you are in both personas aren’t better. Your uncle withdrew from the League and was alone in his city. He was sad and in grief, but he is mad on your behalf and wants you to know that he loves you a lot, that you are his dearest nephew, and that he wants you to be happy in your afterlife. Slade Wilson held a private funeral for you and was also in a rampage state, making the heroes’ lives suffer more than ever"

The appearance of the man didn’t catch him off guard, but this new information does, because the heroes, along with his old family, he can understand. He also can understand his uncle’s reaction and wish for him, but Slade’s? Why does the man have to go out of his way to mourn his death?

"Slade?"

"Yes, despite his awful personality and different morals from you, he cared a lot about you, in his own way"

"… This was new" - he murmurs.

"I have had my eyes on you since the day you were born until now, and I can say it wasn’t new" - the man says with a teasing tone, which Dick wisely ignores and jumps to another question.

"What’s now? What is going to happen to me next?"

"You are going to live a new life, meet people, grow, and reach your full potential" - a smile is there.

"And?" - there is no free trade, which means there is a cost.

"After you pass a way this time, you will remain on my side" - a smile turns into a devil's one.

"I know it!" - he claims with a proud tone, which earns a soft laugh from his company.

"Clever and always has doubt, wonderful my child" - he praises

"Thanks, but why do you keep addressing me as a child? I am not a child" - Dick’s cheeks turn a little red under the compliment.

"You are a child when compared to me, even an infant. You are literally a child now, Richard. Questions are answered: shall we continue the plan?" - chuckling softly before standing from the armchair.

Dick doesn’t give a verbal response back, but he nods and also stands up from the armchair, he moves to closer to the man, when the man’s cold fingers touch his forehead, he suddenly remembers what he forgot to ask

"What is your name? I forgot to ask; I don’t know how to address you"

"My real name is difficult for a human to pronounce, but if you want a name to address me, Elias it is. You will continue living in this time, along with people who love you and know how to treasure you; people never leave your side. You have my blessings, and I will come when you call"

"Is it free?" - Dick smiles widely; his puppy dog eyes at this young age make Elias almost say yes, but he is stronger than that, so he answers instead.

"Unfortunately, there is not, my child, but there will be exceptions. The memory of your old life will be locked and will come back to you when you are 23. Now, it’s time for you to begin to walk on a new path. Close your eyes, Richard"

Dick obeys and closes his eyes, suddenly he feels surrounded by a warm feeling; he isn’t afraid or feels threatened because of this. His consciousness slowly fades away, until nearly being washing away, he hears the man whispers in his ear.

"My real name is Ελιάς Κρόνος την Χαμός, only you can say it; call and I will come, my child"

And then Dick’s mind is totally covered by mist.

Chapter Text

He can’t believe the horrible scene in front of him, Mami and Tati minutes ago still smiled happily and waved at him, but now there is nothing but paleness, horror, and blood on their faces. Dick stumbles on his feet while making his way toward his parents, but his view is blocked.

"No no kid, don’t look" - a gentle voice says to him.

"Tati, Mami…" - he reaches over the man’s shoulder, but the man stays firmly

"I know, you can come and see your parents later. How about I carry you to the ring leader’s place?"

"…Who are you?" - Dick asks with teary eyes.

"My name is Jim Gordon, Gotham Police Department’s Commissioner. And may I know your name?"

Jim replies all while wiping tears off his small cheeks, his heart is clenched because why do all horrible things always happen to children? The Waynes left Bruce Wayne, and now the Graysons have left their child alone.

‘God dammit, he is younger than Bruce’ - Jim curses internally before

"…Dick"

"Shall we go and look for the ringleader, Dickie?" - he keeps his tone soft and gentle in the hope of not scaring the child further.

"Mr. Haly" - Dick nobs and brings up his arms.

He picks the small kid up, secures him into his arms, and after making sure the child’s face is nestled safely in his chest, he takes off and begins to look for the ringleader.

"Where do those people take my parents to?" - the child asks, a curious one, he supposes

"To the hospital for doctors to treat their injuries" 

Even though he feels guilty for lying to Dick, he can’t bring himself to tell the boy the truth: his parents are dead; they fell from the trapeze down to the ground, and the doctors in the hospital are going to … re-arrange their bodies back to their normal condition. Jim cringes at the thought.

"It is not an accident" - Dick murmurs to the fabric of his vest.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw … a man sneak into the tent before our performance"

"Can you describe that man for me?"

The boy’s sob suddenly turns louder; from sniffing, Dick is crying now. Jim instantly whispers in the child’s ear while gently stroking his back.

"Sh, don’t cry. It is enough for me to work with; you are so good, Dickie"

"Can you help?"

"Of course, I will make him pay. Now which way should we go to find Mr. Haly?" - he changes the topic.

Dick points to the back of the large tent without taking his face out of Jim’s chest. The Commissioner complies with the small bundle in his arms, but the moment he puts Dick on the lower stand, an officer finds him and reports about the rope.

"The ropes were tempted; it is not natural" - the said officer takes a look at Dick before whispering, almost unable to hear.

"Alright, I will be there in a second"

Jim’s expression turns grim; he crouches down on one knee to have the same eye level as the child before saying it again with a soft voice.

"Can you wait here for Mr. Haly by yourself?"

Dick gives a small nob, to be honest, Jim isn’t comfortable enough to leave the boy by himself here, especially after a night like this, but there is a lead, evidence that he needs to check, and it can help them one step closer to the person behind this. Torn between his responsibility and his feelings toward the boy, the Commissioner needs seconds to compound himself.

"I will be back as fast as possible, Dickie"

And he takes off, toward the other officers in the center of the ring; Dick’s eyes follow the man’s back until his gaze shifts down to the almost dried pool of blood, and his breath hicks.

"Richard, don’t look" - a pair of strong but cold arms gather him to a broad chest.

"Who are you?" - Dick struggles to escape, but the embrace is comfortable and kind of familiar; his struggle is half-hearted.

"I am your great-grandfather, on your father’s side"

Dick continues his squirming until he manages to crane his neck up and have a better look at the man who claims to be his great-grandfather. He studies the man's face, a middle-aged man, to be specific.

"You don’t look that old" - he says in confusing

"Do I? I look far younger than I actually am. But I am really your great grandfather, Richard" - the man chuckles lightly at his childish sentence.

"My great grandfather?"

"Yes"

"So… you are my family too?" - he asks hopefully

"The only one left" - the man replies with a bit of sadness in his tone.

"Străbunic" - he whispers.

"Yes. Strănepotul meu, Copilul meu. Nu e nevoie să mă testezi"

"Străbunic" - Dick beams and throws his arms around his great grandfather’s neck, hugging the man tightly.

The middle-looking man is taken off guard, but he quickly returns the hug just as tight. At the moment, Dick already manages to climb onto the man’s lap and stays there, contently being embraced and safe in his Străbunic’s arms. After a while, he leans back a little, ignoring the whimper, and pokes his Strănepotul on his nose and scolds lightly.

"You didn’t ask my name yet"

"Sorry… What’s your name?" - the child smiles sheepishly.

"My name is William Cobb"

When Jim wraps things up with his fellow officers, he wanders around the circus one more time to search for the youngest Grayson, but there is no sight of the boy anywhere. He seeks out Mr. Haly and is informed that he hasn’t met Dick since the incident, and none of the members have met the boy either. Missing Looking for Richard John Grayson is published 2 days later, but for 3 years there is no information; no one sees the boy anywhere - not in Gotham and not in other cities, as if Richard vanishes from the world.

--------- In 3 years of staying with the Court ----------

William is Dick’s main teacher; at first, the child didn’t understand what was going on, besides the fact that his great-grandfather brought him to the underground and then to a place with so much white. Cobb patiently explains and helps the boy understand the situation; he has to do that because if he can’t and Richard fights back, another Talon will be assigned for his Strănepotul; he can’t allow that.

Fortunately, Richard follows his words and begins his training under William’s guidance. Cobb directly trains the boy; he teaches and demonstrates to Dick how to use all kinds of weapons (even stuff that can be used as weapons), how to take advantage of his surroundings (from things to people) to cover himself, how to prepare for dangers and risks, and how to read people from the smallest change to the most oblivious ones. Cobb even teaches Dick knowledge that he has known and gathered for years (from basic to complicated ones, knowledge never ends, and knowing more can prepare his great-grandchild better), along with a manner like a true gentleman. During those lessons, Dick learns about computers from scratch to build programs; sometimes he hacks for fun when William doesn’t look; and more languages - well he is still not good at reading and writing but has almost mastered fluency.

His fighting training is harsher and more intense, as Dick has to learn how to dodge attacks, use the opponent’s openness and momentum for his advantage, and attack both vital and non-vital spots. In the final stage of this session, he has to fight against other Talons who are far more skilled and bigger than him; luckily, with his great-grandfather supervising the training, the older man stops the fights every time Dick takes a vital injury, or else he can’t last for a single fight. Maybe after a dozen fights, fighting with only one opponent and winning more than half of them while the other half walked away with minor wounds, his opponents increased from 1 to 2, then to 5, and quickly escalated to 10 and 12. It takes him 2 months to win fights against 12 undead Talons; pinning them to the ground is how he wins.

"It’s time" - the woman who is wearing an owl mask says, and the satisfaction is clear in her voice.

He is injected with the special serum reserved for the Talon - The Gray Son of Gotham; in general, he has all the enhanced abilities that a Talon will have after the injection, such as his senses, stamina, strength, healing, and speed. His eyes also turn gold, and his skin turns whiter, but there are no dark veins.

But he is destiny's best Talon, the Talon that will lead the Court of Owl to its prime and dominate Gotham. Dick isn’t affected by the cold as much as other Talons, but he can tolerate and function, along with possessing the ability to act and talk like before the injection. The only problem is that his emotions are dulled, so on some occasions, his emotions are needed to work out to suit the situation instead.

Later in one of the missions that William let him accompany, he meets Deathstroke the Terminator, whom he fights with. It is an ugly and messy fight when both of them have several bleeding wounds - not actually, as both have healing factors, but blood still bleeds. After recognizing who Dick actually is, the older man doesn’t hesitate to drive his sword through his stomach.

"Fucking hell, do you have to do this?" - he asks the mercenary while frowning at his stomach.

"Language, kid" 

"… you just stabbed this kid, old man" - he whips back.

"Where is Cobb?"

"You know Străbunic meu?" - a surprised question

"Yes, tu ești strănepotul lui?"

"Știi să vorbești româna?" - Dick asks in awe while sitting up; the sword is placed next to him.

"Cerința de lucru. Acum, răspunsul meu: Unde este străbunicul tău?"

Before the kid can answer him, the mercenary takes his gun out faster than a blink and shoots at the place behind Dick. Dick blinks slowly and turns around.

"Străbunic! El mă poate înțelege!" - Dick beams

"I know, Richard, this man knows a lot of things. What is your business, Wilson?" - Cobb addresses the mercenary.

"Normal, contract before I catch a sight of this Little Bird"

"I am not little" - the said bird protests.

"You are" - both William and Slade respond without missing a beat. Dick looks down at his body before seizing both adults next to him, and accepting the cruel fact, he sulks.

"The Court, he tags along, playing"

"Playing?" 

"Not in mission, going around the city, looking and poking, fun"

"Alright" - Deathstroke nobs, after throwing a look at the child, walks away from there.

After that fateful - cursed night in Slade’s book, he has a small, deadly duckling who always tags along whenever he comes to Gotham, whether he is on contract or in his daily time. The kid follows him around. 2 weeks later - you are not wrong - 2 weeks is how it takes for Dick to grow on the deadliest mercenary in the world. Slade is warmer toward the child, spending personal time to play and go around with the kid, and when he is doing contracts, he may teach and fix here and there when Dick poses and does some moves. Slowly, as time passes, Dick gains another mentor.

Chapter Text

When he turns 8 years old, Dick is fully the Talon, wearing the title along with William, but he still hasn’t cleared for missions yet, so the Court and the Owls keep him in the labyrinth, ordering him to kill the prey and uninvited intruders. One day, while wandering around the place because he is too bored, Dick encounters Batman, who is clearly exhausted; there are many wounds on the vigilante’s body as well. At first, he keeps his distance and keeps analyzing the man; Dick inch closer a little bit, and only when he crouches down near Batman’s unmoving body does the older man realize his presence.

"You are Batman" - he states with a neutral tone, as he still doesn’t know how to act around this man yet.

"You are a Talon" 

The older man growls, and in a blink, a sharp batarang is pressed to Dick’s artery. Not that Dick couldn’t see it or dodge it, but he feels there is no need to defend himself, also because Batman didn’t address him as The Talon, which means his information is lacking.

"Your weapon can’t kill me; the Court makes sure of that"

"… I know" - after some silent seconds, he takes the Batarang away, but his gaze still clings to Dick’s face, which is covered by the significant mask.

"Why is Batman here? Are you prey or an uninvited intruder?" - he tilts his head and asks.

"Seem like a prey"

"Grandmaster orders me to kill all the prey"

"I see" 

Batman stirs and begins to stand, ready for a fight, but before he can successfully do it, a small hand wraps around his hand, tugging him down, which is pretty strong for such a small body. He tops backward a little but fortunately catches his balance quickly before sitting down again, Batman looks at the child next to him.

"I will not kill you"

"You disobey your master’s orders?" - he is understandably surprised.

"Grandmaster’s orders are orders; Talons have to follow them; I don’t follow them"

"You are a Talon"

"I am Talon; I don’t follow orders" - Dick shakes his head.

"Why?"

"You seem nice, nicer than Grandmasters and Owls; I don’t want to hurt nice people" The vigilante levels him with that blank expression, but Dick doesn’t mind; he sits still and lets the man do his thing, only tilting his head aside when the silence stretches too long.

"Batman?"

"Can you take your mask off?" - a sudden question

Without answering, he takes his mask off and reveals his full face to the vigilante, who is first surprised by his immediate compliance but then shocked. He tilts his head again and moves closer to the older man a little after not hearing anything from him for minutes.

"Batman?" - he calls and pokes the gauntlets, when his finger dangerously closes to the claw there, Batman snaps out of his shocked state and pulls the said arm away.

"Don’t touch me" "I will not harm you"

"Not… not that; there are claws; you will hurt"

"I will heal"

Quicker than he can see, Dick stabs his own finger into the claw; the force is quite strong, and the blood immediately pours out of the open wound. Batman snatches the hand up and searches through his bell for a bandage.

"It healed, see!" - Dick beams

And true to what he said, the wound isn’t only healed but has already disappeared; Batman turns quiet and is considering himself because of why he panicked and acted like that. While he knows the kid is already a Talon. But when his gaze meets the child’s eyes and a familiar face, he knows the answer.

"Richard" - he calls softly; it is quite strange to his own ears. Bruce has never used that tone, not since that night.

"Yes? You know my name" 

"I saw you… before"

"Haly?"

"Yes. But you disappeared right after that. You were taken here?"

"Uh-huh"

"Did they hurt you? A lot?’ - Bruce still asks with that kind of tone while his arms move up and down as if to check for non-existing injuries.

"Nah" - a brief reply

"Have they made you kill anyone?"

"The Court said I am not ready" - Dick shakes his head lightly.

Bruce exhales a relief breath because he doesn’t know what he would do if the Court dared to force this kid to kill. His condition can be damned, but he is going to make them pay for sure.

The thought makes Bruce surprised because it comes from nowhere and there is no reason for such venom and anger toward them, but he can’t find a logical reason for this; he just knows that if the kid in front of him suffers and is hurt by anyone or anything, he will make them pay. He doesn’t want that kid to be hurt.

"Do you want to leave with me?" - he asks with a gentle tone.

"Leave? I can leave here?" - Dick asks back hopefully.

"Certainly"

"Can my great-grandpa go with us?"

"Your great grandpa? Is he here?"

"He trained and helped me; can he leave too?"

"… I will consider that"

"When can we leave? Now?"

"No, not yet. but it’s soon"

Dick seems disappointed by those words based on how his eyes are downcast and the smile isn’t there anymore. Bruce hesitates, reaches toward the boy, and ruffles his hair. Dick’s head snaps up, and before the man can retreat his hand, Dick happily nudges the man, almost purring during the action.

After that, Dick leads Batman out of the labyrinth, well not actually leads while Batman is the only one carrying the walking task with the small child settling on his arms and chatting the older man’s ears off. Before leaving the sewer, Bruce kneels to have the same eye level as Dick.

"I am going to come back; I will take you home" - he promises.

"You can’t take the Court down alone; I am going to be forced to fight you. I don’t wanna" - Dick whines

"Not alone; I will come with my co-workers, and we will bring down the Court before they can call you to fight us. You are going back home"

"With you?"

"… With me" - hesitate a little before Bruce gives a firm reply.

He pats the child’s head one more time, then leaves the place, blending into darkness.

When William and Slade hear Dick’s story about his encounter with Batman, along with the vigilante’s promise, they decide to work on their plan. Slade stays low and keeps track of how the Bat is doing along with information about the Justice League, while William finds a way to make sure all the Court and its Owls will be in the same place the moment the Justice League decides to strike this place - one of the Talon’s benefits is that he can call a meeting.

The time comes, a day before the Justice League strikes the place, when the Talon and Deathstroke the Terminator cooperate and clean out all the Talons by cutting off their heads before burning the bodies; between the force and strength of the two, no Talon stands a chance. Done with the assassins, they force the Owls and Grandmaster into the labyrinth and trap them there, waiting for the hero to come.

The Justice League ambushes the Court right on time; they storm into the labyrinth with force and quickly capture all the Owls and Grandmaster, who kind of relive seeing them. Batman takes out four members and slits them into two teams - all meta-humans to go around the labyrinth and make sure there is no Talon. The teams come back quite quickly and report what they saw: there is no trace of Talon, not even the littlest hint of their existence; they only find a cold room that stores dozens of empty coffins. Bruce’s heart sinks to his stomach; he wonders if that is too late and if the Court disposed of Richard because the boy let him go.

"Batman!" - a familiar voice calls from above, and looking up is the only thing Batman manages to do before a small child drops down into his arms.

"Richard?" - blinking before the cowl, Bruce looks down at the smiling child and his unnatural golden eyes; there is no doubt, this is Richard.

"It’s me!" - the kid beams at him.

An arrow is shot toward him; its destination is where Dick’s head was just a second ago, if not thanks to Batman’s quick reflection and stepping out of the attack. He presses Dick’s head to his chest before covering the child’s whole body with his cape, efficiently hiding and protecting the child from sights and potential attacks.

"What do you think you just did?" - he growls toward Green Arrow.

"He appeared out of nowhere and attacked you" - Oliver explains as a fact.

"He did not attack me; do you question my ability to defend myself if there is a potential attack?"

"Of course not, but we should keep our guard up; who knows what would happen in a creepy place like this" - the man says while lowering his weapon down.

"Batman, put the kid down; he is not normal" - and this time it is Superman. Batman’s temper is tested by those idiots who he calls colleagues.

"And what is your normal?"

"He has no heartbeats; he isn’t breathing" - Clark moves slowly toward him with his narrowed eyes, as if he is calculating how fast he can snatch the child before Batman can stop him.

"You mean the kid is a zombie?" - Green Lantern asks

"What is a zombie?" - the said kid suddenly pops his head out of the cape and addresses the man, his golden eyes gazing at him.

"Fuc-" - Hal Jordan begins but is interrupted by all the other Leaguers.

"Language"

"Freaking hell, kid. Don’t scare me like that" - he says, changing his words.

"I do not mean to scare you; I am sorry, mister" - Dick looks down, and his whole posture shows how sorry he is, Batman glares at Hal and challenges the man to reject the apology.

"Hey, not your fault" - Hah, no need for the glare; he can’t stay mad in front of such an innocent expression; the child has already swayed something inside him.

"What is a zombie?" - he asks again.

"Oh… well… they don’t have a heartbeat and aren’t breathing"

"Can they do something like this?" - he cocks his head.

"Like what?" - Oliver asks in confusion.

"Don’t-" - Bruce intends to stop the child, but once again, his speed supervises him. Dick takes out one of his knives and cuts his arm hard.

"Child!" - Wonder Woman yells and dashes toward them.

"See! No wound! Can they do that?" - Dick shows the adults his healed arm and continues his countless questions.

"A freaking mon-" - a Batarang flies past his head, successfully cutting down whatever Oliver wants to say; all the heroes gulp and look at the darker and more pissed-off Batman.

"I dare you to complete that sentence, Green Arrow"

"You have a healing factor?" - Black Canara chimes in before her idiot boyfriend can dig his grace deeper.

"That's what the Grandmaster said"

"Grandmaster? Who? Is that person here?" - she questions more.

"He’s there, but why is there a red bandage on his neck?" - Dick points to one of the criminals. The man in question was almost conscious when they found him; the wound is vital but not deep enough to kill in one strike, as if the one responsible for it wants the said Grandmaster to suffer.

"No need to worry about him, Richard. I have a question, but I need your help to answer it, can you?" - Bruce joints the kid in his arms lightly to gain the said child’s attention.

The other heroes blink not only at the soft tone Batman has been using since the child appeared but also because he actually asks first - Batman asks instead of ordering!

"Yes?”

"Where are the other Talons? We can’t find anyone"

"Grumpy Pumpkin told me to stay in the chamber while Great Grandpa led the Talons out and into the labyrinth. They told me to wait until Batman came"

"Sorry to interrupt, but little one?" - Arthur makes his presence known now while approaching the pair.

Dick turns to the man and tilts his head lightly to show he is listening.

“Who is your Great grandpa and what is he doing here?"

This time Bruce reacts in time; he already had his conclusions, and none of them would be pretty; he covers Dick’s mouth to stop the boy before turning toward his colleagues.

"The Founder and Black Canary stay; the others clear the labyrinth for potential danger and collect information"

When the group is left behind, Batman gestures for Green Lantern to use his power and secure the place to avoid eavesdropping. Done with everything, he puts his hand down to let the boy continue.

"He is The Talon, head of all Talons"

"You are a Talon?"

"It’s me!"

"Can you tell me why you are here, Richard? I assume it is your name?" - Superman floats toward

Bruce provides a brief but sufficient explanation for the reason why Dick is held and changed into a Talon. When he finishes, the adults fall into silence, and the hatred toward the Court is rising to another level. On the other hand, Dick isn’t affected by the story or how the atmosphere around him shifts; his eyes are glued to the Man of Steel with sparking stars inside.

"What’s it, kiddo?" - Clarks asks with a gentle voice.

"You can fly?"

"Yes, I’m sure I can"

"Can I fly with you? Please?" - Dick hopefully looks at the man and pleads with his puppy eyes.

Superman chuckles in assumption; he floats closer to the kid before reaching out his arms. Richard squirms but seems unable to escape the tight hold of Batman, who is busy glaring hard at the Man of Steel.

"Batman" - Dick complains while patting the said vigilante’s cheek.

Batman grunts and very unwillingly passes the small bundle in his arms to Clark; the latter hero holds Dick closer to his broad chest and adjusts his hold a little to make sure the child is safe and comfortable before floating upward lightly and flying around the place. The place is quickly filled with childish giggles; the Leaguers stand on the ground, look at the scene, and can’t help but smile at the sight.

"The child’s great grandfather and Grumpy Pumpkin took care of the Talons, I assumed" - Martian Manhunter speaks lowly

"There is only one way to kill Talon" - Batman supplies

"They have a healing factor, are fast, and enhance strength based on what you told us. I think there would be several ways to kill them" - Green Arrow frowns.

"They are nearly immortal; a vital wound can kill any of us, even metas and demons, but Talons are not; beheading them is not even enough" 

"…. What is your thought, Batman?" - Diana's questions "Behead before burning the body"

"It is lucky for us to not encounter those guys" - Hal says after several quiet seconds to digest the information. "I think it would be more fortunate that Richard didn’t witness that; the two knew how to protect this kid" Dinah says and gains agreement from all her co-workers that that kind of scene can give them chills or even nightmares for years; who would know how much the child is going to suffer if he saw it?

The operation is closed, and all the criminals are handled directly by the Justice League after Bruce recognizes how high-status and powerful some of them are. The founder and Black Canary stay back while the others leave the crime scene with captured criminals; they stay mostly to see how quickly the child can wrap them around his little finger - and indeed he could, with impressed speed no less. Before Dick and Batman leave the place, the child goes around and asks for nice hugs from the nice adults who are gathered; then he wanders back to Batman and jumps up happily into a waiting embrace. If any of them see the small smile on the Dark Knight’s face and how protective his hold is before he climbs inside the Batmobile, they don’t say anything.