Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dick Grayson is currently sitting in the backseat of the car. Alfred is sitting in the front seat, driving him to his doom. (No, Bruce, he's not being dramatic!) Today has been a horrible, no good kinda day. The kinda day where he should go nowhere, do nothing but stay in bed and stare at the ceiling. On patrol someone hit him really hard in the side so his side hurts, he woke up late (still in pain), had to rush to get ready and is now going to be late to science class. He actually kinda likes the Mis. Janice, and really doesn't want to be late. Plus, he has a stupid test today.

"You are going to be perfectly fine, Master Richard." Says Alfred. Dick scrunches up his face. It sure doesn't feel like it. He's pretty sure he's screwed and his teacher is going to hate him. 

"I'm sure, Mis. Janice will not hold it against you that you are late today." Says Alfred. Dick still doesn't answer. Alfred doesn't say anything else during the drive. Dick can't help but feel a small bit of relief, though it's also covered up by guilt. He doesn't mean to make Alfred sad or seem rude it's just that kind of day.

He really hates today.

Talon lays on the concrete floor. It doesn't move, and its eyes are not open today. It didn't need to open them to know that above it is a stone cellings that is attached to four stone walls. It's very original. 

A cold metal door held it inside when it was younger, but now Talon doesn't need a door to hold it inside. To stop it from running. Talon's own mind became the closed and locked metal door. Forever trapping some part of it in routine and isolation down in the labyrinth of the Court. Trapping it under a stone celling and four stone walls. It's safe this way. 

Unfortunately, being somewhere forever makes Talon's brain think, and no matter how many metal doors it builds, thoughts somehow leak through the cracks. Thinking will and always has been bad. It leads to Talon trying to leave and leaving breaks the routine. Breaking the routine is dangerous and means that Talon doesn't know what is going to happen. It also means it gets punished. Horrible things happen when the routine is broken. The routine is the only thing keeping it safe, so the routine must be kept. No matter what, thoughts break through the metal door.

So, to make sure Talon never breaks the routine, it finds ways to keep its head occupied and bad thoughts locked away. Sometimes Talon counts up to 66 and then back down to 0. Sometimes, it counts higher than 66, but it usually doesn't. It's harder to remember what number it left off on when it does. Counting stops Talon's mind from thinking, and so does watching the never-ending changing labyrinth of the Court. So Talon makes sure to do both as often as it can when alone. It's safe that way.

 The rooms and halls never change for Talon. Well, they don't change where Talon is. It knows what is always outside its cell. Six metal doors that are indistinguishable from each other. Each Talon inside is indistinguishable from each other. All in the same uniform and identical. All property of the Court. All made as if they are 'cans' in a 'factory'. The same. No different from the other except for maybe a dent or two. It was safe. It is safe.

It needs to be safe. 

A sound breaks away Talon's thoughts. 

Footsteps are slowly approaching Talon's door. It knows who it is. It is the same person who always comes to collect Talon. It doesn't react. It stares at the ceiling with now open eyes. It was not told to move yet. It is completely still. It is a good Talon. The footsteps stop. He's outside the door. The door then quickly opens, and the Trainer steps inside. The routine is safe and has not been broken.

"Stand. You are to go to training room 4 and wait inside the middle of the room for further instructions." Says the Trainer at Talon. No one talks to a Talon. Only at one. The Trainer then goes to tell another Talon its instructions. Their are only 3 Talons in training. 3 baby Talons. 3 Talons on the fifth stage of being a Talon. Talon was in door three. Three is good. Going back into cell three means the routine isn't broken. 

Talon begins to walk out of the room and down the halls. It is in the same place it always has been. It is in the same place it is every day. Talon walks the path it has walked every day. It follows the routine. The routine is safe. 

It turns the corner just as it has done many times before and looks at the at the metal end of the hall. It walks up to it. No one is guarding it. With no hesitation, it opens the door and walks inside. The door slams shut behind it with a loud metal slamming sound. Talon twitches from the loud sound. No one is here to see it twitch. It is safe. 

Stupid door sound.

Dick Grayson is currently walking to English. His worst class but not because he's bad at English but because of the other kids in his class. The hallways are as always crowded. His backpack is digging into his shoulder, and it's really not helping his ribs feel better. In fact, they hurt a lot more than they did this morning, but it's not like he can go up to the school nurse and ask for something for the pain.

That would be a good way to make sure Bruce got investigated for child abuse. 

Taking another step, froward Dick grinds his teeth as another slice of pain goes through his side. At least he knows he's not bleeding all over the school as he's checked between every class so far. Wouldn't that be a front page story! 'Dick Grayson survivor of the circus tragedy bleeding all over the halls' and then right after 'Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne abusing Orphan?' All by Vicky Vale, of course. 

He takes another step, and so does someone else. Another kid from his English class and Dick only has a second to brass for impact as the kid bumps into him. Hard. Dick of course, has to play his part so he falls onto the ground. 

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, Mr. ward Wayne. Here, let me help you up!" Says Mic-Kayla. The teachers pet, of course who would never ever bully someone, and yes, her parents willingly named her that. Dick can feel everyone's eyes on him. Staring at him as if he's still in the circus. As if he's just an act or something to entertain them. 

He has to play his part. 

He looks up at Mic-Kayla and smiles. Just like he does every other day sense, she decided this was the best way to spend her time. 

"Oh, it's no problem, Kayla, right? From English. " Says Dick and she smiles back. Dick really wants to punch her, and now his ribs are really killing him. Thanks, Mic-Kayla. 

"It's Mic-Kayla, Ward." Says Mic-Kayla with that same 'kind' smile as if she doesn't bump into him every other day at the same unavoidable hallway.  But enough about that, his side hurts so much right now. He needs to sit down, but if he stays sitting for too long, someone will get suspicious. Mic-Kayla offers him her hand. He has to get up. 

So he takes the offered hand and stands up despite the pain. 

"Do you want to walk to class together?" She asks, and he remembers the first time this happened. How happy he was to make a friend. It was all a lie as she ignored him the next day and them bumped into him all over again when she needed proof that their friends Later, she loudly bragged about how they were friends at lunch and took so many selfies with him to show her parents. It's so annoying, and he just wants to get away from her. 

"Sorry, I have to run to the bathroom before class." Says Dick loudly as he walks away from her. Thankfully, she lets him go. 

He's not going to English today. 

It walks to the center of the room and stands there to wait for the Trainer. The Trainer is always on time. The Trainer likes the routine, and that's what makes it safe. It waits. It doesn't have to wait long, though, as it can hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. It does not move and stands perfectly still. It's a good Talon, after all. It has to be a good Talon. 

The Trainer enters the room and doesn't bother to even say hello. They never do. It's part of the routine. The door slams behind them, and like every time before, Talon doesn't flinch. 

"Stand Talon. Now run around the room. 30 laps. Go." Says the Trainer. Talon is quick to comply with the demands. It runs on the gray mat, following along the wall. No other sounds are in the room other than Talon's not completely masked footsteps and the breathing of the Trainer. This was how every day really starts. Training. Running. After running comes knife practice, then comes the obstacle course, then the needle that gives Talon food, and lastly, Talon is returned to its room. Then Talon will rest. Day after day. No break in the routine unless Talon makes them break it. The routine is safe. It is known and treasured close by Talon's claws in secret.

Talon is good.

Four more laps. It is almost finished with the task. It is almost done. Talon is good. The last lap. Talon doesn't react to its run being almost over. It doesn't feel. Almost done. Once it finishes, it will have its knife practice. After knife practice is the obstacle course. The routine is safe. Talon is safe.

It has less than half a lap to run left.

Talon doesn't come to a stop in front of the Trainer. Not yet. Its eyes are on the ground. Never looking up. Never daring to show defiance or break the routine. A good Talon. Good Talons get fed and are allowed to rest. Finally, Talon finishes the last lap and stops in the exact stop it was in before. It shows no sight of needing rest. The Trainer doesn't look up from his watch, but Talon knows he is watching. They always are. 

"Faster than before. Good. Come." Says the Trainer, but he is not speaking to Talon, just at it. The Trainer then begins to walk towards the room with the knives. Talon follows him silently. The routine is safe. 

Dick Grayson would say he's an amazing student as he casually skips class again. He is currently hiding in the schools bathroom, waiting for his stupid English class to finally end so he can go to gym class. (Which is going to absolutely suck with the pain in his side. He's really hoping he didn't break a rib or something.)

Normally, he wouldn't skip school, but.... He knows he's being silly, and he shouldn't get ubset about her, but... Well, Dick really doesn't want to even see his 'favorite' group of bullies today. Let alone sit next to them for an hour so ya know bathroom. Also, he's not sure he can set there without passing out. He's so tired. Luckily, he can just distract himself. 

Slowly Dick pulls out his phone. As long as he's careful, he will have successfully skipped class again. Hopefully, they won't call Bruce.... or even worse, Alfred, but... he just can't go in there. Not today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today. Not with the day he's been having already. 

Then his phone buzzes. It's a text from Bruce....

Fuck.

Talon is now sitting with the needle in its arm. Glowing yellow liquid was entering it's veins, turning them a sickly dark brownish 'color'. Talon doesn't react. After the yellow is all inside of Talon, it will get another needle in the other arm for food. Every now and then, they feed Talon with The Tube. But that is only once every thirty days, and Talon had gotten The Tube six days ago.... Talon is good today, just like it is every day, so it will get food. The Court is merciful like that. 

The routine is safe. Talon is safe. 

"Other arm." Says the voice of the Master at Talon. The Trainer is not in the room like usual, and like always Master is. Talon arm is then turned towards the ceiling as the other needle is removed from its skin. This master has blond hair and, like all members of the Court who are human, wares an Owl mask. He is just like Talon was identical to every other who bore the mask. Indistinguishability. All the same. Never a difference. Routinely the same.  Indistinguishable. Perfect. Good. The same. Calming. Talon needs routine. 

The needle without warning is stabbed into Talon's veins. It doesn't react. It is good. Perfect. Indistinguishable from every other Talon behind the mask. In the head. Not in body but in mind. They are all the same. The same fish in the water, following the school and bread crumbs left behind for them. That is what the early stages of being a Talon were for, after all. Making sure all were the same in mind and in claws. It is routine. 

The needle is removed. Talon doesn't react. Nothing changes about it except for the soft lime glow in Talon's eyes, changing a bit more yellow before the liquid goes through its chest and- and changes. It doesn't ask or question anything. It's a good Talon, and only bad Talons do that.

"Follow, Talon. Time to rest." Says the Master at Talon. Talon follows him out of the white rooms of the labs. Down white stone halls and over red carpeted stone floors. They walk down hallway after hallway until the Master finally stops. 12 metal doors sat in the hall next to it. Six on one wall. Six on the other. only three Talons lived in the cells. There are 4, 5, and Talon is 3. Has it always been three? Talon closes the metal door and looks at the ones in front of it.

 5 has been here the longest. They learned the tapping game from the pervious batch of Talons. The tapping game is where one Talon would start tapping, and soon, the others would soon join.

Talon used to make a chirping sound, but the Court was not pleased when it did. None of the others could make the same sound, but they did try. Theirs just didn't sound health(?). Though moving away from chirps, if a Talon wanted to be brave, some Talons would click their tongue in their mouth to make sounds. 7 always called it clickling in hushed whispers. Clicking is good. 

Every week or so, someone would whistle. When 1 was still here, it would always be humming when they started the game. Talon sometimes would humm too, but it couldn't get the sound right. But that didn't matter. It was way to show they weren't alone.

Though now, most of them just tap. 1 isn't here anymore to humm. 7 was buried in the walls and has long sense stopped clicking. 11 can't whistle anymore as they don't move anymore, and 12 soon followed them. It is only 4, 5, and it left. It will continue like this until the Trainer wants to restart the routine. When that happens what's left of the others will be brought back and forced to be awake and it'll start all over agian until a new one takes there place ot the leave to become level 6 Talons. Though sometimes they don't bring some of the others back... They stopped bringing them back one hundred and twenty-two days ago. 4 had started to keep track after they locked 7 away and never brought 1 back. 

"Stay in there and rest." Says the Master at Talon. Talon did as it was told. Laying back straight eyes up on the concrete. Talons feel no pain. No discomfort. Nothing. Talon is good. Talon waits for 5 and 4 to start. They always return before it does. 5 rarely gets food, and 4 is always fast. 

Luckily, it won't have to wait long. It's almost night. Night fall is a difficult thing to track in the Court. Though, there is one way reliable way to check. Which is by the guards. The routine is rarely changed, and so the guards never change either. Routine is safe. Talons work better with a routine. The Court says so. 

It's too quiet...

The tapping hasn't started yet. Talon draws in a silent breath before slowly lifting up a claw. Then, as if the world had gone silent in waiting, Talon begins to tap. The relief of the routine calms it. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

 Two other taps joint in. 5 is still here, and so is 4. Talon is, too. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

 Safety in routine. Safety in obedience.

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

Tapping means you're not alone.

"Tap.Tap.Tap."

It can't be alone as long as someone taps back. 

Dick sits alone in his room while drying his stupid face on his sleeve. Stupid Bruce and stupid school and stupid English and stupid everything! Everything's super stupid and mean! Dick lets out another muffled cry of anger. 

His eyes burn a little as he cries. Stupid Bruce is not listening to him and stupid teacher telling on him but not saying anything to the jerks in his stupid class. It is all so stupid. 

Then, comes a knock from the door. Great. Dick slowly looks up from his sleeve and glares at the door. What does he want now? To yell at him more? Maybe take Robin from him for a week. 

"Dick, it's Bruce. Could I come in?" Says Bruce on the other side of the door. Dick glares even harder at the door!

"Go away!" Dick yells out. A sigh came from the other side of the door before the sounds of someone slumping against the door could be heard. What is he doing? Shouldn't he be yelling at him?

"It wasn't my intention to upset you." Says Bruce. Dick glares even HARDER at the door. Alfred definitely made B read one of those stupid parenting books before coming up here. Dick doesn't say anything. 

"I don't know why you are skipping your classes." Says Bruce slowly. Dick lets out a sigh before he slowly gets up and goes to the door. Stupid emotionally repressed old man.

"If you tell me what's bothering you, I could help." Dick stands on the other side of the door as Bruce's monotone careing(?) voice comes from the other side. Dick huffs as he dries his face and opens the door, which makes B literally fall into the room. (Dick might have laughed a little when B hit his head on the ground).

He deserves it. 

Bruce, instead of getting up, just lays on the ground while staring at the celling. Which is fair enough. 

"Hey, chum." Says Bruce and Dick can't help it. He snorts. 

"Hi Bruce." Replies Dick. 

"Do you want to talk about school?" Asks Bruce, and Dick looks away from him. He doesn't want to talk about it. It shouldn't be bothering him as much as it does. He's Robin. He's stronger than that. 

But it hurts. Each sly remark about him being an orphan, his heritage, everything. It hurts. Being shoved on 'accident' in the halls. They always assume he doesn't know about things just because he was raised in the circus. He knows what a coffee maker is and what cable is! He's not stupid! He wasn't raised under a rock!

"I was mistreated when I was in school." Says Bruce and Dick looks over at him. 

"They would ask how my parents are and then apologize immediately after. They would steal my notebooks and hide my backpack all the time. I ah remember one time i was having a really bad day and one kid just wouldn't stop poking me. After class I had run to an empty class room and called Alfred. He picked me up and the next day that kid was gone from my class. I don't know what would've happened if I didn't have Alfred and some really good friends back then." Says Bruce. Dick just stares at him. Bruce has friends!? What? When- where are they? 

"So I guess I wanted to say I get it if you're being picked on and I'msorry for not listeningto your side of the story earlier." Says Bruce and Dick has never seen him look so nervous. This is so weird. He- he should say something.... Maybe Bruce will listen this time. 

"There's this group. At school. They keep bumping into me and calling me Ward Wayne. I- my ribs hurt and she just bumped into me and I had to fall and- I didn't want to sit in the same room as them for a whole hour." Says Dick and Bruce just nods and says nothing. 

"Thank you for telling me. Now how about we go watch and movie and you have Alfred make some hot chocolate while I-" Says Bruce. He's running for the kitchen before Bruce even finishes. Not knowing how the call with the school is going to go is worth getting hot chocolate. And something for pain.

Chapter Text

It's the next night when Dick goes out as Robin again. After his embarrassing crying thing with B about the stupid meanie heads in school, the two of them had a movie night. After B did patrol for like an hour but he made Dick sleep instead of patrolling. Which unfair but B promised to bring him to the zoo, so he is forgiven. For now.

Dick might change his mind later, but for now, he's being Robin!!

Dick happily swings from rooftop to rooftop under the smog fills the night sky. His yellow cape flies behind him in the air. He is flying. Nearby Bruce (old man) is flying as well. From building to building through the air. It feels like magic. 

It is magic. 

Dick lets out a loud laugh as the wind flew through his hair. He loves flying. It's one of the best things about being Robin. It's just so fun! It's just that there's nothing quiet like flying through the air. It- it reminds him of the circus in a weird vigilantle way.... Mostly just the performances he did before with his parents. How they traveled the world and fly. It was magic. It is magic. His own personal magic thingy. 

Dick watches people and buildings fly past him as he glides through the sky. A little kid with his Dad(?) waves happily at him as he passes by from his window. Dick waves right back with a loud laugh as he flies through the sky. 

With a carefully praticed move, he does a neat flip as he lands on another building. He hears a small clap come from down below, and Dick turns around to bow at the little kid in his window who's clapping for him. Then, after a wave to the kid Dick turns around and walks to the opposite ledge of the building. B landing on the ledge behind him. With a deep breath Dick prepares to fly again. His skin buzzes as he smiles. 

Honestly, this is totally Dick's favorite part of being Robi-

A loud scream fills the air just as Dick is about to hop onto another building. And there's the other best part of being Robin. Helping people. He stops and looks into an alleyway below. There is a woman in a yellow dress being attacked by some guy with a knife. Dick crouches down and watches. B crouched down beside him. 

"Give me your shit!" Said the doo-doo head. Dick scrunched up his nose at the guy. What a jerk. B didn't react other than narrowing his eyes. The guy took a step towards the woman. He has a really sharp knife. 

"I-I don't have anything! Honest!" Said the woman. She has brown hair and looks really scared which obviously is very bad. Dick stands up a little. 

"Sure you don't, bitch. Just give me your purse!" Said the poop head with a snarl. Jerk. He really is a huge poop head! Dick bets his mom didn't hug him enough as a kid. Poop head was probably an ugly kid, too! 

Then B stands up to his full height and jumps down on the guy. Dick takes this as a signal and jumps down to help calm down the lady. Stepping up on to the ledge Dick balances on it and walks along the ledge until he's near where the lady is watching B. B is currently smaking the bad poop head into the ground. B's a professional at that. 

Dick carefully jumps down next to the lady. She screams just a little when he did that, but his award winning smile calms her down! The poopbhead let out a loud groan. The lady looks a little scared of B. He should get her out of here. 

"HI ma'am! I'm Robin! Wanna get outta here while B's doing his thing?" Asks Dick with a smile. The lady gives a shaky smile back and nods. She has pretty yellow eyes. They almost look like their glowing. She turns back the way she came into the alley and waves her hand for him to follow. Dick gives B one last glance, and B's zip tying up poop head. B glances at him too and gives a small nod. With a bright smile Dick turns and follows the yellow eyes lady. 

The lady then turns a corner, and Dick runs a bit to catch up to her. He quickly turns the corner just to see the lady is turning another corner. What? How is she so fast? Also, why is she walking so quietly? Dick shrugs off these questions. It's Gotham. Everyone's weird and she probably just wants to get home or wherever she's leading him to. With a quick shrug Dick rushes to catch up to her.

It's a struggle to do so. 

He turns the next alley corner, and she's turning down another. How. How is she so fast?! You know, he's Robin. He should be able to catch up with this lady! She knows he's following her, right? Should he call out to her? He's calling out to her. 

"Hey! Lady, wait up!" Yells out Dick but she just dissappears around the coner. Rude. So rude. She doesn't even give an answer or slow down!

Dick rushes to catch up to her. He rounds the corner just to run into a chest. He quickly backflips away and is face to face with a man. A man with yellow goggles that seem to glow. Is this a new rouge? He looks weird, so maybe?

Dick stares at the guy. He's not attacking him. The guy's just standing there. Weird. Usually, a bad guy would attack him by now or start their stupid monologs.... Is he waiting for B to start monologing in this dirty dingy alleyway? 

That's stupid. This guy's stupid.

The weird guy seemly oblivious to Dick's genius insult just stands there. What a jerk. Not being offended by Dick's mental insults.....

Anyways, where'd the yellow eyed lady go? 

Dick stands on his tippy toes to look over the (stupid) guy's shoulder for the lady. He doesn't see her. Where'd she go?! Did she round another corner!? Moldy chicken nuggets!! Stupid weird guy blocking him from following the lady!

Then a loud thump came from behind him. B! Dick quickly turns around, only to be face to face with another weirdly dressed yellow goggles guy! Dick did not sqauk. He didn't. Nor was he scared by this guy suddenly appearing.He swears.

He glares at the yellow goggle guys for scaring unexpectedly dropping down behind him. 

"Hey! Don't do that! I could have hit you!" Says Dick loudly. The weird yellow guys doesn't answer. Dick takes a careful step away from the weird guys and towards the alley wall. The guys slowly (at the same time!) turn their heads to watch him back up like those weird twins in that movie Bruce told him not to watch but he did anyways. It's kinda scary.... Dick takes another step back and then another until he bumps into the alley wall behind him. 

The yellow eyed guys say nothing. They're only watching him. Then comes a tap. A bunch of taps. 

"Tap...tap...Tap...Tap...tap." 

Dick glances around while keeping his eyes on the weird guys but doesn't see anyone else. Are the weird guys tapping with their toes?

"Tap...tap...Tap...Tap...tap." 

Dick watches their toes as the tapping sounds through the alleyway. Neither of them are tapping. Their not tapping. Someone - someone is tapping!

"Tap...tap...Tap...Tap...tap." 

Dick doesn't risk looking around for the sound. It sounds so close, though. So- so close. Like it's right beside him... Dick snaps his head to the side, but no one is there. Then he snaps it to the other side, but no one is there. 

"Tap...tap...Tap...Tap...tap." 

He pulls his eyes forward and stares at the weird yellow goggles guys.  They stare back. Where is B? He- he should have been here by now, right? Yes. Yes, he should be here! Maybe maybe he doesn't know where Dick is? 

....

Coms! 

He can call B on coms! With a slightly shaking hand Dick reaches up to turn on the com near his ear. With careful slow movements (he doesn't want the weird guys to attack him!), he turns it on. Silence is on the coms. 

Dick opens his mouth to speak.

"B-B. Where are you?" Says Dick slowly. The weird guys watch him without seeming to blink under their sharp yellow glowing goggles. 

"Tieing up the mugger, Robin." Says B in his weirdly roboty voice. Dick let's out a shaky breath. B's okay. He's not being attacked or something.... Even if he was, he would win, of course! He's Batman, after all! 

"I- there are some guys here. They see me and their starting at me." Says Dick quickly. The guys don't move an inch. They don't even look like their breathing. It's scary....

"I'll be right there." Says Batman. Dick let's out a sigh of relief. The weird guy on Dick's left twitches. Why would they do that? 

"What do they look like?" Asked B over coms. Dick looked straight at the weird goggles guys before answering. 

"Ugly." Says Dick with a small smile. Neither of the guys reacts, and a loud sigh comes from the com. 

"Robin report." Says B and Dick smile fades a little as he gets into 'report mode," as he calls it.

"Two possible males, yellow weird goggles that seem to glow a little, they have very sharp knifes and are in all black clothes. They aren't saying anything either which is weird and their hands look weird. They have gloves on but they look super weird." Says Dick with another small smile. The weird yellow goggles guys are still staring at him. It's hard to smile when they keep staring at him.

"Robin. I need you to listen very carefully to me, okay?" Says B. He sounds scared. Why? He's Batman! He can easily take these guys out. Still Dick can't help the fear that is currently making him feel all.... small. 

"Okay." Says Dick shakily. 

"I need you to run when I get there. Run and don't look back. Get to the cave and stay there with Alfred and tell him the Court is making their move." Says B. Dick nods before remembering that B can't see him.

"O-okay?" Says Dick. Then the tapping comes back. Who is tapping?!

"Tap...tap...Tap...Tap...tap." 

It's so close by, too! It's not next to him or next to him on the other side, in front of him or behind him! Where is the tapping coming from!? 

.....

Above!

Dick looks up and stares at yellow glowing goggles. He barely has time to let out a scream before they all jump at him. 

Bruce is running as fast as he can when he hears the dreaded terror-filled scream. No! Bruce pushes himself harder and runs to the corner of the alley. Dick should be just around the corner. He'll be fine. Bruce just had to keep telling himself that Dick is okay. 

He turns the corner only to find an empty alleyway and a broken pair of yellow goggles. Not agian... Goggles that had been punch off from below. Dick. Bruce failed again. 

He took a quick step into the alleyway. There's no blood. Another muffled shreek fills the air. Bruce grabs his grappling gun and fires. He's not going to fail. He's not going to fail his son again. 

Chapter Text

Dick is being carried somewhere. He doesn't know where, but he's definitely being held. It's only through his (multiple) kiddnapings that he manages to keep still and not start screaming. It would be bad if he did that.... So he has been kiddnaped. Batman knows, which means he has to go to step 2 of 'Dic- Robin's totally awesome getaway plan for kiddnapings'. Or R.T.A.G.A.P.F.K. it's a perfect name he knows. You may hold your applause until after Batman comes to get him. (And when he can stop being so scared. He's Robin. He can fight this time, and nothing will happen because B is coming to get him.)

He slowly peaks open his eyes and sees he's being carried downstairs? Stone stairs that look really old. Like really, really old. Maybe even older than B, even though that seems impossible. B's is ancient and old and decrepit. B was around with the dinosaurs, and he even has one in the batcave! He still uses a flipphone! Clearly, he's  ancient. 

But back to the stairs! So weird goggle guy is currently carrying him to the bottom of the stairs like he's a baby or something. Goggles has him pressed against his chest with his face in Goggles neck. Which weird but you do you Goggles.... Maybe Dick can convince Goggles to do this at least 50 miles from Dick. 

Goggles still thinks he's unconscious. Dick can use this. So, using all the bat teachings, Dick does not move. Which is very difficult. Very. Next time, he needs to go with the attack first - think later plan. That plan has more fun stuff and less of this. Whatever this is. 

He's bored. (No, he's not scared! Shut up!)

Really bored. (His heart is beating really fast)

Suuuppperr bored. (He wants to go home)

After what seems like hours, Goggles finally get to the bottom of the stairs, and now their walking in either a hallway or a really big room. Could be both, though either way, it's really stuffy in hear, and Dick has to hold in a sneeze from what he really hopes is, dust. B would be mad if he got sick from mold or something. Alfred might have a heart attack if he does. So, hopefully, it's just dust. 

The arms holding him shift slightly, and Dick's face is pushed further into Goggles neck. If Dick wasn't terrified and trying to distract himself, he would have found this really compfy. But he is. So it's very scary being help so carefully by his kiddnaper- Robinaper- birdnaper- Dicknaper! 

Dicknaper. 

Dick. Naper.

Goggles then stops walking. Dick holds his breath as they pause. The sound of a door opening fills the place their in, and Dick waites. 

B will be here soon. He just has to gather info, escape if he can, and wait. It'll be okay. 

"Talon. I see you were successful." Says a voice. It's an old sounding voice that sounds a little bit familiar. He's heard that voice before, but from where?

Goggles starts walking again before they bent down and put Dick on the ground. Dick stayed completely still and tried to even out his breathing.

"I trust the bat did not see you?" Asks the voice. 

"No." Says a tired voice. The voice sounds dry and raspy like B does when he has a soar throat. It sounds painful.... Is it Goggles?

"Good, good. Now I trust the others are resting?" Says the voice. That's a weird thing to say. Why isn't the guy saying sleeping or going to bed or something? Why resting? That kinda sounds like their... dead. 

"Yes." Says Goggles(?). 

"Perfect. Now, he is to be put in cell four on the left side of the second layer down the third Crane gas testing hallway. Once he wakes, take him to the nearest dionesium lab so we may begin. We need him ready as soon as possible and we have already had many delays." Says the old voice of Dick's dicknaper. That- this- wow. This place is huge. What's dionesium? Did he get kidnapped by some crazy people who like to experiment on kids?! 

Not again!!

"It is awake." Says Goggles(?). Goggles, no!! Dick has been betrayed and- and traitor-ed! 

"To the lab then." Says the older voice. Crap! Dick opens his eyes and rolls out of the way of Goggles arms. The old voice guy backs away, and Goggles stares at him. The horrible yellow glowing eyes stare straight at him before Goggles jumps at him. Dick dodges to the left, and Goggles lands on all fours before they make another grab for him. 

"Grab it, or else you'll have the joy of experiencing the Voice's irritation, Talon." Says the old man. Dick dodges out of Goggl- Talon's reach again. Talon lets out a loud breath. Are they annoyed? Well, good! It's what they get for dicknapping him!

Talon jumped at Dick again, but as Dick goes to roll out of the wall, sharp claws grab his waist. Dick thrashes and sends a ton on kicks at Talon, who doesn't seem to care about being kicked.

"Let go, you poo head!" Screams out Dick but Talon doesn't. Instead, Talon tries to stand up, and Dick takes the movement to kick Talon in the knee. Talon doesn't seem to feel it, and instead, they continue to try and pick Dick up. 

"The Bat picked a feisty thing, didn't he? No matter." Says the old voice as he gets closer to Dick and Talon before he turns his head to the door. Dick ignores him and focuses on escaping. Dick tries to scramble away again, but Talon isn't letting go! 

"Let go or Batmans gonna beat you!" Yells out Dick but he was ignored. Meanie heads!

"Talon. Help bring it to the lab." Calls out the old guy and two more Talons(?) come into the room. They look the same as the Talon that's holding him. What is this? Are those this places experiments? Are they goons? What is going on?! 

"Stop it!" Dick screams out, but no one is listening to him!

The other weird Talon(?) guys grab him, and the three of them start to pick him up. Dick kicks and scratches, and he even bit on if them but they won't let go. The three of them pick him up. On holding his left arm and another holding his right with Goggles (if their all called Talon, he can give them nicknames!)

Then, they begin to walk out of the room while holding him. Dick struggles more and kicks at Goggles, but they don't let go! 

"Make sure you grab the Gray- Son next." Calls out the old guy as they leave the room. They don't know who he is. Wait... why do they want him as a civilian!?

What the hell!?

Chapter Text

One.

Two.

three.

Talon lays on the concrete floor. It doesn't move, but its eyes are open.

Four.

It's staring lifelessly at the stone celling like it does most days. In the celling, there are tiny white dots. Sometimes, when Talon waits for a long time, it begins to connect the dots in its head. Other times, it tries to remember the pretty white dots it always watched before when it climbed into the vents. It still can't remember what they're called...

Five.

The footsteps are approaching Talon's door. It's odd. The Trainer shouldn't come yet. It's too soon. It doesn't know how much time has passed, but it's too soon. Is this a new test? Is Talon going to follow an older Talon on a mission? Will Talon get to see the tiny white dots in the sky? It doesn't react. It stares at the ceiling. It has not been told to move. It's a good Talon. The footsepts get closer and closer until they are right outside the door. The Trainer opens it. It's not locked. The door opens, and the Trainer steps inside.

"Stand. Training room 4, wait inside the room." Says the Trainer, then he goes to tell another Talon it's instructions. 'The routine is safe. As long as you follow, you will be safe.' Talon needs to remember that. 

Six.

Talon begins to walk to the room, using the same path it took the day before and the day before that. The routine is safe. The carpet ripped and torn from games is the same red as it always was. The walls scratched and stained with blood are the same as well. The portraits on the wall, however, are different. They always are. Talon thinks they could be magic paintings. After all, no one is allowed to move the paintings.

Seven.

Coming up to the training room, Talon easily opens the door. These doors are made with Talon's claws in mind, unlike human ones. Doorknobs are harder to open with claws than the simple push to open doors in the Court. The Court is truly merciful. 

Eight.

Talon walks to the middle of the room and stands perfectly straight. It used to slouch its shoulders, but after the second week, it- it didn't need to remember. Memories are made to be forgotten, but the lessions they show are meant to stay. So it stands there. Back perfectly straight as it waits for the Trainer. It's not able to slouch now. They made sure of it. 

Nine.

"Stand Talon. Run around the room. 30 laps. Go." Says the Trainer at Talon. Talon is quick to follow the instructions. It runs on the gray mat, following along the wall. No other sounds are in the room other than Talon's footsteps and the breathing of the Trainer. Talon is safe. 

Ten.

But then the routine changed. It was not safe anymore as the frail, silent peace of routine was ruined by the loud cries of a voice.

"Let go of me, you doo-doo heads!!" Screams a voice. A young voice. A young child is in the Court. A child who doesn't want to be here. Is someone gone? Is someone dead? Have they replaced a Talon, or did they want another? Is Talon being replaced? Its chest- no something inside its chest screams and beats against its ribs. 

No. They're just adding another Talon. No one is dead. Be calm. 

"Batman's gonna stop you, and you'll be sorry!" Screams the child.

Talon doesn't react. Talon doesn't react, and it won't react. It takes in a slightly deeper breath. Calm down. It's fine. It will be fine. Safety in routine. Just continue the routine. Talon keeps running. 6 laps left to go. Ignore the screams, the pleas, and begs. Be good, and the routine will come back. The thing in its chest is still beating it. 

"Let go!" Screams the child. They are desperate. 

Talon is good. It competed another lap. It just had to be good until the routine came back. 

"Get off of me!" 

Four more laps. It is almost finished with the task. Almost done. The screams get fainter as they are dragged further and further down the halls. Talon is good. Talon squashes the stupid urge to free the child. Focus.

"Let go!!" Yells the child. Breath in. Breath out. 

 Talon doesn't react to the screams. Its chest isn't tight. It can breathe. It takes in a slightly deeper breather just to prove it does not react and can breathe just fine. It's almost done. After this, it has knife practice. The routine can continue agian once running is over. Talon comes to a stop in front of the Trainer. Eyes on the ground. Not looking up. Never daring to show defiance. A good Talon. Good.

"No!" Screams out the child. Ignore it.

"It seems you will be having someone join our training sessions, Talon. I expect you to show this new Talon how a Talon should behave?" says the Trainer at Talon. It sounds as if it was a question. It is not. Talon knows better than to react. That isn't a command. It has no reason to react. Talon is good.

"Come, we have knife training, but I want to try something new. Break up the routine to accommodate our new Talon." Says the Trainer. He begins to walk towards a metal door that leads to where they keep the knives. Talon follows the Court. The routine is broken. It is gone now. Talon has to rebuild it. 

 Talon doesn’t react. Its claws stab into its leg. Burning as always brings Talon out of the broken routine to observe and adapt. A new routine must be made. A new order. A new way of being. A new safety must be created now. 

Adapt. 

Good Talons do that constantly. 

Everything is okay. Just follow the routine. 

It will be okay.

It has to be. 

One. 

Sixty-six.

Talon is now sitting with the needle in its arm. Liquid is entering it's veins, turning them a sickly dark brownish green. Talon doesn't react. After the green, Talon will get another needle in the other arm for food. Talon is good. This is good.

Talon doesn't react. The routine has continued. It is safe. 

 Sixty-five.

"Other arm." Says the voice of the Master. The Trainer is not in the room, but a Master was. Talon arm is turned towards the ceiling as the other needle is removed from its skin. This master has blond hair and, like all members of the Court who were human, wore an Owl mask. He was just like Talon is identical to every other who bore the mask.

All the same. Never a difference. Routine. Indistinguishable. Perfect. Good. The same.

Calm.

Sixty-four.

The needle stuck into Talon's veins. It doesn't react. It didn't feel. It was good. Perfect. Indistinguishable from every other Talon behind the mask. In the head. Not in body but in mind. They were all the same. The same fish in the water, following the school and bread crumbs left behind for them. That is what the early stages of being a Talon were for, after all. Making sure all are the same in mind and in claws.

The needle is removed. Talon doesn’t feel. No difference is made except for the soft glow of lime in Talon's eyes, changing more yellow before the liquid can fully go through its heart and change green. It's good, Talon. It has to be.

"Follow me, Talon. Time to rest." Says the Master. Talon followed him out of the white rooms of the labs. Down white stone halls, past painting of the Court and thier many many unfortunate 'guests'. The souls who died but aren't allowed to come back. Unable to prove their worth to be part of the Court like Talon. A waste of blood the Court calls them. Talon's chest tighten whenever they do.

Sixty-three.

They walk down the hall after the hall until the Master stops. The Master seems tense? Is he planning to run? Is he going to betray the Court? Is someone really going to die today? Talon watches him as it stares at the ground before it looks at the hallway floor. 

Oh.

The hall in which Talon's door sits in front of them. Blood was on the floor. Lots of yellow-green and red blood. Talon doesn’t dare to look at the people standing in the hall. Instead, it looks at the blood-soaked floor.

It can hear the soft drip, drip, and drip of blood falling from a blade. Talon doesn’t react. Another was gone. The child is a replacement. If Talon was able to get a glance, it wouldn't be able to tell who it was. Perhaps 4 in the cell next to it, who had bright red hair that was cut off, or 5, who is in the cell next to it.

4 got here around the same time Talon did, but 4 forgot everything fast. All that is left of what 4 used to be is it's red hair and scars from their escape attempts. One time, the Court sliced up all their finger and made them climb a wall. Talon was forced to watch and listen. Another time, 4 had cut a master. The master later had each of their bones slowly broken in front of the Court as dinner entertainment. Talon was forced to watch as was 5. 

 5 has been here the longest. They learned the tapping game first from the pervious batch of Talons. The tapping game is where one Talon will start tapping, and soon, the others will join. It's a way to talk but also show they are still them. If someone truly wants to be brave, some Talon would click their tongue in thier mouth to make sounds. Clickling. 

Every week or so, someone would whistle. When 1 was still there, a Talon had hummed. Talon sometimes would humm too, but it could get the melody right. But that didn't matter. It was way to show they aren't alone. 

It's almost completely alone now. 

The dripping continues. Neither Talon nor the Master move. Who is gone? Who has failed? Did someone fail a mission, or did they just anger a Master? Talon will never know, and Talon is fine with that. It has to be. Nothing can be done now. No matter how hard the thing in its chest beats on its ribs. 

All Talon can do now is try to remember them.

If it is five, Talon will remember to continue the game for it, and if it was 4, Talon would remember its red hair when it looks at blood. It will remember two people in blood if it was 4. Talon couldn't remember who the first person it remembered was, but it remembers them in blood all the same. They had long hair to and pretty eyes. They were older than it and human. So it will remember what it can about them. For as long as it can anyway. Memories are the most fickle and precious thing to a Talon besides routine. Talon will remember them in blood. 

The Master began to walk through the blood. Talon follows. Talon doesn’t look up to see more of the body. It doesn’t need to. The only thing it can see of other Talons are the tips of cloth covered heads and wrists that can fit through the bars on the hole in the doors. Sometimes, hair pokes out from the cloth. A tiny scar on the pinky. Talon would remember them any time it sees blood.

"Get in there and rest. Make sure to behave, or you'll end up like that one." Said the Master at Talon. It did as it was told. It did not need to be next. It stepped into the same four concret walls it did every day. The same stone cellings sat above it. Routine. Talon could breathe. The door slammed behind it. Talon doesn't know they they still shut the doors. They know it won't run anymore. Maybe they just like the sound? Talon can somewhat understand that. Some sounds make Talon calm while others make it think it can't breathe. 

Laying back straight eyes up on the concrete. Talon has no pain. No discomfort. Nothing. Talon is good. Its back is perfectly straight. It can't do anything else until the Court thinks it's good enough to jave the metal removed. Gray walls surround it like they do every day. There is no child screaming. The routine is safe, so it is safe. Talon waits for 5 to return to the cells.

Talon doesn’t wait for long as the soft food steps of another master fill the hall. They pause at the blood, but like Talon, 5 and the Master move past it. Now, both 5 and Talon will remember the fallen in blood. 

"In," says the Master at the Talon. Talon listens closely as the metal door is opened, and a loud slam fills the hall as 5 is locked in. The Master's wet footsteps sound through the hall as he walks away. After a moment, Talon hears him turn the corner. Safety in routine. Everything is quiet now. 

The tapping hasn't started yet. Talon drew in a silent breath before slowly lifting up a claw. Then, as if the world had gone silent in waiting, Talon began to tap. "Tap. Tap. Tap."

 Only one other tap could join in. 5 is still there, just afraid to anger Court. Talon is, too. They always are. Talon taps again. Hopefully, 5 will join in.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

 Talon waits for a moment. Then, a tapping is sent back. "Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap." Talon can breathe. It's not alone. It's safe. Talon taps back. The routine is back. Talon lets out a breath as its shoulders relax. It's safe now. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

Tapping means you're not alone. Talon is always alone. 

Like always, Talon waits in the dark while tapping away. This is the only communication it has with others. It's just one sentence back and forth, but it's a Talon sentence. So Talon loves it like all the Talons do. Talon is not alone as long as another Talon taps back. 

One.

Two. 

Three. 

Chapter Text

Dick slowly opens his eyes and tries to focus on the blurry world around him. He lets out a soft grunt as he tries to sit up. Only to feel a sharp wave of pain and quickly lays right back down. His everything hurt! Did he get knocked out on patrol or- Oh. Oh. Dick shot up to his feet (which ow!) and, with his still somewhat blurry vision, looked around. 

He's in a room. It's a very boring room. 0/10 on this room. It's so bland. Like it's ultra boring. It's a boring gray, and why are their scratch marks everywhere? What. What is this? Who made these claw marks? What made these claw marks? Is Dick going to have to fight whatever made these? Did one of the creepy yellow goggle doofuses make these? 

Were they locked in here? Are they prisoners? 

Are they the experiments the old guy talked about?

What on earth did he get himself into?

Bruce is gonna be so mad.

... 

Wait. He didn't get himself into anything! Those creepy goggles guys brought him here! So they got him into something. Bruce can't blame him for this! With that though Dick lightly jumps -OW- and then hold his head. Ow. His head hurts. He quickly sits back down. Ow. Ow. Ow. Why does everything hurt? Oh- He remembers. They put that nasty battery acid stuff into him. It-it hurt. Really bad. Really really bad. Maybe Bruce will let him throw a chair or something at those butt heads once he gets here. 

Which he will be.

He'll be here soon. No matter what those eggheads say. Stupid pickle heads don't know who their talking about. Of course, B will be here soon. 

Dick just has to wait and get as much information as he could. Which he can do. Dick is the most patient person he knows. Aside from Alfred, but still. He's very good at waiting. 

It has been five minutes, and Dick is bored out of his mind. Which is a terrible thing that should never happen. So he does the logical thing and starts talking. After all, someone is definitely watching him, so it only makes sense to make them laugh so he can know how many guards there are. 

"Hey. What do you give a sick bird?" Asks Dick. No one answered. Party poopers.

"A tweetment!" Says Dick. No one laughs. A tough crowd, then. Dick will just have to tell more puns then!

"What kind of bird works at a construction site?" Asks Dick but once again, no one answered. Jerks. Is this how the Joker feels? Constantly unfunny, and you know, sad. 

"A crane!" Says Dick. But no one makes a sound. More jokes then!

"What do you call a funny chicken?" Asks Dick loudly. No one else makes a sound.

"A comedi-hen! Get it? Chicken- hen. Comedian!" Says Dick but no one answers. He misses B. B would have done his weird slight smile at that one. Honestly, Two-Face might have laughed at that one. 

Then, a slow, barely noticeable snort fills the halls. Dick snaps his head towards the door and practically glows with excitement. Someone answered him. Someone found his joke funny! 

Dick is gonna tell so many more jokes now!

Talon lays on the ground, with its back perfectly straight, while staring at the celling. It has made a sound. It has made a sound. The Court is going to be angry with it. It did something bad. It broke the routine, which is  something very bad. Very, very bad.

Maybe no one heard it? It needs no one to have heard it. It doesn't need to be punished. It can be good without being punished. It knows what it did wrong so the Court doesn't need to correct it. They don't. 

"Hey! Why did the bird get in trouble at school?" Asks the Routine Breaker. Talon doesn't know. Why?

"Because he was caught tweeting on a test!" Says the Routine Breaker. 'Tweeting'. Why does that word sound familiar? It sounds like something else. Is it supposed to mean cheating? Because the bird was cheating on the test?

Oh. Talon gets it now. 

"How do Crows stick things together?" Says the child happily from the cell next door. How? 

"The use vel- crow!" Says the child. They sound so happy. They(it?) are happy. Why? The child is in there alone. No one can really answer them. At least not in a human way. It can't answer the child even if it does tap to them. The child doesn’t know how to tap, so it won't understand. Though it will soon. Tapping is one of the only comforts within the Court. (Other than counting or randomly saying fruitloops. The Court members look annoyed when it does.)

Talon, even though it knows the child can't understand taps back, it's patter of applause as another joke is told. Maybe this one will find more comfort in the Court. Talon can only hope it does so without being seen by the Court. 

Being seen is dangerous, after all. Hiding away behind their masks is the only way to be safe from the 'fruitloops' of the Court.

"Hey. I've got a non-bird one for you. What does one wave say to another?" Says the child. Talon says nothing. 

"Nothing, they just waved!" Says the child with a laugh. Talon snorts agian. 

The streets of Gotham are as always filled with the cruel, desperate, or abandoned people. Sometimes, it's all three. Sometimes, it's just one, but every person in Gotham who stalks the streets at night is at least one of these things. 

They lurk and wait while watching for their pray. They hide in shadows to avoid the light of corrupted furry brought on by the blue and red lights. They attack those they see as weak, as easy pray. They take everything they can and leave another with nothing. It is a cruel cycle that they have helped to fuel with their tears of desperation and ruthlessness. 

But that is not what's happening tonight. 

What's happening tonight is true unrestrained terror in the criminal underworld as Robin has gone missing. Robin, who is - was(?) the only thing that kept the demonic bat at bay. Without him, the bat... Well, he can't even be called Batman anymore. 

Without Robin, he has become just the Bat. The terror of the night. The unstoppable nocturnal monster that hunts down those that once lurked in the streets. Without Robin, it's almost as if the bat has no one to slow him down. No one to hold back for as he ruthlessly beats and breaks those he finds. 

But no one knew that until it began. 

It had started after an hour. An hour of no one seeing Robin. Just hearing the scream of a child before he went 'missing'. (Oh God, they hope he's just missing and that he'll be found. They won't survive if he's dead.) It had started after an hour. 

A slow agonizing hour that felt as if Gotham herself was waiting with a baited breath for her son's reaction. She was right to wait. To anticipate his anger and to try to curb it as much as she could, for once that painfully silent hour was up, an avenging monster was released. 

The bat no longer had mercy. 

 No one was killed, but.... dying would have been a mercy. 

The next day in Gotham was oddly sunny. It was a sunny, cloudless day. It was filled with screams. 

Blood coated the sidewalks, knives that had once been used to attack the inoccent stabbed into the cement with such raw strength the concret broke, the broken shares of bones spilled out of alleyways. Every hospital is practically full with each and every man, women, or being the Bat had found breaking the law during the night. 

But what was the most terrifying thing was that there's not one Bat looking over Gothan as the sun beat down on his back but two.

And it has only been one day since Robin went missing. One day. Not even including the night. Just one day and this.... this is the result. There's two of them. Without Robin, Batman is just the Bat. Without Robin, the bat has no reason to hold back. Without Robin, the bat has no reason to continue to act human. Without Robin, the bat doesn't need to slow down. Without Robin, the Bat feels the need to multiply. Without Robin, Gotham's criminal underworld is doomed to become a blood splatter on the pavement.

Chapter Text

'Creak'

Bruce wakes up with a jump. He quickly looks around the room only to see his own red walls and shut curtains. How did he get here? This is not where he fell asleep. He fell asleep in the cave. 

Did Alfred carry him up here? How? Did he wheel him up using the bat chair? 

It doesn't matter he has to go back down to the cave. Bruce stands up. He has to find Dick. He's so close he just needs to think! He doesn't have time to take a break. 

'Creak'

His door opens, and Bruce quickly looks over to see Alfred walking in. 

"Breakfast first Master Bruce. Then you may go back to searching." Says Alfred. Bruce just shakes his head. He doesn't have time for breaks. 

"I don't have time. I have to find him." Says Bruce. 

"Master Bruce. You need to be able to save him when you find him. It will be difficult to do so if you are starving. Eat." Says Alfred. Bruce looks at him. Alfred is exhausted. He has bags under his eyes, and he looks paler. He's worried. He's worried and hurt. Worried for both Bruce and Dick. Bruce sits down. Alfred as much as he hates it is right. He does need to eat. 

"Only for breakfast." Says Bruce. Alfred raises an eye brow at him. 

"Well I would hope you would change into something clean and perhaps brush you teeth Master Bruce. If not we have to return to hire a dentist." Says Alfred.

"Alfred-" starts Bruce

"Master Bruce. Frankly you need to improve your hygiene. You cannot sneak into the Court without proper hygiene." Says Alfred. He's not escaping this is he? 

"I- okay. I'll eat breakfast. Change clothes and brush my teeth." Says Bruce. But that's it. That's all the time he'll waste before he goes back to searching. 

"And shower Master Bruce. We don't have a water heater only for cooking." Says Alfred. Bruce nods. Looks he taking a shower to. 

"Very good Master Bruce. I shall go finish breakfast while you put the water heater to use." Says Alfred and then the butler leaves. The door then clicks as it's locked. Bruce can easily unlock it but if he does he'll have to face Alfred. Bruce instead walks into the master bathroom. If he's quick and thorough he can hurry and eat then go back down to the cave. 

Talon knows it will see the new fledgling Talon today. Or at least soon, probably next training session - was it the next day or week? It can't tell.- at the latest. Who knows how long that will be, though? Definitely not Talon. Talon isn't allowed to know how much time has passed. Only the Court does because they are smart enough to be able to read clocks. Talon doesn't know how to read a clock... It's hard to tell time in the Court. Talon usually just counts when it's taken for training and just counts each training session as one day. It's simpler that way. It didn't need to think as much. It makes it easy. 

Either way, it knows it will see the new fledgling today. It will also definitely hear the new fledgling before it sees it. Though Hopefully, the new fledgling will tell more 'jokes'. Even though the fledgling wasn't talking to it, Talon finds the 'jokes' good. They make it easier to shut the metal door in its mind. To stop thinking. There for 'jokes' are good. Not around the Trainer, but more 'jokes' would be good...

 Currently, Talon is standing in the center of the training room like it does every training day. It is part of the routine, which makes it safe to do so. It's good being safe, which means it's good to follow the routine. Soon, the fledgling will understand that, too. Just like Talon did and the Talons before it. It takes in a deep breath. 

Then it hears it. The sounds of screams and insults as the fledgling is probably being dragged down the hallway. Talon takes in another deep breath. It begins. It had slightly hoped the child would not scream so they could have an uneventful training day, but that hope is gone. 

It takes in another slightly deeper breath in preparation. It's going to be a long training session. 

The sounds of a struggle get closer and close,  and Talon can barely make out the words the child is screaming.

"You'll be sorry! My Batdad'll beat your butt!" Screamed out the child. The Trainer doesn't look amused. Talon remains completely still... What is a 'batdad'? Is that a weapon? A bat is an animal, so it's an animal. But what about the 'dad' part? What are 'dads'? Does Talon have one? Talon thinks it does. It- it sounds right that it has had a dad. But what is a dad? Is it a person? Should it know? Did it know? 

The sound is just outside the door. 

"Let me go!" Screams out the fledgling. Loud. Why is the fledgling so loud? Are they hurt? Is this how Five saw it when it first came here? How did Five stand it? How did Five not jump in? How did Five not break?  

Talon is broken out of its thoughts as the door slams open. Everything is quiet for a second, but then the yelling starts up again. It has to stand here. 

"Let go, you assheads!" Screaches the fledgling. Talon resists covering its ears. Loud. To loud. But still, Talon watches the new fledgling and manages not to try to cover its ears. It's a difficult task, but Talon does it. It also manages to stand still. 

The new Talon is dragged into the room screaming and flailing like a bird who hadn't learned to fly yet. Like a nestling, but Talon has seen how graceful the fledgling is with fighting the older Talons. Dogdeing and weaving under their arms until it was overpowered by the sheer amount of Talons. Though, the fledgling lacks the more calm muted movement of a Talon. It moves more like an excited owl nestling who is begging its mother for food. Luckily for the new Talon training was where Talon's learns to be a Talon and not a frail, stupid bird. Talon learned that the hard way. Hopefully, the fledgling won't have to be taught that way...

 The child then looks away from the Talons, dragging it and instead stares at Talon. Bad. No.  Talon looks away and at the floor. It's safer that way. It's safer not to show a sign of 'attachment'. Talons aren't allowed attachments. 

The older Talons who are dragging the child in toss it next to Talon. It thumps its head against the floor as the older Talons leave the room. It looked like it hu- burned. It looked like it burned. Talon can't move to make sure they aren't alright. It's not allowed to move yet.

"Tsk. How pathetic. I was hoping for a but more of a struggle with you." Says the Trainer. He's taunting the fledgling. Why? 

A small cry of rage comes from the child. No. Please don't. Talon can't breathe as the child quickly sits up. Talon almost needs the Trainer not to be in the room so Talon can cover its ears at the loud screaming. The child stands up and with a fledgling's battle cry charges at the Trainer. 

It's going to be a very, very long training session.

By the end of training, Talon is.... Talon just is. Talon can't want anything, but Talon is ready for the routine to come back. For the safety of knowing what would happen next. For no loud noises. Talon needs the routine and no screaming. Just no screaming or anything loud.

Just for a moment. 

Luckily, the lab brings back some routine. Talon walks behind the Trainer in sync. It is currently carrying the fledgling Talon. The child is quietly crying. Talon gently poke the child in the side with its claws and hold them close. Its hard trying to calm them down without being seen, but Talon will try its best. Someone did this for it when it was younger. Did Five do this for it, or did someone else? 

"Hurry it up. We have an appointment to keep." Says the Trainer sharply. Talon walks faster. He is upset. He is very upset as he has a bruses forming on his forehead from the fledgling. The fledgling had run and kicked the man in the head while fighting during training. It had made Talon smile.

The Trainer stops walking. So does Talon. Talon looks up a little and sees that the cold lab doors are in front of them. Talon likes the cold. The Trainer quickly opens the door and walks in. It hates this place. Talon follows him inside. 

It's a good Talon. 

Batman sat as the compu- bat-computer. The bat computer. Files and blurry pictures covered the screens. A now empty coffee cup that Dick made in his art class for him. 'Best B' was carved into the side of the oddly shaped mug. It's Batman's favorite mug, even if it stabs his lips if he drinks from it at the wrong angle. Dick had made it for him for Christmas. 

"Master Bruce. Mister Drake has invited you and Master Dick over for dinner. Shall I tell him no?" Says Alfred. Bruce doesn't even look away from the screens for second. Instead, he just shakes his head before responding. 

"No. Tell them Dick got the flu, and I can't leave him alone for long." Says Bruce as he looks back over another call made about a 'yellow eyed shadow demon' to the police. Alfred nods before turning away, and Batman can see him begin to leave in the reflection of the screen. But then Alfred stops, and Bruce can see the strain in his shoulders. 

"I'm so close, Alfred. I can feel it. There's just something that I'm missing. I just have to find one of their members and then I can find them all." Says Bruce. Alfred slowly nods as he walks up the stairs. 

"See that you give them hell, Master Bruce."

Batman nods up at Alfred as he looks over the case file. Then something catches his eye. A failed lawsuit for unlawful termination. The ex-maid was murder in her own home before the investigation could really even start. She was trying to file charges against one Jacob Kane before being murdered by a man in all black who wore odd yellow goggles. 

"Alfred, I think I've found our suspect." 

The hallway is completely silent aside from the muffled sounds of crying and the cold foot steps getting closer and closer. From what Talon heard in its own examination room the child had to be held down to get its shot. Talon had to be held down when it was younger to. The footsteps get closer before they stop. A metal door opens with a loud creak that echos through the hall. Talon listens carefully. Someone is pushed into the cell, and they collapse onto the floor. Five. The sounds of the door shutting and then footsteps walking away. Now it's just more waiting. 

Tapping came from the fifth room. Talon joins in. Soft sniffles filled the air. Clicking and soft humms fill the air. You're not alone. Talon taps and humms. It's good. The othe- 5 is trying to get the new fledgling to warm up to them. It's their way of way of greeting each other. 

 "Why are you tapping?" asks the fledgling. The child doesn't get any answer other than the tapping. Talking isn't allowed in the Court. It's the only way they have left to talk. But to the question. There are many reasons to tap. To name a few to show you're not alone, comfort, routine, or just something to distract themselves. Tapping. The only sound that allows Talon to breathe easily. Tapping means a lot of things, but it never means home. It never can. Tapping is a way to talk without getting in trouble. It might be able to tell them tomorrow, but the walls have ears here. 

"Not talking back, huh? Un-bird-lievable." Says the child. Talon snorts and the sound of a child yelling yes in success. For once, Talon doesn't regret making the sound. 

Chapter Text

Batman looks over the manor of the suspect from a tree. Nothing looks out of place, but that means nothing. If anything, it makes the manor even more suspicious. 

"Have you found any sign of him, Sir?" Asks Alfred over coms. 

"No." Says Bruce. The sun is staring to poke up over the horizon. 

"Should I expect you to see you soon then?" Asks Alfred. Bruce looks over at the garden next to the manor. In his belt are many small battery-powered cameras. Luckily, the bat computer in just barely in range of them. 

"In a moment, Alfred. I've got some cameras to put up." says Bruce before he jumps into another tree to set up his first camera. 

It's the third day, and Talon is in the training room. Normally, it would be woken up earlier and taken to a different room by the Trainer to learn how to break into houses. But it wasn't, so Talon gets to stare at the celling a lot longer than normal. Currently, Talon is sitting beside New Talon on the mat. Talon to the left of New Talon. It's easily able to see what the dionesium changed about the Routine Breaker. The first few doses always make the most changes. 

New Talon's ears are now more pointy like a Talons are. The new Talon blinks awake and sits up with a yawn. Talon can see tiny fangs are growing in. The young then lets out a wimper at the moment. Talon would have lightly tapped the ground in understanding, but their are eyes watching. It always burns when fangs have to grow in. Talon should know. It had ripped its own out four times before it stopped. 

The Trainer stand in front of them. An assessment? New Talon is too young for a mission, so maybe they are being tossed into the labyrinth. Talon always remembers looking for the exit when they did. It had found the vents and a way up to the floors above once. It was stupid back then. The Court says that it still is. Talon agrees with them as it has no reason not to. 

"Talon, stand." Says the Trainer suddenly. He is talking at Talon like always. Talon stands up. Back straight with no emotions or movement. It's a good Talon. The new Talon doesn't move. Talon can only hope they don't beat it.

"Talon sit down." Says the Trainer at the Talons. Talon sits down in the same position it was in before. Back straight, eyes on the floor with a blank look on its face. 

"Talon, stand up." Says the Trainer. He Bagan circling them now as Talon stood. The routine breaker still did not move. Talon doesn't know if that's a safe thing to do. 

"Talon sit down." says the Trainer. Talon sat down... This is a new assessment. Talon doesn't know what it is to prove. 

"Talon stand"

Talon does.

"Talon sit."

Talon sits.

"Talon stand"

"Talon sit." Says the Trainer at Talon. Talon quickly does so. No reaction is given. It's a good Talon still.

"STOP IT!!" screams the New Talon. It was ignored. Talon barly glanced at it. The New Talon looks angry(?) and scared. Why?

"Talon stand." Talon stands perfectly still. No movement is visible. It's routine. 

"Talon sit."

"Talon stand." Says the Trainer.

"You're such a good Talon. You're just like an obedient dog, aren't you?" Says the Trainer at Talon as he begins to move. He walks closer to Talon and puts his hand on Talon's shoulder. Talon doesn't move or blink. It's going to burn soon. 

"Shut up! You-You're just using him!! This isn't good!" Screams New Talon. The Trainer doesn’t react to it. Talon doesn’t either, even if it knows what New Talon iss saying is true. Lies are mercy in the court, after all. The truth is a death sentence. 

"You're so good, aren't you? Such good little weapon." Says the Trainer. Talon doesn't react to the Trainer's words. They weren't said to Talon. Only at Talon. Look forward and don't move. It has to be good.

The Trainer pats Talon's shoulder before putting his other hand in Talon's hair. He them begins softly scratching Talon's head. Talon blinks, but other than that, it didn't react. The Trainer gently scratched Talon's head. Was it good? What did this mean? Unclear. Why does is it familiar? Why does this seem safe but not?

"Leave him alone!" Shouts the New Talon as he now stood and tried to push the Trainer away. The Trainer just grabs the new Talon by the arm and harshly tosses it to the ground. Hard. Talon couldn't react. The child has the air knocked out of it, but they quickly got back on their feet. It's angry again.

The child tries to push the Trainer away again. The Trainer slightly moves away from Talon. Talon doesn’t move. Talon wan- bad....Bad...Bad.. bad. Talon's can't want anything. Even thinking about that word is bad, so Talon should stop. 

The Trainer avoids an attack and pulls out a knife in fluent motion, which he uses to swip at New Talon. New Talon avoids the Trainers' attacks as well. They now stand face to face. The Trainer and New Talon. Stairing at each other. They appear to be at a draw, but Talon knows what's going to happen now. The Court is going easy on the New Talon. The Court is judging the new Talon's apparent skill and Talon's obedience. Talon doesn't move. It has to be a good Talon. 

The fight is still at a draw. The new Talon is breathing heavily, though. Not from exhaustion but rage.

"If you try to stop me, I will have this one killed. Understand child?" Says the Trainer as he begins to walk over to Talon. His footsteps get closer. No reaction. The Trainer grabs Talon's hair and knocks Talon's feet out from under it.

 Don't react. Just fall. 

 Talon crashes into the floor and makes no effort to block the impact. Or to get up. It's a good Talon. It ignores the burning. It has to be good. It would be remembered by blue or carrying someone if it isn't. 

 If the Trainer wants Talon on the ground, then Talon will be on the ground. Talons head is tilted up by the Trainers foot. Talon can see New Talon now. New Talon looks so angry and ready to attack. Why? Why would it care for Talon? Talon has barely done anything for it. Showing any form of care is a weakness here. The child will be killed if it's not careful. 

"St-stop it!" Says new Talon the Routine Breaker. A foot is placed on Talon's head. Talon can't see the child now. Talon doesn’t react. It knows what's going to happen. Talon, even though it is not in the fight, is going to be taken out. The Trainer doesn't want it to be here, so Talon won't be. 

In a swift motion, the foot that was on its head kicks hard into the side of Talon's head. Talon sees the world go black as a cry from a child fills its ears. Hopefully, the young will be alright. 

"Master Bruce?" Calls down Alfred from the stairs.

"Yes, Alfred?" Calls back Bruce, but he doesn't take his eyes off the camera footage. Said camera footage shows Jacob Kane's manor. More specifically, his gardens that no one is allowed in. 

"I was simply checking that you not a gargoyle, Sir. You haven't moved in a while." Says Alfred. Bruce takes the hint and slowly backs away from the bat computer. He then stands up while still watching the monitors' stretches. 

"Problem solved Alfred." Says Bruce. 

"Master Bruce. Your eyes are in need of a rest as well." Says Alfred as he walks up to the batcomputer. Bruce responds by closing one eye and watching the cameras with the other. 

"And you wonder where Master Dick gets his cheek from." Says Alfred as he walks up to stand beside Bruce as Bruce sticks both hands above his head and then goes to touch his toes. 

He does, in fact, touch his toes. 

"Master Bruce. What is that? In that Juliet Rose bush by the maple tree." Asks Alfred. Bruce searches the cameras for a flower bush next to a tree, but unfortunately, he's looking at a garden. 

"Which one is that Alfred?" Asks Bruce. Alfred gives him an unimpressed look. 

"It clearly out of your area of expertise Master Bruce." Says Alfred. Why does Alfred have to rub salt in the wound?

"Alfred, please." Says Bruce.

"Now don't beg Master Bruce. It's unbecoming. Top right corner on the third screen." Says Alfred. Bruce quickly looks and sees something in the flower bush. Something gray and square hiding under the bush. A trapdoor. Bruce found his way in.

Talon opens its eyes slowly. The world is a bit blurry, but it will heal. It doesn’t have a choice, after all. Soft crying is coming from nearby. Talon doesn't move. It wasn't told it could move yet. Talon did look around, though, with its blurry vision. Keeping its head and body completely still. 

Its head is not on the mat. Instead, it seems to be in someone's lap. A small someone. The New Talon. Stray tears from the New Talon fall on Talon and slowly seep through the fabric that hides it away. That locks it in the shadows. In the dark. Alone. 

Talon doesn’t react, but it does tap. It taps three times. Only three times. "Tap. Tap. Tap."

Three is an important number to Talon. It is in cell three, after all. It is the closest thing it will ever get to name until it becomes a real Talon. When that happened, other older Talons would give it a name that no one else would know. A Talon secret that each take to their end. Talon needs to prove its worth before it can get a Talon name. 

Talon hears the sniffles pause before Talon is suddenly awkwardly grabbed(?) by New Talon. Talon blinks. Is this a new form of restraining Talon? It is not an effective one if it was. It is confused but doesn't try to escape the hold. It feels... Talons don't feel. 

Talon waits as the young holds on to it. It waits and is warm. Warm is good. Talon is good. Slowly, the sniffles stop, and the tears stop spilling from the Routine Breaker's eyes. Thankfully, the Trainer isn't here. He can’t see the tears or hear anything. The Court doesn’t allow crying. When Talon had cried before, they forced it's eyes open and made it stare at a light. They only let it stop when it stopped crying. Then, after it had tried to bite when someone poked it's face. The Court then made it kill someone. Talon can't remember who they were. It doesn't matter anymore. Talon has blood on its claws. Talon lays there with the child crying over it. Talon doesn't deserve that, but still, it lays there. 

It wasn't told to move, so it won't. 

Talon is good even when the two Talons are left in the training room for the night. Even though the Court is cold, Talon is warm for the first time in years. 

Only Talon wakes up cold back in its cell. Alone. 

Chapter Text

Dick wakes up with a jump as sweat drips down his back and soaks into his clothes. His mask still clings tightly to his face underneath the goggles. They can't get the mask off. 

He's alone again. In his cell and not in that room with the other kid. 

Footsteps are coming down the hallway. Two sets of footsteps. Dick silently gets closer to the door to listen in.

"The bat has been lurking around one of the entrances." Says a new voice. B! B almost found him! He almost found him... Almost. 

"Are we able to permanently lock that one?" Asks the dickhead who calls himself a trainer. They can do that? Crap!

"There's no need. He left soon after and didn't even see it." Says the new voice.... That's not true. B- B's B. He sees everything. He's all knowing and the worlds greatest detective! Maybe... maybe he's just going to cause and distraction! 

But what if he really missed it? 

What if he can't find a way to where ever here is? 

What if Dicks all alone?

No. No, that can't be true. But what if it is? What if B missed something and Dick's trapped down here forever?

No. He'll have to get B to notice. He can do that. He just has to get to the surface and get a camera to see him. He won't be able to out run all of the Talon that long. Then B will find an entrance and he'll get to go home. He can even get to take the other kid with him and get a sibling! Maybe the other kid across the hall that he never sees. Maybe B can save any other kids that are here and Dick can have a bundle of siblings! 

He can make a Robin army of them! Though some of them probably won't want to fight again so maybe no Robin army. 

At least not yet. 

"Is he really gone though or just setting a trap?" Asks the dickhead 'trainer'. The footsteps get closer.

"It won't matter. By tomorrow everything will be set for us to move to the new base and kill off our surface counterparts." Says the new voice. Oh crap! If they move to another base B might- He might not find him in time. He's gotta get out. He's got tell B about this place. He has to get out and get help to save everyone here. 

He can't just stay here waiting on B.

"Now I hope our newest bird has been settling in well?" Says the new voice. The Voice is really loud now. Why is this guy yelling? 

"Hmm Well, I wouldn't say well. I would say perfectly. Using him for A.P.4.'s test and his own is going perfectly." Says the 'trainer' loudly. Test? Who is A.P.4? That's a dumb name. Is it even a name?

"Well let's see them then." Says the new voice and Dick is so going to escape right infront of these jerks. 

"Talon. Pull the boy out since he still lacks all common sense and is deciding to protest." Says a new voice. Talon hasn't heard this one before. Though Talon isn't quite awake yet. It's off. It's  weakened. Wasn't it in the training room? Why is it back in its cell? What happened? It probably doesn't need to know. A cell door is opened but it's not it's door. 

Then comes the screaming Talon is all too familiar with. It is the fourth day of the child being here. Talon once again opens its eyes  because of the familiar sound of the child screaming, "I'm not a Talon! Let me go!" 

It's a part of the routine now. 

Then there's the sound of a - bang? A bang. There's a bang. It not the sound of what the Court calls a vun but theres a bang. Talon sits straight up. It's not supposed to do that. Talon doesn't lay back down. It's back is perfectly straight. Instead, it stands and quietly runs over to peak out through the bars. A Talon lays still on the ground. There's no blood. Good. The Trainer is just there, staring at the child who stands on the Talon, crushing the older Talon's neck with its foot. 

"I said let go." Says the child before they look at the Trainer and then start running down the hallway. Talon can only watch and for once it. It doesn't want the door to be there. It wants to be out in the hall with the child and the Trainer. It doesn't want to watch. 

"What are you waiting for? After it! Don't let that brat escape!" Screams the Trainer, and then Talon shaped blurs run past the bars on its cell after the child. It's going to be caught. The child is going to be burned. They're going to be killed. They'll be an example. It was an example, wasn't it?

Unless they can get to the vents. If they get to the vents, they can escape. They can get out through them if they go up far enough. If no one knows they're in there. The child can escape. 

Talon - Talon used the vents once. It doesn't know why, but it climbed up into them, and it just kept climbing and climbing. Going higher and higher until it heard a loud machine and broke through the vent. It saw something. Something that made it's chest lose. Something that made running worth it for a while.

The white lights in the sky through the window in a light blue door. It went to open the door but it was found by another. An older Talon who was behind it the whole time. It dragged it back down through the vents and left it in its cell. No one noticed. No one but Five, who it told about the white lights in the sky. Five never had to remind it about the white lights. 

Maybe the child can get out. Maybe. It will need help, though. 

It will need help. 

It will need someone to protect it.

It can protect it. 

It's chest aches and thumps - no, not its chest - something more important. Something deep inside of it. Something that keeps it alive but dead thumps and beats against it's ribs. Pushing it closer to the door to where its face is almost touching the bars. 

It can do this. This one last thing. 

"Talon. Why are you close to the bars?" Asks the Trainer, but just like before, he is not talking to Talon but at it. Talon takes a step back from the bars. The Trainer takes a step towards the door. He's still a few steps away from it. Talon takes another step back. It remembers the burns the Trainer would give it before if it dared to move without permission. How he would break its bones and make it climb up the walls. How he would hang it upside-down for hours as he would cut it. Talon remembers the laughter of the Court. They don't laugh with it but at it. 

They never will do anything with it. 

"Ahh, I see. You want to grab that brat, huh? Well, I suppose you have been rather well-behaved the last few years. Fine, you may go hunting." Says the Trainer. Talon can hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. Until he stops at the door and unlocks it. Talon looks at the ground. The door is pulled open with a screech. Talon doesn't react. It's not allowed to.

"Now come out here. I want to examine you first." Says the Trainer. Talon obeys and begins to walk out into the doorway. It stops just in front of the Trainer. The Trainer doesn't touch it, but it can feel him watching it. Judging everything about it. It doesn't react. 

"Still too small. Perhaps we should give you some growth treatment. To skinny as well which we could use, I suppose." Mumbles the Trainer to himself. Someone new is standing beside 4's cell. 

"Perhaps we should take out metal implants?" Asks the new person. The Trainer looks over at them, and Talon isn't being watched. It lets out a small breath only to inhale another one. 

"I suppose you are correct as always, Voice. When do you suppose I should schedule the appointment?" Asks the Trainer. Talon can't breathe. That's the Voice. The Voice. Why is he here? 

"Perhaps once the new bird gets punished for running." Replies the Trainer. Talon stays completely still. It doesn't move an inch. 

"It could be used to scare the younger one into believing we will torture this one if it doesn't behave." Says the Voice. 

"That would work perfectly! I suppose we should also give a few higher concentrations?" Asks the Trainer. 

"Yes. I'll have the doctor update its file when I visit the doctor. Though for now, I want to see it hunt." Says the Voice. The Trainer looks back over at it. Talon doesn't move an inch. The Trainer is watching. It makes it need to scratch. 

"Talon. Go." Says the Trainer and Talon runs down the hallway. 

"Oh, and please make sure to give them baths. The smell here is abhorrent." Says the Voice, and if Talon runs a little faster after that, then no one is allowed to tell anyone. 

No one. 

Dick is running. He is running as fast as he can as the 'Talons' chase him. Running and running and slipping around corners as fast as possible. He just needs to find an exit or something and then get out. He just has to find Bruce. 

He has to. 

The Talon are catching up to it. He can hear them running along the walls like the rats did in the orphanage. Are they louder than they were before, or is Dick just losing it? Scurring after any scrap of food, they can get their tiny rodent hands on. Unfortunately, he is the food, and so Dick pushes himself to run faster. The hallway splits up into three directions up head. Straight is a no-go. Right is a bit awkward as he's on the left side of the hallway, but if he goes left, he won't have time to see if someone is there. But if he goes right, the Talons could catch up to him when he turns.

The turn is coming up. Dick goes left.

The hallway is empty. 

The Talons are still running behind him. He can hear running water in the walls beside him. Why is it so loud!? Why can he even hear that? Does the Court just have paper thin rock wal- No time for that! Focuses on escaping. Then he can think about the Court being poorly made. Up head is the hallway spirits again. Straight, right, or left. Dick is going left again. No, he doesn't have a reason. it's just a gut feeling. So left he goes. 

It's an empty hallway. There is nothing in it but a creepy painting. A very creeping painting of people in masks. 

The Talons round the first corner behind him. If he can just turn one more corner, he should be able to lose some of them. How can he hear them if their that far away? Nope. Focus. Dick looks forward. The Talons climb the walls behind him. He can either go straight or left agian. What is this places obsession with left?! Well, you know what? Left has worked out so far, so left. He's going left! 

He turns left. It's another empty hallway that goes straight and right, but more importantly, it has a wooden door on the left side. Dick without thinking, opens the door and quietly slips inside. It's a closet full of cleaning supplies. That's boring. Dick kinda hoped he would find an office or something so he could snoop. At least it's a place to hide and wait. 

The sounds of the Talons slowly get further away. He doesn't hear anything. Dick puts his head to the door to listen. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap." Comes from down the hallway. Dick doesn't open the door and stops breathing. They probably can't hear him breathing but just in case. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap." Comes further down the hallway. Dick stays silent. Then, a thump comes from outside the door. Dick quickly covers his mouth and stays completely still. He can see Talon feet from the crack under the door. This one taps on the door. He really has to breathe. He can't yet. It's not safe. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap." Three taps. Just like the other kid does. Dick doesn't open the door. Instead, he waits and listens. 

"What are you all standing around here for? Go find it." Says the 'trainer'. Then the sounds of Talons running and climbing come from the hallway. Dick stays put and silent. He can move later when his chest doesn't feel like it's going to burst from his chest. 

Dick slowly takes in a breath. 

Nothing happens as he gasps for air. Nothing happens. He's safe. There are no shadows under the door. There is no sound coming from the hallways. 

Slowly Dick stands up and pushes open to the door. No one is here. He looks both ways before fully stepping out into the hallway. It's empty. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap." Comes from above, and Dick looks up. How did the other kid get on the ceiling?

"You know I can see you, right? Get down from there, " says the child quietly. Talon drops down from the ceiling and holds out its hands when it hands. It's to show it's unarmed. It's not really, but it can pretend to be. Talon's claws are its weapons. It can never leave them behind as they are a part of it. It can't hide them. They're always right there with it. 

"What do you want? Why aren't you attacking me?" Asks the child quietly as the look around wildly on the ceiling for any of the others. Talon already checked that no one was around, but it won't stop the child. Teaching the child to be aware of his surroundings is very important if he is to escape.

Talon looks at the ceiling too. No else is up here. It glances at the child. The child stops staring at the ceiling and stares at it. Talon sticks its arms up -down - in the air. It surrenders?

"What are you doing? Aren't you with them?" Asks the child before they move to cover the ears before stopping. Talon shakes its head. It is not with them as its here alone. It can't be with someone if it's not with anyone but the child. The child seems to like it's answer. Good. It slowly makes it's way over to the wall before climbing down. The child backs away from it. It dosen't completely trust it. Talon can probably work with that. 

Talon looks up at the vent cover and then down at the child. Talon's going to have to pick it up and lift it up there. Escaping would be easier if the child could climb walls but the child's claws are not developed enough for that. The others will take a while to find them. Talon clicks to get the child's attention. The child looks at it. Talon points at the vent and then at the child. 

"Oh!" Says the child quietly as it walks over to Talon. The child then looks at the vent cover and at Talon agian. 

"Could you pick me up?" Whispers the child, and Talon nods. This would be easier if it could speak, but it hasn't spoken in a long time. The child then holds its arms up over its head. Talon carefully puts its claws in the child's arm pits and lifts up the child towards the vent cover. The child moves and shifts, but Talon can't see what it's doing.

Then, the vent cover falls off the wall and onto the ground. It's loud. Talon would cover its ears if it could. Maybe the others don't hear that. It knows they did. They'll have to hurry now.

"Ow! Oh. Why did that hurt my ears? Did they give me super hearing? I mean, I could ignore the other stuff like the water, but what's going on?" Whispers the child quietly instead of reaching for the vent. Talon just nods even if the child probably can't see it.

"I shouldn't have been able to hear them making all that noise or those two buttheads talking in the hallway. Did they give me superhearing?" Says the child quietly as it finally reaches for the vent, but then it stops. Why?! Get in there!

"How are you going to get in vent?" Asks the child in a whisper. Talon won't. It can't get in the vents anymore. The metal in its back won't let it squeeze into small places. It can't bend or lean down much. They only let it climb walls and hang on the ceiling even if both activities pinch and burn it's back. It really needs the Court to take the metal out. Maybe they still will after the child gets out.

"Go. Will. Find. New. Way." Says Talon slowly and quietly. It forgot what's its voice sounds like. Did it always sound like that? 

"I- you promise?" Says the child. Talon nods.

"I okay. My name is Dick. Do you remember yours?" Asks the chi- Dick. Dick will never be a Talon. Even Talon can see that. The child would fight and never be a real Talon. Talon doesn't remember not being a Talon. It remembers pieces of people it used to know but not who it was. It used to remember its name by looking into green yellow eyes in the reflection. It hasn't done that in a long time. It shakes its head. It's better to forget its own name and to remember others.

"You promise you'll escape to?" says Dick as he finally reaches for the vents and begins to climb in. Talon nods. It doesn't remember lying before now. The metal in its spine stops it from climbing in the vents. The tracker in it will tell the Court where it is. Talon was declared dead. Talon has no one who will help it. The child does. Dick has a chance it never had. It has to stay down here. 

"What do you think you're doing, Talon?" Asks the Trainer. Talon roughly shoves the child up into the vent and moves to grab the metal from the ground. The child lets out a gasp, but it doesn't matter! It snags the metal up from the ground, and oddly, no one attacks it. It quickly shames the metal covering back on the vent. The Trainer is watching it. Talon is going to die. Maybe Dick won't have to see it if the child just runs.

"Talon!" Yells out Dick. Talon needs to cover itsears but can't. Instead, Talon just says nothing. Instead, it bows its head and stares at the floor. It can't fail.

"Are you helping it escape?" Asks the Trainer. It's a real question. Talon nods. The Trainer's voice is loud. 

"No! No. I forced him to help me! Leave him alone. Don't hurt him!" Yells out the child from inside the vents. Loud! The child will burn its ears! Why? Why is the child still here? Why hasn't it started to climb? To escape? 

Why won't the child just leave it behind?

"Oh, little birdy. 'He' is just an it. It doesn't feel anything. Any kindness you thought it was showing is just old muscle memory. There's no thoughts in that brain of its. It's just a moving corpse, and soon you will be too." Says the Trainer. Talom can hear soft footsteps coming around the corner behind it. The other Talons turn the corner with the Voice leading them. The child needs to start climbing. Talon can't hold them off for long. Not with the Voice here. 

"You're lying! He's not like that!" Yells out the child. The Voice chuckles before letting out a loud cold laugh. Talon used to hear that laugh when it rested. It's loud, and Talon needs to look away, but Talon looks up at the Voice. The owl mask stares back. It can do this. Talon stares at it. It really needs to look at the ground now. 

"Oh? Is that right? Where's your proof then, Robin? Is it what you feel in your widdle heart? That these monsters are more than what we've made them into?" Taunts the Voice. He's trying to get 'Robin' to jump out of the vents. He's trying to capture Dick.

"Robin. Fly. Trick." Says Talon quietly. The Voice glares at it. Talon quickly looks at the floor. The floor is a nice thing to look at.

"What did you say, Talon?" Asks the Trainer. Talon can't answer. It's not a real question. It chest burns.

"Talon?" Asks Dick. He sounds so afraid. So scared. Talon has no choice but to protect him. The thing in its chest demands it.

"Go. Will be okay." Says Talon as it gets in a fighting stance. Talon is going to die. At least its death will be remembered. It doesn't know what color Dick will remember it by, but hopefully, he'll remember it by the white lights in the sky that Talon only got to see once.

Dick starts climbing through the vents, and Talon can finally breathe. It's going to die, but for once, that's okay. At least it got to protect someone again. 

Just like it did as- 

"Talon. Get it and then bring that rat in the vents to the doctor." Says the Voice.

-Just like did as Phantom. 

The others jump at it, and Talon doesn't have a chance, but it's okay. 

It's okay.

'It'll be okay, baby brother.'

Jazz? 

It can do this. 

Talon dodges the knife thrown at its head and ducks under the Talon jumping at it. It then punches upwards and hits the Talon right in the arm pit. The Talon collapses to the floor in front of the Voice. The Trainer looks angry. The Voice doesn't care. He never does. 

"You are allowed to cause as much harm as necessary." Adds the Trainer as he looks down with a disappointed glance at the Talon on the floor. 

It moves away from one of the others that shoots forward to where it just was on the floor

The other Talon that missed it hisses at it. The Voice dosen't say anything. Maybe the Voice likes it when they don't act smart. The Talon gets ready to jump at it again. Talon hisses back at it. The Talon stops to stare at it for a second. Talon uses that second to stand up and run.

They'll chase it and leave Dick alone. Talon runs as the others jump at it only for it to duck. They crash into each other and then hit the floor. It's only a matter of seconds before they get up and begin to chase it. It quickly gets closer and closer to the corner. From there, it'll turn into another hallway and keep running. From there, it should be able to -if it's fast enough - make them lose sight of it after a couple hallways and hide. It just has to keep running and hiding. At least until the Court isn't as angry and when they're less likely to kill it and to stop chasing Dick. It will have to run for a few hours. It's done that before. 

It's almost to the corner. It's almost there. It rounds the corner only to trip over a foot and fall onto the ground. It doesn't have time to stand before a knee shoves itself into its side. Talon can't move.

"Hello, Talon. Going somewhere?" Asks the Master that it always sees in the lab. Did it really run that far? Talon tries to get up again only for a hand to grab the back of its head and slam it into the ground. The carpet is soft. 

"You know your Trainer really did have hope for you this time. Though he should have known better after all you've tried to help someone escape, what five times now? Though I doubt you can remember any of them. This was a test, Talon." Says the Master. It - it tired to help before? The Trainer then walks around the corner. 

"You failed Talon. Just like you failed your sister and your friends. You failed." Says the Trainer as a needle is shoved into its neck. The liquid is shoved into its neck, and Talon lets out a scream. Something in it cracks and breaks apart, and Talon sees pictures flash in front of its eyes. It burns, and Talon- Talon doesn't know if it's talking about the injection or the bloodied images of the dead. 

"Get off of him!"

"Don't worry, Robin won't remember you for long either." 

Chapter Text

"Master Bruce." Calls our Alfred. Bruce stops walking. He's in full Batman attire with every baterang, three grappling hooks, a bottle of bat (pepper) spray, a folded parachute, sedatives, a new pack of three hundred zip ties, eight lock picks, two Chinese finger traps, binoculars, a taser, and the keys to the bat-mobile. His night vision goggles are on his head. The Court base is under a trap door. It's probably going to be dark.

"Once again, give them Hell Master Bruce." Says Alfred. Bruce nods. He's planning on it.

"Good. I would expect no less, Master Bruce." Says Alfred and Bruce turns away to bring Dick home.

Talon wakes up cold and restrained. It wasn't a dream then. It's in the lab now. A muzzle is tightly tied on to its face. It can't fight back. 

It's going to die soon.

It can hear footsteps approaching. Talon quickly makes sure its back is perfectly straight, not that it can't be, its head is on the pillow, where else would it put it, and it makes no sound. It can't make a sound if it needs to. A good Talon. It's not a good Talon anymore. It's a bad Talon who will die and be remembered by carrying others to freedom only to fall short.

A cold breath comes out of its mouth. Someone is here. Talon looks around, and no one's there. 

Someone walks to the door and opens it without a word. No one is in the doorway. No one is by the door. No one's there. Talon doesn't move. It can't move even if it wants to.

A ticking sound comes from the coner of the room, and Talon looks over. Loud. No one's there. It lets out a breath of cold fog. A watch is on the counter of the lab in the corner. It's ticking away, and it's so loud. It's too loud. 

The footsteps come from the hallway again. Talon doesn't bother looking. Instead, it puts its head on the pillow and stares at the ceiling. Maybe then whatever is haunting it will leave. Maybe it's Dick. Maybe they already killed him. 

The footsteps get louder. Will whoever they belong to slam the door, or are they real? Is anything real? Is Talon real, or is Talon pertaining to be real? It never sees the outside. No one reacts to it. It doesn't react either. Is it even real? Are its thoughts real, or has it convinced itself they are? It doesn't remember anything before the Court. Maybe it doesn't have a before, and the ones it remembers with purple, green, black, and red are all fake. Maybe their just things made up by its head to convince itself that it's real. 

The ticking is loud, and it is getting louder. Why won't it stop? Why is it so loud? What will happen if the ticking stops? Is Talon real enough to see? Talon lets out a breath and looks over to see the clock. 

Someone's there. It's a flying baby. A flying blue baby in a  purple cloak who doesn't have feet but instead a tail. Talon looks at this 'baby'. It is confused. Humans can not fly, right? Humans are also not blue. What. Talon lifts up its head to see better. Then, the baby changes into an older human looking creature. The being has a beard and is still wearing a purple cloak. The beings chest has a clock inside of it. The being is holding a staff with a watch being held at the top. Then, the being changes into a man around the same age as the Trainer. Their still wearing the purple cloak and have no legs. The being Then points the staff at Talon. Talon can't even trust it's self to blink just in case whoever this is attacks it. 

"Hello Danny. It's almost time to leave." Says the being. Talon knows who this is. It is reminded of him when it hears the endless ticking of time. Talon knows Time. But it doesn't know what Time is talking about.

"I know you don't yet understand, but that's expected. When the time is right, I will be here waiting for you." Says Time as he stomps his staff down of the floor. What does that mean? Talon blinks. Why can't it understand? Is something wrong with it? Is it missing something?

"I'm sorry."

It opens its eyes. Time is gone, and all that is left is a ticking watch on the counter.... Their is a vase filled with six red flowers with a black center, five stems with many tiny blue flowers that have yellow centers, two tall yellow flowers that have a bell shape and two odd red flower that looks almost like a spider. The vase is black with a white ribbon wrapped around it. It doesn't understand. Why does it feel the need to touch them? To knock away the reminder of Time or to pull it close. It doesn't make sense. Talon ignores it. It can think when it's dead.

Talon lays its head back against the pillow. 

Then, footsteps come from down the hallway. Step, after step after step. Is that a real person? Does Time count as a real person? Why does it matter? Dicks dead and Talon will follow the once soaring bird down to a unmarked grave. It doesn't matter anymore. 5 will remember 4 for it. The ones in its memories.... It can't remember them well anyway. There's - There's no point in fighting... But the flowers. Talon glances at them. Maybe Time is telling it has to keep living to remember. 

"Talon." Says the Trainer from the doorway. The door is still open. Talon doesn't look at him. It looks at the ceiling. The ceiling is made of a white stone. The Court likes to use white stones. 

"The Court has summoned you." Says the Trainer. Talon doesn't react. It can't. The Trainer walks up to it and begins doing something to the bottom of the medical table that Talon can't see. Then, a loud metal scratching sound fills the room as the metal grinds into another piece of metal. Loud. Talon closes its eyes before opening them as it feels itself moving!? 

Talon is looking forward but not at the ceiling. It is looking at the rest of the lab as if it's standing. The medical table has been turned. Talons feet are facing the ground. Talon is standing, but it's not touching the ground. It's restrained to the bed, but it's standing. Talon doesn't understand words. It knows what happened, and that's what matters. It doesn't need to think about a bed much longer. 

Then Talon moves forward, but Talon doesn't move. The medical bed has wheels like this. The Trainer then moves from the side(?) Of the bed contraption and looks at Talon. He then dissappears behind the mattress part of the bed and sortly after Talon is being pushed forward. The Trainer spins it around and pushes Talon out of the door into the hallway. Talon lets out a breath as it's pushed forward to the Court. 

Batman gets closer to his target. The garden is silent around him. No sound at all. It's strange but Bruce expected this from the Court. They do like to keep things quiet most of the time. The trapdoor is just up ahead. He takes another step and then another towards it.

He can see the rose bush Alfred gushed over. He might just have to buy him one for Christmas. Alfred will hopefully like it even though the flower might bring back unwanted memories... Maybe not that type of rose but another would be better. Bruce reaches the rose bush. No one is around. He walks to the back of the plant and sure enough is a small part of the rose trimmed back. A trapdoor is under the plant. Bruce pulls up on the metal handle and looks down. It's a stair well. A very cramped on at that with no lights. The dark stairwell with stone stairs. Good thing he brings his nightvision goggles everywhere. 

Slowly Bruce Slips inside and the trap door slams behind him.

The Trainer stops just next to the door. He pushes Talon forward a little so Talon is facing the wall on across from the door and then backs up. Talon is now against the wall next to the door. Muzzled and bound. 

The Trainer steps next to Talon. Talon quickly double checks its back is perfectly straight, its eyes are down, and it makes no sound like before. It's still a bad Talon. The Trainer walks past Talon without a word. The Trainer continues to walk to the door next to it and opens it without a word. Talon doesn't move. It can't. Talon doesn't react to the new sounds of a muffled scream. A plea. A beg. The sound of a knife slicing through flesh. It can't. Talon is good. But if it was, it wouldn't be restrained on a medical bed with a muzzle on. Talon.. Talon is Talon.. Talon's claws dug into its side. Theirs liquid on its hand now. It's bleeding. Talon has made itself bleed. It takes in a breath. The smell of blood fills Talon's sensitive nose as the sounds of wispers fill its ears. Both Talon and human blood. Dick. The whispers get louder. The Court, their here. Talon doesn't dare to sneak a glance up. It doesn't dare even try. 

A sniffle broke Talon's thoughts. A child's sniffle. Dick is crying. He's alive.

The Trainer walks back out into the hallways. He looks at Talon. He is angry. Very angry. Talon is going to die. It will die before the Court. An honorable death for a worthless Talon. 

"Talon. This is your last chance." Says the Trainer. Talon can't look at him. How many Talons did Talon lose to him. It can't even remember all of them it tried to help. It can only remember one. The child. All it can remember from further back is purple for the one who took the shot for him, green for the one forced to stay behind, black for the one who told it to run, red for the one with red hair and 4. It doesn't even know if they were real or a lie it made itself believe.

"If you want to continue to exist, you will hurt that child. If needed, you will kill it. We will bring it back, and you will never see it again. If you don't, my guard will kill it with you, and neither of you will be brought back." Says the Trainer. Talon doesn't react. It has to think before it can.

"Do you understand?" Asks the Trainer. For once, it's a real question. It's not a question at it but to it. Talon nods. It understands. It already knows what it has to do for both to survive. 

"Good. Don't look so sad though if you live, you'll get to meet the newest Talon once Brucie stops hiding away the Grayson." Says the Trainer. Talon knows that name is meant to be important, but it has never met the Grayson or 'Brucie'. It doesn't know if it will yet. 

"Now don't move. I'm going to unrestrain you." Says the Trainer as he walks up to Talon and slowly undoes the restraints. They all drop down and hand from the rotating medical bed. He then takes off the muzzle and drops it to the ground. Talon moves its jaw around. 

"Now then, let's go greet the Court." Says the Trainer as he walks in the room. Talon follows him inside. The room is dark, and Di- the child is tied up in the middle of the room to a pole. The Trainer moves to stand next to the door. Talon takes in a breath of blood smelling air before it takes a step into the room. The door closes behind it.

Bruce just made it to the bottom of the small stairwell when he's attacked. A Talon jumps down from the darkness above the stairs that he somehow doesn't see with nightvision on. He quickly throws them off of him and into the wall across from the stairs. The Talon hits the wall hard with a dull thump. It lays on the ground dazed for only a moment before it jumps up. It hisses at Bruce before trying to jump and bit his neck out. Bruce doesn't really want that to happen. He quickly ducks and punches the Talon as it jumps over head. The Talon would have gone face first in a stair but it caught itself on the door frame.

It quickly turns to look at Bruce and-

Bruce punches the Talon in the jaw and watches as the thing drops down.

It doesn't get up. Bruce quickly grabs some zip ties out of his belt and ties them around the Talon's wrists and ankles. That won't keep it forever but it well delay the inevitable.

Then Bruce stops and listens for a moment. Hopefully no one heard that but he can't be to sure. This is the Court after all. Voices are coming down the hallway. Crap. He has to hide. Bruce quickly grabs the Talon on the floor and moves to the stairwell. He lays the Talon on the stairs before standing against the wall of the stairwell. 

"Well as I said I don't know why the Trainer has so much faith that the failed Talon will kill Robin." Says someone with a deep sounding voice. Their footsteps are getting closer and closer to Bruce's hiding place. Dick. He has to find him soon. Especially if this 'failed' Talon is being forced to kill him. 

"True, but who are we to question the brother of the Voice? Also, you know how's he's the most optimistic person here. Did you expect anything else from him?" Says another voice. This one is slightly more cheerful. They walk closer to the doorway. The Talon on the stairs doesn't move.

"No. No, I suppose I did not. Are we really going to let the Talon live if he hurts the boy?" Asks the first Court member. 

"No. Well, the Trainer might keep it in an extra coffin as a trophy of sorts, but it's not going to have any more time wasted on it." Says the second voice, and Bruce feels sick. A living being Talon or not as a trophy. As nothing more than an object to show off. Disgusting. 

"Well, at least we know the Batman will never find us down here." Says the second court member. 

"True. Though if he does, he'll never find his way down." Says the first court member. 

Their just a few feet away from the stair well now. Bruce gets a sedative ready. He slowly fills the needle and gets ready to grab one of the people talking. They take another step and then another. 

"You know I'm still not sure what the Voice even saw in that boy when we first brought him in all those years ago." Says one voice. They take another few steps. Just one more.

"True. When was it again?" Asks the second voice.

"I believe about -" Bruce sticks and grabs him. He jabs the needle in the man's neck carefully and injects the sedative while holding a hand over his mouth.

"Jared!" Screams the second member as he looks shocked at Bruce. The man's backs up to the wall, and he's going to run. The man in Bruce's arms stops struggling, and Bruce drops him. He then looks at the other court member in the hallway.

"Where is he?" 

"I- I don't know!" Screams the Court member. Bruce takes a step towards him over the other member. It's the second one. The man tries to back away only to trip over his own feet and fall on his butt. Bruce takes a step closer. 

"You do. Now show me." 

"I- I can't." Says the man. Bruce takes a step closer.

"I- fine I'll Talk just get away!" Screams out the second Court member. That was easier that Bruce thought it would be. He thought he'd have to use the finger traps.

"Members of the Court, I welcome you to one of the final tests of our Talon." Says the Voice.

Givings a dramatic pause to build the tension. It was as if it was all a game. Talon needs it to be all a game sometimes.

"To see if it can follow our instructions and entertain us with this thing's screams!" Finishes the Voice.

Talon doesn't react. The child's sobs get louder, more frantic. Talon feels the youngs eyes on it. Talon can't react. It can't disobey. It... it is a Talon.

The Trainer walks up behind Talon. His hand touches Talons shoulder as he walks behind it. He's pushing it forward. Talon takes a few steps forward until both the Trainer and Talon stop. A hand grabs Talon's wrist and holds it. Then it slowly brings Talons arm up and out. Talon's palm now faces the ceiling. A knife is placed in it clawed hand. The hand closes Talon's fist around the knife. Talon holds the knife tight, and its hand is guided back to its side. Multiple hands are touching Talon's back. Pushing it forward with the knife in hand, towards the gagged child whimpering before it. The New Talon's cheek was cut before Talon got here. It's bleeding. Talon holds the knife. It didn't think. It didn't react. It is a Talon. 

The Court wispers in its ears. They sound so kind. 

"Slash it, Talon."

"Just a little pain will be good for it."

"Won't you make it bleed for us, doll." 

"Don't you want to be good?"

"You want to show you can guard us, don't you, dearie?" 

So full of care and love. Saying that if Talon did this, they would love it forever and never let anything hurt it again. Like they would make Talon good and tear apart anything that dared to touch it. All of them were full of sweet, sweet lies. Talon needs to believe them, or it will die.

"Just a little blood will be okay. Not too much, though. That thing isn't able to heal like you yet, little bird." 

"Let's make this easy."

"Make him bleed, baby bird. Show us you can be big and fly."

"Remember how that thing tried to distract you from training. How it always screams in your sensitive little ears."

"Just a little blood wouldn't be too bad."

"Take your place among the lost."

"Give it a reason to cry, sweetie." 

"Chop off its head, my boy. Make us proud." 

Talon can only nod along to the words. The child did do those things. It screamed and broke Talon's routine. Talon holds the knife. The hands no longer touch their back. The Trainer still has its hand on its shoulder. The eyes are everywhere. ʙᴇᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴡʟꜱ.

"Become who you were made to be, Talon."

"Don't you want it to live?" 

"Make it scream, love."

Talon grips the knife tighter. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇꜱ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. The eyes watch it with anticipation. The cries and pleas from the young go unanswered. ʀᴜʟɪɴɢ ɢᴏᴛʜᴀᴍ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡʏ ᴘᴇʀᴄʜ. The shadows fill the corners of the room. Talon knows the Court hides within them. That's how they found it. In the shadows, all alone filled with grief.

ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ɢʀᴀɴɪᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴍᴇ. The stone floors will be stained with blood. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʜ. Talon takes a step forward. The eyes follow. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇᴅ. The eyes have followed Talon all of its life in the Court. Another step towards the child. Its breathing is frantic now. ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. The child tries to speak agian. 

To beg.

 Talon doesn't listen as it stands right in front of the child. The Trainer right behind with his hand still on Talon's shoulder. Urging it forward. Its yellow eyes look directly into the childs once bright blue ones that have changed yellow. Talon prepares to slice with the knife. ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʟʟ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ. 

Talon swings the knife and, in one fluid motion, cuts his throat in half. 

Chapter Text

The Trainer collapses to the floor as his blood flies everywhere. His head is cut almost completely off, yet a few scrapes of skin keep it attached. His eyes cloud over and look towards the ceiling. But he isn't dead yet. 

"Please, Lord." Croakes out the Trainer as his eyes stare dead at the ceiling. Talon wants to rip them out. If they're gone, they'll never be able to watch it again. If it wasn't ever given salvation from them, then they couldn't even pray for salvation from Talon. Talon kicks the head away from Dick. The skin, keeping it tethered to the body, rips away, and the head hits the wall with a dull thump.

The Court begins to wisper.

"What should we do with it?"

"We tear off its head."

"Do you think it's done?"

"Someone call the other Talons!"

They are afraid.

"Talon. Do you know what you've done?"

Talon looks down as the Trainer bleeds. The knife has a new coat of metallic red. Talon looks up towards the Court. The wimpering of the child behind it. The screaming in its chest to protect. The whispers. The terror in the room. It's all so loud. Talons chest is bagging against it, and it's so loud.

"He's dead. He's really dead!" 

"What should we do?!"

"Voice? Voice what should we do?!"

It needs to be quiet.

"Somebody do something!"

It needs the silence that the Court will never grant it.

"Put down the knife, Talon."

"Talon, cut off your own head!"

"Murderer!"

It needs the whispers, commands, the fights, and the pain in its chest to all stop. Talons head HURTS.

It needs them to be quiet.

Talon attacks. 

Bruce kicks open the steal door to an empty lab room. He walks in while dragging the Court member. He thought it was too easy.

"He's not in here. Where is he?" Says Bruce. The Court member tries to break his grip. Bruce does the appropriate thing and tosses the idoit into the floor. Hard. It's not hard enough to knock him out, but it's hard enough to send the message. The Court member shambles to get away from him. Bruce stomps on the man's ankle. The man lets out a pained gasp. 

"I- I thought they were in here! That's my mistake! I- I think they might be in another room, maybe on the other side of the Court!" Scramples out the Court member. He's lying.

"Lair." says Bruce as he picks up the Court member by the colar and raises his fist. 

"Wait, please -" starts the Court member, but he's interrupted by a knock at the door. Bruce turns to look at the door. A Talon is there. A tall Talon who almost thouches the smaller roof inside the lab room. The Talon has a lime green glow to his eyes, unlike the others who have only a yellow one. The Talon's suit has an odd color for a Talon. Instead of various shades of black, it's an odd blue. The darkest blue you could have without it being black. What does that mean? Bruce doesn't have time to say something before the Talon beats him to it. 

"He won't take you there." says the Talon while pointing at the Court member. 

"Talo- I will.... If you promise one thing." Says the Talon. Bruce isn't dumb but he is desperate. He's too desperate to be making deals, but he doesn't have a choice. 

"I will not kill anyone." Says Bruce. The Talon stares at him. Then, it looks towards the corner of the room past Bruce. Bruce looks over their and sees a vase of flowers. How odd that in a place like this, the flowers haven't died.

"I won't take you there." Says the Talon before pointing at itself. Bruce is desperate, and this time, he's choosing to be dumb. The Talon turns to leave, and by the time Bruce fonds Dick he'll be dead if he doesn't get help. 

"Fine! I'll do it. Now, where is he?!" Growls out, Bruce. He can probably find a way out of this promise. After all, theirs more than one way to kill someone. 

"Follow." Says the Talon as he turns to leave the room. Bruce quickly punches the Court member in the face, knocking the man out before turning to follow the strange Talon. He can come back to restrain the man later.

(He doesn't. But the police do after he leaves.)

Bruce steps out into the hallway and looks around. He turns left and sees the Talon turning the corner. He quickly runs to follow the odd Talon. 

Once he reaches the corner, he looks down the hallway. The Talon is already turning the next corner. Why is this Talon so fast!? Bruce quickly starts running after the Talon again. 

Once he reaches the corner of that hallway, he looks down the hall and sees the Talon standing next to a metal door with screams coming from it. No! He starts running to the door as fast as he can! Dick has to be alright! He has to be. He just has to get there. It geels like he's not getting any closer. Why does this hallway have to be so long?! He's almost there. He'll get there and save him he just has to run faster.

"Are you coming, B?" Says the Talon. Bruce doesn't listen to it as he runs down the hallway. Why does it feel like it's getting longer!? Why isn't it ending?! He's been running for so long, yet the end of the hallway isn't any closer! What did the Court do to this hallway!?

Is this the Court or that Talon doing this?

"Do you promise?" Asks the Talon from down the hallway. Its voice echos down the hallway. It's so loud. Bruce is desperate. Desperate people make promises they can't keep. Hopefully, he can keep this one to save him. 

"Yes!" Screams out, Bruce. The screaming from the room stops. The Talon tilts its head at him before it walks away from the door and down the hall on its left. Bruce blinks.

Then the door is suddenly right in front of him! Bruce quickly stops running, but it's too late, and he runs face first into a shut door. Ow! He definitely broke his nose. Alfred is going to be so mad. He quickly gets back up before lining up a kick. He kicks the door right below the lock. It doesn't break. He kicks it again. Still there. The room is quiet. Please, be okay. He kicks agian and finally the door opens.

He runs into the room only to be met by a blood bath. Bruce walks into the room. Blood sips out of the room and coats the red carpet under Bruce's feet. Blood covers the walls, the shadows, and the boy in the center of the room. But more worryingly, the blood covers the 'failed' Talon that holds Bruce's child in its pale arms. Dick is breathing. He's not too late. 

Bruce takes another step into the room. Bodies cover the floor. They look like they were killed by some type of animal. Like a hawk or a wolf. Deep cuts were in the torn and battered bodies. Most look like their throats were crushed so fast they didn't even notice they were dying. Many have their faces still in a forever scream face of agony. There is one person - no, Talon that lays dead on the ground, but its face is so badly mutilate that Bruce can't see any identiting features. The Talon is slowly healing itself, though. Most of the bodies were missing their faces completely. None of them have masks on or any eyes. They were all ripped out and left with bare eyesockets with scratch marks. 

 It is silent except for the Talon's silent almost non existent breathing and Dicks more raggedy breathing. The Talon's yellow eyes track Bruce's movements. Like a hawk watching a tiny helpless mouse. It has been a long time since Bruce feels like pray instead of predator. A shiver that threatens to run up his spine is killed off with a passion. He takes a step forward. He can't afford to be afraid. Not when Dicks life is on the line.

Growling comes from the Talon as it holds Dick closer to it. Batman puts his hands up to show he's unarmed, though that apparently means nothing to the Talon who just growls louder. Its yellow eyes are sharp and observant. A perfectly molded killer, and yet it still holds Bruce's son so carefully. 

"I will not hurt him, Talon. I came to save him." Says Batman. He doesn't dare take another step closer. Not when Talon's claws are so close to Dick's neck. In just a single move they can ripe away one of the most important things in Bruce's life. Bruce crouches down. Making himself smaller less of a treat. The Talon doesn't seem to care and just growled agian. Scooting away from him while keeping Dick close. 

"I'm not going to hurt him, I promise. I'm gonna come a little closer okay?" Says Batman as he slowly walks forward. The Talon growls louder and scoots away. Then a low whine come from Dick and the Talon stops moving. The Talon looks down at Dick and just stares at him. He can attack the Talon but with how close his claws are to Dick, Batman can't risk it. Bruce won't let Dick get hurt anymore. 

The Talon is completely focused on Dick. Watching him with unblinking yellow eyes. Why isn’t this Talon isn't attacking him? Why is it just staring at him? Why is it protecting Dick? Is this the failed part of the Talon? The Talon protects children against the Court and it is called a failure for that.

A soft gasp draws Bruce's attention to Dick instead of watching the Talon. Dick is awake and looking at the Talon. Then Dick hugs the Talon? What? 

"Tha-thank you." Said Dick. He sounds like he's crying. The Talon looks confused but slowly pats Dick awkwardly on the back. Being mind full of it's claws. The more more logical side of Bruce thought it was interesting but the more emotional side screams to get Dick away. But the logical side knows better. 

"Dick, can you get your new friend to let you go?" Asks Bruce. Dick's eyes flick back over to him. There's so much fear in his eyes. It should never have been put there. But that isn't only what is wrong. What's wrong is the now yellow eyes that stare at Bruce instead of Dick's blue eyes.

"B?" Asks Dick is a small voice. So small and scared just like he was that night, just like Bruce was in that alley. Bruce just wants to scope him up and go home. But Bruce can't do that. Instead, all he can do is try to get Dick out of the calls of a Talon. 

"I'm here, chumb." Says Bruce. Dick looks at him and then at the Talon.

"I'm bringing him." Says Dick. Bruce opens his mouth to argue that it's would be a terrible idea. That's a Talon tramatitized child or not they don't have what they need to take care of a Talon. Not to mention the threat that would bring if anyone saw a Talon with them. People would talk. People would know. He'd be found out. But that look in Dick's eyes. He wasn't leaving without the Talon living in the manor. 

"That's fine. As long he wants to come." Says Bruce. Is it manipulative? Yes. Yes, it is. But he can't just take a Talon to manor against its will. They might be able to hide him if the Talon comes willingly, but if it fights against them.... They would be better off leaving the kid here as much as Dick would hate it. He pointy ignores the part of him that feels like he would regret it to. He has to be logical right now as the Talon watches him.

Talon watches the new person. Talon has never seen someone who looks like him before. It has never seen so none who's not in a suit or dress other than a Talon. This person doesn't act like a Talon. He came here willingly. No Talon does that. 

That and Dick knows him. Talon doesn't have the will to listen to them talk. It needs to rest. It needs to go somewhere quiet where it and Dick will be safe... It doesn't know a place like that. Everyplace gets loud in the Court. The lab, the cells, and the training room are so loud. Everything is so loud. 

Dick taps it. Talon looks at him.

"Hey Talon. Would you like to come with us?" Asks Dick. Talon doesn't know. Talon isn't allowed likes. Talon isn't allowed to think. Talon isn't allowed to resist. Talon isn't allowed to do anything besides be a Talon. Talon blinks at Dick and counts that as an answer before it stares at the wall. 

"That's not an answer, Talon." Says Dick. Talon continues to look at the wall. Dick doesn't know Talon speak yet, but he should know that's an answer. Talon thinks it is, so it's an answer. 

"Dick. If they don't want to come we can't force them." Says the odd new not Talon.

"Talon. Wanna go someone quiet?" Says Dick. Talon looks away from the wall. It does need to go someone quiet... Even if it's quiet here. So quiet and peaceful. Talon nods. 

"Then come with me." Says Dick as he moves to stand up. Talon freezes. It.. It needs to stay close. Dick stands up. It lets him. Why did it do that? He offers Talon a hand. Talon.. Talon slowly and carefully takes his hand. Dick pulls it up and Talon lets him. It's standing up. 

"Come on! Let's go home!" Says Dick and Talon lets it's self be dragged out of the room past the odd new not Talon, out into the hallway. 

"Robin. Let me go first next time." Says the odd new not Talon. Dick nods at him as the man behind it comes out into the hallway after them.

"Talon. You killed my brother." Comes the Voice of the Voice from down the hallway. He has a gun. Talon reacts. It pulls Dick back into its chest and holds himclose as it puts its body between the Voice and Dick. A scream of no echos in the hallway. 

A gunshot echos through the hallway. It so loud. It loud and it loud! And Talon HATES IT. It's to loud and Talon can't cover its ears because it has to hold Dick and Talon braces for the burn. The burn bullets burn but can never kill it. The burning doesn't come. Talon looks up. The new odd not Talon is standing above it. He's covering Talon and Dick with his cape. Why? It doesn't understand. Talon has done nothing for him. It's a Talon. 

"Don't look. You don't need to see him." He says. Talon doesn't understand what he's talking about. It also doesn't know why he defended it. Why would he do that? 

"B? Did he?" Asks Dick. Is that the odd new, not Talon's name? It must be. It has to be. Talon lets go of Dick. Why did he do that? Talon still doesn't get it, but it knows it needs to leave.

"No. Someone else got him." Says the odd new, not Talon. Did he what? What didn't he do?

"Go home?" Asks Talon. It needs to leave. It needs the quiet. 

"Yes. Let's go home." Says 'B'.

Chapter Text

Gotham can breathe once again. The whispers in the shadows tell that the Bat was seen early that morning holding Robin. Robin is safe. Gotham is safe from the bats wraith.

"It's fantastic," they say. "To hear the joyfully laughter fly through the city as the Bat holds his child close."

But more worry filled whispers say something was riding on the bats back. A child they whisper. An odd child with yellow eyes that looked straight into their soul. They whisper that the Bat not only found Robin but turned the carcuses of whoever had taken Robin into his new silent resting child. The one on its back that fell asleep over the rooftops of Gotham. They also say that the Bat gave Robin some of this to heal him, and it made Robin's eyes glow that same eerie yellow. 

They also say the silent one has blood covering it and Robin. 

But who's to really say what happened that night. No one really cares to take any action. After all, most of the police have no time for rumors like that when their far too busy trying to hide. Too bad. The bat would have kept them alive if he found them. Too bad no one told them the lost ones love a game of chase now that they have been freed to roam by a monster in blue.

Oddly their's been a significant decrease in people going missing sense that day. 

That and their's always the whispers of the sounds down below in the darkened halls lit only by a yellow glow. The sounds sound like they are calling out for something. The sounds that no one has yet to follow, but it's not their time to be found yet, so they will remain below in the depths until they venture out for games in the shadows. 

Talon wakes up warm. Warm and on a smushy surface. It's familiar. It used to lay on something not as smushy and very cold down below. It doesn't remember where that smushy thing it played on is, though. Remembering pointless things like that are a good way to forget those it losses. It does, however, remember the cold eyes of the Trainer being there. The Trainer was always there. Always. It's why Talon knows what he'll do so well.

Before that, it knew it used to lay on something like this before, but it was cold. So cold and empty of any warmth of the living. The only warmth from humans was down below the dirt in a room it can't think about. That place is blurry, though, and Talon can only remember red, black, green, and purple from there. It's best not to think about them, though. Thinking leads to distractions. Distractions lead to punishment. 

Talons do better when they avoid being punished. 

"Hey." Whispers a voice nearby. Dick. Dick is talking quietly now. His hearing is getting stronger. Dick is nearby whispering to it. It's not loud, but it's too quiet for Dick. Do they need to stay quiet? Is it a quiet day in the Court? They only do those when grieving a Voice. As far as Talon knows, no one is dead...

It killed him!

Talon sits up and opens its eyes. It quickly looks around and sees it's in a bedroom. A bedroom in what is probably a manor. It has a window covered by dark curtains that don't let in any light. The color of them is odd. Talon hasn't seen a color like that before. It's blue but it's missing the yellow. It's most likely locked and guarded. Talon looks away from it. It has a door that is undoubtedly guarded as well and where its executioner will come from. The bat isn't here. They must have defeated the odd new not Talon and wanted them both awake to die. It jumps off the bed and over to the corner of the room. It has to get out. Dick is here, too. It can't stay here or it will die and Dick will to. 

Talon looks at Dick. Dick is standing by the corner of the bed. He doesn't look like Dick. Dick wears an odd mask and Talon cloth. His colors are off to. He doesn't look like how he did in the Court. His hair is darker, and his eyes are less yellow than it remembers. Talon taps the wall.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

Dick reaches out to tap back on the bed frame.

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

It's Dick. He just looks different. Odd. Does Talon look different? Did they make Talon look different for its execution? Talon hasn't seen this happen before. All Talon they are to be killed only get their goggles taken. It's hard to run when everything is too bright. Talon should know it.... It tried to run with those newly turned. They could barely see and weren't given their goggles yet. Blind fledglings is what Talon used to call them. Then they were dead fledglings. It can't remember anything else about them. Why? Why can't it remember them but can remember the others? How many were there that it couldn't save? At least it can remember a loud fledgling, red, purple, green, and black when it dies. If it dies. It has to get Dick out. It has to make sure he gets out. It owes it to the ones it failed to just get one fledgling out. 

"Talon? Do you wanna get down from the wall? Please." Says Dick. Talon looks at him. If anything Dick should also be on the wall. If the executioner comes in, they would have a harder time grabbing Talon because it is on a wall. Dick is just asking to be quickly dragged off to be killed. Fledglings.

Talon shakes its head and instead points at the other corner next to the bed. It's not the furtherest from the door but it is something. That and it would be easier to attack whoever comes through that door if Dick wasn't right there. 

"You want me to go into the corner? Why? We're safe here." Says Dick. Talon looks at Dick. Did it never tell Dick how dangerous it is to be brought to a manor? Did it not tell Dick about the ones that never came back once they went above the ground? Maybe it didn't even remember. Maybe it chose not to and didn't tell him. It doesn't matter now. Talon will have to get them out whether Dick likes it or not... but maybe it can convince him.

"Have to run. Manors bad." Says Talon, and it doesn't seem right to talk. Talking is still so strange to it. It hadn't talked for years, but now it has to talk to another Talon. Usually, the others are good at knowing what they are all talking about without any words being said. It's safer that way, but Dick hasn't learned to speak without sounds like Talons. Talon will have to teach him once they get out. It will have to do a lot once they get out. It will have to figure out how to eat without the Court. It will have to figure out who's a danger to it. To find a safe place to hide. There were many things to do that Talon didn't think it would get to. It thought Dick would have to if the bat dies, but not it. Never it. 

"The manor isn't bad, Talon. This is where I live with B and Alfred." Says Dick. B? B is what Dick called the odd new, not Talon. Does B live in a manor? Is Batman a part of the Court who betrayed the Court for Dick? Why? Why would he do that? It doesn't make sense. Talon... So many were left below by their own parents. Why is he different? Or is he? Is this all just a test by the Court? Did Talon fail? Also, who is Alfred? Alfred is an older name. Is Alfred its new trainer and executioner? Is it going to die? Dick is going to hate it if it tries to drag him away from what he sees as family. Are they family, or is this all a trap? What if Dick is in on it? No. No, that's not right. Talon needs to rest, and hopefully, the Court will give it the mercy of dying in its sleep. Maybe Dick's telling the truth and that their safe. 

"Talon, are you alright? Do I need to get B? Are you hurt?" Asks Dick. Talon doesn't know how to answer. Well, it knows how, but it doesn't know the answer. It.. It just nods. Nodding is safer than doing nothing sometimes. Dick then runs to the door and opens it. He then runs out, and Talon... Talon doesn't know what to do. He left the door open. It slowly crawls off the wall and out of the corner. It then stands on the floor and watches the open door. Nothing happens. No one comes running in. It takes a step closer to the door. Nothing happens. It takes another larger step. Then another and then one more. It is close to the door, but it's still around five steps away. It's a large room. Why was it allowed to rest here? The Court would never let a Talon rest in such a large room. Especially not in a bed. Maybe Dick was right. Maybe. 

Talon gets closer to the door and keeps walking until it is in the doorway. It peaks its head out. Three doors to its left and three to its right. Seven rooms on one side of the wall. Odd. One door is at the very end of the hallway. The Court doesn't have that. Seven rooms are on the other side of the wall as well. Fourteen rooms on two different rooms and then one room at the end of the hallway. Fifteen rooms. The Court hates an odd number of rooms. This isn't the Court. Hopefully. 

Talon takes a step into the hallway but stops. Something soft is touching its foot. Talon looks down. Its Talon shoes are gone, and so are its socks. The carpet below its feet is an odd color. Their missing the yellow just like the curtains... Talon reaches up to touch its face. Its goggles are not there! Why can it see? What? What is happening? Why? Talon looks around the hallway at lights. The lights are off. It's looks back in its room. The odd colored curtains are still there. The ones that look blue but are missing yellow. Their blocking out the light. Talon looks down the dark hallway. They turned the lights off for it and Dick. Dick's eyes are yellow now. He can see in the dark like Talon can. Talon doesn't know what to think about that, so it won't. Thinking is bad most of the time, anyway. 

It takes another step into the hallway. Which should it go? Which way would Batman allow it to go? Should it see the other rooms, or should it walk down the hallway? Where did Dick go? Talon didn't hear another door open. So maybe it'll just walk down the hallway on the odd red carpet. It takes a step down the hallway. Nothing happens. It starts walking. One step after another. It's back perfectly straight as it walks. 

Footsteps are coming down the hallway.

"He woke up and started climbing the walls, Bruce!" Says Dick. It's Dick and Bruce. Who is Brcue? Is Bruce B? That would make sense. Bruce is probably B. 

"Dick. They woke up in an unfamiliar place. Of course, they are scared." Says Bruce-B. Are they talking about it? Why would Bruce say it's scared? Talons can't be scared. They can't feel things. 

"B he climbed the walls and told me to do the same. I think he thinks we're still in the Court or is hurt!" Says Dick. He's louder than he was before. Their getting closer.

"Also why do you have those goggles on?" Asks Dick. 

"Night vision, Dick." Says Bruce softly. Why? What is night vision? Does that just mena Brcue can see in the dark like a Talon? Is that bad?

"Oh. Do you think I'll have to wear glasses when I go outside?" Asks Dick. Glasses? Why would he have to wear those? Is Dick going blind?!

"If the sun gets to bad for you yes. If not we could try to find some contacts that sheild your eyes from the light somehow." Says Bruce. What are contacts? The footsteps get closer. Their around the corner ahead of Talon. Talon stands still. It dosen't need to move. 

"Okay. Hey B?" Asks Dick. Bruce just grunts in return. Odd.

"Do you think I look scary now?" Asks Dick. Bruce gives a different sounding grunt. It's impossible for Dick to look scary. He's very small and not scary and Talon's find thinks scary so Dick can't be scary to Talon. 

"Thanks B." Says Dick. Maybe Dick can understand wordless talking he's just used to talking back. The footsteps get closer and closer to the corner. Talon should let them know it's here. Talon raises it's foot. The footsteps get closer. Talon stomps it foot on the floor. The footsteps stop.

"Talon?" Asks Dick. Talon nods but Dick can't see it. Dick should have learned to speak without speaking then. The footsteps get closer to the corner and Talon sees Dick peak his head around the corner.

"Hi Talon. I found B." Says Dick. Talon was right. Bruce is B and B is the weird odd new not Talon. Siad odd new not Talon then walks around the corner. He's tall. Very tall. Talon has to look up slightly to see him. 

"Talon sees." Says Talon as it can see that Dick found B. Dick giggles at what it said but he's not laughing at Talon. 

"Hello Talon." Says B. Talon looks back up at him. Talon nods at him. 

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Asks B. Talon shakes its head... Is it allowed to feel pain? If B isn't with the Cohrt than is Talon allowed to feel pain? Is Talon allowed to even feel? Is it okay to ask? 

"Can Talon ask things?" Asks Talon. B looks confused and tiltes his head. Talon copies him. 

"Yup! You can ask as many questions as you want Talon!" Says Dick. Talon nods. It's allowed to ask questions that it wants to ask. Is it allowed to want to ask questions? So many questions.

Is Talon allowed to want to ask questions?" Asks Talon. B looks angry. Talon looks down at the floor. Talon did bad already. It didn't even last a day and now B is going to give it back to the Court. The Court will kill it for what it did. It's going to die! Bruce takes a step towards it. Talon gets ready to be hit. Bruce takes another step and crouches down. His face is eye level with Talons. He puts his hands on its shoulder.

"You're allowed to want. Your allowed to like and hates things. You're allowed to think about anything you want to. You're allowed to climb the walls, eat, speak and anything else you want to do that dosen't hurt you. You're allowed." Says Bruce. Talon blinks. It's eyes get wet. It blinks again. Is this real? Is this a lie?

"Promise?" Asks Talon. Bruce pulls it to his chest and wraps his arms around it. A hug. Talon lets out a sob as tears fall from its eyes. 

"I promise." Says Bruce and Talon feels Dick patting it's back. Talon has one last question though. One last memory it buried down and remembers with green along with someone else. A memory that goes with a name it's never been allowed to think about. 

"Is Talon allowed to be Danny?" 

"Always." 

Chapter Text

Bruce is down in the cave when he hears the elevator open. It's Alfred agian. Dick is still asleep, and Danny can't use the elevator alone yet. His claws just can't turn the doorknob. 

"Master Bruce. Have you had any luck?" Asks Alfred, but Bruce can hear the slight disappointment that he's still looking. On the screen is what he thinks is the Court's reports on Danny. They called him Starfall, which is an odd name for a Talon... It's a lot like the name Talon picked out for when they go on patrol. They never say where they found him. They do however thing he was a gift from their god, which is odd. Maybe Danny really did just appear in the Court.

"You should come upstairs. The young masters will be waking up soon." Says Alfred before the elevator doors close, and Alfred goes back up. Bruce stands up and closes the tabs. Unfortunately, Alfred is right. He can look into Danny's past when there's less of a risk of Danny somehow getting down to the cave. 

Danny wakes up like it does every day now. It can hear Dick shuffling around in his room to get ready for school. Danny reaches over and taps on the nightstand next to it. Three taps. Dick pauses and taps back with four.

"Morning Danny!" Yells Dick from his room that is right next to Danny. The fourth room on this side of the wall. Dick said that he made B change his room around just so he could be next to Danny. Danny still doesn't get why, but it does like it. It's still weird being able to like things. 

Danny pushes off its star(!) covered blanket. It has many stars on it and is a dark blue. It even has planets on it. Danny's favorite planets are the red and green ones, the gray and deep red one, the green and blue one, and the black one. It has a lot of favorites. Danny also has a telescope! A telescope!! It lets it see the stars, and even though it's very foggy, Talon sometimes can see them!

Its walls are a dark blue like the curtains and have yellow, white, and so many colors of stars. It even has a few planets on the walls. Talon got to help paint the planets and made Dick put his hand in the center of one planet, Alfred in another, B in one planet, and Talon's hand in another. It also has a bunch of planets without hands in them. Talon likes its room. It's even allowed to own thing! Talon is still so confused by this but is so 'excited' about it.

"Danny! Alfred said breakfast is almost ready." Says Dick. Danny walks over to its dresser to get dressed. It's Talon cloth tucked safely under the bed away from it. 

Danny is happy.

Dick stands in front of the bathroom mirror. His now blue eyes look back at him. B somehow managed to get magical contact lenses for him from one of his old teachers. Which is still really weird, and Dick really wants to know how that conversation even went, but B won't tell him. B's just mean like that. 

"Tap. Tap. Tap." Three taps come from the bathroom door. Dick knocks four times on the bathroom sink. Dick quickly turns around and opens the door. Danny is on the other side and standing in the hallway. Danny stands kinda weird. He doesn't ever slouch just like Alfred and Bruce. It's a little weird, but Dick likes his brother like that. 

"Hey Danny! Are you almost ready?" Asks Dick as he moves out of the bathroom. Danny nods slowly and steps into the bathroom. 

"Have to brush my teeth." Says Danny slowly. He's getting a lot better with talking now that Alfred and B are tutoring him. B even said that once Danny gets better at socializing and talking, he could go to Dick's school!

"Okay. I'm going to wait in the dining room for you!" Says Dick before he runs down the hallway. Danny just nods at him instead of answering. Danny has started to go with Alfred to drop Dick off. Dick enjoys it, and Bruce says it's a good thing to slowly get the word out that Dick now has an older brother. Though Dick is pretty sure it's just to get Danny used to wearing the brown contacts B picked out for him or at least sun glasses. 

Dick runs down the hallway and sees the stairs coming up. He quickly gets ready to slide down them. One step after another. He jumps, catches himself on the rails, and does a quick hand stand on them. He then sits down on them and slides down the railing. Luckily, Bruce and Alfred don't see that as both of them usually scold him. Not that it will stop him from doing that, but it's always nice to not be scolded. 

He then walks into the dining room. On the table is a plate filled with chocolate crepes and bacon. Dick runs over to his chair and jumps into it. It tilts over a little, but Dick leans to the opposite side to steady the chair. Next to him, a smoothie is put down by Alfred. Danny can't eat solid food yet, so he gets the smoothie treatment. Dick snorts. Smoothie treatment.

"Good morning Master Dick. Did you sleep well?" Asks Alfred. 

"Yup!" Says Dick before he gets a fork full of crepe and comps down. It tastes like heaven. 

"Alf-ed this am-ing." Says Dick with his mouth fill of food. 

"I'm pleased to hear you say that Master Dick but please do not chew with your mouth full. We don't want Master Bruce to copy your bad habits." Says Alfred. 

"Copy what habits Alfred?" Asks Bruce as he walks into the room.

"Oh, nothing, Sir. Just Master Dick's impressive impression of a chipmunk." Says Alfred. Dick quickly swollows his food and smiles innocently at Bruce. B just raises an eyebrow at him. 

"Is Master Danny joining us today Master Dick?" Asks Alfred. Dick just nods as he sticks another fork full in his mouth. It's heavenly. 

"That's nice." Says Bruce. He sounds like he wants to say something else but isn't. Yeah, Dick isn't helping him. He instead takes another bite of his delicious breakfast. 

"You could always join us, Master Bruce." Says Alfred. Dick looks over to Bruce. He's thinking about it. It'll be nice if he comes with them. 

"You know what. I think I will do just that, Alfred." Says Bruce. 

"Excellent." Says Alfred. Dick takes another bite of his breakfast. It's so good. He really missed Alfred's cooking.

"Afterward, we should visit the library.  They have some good books on planets for Danny." Says Bruce. 

"Speaking of, would you like to come in Master Danny?" Asks Alfred and Dick looks towards the door. Danny is there. He's just watching them. Dick smiles at him and waves his brother over. Danny slowly enters the room and sits down next to Dick.

"I made you a banana and strawberry smoothie today Master Danny. I do hope you enjoy it." Says Alfred kindly. Alfred never sasses Danny, which is unfair but also fair. Danny would probably freak out and think he did something wrong. Danny nods at Alfred before he slowly reaches out and gently grabs the glass filled with the pink slushie.

"Thank you." Says Danny slowly. 

"You are very welcome, Master Danny. I know some of us here could learn a thing or two about being polite from you." Says Alfred and Dick can feel the glare thrown his way. 

"Thank you so much for everything Alfred" rushes out Dick with a sheepish smile.

"You are very welcome. Master Bruce?" Says Alfred.

"Thanks, Alfred." Says Bruce like a scolded child. Dick snickers. 

Talon looks over the city as it stands on a ledge.  Below it is Gotham, and below Gotham are the abandoned hallways. Dick is next to it on the ledge. Batman is below them beat a bad guy called Killer Croc. Killer Croc is a man with scales, and Talon thinks he looks 'cool'. Killer Croc, however, thinks he looks bad and so is being bad to mean people. Talon can understand that. Many people that see it at night all thing Talon is a tall monster. Talon isn't helping this by wearing shoes that make it taller, but Batman says it's to make sure no one would recognize it when it goes to school. 

"Ready Starling?" Asks Dick softly. Talon doesn't know if it's ever ready, but it nods. 

"Hey, you overgrown reptile! Why are you picking on old men like that?" Screams out Dick. Talon, thankfully, has noise dampening headphones. Dick's screams can't hurt it now! 

Killer Croc let's out a very angry scream at Dick that Talon can barely hear and glares at them. Talon waves at him. It's 'polite' to wave at people. Killer Croc doesn't wave back. He's 'impolite' and must be stopped. Talon lets its eyes glow as it jumps down from the building and into the fight. Dick lets out a war cry as he joins Talon in battle. 

Rumor has it Dick Grayson walks into school with a broken arm a day later. When asked, he said he and his older brother were climbing a tree. To his friends, he mentions a beast named Gaston scared his older brother, and he fell on Dick. When asked who Gaston was Dick only said Gaston is Gaston. Bruce Wayne says nothing when asked but does sigh just like a disappointed Dad. To no one's surprise, Danny keeps taking the cast off his leg when no one is looking.