Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Peter didn't know where he was. His mind was fuzzy and he was barely able to stay focused.

He felt his bare skin against the cold ground as the raindrops fell heavily on his body. Wait... Bare skin? With difficulty, Peter moved his head. Oh god. He was naked. Peter tried to get up, but neither his arms nor his legs were able to hold his body up, so he slumped back to the ground.

Peter was starting to get overwhelmed, every second that passed only made him want to cry, but he didn't even have the strength to do that. He was beginning to panic when his senses kicked in.

Approaching. Familiar. Safe.

Peter looked up at the approaching footsteps. He heard a soft moan filled with concern. His vision was blurred, so he was only able to make out the silhouette of a tall person before everything went dark.

*^*^*^*

Dick Grayson was panicking. The last thing he expected after taking out the trash was to find a completely naked kid who couldn't have been more than eight years old in a puddle of questionable substances in an alley.

“Shit, shit, shit” he cursed as he hurried towards the boy.

He could only glimpse the boy's glazed brown eyes before he passed out. He pushed away the thoughts and the feelings of hands caressing his body along with sweet words that still sent shivers down his spine.

He took off his jacket and covered the boy's body before lifting him into his arms. He was too light and completely frozen.

It was already dark. Dick had planned to take out the trash before going out as Nightwing, but plans had radically changed. Careful not to let anyone see him (he didn't want them to ask, he wouldn't know how to answer), he entered his flat.

When he finally reached his apartment, he struggled to get the key into the lock with the child in his arms, but managed to do it. He carefully laid the kid down on the old couch in his shabby living room.

He quickly picked up his phone and called a number. His hands were shaking slightly and he was biting his lip hard. The contact answered.

“Goldie, this better be fucking important-”

“I just found a naked kid no older than eight who's probably been sexually assaulted in an alley” Dick spat, unable to contain himself.

The other line went completely silent.

“What?” growled his brother in an utterly dark and murderous voice.

“J-Jason, I don't know what to do” Dick stuttered as his gaze fell on the boy on the couch. His face was dirty, though his freckles were still visible. His hair was brown and messy, though he couldn't be sure if it was that colour because of the dirt that covered it “Fuck, he passed out and I-I... I've never encountered anything like this as Dick Grayson and- shit” Dick was starting to panic.

“Goldie, Dick, breathe” Jason ordered in a firm voice. The black-haired man breathed in sharply following his brother's advice “I'll be there in an hour, I'm heading over there right now.”

“Thanks, Jay” he whispered in a fragile voice before Jason hung up.

Dick didn't like for his younger siblings to see him like this. He was the oldest, for fuck's sake. He was supposed to be the wall his brothers could lean on, not the other way around.

But the rainy night and the situation had shaken the acrobat emotionally in a way he hadn't been prepared for.

And of all of his siblings, he preferred Jason to be the one to see him in an emotionally weakened state, despite all the situations he had encountered with him and the family.

Dick pulled blankets out of his wardrobe and covered the boy with them, keeping their skins from touching. He didn't know how the boy would react and it was better to be safe than sorry.

Dick bit his thumbnail, waiting for his brother to arrive before deciding what action to take. He couldn't take his eyes off the boy the whole hour he waited, something about him seemed familiar. A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts.

He sighed with relief when he saw the one behind the door.

“Little Wing.”

Jason stood with his arms crossed and his gaze tense, though it softened as their eyes met (however much the man tried to deny it later).

His brother gave him a firm yet gentle squeeze on one of his shoulders before stepping into the apartment

“Is that the kid?” he said, looking at the couch.

“Yeah” Dick sighed “So, what do we do now?"

Chapter Text

Peter woke up with the sound of muffled voices arguing among themselves.

“I don't know, Jay. I haven't heard anything about a traffic human ring in the city… I’d have noticed”

“You know those bastards hide like rats. It's always an option.”

“But the puddle he was in…”

Peter opened his eyes with difficulty. His body was covered with a heavy blanket (it was quite comfortable, actually). He must have alerted the voices that he had woken up, because they stopped. A face came into Peter's field of vision.

It was a man with disheveled black hair and bright blue eyes full of concern. He gave a soft smile that was tense at the edges. He seemed… Familiar.

“Hey, buddy” he said quietly, but not quite a whisper. Peter felt a sense of calm at the sound of his voice “Name’s Dick. What about you?"

Dick? Was this guy for real? How much would your parents have to hate you to put you a name like that?

When Peter tried to speak, only a soft sigh came out, much to his dismay, accompanied by a brief sting of pain that made him hiss in discomfort.

No talking. Got it. He must have a sore throat or something.

The man, Dick, exchanged looks with another man in the room. This one also had black hair, although he had a white streak (it was pretty cool, actually) and greenish eyes. He was built like a tank. One punch from him would probably give you a concussion.

“Do you understand what I'm saying, bud?” Dick asked, turning his gaze back to Peter.

DON'T SAY YES

His spider sense screamed, and Peter barely contained a shudder from the surprise.

“What?” Peter thought in confusion “You said it was safe before!”

Safe his spider sense repeated Don’t say yes. Yet.

Peter didn't realize that Dick had started speaking in different languages and that he had just been staring at him the whole time. Oh gosh, how awkward.

Dick's expression had been growing more worried with each passing second without a response. He looked back at the other man.

“He doesn't seem to understand what I'm saying”

“Well, he looks Caucasian…” the man rubbed his shoulder tiredly “I highly doubt he speaks any African or Asian language, though who knows…”

“And did you see the hiss he made when he tried to talk?” Dick winced “I don't think his vocal cords are up to the task.”

Peter listened to the conversation with interest but a bit uncomfortable. He squirmed under the blankets, trying to get himself in a better position, but then he noticed something he hadn't before.

Wait. A. Minute.

He was naked.

Peter let out a groan of distress, drawing the attention of the two men. He wrapped the blanket around himself, panicking. He was completely naked, not even wearing underwear! How?!

“I think he just realized he's naked” said the man with the white streak.

“Oh, crap” Dick stood up with a tense look “I think, I think I have some of Damian's clothes that might fit him. Watch out for him for a moment.”

Peter was left alone with the other man, who seemed terribly uncomfortable (so was Peter). Slowly, the man raised his hands while looking away. Was he... trying to make him feel safe? (That… was kinda sweet coming from a tank like him).

Dick quickly returned with clothes in his arms. He paused momentarily when he saw the other man's stance but recovered fairly quickly. With slow movements, he placed the clothes on the same couch where Peter was.

“Let's leave him alone so he can change” Dick said softly to the other man (Peter was getting tired of not knowing his name) “I highly doubt he wants us in the same room.”

When both men left, Peter stared at the clothes they had brought him. Without letting go of the blanket, Peter picked up the clothes. From the texture, it seemed like pajamas.

There was a large strange symbol on the short-sleeved shirt along with some weird characters. Were that... letters? Peter couldn't understand what it said, it was like seeing something written in Chinese. Cool letters, but undecipherable to him.

The pants had the same strange symbol scattered all over them. Dick had also given him black underwear (without the symbol, for once).

Peter quickly put on the pajamas. They were quite large, but the clothes didn't seem huge when Dick brought them. And hey, Peter wasn't that short for the two men to be so much taller in comparison.

As he rolled up the pant legs, Peter noticed that his feet were too... small. He frowned in confusion. Something was wrong.

Peter looked around the room for a mirror or any reflective surface until he noticed the TV. He approached it slowly and with sharp pangs that made him wince in pain. When he finally reached the TV, the world seemed to stop.

Peter didn't have the age he was supposed to have. He looked exactly like he did when he was seven years old. But this couldn’t be right. What had happened? Where was he before all this-?!

A knock on a door startled him. Dick peeked in cautiously.

“Buddy?” he asked gently, though his expression softened when he saw Peter dressed “Oh, you're already dressed.”

The two men came back in. The one with the white streak raised an eyebrow while looking at Dick.

“Is that from Demon Brat?”

“I bought it for April Fools” Dick shrugged with a soft laugh “He never wears it, but hey, he didn't throw it away either”

The other man snorted.

Peter watched them, still processing what he just found out. Dick scanned him with concern. He approached with slow steps and knelt in front of him. That's why they were so tall; Peter had to be about a meter tall. Maybe not even thar!

“Are you okay, bud?” he asked, glancing at the TV “Why is he so surprised by the TV?”

“If he belongs to a human trafficking ring, maybe he's never seen one” the other man shrugged.

“That... I guess that would make sense” Dick murmured softly.

“I'm not surprised by the TV ” Peter thought, still in shock “I'm surprised by my reflection in it.”

“We should call Babs, right?” Dick stood up, his knees almost inaudibly creaking “Maybe she can find something about him.”

“I'll call her” the man took out his phone and walked away, but Peter could hear the conversation with his enhanced senses.

“Jason?” he finally knew the man's name! “Did something happen?”

“Well, we kinda have a situation here…”

Peter was distracted by Dick's sigh. He seemed quite stressed, rubbing his eyes with a frown. Peter couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the man. He wouldn't know how to react if he were in the same situation.

(Peter was barely holding back from having a full-blown mental collapse).

Gently, he placed his hand on Dick's leg, making the man look at him in surprise. A soft smile crossed the man's face as he affectionately placed his hand on Peter's head with care.

Peter tensed. But it didn’t feel bad, actually. It felt… good. Peter closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

Jason watched the scene with a calculating look. The kid... he looked too much like his brother. But a smell distracted him. Jason wrinkled his nose at a foul smell that was becoming more and more present in the room. He looked at Peter with some doubt.

“One moment Babs. Did you bathe the kid before you put clothes on him?” he asked, turning his glaze to his brother

Dick's wide eyes turning to him said it all. The kid was simply looking at them.

“I have no fucking idea how you survived on your own ‘till now, honestly” Jason sighed “I guess it's bath time.”

Wait, it’s what time now?

Chapter Text

“This” Dick picked up a bottle of shampoo while the kid stared at him intensely (it felt like his gaze pierced his soul-) “is for your hair.”

Dick mimed pouring the shampoo into his hair and then rubbed the invisible shampoo in. He had no idea if the child even understood what Dick was doing, but he couldn’t think of any other way to explain to the kid what each thing was.

Jason snorted from the bathroom door, making Dick look at his brother with annoyance.

“A little help wouldn’t hurt, you know?” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Nah” Jason shrugged with a shit-eating grin “I think you’re doing just fine”

Dick shot him a dry look before putting the shampoo in the bathtub.

“This” he said, picking up the bath gel “is for your body.”

The child looked at him expressionlessly while Dick mimed pouring the bath gel over his body and rubbing it in. God, he felt so stupid doing this.

“Alright then…” Dick turned off the bathtub faucet once it was full enough for the child to be submerged. He rummaged through his drawers “A clean towel… Here”

Dick pulled out a white towel. He got up from where he had been kneeling (the child was too small, and Dick had to explain things to him) and gave a soft smile.

“Now I need to get you a new set of pajamas…” he sighed tiredly, quickly leaving the bathroom.

Jason glanced sideways at his stressed brother heading to his room before his gaze shifted to the child. Jason narrowed his eyes as the kid looked back at him for a few seconds before looking at the bathtub.

The child had a strange expression on his face, his eyebrows furrowed with slight incredulity and confusion. He’d better have seen a bathtub before because if not, Jason had some bullets reserved for whoever had been in charge of the kid.

(In reality, Peter was still looking incredulously at his seven-year-old face reflected in the water).

Dick didn’t take long to return with another set of clothes, which he placed on top of the toilet seat.

“Well, have a good bath, bud…” Dick said before closing the bathroom door, leaving the child alone.

“Do you think the kid will be able to manage on his own?” Jason asked, plopping down on the living room couch. Dick dropped onto the seat beside him, exhausted.

“What are we supposed to do? Help the possibly abused kid bathe? While he’s naked and vulnerable?” Dick couldn’t help but comment with some sarcasm.

Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Well, someone’s in a bad mood today…” Jason said in a low voice, pulling out a cigarette, which was quickly snatched from his hand. “Hey!”

“My place, my rules,” Dick frowned at him while taking the cigarette box from his brother and putting the cigarette back “This is a smoke-free place. And you shouldn’t smoke; it’s bad for your lungs”

“It’s BAd for yOUr luNGs” Jason mimicked in a high-pitched voice while reclining “I’ve already died once, what does it matter if I screw up my lungs?”

Dick rolled his eyes. Whenever someone annoyed Jason, the man couldn’t help but bring up that he had been through worse, like dying.

(The first times had been unbearable to listen to, but Dick got used to it over time).

“What did Babs say?” he asked, changing the subject.

“She said she’d check the cameras around and try to find something” Jason shrugged, reaching for the TV remote.

At Dick’s raised eyebrow, he mocked.

“I’m not going to sit in silence or have emotional talks with you while the kid showers”

Dick snorted in amusement while getting comfortable.

“Sounds good to me”

Both brothers watched TV in a pleasant silence.

*^*^*^*

Peter sank even deeper into the bathtub, covering his mouth with the water. It had been a long time since he was small enough to fit in the tub comfortably. Gosh, he was a kid.

“Think, Peter” he told himself, slowly calming down in the water. It was at the perfect temperature, warm but not quite hot “What were you doing before this?”

Peter squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember. He was… with MJ and Ned and…

“MJ and Ned!” Peter straightened up in a panic, causing some water to spill over. He had completely forgotten about his two friends. “Think, Peter! What happened?!”

Peter was with… Peter? Wait! Peter 2 and Peter 3! The memories started flooding back, and Peter hissed from the headache. There were other Peters; why were there more Peters…?

Stop his spider-sense warned him Not now

“What?” Peter thought indignantly “What do you mean, not now?”

Not now

Peter snorted, sinking further into the water.

“Stupid spider-sense” Peter thought while grabbing what he believed was the shampoo (Dick had made many silly gestures, but after all, he thought Peter didn’t understand him) “Stupid age regression, stupid world!”

*^*^*^*

Both brothers turned when they heard the bathroom door open. The child came out slowly, wringing his hands. Dick stood up with a slight smile while Jason turn off the TV.

“Hey, buddy” he said, kneeling in front of him.

The kid smiled slightly, and Dick  felt an arrow of tenderness piercing his heart. Jason watched the situation amused; it was obvious that Dickiface had completely fallen for the kid. But a rumbling stomach interrupted the moment. The kid turned red as a tomato.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat” Dick was obviously holding back laughter to avoid making the kid feel worse.

The child followed Dick like a duckling. Heh, cute. His phone ringing diverted his attention.

“Hey Babs, did you find anyth-?”

“Jason” Barbara’s voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked quietly, not wanting to draw the boys' attention at the kitchen.

“I checked the cameras in the area and… three men took the kid to the alley. The three men came out… pulling up their pants.”

Jason saw green.

Chapter Text

Peter followed Dick into the tiny kitchen with quick steps (the man was too tall and Peter too small).

“The walls are discoloured” Peter thought, looking around with interest “It looks like an apartment. Small, but if it's for one person, it's not bad”

Dick opened the upper cabinets while muttering to himself.

“Shit, I haven't gone shopping yet, I barely have any food…” he murmured, seeing that there were literally only cereal boxes “These things have too much sugar, is it even healthy for the kid?”

Dick sighed as he grabbed a box of Lucky Charms cereal. He would have to go out shopping later if he wanted to feed the child. Dick momentarily froze at the thought. He... wasn't going to keep the kid long enough to have to adapt to him... right?

The acrobat turned to look at the brown-haired boy. The kid was curiously eyeing the cereal box before extending his hand. Dick looked at him confused, and after a few seconds, handed him the box. The boy walked silently to the table. He was still barefoot, but Dick didn't have any slippers for him... Maybe socks? Damn, he was thinking again like he was going to stay.

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose as he went to the fridge for milk. It didn't make sense to think about these things, especially while the boy was with him. His mental health wasn't at its best today and having a mental breakdown wouldn't be useful.

After grabbing the milk, he searched for a bowl and a spoon so the boy could eat. When he placed them on the table, the boy took the box and poured the cereal into the bowl. Hah, cereal before milk. This kid knew.

Dick looked towards his brother (who had been silent for a while now) while letting the boy eat peacefully, but something about him felt... strange. He frowned as he approached.

“Jason? You okay?” Dick took a deep breath when he saw his brother's face.

Jason was gripping his phone tightly while his eyes shone with a bright green that conveyed his fury. Those green eyes turned to Dick, who did his best to stay calm.

“What's wrong?” he asked softly.

Jason simply handed him the phone.

“Jason?! Jason, answer me!” Barbara said from the other end of the call with a hint of panic.

“Babs? It's Dick. What did you tell Jason? He's in... Lazarus mode” he lowered his voice on the last words.

“Fuck” it was rare for Barbara to curse, but from her tone, she sounded stressed “I checked the cameras near your apartment and saw three men dragging the kid into the alley. After a while, they came out without the kid and... pulling up their pants”

Dick straightened in disbelief. He closed his eyes tightly while processing what his oldest friend had told him.

“Fuck” he couldn't help but say. He had really hoped his assumptions were wrong. The kid was too young for something like that.

("Relax, dear. I know you like this"

No, I said no, stop TOUCHING ME-)

“Exactly, fuck” Barbara repeated wearily.

This night was being really stressful.

“I'll call you back later, Babs” with Barbara's affirmation, Dick hung up.

He sat slowly next to Jason. His green eyes were blazing with fury, and he was completely still. Dick slowly moved his hand so Jason wouldn't be startled before gently squeezing his shoulder.

“Jason” he said in a cautious but friendly voice “The kid doesn't need your rage right now. He doesn't need our rage”

The green eyes met the blue ones.

“They abused him. He's a fucking child” he growled “Those people are sick. They deserve to die.”

“The kid needs us to stay calm” he said, ignoring what Jason said (he didn't disagree, but it wasn't the time to think about it) “He doesn't understand our language, but he understands our gestures. If he sees us panic, he'll panic. Do you want that?”

That seemed to make Jason think. After a few tense seconds, the green began to fade, much to Dick's relief, though it still lingered.

“Those people will be dead when I find them” he growled, brushing off Dick's hand and turning to look at the boy.

The boy was watching them while pouring more cereal into his bowl. Wait, had he already finished the first bowl? Quick eater, though who knows when he last ate. His gaze was curious and calculating. Dick watched his brother as he stood up.

“I'm going to find out who those bastards are” he said, heading to the door “Don't go out as Nightwing today, I'll handle it. Take care of the kid”

“Wait, Jay-”

Without letting him respond, the door closed, and Jason was gone. Dick sighed before looking at the boy. Was he pouring more cereal?!

“What an appetite…” he whispered to himself with a small, tired laugh. He didn't have energy for much more.

The boy simply glanced at him as Dick approached, without stopping eating.

“We'll need to go to bed soon” Dick sighed, sitting in front of the boy while resting his head in one of his hands “You know, I'll need to find a way to refer to you. I can't keep calling you buddy or-”

“Di... ck”

Dick's eyes widened completely. The kid had a pained expression as he pointed at Dick. It was obvious it had taken a lot out of him to say that.

“Yes” he said quietly “I'm Dick. Dick”  he repeated, pointing to himself.

How had he managed to pick out his name from everything he said? Maybe the tone? Perhaps when you introduced yourself, the air frequencies of your voice changed or something. He'd ask Tim at some point. The kid pointed to himself.

“Pe... ter” his voice trembled, and his face was starting to be covered in sweat. It was obvious that talking physically hurt him.

“Peter” Dick whispered in amazement. A big smile spread across his face “Nice to meet you, Peter.”

Peter returned the smile.

*^*^*^*

Hours after leaving Dick's apartment (though it was still late at night), Jason looked at the building where those rapists supposedly were according to Babs' information. Jason kicked the door and entered with furious steps.

“What the hell are you doing?!” shouted one of the men. Jason recognized him as one of the rapists.

The green covered his vision. He raised one of his guns and shot at the ceiling. The men cowered in fear. Pathetic.

“Now” Red Hood's voice was terrifying, and his figure was imposing “let's have a lil’ chat, shall we?”

Probably their last chat breathing in this world.

Chapter Text

Dick woke up with a weight on top of him. Opening his eyes, he couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Peter was snoring softly, a thin line of drool running from his mouth. Dick gently stroked the kid's hair, remembering how they had ended up in this situation. 

*^*^*^*

“Well, it's time for you to go to bed…” Dick stood up from where he had been kneeling, cleaning the couch (the child had been naked there and had been covered in… substances that had stained the couch) “It's almost midnight.”

The boy just looked at him, swinging his legs slightly. He had finished the entire box of cereal.

“C’ mon, Peter” Dick couldn't help but smile as he said the name.

Peter jumped down from the chair and approached him. Dick's room wasn’t the tidiest, but as long as there was nothing on the bed, it was a perfect room if you only wanted to sleep.

“I’ll need to clean soon” he said, giving a small kick to a sock lying on the floor. He approached the bed “Come here, Peter.”

Peter came closer. Dick pointed to the bed and, after a doubtful look from the boy, he climbed onto it with some effort.

“Oh my god, he’s so cute” Dick thought, hiding his smile with his hand as he watched the kid crawl across the bed.

“Alright, let’s tuck you in” Dick grabbed the sheets and tucked the boy in.

Peter looked at him, dazed, as if he didn’t know how to respond to what Dick was doing. Dick made sure the blanket wasn’t too tight so Peter wouldn’t feel trapped.

“There we go…” he murmured, straightening up “Good night, Petey.”

He tenderly stroked Peter’s hair without realising it before heading to the door. The boy looked at him with big eyes, clutching the sheet that covered him with his small hands. Dick gave him a small smile before closing the door.

As he left the room, Dick sighed. It looked like he would have to sleep on the couch; his poor back wouldn’t like that. He grabbed a blanket and lay down on the couch after turning off the light.

“What an exhausting day” he thought as he closed his eyes, ready to sleep.

But the sound of a door opening distracted him. Opening one eye, he saw Peter looking at him with calculating eyes. The boy approached him quickly, his brow slightly furrowed.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Dick watched, confused, as Peter grabbed his arm.

The boy started pulling on his arm, pointing towards Dick’s room. A somewhat incredulous look adorned the boy’s face as he kept pulling with determination.

“Ohh, no, no” Dick went limp once he understood what the boy intended, making Peter squeal as Dick’s arm propelled him forward “You’ll sleep in the bed tonight. I can sleep perfectly on the couch.”

Although the boy didn’t understand his words, he understood his actions. His brow furrowed in annoyance as he huffed.

“I’m not moving from here” Dick sank further into the couch.

Peter let go his arm and crossed his own arms, pouting. Suddenly, his eyes gained a sparkle and a mischievous smile spread across his face. Dick looked at him cautiously.

Suddenly, Peter jumped onto his stomach, making Dick gasp from the weight. Peter settled in, digging his bony elbows into Dick’s body, making him wince.

Before he knew it, Peter had snuggled under the blankets that covered Dick, looking at him with a smug expression.

“Peter, you have a bed to sleep in…” Dick sighed, though a warmth spread through his chest at the boy’s action “I don’t think it’s very comfortable to sleep on top of someone else”

Peter completely ignored him. He had settled in and closed his eyes. Dick couldn’t help but smile as he gently stroked the boy’s slightly damp hair. Peter relaxed even more.

“Sleep well, kid…” Dick whispered just before falling asleep.

Both boys had a night of nightmare-free sleep. 

*^*^*^*

The sound of his phone receiving a message distracted Dick. Peter stirred but didn’t wake up. Dick stretched his arm to reach his phone. Jason had sent him a message.

Jaybird: I know where the boy comes from

Jaybird: Well, sorta

Jaybird: This is more serious than we thought

Dick frowned as he typed.

Me: What do you mean?

The three-dot bubbles indicating Jason was typing lingered for a while. Dick was getting nervous.

Jaybird: According to the men who left the kid in the alley, that boy was practically a sex slave. They would “rent” him out before leaving him in an alley where his “owners” would pick him up. It’s sex trafficking, Dick

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at the boy resting peacefully on his chest with horror. Did Peter think he was one of his “owners”? Was that why he had acted the way he did? Did he expect Dick to do something to him?

Dick gritted his teeth as fury spread through his entire body. This was much more serious than he initially expected.

Me: I’m going to contact Tim

Me: We’re going to destroy this shitty organisation

Jaybird: >:)

Dick opened the contact for “Timbird.”

Me: Hey Timmy

Me: You awake? Have time now?

He didn't take long to answer

Timbird: U know I nvr sleep

Timbird: What’s up?

Me: Well, how would you feel about destroying a sexual slavery ring?

Tim didn't write anything for a long few seconds.

Timbird: Jst grab ma coffee

Timbird: Tell me evrth

Chapter Text

Peter woke up with his scalp being gently caressed. He relaxed against the hard yet soft surface he was on. It had been a long time since Aunt May had patted him like that...

(A GREAt powEr comES wiTH a GrEAt RespONSIBILitY-)

Peter frowned, sensing something different. The fingers didn’t feel like his aunt’s. They were calloused and firm in a different way and…

(“Name’s Dick”)

Peter’s eyes shot open in surprise. Randomly glancing around, a pair of blue eyes made contact with his.

“Hey, Peter” Dick smiled at him, though the edges of his lips were tense. He had a phone in his right hand and was stroking Peter’s head with his left.

Peter looked at him wide-eyed, remembering how he had ended up in this position.

Once Dick had... tucked him in, Peter had heard the man lie down on the couch. His aunt and uncle had taught Peter good manners! He wasn’t going to let the owner of the apartment sleep on a couch!

So he got up and tried to get Dick to go to his bed, but to Peter’s surprise, Dick didn’t move. Seeing this, Peter increased the strength of his tugs, but nothing. It was as if his body had physically reverted to being seven years old (except for his senses and hunger), with no super strength.

Then, the most logical thing Peter could think of at that moment (after all the emotional and mental exhaustion of the day) was to throw himself on top of Dick. If he wasn’t going to use the bed, Peter wouldn’t either. And that’s how they ended up here. Though now that he thought about it, the situation was actually a bit embarrassing... And quite childish.

The sound of a message arriving on Dick’s phone distracted him. Dick frowned before typing a response and Peter watched the action curiously. After a minute of pure silence, a knock on the door drew the attention of both Dick and Peter.

Dick slowly straightened up. Gently, he lifted Peter by his hips and quickly but softly placed him on the couch. Peter leaned against the back of the sofa as he watched the man approach the door. When he opened it, the man who had been with them the previous night entered. Jason, if Peter remembered correctly.

“Dick” he said upon entering with a serious tone.

“Jay” Dick returned the greeting while closing the door.

Jason’s gaze settled on Peter, who tentatively waved his hand. Jason’s eyes softened as he returned the wave somewhat brusquely. Jason looked at Dick.

“What’s Timbo’s verdict?”

“Timbo?” Peter frowned at the strange name. Was it a nickname?

“According to him, they’re still in the city, though maybe not for long” Dick crossed his arms with a serious look “He has contacted Barbara and they’re figuring out exactly where they are. They’ll tell us the location when they have it.”

“Good” Jason nodded, leaning against the table while crossing his arms. He pointed his head at Peter “How did the kid sleep? Any anxiety or panic?”

“Well, either he didn’t have any or he’s a great actor, because I didn’t notice any of that” Dick shrugged.

For Peter, it was very strange that they talked about him as if he wasn’t in the same room. Although, after all, they thought Peter didn’t understand their language. It was kind of funny, to be honest. No one tried to hide what they were saying because Peter ‘didn’t understand’ them.

“And...” Dick smiled “His name’s Peter.”

Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise, waiting for Dick to continue.

“It’s not that he can’t talk, it hurts him a lot if he tries” he explained, “But he doesn’t understand us”

“But Peter is an English name” Jason argued “How can he not understand at least some of the language?”

“Have you heard those stories of kids who can’t talk after growing up with wild animals? Maybe he wasn’t spoken to much as a child and didn’t pick up the words. Learning languages while growing up is more complex than it seems” Dick suggested.

“Maybe...” Jason frowned, not entirely convinced “And he told you his name was Peter?”

“He pointed to himself and everything”

“Mmm...” Jason made a contemplative noise “Peter” he called.

Peter straightened up at the sound of his name. Jason pointed to himself.

“Jason”

It was obvious he was trying to let him know what his name was. Peter squinted as he tried to make his vocal cords work.

“J...” Peter tried, his throat starting to sting quickly “J-Jay...”

It was very difficult to say, more than Dick or Peter. Peter closed his eyes as the sting in his throat made him hiss in pain.

“Peter!” Dick quickly approached, looking at him with concern “Don’t overexert yourself”

But Peter wanted to say the full name. Jason also came closer, his eyebrows slightly furrowed with concern.

“...S-Son” he managed to say the full name.

Peter immediately collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. Dick sat beside him with concern, gently rubbing his back.

“Why does it hurt so much?” he couldn’t help but ask himself in frustration “I don’t get it!”

Dick and Jason were talking to each other as Peter caught his breath. His throat burned and stung too much to concentrate on anything else.

“...Tim is on his way” he heard once the pain started to become bearable “Seems he’s discovered some things and will help us when we go after those traffickers.”

“Traffickers?” Peter raised his eyebrows in confusion and interest “Could they be drug traffickers? Or maybe human traffickers? Are these guys cops or something?”

“And who will stay with the kid? He can’t be left alone” Jason reminded.

Dick smiled as he showed him the phone in his hand. Jason snorted with a smile.

“That will be interesting, that’s for sure”

Peter looked at them with curiosity and some indignation. He didn’t need a babysitter!

“By the way, you still don’t have any food for the kid, right?” Jason asked, though Dick’s slightly nervous smile said it all.

Jason rolled his eyes as he headed to the door.

“I’ll go to do the shopping. Keep the kid entertained” was the last thing he said before leaving the apartment.

Dick sighed with a slight smile. His eyes were gentle.

“Hope Damian doesn’t mind me taking some of his pencils for drawing...” he murmured to himself as he got up.

Peter watched as shortly after, Dick returned with a stack of papers and a box of coloured pencils. He left them on the floor and Peter picked up a sheet with a thought in mind. If he couldn’t talk or write, maybe he could try to communicate with Dick through his drawings!

“Alright Peter, what’s the last thing you remember?” he thought, picking up a light blue pencil “I was in New York, so... An important place there is...”

Peter started drawing with concentration. Dick lay on the couch while browsing the internet on his phone.

Peter was finishing his drawing of Lady Liberty (quite realistic, if he might say so himself!), when suddenly his stomach made a strange noise.

“Oh-oh” Peter quickly got up and headed to the bathroom “It’s coming out! Right now!”

Dick watched as Peter ran to the bathroom. He couldn’t help but snort as he heard the kid doing the number two. He approached where the kid had been drawing.

Dick frowned. He picked up the paper while looking closely at the drawing. His blue eyes widened completely as he realised.

“The Statue of Liberty?” Dick looked at the closed bathroom door “That means... The kid has been in New York?”

Dick looked back at the drawing with concentration.

“It has too many details to have only seen it from afar or in passing... But I doubt he’s seen it on the internet if he’s a victim of human trafficking...”

Dick’s frown deepened.

“Kids can’t visit the Statue of Liberty alone, so...” a dark look covered Dick’s face “He must have gone with an adult”

Probably one of his ‘owners’. But who?”

Chapter Text

When Peter came out of the bathroom after emptying his bowels, he saw that Jason had returned to the apartment. Along with Dick, they were organising the food from the bags scattered on the floor.

Peter approached curiously. Seeing him, Dick gave a small smile, and Jason greeted him with a nod.

“Don't you think you bought too much?” said Dick, grabbing a bag of vegetables “The kid isn't staying for that long”

Jason snorted. He seemed amused by what the other man had said.

“Whatever you say, Dickhead”

Dick squinted at Jason while grabbing another bag. Peter watched as, little by little, all the food was being stored in the cabinets and fridge.

“Tim will be here at lunchtime” Dick informed Jason when they finished organising everything “He's thinking of some excuse to tell Bruce to explain him why he won't be patrolling Gotham tonight”

“He can always say he's staying with that boy he likes, even if every time he tries to deny it” joked Jason as he closed the kitchen cabinets “What was his name? Will? Jack?”

“His name was Bernard” Dick rolled his eyes with a smile “I'm still waiting for that boy to make the first move because, at this rate, Tim never will”

“It's frustrating to watch them” Jason sat in a chair “I literally saw both of them blush when they made eye contact. Fucking. Eye Contact. They're so pathetic that it's pitiful”

Dick snorted as he approached the sheets on the floor that Peter had left.

“Peter” Dick called him, motioning for him to come closer.

When he approached Dick, Peter frowned, seeing that his drawing of the Statue of Liberty was missing. He looked around and realised a window was open; his drawing might have been carried away by the wind. How inconvenient…

Dick handed him the box of coloured pencils. It was obvious he wanted to keep Peter entertained. Peter raised an eyebrow but decided to indulge the man. He took the box and sat on the floor, thinking. What could he draw this time?

Dick moved away from him as Peter looked at the various coloured pencils. Peter shrugged and grabbed a black pencil. He would draw spiders all over the sheet, so many that they would doubt the state of his mental health.

While Peter entertained himself by drawing spiders, Dick and Jason spoke in a low, serious tones.

“Look” Dick pulled out the drawing the kid had made earlier. He had taken it while Peter was in the bathroom.

Jason took it, squinting his eyes.

“Wait, this is…”

“Yeah” Dick sighed “Probably, they took him there when... Well, you know”

Jason clenched his jaw tightly. That kid was a walking bag of trauma, no matter how much he seemed to be fine. He must have lived through many unpleasant things to achieve such indifference in an unfamiliar situation.

“Shit” Jason rubbed his eyes with some weariness “What a situation”

Dick let out a dry laugh. “You tell me”

The two brothers remained silent until the rumbling of a stomach distracted them. Peter had frozen completely, red flooding his cheeks. The kid looked at them with an awkward smile, and both men couldn't help but laugh.

“I'll make the breakfast” Jason stood up, rolling up his sleeves.

“Oh, you don't need to…”

“Shut it, Dickward” Jason began to open drawers “Go with the kid and let my magic work”

Dick rolled his eyes with a soft smile. He approached Peter, who had returned to his drawing. Dick leaned down to get a better look at the drawing.

“Are those...?” Dick frowned in confusion “Spiders?”

Every part of the paper was covered with small poorly drawn spiders, some with sad faces and others smiling. There were many spiders given the short time the kid had to draw them.

Realising that Dick was looking at the spider drawings, Peter grabbed his drawing and brought it close to his face. Dick took it with a puzzled smile.

“I guess you like spiders” he joked. They were actually quite cute.

Peter grabbed another paper and started drawing again. Dick watched as Peter picked different pencils. It looked like a... Person? As Peter drew, it became clearer that it was a person in a fancy suit.

Dick couldn't help but frown. What if this person was one of the people who had 'rented' Peter?

“Set the fucking table, Dickhead!” Jason suddenly shouted. Has that much time passed? “The pancakes are almost ready!”

Dick stood up (he had sat next to Peter while he drew).

“Language!”

Dick walked up to Jason without seeing how Peter's eyes had opened wide and how he was petrified at the single word.

“The kid doesn't understand us” Jason complained.

“But he repeats what he hears” Dick retorted while getting some glasses “And I don't want him going around saying that word without knowing what it means.”

Jason mocked while placing the pancakes on the plates. Dick took the plates and set them on the table.

“Peter!” Dick called him.

The kid approached quickly, eyes wide as he looked at the pancakes. Jason watched him with soft eyes before an idea crossed his mind.

“Does the kid even know how to use cutlery?”

Dick turned to his brother, eyes wide.

“Well, he used a spoon yesterday but…” Dick looked at Peter with doubt “I don't know if he will know how to use a knife. I guess we'll find out?"

Peter couldn't help but pout. He wasn't uncivilised! He knew how to use a knife! Though the smell of the pancakes made any annoyance he might feel disappear. They smelled too good.

Peter grabbed the cutlery Dick had placed on the table and soon started eating. Both men watched the kid with some bewilderment.

“I guess he does know how to use the knife…” Jason murmured to Dick, who nodded, watching in amazement as Peter devoured the pancakes.

Peter didn't take long to finish breakfast. It had been a while since he felt satisfied after eating. He leaned back in his chair and looked at Dick and Jason. Both were holding back laughter as they tried not to choke on the food in their mouths.

Peter rolled his eyes, but a smile grew on his face. He would also be amused by a kid acting like a vacuum cleaner with food.

Jason and Dick ate at a much slower pace while talking among themselves. The topic of Tim and Bernard came up again.

“One day I'm going to lock them in a closet and not let them out until they kiss” Jason complained.

Dick laughed, and Peter hid his smile in his arms. They kept talking until they finished eating. Dick took the plates and cutlery and put them in what seemed to be a dishwasher.

After eating, Peter felt a bit sleepy. He leaned on the table and closed his eyes as sleep overtook him.

(At no point did he realise his accelerated metabolism shouldn't have allowed him to feel full with just a few pancakes)

*^*^*^*

Peter regained consciousness as he heard voices in the distance. He was on a soft surface with something on top of him. When he opened his eyes, he realised he was in Dick's bed with a blanket covering him.

He slowly straightened up as he rubbed his eyes. The bedroom door was ajar, so he could hear voices coming from the living room.

Peter jumped out of bed, still a little sleepy. What time was it? The voices became more and more distinguishable the closer Peter came to the door.

“...we’ve concluded that they are currently in East Lamar” said a voice that didn't belong to either Dick or Jason.

Peter peeked out curiously. A black-haired teenager with a computer was sitting on the couch with Dick and Jason around him.

He must not have been very sneaky, because all three boys turned in his direction.

“You're losing your touch, Peter” he couldn't help but mentally scold himself.

“Peter” Dick smiled at him, and Peter smiled back.

Whenever Dick looked at Peter, he gave him a warm smile that made Peter feel comfortable and... good. He wouldn't admit out loud that he liked the smiles the man gave him.

Peter approached them, looking curiously at the teenager. His eyes were analytical and showed the same curiosity that Peter felt.

“Hi... Peter” the boy gave him a small smile. His eyes were staring at him in concentration as he pointed to himself with one of his hands “Tim”

Peter's eyes widened with recognition, so this was the Tim boy who was in love with this Bernard guy! The brown-haired man approached with quick steps.

Tim looked slightly uncomfortable under Peter's intense gaze. Dick and Jason, on the other hand, looked amused. Peter frowned as he forced his vocal cords to work.

“...Tim” the name came out of his lips more easily than other times and without hurting that much.

Tim's eyes widened in disbelief before a small smile grew across his face. Dick and Jason looked sideways at each other with complicit smiles.

Peter looked at the computer in the teenager's lap inquiringly. With some effort he climbed onto the couch and looked at the computer screen.

“...I don't understand anything” Peter frowned at the strange symbols he could see. Some of them he could recognise from the symbols on the first pair of pyjamas he had been given “It seems I really can't understand the writing of the language... But they are speaking English, why can't I read?”

Stop his spidey sense spoke again.

Peter's frown became pronounced while he leaned on Tim's right arm.

Peter didn't notice how Tim went completely still and the three men stared at him in surprise. Nor did he see the panicked look the teenager gave Dick.

“What do I do?” he mouthed. But Dick simply shrugged his shoulders.

Peter remained deep in thought. There was something strange about the whole situation. He couldn't understand the writing but he could understand the speech of the people standing next to him, his lack of memories, his sudden turning into a seven-year-old boy....

STop THiNKing RighT NOw

A pounding headache invaded Peter's mind. He couldn't help but hiss as he clutched his head.

“Peter?” he heard someone say.

But Peter was starting to panic. His spidey sense should have no conscience, there was something very wrong with this whole situation! And when Peter tried to remember-

STOP

Everything went black.

Chapter Text

Dick watched as Peter suddenly slumped onto Tim's arm. Tim quickly set down the computer on the table, trying to prevent Peter from hitting it, while Dick reached out for the boy.

“Peter?!” Dick exclaimed with concern as he shook Peter, trying to wake him. But his efforts were in vain. The boy's eyes remained closed.

“Did he just faint?” Jason demanded to know, looking at Tim with a frown “What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing!” Tim exclaimed indignantly, pointing at the computer “He just looked at the computer and collapsed. You said he doesn't speak English, so he wouldn't understand what's written here. Although…” Tim's eyes widened as he realised something.

“‘Although’ what?” Dick was nervous. No one just… collapsed for no reason! Dear God, what if the boy was sick? Could he have caught something? Was he even vaccinated-?

“Well, there's a picture of East Lamar…” Tim glanced at his older brothers uncertainly “Maybe he recognized the place and panicked?”

Dick and Jason exchanged a look. It was a plausible guess, all things considered. Before fainting, the boy's eyes had been filled with panic.

“I guess we're on the right track then” Jason's eyes gleamed with vengeance as his hand tightened on the couch's armrest. He could see green at the edges of his vision.

Dick held the boy in his arms with concern, whose brow was furrowed and his face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

It filled Dick with anger that such a young child should suffer such horrible things at such a young age. He held him tighter, his eyes filled with determination.

(Hands, HANds TOucHIN hIS bODY-)

He would not let this happen to another child. He would stop this sex trafficking ring and make sure the culprits never saw the light of day again.

*^*^*^*

Around him, there was only darkness. He couldn't distinguish anything. He was lying on the ground, on something damp. Was it... water? Where was he...?

“You are not ready yet, Peter” he heard a female voice say sadly “Your mind... is not stable enough to face everything that has happened. I will make sure you do not think too much about everything that is going on until you have some stability in your life…”

Peter couldn't concentrate. But he recognized the voice. He had heard it before... He...!

“Trust them, Peter” the voice whispered “I promise you. They will help you”

Before sinking back into unconsciousness, he was able to hear another voice. It was a child's voice full of sadness and envy.

“Why didn't they help me...? Why didn't they come earlier...?”

*^*^*^*

Peter opened his eyes with difficulty. Someone had... spoken to him but... Who...? Peter couldn't quite remember what had happened.

“Peter!”

Looking up, Peter saw Dick's relieved expression. He could see through the window the last rays of the sun disappearing. Peter frowned, the sun had been high in the sky not long ago. Wait, had he fainted? He felt like there was something... wrong. Incorrect.

“Peter? You okay, buddy?”

Dick's worried voice brought Peter out of his thoughts. Looking into the man's blue eyes, Peter couldn't help but feel calmed. There was something about Dick that soothed him every time he looked at him.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the man's chest, though he immediately frowned. His chest...? Peter opened his eyes quickly. Oh God, he was sitting in Dick's lap!

Peter tried to scramble out of the man's lap immediately, embarrassed, and in his haste, couldn't avoid falling to the floor with a sharp scream. But before he hit the ground, arms surrounded his waist and lifted him. Suddenly, Dick was standing with Peter in his arms.

“Whoa kid” Dick exclaimed “Careful now”

Peter looked at Dick with clear embarrassment on his face, though also impressed by the man's reflexes. Dick gently set him down on the floor before sitting back down, making no move to suggest he would pick him up again. Peter nervously rubbed his hands together.

“Dick, what was that-? Oh.”

Turning around, Peter saw Tim emerging from Dick's room. The teenager gave a clearly awkward smile, though it was also... relieved?

“Looks like he's finally awake” Jason said, appearing behind Tim with a backpack in his hand.

“Yeah” Dick smiled at them “Though I think I scared him” Dick's smile was tinged with sadness and regret.

A pang of sadness pierced Peter's chest. He didn't understand what was happening, but just seeing the man sad made him even sadder for some reason.

Peter approached and placed his hand on one of Dick's knees. Unbeknownst to him, he looked at the man with a look that both Jason and Tim recognized. They glanced at each other as Dick melted at the tenderness of the action.

“He’s just like…” Tim began to say with his mouth.

Jason nodded, understanding what Tim meant. Before he could say anything, a knock on the door interrupted them.

Peter watched as Dick got up to open the door. As soon as he opened it, a red blur rushed at Dick in an instant. Peter startled and tensed, but the man's laughter indicated there was no cause for concern.

“Hey, Walls”

“Sup, Dickie” as they separated from Dick, Peter could see that 'Walls' was a green-eyed redhead with a radiant smile. His mere presence radiated optimism.

Walls nodded at Jason and Tim, who returned the gesture. His green eyes soon fixed on Peter. Somehow, his smile brightened, yet softened at the same time.

“Is this the kid I'm supposed to keep an eye on tonight?” Walls and Dick approached Peter.

“Yeah” Dick smiled, but Walls' eyes had turned thoughtful as he approached Peter. He seemed to be contemplating something “His name is Peter, though he doesn't really understand English. I've tried other languages, but he doesn't seem to grasp any” Dick explained to the redhead before turning back to Peter with a smile “Peter, Wally” he said, pointing to the man.

Peter awkwardly greeted Wally with a wave. The kid he’s supposed to keep an eye on? Were the other three men going somewhere? Wally returned the gesture with a big smile, though his brow was slightly furrowed.

“W-Wa…” Peter furrowed his eyebrows. Why couldn't his name be simpler, like Tim's? It was already difficult to make his vocal cords work, and the sore throat didn't help “ ...lly”

Wally's frown vanished completely. He looked at Dick with a kind of childlike joy.

“I thought he didn't understand our language!” Wally exclaimed.

WHe's not dumb” Dick  chuckled “He can tell when someone is introducing themselves. Plus, he understands when we gesture and-”

“Dick, we have to go now” Tim interrupted, watching as the moon began to rise “If we delay…”

“I know, Tim” Dick rolled his eyes with mock annoyance “You guys go ahead, I'll catch up with you soon”

Jason and Tim glanced at each other before shrugging. They said goodbye to Wally as Dick knelt in front of Peter, who looked at him curiously.

With slow, deliberate movements, Dick placed his hand on Peter's head and gently stroked it. Peter couldn't help but relax at the gesture. Dick smiled at him, and while there was a hint of sadness in his smile, it also carried determination.

“I'll be back tomorrow, bud... I'll stop them, I promise…” the man murmured before standing up.

With slow steps, he walked to the door and, before leaving, turned to Peter and bid him farewell with a calming wave and smile. Peter returned the gesture, and then... Dick was gone.

“Well, now it's just the two of us” Wally said nervously, with a smile. Peter looked at him expressionlessly, causing the redhead's smile to waver.

“Oh, right, you don't understand English…”

Wally scratched his head, clearly unsure of what to do. In a blink, Wally was suddenly opening the fridge. Peter blinked before rubbing his eyes. Was this guy an athlete or something? Because that speed wasn't normal for a regular person.

“Ah-ha!” Wally suddenly exclaimed as he lifted... a pizza? “All kids like pizza, right? Of course they do! What a silly question, Wally…”

Peter approached and watched as Wally put the pizza in the oven. The man kept muttering to himself at an astonishing speed that made it hard for Peter to understand.

“... What if he's allergic to something? God, Dick would kill me! Relax, Wally, you can get him to the hospital quickly…”

Yep, it would certainly be an interesting night.

*^*^*^*

From a rooftop, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Morrigan observed the hideout of the traffickers.

“Oracle? How's the recon going?” Morrigan asked through communications.

“[I'm almost done...]” Oracle murmured before letting out a triumphant noise “[Got it! Alright guys, ready?]”

They all affirmed their readiness. From Gotham, Barbara Gordon stretched her arms (cracking them) with a somewhat manic smile.

“[Very well, let's take these guys down! I'm sending you the map of the building. Nightwing, go to the back. There's a guard, take him out. Rigan, go through the roof; there's an opening that will lead you to the centre of the building, though you'll have to deal with three people there. Hood, to the right, there's another entrance guarded by another guard, take care of them]"

“Understood!” the three vigilantes exclaimed before beginning to follow the orders.

Dick frowned with determination as memories of Peter filled his mind. He wouldn't let these people hurt Peter or any other child again. Ever.

Chapter Text

Morrigan used his grappling hook to reach the roof of the building before he began to run with stealthy steps. The building was abandoned, though it was still in fairly good condition. 

“[Guard knocked out. I'm entering the compound]” he heard Nightwing say over the communications.

Morrigan heard Oracle begin to lead Nightwing through. In a short time, Morrigan arrived at the opening Oracle had been talking about. As she had said, there were three people with weapons scattered around the room.

“O, I'm about to enter” he reported over the comms “Disable the guards’ comms.”

“[Working on it, Rigan.]”

It was still strange to hear that name. It had only been a few months since Tim, after an intense conversation with Dick (before Tim left to find Bruce, who was believed to be dead), had stopped using the name Red Robin.

[A few months ago...]

“...Tim?”

Tim turned to where the voice was coming from where he was working on his latest case at the Batcomputer. Dick looked at him with a slight frown of concern as he approached. Tim went back to what he was doing when he saw that the man didn't look hurt or in panic. In other words, nothing that needed Tim's immediate attention.

“What do you want, Dick?”

His voice was tense and somewhat harsh, but Tim was not in the mood to deal with the man. The relationship between him and Dick had been souring ever since the acrobat had passed the mantle of Robin to Damian, and it didn’t seem like it was going to improve anytime soon.

“...Can we talk?”

Tim stopped typing. He slowly turned to face Dick, who had a determined but slightly nervous look. Tim’s blue eyes scrutinised the vigilante before returning his attention to his investigation.

“Can’t it wait? You see, I’m a bit busy right now” Tim said with some disdain. God, he needed an energy drink to deal with this.

“It could” Dick approached and placed his hand on Tim’s shoulder, startling the teenager. He was more tired than he thought if Dick had scared him so easily... “But I think the sooner we talk, the better it will be for both of us.”

Tim looked at Dick before letting out a weary sigh. He moved away from the Batcomputer.

“Fine. What is it?”

Dick sat on the floor in front of him, causing Tim to have to look down. He raised an eyebrow at the action, glancing around. After all, there were several chairs in the cave that Dick could have used instead of sitting on the floor.

“Tim” the usually cheerful man’s serious voice made Tim straighten up. It seemed that the conversation was not going to be an easy one“I think it’s best to say it bluntly, so… You have to let go of Robin.”

Something inside Tim short-circuited at those words. He blinked in confusion. Let… go of Robin?

“What?”

Dick sighed as he rubbed his eyes wearily.

“Tim…” Dick’s voice had taken on a tone of sadness. “What you’re doing right now, clinging to the mantle of Robin… It’s not good for your mental health. You’re smart, I know you’ve noticed how you’ve started to… Well, you know. To slip, we could say.”

Tim felt himself becoming defensive. He frowned at Dick.

“Since when do you care about my mental health?” Tim retorted cruelly (he knew the man did, but he just wanted to hurt him as he had hurt him). He couldn’t help but feel a dark satisfaction at the brief flash of pain in Dick’s eyes.

But Dick didn’t lash out as Tim wanted him to. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out. His eyes were calm again when he opened them.

“I do care, Tim” Dick squeezed one of Tim’s knees. “I really do. And that’s why I’m having this conversation.”

Tim scoffed ironically as he rested his arms on his legs.

“Yeah, sure” he rolled his eyes. “And because you cared so much, you took Robin away from me. Makes perfect sense to me.”

“Tim…” Dick’s blue eyes were full of kindness. Tim felt something horrible swirling in his chest. How dare he treat him with condescension?

“No, Dick” Tim spat the name, clearly treating it as an insult “You didn’t think about me at any moment. You only cared about the damn demon brat! It would have been easier to lock him in Arkham and throw away the key…” he murmured cruelly, looking away.

“Tim Drake!”

Dick’s enraged shout made Tim look up in surprise. The man breathed several times, trying to calm down before speaking again.

“When Jason died…” Tim’s eyes widened in surprise. Dick never mentioned Jason’s death (even though he was alive now), it was something that hurt him too much “You stepped up. You recognized that Batman was spiralling out of control and decided to become the Robin that would keep him in line. Something I couldn’t do. You should never have been an adult’s emotional support, but that’s how things turned out. And now that Bruce is… no longer with us” Dick took the teenager’s hands while his eyes made eye contact with Tim’s “The Batman I’ve had to become… doesn’t need you to be his Robin.”

Something inside Tim broke at those words. Tim tried to pull his hands away from Dick’s, but the acrobat was much stronger than him, so his hands didn’t move.

“Even if it doesn’t seem like it to you, when you were Robin, every day you became more independent. I saw it. Little by little, you debated more with Bruce. You felt that certain decisions were wrong, that it was needed to act differently. You started to have your own judgement” Dick explained.

(“Batman, wouldn’t another course of action be better? I have an idea that...”)

“And what does that have to do with being Robin or not?” the conversation made Tim increasingly defensive. He didn’t like it, he wanted Dick to stop.

“Robin represents many things, but, after all, he is Batman’s associate. He learns from him and keeps him… stable, we could say. In line. But Tim… I don’t need you to be under my charge as Robin. I need you to be my partner, my equal in battle. You couldn’t have been my Robin because I don’t see you as a sidekick, but as an equal”

(“You can’t just bench me without an explanation, Batman! I did the right thing and you know it!”) 

(“What do you think of this plan of action, Timmy?”)

Tim could feel tears of frustration filling his eyes. He frowned, trying to ignore the pain those words caused. He didn’t want to admit that, maybe, Dick could have a point.

“So what?” he replied “You just…! You didn’t ask for my opinion! You always say communication is important, but you didn’t talk to me! You just gave Robin to Damian!”

(“Tim, from today, Damian will be Robin”)

Tim broke free of Dick’s grasp on his hands and stood up furiously, knocking over the chair he had been sitting on. Dick looked at him from the floor with a gleam in his eyes that Tim couldn’t analyse.

“Bruce is gone! Jason murders people in the streets at least once a week! That demon tries to kill me practically every day! And you…” despite doing everything possible not to cry, Tim couldn’t prevent the tears from starting to roll down his face “You didn’t care! You only thought about Bruce’s damn killer son, not Tim Drake!”

(“Tim, you know Damian doesn’t know any better…”)

Tim clutched his shirt tightly. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult and with each passing second, his heart beat harder.

“How can you tell me to let go of Robin?!” he shouted with great pain in his heart that he had tried to ignore for a long time “You never let me leave on my own terms! A-And I d-don’t…”

(“Red Robin, return to the cave and rest. I’ll finish patrolling with Robin”)

Suddenly, firm arms wrapped around Tim. The teenager tried to pull away but was unable to. Tim closed his eyes as heart-wrenching sobs escaped his mouth. His throat burned and his body couldn’t stop trembling.

“I can’t let go of Robin! Without him, what the hell is left of me?!”

Dick tightened his embrace, making Tim feel warm but suffocated at the same time. He loved Dick, but he hated him at the same time. Why him?! Why could he never be enough?!

“Without Robin, there is Tim Drake” Dick whispered with a trembling voice “A wonderful, intelligent boy and a great detective who has helped me a lot since he came into my life. What’s left is a boy who doesn’t need Robin to shine like the star he already is.”

“Tim Drake is not enough! I have never been enough! Not to my parents, not to Bruce, and certainly not to you!” he said through sobs “Why would I be now?! Robin made me useful! I can’t let it go!”

“No, Tim, no” Dick’s voice was breaking “It wasn’t Robin who decided someone had to stop Batman, it was Tim Drake. Robin didn’t help Steph with her pregnancy, Tim did. It wasn’t Robin who discovered Batman and Robin’s identities, it was you” Dick moved back and looked at him, his eyes filled with unshed tears “You are, and always have been, enough, Tim Drake, even if you don’t believe it. And even if it takes me a lifetime... I will make sure that in the end, you believe it yourself.”

Tim looked at him in silence before the dam broke completely. He cried, cried, and cried while Dick, his older brother, comforted him. His arms were warm and strong, making Tim feel safe and protected.

“I don’t know who to be without Robin,” he said once his sobs had calmed down. “I can’t just… let it go. I don’t know where to start.”

“Start by removing the name Robin from your hero name. Find something that feels right, Timmy...” Dick murmured with his lips pressed against his head “You’re smart, you’ll come up with something.”

And if the next day, after a sleepless night staring at his old Robin costume in a Batcave display case, Tim Drake announced that from now on he would be known as Morrigan... Well, the bridge that had been destroyed between Tim and Dick seemed to be starting to rebuild.

And the watery smile Dick gave him after confirming his decision definitely supported that statement.

(He would never say out loud that he had missed the relationship he had with his older brother)

[Present]

“[Rigan, their communications have been deactivated]” Oracle’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Thanks, O” he said before jumping into the building.

Suddenly, three men looked at him in surprise. Tim simply smiled.

“You guys are really big… Lucky me!” Morrigan began twirling his Bo Staff as the men aimed their weapons at him “Now I have more space to hit you!”

In less than two minutes, the men were unconscious and tied up with sturdy knots. Morrigan started searching the room for any important documents and then, when trying to open a drawer, Tim realised it was locked.

Morrigan grabbed the drawer handle and, with a strong pull at a specific angle, opened it, breaking the lock.

“I’m glad Dick taught me this” he thought with a smile as he rummaged through the drawer.

There were folders of documents listed in alphabetical order. Morrigan took the first document (listed with the letter ‘A’) and opened it. The vigilante’s eyes widened in disbelief. There was a photo of a girl no older than ten, covered in bruises and with dead eyes.

[Amelia] could be read below the photo. To the right, there were several names of people written with different dates. [Current status: Discarded, clients have complained several times about her behaviour]

“Those bastards...” Morrigan clenched the document in his hands with fury before a terrifying thought crossed his mind. He put the document back in the drawer “The P... Where’s the P?!”

Tim grabbed the ‘P’ document with steady hands, despite mentally panicking. With a deep breath, he opened the document.

[Peter] could be read below a photo of the boy Dick found. His eyes were dead, very different from the eyes of the boy he had met, which, though scared and cautious, brimmed with life. [Current status: Pending pickup after being rented out. Not found at the designated site. Possible escape]

“O” Morrigan said through the communications as anger coursed through his veins “I’ve found something.”

*^*^*^*

Peter sneezed just as the oven indicated that the pizza was done. Wally took it out and set it on the table while he went to get plates. The pizza, which smelled very good, was a simple ham and cheese pizza, but no less delicious for that.

Wally returned with two plates and kitchen scissors to cut the pizza. After cutting it, Wally took a plate and placed a slice of pizza on it before handing it to Peter, who quickly began to eat.

“Pizza never fails” Peter thought happily as he felt the cheese melt in his mouth.

Wally chuckled as he watched the boy practically inhale the slice of pizza he had been given. It was funny to see how the boy had his cheeks puffed up with food in his mouth, like a squirrel.

Honestly, when Wally received a message from Dick asking for help, Wally didn’t hesitate to quickly accept. Wally and Dick had been through a lot together over the years and, although their conversations had diminished over time, both knew they would be there for each other if needed.

That’s why Wally was here, taking care of a boy who didn’t understand English and looked too much like his best friend when he was younger. Wally had learned during all the years he had been fighting crime that coincidences were very rare, and there was usually more to the story than it initially seemed.

Wally ate his own pizza thoughtfully and worriedly. If his suspicions were correct...

“God, Dick” he thought with an internal grimace “I hope I’m wrong.”

Chapter Text

Red Hood walked with his guns drawn through the long hallways of the building. Apart from the guard watching the entrance, the vigilante hadn’t encountered anyone else, which only made him more alert.

Upon reaching a fork in the path, Red Hood made sure there was no one around before continuing to walk.

“This place is a fucking maze” he thought in frustration. He would much rather jump straight into action and break a few bones, not being here, trying to figure out where the hell he was.

“[Guys]” Oracle suddenly spoke up, her voice tense “[Morrigan has found some documents. They contain information on the children who have been kidnapped by these traffickers.]”

“Damn it…” Red Hood muttered, gripping his guns tightly. A heaviness in his chest roared like a storm. The thought of what those bastards had done to the children enraged him.

“[The child Nightwing found, Peter, was among those documents. We need to find the other kids and-]”

“[I don’t think that will be necessary]” Nightwing interrupted, “[I just found them.]”

*^*^*^*

Nightwing stood with his hands raised in a non-threatening position as he looked at the group of children before him. The oldest, a girl who couldn’t be more than sixteen, shielded about ten children with her body, even though she was trembling non-stop.

“Hey” Nightwing said in the gentlest voice he could manage, giving them a small smile “It’s okay. I’m here to rescue you. I’m Nightwing.”

The girl seemed to recognize the name because her eyes lit up with hope. Her legs were trembling too much now. They wouldn’t hold her weight for much longer.

“Nightwing?” she said with difficulty, in an accent Dick Grayson would recognize anywhere.

“...Tute san romani?” The girl’s face brightened with joy as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Va!” she cried before collapsing. The children behind her shouted and rushed to her with concern “Me san... Me san!”

Nightwing knelt in front of the girl, unable to believe that after so many years, he had found someone who spoke Romani.

“Na bister, me tumen kerava andre” the vigilante assured her.

“Palikerav…” the girl said, gesturing to the children (who visibly calmed down) before fainting.

The children’s calmness didn’t last long, they began to panic again.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Nightwing picked the girl up in his arms, trying to give the others the most reassuring smile he could manage “Let’s get out of here.” He then spoke into his comms “I’m starting the evacuation of the kids. There are eleven in total, one of them is unconscious.”

“[I’ve got your back, Wing]” Oracle said decisively.

“[I’ll find the bastards who brought them here]” Hood said in a tone that promised blood (though he hoped he wouldn’t spill enough to kill them… They needed answers).

“[I’ll help]” Morrigan said. “[Get the kids out of here, Nightwing. We’ll handle it from here.]”

“Roger that” Nightwing said, walking quickly with the children following him. He looked over his shoulder “Do any of you speak English?”

A blond boy, about eleven years old, sped up to keep pace with the vigilante. His clothes were too big, and they were dirty. His bare feet ran to keep up with him.

“I do” he said, his voice trembling slightly.

“That’s good. What’s your name, kiddo?”

“I’m Andy. Is Ruzha going to be okay?” the boy looked worriedly at the girl in Nightwing’s arms.

‘Ruzha’. That meant rose in romani.

“She’ll be fine, don’t worry. I need you to tell me how long you’ve been here and how you ended up here. Can you do that for me?”

Andy nodded, regaining some confidence.

“I… We were going to eat, but there was no fruit. Mom likes to eat apples after meals, so she sent me to buy some. But when I was passing through the park on my way to the fruit store, a white van stopped next to me. Some men got out and… I couldn’t do anything. They grabbed me and threw me inside” Andy looked down in helplessness, trembling slightly.

“I understand. Don’t push yourself, okay? Do you know how long you’ve been here?”

“Not long. They haven’t… requested my… s-services yet” it was obvious the boy understood what they intended to do to him.

Nightwing only felt his anger grow. How could anyone look at these small children, many of whom hadn’t even reached puberty yet, and think about having sex with them?

The vigilante had had sex before and could understand the pleasure of it, but he had never fully grasped why people became so obsessed with it. Much less why they would force children to do it!

(YOu weRE FOrCe BeFOre, anD YoU WERe noT A chILD-)

Sex was a pleasure that Nightwing couldn’t fully comprehend, especially not the lengths people went to obtain it (especially without caring about the other person who was doing it with them). How horny did you have to be to commit such deplorable acts? How sick could your mind be?

It didn’t really matter at the end, because these people would end up behind bars. He wouldn’t allow these children to experience anything like that again.

“And they won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Andy looked at him with hope and gratitude.

“[Nightwing, four armed men are approaching your position!]” Oracle suddenly warned through the comms.

“Hide, quickly!” Nightwing barked, scaring the children. He would feel bad later when they were safe.

Andy took charge of the situation. He approached a nearby door and, after opening it, led the other children inside. Nightwing carefully set Ruzha down before approaching Andy.

“No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, don’t open this door. I’ll knock three times to let you know it’s me, understood?” he instructed.

Andy nodded, gripping the unconscious Ruzha’s hand tightly. Nightwing closed the door just in time, as four men rounded the corner and immediately aimed their weapons at him.

Nightwing drew his escrima sticks. He couldn’t help but think of little Peter, his brown eyes cautious yet full of curiosity. His stubborn attitude and his ability to express his thoughts despite not speaking the same language. Nightwing thought and thought, not just about Peter but about what these people had decided to do to these children, who were nothing but innocent, hurt by the scum of the planet. He gritted his teeth as his weapons electrified.

“It’s Nightwing! Fire!”

Nightwing dodged the bullets coming his way as he sprinted toward the traffickers. Propelling himself off the wall, he made a powerful leap that landed him on top of his opponents. With force, Nightwing took down one of the men, who crashed to the floor, groaning in pain.

Another man approached from behind, but Nightwing ducked before he could strike with his weapon. Taking advantage of the momentum, Nightwing spun around and delivered a powerful kick to his jaw, smashing him against the wall and leaving him clearly unconscious.

Nightwing slowly straightened up with a defiant smile. A chilling smile he had learned to make during his days as Robin, one that still instilled fear in the criminals who faced him.

The electricity crackled in his sticks as he raised them. The terror in the eyes of the remaining two men was unmistakable. With a terrifying laugh that sent shivers even down his allies’ spines, Nightwing charged at them.

*^*^*^*

Morrigan moved stealthily through the hallways with the documents he had found clutched in his arms while following Oracle's instructions to meet up with Red Hood. 

“[You're almost there, Rigan]” he heard her say with a slightly tense voice “[Turn right at the next fork. Hood, Rigan is about to reach your location.]”

Morrigan heard Hood’s confirmation just as he rounded the corner. His brother quickly turned with tense shoulders before relaxing them. 

“Morri” Hood nodded. Tim felt a slight irritation. He hated that nickname, but Jason was determined to keep using it despite all the blackmail Tim had threatened him with.

“Hoodie” he replied before getting serious “This is what I found.”

Red Hood took the documents and glanced through them. His hands gripping the papers he was reading clearly showed his feelings. 

“Fuck” he heard him mutter before handing the documents back “Let’s find those bastards”

Tim nodded before starting to run down the hallway alongside Jason. 

“[Nightwing has subdued four men who attacked him in a room. He has started the extract of the children again]” Oracle informed them.

“I’ll go interrogate them” Hood said with a clear murderous intent “Guide me, O."

“I’ll keep searching for information” Morrigan said “See you later, Hood”

His brother nodded before they both went their separate ways again. Morrigan began opening any door he saw, although there was nothing relevant in any of them. Until he reached the command room. 

Suspiciously, there was no one in that room. Morrigan was tense, prepared for any kind of trap or ambush. But a symbol painted on the wall made him frown. It wasn’t familiar to him. It was a spider, a black widow to be exact.

“I hope they’re a new group” the vigilante thought as he approached the computers “I don’t like the idea that no one noticed their criminal activity before now.”

As he approached the table with all the screens, he froze completely. One of them showed a street that Tim Drake would recognize at any moment. 

“Guys” he said with a tense voice through the comms “Peter is in danger."

“[What?]”he heard Nightwing say with a dark tone that made Tim uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he’d heard his older brother speak like that. 

(The Joker taunting, Tim injured, Dick shouting with fury and charging at the Joker before he-) 

“I’m in the command room. One of the screens shows someone approaching your building in first person, Wing.”

Tim’s heart sank as the scene progressed. 

“...they’re looking at your window right now.” 

“[Oracle!]” Nightwing exclaimed with a furious voice demanding to be heard. The voice of a leader “[Contact Flash immediately! They have to get out of there now!]” 

“[On it]” Oracle said with a tense voice.

*^*^*^*

Peter was sitting on the couch swinging his legs while Wally muttered beside him with the TV remote in hand. 

“What should I put on? He doesn’t understand English, so it’ll have to be a visual series more than anything else… But is there really such a series?” 

Honestly, Wally was a fun guy. He kept stumbling both with his words (constantly forgetting that Peter “doesn’t speak his language”) and with his feet. As if he couldn’t quite coordinate his own speed. He had almost fallen about five times already, and it was still amusing each time. 

Suddenly, a phone started ringing. Wally picked it up while continuing to mutter. Peter frowned as he looked around the living room. Something felt… off. But he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. 

Danger. Beware.

“Hey, O. Yeah, he’s with me, what-?” Wally’s face turned serious quickly, making Peter frown with concern. He stood up before picking Peter up in his arms, startling him.

“Got it. I’ll get him out of here.”

AT THE WINDOW 

Peter quickly looked up. He was able to catch a glimpse of a shadow by the window before his vision blurred and he felt the wind hitting his face. As fast as it began, it ended. Carefully, and somewhat shocked, Peter opened his eyes.

Several people stared at him with their mouths open. The most striking was a woman with flaming hair, what the heck? She had no pupils, her eyes were just glowing green. 

“Wally?” said a red-haired man with a clearly forced calm sitting on a blue couch “Why the fuck do you have a mini Dick in your arms?”

 Peter blinked. Looking up, he saw Wally with an awkward smile.

“Uh… Surprise?” 

Pandemonium erupted.

Chapter Text

Uhh... Hi everyone!

First of all, I'm really sorry that it has passed so many months since the last update. But life got busy really quick.

I have already told that I have been admitted in college, but things started to get messy soon. My apartment roommates brought their boyfriends there without any warning and they stayed ALL the night ALL the days. I complained, but in the end, I was the one who had to go and search for another apartment. I lost a pretty amount of money due to that. Tho my new roommate is really sweet (and is a muslim, so I dont have problems with the boyfriend part with her haha).

It was a really stressful week along with starting the college. I have already like 8 proyects and it has been really tough for me. Being away from my family for the first time, a new city, all the stuff that has happened...

I'm exhausted. And I really like writing, I really do! But is not as easy as it was before. I am having problems making the story advance and, being honest, that kinda makes me sad.

I just wanted to say that this fic is NOT abandoned, but it will take its time. I'll try to give you a new chapter this Christmas, but no promises.

Thank you for still being there. See you later, spiderlings!

<3

Chapter Text

Peter immediately covered his ears, making all the voices quickly go silent at the sight of the kid. The boy opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them.

Looking at Wally with some discomfort, he was met with nothing but a kind smile. Peter was starting to calm down when the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. It was the girl with flaming hair and radioactive green eyes.

“Greetings, young one,” she said with a warm smile.

“Oh, he doesn’t understand English. Or any language, actually. At least that we are aware of,” Wally quickly added.

The girl blinked in surprise before glancing at the other residents in the room. There were three other people present: a red-haired man with blue eyes wearing a red jacket and a black cap, and two women, both with black hair.

“His name’s Peter.”

“Peter…” the girl said before smiling at him and pointing to herself. “Koriand’r.”

Peter stared at her wide-eyed. He could barely say “Jason”! That strange name would be impossible for him to pronounce! Squinting, he resolved to try.

“K-Ko…” God, it was too hard! “R-ri…”

That was as much as he could manage. His throat was starting to burn, and saying the full name was impossible.

But even without saying her full name, the now nicknamed Kori’s smile grew immensely. Moving slowly (clearly trying not to scare him), Kori took him from Wally’s arms. Peter looked at her curiously as the woman settled him in her embrace.

“That’s me, Kori,” she said cheerfully in a low voice.

Peter gave her a shaky smile. The others in the room approached with clear curiosity. Their attention, however, shifted to Wally’s phone, which started ringing.

“Flash,” said a voice Peter found familiar. Flash? Like Flash Thompson? Wait, focus, Peter. Wasn’t his name Wally? “Are you and Peter safe?”

“Yes, Wing,” Wally replied, as some of the people surrounding Peter moved closer to the redhead. “We’re at the Titans’ headquarters.”

“Good, good…” The one called Wing sighed in relief. “I can’t talk right now, but I’ll reach out again when the operation is over.”

“Got it”

One of the girls spoke playfully. “This kid is adorable, and he reminds me of someone…”

“Donna, I don’t know what you mean, and I don’t have time for this. We’ll talk later.”

And with that, the call ended. The girl, Donna, raised her eyebrows slightly in disbelief.

“Really? He didn’t…?” Donna looked at Wally, who only shrugged with a defeated expression.

“I noticed it too, but I didn’t have time to bring it up with him.”

Donna hummed as she approached Peter, who waved at her hesitantly, unsure of what to do. The girl returned the gesture with a big smile.

*^*^*^*

Nightwing sighed in relief as he ended the call. He looked at the children he had just evacuated from the building, crying in unnaturally quiet sobs. Clearly, this was something they had been forced to learn. All except...

Andy’s cries were loud as he rubbed his eyes fiercely while a girl, no older than six, hugged him tightly around the waist.

(What horrors must this poor child have seen?)

“Andy,” Nightwing said softly. “It’s okay. You’re all going to be fine, alright? Save those tears for when you’re reunited with your family. But let them be happy tears, okay?”

Andy nodded as his sobs subsided.

“Yes, Mr. Nightwing,” he murmured.

The vigilante couldn’t help but chuckle.

“No need for the ‘Mr.’ I’m not that old! Now…” Nightwing looked at the children.

He hadn’t had much time to analyze them, but in all their eyes, there was a light he was sure he hadn’t seen before. It was the fragile glimmer of hope that their suffering was finally over.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion rocked the building they had just left behind. Nightwing stepped in front of the children, who screamed in terror behind him.

“This is Nightwing! What just happened?!” he demanded, but static was the only response he received. “Damn it! Hood, Morrigan, Oracle, respond!”

No answer. Nightwing clenched his teeth. All he wanted to do was rush back into that building to find his siblings. But both of them were more than capable individuals who had faced their own hells and emerged victorious.

They could handle themselves. But the trembling children behind him couldn’t. And despite all his instincts screaming at him to enter that burning building, Nightwing ignored them.

Picking up Ruzha in his arms (he left her on the ground when they got out of the building), he urged the children to move. He cast one last look behind him.

“You’d better get out of there, or I swear to God…”

He didn’t finish his thought, but Nightwing was fully aware of what he would do for his siblings. Maybe too aware.

Dick Grayson had so many internal demons that he had stopped confronting them. The best he could do was… pretend they didn’t exist. That everything was fine. That everything would be fine.

Dick Grayson was known for his performances that could fool anyone. And he, himself, was no exception.

*^*^*^*

Tim Drake coughed as he adjusted his smoke mask.

“Damn it, I didn’t expect the computer to explode. Good thing I noticed a second earlier and moved away…”

Morrigan had been protected from the blast thanks to his fireproof suit, though he hadn’t been able to avoid getting burns on the exposed parts of his face, as well as singeing his hair.

“They couldn’t have noticed I’d infiltrated their network,” he thought as he watched the command room consumed by flames. Even with his suit, it would be suicide to try and retrieve anything now. “Why did it explode?”

When he tried to speak through the comms, static was all he heard. Clicking his tongue, he started running down the hallway.

“I’d better get out of here before the fire engulfs the whole building. I hope Dick got all the kids out safely…”

*^*^*^*

Jason Todd was crushing one of the traffickers’ dicks under his boot when an explosion shook the building. Before the man could try to escape, Red Hood delivered a brutal kick, knocking him unconscious.

“Anyone there?” he asked, surrounded by unconscious bodies. Static was the only response.

“There’s never a joint mission where something doesn’t explode, for God’s sake…”

Jason’s gaze slowly shifted to the men on the floor. Batman had long ago forced Hood to stop killing, and honestly, Jason only accepted to be able to see his siblings without Bruce breathing down their necks constantly.

But the famous Bat didn’t know about this. And with the building now on fire… Jason felt a smile creep onto his face as he pointed his gun at the man he had just knocked out. After all, he’d already extracted the information he needed.

“See you in hell, bastards.”

BAM!

Of all those in that room, only one walked out alive that night.

*^*^*^*

“Damn it, fuck!” Barbara couldn’t help but slam the table in frustration. She had lost all communication with the team.

She rubbed her eyes with gritted teeth. She had only mentioned this to Dick briefly, but sometimes Barbara felt utterly useless.

She couldn’t be by her family’s side as they risked their lives constantly. All she could do was stare at screens, praying everything went well and that what she was doing was enough to ensure their safety.

“Stupid legs!” Barbara hit her legs forcefully (she didn't care about the force, she wouldn't feel it anyway) as tears welled up in her eyes.

Normally, she wouldn’t feel so emotional, but the anniversary of the day Joker had attacked her was approaching, and no matter how much she tried to ignore it, it still affected her more than she let on.

“He didn’t just chain me to this damn chair…” Barbara clenched her fists. “He chained me to my own mind.”

“[Or-!] [Cop- m-?!]”

Barbara looked up. Right, there was no time for self-pity. But she couldn’t stop trembling.

(“You’re Barbara Gordon,” for some reason, an old memory surfaced. “You don’t need your legs to kick ass. You’ve always kept moving forward, and this won’t be what breaks you, do you understand? I won’t let this break you.”)

Dick was right. She was Barbara Gordon, the first Batgirl and the now Oracle. Every criminal organization feared her hacking skills. A determined expression crossed her face.

“This is Oracle, do you copy?” Oracle began typing, trying to boost the signal. “I repeat: This is Oracle, do you copy?”

“[This is Morrigan. Copy.]” Although the voice was slightly distorted, it was entirely understandable.

“Morrigan, what happened?”

“[The command room exploded],” Barbara’s eyebrows shot up at the new information. “[I’m sure they didn’t catch me entering their data.]”

“We’ll investigate later. Get out of there as quickly as possible. Nightwing got the kids out.”

“[Understood, O.]”

Morrigan disconnected. Taking a deep breath, Oracle tried to contact the other team members, but the sound of her phone ringing distracted her.

Her eyes widened as a cold sweat ran down her back. On the screen, the contact “B” was showing.

Chapter Text

“Oh, shit,” Barbara’s hand couldn’t help but tremble as she grabbed the ringing phone.

With a shaky breath, Barbara concealed everything that made up Barbara Gordon. She only allowed Oracle to take control of the situation.

“Tell me, B,” the woman’s calm voice didn’t reveal the panic she’d experienced just a minute ago.

“Oracle,” Batman’s cold voice greeted her “Where’s Red Hood”

Batman had the ability to make questions sound less like questions and more like statements that threw you off balance, leaving you unable to say you didn’t know what he was talking about.

But Barbara Gordon had worked with the vigilante many times and had learned a few tricks over the years.

“I haven’t heard from him in a while,” Barbara lied easily “Is something wrong?”

The line went silent. A bead of sweat began to trail down the redhead’s forehead.

“Let me know if he contacts you,” Batman finally said after a tense few seconds, before hanging up.

Barbara immediately slumped back into her chair, letting out a relieved sigh.

“At least he didn’t ask about Dick or Tim…” she thought, rubbing her eyes “Some criminal must’ve turned up dead, and he’s probably blaming Jason already.”

“[Oracle, you copy me?]”

“I copy you, Nightwing,” Barbara responded quickly. “The communications were cut off due to an explosion in the command room. Morrigan is fine, though I haven’t been able to contact Hood yet.”

Barbara could sense Dick’s worry through the line. She couldn’t help but smile with some affection. Leave it to the acrobat to be the group’s mother hen.

(He’s the one who looks after everyone, NoT BRucE-)

“Are the kids okay?”

“[A little scared from the explosion, but physically they’re fine],” Nightwing replied. “[One of them speaks English, his name is Andy Jefferson. He’s American, so it will be easier to contact his family. He’s twelve.]”

“Working on it right now” Barbara said, writing the name into her database. It didn’t take long to get a match. “Got it. Andy Jefferson, missing just a week ago from Clarksville, Tennessee. His mother reported him missing after he didn’t return from a shopping trip after two hours.”

“[Good, we’ll contact her once we’re away from here along with the other families of these kids. I’ll call Amy to help us out. Nightwing, out.]”

After that, not much else of note happened. Morrigan and Red Hood left the building (vanishing without anyone knowing they’d been there), and Police Officer Amy Rohrbach, along with a team of her most trusted officers, arrived on the scene and took charge of the children.

And with that, the nightmare that these kids had been living through finally came to an end.

*^*^*^*

“Mom, it’s him.”

Nightwing turned at the sound of the voice, interrupting his conversation with Amy. Andy was pointing at him with one hand, the other gripping a woman’s hand, clearly his mother.

The woman approached with deep dark circles under her eyes, clearly signs of sleepless nights, but her gaze only showed immense relief. She took the vigilante’s hands in hers, tears welling in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

“Ma’am-” he couldn’t say much more before she interrupted.

“For you, I’m Jane for what’s left of my life.”

“Jane, then,” Nightwing said with a warm smile. “I’m really glad for being able to reunite you with your son.”

Jane squeezed his hands and pressed her lips on them.

“God bless you for the rest of your days and open the gates of paradise when you leave this earth,” he heard her murmur before she looked up again. Her smile could only be explained as the smile of a mother. “Thank you so much. The Jeffersons will always have the doors of our home open to you.”

Dick felt his heart warm. He really didn’t believe in any gods, but it always filled him with warmth when the families of the people he rescued, or even the people themselves, asked the deity they believed in to bless him. It was a nice feeling.

Andy hugged him the moment his mother let go of his hands. Nightwing placed his hand on the now-clean child’s head.

“Thank you, Mr. Nightwing,” he murmured, hiding his face in the vigilante’s abdomen. “How… How can I help people like you? Be a superhero?”

“Oh, Andy…” Dick knelt to be at eye level with him, glancing at the mother, who had paled upon hearing her son. She extended her hand (trembling violently) as if trying to physically stop Andy. She clearly didn’t want him involved in the danger of being a hero. “Kiddo, you don’t need a mask to help people or be a superhero. Doctors, police officers, firefighters, psychologists… They all save lives every day, and they get paid for it too,” the vigilante winked, making the boy laugh. The mother relaxed at his response.

“But I want to rescue kids like me…” he murmured.

“Then maybe you should think about becoming a cop. My friend Amy here” the woman jumped slightly at the mention of her name “could tell you a little about her work.”

“Damn vigilante…” she heard her murmur under her breath before sighing “But I guess it will be nice to have another non-corrupted cop around here”

“If Officer…” Jane looked at Amy curiously as she squeezed her son’s shoulder.

“Rohrbach.”

“If Officer Rohrbach is willing, we could ask her about what it’s like to be a law enforcer. What do you think, sweetie?”

Andy nodded determinedly, leaning toward his mother. Amy sighed, though a small smile spread across her face.

“I’ll leave you then. Crime never rests in this city,” Nightwing said his final goodbye before walking away.

“I’ll be like Ms. Amy in the future, Mr. Nightwing!” Andy shouted behind him. “And I’ll work with the heroes to rescue kids like me!”

Nightwing didn’t turn around but waved his hand without seeing the determined look on the boy’s face. The vigilante moved through the shadows with agility, his figure disappearing between the buildings, but not so fast that Jane and Andy’s words faded from his mind.

“How many times have I heard those words of thanks?” he thought from the top of a building. “Too many, but still, they always hit with the same strength. Knowing I made a difference, even if it’s small, is the only thing that keeps me going despite everything.”

Nightwing smiled faintly, closing his eyes.

“I’m not invincible, and I don’t think I’m a saint, but… For kids like Andy, we’re hope. Hope that you can move forward.”

He opened his eyes, seeing the city shine below him, full of chaos and problems, but also small flashes of humanity like Jane and Andy. In the end, maybe that’s all that mattered. Those small flashes.

“Amy always says the fight for justice begins from within, with the system. And Andy... well, who knows,” Nightwing jumped off the building with a wide grin, feeling the strong wind of the fall on his skin. “Maybe, in the future, he’ll find his place in that fight. As a cop, maybe, or maybe as something else. After all… Destiny has strange ways of connecting the dots.”

(And if many years from now, a cop becomes friends with a little spider in tights… Well, isn’t it awesome that an uncorrupted cop helps out a vigilante?)

*^*^*^*

“I’m going to the Titans’ headquarters, Peter’s there,” Nightwing informed through the comms while jumping from building to building. “Guys, could you start looking at what you’ve gathered and start coming up with theories?”

“[Sure, Wing],” Tim replied.

“[Let us know how the kid is doing later],” Jason added, making Dick smile.

“Got it. Nightwing, out.”

When Dick arrived at the headquarters, he found Wally, Roy, Kori, and Donna drawing on the floor with Peter (a rather unique sight). They all looked up when they saw him arrive.

“Hey, Wing,” Donna greeted him with a smile, a red pencil behind her ear. “You just missed Rachel, she left not long ago.”

“Hey, guys,” Dick greeted them. For some reason, Peter’s eyes widened before standing up.

He ran up to him, and Dick, intrigued by the child’s sudden behavior, was even more surprised when Peter pointed at him, carefully saying,

“Di…ck”

Dick froze. Everyone fell silent for a few seconds until Roy snorted. This made everyone, except Dick and Peter, start laughing.

“Not even a minute, and he’s already figured you out!” Roy said between hysterical laughs.

Dick scowled as he picked Peter up into his arms, the boy blushing slightly at the gesture. The child settled into him, hiding a small smile at the warmth emanating from the vigilante.

“What does it say about you guys that a kid notices my identity right away and you all needed me to tell you years later?” Dick replied, approaching and removing his mask. It didn’t make sense to wear it if the kid had figured it out.

Peter reached out, trying to grab the mask. Dick didn’t see the harm in giving it to him, so he handed it over. The kid quickly put it on his face, fascinated. Dick couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Someone’s on the defensive,” joked Wally, raising his hands. They were covered in color stains. The redhead became serious, though it was hard to take him seriously with all the colored pencils around him. “What happened on the operation?”

“I think there’s something more important to address first” Donna interrupted, her tone serious.

Everyone looked at her cautiously. Peter watched the situation with curiosity under a mask that was too big for him.

“Tell me… Why is this kid a Mini Wing?”

Dick blinked before looking at Peter, who returned his gaze, ignoring Wally and Roy’s quiet laughs. He frowned while thinking about the woman’s words. Now that she’d mentioned it, Peter strangely resembled him (the shape of the nose, his face…). The only thing clearly different was the color of his eyes and hair, a shade that reminded him of-

The world stopped for Dick.

“No, please no.”

“Dick?” he heard someone say in the background, but the acrobat couldn’t respond.

Peter must’ve been around seven, and about that same time, he had-

(You want this, dear. Your body is telling me)

“Breathe, damn it, BREATHE”

“Shit, I think he’s having a panic attack-”

They were the same color as-

(I’ll take care of everything, just let it all to me, dear)

Catalina

Chapter Text

Peter watched with concern as Dick noticeably paled. He was quickly pulled away from the arms that had started to tremble by the redhead who had introduced himself earlier as Roy.

Meanwhile, Wally and Donna grabbed Dick by the arms and dragged him to the sofa, forcing him to sit. Kori looked at them worriedly. Peter tried to break free from the redhead’s grip, but this only tightened.

“Let’s leave them alone for a while…” he heard Roy murmur before starting to walk away, despite Peter’s weak protest sounds. He wanted to see what was happening with Dick! Why had he had a panic attack?! “Hey, hey! Calm down, kid.”

Peter glared at Roy furiously, causing him to stop, surprised for a moment before a complicated look appeared on his face. He opened a large door leading to a long sky-blue hallway.

“Even his angry face is the same…” Roy murmured as he started walking again.

Peter furrowed his brow even further. Another thing that he didn’t understand, what was all this about a Mini Wing? Wally had referred to Dick by that name before... Was it his hero name? Peter had never heard of anyone named Wing, but he wasn’t up to date with everything going on in the world.

Although… Dick had seemed familiar from the start. But why? The shape of his face, the color of his eyes, it was so similar to...

A memory from the deepest part of his mind surfaced. A lullaby, in a language he had heard so long ago he could barely remember.

“Avela báro, báro dél,” a clearly male voice sang with warmth in his tone, “Tute dikhes, e terné, tute rakles te chaláres, sastar dikhel e shavó…”

If Peter strained, he could recall bright blue eyes behind glasses, looking at him with great affection.

“Avela báro, báro dél, e chirikle peskér vudar, te najás, te sovés, sastipen le shavés,” the voice finished singing with a smile, placing his lips on his forehead. “Sukar sovipén, murro cikno Robin.”

Those blue eyes… They were the same as Dick’s. They were his father’s eyes.

With newfound strength, Peter bit Roy’s arm, causing the redhead to let out a surprised scream and curse loudly. But the important thing was that he let him go. The moment Peter hit the floor, he ran back the way they had come.

“SHIT! That little...! Hey, no, come back here!”

Peter ignored him. He could see it now. The eyes, the smile, even the hair! That man, Dick, was just like his father. He was his father. His body trembled with emotion as he kept running.

Peter didn’t know why he was a child, who all these people were, or why Richard Parker was alive. All he cared about was that his father was so close to him, and nothing would stop him from being with him.

He pushed open the door, swinging it wide (barely avoiding falling due to the inertia), startling Wally and Donna, who immediately took defensive stances. Kori was still focused on Dick.

Peter ignored them. His gaze was fixed solely on Dick, who was breathing heavily. The boy ran barefoot to the man and threw himself at him, causing Dick to shake violently.

“Roy! You let him go?!”

“The little shit bit me…!”

Peter clung to Dick’s waist with all his might, his father’s waist, as if he feared he would disappear if he let go. Tears flowed uncontrollably down his face. A buried memory surfaced in his mind like a warm breeze:

“Sastipe, cikno…” a tender voice whispered, “Me sem turo tat.”

“Tat…” Peter mumbled, choking on emotions. The words were barely a whisper, the burning in his throat intensifying, but he couldn’t stop. A language he thought he had forgotten long ago was resurfacing inside him. “Tató…!”

Peter felt, more than heard, a deep breath before being lifted into someone’s arms. His father’s blue eyes looked at him with a touch of panic, which was slowly fading.

“You speak… you speak Romani…” he heard Dick murmur as he tightened his grip. “You... Tu san… miro shavo.”

‘You are my son,’ was the translation of those words. Peter nodded as his sobs escalated.

“Kako savés?” Dick asked.

Peter shook his head while pointing to his throat. It burned fiercely, and his sobs didn’t help. If he tried to speak, he might end up screaming from the pain, hurting himself even more. Besides, he didn't even know how he was able to understand all that!

Dick hugged him tightly against his chest, hiding Peter’s face in his suit, which was starting to get wet from the boy’s tears. Dick looked at his friends, whose faces were filled with confusion but concern as they watched the scene.

“He’s my son…” he said, his mind clouded. Was he dissociating? “He’s my son, and he knows he’s my son.”

The four former Titans exchanged puzzled looks.

“But how...?” Wally began, but Donna’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Looking at her, he saw her shake her head as her gaze shifted to the father and son. Both clung to each other as if their lives depended on it, each with different thoughts in mind.

“Dad...!” Peter felt a wild happiness mixed with overwhelming emotions. “My dad is here!”

“I have a son,” Dick thought instead, his eyes filled with too many feelings. “I have a child born of rape.”

Peter’s spider sense remained silent in the back of his mind. His silence muffled the sobs of a child who wished things had been different.

*^*^*^*

Tim bit his thumb as calculating eyes scanned all the documents they had collected before the place exploded. Jason was leaning against the sofa, reading some papers in his hand with a frown.

Since Dick’s apartment had been compromised (something they’d have to deal with later), both vigilantes were in one of the acrobat’s safe houses. It was barely better than the real apartment, space-wise.

“Find anything?” Jason asked.

Tim shook his head.

“There’s really no document that talks about how the kids ended up in this place,” Tim explained while biting his thumb harder. He wouldn’t be surprised if it started to bleed any moment now. “Suddenly, one day, bam!” Tim threw the papers he was holding on the table with frustration. “They... ‘hire’ them.”

“What’s Peter’s first record?”

Tim felt like his mouth was full of ashes. This was horrible. He searched until he found Peter’s documents. Tim inhaled sharply when he saw the date.

“Jason, how old would you say Peter is?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at the question before narrowing his eyes.

“Seven, maybe eight years old,” Jason said with suspicion. “Why?”

“They... ‘hired’ him,” Tim spat, clear acid in his words. “For the first time, when he was about three years old.”

Jason’s eyes filled with green. He snatched the papers from Tim, who covered his head with his hands. The vigilante had seen too many things in his short life, but this… these despicable acts…

A bitter taste rose in his throat. Tim barely managed to stop himself from vomiting before he started coughing from the acidity that burned his throat. A hand gave him gentle pats on the back.

Looking up, Tim saw that Jason was perched behind him as the green eyes shifted, reading the document intently. Tim had long since stopped being unnerved by the green in his brother's eyes, but he couldn't help but tense up slightly.

“This is just sick…” Tim muttered in a weak voice “He's a kid... They're all kids, for fuck's sake…”

The ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts. With a sigh, Tim answered.

“Tell me, Babs.”

“I've looked up the symbol, and Tim…” the serious voice of the woman made both vigilantes pay attention to them “We have a problem. This group isn't new, they've been active for years. Decades, even.”

Tim hadn't thought about it, but if Peter had been in this situation for five years... That would mean that this organisation had been active for at least five years.

“The earliest record of that spider symbol that I could find goes back fifty years, to Milan, Italy. It appears to be a sex trafficking ring that has long been targeted in Europe, but they hadn't reached America until recently…”

Tim gritted his teeth. Such a... disgusting group, that they'd been on the streets for so long without being stopped... Tim inhaled a shaky breath, trying to calm himself.

He felt Jason sit down next to him before a sharp jerk knocked him off balance. Before he knew it, Jason had him wrapped around his shoulders as toxic green eyes stared at Tim's phone.

Jason and Tim had had many issues at the beginning of their relationship. The attack at the Titans headquarters (Dick scolded him when he found out he hadn’t stopped antagonizing the intruder—what was he supposed to do? Convince him not to attack? Pfft, as if), the tension when discovering he was Red Hood, clashes between their morals... But they had managed to come to a sort of relative peace (they had especially made an effort for Dick, those sad eyes haunted him in his worst nightmares).

Little by little, Jason had started to treat Tim less like a stranger and more like a little brother. Jokes, harmless insults, asking each other for help... Tim liked how things had turned out.

That’s why he couldn’t help but relax against the body of the person who had become another older brother to him. Tim could count on one hand the people who made him feel that way.

“So, how do we take care of these bastards?” Jason said with a hard voice. That voice would have scared many people, and maybe Tim a few years ago, but not anymore.

“Well, oh, hold on…” Barbara murmured as they heard her typing. “Someone’s at Dick’s apartment. And it’s not a friend.”

Jason quickly stood up, causing Tim to fall onto the sofa with a groan.

“I’ll handle it,” he grumbled as he grabbed his helmet, hiding his eyes. “You keep researching. I’ll make that motherfucker wish he’d never been born,” he growled before storming out, slamming the door.

Tim stared at the door. He sighed as he looked at the documents. He got up and grabbed the laptop on the table before sitting back down.

“Let’s see...” he murmured. “Who are these contractors?”

Chapter Text

Jason swung from building to building, the green filling all his vision. He clenched his teeth as he landed on the building across from Dick's apartment. Jason could distinguish a silhouette that shouldn't have been there through the open living room window of his brother's apartment.

Red Hood drew his gun, checking that it was loaded (oh, and it was—with real bullets wanting to be used) before heading to the window that led to the living room. The crime lord immediately aimed his gun at the person inside, who quickly turned around at the sound of movement behind them.

It was a man, maybe in his thirties, with brown hair and eyes, a black suit and bandana that covered his mouth. Jason had dealt with plenty of people like this and knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Red Hood shot the intruder's hand with deadly precision, just as he was reaching for the gun on his belt. The intruder let out a hiss as blood began to cover his hand. The vigilante closed the distance with incredible speed, despite his large size, and kneed the man squarely in the groin.

The intruder doubled over in pain, and Jason took the opportunity to deliver another knee strike, this time to his chin. The criminal hit the ground with a disgusting sound, though Red Hood couldn’t care less. He grabbed the man by his hair and pressed the gun against his forehead, right between his eyes, which stared back at him defiantly with a faint trace of fear that was well hidden, but not well enough to escape Jason's notice.

“I'm going to ask some questions, and you're going to answer them. Got it?” Jason's raspy voice came out distorted through the helmet, making him even more terrifying than he already was.

The man stared at him defiantly before a silent resignation appeared in his eyes. Suddenly, his mouth moved behind the mask, as if he had chewed something.

“Shit. Fucking hell!” Jason yanked the man's mask down, just as he began convulsing violently. Foam filled his mouth, and his eyes turned glassy.

It only took seconds for him to go completely still. Jason dropped the corpse onto the floor in frustration after confirming he was definitely dead. This man had been one of his best chances to find out more about the organization behind all this, but now it was too late.

The men Nightwing had knocked out were just petty criminals from Blüdhaven who had been paid to watch over the kids. They hadn’t provided Jason with as much information as he would’ve liked.

“Oracle,” Red Hood said into his comms.

“[I saw it,]” she responded, her voice clearly filled with disgust. “[I'll run a facial recognition scan and try to find out who he is.]”

“Copy that” Jason replied as he hoisted the body like a sack of potatoes. “Wing has a safe house outside the city with enough equipment to work with. I'll see if his body can give me any clues that his mouth refused to share. Red Hood, out.”

*^*^*^*

Damian Wayne had the distinct feeling that something was off. Patrolling alongside Batman, he could not shake the sense that something was not right. Not long ago, they had found the corpse of a rapist who had been roaming the streets for some time, someone Robin had been tracking with his father.

Damian could not care less that the scum was dead, but his father, of course, was a firm believer in everyone deserving to be judged by the law.  A law that, as far as Damian was concerned, favored criminals more than their victims. The Al Ghul had little patience for such naivety.

The modus operandi was strikingly similar to Red Hood’s early methods, which had convinced his father that Jason had killed the man. But Damian doubted Todd was the responsible. The man was never that careless. If Todd had killed him, the body would not have been found so easily. It was more likely that one of the man’s victims—or their family—had decided to take justice into their own hands.

When Damian shared his theory with Batman, his father pressed his lips together in a way that Damian had learned meant he disagreed. The boy frowned at the gesture. Grayson wouldn’t have dismissed him outright.

But it had been two months since Grayson had hung up the mantle of Batman and returned it to his father. The not-so-useless Drake had managed to bring him back with the help of the Justice League after being declared dead, and shortly thereafter, Robin was flying alongside a different Batman under the cowl.

But why even think about it? Grayson was not Batman anymore. End of story. He had returned to that miserable city, and there was no point dwelling on it. Returning to his original thought, something didn’t sit well with him.

Gordon was not so incompetent as to not know where Todd was. She was perfectly capable of telling them where he was if she was unable to communicate with him. But she hadn’t done so, and Batman had cut the comms too quickly for Damian to comment on it.

Gordon’s odd silence, Todd’s disappearance, and on top of that, Drake had decided to spend time with that ridiculous excuse of a distraction he used to shirk responsibilities? Damian was not naive. He knew better. Something was going on, and whatever it was, Gordon had chosen to keep it from his father.

Oracle might try to keep his father in the dark, but Damian wasn’t just a Wayne. He was an Al Ghul, trained to find the truth, no matter who tried to hide it. And he was going to find it.

*^*^*^*

Dick trembled as he held his son (his son, oh dear god—) while Peter's blood sample finished analyzing in the lab at the Titans Tower. His friends looked at him with obvious concern as they waited in silence for the results.

He wouldn’t say it out loud, but Dick prayed to any god that might exist that the blood test would come back negative and that all of this was just some strange coincidence. Dick tightened his hold on the boy in his arms, who clung to him with his small arms wrapped around his neck.

“Analysis complete,” said a mechanical voice. Dick tensed, his breathing suddenly labored. The small arms around his neck squeezed tighter. “The analyzed blood shows a 99.99% genetic match with the DNA of Richard Grayson, known as Nightwing, confirming him as the biological father.”

Dick staggered back. The only thing that kept him from falling was Donna’s arms. But the machine wasn’t done shaking the acrobat’s life.

“A 99.99% genetic match was also found with the DNA of Catalina Flores, known as Tarantula, confirming her as the biological mother.”

Dick’s vision blurred. With the last of his strength, he passed Peter into Donna’s arms, who looked at him with concern and confusion.

Dick looked at his son. It was no longer just speculation; it was confirmed. Those eyes, so much like Catalina’s, looked back at him with a worry she had never possessed.

The man tripped, but someone caught him before he hit the ground. He could hear the voices around him as if they were underwater, muffled and distant.

“I’m going to faint,” was the last coherent thought Dick had before everything went black.

*^*^*^*

Peter squirmed in Donna’s arms as he watched his father (his father, science had confirmed it, oh god his father was alive—) faint, Wally’s arms the only thing preventing him from collapsing to the floor.

“Catalina? Who the hell is Catalina?” Roy exclaimed as he helped Wally.

“Tarantula was Nightwing’s protégé for a time,” Donna said as she adjusted Peter in her arms, who was still trying to break free. “I understand she was arrested for murder sometime after working with Dick.”

“Murder?” Kori exclaimed in surprise. Donna nodded as she felt the boy bite down on her arm.

She raised an eyebrow at him. The boy gave her a defiant look as his teeth sank into the arm holding him. Donna was an Amazon, her skin was tough; the bite felt no worse than a mosquito sting and didn’t bother her. If it made the boy (god, Dick’s child—) feel a bit calmer, Donna would allow it.

“Was she a redhead?” Roy joked weakly. Everyone let out soft laughs that were more like exhales than actual laughter.

“No, she was a brunette.” Donna passed Dick’s son to Kori. Her skin was as tough as Donna’s and would handle the boy’s biting better than the guys could.

Donna approached the boys, who were supporting Dick, and lifted him into her arms. His skin had turned a sickly pale, and a layer of sweat glistened on his face. They left the lab where the analysis had been done.

“We need to contact his siblings,” Donna said as they headed to the tower’s common room. “Wally, you said Jason and Tim already knew about the kid, right?”

Wally nodded as he watched Donna lay his unconscious best friend on the couch in the common room. Dick’s son observed his father with worried eyes while biting Kori’s arm (a little threat, just like his father when he was young, oh god his father—).

“I’ll call Jason,” Roy said, pulling out his phone as he walked away.

Donna sat on the floor, staring at her brother in everything but blood as he lay unconscious. She took his hand in hers, worry spreading through her entire body.

“Boy Wonder…” Her voice was barely audible. Why had Dick reacted like that? Finding out you had a child was definitely shocking, but… something was wrong with his reaction. “What happened between you and that woman?”

Chapter Text

“...What?”

Jason felt like he was going to slam the phone in his hand to the ground at any moment. He had just dropped the body of the guy who had killed himself to start running tests when he saw Roy was calling him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he had been told.

“Peter's blood analysis confirms that he's Dick's biological son,” Roy's voice was cautious, as if he didn't quite know what to make of the information either “Looks like you're an uncle now,” he joked faintly, trying to lighten the mood caused by the revelation.

Green flooded Jason’s vision. Peter was Dick's son. He was his nephew. His nephew had been trafficked. He had been taken away from his father. Away from his family. HiS nEPheW HAd beeN RAPED-

“-son? Answer me, dude! Jason!”

Roy's commanding voice (with a hint of panic that didn't escape Jason's notice) made the green step back a little. Jason breathed in sharply, trying to calm himself.

“I'm going to call Tim,” he said with a calmness he didn't feel. “He'll go to the Titans Tower and take care of... our nephew,” A thought came like a punch to the vigilante “And Dick? How is he?” he demanded to know.

Roy sighed, which didn't help Jason stay calm.

“ He didn’t take it very well. He… ” Roy hesitated, but before Jason could urge him to finish the sentence, he continued, “He passed out shortly after findin’ out.”

Jason closed his eyes as his body trembled with overwhelming fury. A fire burned through his veins, demanding vengeance, to make justice in this rotten world. When he opened his eyes, a toxic green nearly engulfed his entire iris.

“By the way, the kid figured out that Nightwing was Dick just by listenin’ to his voice. Guess he’s a Bat after all, huh?” Roy weakly joked.

A sense of pride swelled in Jason’s chest, but the fire still coursing through his veins wouldn’t let him linger on that thought.

“I’m going to call Tim,” he repeated, his voice the calm before a storm, ignoring what his friend had said. “Do you know how the kid ended up with us?”

“…Not really,” Roy admitted, caution in his tone. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the next words out of his best friend’s mouth. “Dick only told Wally that he needed someone to watch over a traumatized kid for the night, without many details.”

“Dick found him in a pool of semen in an alley,” Jason said, devoid of any tact as he stared at the corpse in the room. He heard Roy’s horrified gasp. “A sex trafficking ring had him captive. Dick’s son has been raped numerous times. My nephew has been raped numerous times.”

“…Jesuschrist,” Roy murmured in horror.

“And I'll make sure all those bastards die in the most painful way possible,” he murmured with a sadism he hadn't felt in a long time. “They won't touch my nephew again. Talk later, Roy.”

“Jay—”

Jason hung up before Roy could say more. He walked slowly toward the corpse, like a predator about to hunt its prey. And that was exactly what Jason was going to do. This body wasn't his prey, but all those bastards who had "hired" his nephew were. For fuck’s sake, his nephew.

Jason kicked the corpse hard, sending it flying to the other side of the room. He clenched his teeth as he dialed Tim's number, which was quickly answered.

“Jason? Did you manage to capture—?”

“Roy just called me” Jason interrupted as he grabbed one of the knives on his belt. He spun it expertly between his fingers as he approached the body. “They ran a DNA test on Peter. He's Dick's biological son.”

Tim fell completely silent, but Jason could perfectly imagine the way Tim's face shifted—from confusion to understanding, finally ending in horror as he grasped the implications of that statement.

“Peter... He…” Tim was rarely at a loss for words, but this was the kind of situation that could leave anyone speechless.

“Yeah,” Jason crouched, staring at the corpse with bloodthirsty green eyes. “Dick fainted when he found out. He's at the Titans' headquarters. You know where the nearest Zeta Tube is. Go. Now”

Tim always argued whenever Jason tried to give him any kind of order, but this was one of those rare times when he didn’t even try. Jason heard the sound of papers being hastily gathered.

“And what about the person who broke into Dick's apartment?”

“He killed himself. Guess he didn't want to talk.” Jason felt a macabre smile stretch across his face. “But even if their mouth didn't tell me anything, their body will”

Tim was silent for a few seconds before letting out a tired sigh.

“...I get it. I don’t want to know about it”

Plausible deniability. Of course, the little bird using the intelligence he was known for.

“Take care of our nephew, will you?”

“Our... nephew…” Tim murmured in disbelief before his voice filled with determination. “Leave it to me.”

“By the way, apparently the kid figured out Wing's identity just by hearing his voice. See you, Timbird.”

“What?! Jason—!”

Jason hung up. He shoved the phone into his pants pocket while gripping the knife in his hand tightly.

“Let's see…” he said with far too much cheer as the green in his eyes became unnervingly bright. “Let's talk, shall we?”

The room turned red very quickly.

*^*^*^*

Tim growled in frustration when he saw that Jason had hung up on him. He sighed as he put on his mask, though a sense of pride spread through his body. His... His nephew was smart, noticing the smallest details... just like his father.

“Did you hear that, Babs?” he asked through the comms.

“[Y-Yeah...]” He had never heard the woman sound so unsure in his entire life, though he couldn't blame her. It had been a hectic few days full of revelation after revelation. “[I… I'll keep looking for the identification of the man who entered Dick's apartment, and… Take care of both of them, okay?]” 

The redhead's voice softened at the end. Tim nodded with determination.

“Leave it to me.”

Quickly, Morrigan headed to a building that Nightwing used as a base of operations in the city, one equipped with a Zeta Tube. Heavily protected, hard to find, and accessible only to a select few.

After about fifteen minutes of leaping from building to building through the dark city (there were still a few hours before sunrise), Tim quickly made his way to the Zeta Tube. When he arrived at Titans Tower, a strange sight welcomed him.

His nephew (god, it was still strange to think he had a nephew) was biting Starfire's arm while she gently floated around the room. Flash, Arsenal, and Wonder Girl stood around Dick, who was unconscious on the couch. All of them turned at the sound of him entering.

“Tim,” Starfire greeted him cheerfully, clearly unfazed by the child biting her arm. The boy lifted his head in surprise when he heard the name.

Well, the kid had clearly connected the dots, so there was no need to keep the mask on. As Tim removed it, his nephew's eyes widened even more. The alien softly floated toward him, offering the child in her arms. The boy had stopped biting Starfire and was now looking at him with clear surprise. Tim hesitantly took him into his arms.

“Hey, Peter,” he greeted softly. His nephew had red eyes and traces of dried tears on his face, which Tim tried to wipe away with his thumb.

The boy made a displeased noise but didn't try to stop him. Tim raised an eyebrow when he noticed the bite marks on the two women's arms.

“Tim,” Peter said in a raspy voice as he pointed at his father with worried eyes.

“The kid bit us every time we tried to move him away from Dick,” Harper rolled his eyes, his shoulders slumping as he noticed the vigilante looking at the women's arms.

Tim let out a small laugh as he approached his older brother. His skin was pale, and he was breathing unevenly. It hurt Tim to see his always-smiling brother in such a state. Peter stretched out his arms, clearly trying to reach his father.

Carefully, Tim set Peter down on the floor, and the boy wasted no time crawling to Dick. He grabbed his father’s hand, which was hanging off the couch, and looked at him with worried eyes.

“I want the blood test results,” Tim said, sitting down on the floor near his brother and nephew as he pulled out the documents he had brought. “Have you checked for any genetic diseases?”

“We were more focused on the paternity test,” West said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “So… not really.”

“Timothy,” Troy approached cautiously. Tim raised an eyebrow. He had never formally met Donna Troy; the little he knew about her was through Dick. Most likely, she didn’t feel they were strangers due to their mutual connection to Dick, but they weren’t friends either, which was probably why she didn’t call him Drake nor Tim, but rather Timothy. “Jason told Roy that Peter…” her gaze landed on the boy, who was simply watching his father breathe. “That they’ve done utterly deplorable things to him.”

Tim sighed and nodded. The faces of the four heroes darkened. Starfire’s hair looked more like molten lava than fire, West emitted a few sparks (as if restraining himself from running off at full speed), Harper seemed ready to stab someone, and Troy looked like an Amazon prepared for war.

When he looked at his nephew, Tim saw that Peter was watching them cautiously, with wary eyes. Tim didn’t like it. He could imagine Peter looking at the people who “hired” him with those same eyes, and Tim didn’t like the thought of his nephew looking at him the same way he looked at those... He didn’t even know how to call them, calling them human would be an insult to humanity itself.

Gently, Tim placed his hand on the boy’s head and stroked his hair softly. His nephew relaxed, giving him a small smile that Tim returned.

“Bring me the blood test results, please,” he added a little later. Dick sometimes had to remind him that not everyone reacted well to being ordered around by a teenager, no matter how qualified he was.

“We need to print the results,” Roy stretched his arms, making them crack. “I’ll take care of it and bring them over.”

Tim nodded in thanks as the redhead walked away.

“By the way, Tim,” West approached him, “You know Romani? Dick’s first language? Peter can understand it. But I barely know a few words, so…”

Tim raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Dick taught me a few words, but I’m not able to hold a conversation…” Tim looked at his nephew, regretting not putting more effort into learning his brother’s native language. Though he did know one word that could help Peter feel more at ease with him. “Peter,” he called.

The boy looked at him upon hearing his name. Tim pointed at Dick and then at himself.

“Phral,” he said with a horrible accent. It didn’t resemble at all how Dick had pronounced it when he taught him.

But it seemed the message had been conveyed correctly, as Peter’s eyes widened dramatically.

“…Kako?” Peter said in a hoarse voice.

Tim’s eyes lit up. He knew that word. It meant “uncle.” Tim nodded vigorously as the boy’s eyes filled with tears. Peter lunged at him and gave him a tight hug, which Tim returned after a few seconds of standing still from the shock.

“K-Kako…!” Tim heard him murmur, his voice watery and raspy.

“Yes, Peter…” Tim murmured, a strong urge to protect the boy in his arms spreading throughout his body. “Your uncle is here…”

Suddenly, a groan made all eyes turn to Dick, who was slowly starting to open his eyes. Before Tim could do anything, Troy appeared and was helping his brother sit up. Dick looked at him with confused eyes.

“Tim?” His voice sounded disoriented. “What are you doing here—?”

“T-Tató!”

Peter’s exclamation made Dick flinch before looking at the boy still in Tim’s arms.

“Oh…” Dick blinked. It hadn’t been a dream. It had really happened. He had a son, a son born from a rape.

Dick went completely pale as his thoughts began to clear. Peter had been trafficked. His son had been trafficked! Raped! Oh my god, he found him in a fucking pool of SEMEN!

Peter squirmed in his uncle’s arms, who let him down on the floor when he saw what he was doing (he liked him more than the others there, he always let him go! Not like those other people!), and rushed to hug his father’s waist, who had suddenly gone very pale.

Strong, warm arms, though trembling, enveloped him. Peter felt like nothing could hurt him while he was in those arms. His back was gently stroked.

“I’ve been informed about… the situation,” Tim said, choosing his words carefully. “So I came as soon as I found out.”

Dick nodded without letting go of his son. His son, his and Catalina’s son. A son who, in his short life, had suffered too much.

“The… Organization that had him has been active for many years,” Tim grimaced.

“How many?” Dick narrowed his eyes as he sat Peter on his lap, who looked at them curiously.

“Fifty, at least that we are aware of.”

Dick closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. But before he could say anything, Roy appeared with a handful of papers in his arms.

“I skimmed through a bit and there doesn’t seem to be any major illnesses, and…” Upon seeing Dick awake, Roy’s shoulders sagged with relief. “…Hey, Dick.”

The relationship between Dick and Roy was… complicated. It had been too long since they’d talked constantly, aside from brief messages asking if the other was still alive (neither of them would admit they could just ask Jason to find out).

But even though their friendship had cooled due to various ups and downs, they were brothers in arms. Dick had seen Roy at his lowest point when his addiction was at its peak, and Roy had been there to listen to all the problems Dick had with Batman.

A friendship like that, no matter how much they stopped talking or how strained it became, didn’t break easily. Roy still trusted Dick with his life, and he sincerely hoped Dick felt the same.

“…Hey, Roy,” Dick’s weak but genuine smile answered his own question.

The redhead sat beside Dick, handing the papers to Tim, who frowned as he read them.

“‘Catalina Flores’? Is that Peter’s mother?” Dick immediately tensed when he heard the name, though the boy lifted his head, intrigued (probably because he heard his own name).

“She was arrested for murder,” Kori suddenly commented.

Tim looked at his brother with wide eyes. Without anyone noticing, Peter was the same.

“Didn’t you work with her when—?”

“Tim,” Dick interrupted him with a soft but firm voice. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

Tim blinked before narrowing his eyes. Tim didn’t like not knowing things, but he understood that his brother had just learned something very delicate and wouldn’t want to explain anything. So Tim decided to step back.

“Well…” he nodded, looking at the papers Harper had brought. “Peter seems to be as healthy as he can be, given his situation, though he suffers from slight dehydration and moderate anemia that we should start addressing as soon as possible.”

“And… Does he have any diseases like…?” Dick looked like he was going to vomit if he said the words out loud.

But Tim understood what he meant. His brother was asking if his son had any STDs.

“Fortunately, no.” Dick sighed with relief as he placed his head on Peter’s. The boy was looking at them confused.

“Thank God…” Dick hid his face in Peter’s tangled hair. They would need to brush it soon; he didn’t want to have to cut the boy’s hair because of the knots…

God, he had a son. He’d have to buy things, food, clothes… maybe even look for another apartment! His was too small, it only had one bedroom and… Wait, his apartment! Dick looked up alarmed.

“What happened to the intruder in my apartment?”

Tim’s lips pressed together almost imperceptibly, but Dick knew his younger brother too well. Dick knew he wouldn’t like Tim's answer.

“Jason went after him, but…” Tim sighed. “He committed suicide. Jason is… trying to get information from… well, his body.”

Dick grimaced, but a sick joy spread through his body. That man had tried to kidnap his son again; if it hadn’t been for the pure chance that Dick’s best friend was a speedster… Peter could have ended up in a fight, maybe even hurt. Dick looked at his friend with grateful eyes.

“Thanks for taking care of him and getting him out of there, Walls.” Wally couldn’t help but look away embarrassed.

Dick had been Wally’s best friend since… well, practically since his uncle Barry introduced him to Robin, the Boy Wonder, a kid who opened the doors to let other kids become heroes too.

Wally would never admit (though a part of him felt that the acrobat already knew) that, at one point, Kid Flash admired Robin as much as kids admire Superman. Someone perfect, incredible, a great fighter…

But at the end of the day, they were all human. Dick was a sarcastic bitch, he made such bad jokes that Wally had to laugh, and was the best listener Wally had ever seen. But Dick wasn’t perfect.

He had calmed down as time passed, but sometimes, the famous anger issues of the first Robin resurfaced. Sometimes, on lonely nights, Dick would tell him how he sometimes felt like he wasn’t enough. His fear of people leaving, of being left alone, just like when his parents died.

But those confessions had been mutual. Wally had told him about the abuse he suffered from his father until his uncles took him in, how he sometimes felt like he wasn’t fast enough even though he was a speedster, his fear of someday having to attend the funerals of fallen friends in combat.

They had drifted apart. That’s what adulthood did, what having their own lives did. But those late-night confessions, those shared secrets, the inside jokes, the great laughs they shared together, battling side by side…

Dick would give his life for Wally. What the redhead wasn’t completely sure of was whether Dick knew that Wally would also give his life for him.

“I’m glad I helped, man”

They smiled at each other for a few seconds, sharing a complicity that had lasted for many years. The moment was broken when Tim spoke.

“…And where are you going to live while we investigate all of this?” Tim didn’t want to interrupt the strange moment two of the original Titans were having, but it was something they had to address as soon as possible.

Dick furrowed his brow, clearly reading between the lines.

“I’m not going to Gotham.” Dick stroked his son’s head, who seemed a little lost.

“Dick—”

“No, Tim. End of discussion.”

Tim’s face darkened. Many considered Tim to be the smart one in the family, the clumsy teenager who couldn’t function without coffee or energy drinks. And while those traits were true…

What many forgot was that this very teenager figured out the identities of Gotham’s two mysterious vigilantes on his own; they forgot how he made his way through his family when he watched Batman lose control over himself; they forgot that, just two months ago, this teenager convinced the entire Justice League that Batman, who was thought to be dead, was still alive. They forgot that he was right.

Tim knew how to corner people with words. In that brain of his, he had data with which he could conquer the world if he set his mind to it. He was a manipulator, one who loved and cared for his family. But Dick knew that this same teenager wouldn’t hesitate to manipulate his family if he thought it necessary. So he knew that he wasn't going to like his next words, and that those words were going to hurt.

“And where would you go, exactly?” Tim’s eyes were cold, sharp like a cat’s. “Blüdhaven is compromised. Are you going to risk Peter’s safety by going back to your apartment?”

Dick gritted his teeth. The four former Titans stared uncertain at the brothers.

“You won’t go with your friends and ‘bother’ them, you’d feel responsible and like a burden if you were to live with any of them” Tim's face was impassive, the perfect business face of the Drakes (Dick remembered Janet Drake with the same face when she still went to galas) “Where are you going to go? To Metropolis with Clark, when he has a family to be with? With West to Central City, when he's too busy with his civilian life? With Troy, busy with the Amazons? With Harper?” Tim couldn't help but let a sarcastic smile across his face “We know you’d end up fighting constantly, plus, he has Lian and you have Peter. Do you want to involve the kids in something like that?”

Dick closed his eyes while trembling with suppressed fury. He hated this side of Tim. He hated how small it made him feel. It made… It made Dick, for a few moments, hate Tim.

All of the mentioned looked at Tim with disbelief. But they couldn’t deny that he was right, especially with Roy. If they both tried to live together, sooner or later it would end in disaster.

“With Starfire? Please, we all know your break up ended up badly-"

“TIMOTHY DRAKE!”

Tim froze completely at the shout. He wasn’t the only one. Even Peter was looking at his father cautiously. Dick looked at his brother with a hint of hatred that took Tim’s breath away. Fuck, damn it! He had done it again, he had ruined everything, why couldn’t he just shut the hell up?! Tim’s hands trembled slightly as his mind raced.

“...I’m sorry” Tim said quietly, barely audible.

Starfire was with her arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable.

“...You went too far, Tim” Dick stood up with Peter in his arms, his eyes turning to great sadness as he looked at his brother, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights “Don’t make me keep Peter from seeing his uncle.”

Dick didn’t mean it seriously, but if Tim was good with words, the acrobat wasn’t behind. He saw how honest panic and pain grew in the vigilante’s eyes. The room was filled with a deadly silence.

“...I’m really sorry” Tim lowered his gaze, his body trembling more and more “I’m sorry, everyone. Especially you, Starfire. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Starfire just smiled uncomfortably at the apology. Dick briefly placed his hand on Tim's head, a silent way to accept his apology before heading out of the room. Before disappearing down the hallway, the raven-haired man stopped.

“I won’t deal with Bruce in a situation like this, Tim” he said softly.

“If…” Tim suddenly said “If I make sure Bruce doesn’t bother you about this, will you go to Wayne Manor? Practically the safest place in the whole country? Where you and Peter will be safe?”

Dick paused, everyone watching him with anticipation.

“I’ll think about it.”

And he left with his son.

Chapter Text

Dick was heading to his room in the tower with his son in his arms, who was looking at him with worried eyes. 

“ Don’t worry, Peter, ” Dick said in Romani “ Your uncle and I just… had a disagreement, that’s all”

Peter nodded slowly, but the worry didn’t leave his brown eyes (the same color as Catalina’s-).

“No,” Dick scolded himself mentally as he closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. “Peter has already seen too much; he’s lived too much. I can’t let him carry my problems,” he tightened his hold on the child in his arms. “I’m… I’m his father. He has to lean on me, not the other way around. Don’t think about anything else. Just think about taking care of him. That’s the only thing you should be worrying about right now.”

Dick repeated those words to himself until he reached his room. Batman had always drilled into his head that there should never be any personal items in the Titans Tower that could reveal his identity, so his room looked more like a guest room than anything else, even after revealing to the group who he was…

Peter tilted his head curiously as he looked around the room. Dick placed him on the bed before sitting beside him. Peter focused his attention on him.

“Peter,” Dick said softly, “I need to ask you some questions, but I want you to know that if you don’t know the answer to something, you don’t need to feel embarrassed, okay? So just answer honestly.”

Peter blinked before nodding.

“Okay… The language we’re speaking right now is called Romani. Did you know that?”

Peter shook his head gently.

“Alright… Can you read in Romani? Have you been taught how?”

Peter’s cheeks turned red. He shook his head while looking down at the bedcovers.

“If he can’t read, he won’t be able to write… Better not ask that question; he already seems embarrassed enough with himself,” Dick thought.

He reached out and gently stroked Peter’s head, who looked up at him, his cheeks still flushed. Dick smiled softly at him.

“Remember, you don’t have to feel embarrassed, okay?”

Peter returned his smile, nodding slowly.

“Good. Does your throat hurt when you try to talk?”

Peter nodded furiously and pointed helplessly at his throat.

“Do you know why?”

The boy’s shoulders slumped as he shook his head.

“Have you overused it? Have you…?” Dick felt his stomach twist. “Have you been yelling a lot, by any chance?”

Peter looked at him in confusion, as if he didn’t quite understand the question. Dick started to feel uneasy. Was yelling so normal for Peter that he couldn’t comprehend why he was being asked about it?

(In reality, Peter was just confused. Yelling? Why would he yell?)

Dick cleared his throat, deciding to move on to another question.

“You knew I was your father,” he said. Peter nodded. “How did you figure it out?”

Peter pointed to his eyes. Then, Peter smiled and pointed to his own lips.

“My eyes… And my smile?” Dick was confused as he watched Peter nod. If he had never met him before, how could he have known he was his father just from those features? “How did you…?”

Peter stayed silent for a few seconds before shrugging.

"I-In… tuition," he said with some difficulty.

Dick nodded, filing that answer away for later analysis. Could his son be a meta? He hadn’t yet looked at the results of Peter’s blood sample.

“Alright… Peter, I found you yesterday in an alleyway.” God, it had literally only been a day since he found the child—his son. “Do you remember how you ended up there?”

Peter shook his head.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Dr… Strange,” Peter said, wincing as he forced his throat to speak.

Dick tensed.

Dr. Strange? Why was the last thing his son remembered being with a doctor? Was he checking to make sure his “product” wasn’t damaged, to ensure he couldn’t pass something to his clients? And what kind of name was "Strange"? Some sort of alias? Dick felt a familiar rage swirling inside him, though he didn’t let it show.

And if Peter couldn’t remember what happened in that alley, did that mean his son disassociated while all… that was happening? What if he barely had memories of his life at all because of all the trauma? God, Dick wasn’t qualified for this; the worry gnawed at him from the inside.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted them. A woman with fiery hair that Dick knew very well peeked inside with a small smile.

“Kori,” Dick said as he stood up while Kori stepped in and closed the door behind her.

“Dick,”  Kori greeted as she approached.

“I’m so sorry for what Tim said; it was completely out of line, and—”

“There’s no need to apologize, Dick,” Kori shook her head, though her smile betrayed the discomfort the topic brought her. "I understand we didn’t… end our relationship on good terms at that time.”

Dick’s shoulders slumped, though it was unclear whether from relief or exhaustion. Peter watched the pair with wide eyes. Had his father dated this woman? Her hair was made of fire! Didn’t he burn himself when she hugged him?

“But even with that, I want you to know that the doors of my home are open to you… and to your son,” Kori said, shifting her gaze to the child on the bed. “I know your feelings about Gotham, and you don’t have to go there if you truly don’t want to.”

Dick looked at her, his eyes wide. A shaky breath escaped his lips as a small smile crossed his face.

“Thanks, Kori.”

Peter observed the two adults with curiosity. There was a sort of… longing between them. But neither seemed willing to take the step to stop it.

“Are those… bite marks?”

Peter quickly looked around the room at the question. He didn’t know anything about that. Nothing at all. Dick’s question made Kori glance at her arms, where bite marks were still visible, though they were beginning to fade. Kori let out a laugh.

“Your son didn’t like being kept away from you. He has bitten Roy, Donna, and me.”

Dick stared at his son in surprise, who suddenly found the room incredibly interesting.

“Peter…” his name drew his attention. “Have you been biting people?”

Peter looked at him with wide eyes, slowly shaking his head. Had his son just lied to his face?

Kori’s laughter filled the room, and Dick felt what people often referred to as butterflies in his stomach. It had been a long time since he’d seen the Tamaranean laugh so genuinely. The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds before looking away.

“Sorry for coming in so suddenly…”

“No, no! Really, it’s fine.”

Peter grimaced. God, this was awkward to watch. Was his dad always this clumsy in romantic relationships? (Apparently, something they had in common…)

"Well, that’s all I wanted to say, so I’ll go…” Kori grabbed the door handle. “By the way, Tim has left. He said he was going to talk to Bruce when the sun rises.”

Dick sighed, crossing his arms.

“I’m not surprised. That boy is always determined to get what he wants. Once he's got something in his head…”

“Well, someone taught him to fight for the things that matter, didn’t you?” Kori said with a gentle smile. "And your safety and Peter’s are very dear to him.” Dick blushed furiously, looking away. “You did a good job with that boy. He has become a great hero.”

“I wasn’t his mentor, Kori. That was Batman,” Dick said almost mechanically, as if the words held no real conviction.

Kori pressed her lips together, clearly disagreeing.

“He didn’t care that his friends didn’t believe his theory that Batman wasn’t dead. He didn’t care about our opinions or those of the older heroes,” Kori pointed out. “I saw it. What mattered to him was yours. If you had been the one lost in time, you know Bruce wouldn’t have given him the freedom you did. You trusted him.”

“Kori…”

“I heard him talking to Conner, before he disappeared off the radar,” Kori said with determination. “He didn’t care about Jason’s opinion, or Stephanie’s, Cassandra’s, or even Alfred’s.” That last statement silenced the protest Dick was about to make. “He cared about yours. He has become the great hero he is because of your mentorship, no matter how much credit you give to Bruce.”

Dick clenched his fists. He was not in the right mental space to discuss this. He had just learned that he'd had a son who had been raped numerous times (he was born of one- NO, NO, don't think about that, don't THINK ABOUT CATALINA-). The last thing he needed was to be reminded that his brothers looked up to him as some sort of figure to look up to. He didn't deserve it, not after all he had done (he was dirty in the inside and the outside-).

“Kori, please…” Dick glanced at Peter, who was watching them attentively. “Not now.”

Kori followed his gaze. Her eyes softened before she nodded.

“I understand. Farewell, Dick. But... think about what I said."

And with that, Kori left. Dick sat down on the bed, exhausted, before feeling small arms wrap around him. The acrobat smiled as he returned his son's embrace. They stayed like that for a while before the adult pulled away.

“I'm going to take a quick shower and be right back, okay? It's very late,” he said, glancing at the clock on the nightstand (a Wonder Woman clock Donna had gifted him as a joke long ago; truthfully, he loved it), which showed it was two in the morning.

With all the revelations, sneaking into the place where the children were kept, rescuing them and taking them to the station with Amy, and everything that happened upon returning to the Tower... exhaustion was starting to hit, and hard. There were still about five hours until dawn, and nothing was stopping them from spending a bit more time in bed sleeping after the sun rose.

“Get under the covers; I'll be right back,” Dick said, grabbing a simple pair of pajamas from one of the drawers. Peter nodded as he started tucking himself under the blanket.

As he closed the bathroom door, Dick collapsed against it. This was too much for him. He covered his face with his hands as he slowly slid to the floor. Finally alone, it was time to think.

“Recap, Dick Grayson,” he thought, removing his suit, the Nightwing in him taking charge. He got up from the floor. “It all started seven years ago when you slept with Catalina after Blockbuster's death. Shortly after, she was arrested for murder. That night, Peter was conceived, and Catalina had to give birth in prison, where she should have been granted about two years to be with Peter since the child needed his mother to survive. After that, the boy would be sent wherever the mother wanted if there were no family members present. The only way Peter could've ended up in that organization..." Dick stepped into the shower and let the hot water burn his skin. He felt dirty, but not physically. It had been a long time since he'd felt this way. “...is if Catalina handed him over to the organization herself or to someone in contact with it.” Dick closed his eyes as the water poured down forcefully. “I'll ask Babs if she can find the documents that confirm who she gave him to. If not... I suppose I'll have to pay the prison a visit.”

When he emerged from the bathroom, Peter was sitting up, covered in blankets, clearly waiting for him, judging by the way his face lit up upon seeing him. Peter pulled back the blanket on the side where he wasn’t. Dick felt his heart soften, but a thought held him back from doing what his son wanted.

“Peter,” he called him. He wouldn’t be surprised if Peter felt a bit uneasy about the whole situation, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. “You don’t have to sleep with me if you feel any kind of obligation—”

“Tató,” Peter interrupted with a gentle smile. “C-Come”

Dick didn’t think his heart could soften any more, but apparently, it could. Carefully, he slid under the blankets, and as soon as he lay down, Peter crawled into his arms.

Dick’s eyes widened as he felt the small arms wrap around him. Slowly, the vigilante returned the hug. Peter’s breathing slowed with every passing minute until Dick was certain his son had fallen asleep.

How could he love someone so fiercely in such a short time? Dick knew Peter had been born out of something horrible, that many people in his situation would hate even the idea of being in the child’s presence. But Dick just... couldn’t.

To Dick, family had always been of great importance. When his parents died, the only Grayson left was him. After his failed romantic relationships, he never thought he could settle down and have children. But here, in his arms, was proof to the contrary.

This boy carried his blood, no matter how horrible the circumstances that had brought him into the world were. Dick loved his siblings, the friends he had made along the way, all thanks to the actions of a young Bruce Wayne, but...

Dick still yearned for that connection only shared blood could bring, a connection that had been brutally ripped away from him. And here, there was another Grayson. Not Flores, not Wayne. This boy was Peter Grayson. And Dick was going to make sure the whole world knew it.

With his son in his arms, Dick closed his eyes. Surprisingly, it was the best rest he’d had in a long time.

*^*^*^*

Jason wiped the blood of his knife. He admitted he might have gone a little overboard (he had practically dismembered the guy), but he didn’t regret a thing. That man had intended to send Peter back to that damn organization, and Jason wasn’t going to forgive that. What was the point of respecting the body of the dead? His own hadn’t been respected.

But the important thing was that Jason had found crucial information. A tattoo of some kind of spider stretched across the man’s back, accompanied by letters in a language he didn’t recognize—possibly a specific dialect, like the one the League of Assassins used.

Jason had asked Barbara to investigate the symbol once she found out who the man was. Jason had also discovered a tracker in the man’s mouth, which the crime lord hadn’t hesitated to destroy.

The man didn’t carry anything personal, but his body was riddled with scars, likely inflicted by blades, suggesting he was someone accustomed to fieldwork. The fabric of his costume was also of high quality, which meant he had to be somewhat important for someone to invest that much in him.

But if he was important, why kill himself instead of trying to fight? Jason would have to think about the possible reasons and maybe even discard his theory entirely.

“[Jason],” Barbara’s voice suddenly came through his comms, “[I finally found a name. Esaú Russo. Born in Naples thirty-two years ago. He disappeared about twelve years ago after having a fight with his parents. I had to use several complex programs to identify him, but that’s our guy.]”

“A boy from Naples disappears and shows up twelve years later in the United States…” Jason murmured, staring at what was left of Esaú’s body. “I’ll take care of the rest. I have Italian contacts.”

“[How...?]” Barbara began before stopping herself. “[You know what? I’d rather not know. I’ll keep looking for information about the spider symbol. Let me know if you find anything.]"

“Got it,” Jason said, pulling a phone from the inner pocket of his jacket. On this phone were contacts that would give Bruce an aneurysm if he ever found out. He dialed a number and waited for the person to pick up. It didn’t take long.

“Hood, my man,” a male voice with a thick accent said, clearly amused. “Last I heard, you were playing nice with the Bat. I almost didn’t pick you up, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Adriano. This is personal, and I don’t care what the Bat thinks” Red Hood’s voice darkened, which made the other man on the line laugh.

“Now that’s the Hood I remember. Tell me, what do you need?”

*^*^*^*

Some time after the sun had risen, Tim stood outside Bruce’s office door. Most people would feel intimidated being so close to Batman’s office, but Tim had stopped feeling that way a long time ago. He knocked softly but firmly three times.

“Come in.”

Tim closed the door behind him and walked with determined steps toward Bruce’s desk, which was at the center of the room. The man was reading some papers in his hand before he looked up.

“Weren’t you supposed to be at that boy’s house until this afternoon?”

Tim was a master of keeping a poker face, so he completely hid his distaste for the man’s tone. Bruce knew Bernard’s name perfectly well. That tone wasn’t something he had missed.

“Something came up.”

That got Bruce’s attention. He set the papers on the desk and focused his gaze on Tim. He gestured with his hand, indicating he should continue. This was the moment. Tim needed to choose his words carefully, make them impactful, leave Bruce no time to react.

“Dick has a son.”

Bruce’s eyes widened in disbelief. He opened his mouth, but Tim didn’t let him speak.

“He is 7 years old. Dick found him yesterday and it was discovered that he had been under a sex trafficking ring for many years. He took him to his flat but this has been compromised, most likely he has some kind of tracker on him. But they went to titan tower, so any tracker he had would have stopped working because of the security system.”

Bruce stood up quickly, but that didn’t slow down Drake’s words.

“He can’t speak English, but he does speak Romani. They need a safe place while dealing with this organization, somewhere where they will have some normalcy. The safest place in the country is Wayne Manor.”

“Tim—”

“Your grandson has been raped numerous times.” Bruce flinched imperceptibly, but Tim had been trained by that very same man—alongside Dick—to detect even the subtlest changes in a person. Bingo. He had him.

“What they need most right now is stability. Both of them need a safe place. And that won’t happen if the kid senses you’re constantly arguing with his father. Is that what you want?”

Bruce fell silent—a silence that weighed heavily in the room. But Tim knew he’d succeeded in his mission.

“...I understand. I won’t initiate… any kind of argument with Dick.”

Outwardly, Tim showed nothing, but inwardly, he was grinning like mad.

“Find the tracker and remove it before bringing him here,” Bruce said as he sat back down, his eyes filled with a lot of emotions. But Tim didn’t bother trying to decipher them. “I’ll talk to Dick about how to deal with this organization once he’s here.”

Tim nodded. He didn’t linger long in the office. But outside, waiting for him, was a child for whom Tim had as little affection as he had for him. In other words, nothing.

“Drake,” Damian said as soon as Tim closed the door behind him.

“Damian,” Tim replied, starting to walk. The assassin wasted no time in following him.

“Something’s going on,” Damian said, his eyes boring into Tim. “Gordon hid information from Father. We both know perfectly well that she could find Todd if she didn’t already know where he is.”

Tim had no idea what Damian was talking about, but he didn’t let it show.

“And weren’t you supposed to be with that ridiculous excuse you use to avoid responsibilities? What are you doing here?”

Tim clenched his teeth. Ridiculous excuse? At least someone enjoyed his presence, unlike certain others.

(Dick didn’t count. He enjoyed everyone’s presence.)

“It’s none of your business.”

“I’m the heir to this house,” Damian said, his eyes cold. It was obvious he didn’t like being kept in the dark. “It’s my right to know everything related to the Wayne name.”

“Well, according to you, I’m not a real Wayne, so it’s none of your business, is it?” Tim shot back with a sardonic smile, which only fueled the boy’s fury.

Before a fight could break out between the two, a female voice interrupted them.

“Tim. Damian.”

At the end of the hallway stood Cassandra Cain. Tim would never say it out loud (though he felt she probably knew; after all, she was an expert at reading people without them needing to speak), but a part of him resented her.

When Bruce was presumed dead, Cassandra had left for Hong Kong and barely stayed in touch, while the rest of them—broken in different ways by the situation—had stayed behind, doing everything they could to keep Gotham from falling apart.

She only returned when she found out Bruce was alive, having left the Batgirl mantle behind and adopted the name of Black Cat. Rationally, Tim understood the mission Bruce had given her in case anything happened to him and why she left, but emotionally, Tim couldn’t help but think about how Cassandra hadn’t hesitated to follow the wishes of a dead man rather than help the living, who were breaking bit by bit. And that made him angry.

<<But Tim, didn’t you also leave everyone to hunt obsessively for a dead man?>> ...Tim Drake was a complicated person, but he loved fiercely. Maybe too much.

Tim wasn’t Bruce’s kid like Dick, Jason, or Cassandra. He had parents (somewhat negligent, leaving him with a few insecurities, to be honest, but still) who had loved him despite everything. Losing them had been hard, but that didn’t magically turn Bruce into his father.

Tim had been Bruce’s partner when he needed one. He wasn’t his father. But Tim was Dick’s brother. Over time, he’d become Jason’s brother too. Not Cassandra’s (as much as he respected her abilities, they’d never connected emotionally), and definitely not Damian’s. Alfred was a friend to him, but not some kind of grandfather like he was to the others.

Tim had been obsessed with the Flying Graysons since he was little, ever since he found a video of them online. He remembered how sad he felt when he found out he’d never be able to see them live because they’d died. But that didn’t stop him from watching their videos obsessively.

Such was his obsession that he figured out Robin’s identity by watching him perform an acrobatic leap—and, therefore, Batman’s identity. That Dick treated him like a brother, right after losing Jason, had meant the world to Tim. 

He knew how much joy the Nightwing mantle brought his brother. And he knew what would happen if Dick had to stay as Batman for the rest of his days. His brother would be consumed. He’d lose his essence—everything that made Dick Grayson who he was.

Batman had become too necessary for Gotham. More ferocious villains kept emerging year after year to challenge the nocturnal vigilante. Over time, Batman had become both the city’s salvation and its curse. His mantle would have been his brother’s curse.

Tim would miss Bruce if he died, of course he would. Bruce had been pivotal in his growth, shaping who he was. But years of paranoia (subjecting Tim to trials that could shatter his mental stability) had broken his trust in the man. He could live without Bruce. But Tim couldn’t live without Dick Grayson.

Bruce Wayne needed to stay alive, because if he didn’t, his brother would stop being his brother. And Tim wasn’t going to let that happen, no matter how tense their relationship was. When he finally saw Dick’s smile as he soared through the skies as Nightwing after several months... Tim knew his efforts had paid off.

But Cassandra had left them behind—not just Dick, but Steph, Barbara, everyone in the city. And because Tim loved too much... it was something he couldn’t forgive, at least for now. But he wasn’t going to let it affect his relationship with her. His mother had taught him better.

“Cass,” Tim said, nodding in greeting. Damian greeted her by her last name.

“Something happened,” Cass said, her eyes calculating. She still struggled a bit with speaking, but had improved greatly with Barbara’s help.

“Yes,” Tim admitted. There was no point in lying. “But it’s not my place to say.”

“Tell,” Cassandra insisted. Tim could feel the stares of the two people who had been raised to be assassins. But Tim had faced Ra’s and his assassins himself. Their stares didn’t even come close.

He could tell her, but a phrase from Dick had left a deep mark on him, one that outweighed any assassin’s gaze. ‘Don’t make me keep Peter from seeing his uncle.’

Tim’s resolve hardened, and the other two could see it.

“If you’re so desperate to know, ask Dick,” Tim said, walking past Cassandra. “It’s not my place to talk about this.”

Tim had hurt Dick with his comments, and this was his way of making it up to him. This family was too nosy for its own good, and Tim’s apology—not just to Dick, but also to his nephew for scaring him—would be letting the acrobat explain everything on his own terms.

Tim’s mission was complete. He could take this chance to go see Bernard, now that he had some time…

Chapter Text

“So…” Donna held out a cup of coffee to Dick, who took it in his trembling hands, “Catalina?”

Dick tensed. He turned to look at his son, who was drawing on the floor with Wally. The kid was enjoying the activity, and Wally had volunteered to entertain him while she talked to Dick.

Seeing that the boy was immersed in the drawings, Dick looked at her with a tired, conflicted face. His shoulders were slumped and he had pronounced dark circles under his eyes.

“You can count on me, Wonder Boy. I won't judge you, you know that” Donna said quietly, sitting down in the counter chair across from Dick.

Dick rubbed his eyes, his body beginning to shake imperceptibly to anyone who didn't know him well. But Donna was not one of those people, and that reaction upon hearing the name of Catalina plus the one he had upon learning about Peter... 

“Dick…” Donna felt the bile rise in her gullet at a thought. Please no. No Dick “Please, tell me she didn't…” Dick closed his eyes, and Donna's world fell apart.

“...It was raining,” Dick whispered. Donna had to sharpen her hearing to catch it. “I had... I had a mental breakdown and I went up on the roof of the building and... T-Then... She…” 

Donna stood up. She approached with quick steps and, before Dick could realize it, strong arms were around him.

“She took off my suit…” Dick's voice came out broken, his own arms wrapped around Donna as if they were a lifeline. As if they were the only thing keeping him from drowning in his own mind “I couldn't move a-and I s-said n-no, I said n-no, I swear to God, D-Donna, I-”.

Donna felt tears running down her face. Neither of them realized that, upon seeing Donna hug Dick, Wally had pulled Peter out of the room.

“I know, Dick. I know,” Donna said in a shaky voice.

“Why did she do it?” Donna felt the tears of her brother in all but blood soaking her clothes “I said I didn't want to, why didn't she stop?” Dick begged for an answer in a breathless voice.

Donna didn't answer. What could she say, that she didn't know? That it happened because Catalina was a horrible person? None of that would help, it wouldn't change what had happened. And now they had between them a physical proof of such a terrible act that would haunt the man in her arms for the rest of his days.

“Why was he born of something so horrible? Why did he have to go through that very thing at such a young age? Why Peter?!” Dick's voice rose with each question.

Dick abruptly pulled away from Donna as he stood up, and as she looked at him, Donna felt her heart break. Dick's eyes were red from the tears that streamed down his face; his look was one of pure suffering, the most horrible suffering a person could feel. His body trembled as his fists roughly wiped away the tears that kept falling.

“Why it had to happen to me?!” Dick cried out with pure despair in his voice, “I said no! And she...!”

Dick collapsed, as if he were a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Donna quickly knelt down in front of him.

“Just… Why?” Donna could only look forlornly at Dick, who kept repeating the question.

Her arms, which kept trembling, wrapped around Dick. The acrobat felt as if a black hole was leaving him empty, devoid of any emotion. Was he dissociating again?

“What did I do to deserve that…?”

“Nothing,” Donna quickly replied as her arms tightened around the man. “You didn't do anything to deserve that. No one deserves to go through that.”

“Then... Why did she rape me?”

Donna flinched sharply at the admission.

“I don't know…” she said in a barely audible voice, her sobs increasing with each passing second, “I don't know, Dick…”

But Donna knew something. The moment she had Catalina Flores in front of her, she would make her suffer. Suffer much more than she made Dick suffer. And that was a promise.

*^*^*^*

Peter was sitting on Wally's shoulders, who kept talking.

“And you know, Roy would kill me if anyone else knew about this, but since you don't know what I¡m saying…” 

Wally hadn't stopped talking about embarrassing things that had happened to his father's friends. The stories were amusing, but it was more amusing the idea of Wally being unaware that Peter was understanding all he said.

“Why would I kill you?”

Speaking of the devil.  Roy was leaning against a door frame with a raised eyebrow.

“Roy! My man!”Wally exclaimed with nervousness in his voice, "No reason, no reason.

“Sure” Roy's look was the definition of skepticism. He looked up to look at Peter, “Hey Peter.”

Peter waved to him with a small smile that Roy returned.

“Oh-ho-ho, are those the Roy Harper's famous fatherly instincts kicking in?” Wally said in a mocking voice.

Roy looked at Wally with slight annoyance.

“I was just waving to the kid, jeez” Roy turned to go where Peter and Wally had come from, but Wally's hand stopped him.

“Donna's talking to Dick in the kitchen,” Wally explained to the other redhead's questioning look.

Roy's look softened into something akin to concern. Peter looked at them skeptically. When Donna hugged his father Wally quickly pulled him out of the room. Like, Peter gets that his father might want privacy while he talked to the woman, but... Peter had been a decade without his father, and now that he finally had him within reach... He didn't like being separated. 

Did he understand why was he dragged out of the room? Yep. Did he like it? Nope.

Peter rested his head on Wally's as the two redheads talked. Now that all the excitement had passed, Peter had to think about how he had gotten here- 

“Not yet” something inside him said. Peter frowned (DO SOMETHING, THIS IS WRONG, IT SHOULDN'T TALK-) “Not safe enough.”

Peter snorted, catching the attention of the two men.

“I guess it would be a pain in the ass to do nothing while you don't understand what they're saying around you,” Roy commented at the snort.

“I guess so,” Wally agreed. “I'm going to give him a tour of the tower to keep him entertained. You coming?”

“No thanks,” Roy shook his head, “I'm going to check on Lian, I've left her with the nanny longer than I should.”

“Sure, man. Take care of your daughter,” that got Peter's attention. Daughter? Roy looked to be in his late twenties, so it wouldn't really be unusual. Would it be a baby or a little girl? “Do you think you could introduce her to this little guy? Lian always manages to encourage people to come out of their shell.”

“When the kid settles in a bit, I could talk with Dick about it,” Roy started to leave as he waved goodbye, “See ya!”

“Bye, Roy!” Wally shouted before going the other way, “Well, time to explore, lil’ nephew!”

“Lil’ nephew?!” Peter thought with his emotions running wild.

Wally had no idea that he had just brought a crisis to the boy on his shoulders.

*^*^*^*

“This should make your throat hurt less,” said Dick as he handed a glass full of a yellowish liquid to Peter.

After... his mental breakdown in front of Donna, Dick had realized that Wally had taken Peter out of the room, which only increased his appreciation for his best friend. His... His son shouldn't have to see the adult he relied on in that state, it wasn't his job to worry about him.

When they returned from their tour of the tower, Peter approached him excitedly. But that excitement waned as he found the words wouldn't come out the way he wanted them to in order to tell him about his day. It was time to do something about that throat.

“That will lessen whatever inflammation he has in his throat…” he thought as he watched the boy drink the liquid “But I should take him to Leslie for a real checkup…”

His phone ringing distracted him from his thoughts.

“Hey, Tim,” he said with some tiredness.

“Bruce won't bother you,” his brother said quickly.

“I'm fine, thanks. What about you?” Dick rolled his eyes, amused to hear the annoyed snort on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I talked to Bruce, he won't start any fights. He just wants us to make sure we get any tracking devices Peter might have out of him before we bring him to the Manor.”

As always, Timothy Drake getting straight to the point. Dick sighed as he rubbed his eyes wearily.

“...Is it really so important to you that I stay at the Manor with Peter?” he couldn't help but ask.

Tim went silent for a few seconds.

“...These people have been doing this for a long time,” Tim's voice was calm, but Dick knew his mind was racing a thousand miles per hour. “We don't know how Peter ended up with them or if they'll give up trying to capture him. We don't know anything.”

The last part was said as if Tim was spitting venom. Dick's gaze softened; the teenager didn't like not knowing. He had to have fifty contingency plans in order to feel safe, and for that you had to have information. Unlike Dick, who loved to improvise, Tim had to have everything in prearranged steps.

“They can be all over the world, and Wayne Manor is the home to one of the most powerful humans (in many ways) in the world. A human who has on speed dial millions of technological devices and very powerful people from all over the planet, even beyond! I…” Tim was silent, but Dick said nothing, allowing the boy to sort out his thoughts “I'd just... I'd feel better knowing that both Peter and you are safe.”

“Oh, Timmy…” Dick sat down next to Peter, who looked at him curiously after sipping all his drink.

“I know it's a bit foolish because you have those contacts yourself, but I'm worried that you'll focus... That you'll focus so much on Peter that you'll ignore yourself,” Tim's voice came out hesitant, as if he was having trouble saying it.

Dick was surprised by this conversation. He was the one known to be who showed his emotions the most while the rest of his family would rather cut off a leg than admit their feelings. That Tim would make this effort... Dick couldn't help but smile tenderly.

“At the Manor we'll all be closer so we can help you with Peter... And, well, that’s it” Tim sounded embarrassed and self-conscious.

“Tim,” Dick didn't try to hide the softness in his voice. “I get it. Thank you for caring about me.”

“Yeah, well…” Tim sounded like he was seconds away from hanging up in embarrassment “That's what brothers are for, right?”

Tim hung up immediately after, leaving Dick wide-eyed. He pulled the phone away from his ear as a laugh formed in his chest.

“Really…” Dick began to chuckle under his breath “Your uncle is very dumb, Peter.”

“...Dumb?” The medicine must have taken effect, because the word came out much more fluently than the other times Peter had tried to speak.

“Yes... Very dumb.”

After something like that, how could he refuse his brother's request?

(Tim held his face in his hands as he cursed himself. Bernard watched him tenderly. He hadn't really heard what his friend –whom he wished was something else– was talking about with his brother, but it was always cute to see him red with embarrassment.)