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Chapter Text

Lurking in the shadows had become somewhat of a hobby for Dick Grayson. No longer did he wear the red and yellow suit of Robin, instead bearing the blue and black of Nightwing. Darkness seemed to linger the higher up you were, less people were able to spot you when you were perched up high. It seemed to help him in this moment as he watched the new villain of the week, surrounded by armed guards, walk past him. He grabbed one of his escrima sticks off his back and chucked it at a guard's head, knocking him unconscious instantly. At the sound of a thud, the criminal looked up towards the rafters, cursing as he spotted him. “Shit.” 

Dick smirked as his weapon magnetized back into his grip, jumping down onto the metal catwalk as he started fighting off one of the armed guards. With quick precision, he used the electrical shock of his escrima sticks to easily take down each guard that came his way, slowly making his way down the metal platform. 

“Thanks for clearing the way, pretty bird!” Amelia called out, dressed in her Calico suit as she backflipped over Dick and the guard he was fighting, landing on the platform with ease. “Good luck getting to our guy before me, remember whoever catches him first doesn’t have to do the dishes tonight.”   

With a cheeky smile, she waved her clawed fingers at him before kicking another guard in the chest, sending him flying over the side of the platform. The villain looked back, watching as Nightwing and Calico took down his only means of protection with ease. “Damnit!” 

Using her bullwhip, she wrapped it around a guard's arm, pulling him towards her as Dick met up with her, using his escrima stick to shock the man, his body convulsing as he fell to the ground. Dick spoke as they both followed after the criminal, “We’re still playing this game? You know what happened last time.” 

“Yeah, you lost.” 

“No, you lost and then didn't do the dishes. I did them for you.” He retorted, coming to a stop as three more guards blocked their path. “How about this?” She watched as he attached one of his escrima sticks to the holster on his back, showing her and the guards his empty hand, holding only one escrima stick in the other. “I’ll make it easier for you.” 

She rolled her eyes as he started fighting the three guards, showing off to her. With the guards’ attention on him, she easily slipped past him, leaving him to his fun. “You have fun with that! I’m just gonna go capture our bad guy real quick!” 

Dick quickly looked up, disarming the last guy with an electric shock. He shook his head, calling after her teasingly. “I’m coming for you, Calico!” 

“In your dreams, Nightwing!” 

A low growl sounded from below her and she glanced over the edge, seeing Gar in his tiger form meeting up with Connor and Krypto. Shit, they were catching up, maybe she really was gonna have to do the dishes tonight. Jumping off the platform, she landed in a forward roll on the ground, her eyes catching their villain getting in the driver’s side of a van. Letting out a breath, she made her way towards it, only to be stopped by a very large man getting in her way. 

She smiled, batting her eyes as she wiggled her clawed fingers at him in a wave. “Hey there, big guy.” Garnering no response, she quickly bunched her fingers up into a fist, hitting the man square in the nose, only to hiss at the blooming pain in her hand from the hit, the man standing in front of her, unaffected. “ Seriously ? What are you made of?” 

Annoyance clawed its way through her and she kicked him in the chest, still not gaining any movement. Her eyes widened as the man grabbed her leg before throwing her to the ground, Amelia groaning as pain radiated through her back. She didn’t even hear Dick’s footsteps as he approached her, her view of him appearing upside down, offering her a hand. “I told you I was coming for you.” 

Grumbling, she grabbed his hand, letting him help her up. “Shut up. Now help me take down this freaking mountain.” 

Dick let out a chuckle as she used her bullwhip to pull the large man closer to them, before letting him go. Using all his strength, Dick punched the man in the face, causing him to stumble as Amelia quickly tripped him up by wrapping her whip around his legs. With one last kick to the chest by Dick, she unwrapped her whip, letting the large man fly backwards into the back of the van, knocked out, as he dented the doors from the impact. 

Hooking her whip back on her belt, she stood next to Dick as the rest of the team- Gar, Connor, Kory, and Krypto filed in. A smirk played on her lips as she watched their villain turn back around, a confident look on his face as he pointed his green laser gun in front of him, before it dropped completely as he stared at the Titans. 

“Krypto, speak.” Connor commanded, the dog letting out a loud ultrasonic bark towards the criminal. The man fell to his knees, screaming in pain as he held his ears. It seemed like Krypto had won the competition.

Amelia chuckled, “Good boy, Krypto.” 

Red and blue lights lit up the dark parking lot as San Francisco’s police department and emergency response team surrounded the area. New’s vans pulled up to the scene shortly after, trying to get the latest scoop for their channels. Amelia stood next to Dick on the rooftop, watching everything play out. Gar and Connor were talking with the police officers, giving them the lowdown on what happened. Kory stood next to a news reporter, answering whatever questions they may have had about the criminal or the Titans. 

“Batman and I never waited around for the press.” Dick commented, nodding down at Kory. “She’s been handling it super well, though.” 

Amelia snorted, “Maybe that’s why the press was so bad for you. I mean, if you love them, they will love you right back.” 

“How do you know that? You got bad press all the time back in Gotham, you were a criminal.” 

“Sure, but I was a hot criminal.” 

“Unbelievable.” Dick muttered before answering the comms device ringing in his ear. “Hello?” He paused for a second while listening, “What? Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

Amelia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he hung up the call. “What happened? Who was that?” 

“It’s Bruce, he needs me to come back home. Jason’s dead.” 

—--------------------

Jason was capable of a lot of things and Amelia cared about him deeply, but she didn’t think he was capable of being that stupid. Once Dick and her packed up some clothes and such, they headed out of the tower to Gotham after telling the team the horrible news. He put Kory in charge, but told them to do whatever they needed to do to grieve and that he’d call when he knew more. 

The sadness she felt was overridden by anger and frustration. She risked her own life trying to save him only six months ago. Why would he think going after the Joker by himself was okay? How could he have not known how many times Bruce and Dick had come back from a fight with that clown, bloodied and bruised? The Joker was unhinged, someone even she was scared of. She had only ever seen him once, in passing, after robbing a jewelry store. He set fire and caused mass panic like it was fun for him, which it honestly was. Nothing freaked her out more than when he spotted her from the rooftops, a large grin playing at his blood red lips as he cackled while she ran away.

It was almost like time stood still, the city of Gotham looked the same as it did when she left it the first time. Still dark and gray, trash littered around every street, and shady individuals creeping around alleyways. Home, sweet home. 

Dick pulled the car up to a stop in front of Wayne Manor, the large castle-like mansion on the hill looming over them. Getting out of the car, Amelia stretched out her back and arms as Dick grabbed their bags. The two walked through the front door and down the hall of the practically empty manor, fingers intertwined together. “Bruce?” Dick called out, leading Amelia towards the large, empty kitchen before calling his name again. “Bruce?” 

“Maybe he’s in the Batcave?” Amelia suggested, before pulling him towards his old room. “Come on, let's go put our stuff down. I wanna see your old bedroom again.” 

Following her lead, he let her bring him to his old room, swinging open the double wooden doors. Dick’s old room, turned Jason’s, was a complete mess. Clothes, either dirty or clean, littered the floor and furniture around the room. The large, king sized bed was completely in disarray, the sheets crumbled and bunched up. It was the same as she remembered it, just more messy. More Jason than Dick. 

With a sigh, Dick dropped their bags at the end of the bed before shedding his leather jacket, throwing it on top of the bags. Amelia copied his movements, taking her own jacket off as she looked around, spotting the giant ‘Flying Graysons’ poster hanging over the bed. 

“Look,” She pointed out, smiling as she gained Dick’s attention. “The Flying Graysons. Some things never change, huh?” 

Dick smiled as he approached her, wrapping her arms around her waist to hug her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I guess they don’t, The Amazing Pierce.” 

She laughed, that was a name she hadn’t heard in a long time. Pulling herself from his grasp, she wandered towards the nightstand, noticing a chemistry textbook and an open spiral notebook with a bunch of different chemical formulas written down inside it. “Jason took chemistry? I thought he quit school when he became Robin?” 

Dick wandered over next to her, looking over the page as he picked up the chemistry book, thumbing through it curiously. A dull thud sound came from underneath the floorboards before he met her gaze, putting the book down. “That’s probably Bruce.” 

Without another word, she let him grab her hand and followed him out of the room, down the long hallway and towards the living room. Her mind drifted back to the chemistry book as they walked, but she pushed the thought out- it was probably just old homework or something.

The Wayne Family portrait loomed over a large, stone fireplace, the heat of a fire crackling inside it. She’d forgotten how dark everything was in the manor, even down to the carpets that were laid out on the wooden floor. She shook her head, following Dick as he led her through the living room, stopping briefly as he looked over at the almost empty, crystal liquor decanter of scotch and a video of the Gotham News reporting on Robin’s death on a loop. Dick glanced over at her and she squeezed his hand reassuringly as he opened the clock face of the grandfather clock, adjusting the hour and minute hands until the clock chimed, opening the door to the Batcave. He led her down the concrete staircase, the coldness of the cave making her shiver. She forgot just how cold it could get down here. 

“Bruce, you down here?” Dick called out, walking them past the multiple displays of tokens that Batman had taken from his foes. A horde of bats squeaked as they flew above them, circling around in the air. Amelia chuckled at the absurdity of it all, she forgot about the bats too. They walked down the cold, stone hallway until they eventually made it to the tech room. She looked around, taking in the various high tech machines and computers before spotting a display case to the right of her, Jason’s bloodied Robin suit draped over a mannequin. It didn’t take long for them to spot Bruce. He was squatted down in the garage area, a bucket and two bloodied rags were laid out in front of him as he wiped down Jason’s domino mask. 

“The blood.” Bruce gruffed, holding up his finished handiwork. “It’s hard to get out.” 

Dick sighed, “I’m sorry.” 

Amelia nodded, offering Bruce a sad smile. “Me too.” 

“The Joker’s back at Arkham?” Dick questioned, making a chill run up her spine. She really hoped he was. 

“Yes.” Bruce replied, stoic. 

“I’m glad the cops got to him first.” 

“Me too.” 

The whole exchange felt cold and distant, something Amelia wasn’t usually surprised about when it came to Bruce, but something felt different about this. She met Dick’s concerned gaze as Bruce walked past them, heading towards the display case. They followed after him. 

“Do you need help with any funeral arrangements? I’d be glad to-” Amelia started, only to get cut off abruptly. 

“No. It’s all been taken care of.” 

She quickly closed her mouth, standing next to Dick as they watched Bruce place Jason’s mask in the display case. She looked over at Dick again and he shook his head, “When’s the funeral?” 

“It’s already happened.” The older man replied, a matter-of-factness etched into his tone. 

Amelia felt Dick tense up, his grip on her hand tightening a bit. “What do you mean ‘it’s already happened’?” 

“The mortuary delivered the coffin last night. I had him buried in the family plot, next to Alfred.” Bruce walked past them again, not meeting their gazes as he sat down at one of the computers. 

Dick sighed, letting go of Amelia’s hand as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I understand. This is difficult for all of us, especially you. Couldn’t you have at least waited-” 

“He had no family.” 

She didn’t like the way this was heading. Bruce was being too cold about everything, acting like it was just another ordinary day in Gotham. It made her posture stiffen, agitation rearing its head. “He had us.” She jabbed. 

A silence enveloped them, Bruce continuing on scrolling through pictures on the computer like she said nothing. Dick scoffed, “What are you doing?” 

“There’s a new player in Gotham.” Bruce explained, scrolling through police case files. “He’s killed seven already.” 

“Bruce, come on.” He relented, “Can’t we just talk about this for a minute before you jump back into work?” 

Silence. Bruce clenched his jaw. 

“Okay.” Amelia sighed, “What was Jason doing studying Chemistry? I thought he left school.” 

“I don’t know.” 

“He barely read the back of a cereal box.” Dick pressed, agitated. 

“Doesn’t matter, Dick. Jason’s dead.” Bruce retorted, his voice hoarse. “There’s nothing we can say now that will bring him back.” 

“You know, when Donna died, you told me not to bury my emotions.” He replied, “Not to experience grief alone. It was good advice.” 

“That advice was meant for you, not me. People are different.” 

“Bruce, you can’t just-” 

“Life goes on.” The older man finally turned to face them, a sad smile playing at his lips. “We all know that.” He got up from his chair, patting Dick on the shoulder. “Come on, I’ll make us some lunch.” 

Amelia furrowed her brow, sharing a look with Dick as Bruce walked towards the door of the cave. “He makes lunch? Since when did he ever make lunch?” 

—------------------

Lunch with Bruce was super weird, although the food was super good. It was the type of weirdness that made Amelia think that the older man needed to be locked up for insanity. Dick had seemed to feel the same way and conjured up the insane idea that she and him were going to make a surprise visit to the Gotham City Police Department to bring in an extra set of hands. For one thing, even if she had changed, police stations still made her nervous, especially Gothams. Secondly, Commissioner Barbara Gordon was Dick’s ex-girlfriend and someone Amelia didn’t particularly get along well with. Barbara annoyed the hell out of her, especially when she had started dating Dick way back when. Being the Commissioner's daughter, it made her feel important, and in turn, made her important enough to become Batgirl. From then on, Dick was putty in her hands and put Amelia on the back burner, spending all his time playing hero with her. It pissed her off to no end. 

She knew Barbara felt the same way about her. She was the one criminal that Batgirl couldn’t stop, always having immunity from being taken away in handcuffs because Dick was her best friend. When Barbara got shot by the Joker, shattering her spine and leaving her paralyzed from the waist-down, the relationship between Dick and her became complicated due to residual guilt and self-loathing. Eventually, Dick left Gotham for San Francisco to form the Titans with Donna and dragged Amelia along to keep her out of trouble.

Grabbing Dick’s hand in hers, they walked through the snowy pavement, red and blue lights reflecting against the cold ground. Police officers littered the scene, some of them surrounding a dead body that lay in front of the station, not unusual for Gotham. Looking at the large GCPD building, Amelia stopped in her tracks, letting go of Dick’s hand as her chest tightened. 

“I think I might just stay out here.” 

Having noticed she let go of his hand, Dick turned back around to face her. “Ames, it’s snowing. You’re gonna freeze.” 

She let out a breath, feeling the cold sink into her bones as she shivered. “I’ll be fine.” 

Sighing, Dick stepped closer to her as her body trembled. He cupped both of his warm hands around her cold ones, offering her a semblance of warmth. He wasn’t stupid, he could practically read her like a book. “Is this your fear of police stations or because you know Barbara is here?” 

She looked down at her boots, avoiding his sweet and concerned gaze. It wasn’t her fear of police stations, she knew that Dick knew that, but it was sweet that he used that as a buffer. Barbara was Dick’s first love, she was able to relate with Dick on a level that Amelia couldn’t, being that she was a hero that worked for Bruce. Yes, the hero's life had integrated its way into her own over the past six months, but being back in Gotham, she still felt like nothing more than a petty thief, in more ways than one. At least when they were in San Francisco, it was like they were living in their own world, it was a fresh start. She couldn’t help but have a million questions running through her head. What if Dick realized he actually didn’t love her anymore? What if seeing Barbara again opened up a bunch of unresolved feelings? What if everything in the past year was secretly a joke and he stuck Amelia behind bars and made her watch him make out with Barbara? What if- 

“Ames.” 

She felt him cup her face in his hands, the warmness of his palms heating her cheeks. He lifted her head up, making her meet his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat at the softened look on his face, his eyes showing nothing but adoration. He chuckled softly as he smoothed out the crease on her forehead with his thumb before returning his palm to her cheek.  

“You’re overthinking.” Dick mused, “Let me guess, you think I’m gonna stick you in a jail cell and then confess my undying love for Barbara, right?” 

“....No.”  

“Look, I know it’s weird being back in Gotham, it’s weird for me too. But I’m out of options when it comes to Bruce and she’s the only other person here that knows him as well as I do.” He sighed, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. “And please believe me when I tell you that I have no interest in Barbara and I haven’t for a long time. I love you , Amelia. I want to be with you , for as long as you’ll have me.” 

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of deception or dishonesty, only to be met with sincerity and love. Her body relaxed slightly, her breath coming out easier as her shoulders lost some of their tension. A small amount of insecurity lingered in the depths of her mind, but she pushed it to the side. The corners of her mouth turned upward, a soft smile playing at her lips. Wrapping her fingers around his wrist, she removed one of his hands from her face before pressing a kiss to his palm. “You’re getting soft on me, pretty bird.” 

Dick chuckled, a warmth spreading through his chest at the sight of her smile, the palm of his hand tingling from her affection. “Only for you, Ames.” He leaned down, cupping her face again before pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. She hummed in content at the contact, her eyes fluttering closed as she eagerly kissed him back. Just as she felt herself about to melt against him, he pulled away. 

A slight whine of protest escaped her throat as his hands left her, the cold biting at her cheeks again. Her eyes flickered back open, lips tingling as she pouted. “That was rude.” 

He bit back laughter at her pouting, grabbing her hand as he intertwined his fingers with hers again. He pulled her along with him towards the station. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you when we’re done here, I promise.” 

“You better.” Amelia muttered, reluctantly walking with him. 

The two walked up to one of the officers, yellow police tape surrounding the outside of the GCPD. Dick nodded in the man’s direction as he pulled his Detective shield out of his pocket, flashing him his badge. “Hey, excuse me? Commissioner Gordon?” 

“Over there.” The officer lifted up the tape, as they ducked under it, letting them through. It didn’t surprise her how she was able to just walk on through with no issues or badge, maybe it was because she was with Dick, but things really just don’t change in Gotham. 

Tightening her grip on his hand, they approached a group of officers. Dick cleared his throat, making their presence known before he spoke. “Barbara.” 

The rest of the officers walked away as Barbara turned herself around in her wheelchair, a shocked expression gracing her features. She stared right at Dick as she spoke, “Welcome back to Gotham, Dick.” She glanced over at her, “ Amelia .” 

A twinge of annoyance panged in her gut, but before she could open her mouth to speak, an officer stepped up, “Commissioner. That one’s just like the others. Wrapped up in cellophane like last night’s leftovers.” 

With a quick thanks and a nod at the officer, Barbara motioned for them to follow her, wheeling herself towards the police department doors. They walked alongside her, Dick dropping Amelia’s hand so they could walk through the door before shoving his hands in his pockets, much to her dismay. She tried not to over analyze it, he usually did that when he was uncomfortable. 

“I’m sorry about Jason.” Barbara said softly. 

Dick sighed, “Me too. And the Joker?” 

“He was waiting for us by the body. Took him back into Arkham without a fight.” She led them towards the offices. “He did the same thing after me.” 

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, “That clown’s psychotic.”

“He stole Bruce’s chance to get justice. That’s the game those two play, like always.” Dick continued as Barbara rolled to a stop. They both turned around to face her. 

Barbara nodded towards Dick, “How are you doing with all this?” 

“Honestly, not great.” He replied, glancing over at Amelia. “The last time we spoke to Jason was three months ago. It was like once Bruce took him back-”  

“He was his problem?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Amelia muttered, shifting in her spot. “I mean, Jason was loud and arrogant, but I didn’t think he was stupid. Why would he have gone out on his own?” 

“Especially after Bruce told him not too.” Dick added. 

“Jason Todd doing something impulsive?” Barbara deadpanned, looking between the two of them. “That’s a real head scratcher.” 

“Amelia found a chemistry book in his room.” 

“So?” 

Amelia shrugged, “Jason doesn’t seem like the advanced chemistry type. Unless Bruce is starting to teach his birdlings chemical reactions along with how to knock someone out in less than two seconds.” 

Barbara sighed, shaking her head, “If you’re looking for a mystery to solve, there isn’t one. I loved Jason. He drove me fucking crazy and I wanted to kill him half the time, but I loved him.” 

Dick chuckled and Amelia smiled softly. Jason also drove her fucking crazy, there were so many times she wanted to choke the life out of him. She missed him a lot when he decided to not come back to the tower. 

“He went out there because he felt he had something to prove,” Barbara continued, “and he got killed. That’s it. Mystery solved.” 

Dick sighed, “Have you talked to Bruce?” 

“Briefly, at the morgue.” 

“And how did he seem to you?” 

“At the morgue, Jason’s body was laid out on a slab.” Barbara responded, grimly. “I would characterize him as subdued.” 

“But did he seem off or weird?” Dick questioned. 

“Yeah, he always seems weird. He’s a weird guy.” 

“He made us lunch today.” Amelia added, grimacing at the memory. “It wasn’t bad, but still, I’ve never seen Bruce Wayne make lunch.” 

“I don’t think he’s processing this very well,” Dick explained, letting out a breath. “Or at all.” 

Barbara brought Dick’s attention back to her, “Do you remember Alfred’s funeral? You and I were a mess. There he was the whole time, he was quiet, reserved, stoic.” 

Amelia remembered Alfred’s funeral. She wasn’t formally invited, but she showed up anyway, sticking towards the back of the graveyard where no one could see her. The old butler was nothing but kind to her, always catching her breaking into the Manor to see Dick. He always had this knowing look in his eyes when he would send her off to find him, like he knew something she didn’t. It made her smile, thinking about it. He couldn’t have been more right. 

“Bruce is in denial.” Dick argued, his shoulder’s tensing.

“Yeah, that’s what he does, Dick.” Barbara countered, annoyance lacing her tone. “It’s the only way he can keep being Batman. You know how many times he’s talked to me about my father? Zero . So, his behavior today is the same that it always is when somebody close to him dies. He just pretends to forget them.” 

 “No, it’s different this time. I’m worried about him, really worried.” 

A tense silence lingered in the air and Amelia placed her hand on Dick’s arm, placating him. She felt his body relax under her touch, shoulder’s dropping as he met her gaze for a second, giving her a soft smile. He took his hand out of his pocket, making her drop her own as he grabbed it, intertwining their fingers together again. 

He looked back at Barbara, “Would you talk to him?” 

Amelia could see the shock in her features, whether it was from their display of affection or Dick’s question or both, she didn’t know. It made her lips curl in a slight smirk. 

“Don’t make me do that.” Barbara pleaded, shaking her head. “We have kept it strictly professional since I hung up the cape, and my life is so much better for it.” 

“That’s why it would mean a lot to him. Please .” 

It was silent again for a moment as Barbara contemplated her options, before the woman sighed. “ Okay . After work. And I have no idea how long I’ll be.” 

“Great.” Dick replied, “We’ll see you later. Thank you.” 

With a curt nod, Dick led Amelia out of the station. She took one last look back at Barbara, noticing how the woman’s eyes lingered on their interlocked hands. She snickered to herself, one point for her. 

—---------------------------

It was later in the evening when Barbara showed up at Wayne Manor, much to Amelia’s agitation. She had been fine with the whole thing, up until Barbara had called Dick’s phone while he was in the middle of making it up to her like he had promised. She practically had him on his knees in his bedroom, the hem of her black dress pulled up, his mouth leaving heated kisses against the soft skin of her inner thighs, when his phone rang. Amelia had never wanted to break something more in her entire life. Dick had bought her this freaking dress and she had worn it just for this , but also because Bruce was fucking weird and acted like this was a formal dinner. Then Dick looked at her with those sweet, puppy eyes and apologized, telling her Barbara was on her way, that they should finish getting ready for dinner, and that he promised to give her his complete, undivided attention once they made it through this. She mentally and reluctantly gave a point to Barbara for her impeccable timing. 

Dinner had ended with Bruce suggesting drinks for dessert. Much to her reluctance, Amelia sat in the parlor, agitated and horny, listening to Barbara laugh and tell stories about Jason for Bruce’s benefit. The Jason part, she didn’t mind much, the stories were actually pretty funny. It was the Barbara part that annoyed her the most. That little green monster inside her just really wouldn’t stop clawing at her insides, while the devil on her shoulder wouldn’t shut the fuck up about how good Dick looked in his blue dress shirt, looking slutty with his forearms out, and how she should drag him to his room and- 

“So, then Jason corners the Mad Hatter and starts swearing at him,-” Barbara’s laugh tunes Amelia back into reality and she shifts in her seat next to Dick, re-crossing her legs. His arm was lazily draped around her bare shoulders, his fingers absentmindedly ghosting against her skin ever now and again. She hadn’t even realized he was looking down at her. 

“You okay?” Dick questioned softly, quiet enough to not bring attention to them. 

She grits her teeth, whispering back to him, “Peachy. Just peachy.”

The imaginary bubble pops the moment Barbara laughs again and Amelia lets out a soft sigh, fingers twitching against her leg. She plasters on a fake smile, something she’d been doing all night, and listens to the end of Barbara’s story. 

“-stunned that Robin’s cussing him out. And then Bruce came in, and do you remember what you said to Jason?” She asked, addressing Bruce. 

“What?” Dick smiles over at Bruce, prompting him. 

Bruce puts on a faux stern voice, “Watch your language.” 

Barbara, Bruce, and Dick all laugh at the memory, while Amelia reluctantly chuckles even with her sour mood. She could just see it in her head so clearly. Jason, dressed as Robin, throwing out as many ‘fucks’ as he could, the Mad Hatter staring at him like he’s the one who’s lost his mind, and then Bruce in the Batman suit, just standing in the background shaking his head. It painted a funny picture. 

The laughter dissipated slowly, Bruce taking a sip of scotch from his glass. Amelia relaxed into Dick’s side, his unoccupied hand finding hers to pull into his lap, rubbing his thumb soothingly over her knuckles as he held her hand. 

Bruce cleared his throat, “I heard you found another body today. That makes eight in as many weeks. Any clues to the identity of the killer?” 

“You just never stop, do you?” Barbara shook her head at the man. “Can’t we just have a drink?” She paused for a second, sighing, “No new clues, yet . But I’ll be sure to turn the signal on if we need you.” 

Amelia shifted again, picking up on the tension between Bruce and Barbara. She glanced over at Dick and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, but the look on his face said otherwise. 

“Your father and I had better communication when we were fighting this war.” Bruce stated, taking another sip. 

“War?” Barbara scoffed, “You still call it a war?” 

“It is a war. For the soul of this city.” 

“I don’t know, Bruce. Calling it a war feels like trying to justify all the lives that have been lost.” 

She felt Dick tense against her, but he remained quiet. Amelia just wanted to be anywhere but here right now. The tension in the room was growing, becoming taut enough to snap at any moment. Her fingers twitched again and she shifted once more in her seat, the leather of the couch cushions creaking.  

Bruce shook his head, “Your father knew protecting Gotham required real sacrifice.”

“My father died from a heart attack.”  Barbara interjected, voice stern. “After being frozen in a block of ice by a man wearing a fucking refrigerator for a suit.” 

“Mr. Freeze.” 

“I know who he fucking is.” 

Amelia felt Dick stir next to her, letting go of her hand as he sat up straighter in his seat, his expression a mix of concern and agitation. She sat up too, not to help break up a potential argument, but in case she needed to run out of there. 

“That’s how you see my father, isn’t it?” Barbara seethed, “As a sacrifice ? You dragged him into this insanity, just like you did Dick and Jason.” 

“It was a long time ago.” Dick spoke up, trying to smooth things over. 

“You know what he did to you, Dick. You almost lost yourself because Bruce weaponized your grief.” Barbara stated, meeting his eyes. “Even Amelia would agree with that.” 

Her eyes widened at being addressed, a nervous expression playing at her features as she felt her palms get sweaty. She wasn’t in the habit of agreeing with Barbara, but she wasn’t wrong on that one. 

“And Jason,” Barbara scoffed, looking back over at Bruce. “You took another kid who was lost and angry, and alone, and convinced him that he’d be invincible if he put on a mask. No more Robins, Bruce.” She took a sip of her drink, before placing her glass on the table. “I chose to put the cowl on. To go out there as Batgirl. When the Joker shot me, it wasn’t your fault. But you drove Dick away.” 

“We worked it out.” Dick placated. 

Barbara met his gaze again, “Whether you’ve forgiven him or not, he drove you away and he put Jason in the ground.” She looked back at Bruce, “You would think after everything that the Joker’s done to so many people, you would’ve found a way to keep him locked up. But part of me, a big part of me, believes that you want him to escape, so you can keep hiding from yourself behind that mask. You’re as crazy as the fucking Joker.”   

Without another word, Barbara wheeled herself out of the room. Dick sighed, glancing over at Amelia with a sorry expression before getting up and following after Barbara. Amelia leaned back into the couch, Bruce sitting across from her. Great, she was alone with Bruce and he was probably pissed. The silence between them was stifling, still charged with the frustration from the previous argument. 

“So,” She prompted, giving him an awkward chuckle. “I guess, I really don’t seem so bad now, huh?” 

Meanwhile, Dick followed after Barbara, a scowl on his face. “What the hell was that? I asked for your help.” 

Barbara sighed, turning around. “I am helping.” 

“ Who? ” 

“Whoever he would have brought into this madhouse next. He recruited Jason one week after you left, Dick. One week . And he replaced you like he was replacing a pet.” 

He pushed down the pang of hurt he felt in his gut and scoffed, “Come on. The last thing Bruce is gonna do is drag another kid into this mess.” 

She shook her head, “He won’t admit that he failed Jason.” 

“The Titans failed Jason more than anyone, Barbara. He had a lot of problems and we didn’t have the patience for him. Amelia tried her best, but we wanted the Titans to work so badly, we gave up on him.” 

“The Titans?” It was Barbara’s turn to scoff. “Your West Coast superhero school that you run with Amelia, who you're suddenly dating now? If I’m remembering correctly, Dick, she’s still a criminal.” 

“It’s not a school. We’re a family.” Dick retorted, annoyance lacing his tone. “And my relationship with Amelia is none of your concern.” He paused for a second before sighing, “I know things between us didn’t exactly work out well and I’m sorry for the way it ended, but I’m in love with Amelia, Barbara. That’s not changing anytime soon.” 

She rolled her eyes, masking the disappointment she felt. “Take Amelia and go back to San Francisco, Dick.” 

“I’m not leaving until I find out what Jason was doing before he died.” 

“I just told you what he was doing. He was being manipulated and used by Bruce Wayne. For your benefit, don’t let him do it to you again. Go back to Amelia and go home . Goodbye, Dick.” 

Without another word, Barbara left the Manor. Dick sighed, running a hand through his hair as he headed back to the parlor. 

—------------------

“We’re finally alone again and you’re reading a chemistry textbook.” Amelia deadpanned, laying on her stomach next to Dick on the bed. She had switched her dress for black leggings and one of Dick’s t-shirts, a much more comfortable clothing option, while he still sat in his dress shirt and slacks. “I mean, if chemical equations is what turns you on-” 

“What?” Dick looked over at her and she looked at him with a slight annoyed expression. Suddenly, his brain finally caught up with him. He sighed, closing the book and tossing it on the nightstand. “Shit. I’m sorry, Ames. I really am. But, you know there’s something off about this too, right?” 

“You and your detective brain.” She teased, playfully rolling her eyes as she sat up on the bed. “You’re not gonna be able to focus until you figure this out, huh?” 

“I’m sorry.” 

She shook her head, “Don’t be. I am with you one hundred percent on this, it is definitely weird that Jason just suddenly decided to take up chemistry.” She paused, thinking for a second, before kissing his cheek. “Do you think he ever used that secret hiding spot you had?” 

He looked over at her, eyebrows furrowing, “How do you know about that?” 

“Dick, you kept your money in there. Anytime I wanted Big Belly Burger, I would steal twenty bucks out of it.” Amelia chuckled at the memory. “I stopped when I found out that's also where you kept your Playboys. Remember that week where I couldn’t look at you? That was why.” 

A slight blush dusted over his cheeks causing her to laugh. He rolled his eyes, composing himself. “I had a feeling it was you stealing my money. Also, I was sixteen, give me a break.”

“Okay. Freak .” She couldn’t help but snort with laughter as he rolled his eyes at her again, a slight smile playing at his lips. He got up off the bed and walked over to the wooden dresser, before pushing it aside to reveal the wall behind it. 

“I’m not hearing any complaints.” He retorted, cheekily, bending down by the wall as she got up and bent down next to him. It was her turn to roll her eyes as she pushed on a gold trimmed panel on the wall, opening the small door. 

“Alright, your ego is big enough, I’m not stroking it.” Reaching into the small crevice, she grabbed onto the first thing she could feel - A Playboy magazine. She smirked, holding it up in front of her. “Look! Jason kept one of your Playboys!” 

She snickered as Dick snatched it out of her hand, throwing it back inside. He reached into the stash, pulling out a large banded wad of cash made out of one hundred dollar bills. Amelia’s eyes lit up at the sight, “Wanna go to Big Belly Burger later?” 

Shaking his head with a sigh, Dick lightly tossed the cash back before grabbing a small key with a tag attached, the letter ‘B’ written on it. He then spotted a folded piece of paper that was underneath where the key sat, picking it up and unfolding it to reveal a real estate listing. 

Dick’s brow furrowed, “301 Harris Place B?” 

“Harris Place?” Amelia responded, glancing at the paper. “I know that street, with the storage building? That’s where a lot of the bottom-feeder criminals like to store their shit. I used to steal from them in my free time. What the hell was Jason doing over there?” 

He met her gaze, “Up for some breaking and entering?” 

“Are you asking me out on a date?” 

—-----------------

Harris Place was still just as shitty as she remembered. Trash lined the alleyways, rats scurried around picking up old food and disappearing into the sewer grates. It smelt like a mix of shit and vomit, something Amelia certainly never got used to, no matter how many times she had been over here. 

She followed behind Dick, the two of them walking into the old storage building before finding Jason’s unit. A large steel door with a padlock blocked their way in, Dick taking the key out of his pocket to unlock it. The door creaked as he slid it open, shining his flashlight in front of him to illuminate the darkness. Amelia followed him inside, flashlight shining, as she followed after him, closing the door shut behind her with a slam. She looked around curiously, light shining off of various glass beakers, tubes, and filtration sets, sitting on top of a wooden table. Approaching the table, she grabbed one of the beakers, holding it up and swirling the yellow liquid inside. 

“What the hell were you doing, Jay?” She mumbled, putting the beaker back down. “Dick, come look at this.” 

 Dick walked up next to her, shining his light on the table, revealing a set of protective goggles, more various tubing, small glass cylinders covered in some type of yellow compound, and some metal tubing that oddly resembled an inhaler. He picked up the metal object, turning it over in his hand before sticking it in his pocket. She watched as he grabbed one of the small glass cylinders with the yellow compound in it before sticking it up to his nose, smelling it. 

Her eyes widened, grabbing his arm to pull it away as he made a disgusted face. “Are you crazy!?” She seethed quietly, smacking him on the arm. “What, are you gonna taste it next!?” 

Before Dick could even defend himself, the sound of the door rattling startled them, catching their attention. “Shit.” He muttered, sticking the glass in his pocket and turning his flashlight off. “Hide, Ames.” 

Quickly shutting off her light, she hid against a far wall, away from the door, while Dick hid on the other side, waiting for the door to open. She heard the metal door slide open with a squeak and a bang, heavy footsteps approaching in their direction. She readied herself to pounce, but Dick was faster, stepping out to make his presence known. Startled, the man cocked his pistol, but Dick grabbed his arm, disarming him as the gun fell to the floor, before throwing him into the side of the table, the glasses shaking from the impact.  She watched as he slowly stalked towards the man, a fire curling low in her belly, as he grabbed the man by the back of his neck and pinned him against the table, holding onto the man’s arm at an uncomfortable angle. This was turning out to be a very entertaining date. 

“Who are you?” Dick growled, his jaw clenched in anger. 

The guy said nothing, whimpering instead, and Amelia practically had hearts in her eyes as Dick slammed the man face down into the top of the table, shattering the glasses. “Who the fuck are you?” 

“I-I sell in this building.” 

Amelia chuckled, making her presence known as she walked towards the table, “Man, this place really went down the shitter if it’s littered with drug dealers now.” She narrowed her gaze at the man, “What the fuck are you doing in here ?” 

Silence. Dick pulled on the man’s arm, causing him to wince in pain. “Answer her. Now .” 

“Okay, okay! I heard someone’s cooking something new here.” The dealer groaned out, gritting his teeth. “I didn’t want the competition, but if it’s you and your girl-” 

Dick chuckled darkly, “We’re not selling drugs, and neither are you. You come here peddling your shit again, I’ll throw you out the fucking window. Understand?” 

“Y-Yeah.” 

 With quick movements, he presses all his weight into the dealer's arm, snapping the bone, the sickening crunch making Amelia’s eyes widen. She’s seen Dick fight hundreds if not thousands of times before, but something about this time was just so ... attractive . The man cried out in pain as Dick dropped him to the floor before he looked over at her, hair mussed and breathing heavily. “Let’s go.” 

She watched as he fixed himself, adjusting his jacket and pushing back loose strands of hair out of his face. His body was still tense, jaw clenched from the adrenaline of the fight. She had never wanted to follow his orders more than right now, the display of power and dominance making her stomach swoop, her brain turning to mush. The devil on her shoulder returned at full force. Maybe it was really her that was the freak. 

“Yep, yes. Let’s do that.” 

With hurried footsteps, she made her way over to Dick, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders possessively as they walked out of the building together. Best date ever . 

—-----------------

Once they arrived home, Dick went straight to the Batcave. She was currently leaning against the computer console he was using, watching him dump out the contents of the yellow compound they found into a chemical analyzer. The computer beeps as it registers the compound, the screen slowly loading the results. She reached over and grabbed the little metal inhaler device that Dick had taken out of his pocket, looking it over curiously. From what she knew, Jason never needed an inhaler, so what the fuck was he doing with this? 

The computer beeped, “Chemical compound unknown.” 

She looked back over at Dick as he groaned in frustration. Putting the metal device down, she walked behind his chair, kneading her fingers into his tense shoulders. “Relax, we’ll figure it out, we always do.” Amelia placated, letting him lean back into her touch. 

He sighed, “I don’t know, Ames, I-” He paused, eyes catching a glimpse at the other computer screen. His shoulders tensed again under her fingers and she followed his gaze, watching as a login screen loaded in. Letting go of him, she let him roll the chair over to the screen, the both of them witnessing someone access the Batcomputer’s files labeled Robin . Amelia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, watching as multiple files popped up with different people’s pictures,  information and skill sets, the computer automatically swiping through each one. Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. 

“What?” Dick murmured, watching as each file was swiped through, before realization dawned on him too. The files were potential Robins. The two shared a look as the door to the BatCave creaked open, Bruce walking into the room, a neutral expression on his face. 

“Who are these kids?” Dick questioned, an accusatory tone etched into his voice.

Amelia watched as Bruce rubbed his palms together, seeming rather caught off guard and uncomfortable, unusual for the stoic man in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, “Bruce, who are they?” 

“Potential recruits.” He answered, lowly. 

She could practically feel the anger radiating off Dick in waves. “How can you even think this is a good idea?” He seethed, “You want to do to them what you did to me ? Turn them into a sidearm, a weapon? Fuck them up in the head, or even worse, get them killed like Jason?” 

A small part of her, a very small part of her, kind of felt bad for Bruce. She agreed with Dick, it was completely fucked of him to start looking for another Robin, but she couldn’t help but notice something off with the way Bruce held himself as Dick lectured him. He had shoved his hands in his pockets, his face seeming completely neutral, unaffected. But the way he stood there, letting Dick take out his anger, he never just took it like that.  

“Do you know what this is?” Dick implored, holding up the small inhaler device for Bruce to see. 

The older man shook his head, “No.” 

“It’s an unidentified chemical. A drug Jason was manufacturing or trying to.” 

The instant look of confusion crossed Bruce’s face, “What?” 

“He had a storage unit in Gotham.” Dick pressed, the look on Bruce’s face making anger bubble up inside him. “Did you know that? Probably not. It was a lab.” 

“Dick-” Amelia spoke, seeing the rage in him escalating and the almost remorseful look on Bruce’s face. She knows what happens when they fight and nothing good ever comes out of it, the two of them too strong-willed, yet, always ridden with internal guilt. 

“So, I’m guessing this is what pushed him over the edge.” He interjected, ignoring her. “What sent him out there to get his fucking skull bashed in.” 

Bruce shifted in his spot, speaking softly. “Oh. I uh, didn’t know.” 

“You didn’t know because you don’t care!” Dick snapped, bolting out of the computer chair. “It doesn’t matter to you! You were already looking for a fucking replacement!” 

“Do you wanna be Robin again?” Bruce offered, voice shaky and his breath trembling, a hint of desperation and longing in his words. She couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes watered. 

He scoffed, jaw clenched. “Do I wanna be fucking Robin again?” He looked Bruce straight in his eyes, yelling, “No, I don’t want to fucking be Robin again!” 

Amelia couldn’t help but try to step in again, grabbing Dick’s arm, trying to pull him back. The tension in the room was too much to bear. “Let’s just go, Dick. Enough .” 

Dick shook her off, “ No , Amelia. He needs to know.” He took a step closer to Bruce, sneering. “Barbara was right. You’re just as bad as the Joker. You and he have been poisoning this city together .” 

“Dick, please.” Bruce pleaded, breath trembling. “I can’t do this alone.” 

“Then don’t do it anymore, Bruce.” 

Without another word, Dick walked away. With one last look at Bruce’s broken face, Amelia quietly followed him out, the damage too broken to repair. 

The minute Dick and her got back to his bedroom, he had apologized to her for the way he acted, not meaning to ignore her and take his anger towards Bruce out on her. She understood, having been witness to many fights and arguments between the two. It was her decision to step in and she got herself caught in the crossfire of it all. With no harm done towards each other, she snuggled up to his side and laid her head on his chest as his arm wrapped securely around her. Sleep had taken her rather quickly, all the stress, tension, and intense emotions making Amelia exhausted. Dick had followed closely behind her, the weight of her against him being enough to make him fall into a dreamless sleep. 

The sound of metal clattering startled Dick awake, his breath coming out in a gasp. He quickly looked over towards Amelia’s side of the bed and checked to see if she was still there, finding her curled into her pillow, sleeping. He squinted as he looked towards the door, the bright light from the hallway illuminating the darkness in his room. Adjusting to the light, his eyes widened as he saw Bruce standing in the doorway, a metal crowbar laying on the wooden floor in front of him. 

“He started it, I ended it.”

Dick quickly turned on the dim light on the nightstand and pulled the blankets back, sitting up. Amelia stirred, eyes fluttering open at the movement. She squinted, mumbling sleepily, “Dickie?” Slowly sitting up, she let her eyes adjust to the brightness, rubbing the sleep from them before taking in the scene before her. A crowbar on the ground, Bruce standing in the doorway ominously. “Bruce?” 

“Don’t move, Ames.” Dick ordered softly, before turning to the older man. “Ended what, Bruce?” 

“But you know what he was doing as I caved in his skull?” Bruce muttered, not meeting Dick’s gaze. “He was laughing . He laughed at me because he won.” 

Glancing down at the crowbar, he could make out the specks of dark red shining in the light. He looked at Bruce again, noticing the bloodied splotches decorating his face. Slowly, Dick got up, approaching him like a wounded animal, and Amelia’s fingers twisted into the sheets, heart hammering in her chest as she listened to Bruce speak. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but it all made sense now. Every word from Bruce’s mouth, every emotion that crossed his face, the guilt he bore, it was leading him to this moment. He had broken the one oath he took to heart, that he had instilled in his previous Robins. He had killed the Joker.  

The older man’s voice shook, “You and Barbara were right. It’s all a game I should have stopped playing a long time ago. It's over for me now. It’s over .” He paused, meeting Dick’s gaze. “You see things I don’t. You saw that Jason was in trouble, that he was involved in something. Because you cared more than I did.” 

“The city is yours now. Save it. Do what I couldn’t.” He continued, voice hoarse. “Be a better Batman.” 

Amelia’s breath caught in her throat, eyes wide as she watched Bruce quickly leave down the hall. Dick called after him, gaining no response. He met her shocked gaze, his own face contorted in concern before he broke into a jog out the door, calling out for Bruce again. Swallowing hard, she looked at the bloodied crowbar, dark red staining the wooden floor. Her stomach twisted into knots, hearing the slightest drip of blood pooling. She didn’t need to see Dick’s reaction to the empty hallway to know what was going on. Bruce was gone. 

Chapter Text

 “Breaking News: The man who terrorized Gotham for a generation, known only as ‘the Joker’ is dead. He was brutally murdered last night in Arkham Asylum. Prison staffers have unofficially speculated the assailant was the Batman, but police have yet to confirm. Health officials-”

The Joker was dead. It was all over the news and all anyone talked about, the number one story in Gotham. Bruce was gone, left a bloodied crowbar on the floor, told Dick to ‘be a better Batman’, and disappeared. They hadn’t heard from him since that night, everything they could use to track or contact him was disconnect. It was like Bruce Wayne was a ghost, dying the minute he went against his own morals and took a life, even if it was the Joker’s. 

As much as Amelia hated it, going back to the GCPD and talking to Barbara was their best bet. The case had been handed over to her team, any information or forensics surrounding the murder, she had. It was the only way for them to figure out what happened last night and where Bruce could have gone. 

Walking beside Dick, she entered the GCPD. Multiple officers gathered around the televisions in the station, watching the news report on the Joker, eyes glued to the screen. Amelia scoffed at the absurdity of it all, even in death the Joker still got the last laugh and Batman was the butt of the joke. She followed after Dick, hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket, spotting Barbara on the phone near her office. As they approached, a woman met them halfway, crossing her arms over her chest. “Can I help you?” 

“I’m Dick Grayson, this is Amelia Pierce.” Dick replied, slight confusion etched into his tone. 

She narrowed her eyes as the woman looked her up and down, scrutinizing her. “Yeah, I know. You guys picked a nice time for a reunion.” 

“And you are?” Amelia questioned, crossing her own arms over her chest. 

 Before the woman could answer, Barbara rolled up to them, giving the woman, Vee, her thanks. With a glare in their direction, Vee nodded before walking away. Barbara sighed, glancing between them. “11:20 last night Bruce’s jet took off. Changed IFR in mid-air. Nobody knows where he touched down. Except maybe you two?”

Dick scoffed, “I wish we did.”  

“What happened?” 

“I was asleep. Ames was too. Bruce came into the room and dropped a bloody crowbar on the floor.” He explained, “Said it was over with him and the Joker. That he ended it. Then he said he was done with Gotham, the Bat, all of it.” 

“So that’s it? No note? Marching orders?” Barbara questioned. 

“He told Dick to be a better Batman.” Amelia responded, slight annoyance in her tone. “Basically handed him the keys to the kingdom and then dipped.” 

Barbara scoffed, shaking her head before looking at Dick. “That’s some fucked up parent jiu-jitsu shit. Trying to reel you back home. ‘Be a better me, son’.” 

“Tell me about it.” She muttered, rolling her eyes. Hearing Dick sigh, she looked over at him, practically seeing the gears turning. Her eyes widened, “You can’t be serious right now.” 

“I can’t leave now, Ames.” 

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Amelia, but you know how crazy that is, right?” Barbara interjected, “Trying to step into your father’s shoes?” 

“I do, Commissioner Gordon.” He replied, slight sarcasm etched into his tone. 

Amelia wanted to pull her hair out, mentally cursing Dick’s moral code and big heart. For once, she wished he would see things her way, that Gotham wasn’t his problem, but goddamn him and his need to help people. And goddamn herself for loving him enough to want to help him. 

“Be a better batman, huh?” Amelia scoffed, shaking her head.  

Dick sighed, “Bruce wasn’t perfect, okay? He got sloppy, let it get personal with the Joker.” 

“What happens when Gotham takes one of yours, Dick?” Barbara pressed, eyes narrowed. “What if it's Amelia? It’s always the one closest to you.”   

“Jesus, Barbara.” She muttered, glaring. “And to think we were getting somewhere.” 

“I’m not gonna go around Gotham swinging a fucking crowbar, am I?” He snapped, breathing out of his nose in frustration. Dick looked over at Amelia, eyes softening, before another sigh left his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no. I’d rather you not swing a crowbar in my name.” Amelia replied, before joking awkwardly. “I think I’d want something cooler than that.” 

Barbara rolled her eyes, addressing Dick. “Any other headlines?” 

“We’re bringing in the Titans.” 

—----------------

WAYNE MANOR

Amelia couldn’t help but smirk in amusement as she watched Gar and Connor look around the Batcave in complete amazement. Dick had brought the whole team in from San Francisco, along with Dawn who was stationed out in Washington. Amelia had wanted to call Hank, but he had hung up the Hawk suit and retired, deciding to spend his days as a bike cop. The group made quick timing, arriving in Gotham within the day. 

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” Dick spoke, arms crossed over his chest. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”

Kory scoffed, “Nobody calls us under better circumstances.” 

Amelia chuckled, spinning herself around in a computer chair. “Ain’t that the truth.” 

“I appreciate you coming, but I should warn you, you’re not in San Francisco.” Dick continued, his voice taking on a serious tone. “This city breeds a special class of criminal. People die here. Not just regular people, people like us. I don’t want to lose anybody else.” 

“We know what we’re up against.” Dawn replied, “You’re family. We’d never let you do this alone.” 

Dick sent her a small smile, nodding. Connor raised his hand, “Can we see the Batsuit?” 

Dick chuckled, “No.” 

“The Batmobile?” 

Amelia snorted with laughter at both Gar and Connor’s eager expressions. Kory sent them a scolding look, “Guys!” 

“What?” Connor retorted, glancing over at Gar. “He made me ask.” 

“I did not!” Gar protested.

“There will be plenty of time for that later.” Dick stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. “But right now, we need to focus on the task at hand. Words out in Gotham that Batman’s gone. News like that travels fast. So, we’ll have our hands full. Get some food. Get some rest. It could be a long night.” 

“Incoming call from Barbara Gordon.” 

Amelia rolled her eyes, “Looks like it’s already started.” 

—----------------

The amount of times she’s been in this goddamn police station was too many, but Amelia had a feeling she was going to be spending a lot of her time here. The first step to ‘being a better Batman’ is working with the GCPD and that meant working with Barbara. They were both as civil as they needed to be, but arguments were bound to happen. In the past, there was a time when Dick would have to literally carry her away from Barbara to prevent them from fighting each other as Batgirl and Calico. They didn’t need any more bad press back then. 

Following in stride with Dick, Amelia listened intently as Barbara explained the reasoning behind her call as she led them towards the GCPD’s tech unit. “Her name is Ann Williams. She’s a 34 year old marketing consultant. No record, no religious groups, no terrorist affiliations.” 

“Married?” Dick questioned as they followed her into the tech room, a large screen coming into view. 

“Widowed. She has a 7 year old daughter.” 

“Where’s the kid?” Amelia asked, coming to stop in front of the screen, Dick standing beside her. She knew all too well what it was like being a young kid on the streets of Gotham.  

Barbara sighed, “We’re looking.” 

“Did she ask for a lawyer?” Dick crossed his arms over his chest before Barbara responded. “She hasn’t said a word since we brought her in. She just brought this note.” 

Amelia’s brow furrowed as she looked over at the computer screen, Dick following her gaze as the evidence expert pulled up the image. It was a small piece of paper that had been ripped out of some kind of book. A message written down in scratchy, dark handwriting: I need to talk to Nightwing.

“She’s asking to talk to Nightwing?” Amelia scoffed, “I didn’t realize we took requests now.” 

Dick shook his head at her comment, interjecting, “It looks like it was written on the back of a textbook page or something.” 

Looking over at the GCPD worker, Barbara nodded, “Play it.” 

Shoving her hands into her jacket pockets, Amelia watched the large screen showcasing  different, windowed surveillance footage from multiple areas in Gotham. Ann Williams appeared on the screen in the upper middle of the footage, a scared expression on her face as she stood at an ATM machine towards the entrance of a bus station. Multiple people walked by her as she quickly looked around before reaching into her pocket, grabbing a red cloth of some kind. She pulled it over her head, Amelia realizing it was a hood, not just a piece of fabric. The video paused on Ann’s face looking into the camera. 

“What the fuck?” She muttered under her breath. 

“She’s terrified.” Dick commented, brow furrowed in thought. 

The footage of Ann blew up on the large screen, her terrified expression making a chill run through Amelia’s spine. 

Barbara looked up at them, “Red Hood.” 

Dick grimaced, “Joker started out his career wearing one. Think it might be related?” 

“I hope not.” 

The video unpaused at Barbara’s go-ahead and Amelia felt her chest tighten, watching as the woman quickly walked away from the ATM with the hood on her head, dropping a duffle bag next to the line of people that were behind her before running up the stairs, disappearing out of view. A gasp escaped her mouth as she watched a large cloud of fire burst out of the bag, an explosion cutting off the surveillance footage and the screams that went along with it.  

 It had been decided then, that Dick would go into the interrogation room as Nightwing. Their suits were on them at all times, in case of emergency, sitting in the trunk of the car. It didn’t take long for Dick to change, Barbara bringing him through the back entrance of the GCPD, so he wasn’t spotted. Amelia felt like she wanted to vomit, her stomach twisting and churning as she stood in front of the door to the interrogation room, Dick standing in front of her in his Nightwing suit, ready to go in. She knew he had dealt with worse things than this, but she didn’t like the uncertainty of it all. 

“Please be careful. Somethings off about this, I don’t trust it.” She stated anxiously, adjusting his mask over his eyes. It didn’t even need to be fixed, she just needed to do something. “I know you can handle yourself, but don’t be a hero.” 

Dick grabbed her hands in his, pulling them down from his face. He sighed, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles, the roughness from his gloves scratching her skin. “It’s kind of what we do, Ames. But I get what you're saying, I’ll try to make it quick.” 

“If you die in there, I’ll kill you.” 

“I love you too, Ames.” 

Forcing down her unease, she let go of his hands, making her way towards the observation room as she joked. “I’ll be just behind this wall with Barbara. I’ll try to be on my best behavior, but no promises.” 

With a shake of his head and a chuckle, Dick walked into the interrogation room. Opening the door to the observation room, Amelia met with Barbara and another officer, a laptop and a small microphone sitting between them. She watched through the one-way window as Dick approached the woman, Ann, his back facing the glass.  

“You asked to speak to me?” Dick spoke, causing the woman to gasp in fright. 

She watched as Ann’s expression never wavered from being terrified as she stared straight ahead, not a word coming out of her mouth. 

“Can you speak?” He asked and she shook her head no, eyes wide with tears. “The red hood you were wearing, was that something to do with the Joker?” 

The uneasy feeling was back again, hitting Amelia at full force as she watched the woman barely shake her head again, lips pressed tightly together. Sweat gathered on her palms and she wiped them against her jeans, her stomach churned from the nerves. She didn’t like this feeling, having to be stuck behind the glass, helpless. 

“Why do you wanna talk to me?” Dick questioned, his tone remaining low and steady. Ann looked down at her arm before pulling her sleeve back, revealing a sequence of numbers carved into her skin, the veins under it bulging. Dick slowly approached the table, looking down at her arm. “Who did that to you?” 

The woman whimpered, a shaky breath leaving her nose. 

“Am I supposed to call that?” 

She quickly shook her head yes, her breath coming out in pants as she opened her mouth to breathe. Dick glanced at the glass before reading out the numbers, “7-3-5...7-2-0…2-6-6-0.” 

Amelia watched as Barbara quickly wrote the numbers down, the other officer inputting it into the computer. She glanced over at the screen, the number dialing automatically as the computer beeped, tracing the call. Glancing back up at the window, her eyes widened as Ann gasped while her body seized. 

“Something’s wrong.” She muttered to herself, before looking over at Barbara and the officer, voice stern. “Stop the call.” 

Barbara sent her an incredulous look, “What?” 

Quickly, Amelia looked back up, watching Ann writhe at the table as Dick approached, before meeting Barbara’s gaze again, “Do it, Barbara! Something’s fucking wrong!” 

“Hang up the call!” Dick’s voice called out, eyes wide with worry. “Hang up the call!” 

Barbara and the officer scrambled to stop the call as Dick shouted and Amelia looked back through the glass, watching as Ann shook, her mouth foaming. The woman screamed out, her hands flying to her head before twisting and snapping her own neck, her body slamming against the table.

“Oh my god!” Amelia gasped out, hands covering her mouth. Barbara gasped next to her, eyes wide in shock as the line finally disconnected. Dick looked back at the glass, a helpless look on his face as he breathed heavily. Sighing, Amelia shook her head before leaving the observation room, the door slamming shut behind her. 

It had been a few hours since the interrogation and all Amelia wanted to do was go back to the Manor. Instead, she sat in a chair in Barbara’s office, chin resting on the palm of her hand as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Dick sat in the office with her, having changed out of his suit earlier, as they waited for Barbara to bring the autopsy and toxicology results from Ann Williams. 

“We found Ann’s daughter wandering around the bus station an hour ago, also wearing a red hood.” Barbara’s voice brought Amelia out of her haze and she sat up straighter, blinking the sleep away from her eyes as Barbara rolled around to her desk. “She said some strange man in a mask snatched her out of bed, so Ann wasn’t working alone.” 

“Or he used the kid as bait.” Amelia commented, brow furrowing as she glanced over at Dick. “That’s not a police term, is it?” 

“You mean ‘coerce her’.” Dick replied, before turning to Barbara. “There was no money, no political manifestos. Doesn’t sound like a Joker copycat to me. So what does he want?” 

Barbara shrugged slightly, “What’s any terrorist want? Create chaos, paranoia, fear. The noisy kind. Toxicology came back, the woman had a subdermal drug delivery system in her arm. Our guy said it was some sort of Flakka derivation.” 

Amelia blinked, “I’m sorry, a Flakka what?” 

“Like nuclear bath salts.” Barbara explained. “He juiced her with some serious chemical strength.” 

 “A bomb and pharmacology.” Dick spoke, thinking out loud. “Points to a science background, maybe military.” 

Barbara scoffed, “Well, that narrows it down to a few hundred thousand.” 

“Probably with a mental health issue, too. Might help narrow the profile.” 

It was silent for a moment, Barbara looking down at her desk in thought before meeting their gazes again. “I wasn’t gonna mention this, but for cases like these, we’ve been using a consultant, a profiler. And we’ve gotten good results, but you’re not gonna like it.” She nodded towards Amelia, “I believe you’ve had some run-ins with him as well.” 

Amelia’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Who the fuck did she know that worked for the GCPD? Never in her life did she ever make nicety with a cop or detective, excluding Dick, let alone a profiler. 

“Okay.” Dick nodded, glancing over at Amelia. She shrugged.

Barbara sighed, “You’re really not gonna like it.” Dick tilted his head, curious, before she spoke again. “Scarecrow.” 

“What?” 

“Told you, you wouldn’t like it.” 

Amelia scoffed, “You’ve got to be kidding me, that man’s a psycho! He tormented Catwoman for years!” 

Getting out of his seat, Dick grabbed his coat and tossed it on. “You know, Batman put him in Arkham years ago for a reason.” 

“Oh, he’s still there.” Barbara reassured, “He’s just helping us out on the side.” 
 
“This is nuts. You’re taking advice from a fucking crazy person.” Dick retorted, nodding his head towards Amelia before turning to walk away. “Let’s go, Ames.” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” She replied, grabbing her own coat. 

“It was Bruce’s idea.” Barbara’s voice rang out and Amelia rolled her eyes as Dick paused, turning back around. “He thought Crane had value. And so far, he’s been right. When it comes to profiling the criminally insane, I hate to admit it, but he’s the best we’ve got.”  

“A psychotic murderer that’s named after a thing that scares birds away?” Amelia deadpanned, following after him and crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s the best the GCPD can offer?” 

Ignoring her jab, the other woman continued, “After what happened today, I think that we need the best.” 

She heard Dick sigh next to her and she looked over at him with wide eyes, watching as he ran a hand through his hair. She knew what that meant and she wanted nothing more than to punch the stupid idea out of his head. 

“You can’t be serious right now.” 

—---------------------

He was in fact very serious, Amelia had learned as she walked through the gates of Arkham Asylum with Dick. She never thought she’d ever walk through those gates. Well, she always thought she would be driven through them in an armored vehicle like the rest of the crazies that ended up here, maybe bunking with Harley Quinn if she was lucky. The woman was batshit, but at least she’d make it fun. Amelia knew she was lucky to never end up here, her friendship with Dick was always her saving grace. If it were up to Barbara, she probably would have been thrown in here a long time ago with the key thrown away too. 

The old building was everything she’d ever imagined it to be. It was stupidly unsecure to be housing Gotham’s most ruthless and insane criminals, especially with the amount of breakouts there’d been over the years. The cell doors were rusted, paint peeled from the walls that were covered in a brown layer of grime, and a dark hue casted over every walkway and room, the lights flickering as she passed by each one. Staying close to Dick, she slowly walked with him and their Arkham tour guide (a large bald man who looked like he should be locked up), before coming to a stop in front of a long hallway with a single cell at the end of it. 

The man’s voice was gruff, “He’s the only one in this hall.” 

Biting down on her bottom lip, she crossed her arms over her chest like a shield as she trudged behind Dick towards the cell. Each step felt like a death sentence, the echoing of her footsteps making her chest tighten. Amelia wasn’t around for the majority of the times that Crane tormented Selina, but she was there towards the end of it. Selina never talked about it much with her, being that she was still a child then, but she remembered the screams that tore through their dingy apartment at night, when the nightmares became tangible. As she got older, all Selina told her was to let Batman and Robin handle Scarecrow and if she saw him, she should run in the other direction. 

“Dr. Crane?” Dick called out as they approached the cell door, the sound of duct tape stretching coming to a halt. 

The man rasped, back turned away from them. “Weed?” 

Amelia and Dick looked at each other. Barbara had given them the lowdown on Crane’s bargaining chip. It wasn’t hard to score weed in Gotham, but it helped to have some already stored away as discarded evidence. 

“Look, if you want my help, and you do, then I’m gonna need some high quality flower.” Crane rambled, pulling on the tape. “I’m talking 70-30 sativa. Lemon Lyric is my favorite, but I’m not a name-brand whore. Just get me in the ballpark. Anything above 25% THC, we can have our little tete-a-tete.” 

Dick dug around in his jacket pocket, before pulling out a baggie, slapping it into the cage bar. He tossed it through the gap, "You’re doing the stoner act, huh?” 

Crane turned around to face them and Amelia couldn’t help but scoff. This was the man Selina was so scared of? The yellow jumpsuit really didn’t help his case, but this guy looked harmless. He definitely looked crazy, his hair was all askew and his beard was messy, but he just looked like a typical mad scientist. 

“It’s not an act. It helps my brain slow down.” Crane retorted, “Arkham isn’t really a venue for depressants.” 

“Gotham PD actually has you on the payroll?” Dick questioned, sticking his hands into his pockets. 

Crane exhaled, “No. But when I am a good little doggie, they give me my treats.” 

She watched in amusement as Crane opened up the baggie, smelling the inside of it. This man was the GCPD’s best criminal profiler, what a fucking joke. 

“A woman killed herself today, Doctor.” Dick spoke, “Very strange case.” 

A smile played at the corner’s of Crane’s lips, “I heard. She asked for a new guy, Nightwing. Poor Batman. I mean, the dude has one little murdering spree and all of a sudden he’s yesterday’s news, right?” He nodded towards Amelia, “You got any rolling papers, sweetheart?” 

Glancing over at Dick, he nodded before she rolled her eyes, grabbing a baggie of rolling papers out of her jacket pocket and sliding them between the bars. The baggie landed on the concrete floor with a slap. 

Crane chuckled, eyeing their exchange. “Ah. Love you, baby. Love ya.” 

A grimace played at Amelia’s lips, a noise of disgust leaving her. Crossing her arms over her chest again, she shifted a bit closer to Dick, his jaw clenched, “Somebody installed a subdermal drug pump in her arm.” 

“Yeah, Barb sent over a cheat sheet. He’s a vicious little fucker this one.”  He rambled, rolling a blunt as he carried on. “Although, if we’re being honest, I mean, a subcutaneous drug pump? That’s too clever by half. Gotta give him an A+ for originality though.”

“Glad you find this fascinating.” Amelia replied, sarcasm lacing her tone before becoming stern. “The victim was a mother and she was afraid of losing her child, shit head. So afraid, in fact, she murdered four strangers.” 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Crane interjected, looking up from his handiwork. “You know, when Barb- when she said both your names, well, one of them rang a little bell in my head.” He pointed at Dick, “The carney kid that Bruce Wayne took in for PR? You’re that Dick Grayson?” 

Dick crossed his arms over his chest, “You know who I am.” 

“And your story’s biblical, brother. I mean, really, you ditched the family safety net, you flee swinging Wayne Manor. And then, years later,” The crazed man chuckled lowly, continuing his blunt rolling, “like the motherfucking prodigal son, home again, home again, jiggety jig.” 

He swiped his tongue across a sliver of the rolling paper before nodding towards Amelia, “And you, what are you? His flavor of the week? I know Bruce Wayne has a reputation, but I didn’t realize that the proverbial apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, ya know?” 

Amelia felt Dick tense up next to her, his shoulders tightening underneath his jacket. Her own body tensed up, hands clenched into fists as she lowered her arms to her sides. Oh, she wanted nothing more than to beat this imp of a man into the ground, then she’d really get her trip to Arkham. 

“Who I am is none of your business, unless you enjoy seeing that big brain of yours come out of your ears.” She sneered, aiming to take a step closer to the cell, only to feel Dick’s hand grab hers, keeping her grounded. 

Crane giggled, “Oh, feisty! Kitty’s got claws! You know, you remind me of an old friend of mine, not as violent, but just as fun!” 

“Look, we didn’t come here to talk about ourselves.” Dick interjected, feeling Amelia bristle next to him. “If you’ve read the file, maybe you have a few ideas?” 

Crane looked down at his perfectly rolled blunt, before meeting his gaze. “Well, do you have a light?” 

“No, sorry.” 

He sighed before placing the unlit joint behind his ear. “That’s okay, I got connections. Yes. The file,” Crane cleared his throat, before getting out of his chair to head towards his bed, grabbing the police report. “Now, my best guess, and it’s just a guess, is that, uh, he somehow knows who this Nightwing character really is and he has some sort of jealousy complex.” 

Amelia met Dick’s unimpressed gaze, before narrowing her eyes at the crazed man, “That’s it?” 

“That’s it. Maybe he has a background in explosives, military, construction, maybe just an internet moog.” 

Dick scoffed, “Okay, it’s nice to see that higher learning wasn’t wasted on you, Doctor. Thanks for your help.” Hand in hand, the two turned to leave, making their way down the long hallway. Amelia shook her head in disbelief, what a fucking waste of time. 

“It’s the Bird’s Opening.” Crane’s voice echoed through the hall. Dick stopped in his tracks, Amelia stopping with him as they both turned around to face him. 

“What?” 

“It’s the Bird’s Opening.” He repeated, fingers dancing along the edge of his desk. “It’s one of the oldest known openings in chess. It was made famous in 1855 by Henry Edward Bird. It’s a classic king-pawn opening. The two are connected, relying on each other.” Crane stepped closer to the bars, waving a piece of paper around. “The king moves stealthily in the shadows, while the pawns are sent into the teeth of destruction so that he may advance.”

Her brow furrowed, confusion settling on her face as she let go of his hand to cross her arms over her chest. She knew nothing about chess and she trusted Crane as far as she could throw him, but the way he was explaining it, weirdly made sense for their situation.

“You got all that from the police cheat sheet?” Dick questioned, skeptically. 

“Yeah.” Crane nodded, holding up the paper. A picture of the handwritten note from earlier was printed on it. “The note, it’s written on the back of a page torn from a chess manual. It’s just his opening move.” 

—----------------

Amelia sat next to Dick at the Batcomputer as he muttered the opening play, simulating it on a virtual chess board. She wasn’t surprised that the Batcomputer had virtual chess installed on it, being that it was most likely Bruce’s game. Dawn and Kory stood on either side of them, watching the pieces move. 

“Is this some kind of code?” Dawn asked. 

“That’s the Bird’s Opening, chess moves.” Dick stated, “I’ve been running the piece and board numbers through the computer, looking at all the combinations.” 

“For what?” Kory chimed in.

“A telephone number, bank accounts-” Dick replied, letting out a breath. 

“A needle in a haystack.” Amelia interjected, spinning around in her chair. “Whoever says chess is fun is a liar.” 

Dick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers as the computer ran through his latest combination. A small hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing, and he looked over at Amelia, giving her a small smile which she returned. A beep sounded from the computer, alerting everyone to it. A list of the pieces and board numbers scrambled into words and numbers appeared in a popup. 

Dick’s brow furrowed, reading off the list. “Robin.” 

“The Bird’s Opening, Robin.” Dawn shook her head, “That can’t be random.” 

“Ann lived at 2289 BlueBird Way.” He stated, quickly pulling up the police report. Amelia could practically see the gears turning in his head and she smiled brightly. She loved when he got all excited about his detective work. He looked over at her, “Ames, get a list of all the Gotham streets with bird names.” 

“Already on it, pretty bird.” Rolling herself to the other computer, she typed into the advanced search bar, pulling up a list of street names and locations. “There’s five in Gotham. BlueBird Way, Condor Court, Finch Street, Falcon Way, and Eagle Crest.” 

“I’ll see if the numbers correlate to the actual addresses and the addresses of the next victims.” 

A loud bang startled the group, all eyes pointing to the source of the noise. Amelia jumped in her seat, heart pounding before her eyes widened, “Hank?” 

“I pedaled as fast as I could.” Hank smiled, opening his arms wide. She smiled, pushing herself out of her seat and leaping into his arms, wrapping him in a hug. He chuckled, “Ames! Good to see you, beautiful.” 

“I missed your dumb face, you idiot!” She pulled back from their hug before slapping him on the arm. “I thought you retired! What are you doing here?” 

“Oh, you know I can’t stay put in one place for too long.” He joked, before meeting Kory in a hug.  

Getting out of his seat, Dick smirked, “About time.” 

Hank beamed, pulling away from Kory to greet Dick. “Hey, buddy. So, are we suiting up?” 

A tense silence lingered in the air and Amelia glanced over at Dawn, seeing anger hidden behind her normally soft expression. An awkward laugh escaped Hank’s lips, before Dawn led him out of the Batcave, the two going up to the parlor alone. Amelia cringed, if she had to guess, Dawn had no idea Hank was even showing up. Granted, they all didn’t really know, but it was more of a welcomed surprise for them. Whatever, the more people they had here, the better. 

It was some odd hours later, Dick had found out that the numbers and addresses did correlate and everyone took a different street address to search. With the rest of the team scattered, Amelia joined up with Dick inside a potential victims house, listening to Dawn’s voice crackling from his phone speaker. 

“Hey. We cleared Finch Street. Any luck on Eagle Crest?” 

Kory came strutting up to them, shaking her head. “Nothing. Conner called, and he and Gar came up empty.” 

“Shit.” Amelia cursed. “Why can’t this be fucking easy?” 

Dick sighed, “We’re too late.” His phone beeped in his hand, signaling another call, glancing at the caller ID, he put Dawn on hold, before switching to the other line. ”Talk to me.” 

“Dick, it’s Barb. We’ve got a problem. Bank robbery in progress. Four armed men and hostages, we don’t know how many. I wasn’t gonna call you, but they’re all wearing red hoods.” 

—--------------------

The loud sounds of sirens echoed in Amelia’s ears as red and blue lights flashed all around her. SWAT vans were stationed around the area and news helicopters hovered in the night sky, waiting for any signals of distress. Dressed in her Calico suit, she walked past a line of cars with Dick, dressed in his Nightwing suit, towards Barbara. 

“Hey.” Dick called out. They stood on the other side of the barricade as Barbara spoke. “They have hostages, but they won’t talk to us. Issued no demands.” 

“It’s not a bank robbery.” Dick stated, “Tell your men to pull back.” 

“Pull back?” 

“We think it’s a setup, Commissioner.” Amelia interjected, rolling her eyes before meeting Barbara’s gaze. “Just like with Ann Williams. They’ve been forced into this. Whoever was behind that, is the same person behind this.” 

Barbara scoffed, “So what? We just pull back, wait for the mayhem to start? And since when did you start playing the hero?” 

“Since I started fuc-” 

“Enough.” Dick snapped at her, his tone turning authoritative. Amelia grumbled, her retort dying in her throat. The childish side of her wanted to blame Barbara, but she knew it was her own fault. Being on the hero side of things required being selfless and she was anything but. The stress was mounting and she had nothing to take the edge off. 

He turned his gaze back to Barbara, “I can go in there and talk to them. They’re not criminals, they’re parents. They think their children are in danger. Gar and Connor are searching for the kids right now. That’s the leverage. We find them, this all goes away. Call your men off and let us handle it.” 

“If you’re wrong,” Barbara replied softly. “This is gonna be a bloodbath.” 

“We got this.” 

Amelia hadn’t even noticed that Kory, Dawn, and Hank had made their own way over, all dressed in their suits. She watched as Barbara looked over all of them before letting out a breath, calling out to her officers. “Stand down!” 

With a nod from Dick, they all started walking towards the building as he started explaining the plan. “Alright, each of us has a gunman to contain. Remember, they’re not professionals. They’re scared, maybe on drugs, and don’t be surprised if they’re irrational. No sudden moves. No loud voices. The calmer the better.” 

He looked over at Amelia, “I want you up top, there’s a balcony overlooking the main entrance and bottom floor. You’re our eyes and ears up there, I need you as quiet as possible. There’s a window you can sneak into on the side of the building.” 

“Sir, yes, sir.” With a tight lipped smile and a mock salute, she dispersed from the group. The last thing she wanted to do was recon, but with civilian lives on the line, Dick would kill her if she decided to forgo his orders now. 

Making her way to the side of the bank, Amelia spotted the window Dick was talking about. Grabbing her grappling hook from her belt, she pointed it towards the roof before pulling the trigger, the metal clanging against the concrete as it hooked on. She let herself be pulled up, stopping at the ledge of the window and pulling the trigger on her grappling hook, letting it fall back into place and sticking it back on her belt. 

Amelia flexed her gloved hand, tiny claws unsheathing themselves from the tips of her fingers. With quick precision, she traced along the edge of a large square pane with the tip of her index finger, creating an entrance for herself. Placing the tips of all her fingers against the glass and letting her gloves suction on to it, she carefully and quietly pried away the outlined piece and rested it against the window’s ledge. She crouched through the square hole, landing softly on the tiled balcony inside. Glancing over at the entrance, she watched as Dick, Kory, Dawn and Hank walked through the front door. 

Every civilian in the building was wearing a red hood, the gunmen, the bank tellers, and the other hostages. One of the gunmen pointed his gun at the bank teller, finger hovering over the trigger. The woman on the other side whimpered in fear, as she held up her shaky hands in surrender. 

“Wait!” Dick called out, making the gunman turn around as he kept his gun pointed at the teller, shouting out, “Stay back!” 

“Easy.” Hank placated, “Everyone just relax.” 

Crouched above on the balcony, Amelia scanned the scene, eyes watching for any sudden movements or abnormalities. 

“You don’t have to do this.” Dick stated softly. “Look, we know somebody took your children and forced you into this. We’re gonna find them and bring them back to you safe and sound. Nobody needs to get hurt.” 

She watched as Dick paused, his tense shoulders relaxing a bit as a sigh of relief left his lips. He must have heard from Gar and Connor. “The kids are safe. We found them. Now put your guns down.” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes underneath her mask, the gunmen not dropping their weapons. An uneasy feeling settled in her gut, as she watched them eye each other. 

“Nobody needs to get hurt.” Dawn’s soft voice rang out. “This is over.” 

“No, it’s not over.” One of the gunmen spoke, his voice slightly muffled behind the red cloth. “Not yet.” He removed his red hood, revealing a slightly scarred face and a spiderweb tattoo along his cheek and jaw. He pointed the gun straight at Dick, smirking. “Now it’s over.” 

Amelia’s eyes widened in realization, a memory resurfacing from the depths of her mind. She had seen that tattoo before, it belonged to one of the crime families in Gotham. In the corner of her eye, she spotted one of the other gunmen, crouching down on the floor and grabbing something from a black duffle bag. Two red, electronic grenades rolled out of his hands and she pressed the communicator in her ear. “Grenade!” 

The balcony shook from the impact of the two bombs, dust and debris scattering through the air as Amelia was tossed backwards, back slamming against the railing on the other side. Windows shattered, glass falling from all sides. A ringing played in her ears, the groan leaving her lips sounding muffled as pain blossomed up her spine. A wetness trickled down the side of her face and she reached up, pressing her fingers against it before bringing them back down, a dark red seeping into her gloves. Dust filled her lungs as she breathed, coughing up the foreign material as she struggled to push herself up. A voice crackled in her ear, calling out her alias name. Letting out another cough, she let herself fall back to the floor, leaning against the railing. She pressed her finger against her comm, croaking out. “I’m okay.” 

Mustering all her strength, she pushed herself off the floor, wincing at the pain in her back. Amelia trudged towards the other side of the balcony, meeting Dick’s gaze on the bottom floor. Dust covered his suit and hair, his eyes softening as he looked at her. The gunmen were gone.

—------------- 

After the explosion, they all had gone back to the manor to clean and patch themselves up. Hank and Dawn got away with some minor bruises and scratches, while Kory just had a mess of dust in her hair. Amelia let Dick fuss over her, allowing him to clean the cut on her forehead before checking her over for more injuries. While he took care of her, she looked him over as well, nothing but minor bruising from the impact. They showered together, washing the dust from their skin and hair in between soft kisses. Once dressed, they had made their way back to the GCPD, only for Barbara to scold them as soon as they walked through the doors. 

“They walked out with twenty-five million dollars and drove off with my men two blocks away.” Barbara berated, anger lacing her tone as she rolled herself towards her office, Dick and Amelia following. “You practically gave them a police escort.” 

“We got played.” Dick explained, as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, but it happens.” 

She snapped, “Didn’t happen with Batman.” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes and her jaw clenched. “Watch it, Barbara.” 

Ignoring Amelia, she kept her eyes on Dick. “Be a better Batman, I believe were the instructions, Dick.”  

He sighed, “Whoever this is, this is exactly what they want.” 

“Which is?” 

“Mistrust between us.” 

Barbara scoffed, “Well, they should’ve called first. That box was already checked.” 

“Those guys at the bank looked like Santiago Perez’s people.” Amelia interjected, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew all about the crime families in Gotham, even worked with some of them a few times. That spider web tattoo looked familiar when she saw it. “If we find them, we find out who’s running this show. I have old contacts I can get a hold of to try to track them down.” 

“‘Old Contacts’? Just say what they are, Amelia. They’re other criminals.” Barbara snapped, “The people who have sworn to defend Gotham will handle it. The ones in this building.” 

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Says the police commissioner relying on an inmate in Arkham Asylum to solve cases for her.” 

“That was Bruce’s idea-” 

“Oh fuck off, Barbara!”

“Hey!” Dick interrupted, letting out a breath. “It doesn’t have to be Ames’s way, but we can help.”

“I stood down for you tonight.” Barbara said, voice slightly hoarse as she stared at Dick. “Nobody else could have convinced me to do that. It wasn’t professional.” 

“Right.” Dick crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. “Keep it professional. I’m sorry we failed you tonight, Commissioner.”

Amelia looked between the two, seeing the emotion in Barbara’s eyes as she stared at Dick. Her stomach dropped a bit, a realization dawning on her as a tense silence overtook them. Barbara still had feelings for Dick, even after all these years. It shouldn’t have surprised her as much as it did, they didn’t exactly end on great terms. She glanced over at Dick, his posture completely rigid, a neutral look strewn across his face, but there was still something she couldn’t quite place swimming in his eyes. She didn’t know if she wanted to find out. 

“The city is on edge and it’s my job to protect them, not yours.” Barbara snapped before rolling herself to her desk, the doors to her office sliding closed. “This is a police matter.” 

—-------------

Back at Wayne Manor, Amelia trudged down to the Batcave, in search of the rest of the team. She muttered she’d be back up to go to bed, but she wanted to talk to Kory first. With a nod, Dick meandered into the kitchen, catching Hank standing in front of the kitchen counter, eating. 

“Hey, man.” Dick greeted, “Whatcha eating?” 

“I don’t know.” Hank mumbled, swallowing his bite of food. “Gar made it, I think. Some kind of meat thing.” 

Walking towards him, he glanced at the small bowl in Hank’s hands before leaning on the counter across from him. A chuckle left his lips,  “That’s Krypto's.” 

Slowly, Hank’s eyes widened in realization, nodding slowly as he put the spoon down on the counter and closed the contained back up, sticking it in the fridge. “How’d it go with Barbara?” 

“She said she wants to keep it professional.” 

“Working with your ex and current girlfriend is not for amateurs. Trust me, I would know.” Hank stated, leaning against the opposite counter. “How’s Amelia feeling about all this?” 

“She’s… Amelia about it.” He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Her and Barbara never got along and I’m trying to keep things civil between them, but I feel like I’m eighteen again when I listen to those two. Amelia can’t even contain herself anymore.”

“Ah,” Hank smirked, “Amelia’s jealous.” 

“What?” 

“Trust me on this, man. It’s pretty obvious that Barbara still feels something for you and Amelia’s spent years watching you fawn over her, I wouldn’t put it past her to feel a bit possessive now.”

Dick shook his head, “I haven’t felt anything for Barbara in a long time and Amelia knows she has nothing to worry about.” 

“Look, I know what Amelia is like when she’s jealous, she turns self-destructive.” Hank explained, “It may start with her fighting with Barbara, but it usually ends with Jack Daniels being her new boyfriend.”

Dick ran a hand through his hair, a sigh leaving his lips. He wasn’t in the habit of listening to Hank when it came to relationship advice, but Hank knew Amelia in a way that he was just starting to explore. Dick wasn’t trying to push her or their relationship aside for Barbara, but he understood how things looked and maybe he was getting caught up in trying to be friends with her again, but that’s all he wanted from her. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose, the stress of it all finally getting to him, before letting out a breath. “I’m fucking it up, aren’t I? With Amelia and Barbara. Then, the shit at the bank. Bruce wouldn’t have fallen for that.” 

“Eh, nobody’s perfect.” Hank placated. “Not even Bruce.” 

Dick scoffed, “He sure wasn’t the other night.” 

“Yeah, that must have been tough to see.” 

“Before he took off, he asked me to stay. Said the city’s mine.” 

“It’s kind of like asking your adult son to move back home, sleep in your bed, wear your old slippers. It’s a little weird.” Hank jokes, causing a chuckle to leave Dick’s lips. 

“Yeah. It was good to see the Hawk today.” 

Hank smiled, “Yeah, it felt good. I got some repairs done.” 

“Stu?” 

He scoffed, “Wanted 40K for reconditioning. Found a lady at the dry cleaner who did it for 100 bucks.” 

Dick chuckled again, shaking his head, “You looked good. Though Dawn tells me you rocked the bike shorts back in DC. Ames couldn’t believe it, she had Dawn show her a picture.” 

“Hey,” Hank chastised jokingly, “those are pursuit and attack shorts, motherfucker.” 

The two laughed, a silence overtaking them before Dick sighed, “Let me go check on Ames, she should have been back up here by now. And, thanks... for the advice.” He turned to walk away, heading towards the parlor.

“Hey.” Dick turned back around at the sound of Hank’s voice, looking at him expectantly. Hank leaned against the counter, “Whoever this is fucking with us, he’s going down, and we’re gonna be the ones to do it. So, chin fucking up, amigo.” 

Dick let out a breath out through his nose, a small smile playing at his lips as he tilted his head up before walking away, “Chin up.” 

Meanwhile, Amelia sat on one of the computer chairs, spinning around in boredom. Connor sat next to her, reading a book about chess. Kory and Gar were in the middle of a chess game, Gar using the Bird’s Opening to move his pieces around. The three were on a mission to figure out any other clues that they might have missed. 

“Whenever you’re ready.” Kory goaded, moving a pawn across the board. 

Gar sat across from her, contemplating. “I know what you’re doing.” He moved his own pawn, “Psy ops. Mastered by the Russians. “  

Amelia snorted, her spinning coming to a slow stop. “Dude, you do know she’s from another planet, right?” 

The teen moved the knight piece, smirking. “Allegedly.” 

Kory chuckled, “Do you always get this way when you get competitive? By ‘this way’, I mean insane?” 

“I’m problem-solving.” Gar replied, moving another chess piece. “The Bird’s Opening. The answer’s right in front of us. It’s hidden in plain sight.” 

“Hey, speaking of Russians.” Connor spoke, looking up from his book as he giggled. “This guy Bobby Fischer had the fillings removed from his mouth because he thought the Russians were using it as a radio transmitter.” 

 Amelia perked up, looking over at Connor’s book as he showed her the page. “And suddenly, chess just got way more interesting.” 

“Stop.” Gar interjected urgently. 

“Sorry, Gar, but chess is boring.” 

“No, hold on.” The teen shook his head, “Fischer took out his own fillings?” 

Connor furrowed his brow, “I’m not sure if I should talk or not.” 

“He did it because he thought the Russians were trying to beat him.” Gar explained, slowly, almost thinking out loud. He scoffed, “It was a defensive move. We’re looking at this the wrong way. The answer isn’t figuring out more of Bird’s Opening moves, it’s how we beat it.” 

Amelia watched, intrigued, as Gar turned the chess board around, swapping his white pieces for the black pieces. She still had no idea how to play chess, but Gar seemed to be on to something. 

Gar moved the pieces back into place, “Connor, top five defensive moves against the Bird’s Opening.” 

Hearing the door opening behind them, Amelia turned around in her chair as Connor looked through his book, spotting Dick walking into the room. He met her gaze, brow furrowed, as she held up his hand to silence him. “Shut up, I think Gar’s becoming a chess prodigy.” 

“From’s Gambit, the modern defense.” Connor listed, reading off the page. “Uh, a fianchetto, Hobbs Gambit-” 

“Hobbs?” Dick questioned, arms crossed over his chest.

Connor read from the page, “Unsound, but nonetheless interesting and uncommon.” 

“No, not that.” He shook his head, heading to the computer as Amelia rolled herself out of the way. “Hobbs Powder Group. They used to make explosives. Batman and I shut them down for street dealing.” 

Amelia chuckled, spinning around to face the computer as Dick typed. “Oh, I remember that! I bought a grenade from them one time.” The computer beeped, pulling up a map of the area and a police alert. “Looks like there was a 911 call about two minutes ago from the Hobbs building.” 

Dick clicked on the recording of the call, a female voice coming out of the speakers. “911 operator. What’s your emergency?” 

A man’s voice spoke, sounding frantic. “A man.. I saw him take this woman into a building. She was screaming. He had a gun.” 

“Where are you?” 

“Outside the Hobbs building. He took her inside. He had a hood over his head. A red hood.” 

“Units on their way.” 

Dick shook his head, quickly making his way towards the exit. “It’s a bogus call. He’s leading them into a trap.” 

“Call Barbara.” Kory spoke, causing Amelia’s shoulders to tense. 

Dick stopped in his tracks, looking back at the group as he scoffed. “I don’t think she’s taking my calls.” 

Rolling her eyes, Amelia got up from her chair, following after Dick. “Now she decides to ignore your calls?” 

Gar follows after them, leading the rest of the group out of the cave. “We have to stop those cops.”

“Oh! Can I place the spike strips?” 

—----------------------

Much to her enjoyment, Amelia had placed the spike strips to make sure the cops couldn’t get to the Hobbs building. Everyone had suited up quickly before they left with Dick assigning everyone an area of the large warehouse to scope out. Kory, Connor, and Gar went to the northside, while Hank and Dawn went south. Dick headed towards the second floor and Amelia sat on the railing of some scaffolding in the middle of the warehouse, watching below her as a gunman started walking her way, oblivious to his surroundings. She smirked, twirling her ring dagger around her finger, waiting for the man to get closer, before throwing it in front of him, the dagger implanting itself into a cardboard box next to him. 

Shocked, the man looked up and she waved cheekily, grabbing onto her bullwhip with her other hand. “Cat got your tongue, big boy?” 

Before he could even get a word out, she unraveled her whip, letting it wrap around the gun he was holding. Losing his grip, the gun clattered to the floor, sliding a few feet away from him. Amelia quickly wrapped the end of her whip around the gunman’s leg, giving her tightened whip a pull as he toppled backwards to the ground, his head hitting the metal flooring with a bang and knocking him unconscious. 

Amelia chuckled and jumped down from the scaffolding, wrapping her whip back up and attaching it to her belt as she went. She tugged her dagger out of the box as she pressed down on the communicator in her ear. “All clear.” 

Various responses rang through her ears, each group giving the clear signal. She let out a breath, sheathing her dagger. Suddenly, a round of slightly muffled gunshots rang out and Amelia jumped, quickly looking towards where the sound traveled from. Another quick succession of gunshots echoed in her ears and her eyes widened as she looked at the ceiling above her, Dick was up there. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She muttered to herself, sprinting towards the concrete stairs at the end of the walkway. Taking two at a time, she scrambled her way up the stairs and walked through the doorway, spotting a man in a black tactical armor and a leather jacket. He had a red metal helmet with white eye lenses, covering his whole head, concealing his face. The man quickly aimed his gun straight at her. 

“Get down!” Dick yelled out to her, crouched by a stack of barrels. Bullets whizzed past her, hitting the wall behind her as Amelia took cover behind a metal container, the shots bouncing off with a ding. 

Amelia let out a breath as the shots stopped, her chest rising and falling heavily. “Who the fuck is that?” 

“I’m the one you’ll run to when he lets you down.” A deep modulated voice responded, causing a shiver to run up her spine. “When he lets all of them down. Gotham, it’s mine now.” 

Meeting Dick’s gaze, he nodded for her to sneak to the other side, heavy footsteps approaching in her direction. Quieting her footsteps, she lightly crouched her way towards another set of barrels, hiding behind them. Dick had disappeared without a trace. With bated breath, she peeked out, watching the man come around to her original hiding spot before Dick stepped out in front of him, throwing a bird-a-rang in his direction. 

“We’ll see about that.”   

Using his gun, the masked man knocked the metal object out of his way, letting it clang to the floor before pulling the trigger on his gun, quick shots firing out in Dick’s direction. Amelia flinched, heart pounding as she grabbed onto one of her ring daggers, aiming and tossing it at the man’s helmet, hitting the back of his head as it bounced off. 

“Hey asshole!” She shouted as Dick back flipped out of the way of the gunshots, disappearing once more. The man turned around and aimed at her, pulling the trigger, only to realize the gun was empty. Using the distraction, Amelia maneuvered her way in Dick’s direction, spotting him as the masked man finished reloading his gun. 

“Come on, man.” The modulated voice called out, low and threatening. “You know the tune, you’re out-gunned. Just throw in the towel and I promise I’ll be gentle. I’ll even take good care of your girl too.” 

Clenching his jaw, Dick chucked his electrified escrima stick at the masked man, anger swirling in his gut. The man caught it with ease, holding it up, before an electrical current pulsed through it, causing the man to groan from the high powered shock, throwing it to the ground. Quickly, Dick sprinted towards him, coming down with his other escrima stick, only to be blocked by the masked man’s gun. 

Amelia watched as the man used his gun as a shield, blocking Dick’s attacks in quick succession. He forced Dick back, causing him to stumble, before quickly dropping his gun as he brandished a hunting knife. Grabbing onto her last ring dagger, she ran at the man, quickly blocking him with her dagger before he could stab Dick. 

She chuckled breathlessly, “I thought this was a gun fight.”

The masked man swiped at her in frustration as she kept blocking his attacks, moving backwards as he pushed forwards. His knife swished through the air, finding an opening in her defensive moves and slicing the blade across her side. Amelia hissed at the burning pain in her side and her hand instinctively moved to press into her wound, the man using the distraction to kick her to the ground, her body landing on the concrete with a thud. 

Coming in between them, Dick moved to attack, using his escrima stick to block the masked man’s knife. Pressing her gloved hand into her side, Amelia let out another hiss in pain, feeling blood seep through her catsuit. It wasn’t super deep, but she knew she was going to at least need something to bandage it to stop the bleeding. She watched as the two fought against each other, their attack and defensive moves almost eerily similar, almost like they both knew how the other was going to react. Finding an opening, Dick smacked the top of his escrima stick hard into the side of the man’s mask, blue sparks flying as it made contact. The masked man stumbled backwards, facing away as he dropped his knife and held onto his helmet. 

Dick hurriedly made his way towards her, bending down next to her. “Can you move?” 

Amelia nodded, holding onto her side as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders, letting him hoist her up. Biting down on her bottom lip, she suppressed a groan as pain shot up her side. Right as Dick was about to move, the masked man grabbed the piece of his broken mask off the floor, the two of them pausing as he slowly turned around. 

“Bruce always told me you were better than me with the toys.” 

Amelia felt herself tense up, heart stopping as a slight gasp escaped her lips. Dick tensed next to her, his finger tightening against her ribcage. He breathed out, “Jason?” 

“In living color.” Jason’s voice vibrated through his broken mask. “I got a new name now, though. You’ll be hearing it a lot around here. Red hood.” 

 Without another word, Jason whipped out a pistol, aiming straight at Dick and Amelia. Quickly, Dick moved his body in front of her as shots rang out, pulling her with him behind a palette of barrels. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut as they both fell to the ground, bullets hitting the metal of the barrels, intense pain radiating up the side of her body. Her heart pounded hard in her chest as she opened her eyes again, meeting Dick’s worried and shocked gaze. The gunshots ceased and with a nod from her, Dick cautiously made his way out from behind the barrels, scanning their surroundings, they were completely alone. Amelia let her head hit the barrel, her chest rising and falling in heavy breaths as she closed her eyes. The only thing she could see was the image of Jason’s face masked in red metal. 

Chapter Text

A ringing echoed in Amelia’s ears as she sat on the couch in the parlor of Wayne Manor, her eyes slightly glazed over as she stared past Dick and into the crackling fireplace, watching the flames lick at the wood underneath it. Her eyes felt heavy from the lack of sleep, not being able to close her eyes long enough to relax her body into slumber, the image of Jason’s face still burned into her memory. Dick hadn’t slept either, instead, giving Amelia instructions to find Kory to tend to her stab wound before spending the rest of the night at the Wayne Family grave plot, digging up Jason’s grave. He hadn’t come back until the early hours of the morning, covered in dirt and sweat. 

A couple hours later, led them to now, with Dick standing in front of the fireplace trying to wrap his brain around the fact that Jason was alive. Dawn sat on the couch next to Amelia, with Hank and Kory standing behind them. Every so often, Amelia felt Dawns’ soft gaze linger in her direction before focusing back on the conversation. Her fingers twitched against her thigh and she clenched her hands into fists to stop herself from reaching for the crystal decanter of scotch sitting on the coffee table in front of her. 

“There was a dead body.” Dick crossed his arms over his chest, his mind reeling. “Jason’s body. Bruce saw it with his own eyes.” 

“Maybe he was confused.” Hank replied, slowly. 

“Bruce doesn’t do confused.” Dawn remarked. 

Kory sighed, her shoulders dropping. “Okay, I don’t want to say it, but-” 

“It was Jason.” Amelia interjected, her voice hoarse as she spoke. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, Dick’s gaze being the most intense. “I saw him. Dick did too.” 

She let the rest of the conversation play out, zoning back in on the crackling fire. Jason was alive . How? She had no idea. Crazy shit always happened in Gotham, but this was by far the most insane. Was Jason even dead to begin with? Did he fake it? Why would he fake his own death? Did someone bring him back from the dead? Was it Bruce? But, if Bruce knew, he wouldn’t have killed the Joker in the first place, so he must have actually seen Jason’s body. A sharp pain radiated in Amelia’s skull, her face screwing up in a wince as she tuned herself back into the conversation, hearing Kory’s voice. 

“If someone’s bringing people back to life, maybe they could bring Donna back.” 

She felt her breath catch in her throat at Kory’s words and the room fell silent. Amelia didn’t have to look at anybody’s faces to know they were all thinking the same thing - If Jason could come back, why not Donna? 

“Well,” Hank spoke, breaking the silence. “It's a little early for Easter, but someone resurrected the little assbite.” 

“Or he faked his death well enough to fool even Bruce.” Dawn countered. 

“Either way, he sure as shit didn’t do it on his own.” 

“Whatever’s happened, he’s changed. The kid always had issues, but he was never a full on psychopath.” Kory retorted.

 Amelia scoffed, nails digging into her palms. “He was fighting to kill last night, I have a stab wound to prove it.” 

“He could be using.” Dick countered, glancing down at her. “When Ames and I got to Gotham, we found a place where he was cooking.” He paused, thinking, before letting out a breath, “Tested a few samples in the bat computer, no hits.” 

“For fuck’s sake.” Hank snapped, “Enough with the paralysis by analysis.” 

A twinge of annoyance panged in Amelia’s gut, shaking her head as she stood up from her seat and turned around to face Hank, shooting him a look of irritation. “Don’t make me punch you, I’m not in the mood.” 

Gently grabbing onto Amelia’s arm, Dawn pulled her back onto the couch as she spoke, “Everyone’s just trying to figure out what the hell happened, Hank.” 

Letting herself rest into the cushions, Amelia rolled her eyes. Her fingers twitched against her thighs again and she wiped her palms on her jeans. 

“He’s right,” Dick remarked, urgency in his tone. “We figure out the how and why later. Jason’s out there and we need to stop him.” 

“You guys do what you want, but if it ends up him versus me, the kid's going down.” Hank rebuffed before stalking towards the doorway.

Suppressing a groan of frustration, she bit her bottom lip, hands curling into fists again. The anger inside her was slowly starting to bubble over, but she let out a breath, releasing the built up tension. An incredulous chuckle left her lips, “I didn’t realize we were killing Jason, Hank.” 

Hank turned around, his voice low and hoarse. “He wrote his own ticket. He starts taking people out, game’s over.” Without another word, he dispersed from the room. 

Dick let out a tired exhale before making his way towards the door to the Batcave. “Look, we find him first. Start in the place he was cooking.” 

Amelia quickly got up from her seat, leaving Kory and Dawn, and followed him into the Batcave, the grandfather clock swiftly closing behind them. She latched onto Dick’s arm, stopping him in his tracks, as he turned to face her. Letting go of his arm, she stared up at him. 

“I can’t kill Jason, Dick. I won’t.”  

His eyes softened at her tired expression, noticing the dark circles underneath her eyes. Reaching out, he pulled her into him, feeling her arms wrap around his waist as he held her to him. She laid her head on his chest, letting the thump of his heart relax her uneasy mind. Dick pressed a kiss to the top of her head, burying his nose in her hair. 

“We’re not killing him.” He muttered, “We’re gonna find him and figure this out, Ames.” 

A silence enveloped the two as they held each other in the entrance of the Batcave. He ran his hand down her waist, a small hiss leaving her lips as he brushed over her wound. She quickly pulled herself away as a burning pain shot up her side. His hands left her in an instance, “Shit, I’m sorry.” 

Rolling up the side of her shirt, she examined her covered wound, dark red seeping into the white of the bandage. Her eyes widened a bit, she hadn’t even realized it was bleeding, most likely irritated from all her movement. Dick pulled her shirt back down and grabbed her hand, leading her through the cave and into the infirmary area. “Come on, I need to change your bandage.” 

Amelia reluctantly let him lead her, coming up on a traveling gurney that was stationed next to a counter of medical supplies, a high tech medical monitor and IV drip sitting next to it. Letting go of his hand, she plopped herself down onto the gurney, watching as Dick grabbed all the supplies he needed and pulled on blue latex gloves. 

The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he was going to regret saying it. “Take off your shirt.” 

Instantly, a smirk curled at her lips, her mood brightening as she teased him. “I haven’t heard that in a while. This shirt is yours, ya know.” 

Dick let out a soft chuckle, a small smile on his lips. “I see that, klepto. Just take it off, or I’ll do it for you.” 

“I don’t know which option I like better.” 

“ Ames .” 

A giggle escaped her lips as she pulled the shirt over her head, placing it down in her lap as she sat in front of him in her dark blue, lace bra - the color almost the same shade as the emblem on his suit. He stared shamelessly at her chest, pupils expanding across his brown irises before letting out a puff of air and forcing himself to look back up at her eyes. 

“ Fuck .” Dick cursed under his breath before pulling his attention back to her wound, peeling away the soiled bandage. “Are you trying to distract me?” 

She winced a bit as the adhesive tugged at her skin, but let a smirk curl at her lips again. “What makes you say that?” 

He met her gaze again before throwing the bandage in the trash. “Because the last time you wore this, it ended up on the living room floor in Titans Tower and then I found out the treadmill in the training room was mysteriously broken.”

“Gar and I just wanted to see how fast Krypto could run.”    

Shaking his head at her, Amelia bit down on her bottom lip as he examined her wound, his eyebrows furrowing at the open laceration. There was no stitching or staples, only some parts of her skin pushed together with some kind of adhesive to close it. Crusted, dried blood laid around the edges of it, some fresh blood dripping down her hip. 

“Amelia.” Dick scolded, meeting her gaze. “I know for a fact Kory did not do this botched job.” 

“It’s not that botched, is it?” Amelia muttered, looking down at the open wound before looking back up at him. “I mean, I don’t know what you’re talking about, it looks fine.” 

“Did you even clean it?” 

“I have the matching panties on, wanna see?”

He let out a scoff, “I told you to find Kory for a reason last night.” Gingerly, he prodded at the mess on her side, eyes narrowing, “Please tell me this isn’t super glue.” 

“Super glue? I’m not that stupid.” She replied, letting out a breathless, nervous chuckle. “I didn’t want to bother Kory, so I used surgical glue.” 

Opening up an alcohol pad, Dick shook his head before wiping it against her skin, cleaning the area. A hiss escaped her lips as a burning sensation spread through her side, face contorting into a wince. He threw the bloodied wipe in the trash before grabbing a fresh one. “You don’t even know how to use surgical glue properly.” 

“I’ve seen you use it all the time!” Amelia remarked, flinching as he wiped at her wound again before continuing her rant. “I didn’t think it would be that difficult, but then the glue came out too fast, and at one point I ended up gluing my middle finger to my index finger-” 

“Ames.” Dick interjected, chuckling. He grabbed the surgical glue from the counter, properly using it to close the laceration with ease. “I use it ‘cause I know how to and I won’t glue my fingers together trying to do it. Next time, please let Kory patch you up.” 

Taking off his dirty gloves, he threw them in the trash before grabbing a large rectangular bandage and gently sticking it over her freshly closed wound. Amelia smiled sheepishly as he stood between her legs, meeting his intense gaze. Dick trailed his fingers up her arm, before ghosting them along the strap of her bra, his eyes falling to her breasts before quickly meeting her eyes again. 

“And let’s save this for when I can admire and take it off you without you injuring yourself or breaking something.” A smirk curled at his lips as her eyes widened, pupils expanding. “You know what happens when you wear my color. The only thing that’s gonna end up broken is our bed when I’m finished with you.” 

She couldn’t contain the small noise that escaped her throat, something between a squeak and gasp. Amelia was always good at dishing it out, but when Dick gave it right back to her, holy fuck. Her brain had turned into a pile of mush, her mouth dropping open slightly as she tried to find the words to reply. 

Dick chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Put your shirt back on, Ames. That way I have the pleasure of taking it off you later.” 

Nodding slowly, she pulled the shirt back over her head, letting the soft fabric envelope her body. She swallowed, squeaking out. “Yes, please. I mean, okay.” 

“Uh, guys?” A voice called out, gaining both their attention as they spotted Connor cautiously walking into the room. “Hank’s gone. We can’t find him.” 

—----------

Leaning against the console, Amelia watched as Connor started pulling up security footage from inside and outside the manor. Dick stood next to her, arms crossed over his chest as Dawn stood on the other side, hands resting on her hips. 

“Where the hell did he go?” Dawn muttered under her breath, watching as video footage popped up, showcasing Hank leaving the kitchen and walking to the front door. 

“Maybe he just went for a walk.” Amelia suggested, “He did get pretty heated earlier.

Connor shook his head, pulling up the footage from outside the manor. “Look, a couple minutes later, he leaves, gets in a cab. Now his phone is off the grid.” 

“Can you pull the plate?” Dick questioned before Connor started highlighting the license plate of the cab, pulling up the information. 

“We talked in the kitchen.” Dawn remarked, casting her gaze downward. “Everything was fine. I told him to dial it down a notch.” 

Amelia made her way over to Dawn, resting a hand on her arm in reassurance as she gave her a small smile. “I don’t think anything you could have said would have driven him away. Trust me, I’ve said way worse things to him in the past.” 

“Present and accounted for.” 

Hank’s voice broke through the air and Amelia’s eyes widened as she whipped around, watching as he fell to his knees, holding his chest. Dawn pushed past her, quickly making her way over to Hank and she followed closely behind with Dick and Connor. Amelia looked Hank over, noticing the pained look on his face,  his skin slightly pale. 

“Hank, what happened?” Dawn asked, softly, her hands hovering over him. 

With one hand, Hank unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his upper body to them. A large metal looking device was embedded into his right pectoral, the area around it dripping with fresh blood, blue veins snaking their way out from under the device. “Just get this out of me.” 

“Oh my god.” Amelia gasped out, kneeling down next to Dawn and Dick as she studied the metal device. It almost looked like it was screwed into his chest. 

Dawn pushed aside the right side of his shirt, voice wavering. “Is that a bomb?” 

“It’s a gift.” Hank breathed out, “From our pal Jason.” 

A tense silence fell over the group before Gar’s voice broke through, the teen walking into the cave with Kory following behind him. “Oh good! You found him!” 

Amelia looked up from Hank, meeting Gar’s gaze, her eyes wide with worry. Gar’s face dropped, seeing the nervous looks from the rest of the group. “Or not?” 

Dick quickly moved into action, wrapping Hank’s left arm around his shoulders, while Dawn took to his other side, the two hoisting him up as they helped him walk towards the infirmary. Amelia followed after them, the rest of the group right behind her. 

“You went to talk to Jason by yourself?” Dawn scolded, helping Dick lay Hank on the gurney. 

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” Hank groaned, face contorting in pain as he laid down. Connor and Dawn hooked him up to the monitoring machines. “Just give me a shot of whiskey and get the damn thing out.” 

Amelia chuckled nervously, fingers twitching at her sides. “I don’t think there’s enough whiskey in the world to numb that.” 

“I’m all for not taking it out until we figure out how it works.” Kory rebuffed. 

“Connor, take a look inside and tell us what we’re dealing with.” Dick ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. Amelia shuffled her way towards Dick, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. 

Connor nodded, eyes lighting up blue as he scanned Hank’s chest, breathing out. “ Whoa . This is pretty bitchin’.” 

Amelia swallowed the lump forming in her throat, wiping her sweaty palms against her jeans. “Connor! What’s that mean? What’s happening?” 

He cleared his throat, “It has anti-retraction barbs that hold the device in place. Looks like it’s embedded in the pectoralis major, right through to the aortic arch.” 

Hank winced, “No part of that sounded good.” 

Amelia was no doctor, but every word that had left Connor’s mouth made her stomach churn and her chest tighten. She felt her fingers twitch against her legs again, her own heartbeat echoing in her ears. Connor’s eyes flashed back to their normal shade and he looked around for a pen and paper, spotting one on the table next to him. 

“The engineering is incredibly nuanced.” He quickly started sketching, using his superspeed to draw. Once finished, he picked up the piece of paper, showcasing his blueprint. “The bomb’s designed to tolerate insertion, not retraction. These barbs in Hank’s chest, they have sensors. If those sensors detect too much force, it’ll explode.” 

“What if we remove it surgically?” Dick questioned. 

“Same outcome. Once activated, it’s designed to kill.” 

“That fucking little shit.” Hank cursed, breathless. 

“This whole thing’s engineered to read EKG signals.” Connor continued, eyebrows furrowing. “The countdown isn’t seconds. It’s the number of heartbeats he has left.” 

“What do you mean ‘countdown’?” Dawn’s voice wavered. 

Moving towards Hank, Connor reached towards the bomb, pulling the metal plate off the top revealing an intricate looking microchip with a windowed digital screen in the middle, the number showcased on it steadily going down with each beat of Hank’s heart. 

“When it gets down to zero-” 

“Jason can’t actually want him to die, right?” Gar interrupted, his voice wavering slightly. 

Amelia shook her head, eyes burning with unshed tears. Her hand shook as she ran it through her hair, letting out a breath. The sound of Dick’s phone ringing broke through the small silence and he grabbed it out of his pocket, moving away from the group to answer it. 

Kory nodded towards him, “I have a feeling we’re about to find out.” 

Dick stopped in front of the doorway, far enough away from the others, as he answered his phone, holding it up to his ear. “I’m listening.” 

Jason’s voice broke through the speaker, “About time. How’s my buddy, Hank?” 

“Whatever you want, killing Hank is no way to get it.” 

“Still trying to tell me what to do?” 

“Enough with the games.” Dick demanded, voice low. “Tell me how we end this.” 

“Fifty million dollars in gold bars is being delivered at one o’clock to Gotham Central. If you want Hank old boy to stay in one piece, bring ‘em to me.” 

“This isn’t about the money for you. I could wire that right now and it would all be over.” 

“And rob Gotham of a good show, Circus Boy? You’re fucking Gotham’s second best cat burglar, I know for a fact she can do it for you. Bring me the gold and I’ll deactivate the device.” 

Dick’s jaw clenched, “Never gonna happen.”. 

“Do it your way, Dick. That always turns out well.”  

The line disconnected in an instant, Dick shoving his phone back into his pocket as he ran a hand through his hair and made his way back to the group. They all looked at him expectantly as he explained the conversation he had with Jason. Amelia scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Gold bars?” Hank jeered, “Did he have a white cat on his lap, too?” 

“What did you tell him?” Dawn implored. 

Hank scoffed, “Fucking N-O, I hope! No way we negotiate with terrorists.” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes at Hank, “So, we’re just gonna call his bluff? That’s fucking idiotic, Jason’s off the fucking rails!” 

“Where I come from,” Kory interjected, rubbing her knuckles. “You come after family, we show no mercy.” 

Amelia nodded in agreement, looking expectantly up at Dick, waiting for his response. She may have not wanted to kill Jason before, but this was slowly making her warm up to the idea. If he thought he could try to kill Hank and get away with it, who the fuck says they shouldn’t retaliate? Jason was unhinged and he needed to be stopped. 

Dick met Amelia’s gaze before breathing out through his nose, arms crossed over his chest. He could see the anger in her eyes, slightly overshadowing the panic and fear he knew she felt. He couldn’t let her or anyone do something as life changing as killing Jason, there had to be another way.

“How much time do we have left?” 

“The average resting heart rate is 80 beats per minute.” Dawn explained. 

“Well, mine’s a little closer to 72.” Hank interrupted, joking. Amelia shook her head, lightly smacking him on the arm, “Shut up, idiot.”  

Dawn continued, “4300 beats per hour, thats-” 

“Less than four hours.” Kory finished softly. 

A small silence enveloped the room as they all took in the information. Four hours wasn’t a lot of time. Amelia glanced at the bomb in Hank’s chest, watching the number steadily go down. Her chest tightened again, the back of her throat burning as she swallowed. Her mind drifted to Jason’s demands, fifty million in gold bars. The delivery bay underneath Gotham Central was always relatively quiet and an armored vehicle was never that difficult to steal from, she’s done it before. 

“Alright, get him on a beta blocker drip.” Dick ordered, his voice breaking Amelia out of her thoughts. “It’ll slow down his heart rate and buy us some more time.” 

She watched as Dick started walking away, Dawn following after him. With one last glance at Hank, Amelia quickly made her way after them as Dawn stopped Dick in his tracks. 

“Hey!” Dawn called out, making Dick turn around to face her. “You’re not seriously letting Hank call the shots?” 

Dick shook his head, “That’s not the plan. We find Jason.” 

“How?” 

“The building where he was cooking was torched last night. So, he’s covering his tracks.” He explained, noticing Amelia had made her way towards them, arms crossed. “I’ll send Kory to the GCPD, see what leads Barbara’s got.” 

Amelia scoffed, “Sure, let’s just put all our faith in Barbara . Especially after what we did last night. What’s plan B?” 

“We focus on reeling Jason back in.” Dick countered, “We play our game, not his.” 

“Our game is to save Hank,” Dawn argued, “Not Jason.” 

Amelia moved herself next to Dawn, “I agree, we need to focus on saving Hank.” 

He sighed. “It’s not one or the other.” 

A slight look of shock overtook Dawn’s features, “Let’s just keep our priorities straight.” She looked over at Amelia, giving her a sad smile before walking back towards Hank. 

A silence overtook Dick and Amelia, it wasn’t the first time they’d disagreed on how they went about things, but this time seemed different. A friend’s life was on the line, emotions were running high and it looked like there was no happy ending in sight. Moving closer to him, Amelia placed her hand against Dick’s cheek, making him look at her. He leaned into her touch, eyes softening at the way her breathing came out shaky. His hands found her hips, resting them there, making sure to avoid her bandaged wound. 

“You have a big heart, Dick Grayson. That’s something I love about you.” Amelia sniffed, her eyes burning as her hands moved to his chest, resting them over his heart. “But I can’t handle losing another person, I don’t know if I’d be able to recover from it. You do what you need to do, but I can’t follow you, not this time.” 

He leaned his forehead against hers, bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek, wiping a stray tear away with his thumb. “It’s okay. I’m gonna fix this, Ames. I promise.” He pressed his lips to hers in a soft, sweet kiss and her eyes fluttered shut, returning his affection. She felt his heart beat faster underneath her palms, a selfish part of her rejoicing at being able to feel it without fear of losing him. 

They both pulled away slowly, eyes opening to lovingly stare at each other for a moment. A sad smile curled at Amelia’s lips as she backed away, Dick’s hands dropping at his sides. She met his gaze one last time, before turning to walk away. “I really hope you can, Dick.” 

—---------------

Time was flying by. Dawn had gotten Hank set up in one of the guest bedrooms, bringing the vital monitor with her to keep an eye on his heart rate, along with an IV drip of beta blockers. Kory had gone to the GCPD like Dick had said, to get as much information from Barbara as she could on Jason’s whereabouts. Dick had his own plan, deciding to visit Crane at Arkham to get a sense of what Jason’s motive could possibly be. He had come back fairly quickly, running to the Batcave with information on the bomb, which happened to be a prototype made by Wayne Tech. Connor was tasked with making a deactivator in under three hours with Gar hanging around for moral support. In order for Hank to survive, it had to be an exact match. 

Amelia paced back and forth in the hallway outside Hank’s room, chewing on her split bottom lip. An hour had already slipped through their fingers and she couldn’t help but feel utterly useless. The armored vehicle wasn’t due to Gotham Central until one o'clock, she still had some time until then. Two choices weighed heavily in her mind. It was a simple heist job, something she’d done one too many times and it was the easiest way to save Hank. But, it seemed like Dick was getting somewhere. With Connor working on a deactivator, there may be a chance to save Hank without giving in to Jason’s game. 

The sound of a door creaking open startled her, making her cease her movements. Dawn had walked out of the door to Hank’s room, softly closing it behind her. She gave Amelia a soft smile, “I’ve heard you pacing out here for the past thirty minutes. Why don’t you go talk to him?” 

“I-” Amelia started, letting out a breath. “I don’t know what to say, Dawn.” 

“Well, Hank requested hot dogs for lunch.” Dawn replied softly. “It'll probably be a while before I can get back, you know how much that man can eat.”  

A chuckle escaped her lips, “I am very much aware. I’ve seen him eat two large pizzas by himself.” 

Dawn’s hand brushed against her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “See? I’m sure you’ll find something to talk about. He’d also just be happy to have your company. I’ll be back in a little bit.” 

Without another word, Dawn walked away, leaving Amelia in the hallway. She stared at the closed doors, heart pounding in her chest. Her fingers twitched at her sides and she let out a deep breath, steadying herself. Walking up to the door, she turned the doorknob and opened it, instantly being greeted with Hank’s beaming smile and Krypto’s excited bark. 

“Ames! Was wondering when you’d show up.” 

Closing the door behind her, she made her way towards the bed, plopping herself down next to him. “Oh, I’m not here for you. I heard there was food coming, I don’t think I’ve ever run so fast in my life.” 

A laugh escaped Hank’s mouth and Amelia smiled, the beeping of the heart monitor echoing in her ears. Glancing at the monitor, her smile dropped slightly as she stared at the number descending on the screen.  5,874…5,873…5,872…5,871…5,87-

“Amelia.” She looked back at Hank as he called her name, meeting his worried gaze. 

It was like a tidal wave of emotion crashed over her, tears welling up in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks in rapid streams. She opened her mouth to speak, a choked sob replacing any words she wanted to say. Letting out a heaving breath, she sniffled. 

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” Amelia choked out, “I just-I can’t believe this is happening.” 

“You and me both, sister.” Hank scoffed, nudging her shoulder. “Now, wipe your nose, I don’t want your snot all over my pillows.” 

She sniffled, letting out a wet laugh as she shook her head and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “God, even on your deathbed, you still manage to be an annoying motherfucker.” 

“You’re not exactly a walk in the park either, snotty.” He chuckled as she smacked him on the arm. “Does Dick know how much snot you produce? I mean, it’s been what? Six months? He’s gotta know by now.” 

Another laugh escaped her lips and she wiped her watery, red eyes. “Fuck you, asshole.” 

“I don’t know, I kind of have the hots for Dawn now. Plus, I don’t think I could do that to Dick.” 

Amelia shook her head, her laughter making Hank smile. That was the one thing she loved about Hank, he could make her laugh for hours over the dumbest shit. Krypto let out a bark next to her, resting his head on her lap. It was quiet for a few moments, a comfortable silence filling the air. 

“Dick promised me he would fix everything.” She sighed, running her fingers through the dog's fur. “I don’t know if I can believe it. I mean, he has Connor trying to build a deactivator, but who knows if that’s gonna be finished in time. He’s just so obsessed with finding Jason-” 

“Hey,” He interjected, “I know Dick’s doing his best by me, Ames.” 

“I want to believe in him, I really do. It’s just- I don’t know if I can handle….” Amelia trailed off, the insinuation lingering in the air. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip, biting into the agitated tissue as she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. 

“Listen, Amelia.” Hank started, his hand resting on top of her free one, squeezing. “You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Hell, you’ve kicked my ass more than a handful of times.” 

“It’s not like you didn’t deserve it. You’re kind of an asshole.” 

“It takes one to know one, Ames, but, what I’m trying to say is that whatever happens, you’ll make it through it, just like you always do.” 

She let Hank’s words sink into her brain, the steady beeping of the heart monitor becoming faded background noise. She really wanted to believe him, but she didn’t know how much more devastation her heart could take.

“Hey, promise me something?” The sound of Hank’s voice cut her out of her thoughts. She looked over at him, meeting his gaze. “Yeah?” 

“Don’t blame Dick if he breaks his promise.” 

The creak of the door cut her off before she could reply, Dawn walking in with a tray full of hot dogs. “Sometimes I can’t believe you can eat this much.” 

Hank beamed, taking the tray from Dawn, “If I’m going out, I’m doing it with a full stomach.” 

Amelia chuckled as she got off the bed, Krypto stealing her spot to sniff at Hank’s food. “I don’t think I can stomach watching you stuff your face, so I’m gonna go.” 

“I’m with Amelia on this one.” Dawn stated, following her to the door. “I’m gonna leave you to it.” 

Hank scoffed, “Alright, well, looks like I’m sharing my hot dogs with Krypto.” 

The white dog barked in response, tail wagging at the prospect of getting food. Amelia shook her head, a small, sad smile playing at her lips. “You two have fun with that. I’ll-” She paused, letting out a shaky exhale. “I’ll see you later, Hank.” 

“See you later, Ames.” 

Feeling her eyes burn, she turned around and walked out the door, Dawn shutting the door behind them. Amelia ran a hand through her hair as she leaned against the wall, blinking her eyes to rid them of her tears. There wasn’t much time left, the number on the countdown was decreasing with each minute. Her choice was no longer undecided and with the way Dawn was looking at her, it was easy to see she was in agreement. 

“I talked to Dick.” Dawn said softly. “He has a lead on Jason, but-” 

“You don’t have to say it, Dawn.” Amelia replied, swallowing thickly. “I love Dick, but this is the easiest way to save Hank. The armored truck leaves in forty-five minutes. If we go now, we’ll make it right as it pulls up.” 

It was silent for a moment before Dawn nodded, “Let’s go.” 

—-----------

CENTRAL BANK OF GOTHAM - 12:58pm

A loud squeaking sound echoed through the empty parking garage as the large armored vehicle pulled to a stop. Amelia crouched in the rafters with Dawn, the two of them dressed in their suits. With her eyes narrowed, she watched as four guards exited the truck, leaving all the doors open, the small mountain of gold bars shimmering under the light in the back of the truck. 

Meeting Dawn’s gaze, she nodded and the two jumped down from the rafters, each landing next to a guard. 

Grabbing onto the guard's coat, Amelia pushed the man into the side of the armored truck, his head hitting the metal with a bang before he collapsed to the ground. She quickly glanced over at Dawn, watching as she quickly indisposed the guard she was fighting. With quick movements, Amelia ducked herself behind Dawn as the last two guards fired their guns, bullets bouncing off the bulletproof armor of Dawn’s wings. Grabbing a ring dagger in each hand, Amelia flipped herself to the side, chucking a dagger at each guard, embedding her blades into one of their legs. The two men groaned out in pain, dropping their guns, allowing Dawn to harshly kick them in the chest, sending them into the pavement. 

“Security breach, we need backup.” A security guard busted through the stairwell doors, frantically talking into his radio, wielding a shotgun. Maneuvering herself behind the truck door, Amelia watched as Dawn shielded herself with her wings, the bullets blasting into the armor before leaping into the air, kneeing the security guard in the chest, his body hitting the pavement. 

“Well, that was even easier than I expected.” Amelia muttered, coming out from behind the armored door. She walked over to the two unconscious guards and pulled her ring daggers out of their thighs, wiping the blood onto their pants before sheathing them in her holsters. She glanced over at Dawn, watching as she grabbed the truck’s keys off the ground before making her way over to the truck. 

“If you want to back out-” Amelia started, meeting her eyes behind her mask. 

“No. I’m doing this.” Dawn insisted, pulling out the burner phone they had collected prior. “We’re going to save Hank.” 

She sighed, nodding as Dawn pressed the speed dialed number and put it on speaker for her to hear. Amelia leaned against the truck, listening to the sound of the line dialing before it stopped. 

“Now what?” Dawn spoke impatiently.

“I’m sure Hank will be proud.” Jason’s voice mocked through the speaker. 

Amelia rolled her eyes, “Just tell us where to meet, asshole.” 

“Oh, Amelia. I’m not surprised you went against loverboy’s wishes. Old habits die hard, am I right?” 

Her jaw clenched as she snapped, “I’m not playing this game with you, Jason. Tell us where to meet you.” 

“ One of you comes, I don’t care who, and you come alone. The party’s over.” 

The line disconnected, a text message instantly coming through with an address. Amelia met Dawn’s gaze, opening her mouth to speak before the other woman cut her off. “I’m going. You’ve done more than enough already.” 

Amelia faltered, “Dawn-” 

“It’s okay. We can’t risk going against what Jason wants, I can handle it from here.” Dawn stated, before pulling her in for a hug. “Thank you, Amelia, for your help.” 

She wrapped her arms around Dawn’s small frame, a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes burned under her mask as she pulled away, nodding. Closing up the other doors to the truck, she watched as Dawn got into the driver’s side, the door closing behind her. Amelia hit the side of the truck with her fist before backing away, the hum of the engine echoing in the empty parking garage as Dawn drove away. 

—------------------

WAYNE MANOR

Her ears were ringing again, maybe from the close range gunfire that was hurled at her earlier, but she didn’t think so. Flames licked at the ashen logs in the parlor fireplace as Amelia stared into it, her body sinking into the leather cushions of the couch. Connor and Gar were still in the Batcave, Kory had made her way down there too. She had felt Kory’s stare on the back of her head before the grandfather clock clicked open, letting her descend down the stairs. She hoped Dawn made it in time, that Jason would just hand over the deactivator. It was never that simple though and Hank had about ten minutes left. 

The fire popped and crackled, the ringing in her ears becoming background noise. Her eyes were rimmed red, traces of tears running down her cheeks and she sat there, expression blank. She glanced over at the grandfather clock, eight minutes. Her eyes traveled to the coffee table in front of her, a decanter of scotch sitting on the table. A large gust of wind flew by her, the door to the Batcave slamming shut. Goosebumps traveled up her arms, her hair blowing to the side. Five minutes.

BOOM. 

The parlor shook, pieces of debris falling from the ceiling and her heart sank into her stomach. Tears flooded her cheeks as she stared into the fireplace, watching it burn the wood. Her eyes flickered back to the coffee table and she sat up, fingers twitching as she reached out for the decanter of scotch. Pulling the crystal stopper out and placing it on the table, her fingers clenched around the neck of the flask. She leaned back into the cushions, her body moving on its own accord as she brought the decanter to her lips, letting the expensive scotch burn down her throat. Swallowing, she let out a shaky breath before taking a longer swig. Jason was right, old habits certainly do die hard. 

Chapter Text

Scotch was good, but whiskey was better. It didn’t take Amelia long to sniff out Bruce’s most expensive bottle of whiskey hidden away in the kitchen, the cabinet slamming shut as she uncapped the bottle and took a swig, relishing in the smoothness as it went down her throat. It had been a couple of hours since the explosion and she had just finished off the decanter of scotch, her mind feeling a bit hazy. Connor stood at the porcelain kitchen sink, repeatedly scrubbing his hands and arms of soot, black streaks overwhelming the white of the basin. Pulling a chair out, Amelia sat down at the kitchen island, another swig of whiskey going down the hatch. She hummed as it warmed her body, the liquor settling in the pit of her stomach. 

“Take a break. You’ve been cleaning for hours.” Gar stated, addressing Connor as he walked into the kitchen with a cutting board and a bowl of vegetables. He sent Amelia a pointed look, “You too. Both of you need to eat something.” 

“Can’t eat.” Connor muttered, turning off the sink and drying his hands, throwing the dish towel down. Amelia snorted, taking another swig. “What he said.” 

“I failed.” Connor’s hands gripped the edge of the sink, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Superman never would’ve failed.” 

Amelia cast her eyes down at the island top, tracing the marble pattern with her finger. Gar sighed, “Don’t think like that. We…we did the best we could.”

Looking up, she took a sip from the whiskey bottle, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before she spoke, voice low and hoarse. “If we did the best we could, Hank would still be alive.”  

Connor stalked towards the island, fists clenched at his sides. “Amelia’s right.” 

“Amelia’s drunk . Connor, I know this is hard-” Gar started.

He snapped, cutting him off.  “How about stop the bullshit! Just come out and say it.” His eyes watered, voice wavering slightly. “If I wasn’t a fucked up half breed , none of this would’ve happened.” 

Gar shook his head, his voice soft. “Don’t say that word.” 

“I’m talking about the Lex part of me. It’s like everyone was waiting for him to take over.” Connor’s voice cracked, eyes rimmed red. “So, you can all do your happy dance now because Superboy definitely did not save the day.” 

“Don’t do this to yourself.” Gar’s eyes watered, grimacing.

“ Great !” Connor let out a wet chuckle, his tone sarcastic. “Advice from a talking green tiger. Thanks .” 

Amelia rested her head in her palm, silently observing their conversation. She had nothing more to say, Hank was dead. They all failed him when he needed them the most. 

Gar scoffed, lips pulled into a thin line. “You’re right.” He raised both of his hands in Connor’s direction, flipping him off. “You’re not Superman.” 

With no response, Connor started to stalk away, only to be stopped by Dawn standing in the doorway. Amelia downcast her gaze again, focusing on the whiskey bottle before taking a long gulp, letting her body relax into the warm feeling in her stomach. 

“Sorry.” Dawn murmured softly, “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“It’s okay.” Gar muttered under his breath before averting his gaze, returning to chopping vegetables. 

Amelia couldn’t see the look on Connor’s face, but she could only guess it was one of gut wrenching guilt and sadness. Dawn’s voice wavered, “It’s not your fault. I pulled the trigger. That’s not on you.” 

Her chest tightened, making her take another sip from the bottle. She didn’t know the logistics of what went down when Dawn met with Jason, all she knew was that Hank had more time before the bomb went off. That gust of wind she felt was Connor rushing to Hank’s room, but it was already too late. 

Connor’s voice broke, “But it was our job to save him.” 

“It was our job to try.” Dawn sniffled, “And we did.” 

She watched from her seat as Dawn wrapped Connor in a hug, softly crying into his shoulder. The sound of footsteps moved her attention to the other doorway in the kitchen, Dick walking into the room, his face void of emotion. He glanced over at Amelia, taking note of the open, half-empty whiskey bottle sitting in front of her and his eyes softened as he met her gaze. A lump formed in her throat as he stared at her, her eyes burning as she quickly rubbed at them. Grabbing the whiskey bottle, she got up from the kitchen island and bolted out of the room towards the hallway. She made it about halfway down the hall before leaning her back against the wall, head falling back as tears fell down her cheeks. 

Dick had closely followed after her, finding her in the hallway with her hand squeezing around the neck of the bottle of whiskey, holding back choked sobs. He approached her slowly, “Ames.” 

A broken sob escaped her lips as she rushed into his arms, molding herself to him as she cried. He took the whiskey bottle from her hand and placed it down on a table in the hallway before he wrapped his arms around her, feeling her body shake against his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. 

“I’ve got you, Ames.” Dick mumbled into the top of her head, his voice wavering slightly. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry.” 

“You p-promised me.” She whimpered, fingers curling into his shirt. 

A pit formed in his stomach, his chest aching as he held her tighter. His hand moved to the back of her head, cradling her to his chest. Her breath came out in hiccupped gasps and he felt his heart break. 

“I know, baby. I know.” 

—--------------

Amelia’s tears had officially run out, sadness no longer plaguing her mind. She tried not to focus on it anymore, slowly coming to terms with the fact that there was nothing more they could have done and that they did try, like Dawn had said. If they wanted this to end, they had to find Jason and figure out if his life was worth saving.

Dawn had decided she was going to take a break from being Dove, wanting to travel out to Paris to see her family. Dick had tried to get Amelia to go with him to drop Dawn off at Bruce’s private jet hanger, but she had declined, never being good at saying goodbye. She knew Dick was worried about her, especially after the breakdown she had, but she had reassured him that she was fine now. He was skeptical at first, until Gar had promised he’d hide the booze, make her take some Advil and keep an eye on her. 

Amelia had made her way back to the kitchen once Dick and Dawn left, leaning against the island countertop as Gar grabbed a wooden pizza paddle, the smell of freshly baked pizza wafting through her nose. It was a vegetable pizza, something she would normally turn her nose up at, but the hunger she felt overpowered her ability to decline a slice. Gar hummed to himself as he pulled the large pizza out of the brick oven, sliding it onto a round metal tray. 

Her stomach grumbled, a wave of nausea washing over her as she watched him cut the pizza into slices. “Gar, I’m literally going to vomit, hurry up .”

“Pizza this good can't be rushed, Amelia.” Gar chastised, sliding the pizza cutter through layers of cheese. A groan of annoyance escaped her lips, the sound of footsteps distracting her from replying to Gar’s nonsense. Kory meandered into the room, causing Gar to look up from his pizza cutting. 

“Oh, hey Kory.” He greeted, before continuing his task. “I made pizza. You want some?” 

“Hopefully you’re not planning on eating within the next year.” Amelia grumbled as Kory slowly walked towards them. 

Gar scoffed, “With how much you complain, I should be getting paid an hourly rate for this and for how much housework I’m doing. Not to mention the crisis counseling. Where is Alfred when you need him?” 

“Rolling in his grave.” She deadpanned, rolling her eyes. “And trust me, you are no Alfred. I would have been done eating by now if he was here.” 

“ Jeez , Amelia, sorry that I’m not up to your stand-” 

Suddenly, a fireball formed in Kory’s hand and Amelia’s eyes widened, quickly ducking behind the island counter, Gar doing the same, as Kory yelled out and released the fireball in their direction. Slowly, the two rose from behind the counter. 

“Fucking Christ, Kory!” Amelia snapped, “What the fuck was that ?” 

Kory tilted her head, her eyes glowing green as Gar yelped, pulling Amelia with him behind another counter. “Kory, stop!” 

Fire flew from Kory’s hands, the flames nearly missed Amelia as she ducked down with Gar, the teen grunting as the flame hit his arm, lighting the sleeve of his shirt on fire. His eyes widened as he patted his arm, the fabric burnt to a crisp. 

“What the shit!” Gar cursed, quickly grabbing a cast iron pan that was sitting on the counter and throwing it in Kory’s direction as she stalked closer, eyes still glowing green. She caught it midair before throwing it off to the side. 

Moving into action, Amelia threw a punch at Kory, only to be blocked and pushed into the kitchen counter, her favorite leather jacket getting singed in the process. “You bitch!” 

Gar moved next, grabbing Kory by the waist as he moved behind her and pulled her down to the ground, pinning her arms against her chest. Her head hit the floor, the impact making her eyes turn back to their normal shade, a yelp escaping her throat as she pushed Gar off of her, the teen scrambling backwards. 

Kory quickly sat up, looking between them. “What happened?” 

“Stay away from me.” Gar panted out, quickly running out of the room. A hurt and confused look crossed Kory’s features as she got up off the floor, looking over at Amelia with a pleading stare. 

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, annoyance lacing her tone. “What the fuck was that, Kory!? You almost killed us! You burnt my favorite jacket!” 

“I-I don’t know!” Kory trembled, running a hand through her hair. She muttered curses under her breath, shaking her head before dashing out of the kitchen. 

With a sigh, Amelia looked over at the tray of pizza, a scowl on her face. The entire thing was blackened, burnt to a crisp. She groaned before digging through the cabinets, finding a bag of potato chips before deciding to make the trek to Gar’s room. She knocked on the open door before walking into the room, noticing that Gar had changed his shirt, the teen sitting on his bed as he wrapped a bandage around the burn wound on his arm. She plopped down next to him on the bed, opening the bag of chips. 

“You aren’t the only thing that got burnt, the pizza’s charred.” Amelia stated, digging into the bag of chips before a slight chuckle left her lips. “Chip?” 

Gar frowned, grabbing a handful of chips. “Not funny.” 

“It’s kind of funny.” 

Their conversation was cut short as Kory cautiously walked into the room, Gar jumping in his seat when he saw her. “Stay back.” 

“Gar, chill, it’s okay.” Amelia placated, witnessing the guilty look on Kory’s face. “Hear her out.” 

“I’m so sorry.” Kory apologized, her voice wavering. “Are you okay, Gar?” 

“Am I okay? Yeah , I’m great.” He responded, sarcasm lacing his words. “Perfect. Seared medium rare. What happened?” 

Amelia shoved a chip in her mouth as Kory spoke. “I had another one of those dreams.” She sat down on the bed, sighing. “Visions, whatever they’re called. They’re coming more frequently now.” 

“What kind of visions?” Amelia questioned, eyebrows furrowed. “Like Rachel level?” 

“I don’t know!” Kory exclaimed, frustration in her tone. “It’s like I’m me, but I’m someone else too, watching me from the outside. They’re pulling me somewhere, but I don’t know where.” 

Gar got up from the bed, grabbing his jacket. “When Rachel had visions, she learned to embrace them. That way she could figure out what they were about.” 

“How am I supposed to do that?” Kory asked, scoffing. “They come out of nowhere.” 

Amelia shrugged, grabbing another potato chip as Gar stood in front of them, thinking. Suddenly, his face lit up and he headed out of his room. Kory looked over at Amelia, the two sharing a look. 

“I’m guessing that means we’re supposed to follow you?” Amelia called out before letting out an annoyed sigh, grabbing her potato chip bag and getting up. “Come on, I think he wants us to follow him.” 

The two followed after Gar, making it into the Batcave. He led them through the cave, coming to stop at an open room with a giant tank-like structure sitting in the middle of it. Amelia looked around the practically empty room, popping another chip in her mouth. 

“This is a deprivation tank.” Gar explained, opening the lid. “Dick said Batman used it for meditation. It’s supposed to help you block out the outside world, and get super focused.” 

Kory looked over at Gar, arms crossed. “Are you putting me in time-out?” 

Amelia snorted in amusement as Gar sighed, “Look it’s supposed to work. It's made out of reinforced steel and depleted promethium, so it’s basically indestructible. So, you can use it without hurting anyone.” He pointed to himself, then Amelia. “Especially us two.” 

“Hope you’re not claustrophobic.” Amelia nudged Kory in the side, a cheeky smile playing at her lips. Kory rolled her eyes and let out a breath in response before climbing into the tank and laying down. Detecting the weight inside it, the tank's lid whirred to life, automatically closing her in. 

—----------

ARKHAM ASYLUM 

Dick always thought that if he were ever going to break someone out of Arkham, it was going to be Amelia. Her loud mouth was always bound to get her in trouble. Barbara had called him after he had dropped Dawn off at the Wayne jet hanger, much to his surprise. Red Hood had put a hit out on Jonathan Crane, making the GCPD order a transfer to Blackgate for the safety of their informant. The mention of Crane and Red Hood made alarms go off in Dick’s head, having remembered Crane saying something to him about Red Hood looking for a father figure or someone to follow. A hunch was what he had, with only a gut feeling as evidence. Or maybe the lack of sleep and the day’s earlier events was triggering what Amelia would call a ‘crash out’. The only way he’d find out was by taking Crane himself. 

There were only two guards. Dick grabbed onto the driver first, taking him out quickly and quietly so as to not alert the armed guard that was loading Crane into the back of the armored vehicle. He went unnoticed by the other guard, waiting and watching as he discovered the unconscious body of the driver before taking his gun out, only for Dick to sneak up on him, quickly disarming him with a couple of punches and taking the guard’s gun, whipping him in the face with it and watching as the man fell to the pavement with a thud. Opening the back door to the armored truck, Dick pulled the slide back on the gun.

“Let’s go.” He ordered before walking back towards his car. A smirk curled at Crane’s lips as he hopped out of the armored truck and followed after him, sliding into the passenger seat of the Maserati, still in handcuffs. Putting the gun in the pocket of the driver’s side door, Dick got into the car, turning the keys, and speeding off. 

Dick drove an hour outside Gotham, speeding down the open road, passing fields of wheat. The engine of the Maserati hummed as he picked up speed, annoyance panging in his gut as Crane kept rambling about nonsense.

“I’m an Alfa man myself.” Crane smiled, looking out the window at the passing wheat fields. “Those Italians, those lines, that flair…the sprezzatura.” He turned his gaze towards Dick, “It’s a term. It means the art of making something complicated look easy.” 

Dick stayed silent, staring at the road ahead of him as his jaw clenched. Crane continued, “Like that trail of bodies you left back there. You didn’t even break a sweat, did you? Like an old pro. See, now that is sprezzatura.” He glanced at the driver’s side door, eyeing the gun sitting in the pocket. He looked back at Dick, “Look, I don’t need to worry about that piece you nicked from the B.O.P back there, do I?” 

Dick spared him a glance, face void of emotion. Crane lifted his handcuffed arms, “I mean, you wouldn’t shoot a bound and defenseless man now, would you?” 

“Depends.” 

The rest of the ride continued in silence. 

—------------------

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Amelia jumped in her seat, heart hammering in her chest as a loud gasp escaped Kory’s lips, her eyes shooting open. “Fucking Christ, Kory!” 

Kory jumped out of her skin, quickly turning around and seeing Amelia sitting in the back seat of the unfamiliar vehicle. “Where are we? What happened?” 

“I don’t fucking know! You took me here!” Amelia exclaimed, eyes widening. “Didn’t say a word, just took me and Gar-” She paused, looking around at the open field. “Shit, where is Gar?” 

Kory cautiously got out of the car, Amelia folding the passenger seat down and following behind her. The two walked around the vehicle, eyes taking in the unfamiliar area. Amelia stretched out her back, groaning as the vertebrae popped. A loud banging noise startled the two as they turned towards the trunk of the car. 

“Hello?” Kory rasped out. 

A muffled voice broke through the trunk, “Let me out of here!” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes, “Who is ‘me’?” 

“GAR!” 

With wide eyes, Kory quickly unlocked the trunk and opened the lid, Gar gasping for air as he pulled himself out of the trunk. “Oh my god!” He turned on Kory, fuming. “What the hell is going on? I try to help you, and this is the thanks I get? You knock me out, throw me in the back of a trunk, and-” He looked around, taking in the empty landscape. “-drive me out to… where the hell even is this!?” 

“That was me?” Kory wavered, noticing the bruised ring around his eye. 

Gar scoffed, “Yeah! You went into a trance, broke out of the isolation chamber, and when I tried to stop you, you punched me in the face.” 

She grimaced, “That’s bad. That’s really bad.” 

“Were you in there this whole time?” Amelia implored, her eyes widening in shock. 

“Yes!” Gar seethed, eyes blazing with anger. “You were there when she punched me! How did you not know I was in the trunk!?” 

“Oh fuck!” She gaped, before letting out a chuckle. “I forgot you were back there. My bad.” 

“That’s it!.” He snarled, waving his hands around. “I’m through being nice and taking care of all of you. You two, Connor, and everybody else sucks!” 

“Hey! What’d I do!?” Amelia exclaimed, offended. 

“All you do is complain and you forgot that I was locked in the trunk!” Gar shouted. “You suck! You all suck!” 

A whimper escaped Kory’s lips as she sniffled, her eyes welling up. “Gar.” 

“Oh, nice one , Garfield!” Amelia hissed as she rubbed Kory’s arm to console her. “Look, you made her cry.” 

Gar’s face dropped as he witnessed the saddened look on the other woman’s face. Amelia could practically see the plethora of emotions running through him. He sighed, his anger fading before addressing Kory. “You drove out here asleep?” 

She nodded. He looked around the large field, trying to get his bearings. “Where are we?” 

“I don’t know.” Kory trembled, “I just woke up and I was parked here. Then, I saw Amelia sitting in the back.” 

“What did you see this time in your vision?” 

Kory sighed, eyes narrowing. “Blackfire.” 

Amelia blinked, now completely lost. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“Her sister.” Gar informed before looking back at Kory, “That’s the crazy one, right? That killed your parents?” 

Amelia let out a breath, a dry chuckle leaving her lips. She had no idea Kory had a sister, let alone a crazy patricidal one. 

Kory hummed in acknowledgement, “Her. I don’t know. It feels like I’m supposed to be here. Like she brought me here.” 

“Some sister you have.” Amelia muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. “She brought you to the middle of nowhere.” 

The other woman shrugged, exasperated. Gar glanced around the field, before his eyes landed on the car. “The car. Move it.” 

With no other options, Kory quickly got back in the driver’s side of the car, turning the key and moving the car forwards a few feet, before putting it in park. Amelia stood off to the side, watching as Gar kneeled down in the grass, moving a large pile of grass clippings. 

“What is it?” Kory called out, getting out of the car. 

Amelia’s brow furrowed, “It’s a hatch.” 

“Whatever your psychic GPS was leading you to,” Gar interjected, uncovering the large metal door, before turning the wheel on top of it and pulling the hatch open with a grunt. “It’s down here.” 

The three looked down the dark hole, a metal ladder lining the inside of it. Kory grimaced, “My sister’s down that hole?” 

“Eh, she might be,” The teen’s voice pitched a little higher. “Among many other things.” 

Amelia shrugged, starting to make her way to the ladder. “Well, only one way to find out.” 

Gar quickly grabbed Amelia’s shoulders, stopping her, a noise of disbelief escaping his throat before he let out a breathless chuckle. “Okay, hey, hi. Common sense committee. We need to talk this out.” He glanced over at Kory, “The last time you saw your sister, she cooked your boyfriend, right?” 

Kory hummed, “Either I find out what’s down that hatch, or I keep sleepwalking and punching you in the face. Your choice.” 

Amelia snorted, “She’s got a point, tiger boy.” 

With a slight nod and look of exasperation, Gar quickly motioned for Kory to head down into the hatch. Amelia chuckled, watching as Gar followed after her. She made a move to step down the ladder, a buzzing in her pocket startling her. “I’ll be right behind you!” 

She quickly patted all of her pockets, before feeling a buzzing rectangle in her jacket pocket. Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled out an iPhone, an unknown caller ringing through. Damn it! Dick must have snuck a new phone into her pocket again. She never understood why he kept buying her new ones, she was just gonna lose it anyway. 

Running her thumb over the slider on the screen, she put the phone up to her ear. “Yeah?” 

“Amelia! It’s Barbara, where’s Dick?” 

“How did you get this number?” 

“I have my sources. Where is Dick?” 

Amelia rolled her eyes, “I don’t know, Barbara! I’m not his keeper.” 

“He broke Crane out of Arkham, aren’t you with him?” 

“No, I’m.. in the middle of something, wait, he broke Crane out of Arkham?” 

“Yes, Amelia, he did.” 

She snorted, “He might just be crashing out or something. He’ll bring Crane back, just let him have his moment.” She shook her head, muttering to herself. “Why do I miss out on all the fun things?” 

“This is serious, Amelia! If he calls you, call me back immed-” 

“Yeah, yeah, Barbara. I gotta go. Bye!” 

Hanging up the call, Amelia groaned as she stuck the phone in her back pocket before making her way down the hatch. She was going to have a serious talk with Dick about buying her cellphones without her knowledge. Also, about not inviting her when he’s doing illegal activities. 

—-----------

OUTSIDE GOTHAM CITY

Pressing down on the gas pedal, the Maserati’s engine roared as Dick sped down the road, getting closer to his destination. Crane was finally silent, having fallen asleep against the window. Through the car’s speaker, Dick’s phone rang with an incoming call from Barbara for the third time. Sighing, he pressed a button on the steering wheel, answering the call. “Hello?” 

Barbara’s voice blasted through the car’s speakers, “Where are you, Dick? I called Amelia and she doesn’t even know where you are.” 

“Change of plans.” 

“Bring. Crane. Back.” 

“I will.” 

“I’d get that in writing if I were you.” Crane muttered, opening his eyes as he rested against the window. 

“Is that him listening?” 

Crane chuckled, “Yo, Babs.” 

“Jesus, Dick. I need Crane back here right now .” 

Dick let out a breath through his nose, “Gotta go.” 

Pressing another button on the steering wheel, he ended the call. He let out a sigh as he pressed down harder on the gas pedal. It was silent for a couple moments before Crane sat up in his seat, “I overheard the police talking about what happened to that Hawk fellow.” 

Dick’s mouth pressed into a thin line, anger swirling in his gut. He remembered the way Amelia shook in his hold as she sobbed, the promise that he made her. Revving the engine, the tires squealed as he made a sharp right turn, Crane slamming into the passenger side door. 

“Red Hood is a monster.” Crane stated, slightly gritting his teeth as he righted himself. “We’ve both got proof of that now. But I can still help you. You know, just let me know what I can do.” 

He clenched his jaw, “You can shut up. Enjoy the sprezzatura.” 

—----------------

UNDERGROUND BUNKER

“Watch your back.” Kory’s warning echoed inside the damp, concrete hallway. “Blackfire probably knows we’re here.” 

 Amelia walked next to Gar as they followed behind Kory. She glanced around the hall, the concrete brick walls covered in pipes, fuse boxes, and small lights that lined the top of the walls. 

Gar’s eyes widened as he looked around, nervously. “Yeah, feel free to watch mine too.” 

The three silently made their way down the dank hallway, turning a corner to see an entryway lined with a plastic strip curtain at the end of the hall. Amelia’s boots slapped against the wet floor and she grimaced, hoping that what she was stepping in was truly just water. Kory looked up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the pipes that lined it before averting her gaze, crossing her arms over her chest as she shivered. 

Noticing her discomfort, Amelia spoke up. “You alright?” 

“Yeah.” Kory replied, a shiver running up her spine. “Just keep moving.” She stopped suddenly, eyebrows furrowing as she stared at the plastic curtain in front of them. Amelia and Gar stopped next to her. 

“What is it?” Gar asked, concern lacing his tone. 

“This doorway,” Kory stated, staring at the plastic before continuing forwards. “I’ve seen it in my dreams. We’re in the right place.” 

Following after her, Gar and Amelia kept walking through the dark narrow hallway, entering into some kind of boiler room. Amelia sighed, she really wished she chose to go with Dick. He was probably having way more fun than she was. They slowed to a stop, coming up on a large, reinforced, see-through prison with Blackfire laid out on a cot inside of it, her eyes closed. 

Kory gasped, “Oh, my god.”  

“Oh, snap.” 

Amelia whipped her head around in the voice’s direction, Gar and Kory doing the same, spotting a guy wearing a lab coat, pure delight settling in on his face. 

He chuckled, “I knew I was right. I knew it. You just, you have these theories. You talk to yourself in the mirror to convince yourself you’re not cuckoo Cocoa Puffs crazy.” 

The three all shared a confused look and Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, slight annoyance panging in her cut as this guy rambled on. 

“You know, because there’s no one-” The man ranted, waving his arms around. “There’s no one really down here to talk to. I mean, in a meaningful, connected way.” He let out a laugh, “Oh, but then, just like magic, here you are!

“Can I hit him?” Amelia muttered to Gar, meeting his gaze before looking back at the lab coat guy. “I really want to hit him. He’s got that look to him.” 

The man cleared his throat, “Sorry, I-I got lost there for a moment.” He moved towards them, “You three probably have some questions. Yeah?” 

Amelia blinked, staring at the guy. Yeah, Dick had to be having way more fun than she was right now. 

—---------------

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

Pulling the Maserati into a wooded clearing, Dick drove down the leaf covered path, parking the car in front of a metal chain connected between two trees, a yellow warning sign and rusted padlock hanging from the middle of it. He turned the car off and unbuckled his seat belt before glancing over at his passenger. 

Crane rasped, his eyes narrowing. “Let me go.” 

“Not gonna happen.” Dick grabbed the gun from the side of the door before getting out of the vehicle and closing the door behind him. He secured the gun under the waistband of his pants before covering it with his jacket. He walked up to the chain and pulled the key to the padlock out of his pocket, unlocking it. The sound of the car door opening and leaves crunching made him smirk, a slight chuckle leaving his lips. Based on the direction Crane was running in, he’d give it two minutes tops before he ran into one of the traps. Bruce’s safehouses were always secured with different kinds of traps in the surrounding areas, it helped keep out unwanted attention.

Sticking the lock in his jacket pocket, Dick let the chains drop to the side before sighing and meandering in the direction Crane went running. A snap and a yelp sounded a few yards ahead of him and he shoved his hands in his pants pockets. Leisurely walking ahead, he came upon Crane trapped in a large black net, hanging from a tree. The net slowly spun around, making the man face him. 

Dick looked up, slightly agitated. “Are you done now?” 

He didn’t even wait for a response before walking around towards the back of the tree and pulling the release, Crane instantly falling from the net and landing on his back on the ground. The crazed man let out a groan in pain before Dick forcefully pulled him up and grabbed him by the back of his collared jacket, pushing him forwards. The two walked in a tense silence, already almost to the safehouse thanks to Crane’s escape plan.

Crane chuckled, “Ah, is this where you carve up the victims?” 

“Just keep walking.” Dick grumbled, pushing him forwards again as the log cabin came into view. 

A few minutes later, Dick was pushing open the wooden door and turning on the minimal lighting inside the cabin. It was nothing fancy, a modest looking cabin with a small dining table in the middle, a plaid couch to the side, an old refrigerator sitting off in the corner, a desk by the window, and a large wooden cabinet on the farthest wall from the dining table. Closing the door behind him, Dick walked Crane to the dining table and pulled out a chair, forcefully pushing him to sit in it. 

“It’s not what you think it is.” Crane uttered as Dick handcuffed him to the chair. “Look, I had nothing to do with what happened to your friend. What’s his name, Hawk?” 

Dick’s nostrils flared, anger welling up inside him. Using the chains around Crane, he yanked the man backwards, leaning down next to his ear. “You don’t get to talk about him.” Walking away, Dick made his way towards the wooden cabinet. Crane tilted his head.

“It was Red Hood who did it. The kid’s a monster.” 

“Bullshit!” Dick snapped, pointing at Crane. “ You were the one that made Jason into a monster.” He let out a breath, steadying himself as he met Crane’s gaze. “The attack at Arkham was a phony. It wasn’t a hit. It was just an excuse to get your ass out of Blackgate. Red Hood’s your protégé and I know he’s coming here to save you.” 

Crane hummed, “You may be overestimating him.” 

Pulling the gun out of the back of his pants, Dick opened a small drawer in the table. He unclipped the magazine before tossing it and the empty gun in the drawer and closing it. “He’ll come, he knows this place. Bruce took him here too. It’s where he trained us.” He walked over to the wooden cabinet and opened the double doors, revealing an intricate computer showcasing security camera footage of the property. “We’ll see him coming a mile away.” 

A scoff left Crane’s lips, “So, why would he walk into a trap?” 

“Because he can’t help himself. Because you made him feel invincible.” 

“You think I changed him?” The crazed man chuckled, rambling “Oh, buddy, no. I got news for you. That kid came to me broken. Okay? All I did was rebuild him. And it was easy, too, after what you and your girlfriend did to him in SF. And that Titans business, what a twisted mind-fuck.” Crane smirked, “I kind of wish I’d actually thought of that myself.” 

“It’s not true.” Dick muttered, bristling as he made his way over to another cabinet and grabbed a can of spam, his fingers clenched around it. 

“Isn’t it?” Crane tilted his head, prattling. “Isn’t that what you do to all the young people that you fail? Abandon them. Or kill them. How is that little witch girl, by the way? Or the mute boy?” Dick looked down at the can in his hands and Crane sighed, condescending, as he continued. “Oh. You must be so sorry about all of that now.” 

Dick’s jaw clenched and he tossed the can in Crane’s direction, letting it land on his lap. “Time to eat.” 

—--------------------

UNDERGROUND BUNKER

“So why is my sister here?” Kory questioned, hands resting on her hips as she addressed the male scientist. Amelia stood next to her, eyes narrowed. Gar meandered back towards the group after looking around the man’s, Dr. Kind’s, small work area. 

“Well, ‘cause we’re a Defense Department contractor tasked with extraterrestrial threat assessment and executing containment strategies as needed.” Kind rambled quickly. 

“Containment strategies?” Gar interjected. 

“Well, Blackfire was a hostile, so we shut her down.” He explained, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips. “The red infrared light, the cold air, the metallic chromium inside the holding area walls, these are all methods of tamping down Blackfire’s energy.” 

Kory shook her head, brow furrowing. “I don’t understand. Are her powers gone?” 

“Well, mostly. But her brain scan still showed that she still possesses extra sensory perception. So, it appears that she was able to psychically communicate her whereabouts to you , the only other Tamaranean on Earth.”   

Gar’s arms crossed over his chest. “So, your organization goes around imprisoning and experimenting on aliens that just happen to land on Earth?” 

Amelia clicked her tongue, “Sounds a little too ‘evil scientist’ for my taste.” She glanced over at Gar and Kory, “Is it time to hit him yet?” 

Kind’s eyes widened, “Oh. No, no. Uh-” 

“Are you gonna lock me up too?” Kory scrutinized, eyes narrowing. 

The man laughed nervously, “No, no, no, no, of course not. Uh, I’m a solitary remote op, you know, with one inmate, so, even if I wanted to-” Kory tilted her head and he swallowed, “I wouldn’t do that. Uh, I am a huge fan of yours, Starfire. You’re amazing.” 

Amelia snorted, holding back laughter as Gar smirked at her, the two noticing Kory’s annoyance wearing thin. Kind nodded towards Gar, “And you too, Beast Boy!” 

“Thanks.” Gar said slowly, his tone almost sarcastic. 

The man looked towards Amelia, “You are so lucky that you get to hang out with these two. I mean, having superheroes as friends must be so cool.” 

Sometimes she really hated having a secret identity. A grumble escaped Amelia as Gar held back his laughter, a large smile playing at his lips as he nudged her. She spoke through gritted teeth, “Oh, you have no idea.” 

Kory sighed, ignoring the altercation. “I need to talk to my sister.”

“Oh, uh,” Kind stuttered out, watching her walk away. “Coffee’s almost ready!” He sighed, before heading over to his work station, Gar and Amelia following him. Behind the glass, they watched Kory walk over towards Blackfire’s cage, Kind pushing a button to open the door for her, the once red lighting turning fluorescent as Kory closed the door behind her. 

Kory’s conversation with her sister played through a small speaker, the two conversing about their previous home-life and family before escalating to goading remarks. It wasn’t long until Kory’s anger took over, grabbing Blackfire and slamming her into the wall as the two fought with each other. 

Gar’s eyes widened, before looking over at Dr. Kind. “No, no, no. You need to do something or she’s going to blow up Blackfire.”

Amelia leaned against the wall, picking at her nails as she listened to the grunts and yells coming from the speaker. “ Or , we could take bets. I got 100 bucks on Kory.” 

Gar whipped around to face her, “Seriously, Amelia?” 

“What? I’m bored.” 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Dr. Kind placated, “There’s security provisions in the cell, they reduce Starfire’s power to nearly zero.”  

Some more minutes passed of Kory fighting Blackfire, the two throwing punches left and right, before Kory gained the upper hand, letting her sister fall to the floor. Her voice broke through the speaker, “Kind, open up.” 

Kind pressed the button on the console, a buzzer going off as the door unlocked, the red lighting replacing the sterile white as Kory walked out of the cage, the door closing behind her. 

—--------------------

BRUCE’S SAFEHOUSE 

Pushing open the wooden door, Dick stepped back inside the cabin holding cut logs of wood, using his axe to close the door shut. He leaned the axe against the wall before placing the wood logs down next to the small wood burning stove, the door creaking as he opened it to put more wood in. Being able to get away from Crane and cut wood outside was exactly what he needed to help clear his mind. He had occasionally let his thoughts drift to Amelia, wondering what she was up to. He was glad to know that she found the cellphone he slipped into her pocket before he left, Barbara’s call made him aware of that. Amelia was always losing her phone, that was the fifth one he’d bought her within the last month. Hopefully this one will last longer than the previous. 

“So, what’s your plan?” Crane voiced and Dick turned his head, grabbing another log before he spoke. “I told you, wait for Red Hood and take him out.” 

“No, I mean, in Gotham.” The crazed man drawled, sitting forwards in his chair, chains clinking. “You stepping into Daddy’s shoes? You’ve got the right girl for it, your very own version of Catwoman. The duplicitous Calico or…. Amelia , was it?” 

Dick paused before slowly getting up, closing the door to the wood stove. He wasn’t surprised that Crane knew their identities, Jason probably told him everything. Crane continued rambling, “Now, don’t get me wrong, I mean, you know, we all want to please our parents. That’s why I became a doctor. You see how well that worked out, right?” 

Taking off his jacket, he scoffed, “You actually think we’re the same?” 

“No, no, no.” Crane shook his head, “What I’m saying is that we all get stuck on this hamster wheel of-” He sighed, pausing for a second. “-of trying to live up to the expectations of others. And we always think that it’s gonna turn out different, but the outcome is somehow always the same.” 

“And is that what you told Jason?” 

“No, I’m talking about you .” Crane prattled, meeting Dick’s gaze. “You come back here and you wanna bathe Gotham in blood as if that’s somehow a better outcome than anything that Batman ever did. Bruce was a psychopath. He was using fear to control everyone, including his sons. I mean, he did it to Jason, and he did it to you.” 

Dick casted his eyes downwards, staring at the wooden table, his jaw tensed as Crane continued, ranting. “And you and Jason, you both use that fear. You wield it like a weapon, but it hurts people, right? It hurts people that you care about. Like Hawk. Like Amelia. It’s still Bruce’s game, isn’t it? It always has been.” A hidden smirk played at Crane’s lips as he took in Dick’s contemplating expression. “Is there something on your mind?” 

He chuckled softly, “‘Fear is your friend.’” 

“What’s that?” 

“Bruce used to say it. He said, ‘Fear reveals your weakness and it gives you the chance to make it your strength.’”     

Crane hummed, “And him being the man that he is, he needed to make sure that you were afraid, didn’t he?” 

Dick shoved his hands in his pockets, slowly making his way towards the window, staring out at the vast wooded area. “I was out here all alone once. Bruce made me go out into the forest by myself for the first time. I had no idea what was out there.” 

His mind conjured up the memory, his 14 year old self running as fast as his legs could carry him. Leaves crunching underneath his feet, the cold biting at his skin. The howl of a wolf in the distance. The snarl and growl of another one, chasing him through the woods.   

“You were just a boy.” Crane’s brow furrowed, his tone soft. “And those were the lessons that he taught you. It’s not your fault.” He sighed, “But you need to make sure that this doesn’t happen to someone else. That it stops with you. Now you let Gotham take care of Gotham. The water will find its level. Stop trying to prove something here.”

“Motion detected. Perimeter breached.” 

An automated voice broke through the air, alerting Dick to the security camera footage. Placing his hands on the back of one of the dining table chairs, he leaned into it. “But the thing about that is, I’ve already proved myself.” He looked over at Crane, “That night when I was a kid, without Bruce.” 

The memory comes back full force, how he opened the door to the cabin, his hands warm and sticky with fresh blood, streaks of blood and dirt covering his face. A blood slick hunting knife in his hand. He threw the knife and wolf’s head onto the table as Bruce stared at him in approval. 

Dick walked over to the wooden cabinet, shutting off the computer. He made his way back towards Crane, “I shouldn’t have been afraid of the wolf. The wolf should have been afraid of me.” 

His eyes darkened as he approached Crane, voice low and threatening as he grabbed the man’s jaw. “And if you ever say her name again, I can promise you’ll have something to be afraid of too.” A grunt escaped Crane’s lips as he let go of his jaw, patting him on the cheek “Now, let’s get you all fixed up. Company’s coming.” 

—------------------------

UNDERGROUND BUNKER

Amelia leaned against the wall of Dr. Kind’s workstation, Kory leaning against the large desk across from her with Gar sitting in one of the old computer chairs. She really didn’t understand why they were still here, listening to this idiot ramble about how much he loves Starfire and Beast Boy. How many times could you roll your eyes until they permanently rolled back into your head? With the amount of times Amelia’s done it, she should be able to see her brain by now. 

“You know I can’t say how much of a privilege it’s been to have you here, Starfire.” Dr. Kind gushed, before taking on a reassuring tone. “And rest assured that your sister will stay here until she is no longer a threat to Tamaran, or to Earth.”  

“But you said her powers are gone.” Gar noted, brows furrowing. 

“Yeah, they are. Uh, if she were ever released, I mean, there’s just no guarantee that her powers won’t be somehow restored.” 

“So you intend to keep her here until she dies?” Kory interjected. 

Kind nodded, “Yeah, absolutely.” 

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, thinking. She kind of felt bad for Blackfire. Granted, she killed her own parents and Kory’s old boyfriend, but she understood what it was like to be seen as just one thing with no duality. If Dick didn’t see something in her, she’d be just as locked up as Blackfire is. 

“But that could be hundreds of years from now.” Kory replied, skeptically. 

“Yes, well,” Kind started, clearing his throat before motioning towards the cage. “We’ve constructed her cell to make sure she stays contained with or without our oversight.”   

“Wait,” Amelia spoke up, eyes narrowing. “She’s gonna be here even after you guys are gone?” 

Kind got up from his chair, “Yes, Blackfire will remain here , and the world will be safe from her.” 

She watched as he walked out of the room, before glancing over at Kory and Gar. Kory nodded towards the door, motioning that it was time to leave. Letting out a sigh, Amelia followed after her with Gar. She trudged down the damp, concrete hallway, the three of them making their way towards the ladder that they came down from. 

“So, this is a best-case scenario, right?” Gar implored, as Kory made a move to climb the ladder. “Blackfire behind bars for the rest of her life?”  

Kory mumbled something incoherent and it was silent for a moment, save for the dripping of water, before she sighed, turning around as she strutted back down the hallway. “Fuck. I don’t think so. Come on.” 

Sharing a look with Gar, Amelia quickly made her way back down the hallway after Kory. The three of them alerting Dr. Kind with their footsteps as they approached the cage. He looked up from his work, “Oh, did you forget something?” 

“Yeah, Blackfire.” Kory replied before slamming her fist into the locking mechanism on the door. A siren-like alarm blared through the facility as she opened the door, letting herself into the cage. 

Amelia smirked as Kind scrambled up from his desk, his voice frantic. “What are you doing?” 

“She’s coming with me.” Kory stated as her sister sat up from her cot. 

“W-what?” Kind stuttered, “You cannot take her. She’s our sole detainee” 

“Put a vacancy sign out front.” She snapped, before motioning to Blackfire. “On your feet, let’s go.” 

A chuckle escaped Amelia’s lips as she listened to Kory bicker with her sister before pulling her out the door, Dr. Kind nervously rambling as he backed himself out of the cage. Ignoring the frantic scientist, the group started making their way back towards the exit. Amelia followed closely behind, Gar walking next to her with a small drawstring bag slung over his shoulder. They made it about halfway down the hallway before Dr. Kind came running down an adjacent hall, stepping in front of the group to cut them off.      

The scientist held his hands up in front of him, “Starfire, this is an egregious violation of a number of statutes, both federal and local.” 

“Get out of our way.” Kory ordered. 

“I can’t. Blackfire belongs to the US government.” 

Kory slowly stepped up to the man, eyes narrowed, threatening. “Get out of my way or I’m gonna burn your dick off.” 

“There may not be much to burn off.” Amelia snickered, nudging Blackfire in the arm. Blackfire stared at her with an unimpressed expression before rolling her eyes. 

Kind swallowed nervously, “There’s a strong chance that your fire bolts aren’t at full power yet.” 

Kory tilted her head, “Do you want to find out?” 

Silence enveloped the hallway as the scientist minutely shook his head. The group walked past him, Blackfire shoving the man on her way out. They quickly made their way towards the ladder before a voice called out. 

“Now understand that if you leave with her, then that's final sale.” Dr. Kind yelled down the hallway making Amelia roll her eyes. “The government has neither the means nor the appetite to pursue a lethal alien. She’s your problem now!” 

“What else is new?” Kory muttered to herself. 

One by one, they each climbed the ladder up to the surface. Gar made a beeline for the car, getting in the driver’s seat and starting it. Amelia embraced the cool night air, letting out a breath as she got into the backseat of the car. She was glad to be out of that bunker, she was starting to feel a bit too claustrophobic down there. All she wanted to do was go back to the manor, ask Dick about his day, and then cuddle up next to him in bed. Amelia leaned her head against the seat as Blackfire slid in next to her, Kory getting into the passenger seat. 

Blackfire grimaced, “Your vehicle is filthy.” 

Kory let out a sigh of exasperation as Amelia snorted, shaking her head. It was going to be a long drive back. 

Chapter Text

SIX YEARS AGO - GOTHAM CITY

The Gotham City Museum was, as always, lacking security. The Bat Signal was shining high in the sky, but Amelia didn’t care. Batman never came for her, always too busy with Catwoman or the other Gotham villains. Robin was more her speed anyway, since Dick had a habit of pulling his punches when he fought her. It made it a lot easier for her to slip through his fingers, almost like he was letting her get away.

Launching her grappling hook towards the museum roof, Amelia jumped onto the ledge before slinking her way to the glass ceiling. Her eyes scanned the inside of the building, rows of intricate vases and jewels lined the floor, all protected in glass displays. A figure dressed in all black stood at one of the vase displays, using a red laser to cut into the glass. Jewels glitter underneath- Her eyes widened underneath her mask as she did a double take. Wait, huh? Who the fuck is that?

She didn’t even have time to properly investigate, instantly spotting Dick in his Robin suit hovering in the shadows above. A smirk curled at Amelia’s lips. Ha! That criminal’s in for it once Robin gets a hold of them, then she can steal the vase herself. Her eyes flickered back and forth between Robin and the mystery burglar, the two matching each other’s moves as if they were dancing. Her breath stuttered every time the burglar threw the vase up in the air before swiftly catching it and blocking Robin’s hits. The fighting slowed to a stop as the burglar threw the vase at Robin, Amelia’s breath hitching as he caught it, before the criminal took off their mask.  

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Amelia grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes.

Barbara Gordon, the daughter of the police commissioner, was the mystery burglar. Amelia could practically see Dick’s reaction in her head, his eyes were probably wide with shock and most likely a mix of arousal. Amelia knew how down bad he had it for Miss Perfect, that was all she heard about now. Barbara this, Barbara that. ‘Oh, Amelia, Barbara invited me out, so I can’t hang out tonight.’ ‘Sorry Ames, I’m meeting Barbara at the bar across the street.’ God, it made her want to puke. She was tired of hearing about Barbara fucking Gordon. And now, what the fuck was this!? She’s out here trying to play criminal? What a fucking joke.  

An alarm blaring brought Amelia out of her thoughts, an annoyed sigh leaving her lips as she watched Dick put the vase back before grabbing Barbara’s hand and pulling her out of the museum, the two laughing as they went. Amelia trudged towards the edge of the rooftop and launched her grappling hook towards the building she came from, a permanent scowl on her face. Fuck this, she needed a drink.

An hour later and Amelia’s back in her civilian clothes, catsuit dropped off at her shitty apartment. She had moved out of Selina’s place right when she turned eighteen, using whatever money she had leftover from previous heists and odd jobs from Gotham’s mob families. All of that bought her about four years, but the well was starting to run dry. That vase would have covered months- no, years, of rent, food, and whatever else. But Barbara Gordon just had to get in her way.

She pulled her leather jacket tighter around herself as small drops of rain drizzled from the night sky, making her way towards her favorite bar. It was a small dive bar, the bartender knew her by name and it was like her home away from home. A safe haven. The only other person that she trusted to bring into this place was Dick and it became their own secret spot.

A pit formed in her stomach as she looked through the smudged window of the bar, her chest tightening. There was Dick, all smiles and laughs as he sat next to Barbara at the bar, drinking a beer with her. His smile was wide and genuine, the kind of smile that reaches your eyes, and he looked at her like he was seeing something beautiful for the first time. Amelia’s eyes burned at the edges, frustration and anger bubbling to the surface. Why here? Why’d he have to take her here, to their spot? She wiped at her eyes, unwilling to let her emotions get to her and put on a neutral expression. Fine, whatever, it wasn’t even that good of a bar anyway. The whiskey always tasted watered down.

Amelia pulled her jacket tighter around her again and popped the collar, using it to shield her face, as she walked away, not noticing Dick getting up from the bar, an even brighter smile on his face at seeing her outside the window. It quickly turned into a look of worry and slight disappointment as she disappeared from view before he returned to his seat next to Barbara.

—----------------

WAYNE MANOR - PRESENT DAY

“I’m going to kill you.” Amelia threatened, pacing back and forth in the infirmary section of the Batcave, Dick sitting shirtless on the stationed cot as Kory patched him up. “If you weren’t already shot, I would shoot you myself.”

It was around 6:30 in the morning when Dick had gotten back from his escapade with Crane. He had Jason right where he wanted him, but his plan was intercepted, and now Crane and Jason were in the wind. Amelia had gotten back with Kory, Blackfire, and Gar a little after him. Kory told her to let Dick know about their newest addition, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, just wanting to go up to the room and fall asleep next to her boyfriend like a normal person. Much to her surprise, Dick was already asleep and bleeding out all over the blankets from a through and through gunshot wound to his chest, sending her into a spiraling panic.

“I’m fine, Ames.” Dick reassured, wincing as Kory placed pressure on his shoulder blade to tape down a bandage. “It looks worse than it is.”

Gar cringed, “Dude, that looks horrible.”

“Five inches over and we’d be burying another body.” Kory added sternly, moving to bandage the hole in his chest. “Barbara’s responsible for this?

Amelia ran a hand through her hair as she stilled her pacing, her heart hammering in her chest. Pure, unadulterated rage simmered inside her, her eyes taking on a murderous gleam. “Barbara got you shot!? Oh, that’s fucking it. I’m gonna fucking kill her.”

“It was one of her snipers.” Dick placated, reaching out for her.

“Okay, but on her orders, I’m sure!” She seethed, looking crazed as she paced back and forth again. “Oh, she has no idea what’s coming for her, she better gather the whole fucking police station together because I’m going to fucking lose it.”

Gar quickly grabbed her arm, halting her steps. “I think there’s been enough bloodshed for today.” He looked back over at Dick, “That was way too close, man.”

Dick glowered, “I almost had him.”

“You’re not listening, Dick!” Kory snapped, “You scared us. Going out on your own, getting shot. It’s not okay!”

Amelia wiggled herself out of Gar’s grip and approached Dick, letting out a scoff. “You hid a fucking phone in my pocket and I had to find out from Barbara that you broke Crane out of Arkham, why didn’t you just call me? I would have helped you.”

He sighed, his eyes softening as he looked at her before addressing the others too. “I didn’t want to put you guys at risk.”

It took everything in Amelia not to roll her eyes at his response. Sometimes she really wanted to smack him and she would have if he wasn’t shot. She opened her mouth to speak before Gar cut her off, taking the thoughts right out of her head and snapping. “Oh, bullshit, Grayson.”

Dick instantly looked at the teen, “Excuse me?”

“Dude, Hank blew up!” Gar bellowed, his eyes slowly turning green. “Dawn left us forever, and Jason went dark.” He continued his rant, his face morphing and taking on a green hue. “This family is dying and you go out alone and get yourself shot!?”

Getting up from the cot, Dick put himself slightly in front of Amelia, shoulders tensing as he braced himself. Gar growled, canines elongating in his mouth. “Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth!?”

“Gar!” Kory reprimanded, stepping into Gar’s line of sight.

He breathed out heavily, his face morphing back to normal as he glared. “What?”

“Let’s take ten.”

Amelia could hear the grumbles and growls that escaped Gar as he left the room, shaking his head as he followed after Kory. Dick shuffled next to her, grabbing his shirt before starting to walk away.

She narrowed her eyes, “Where the hell do you think you're going?”

Dick paused, turning around to face her. “I'm going to find Jason.”

A delirious laugh left her, “Ha! That’s funny. You’re all jokes today, huh? Acting like you didn’t just lose twenty percent of the blood in your body. You need to take it easy.”

“I’m alright, Ames.”

“No, you’re not! Will you just fucking stop!?” She snapped, closing the space between them. His eyes widened a bit at her sudden outburst. “You almost died, Dick! You went off and got shot in the chest! You were bleeding out in our bed and seeing that terrified me.” She let out a shaky breath, “And now, you’re trying to shut me out and I don’t understand why. I thought we were past this. Is it me? Did I do something?”

He let out a breath through his nose, shaking his head. “No, never. It’s not you.”

“Then why can’t I get an actual answer from you?”

His chest tightened at the fear and concern lingering in her eyes. He never wanted to make her feel like this, like she did something wrong. He contemplated just leaving the conversation where it was, telling her everything was fine, but he knew where her brain would go if he didn’t give her a straight answer.

He sighed. “Red Hood is my responsibility, Ames. I failed him. And now, Crane’s out there with him and I don’t want anyone else getting hurt, least of all, you. There’s only chaos in this game they're playing and it’s too unpredictable, everyone is fair game. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing you got hurt or worse because of my failure.”

Amelia felt her body relax as he looked at her, his eyes filled with remorse and worry. Her eyes softened and she reached out, placing her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, coming to realize how much he actually missed her.

“Dick, this may come as a shock to you, but we’re partners. Your responsibilities, your failures, are mine too, you don’t have to take on this burden alone.” She placated, rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone. “I know that your first instinct is to keep everyone at a distance when things get bad, but I’m not going to just stand here and let that happen. Not again. I’m with you on this, whether you like it or not.”

She was always good at bringing him out from the dark places he went, never letting him stray too far into his fears, cause that’s what it was. A fear of failing her. A fear of losing her to the darker parts of Gotham. He had already lost Jason, Dawn, and Hank, he couldn’t lose her too.

Dick’s hands found her waist, the shirt he was holding dropping to the floor, and she moved her own hands to rest on his broad shoulders, his skin warm underneath her palms. He rested his forehead against hers, feeling some of the tension leave his body. She could still see the internal battle he was having as he looked at her, fighting with himself to either push her away or pull her closer.

Her fingers trailed down his jaw, their gazes locked. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. A pretty bird can’t go anywhere without his cat, remember?” 

A soft chuckle escaped him before he could stop it, her words triggering a memory of them as Robin and Calico when they were younger, the exact same statement leaving her lips, a stupid grin on her face as she said it. Back then, he had never put much thought into the meaning behind it, chalking it up to just another one of her silly quips. But now? It meant so much more, a promise that she’d never let him be without her.

His internal battle had come to a halt, already deciding on the winning side. He tightened his grip on her waist, his nose brushing hers as he pulled her closer before pressing his lips against her own. The kiss was soft and slow at first, his own way of apologizing for his actions, for the mental turmoil he put her through. Amelia instantly melted against him, a warmth flooding through her body as a small sigh left her, muted by his lips. She had missed him, rightfully so. The past few days had been nothing but chaos and grief. It was nice to have some normalcy, even if just for a moment.

Dick let himself push all thoughts of Crane, Jason, and Gotham out of his mind, instead focusing on the feeling of her against him. The way her hands felt against his bare skin, sliding down his chest, carefully avoiding his wound. The small gasp that escaped her as he deepened the kiss, moving his rough hands to her hips, sliding them underneath her shirt to feel the softness of her skin. God, he missed her. Missed her touch, the feeling of her against him, the way her lips felt against his own, being in her presence. He missed her cheeky smiles, her laugh, her obnoxious humor, and the way she called him out on his bullshit. He missed her.

He picked her up effortlessly, sitting her down on the Batcomputer console and pushing himself between her legs. He pulled back slightly, trailing heated kisses down her jaw to her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there. A soft moan escaped her lips, head tilting to the side, urging him to keep going.

He spoke softly between kisses against her neck, “Still want me to ‘take it easy’?”

Her fingers lightly traced down his abdomen, feeling the jagged and raised scars littered there, his muscles tensing as she teased her way to the waistband of his sweatpants. A breathless chuckle left her as he pulled down the collar of her shirt, pressing kisses to her shoulder before trailing back upwards.

“Depends, do you fuck all your girlfriends in the Batcave or am I just special?”

Dick breathed out a laugh against her skin, pupils blown as he pulled away to meet her gaze. He let his fingers teasingly trace the outside of her bra underneath her shirt. “You’re the first, believe it or not.”

A shiver ran down her spine as the cold air hit her bare skin, letting him pull off the offensive garment, sitting there in front of him in her bra and jeans. “We’re taking each other's Batcave virginities? That’s sweet.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Do you think Bruce had sex with Selina down here?”

“You really want to talk about Bruce and Selina while I’m trying to get you naked?” Dick huffed, unbuttoning her jeans and Amelia raised her hips, letting him slide them down her legs. His hands roamed greedily up her thighs, squeezing as he went. Her breath hitched as his fingers dipped underneath the waistband of her panties.

“I’m just saying,” She spoke breathlessly, “It’s bound to have happened. And now us? We're continuing the tradition.”

“Ames, as much as I love hearing your voice, I’d rather hear your pretty moans instead. Are you going to let me fuck you in the Batcave or..?”

“Yes. Please.”

—---------------

It was a good day. A really good day. Amelia hadn’t felt this satisfied since she left San Francisco. She meandered into the kitchen, a giddy smile on her face as she took a seat at the kitchen island. Kory leaned against the porcelain sink, drying the inside of a cup with a dish cloth. She glanced over at Amelia, eyeing her relaxed posture, damp hair, and the new change of clothes she had on.

“I’m surprised Dick’s not with you. You two were gone for an awfully long time.” She teased, putting down the dried cup and grabbing a wet plate to dry. “In the Batcave? Really?”

A flush creeped up Amelia’s cheeks, an awkward chuckle escaping her. “It’s tradition?”

Thankfully, before Kory could question her further, Blackfire strutted into the room, her presence practically demanding attention. She eyed Kory in confusion and slight displeasure, not even bothering with Amelia’s presence. “What are you doing?”

“The dishes.” Kory replied, blandly, as she wiped down another plate.

“Is that your role here?”

“We all do the dishes,” Amelia piped up, pulling Blackfire’s attention to her as she felt the annoyance radiating off Kory. “And the cooking, the laundry, and pretty much everything else.” She paused, thinking. “Although, I’m not allowed near the stove anymore since I almost set the kitchen on fire that one time. Oh, and, I tend to make Dick do my chores for me.”

Blackfire narrowed her eyes, “You’re odd.”

Amelia placed her hand on her heart, “Thank you.”

“This is a disgrace.” Blackfire prattled, turning back to Kory. “We are queens.”

“Twenty-four hours ago, you were a prisoner.” Kory sassed, putting the dried dish down. “I think this is a major step up.”

“Freedom means nothing if you choose to live like a servant.”

Kory sighed in annoyance, “Okay, let's get something straight. These people are my friends. You will treat them and this place with respect.” She hissed out, “No more knives. And if I catch even a whisper of a scheme out of your mouth, I will drop you down the hole I found you in. Are we clear, Queen?”

Amelia held back a snort of amusement, the sound of a door closing cutting off the tension in the room. The sound of Dick’s voice made her perk up, as he walked through the doorway and into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed.

“Ames, there’s been a development in-” He paused, brow furrowing as he took in the new person standing in the kitchen. “Oh. Didn’t know we had a guest.”

Kory directed her glare towards Amelia, “I thought I told you to tell him.”

She shrugged sheepishly, “I forgot?”

Dick glanced between Kory and Amelia in confusion, before Blackfire held out the back of her hand towards him. “Blackfire. Pleasure’s yours.”

Blackfire slowly put her hand down as his gaze moved back towards Kory, uncertainty in his tone. “Blackfire. Your-”

“Yes.”

“The person who killed your boyfriend.” He deadpanned, in slight disbelief. “And your parents. In our kitchen.”

“It's a long story.”

Dick gave a slight nod before changing subjects, “Listen, there’s been an attack at Thomas and Martha Wayne Memorial Hospital. The surgical team was killed, and a piece of medical equipment went missing. They found a drug inhaler at the crime scene.” He glanced between Amelia and Kory, “Let’s go.”

“Seriously?” Amelia complained, an incredulous expression on her face. “You just got shot and now you want to go back out there and what? Get stabbed next?”

He shrugged, nonchalant. “Bruce got shot all the time. Didn’t stop him.”

Kory scoffed, “Look how well that went.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to do better.” Dick replied before walking out the kitchen door. “Let’s go! Ames, move it!”

A groan escaped her lips as she got up from the kitchen island. Blackfire smirked at her, “Ah, I’m understanding now. I thought the green one was your man servant, but clearly he satisfies your urges.”

A bewildered expression crossed Amelia’s features. “My what?”

Kory let out an exasperated sigh, grabbing Amelia’s arm to lead her out of the room. “Let’s go.”

—------------------

“Okay, Gar texted me the name of the machine.” Kory stated as she walked down the sterile, white halls of the hospital, Amelia and Dick following next to her. She glanced down at her phone, “A short wave positron multiplier. The kid who they were operating on needed it for his procedure.” 

Dick sighed, “Is he still angry at me?” 

“Gar?” Kory asked, before shaking her head. “Oh, it’s fear disguised as anger. He’s just worried about you. He doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, it’s part of the job.”

Amelia’s boots squeaked as they made a right turn down another hallway, the sounds of murmuring voices getting louder as she quipped. “Well, most normal people are scared by that and I know for a fact that you are far from normal.”

“I have Bruce Wayne to thank for that.” He muttered, before nudging her in the shoulder. “You know it takes one to know one, right?”

“Unfortunately. And now Crane’s doing the same thing with Jason.”

“Question is, what kind of twisted plan does he have for that machine?” Dick added, as they approached the surgery suite. “Obviously he’s not looking to save sick kids.”

“And who’s this new accomplice?” Kory interjected, “Witness I spoke to said the killer was a woman. Blond hair, bad attitude. The only person she spared was the patient.”

Amelia scoffed, “Sounds like every female contract killer in Gotham, that certainly narrows it down.”

They came to a stop in front of the surgical room, a GCPD detective stopping them from going any further. She glanced over at the room, a grimace on her face at the amount of blood splattered on the floor, walls, and ceiling. Jesus, whoever this bitch was, she did not leave a single tile left untouched.

“Dick Grayson, Amelia Pierce, and Kory Anders?” The officer inquired, hands resting on his hips.

Dick furrowed his brow, “How’d you know?”

“You’re not allowed access.” 

“On whose orders?”

“Barbara Gordon’s.”

Dick shook his head, an annoyed sigh leaving his lips. Amelia rolled her eyes again, of course Barbara would restrict them from entering any related crime scenes. The three turned around to leave as Kory mocked, “So that partnership seems to be off to a great start. Gunshot wound and a cock block and we’re not even at lunch yet.”

“It’s ‘cause she still has a stick up her ass.” Amelia muttered, annoyance swirling in her gut.

“We don’t need her to track down who’s working with Crane.” Dick insisted, making her nod in agreement.

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Kory chided, the three of them coming to a stop at the end of the hall. “Look, I don’t know all the gory details between you two and Barbara.”

Amelia opened her mouth to speak, before quickly closing it as Kory held up her hand, continuing. “I don’t want to know. I’ve got my own problems. But Crane, Jason, and now this new killer? We cannot track them down with one hand tied behind our backs.” She sent them a pointed look, “Fix it.”

A grumble escaped Amelia’s lips as Kory walked away, leaving her and Dick in the hallway. Dick sighed softly, his eyes catching the security camera stationed above the emergency exit, the lens pointing straight down the hallway towards the surgery suite. The only person with access to that security footage was Barbara. Making things right with her seemed to be the only way to go. He glanced over at Amelia, noticing the scowl on her face. Bringing her with him would be less than ideal, especially after the shooting, but fixing things meant that she and Barbara would have to learn how to play nice. The sooner they both realized they were on the same team, the better.

—---------------

Amelia had a feeling this is where they were going to end up, walking up the steps of the large concrete building of the GCPD. The murmur of various officers and staff bounced off the walls of the station as she and Dick entered the building, heading straight for Barbara’s office. She was finishing up a phone call as they approached, a neutral expression on her face. Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, agitation clawing at her insides as she scowled.

Dick held his hands up in mock surrender, “You gonna shoot me again? This is more your range.”

Barbara sighed. “How bad?”

“I found him bleeding out in our bed and he has a hole in his chest, how bad do you think?” Amelia snapped, eyes narrowing. She let Dick grab her hand, his thumb rubbing soothingly against her knuckles, trying to calm her.

“It looks worse than it is, went clean through.” He interjected.

“Are you hurt?” Barbara asked, a pettiness to her tone. The question almost seemed to have a double meaning.

“A little.”

“Good.”

Amelia felt her eye twitch, her free hand clenching into a fist while the one Dick was holding squeezed tighter. Her irritation was barely hanging on by a thread, the devil on her shoulder urging her to jump over that stupid desk and fight Barbara like when they were younger. Instead, she settled for meeting her gaze in a glare. If Dick wasn’t here, things would’ve gotten way more violent.

Dick scoffed, slightly taken back by Barbara’s response. “You know, I had ‘em both, Crane and Red Hood.”

“Don’t put this on me.” Barbara shook her head, “You went off book. Way off book.”

“You know, all of this would probably be over if you had just let Dick do what he had to do, like I told you to.” Amelia argued, huffing.

“Oh, please, Amelia. You don’t get to talk ” Barbara scoffed, shooting her a look of irritation. “You wouldn’t have even known that Dick took Crane if it wasn’t for me. I’m not surprised he didn’t tell you. Nice communication skills you two have, by the way.”

She rolled her eyes at the comment, about to snap a retort, before she felt Dick squeeze her hand in a warning. He could practically see the steam coming out of her ears from the anger that was boiling in her body. He knew her patience was waning thin, but he did not need her getting arrested for verbal assault in the middle of the GCPD and arguing about this was getting them nowhere.

Barbara’s gaze fell back to him, “Thanks to you, I’ve got a high-value prisoner on the loose, and the BOP gunning for my resignation. So, before either of you start-”

“Okay, just-” Dick sighed, stumbling over his words. “We all made some mistakes yesterday.”

“Are you apologizing?”

“I’m explaining. I had a strong hunch about Crane. I didn’t tell you because the whole plan would have fallen apart if he suspected GCPD involvement. And yes, I didn’t tell Amelia ‘cause I didn’t want her in the middle of it, but that has nothing to do with this.”    

“Well, your strong hunch led to Crane going AWOL with a known terrorist.” Barbara retorted, looking away before meeting his gaze again. “So, maybe trust your intuition a little less.”

He let out a breath before speaking, keeping his voice level. “We came here because we need to start working together. All of us.”

Amelia dropped Dick’s hand to cross her arms over her chest, a sarcastic laugh leaving her. “Ha! Like that’s gonna happen.”

“Exactly,” Barbara rolled her eyes. “Because history shows we all work so well together.”

The two of them were too wrapped up in their own pettiness, not even realizing that they were agreeing with each other. Memories of past team ups as Robin, Batgirl, and Calico flashed through Dick’s mind; if they were able to reluctantly team up then, they could still do it now.

“Oh come on, Ames, Barb,” He chided, sighing in annoyance. “We’ve got to be on the same side here because if we’re not, this whole city-”

“I know!” Barbara snapped, cutting him off. She was always the one to break first, her morals and inability to not be a hero being the one thing keeping her from declining. She glanced over at Amelia, taking in her defensive posture before meeting Dick’s gaze. “I get it. Same team.” 

A silence overtook them as Amelia stood there, arms crossed and jaw clenched. She knew Dick was waiting for her response, hoping that she would just comply, but it was never that easy with her. She knew a small part of Barbara’s agreement stemmed from her love for Dick, it was obvious. Whether Dick realized that or not, she didn’t know, but it irritated her all the same.

“Ames.” She looked up at Dick as he called her name, his brown eyes silently pleading with her. A piece of her defensive armor shattered at his gaze and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. God damn him and his freaking puppy eyes. She shifted in her spot, gaze falling to look at her boots before looking back up at him, a groan escaping her lips as her resolve crumbled. Dick was lucky that she couldn’t resist when he looked at her like that.

“Ugh, fine. Same team or whatever.”  

A slight smirk played at the corner of Dick’s lips before he pulled Amelia into his side, placing a kiss on the top of her head as she grumbled. The tension in the room seemed to drop as soon as the moment was over, Dick letting her go to take a seat in front of Barbara’s desk and Amelia followed, reluctantly sitting down in the other chair. He cleared his throat, “I spotted surveillance at the hospital earlier. You got anything on it?”

Barbara sighed. “The killer disabled the OR video feed. We were only able to recover the audio, which is useless. So, unless either of you have any other ideas-”

“We’re kind of fucked, aren’t we?” Amelia muttered, slouching down in the chair.

“I have one idea.” Dick stated, eyes meeting Barbara’s as her face dropped.

“Don’t say it.”

“Oracle.”

Amelia’s brow furrowed as she sat up slightly, intrigued by the irritation returning to Barbara’s voice. She knew very little about Oracle, only that it was some advanced computer thing that Bruce built after Barbara got shot to keep her in the action. She had never seen it herself, only hearing about it way back when from Dick. 

Barbara scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is that what this routine’s all been about?”

“This is Red Hood and Scarecrow.” Dick explained, “We can use Oracle’s voice recognition to tap into Gotham’s phone network.”

“Oracle has been mothballed for a reason.” She stated sternly. “I’m the only one with access, and I’m not revisiting that monster. Not for you. Not ever.”

The opposition in Barbara’s voice made Dick sigh, his shoulders dropping in acceptance. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, before nodding. “Alright.” He looked over at Amelia, “Let’s go, Ames.”

Wordlessly, she got up, following after him. She didn’t really understand what the big deal was about using Oracle, if anything Dick’s idea seemed like a good one. It’d be the easiest way for them to get their answer about who this killer is, but if Barbara wanted to keep that stick up her ass about it, then so be it.

“This is exactly why I’m against vigilantes.” Barbara rasped, the sound of her voice making the two of them turn around. “They think they’re above the law. Kidnapping prisoners, using them as bait.”

Amelia scoffed, about to call her out on being a hypocrite, before Dick cut her off. “Okay, fair enough. How can we help?” 

“You really want to help? Go home.”

Amelia couldn’t argue with that logic, there was really nothing they could legally do anyway. She glanced over at Dick, his eyes flashing with slight disappointment before he nodded. She felt his hand grab hers, intertwining their fingers together like a life line before leading her out of the police station. 

—---------------

“Okay. How much farther to the evidence room?” Dick’s voice reverberated through the speaker of Amelia’s phone as she sat in a computer chair next to Gar in the Batcave, slowly spinning herself. She wasn’t surprised that Dick’s new plan involved him breaking into the GCPD evidence room. He was never able to just let things go, especially when he was in his detective mode.

Gar spun in his own chair next to her, glancing at the 3D blueprints of the ventilation system and the tracker dot moving on the screen, his voice monotone. “Twenty-five meters.”

Amelia snorted, she knew he was still pissed about Dick going off on his own. “You sound so thrilled to be here.”

Dick muttered under his breath, “Twenty-five meters. Do I go left or straight?”

Gar rolled his eyes, causing her to snicker before she answered, “Left, pretty bird.”

“Thanks, Ames.”

“Does Barbara know we’re doing this?” The teen implored, glancing over at Amelia and she sucked in a breath through her teeth, shaking her head.

“We’re at a bit of an impasse. Once we get the audio tapes from the hospital, I’ll…let her know.”

It was silent for a moment, save for the sound of Amelia’s chair squeaking as she spun around and Dick panting through the speaker, before he spoke up again. “Gar, are you okay? If you want to talk about something, Amelia and I are all ears.”

Gar shot her a look of irritation, eyes narrowing slightly. Her eyes widened a bit as she stopped her chair from moving, shrugging. The two continued this silent conversation of ‘what the fuck did you tell Dick’, before a sigh came through the speaker.

“Or not.”

The teen looked down at his hands in his lap, letting out a breath through his nose before staring at the computer screen. “Dick, I gotta ask. Back at the cabin-” He trailed off, seemingly somewhere far away in his head.

“What about it?”

“Were you going to kill Jason?”

Amelia’s breath hitched at the question, it was something that she had never thought to ask, always assuming the best in Dick, but with Bruce it was the same. He was adamant about his no killing rule for, well, forever, even instilling it in his Robins. It didn’t matter how bad someone was or the evil, vile things they did, Batman never killed. Gar’s concern was valid though, if all it took for Bruce to kill someone- even someone as vile as the Joker- was the death of someone he cared about, then who's to say Dick wouldn’t do the same thing?

“What makes you say that?”

“Batman went off on his own and killed the Joker.” Gar deadpanned, eyes staring dully ahead of him. “You went off on your own and-”

“Gar.” Amelia muttered, swallowing. “Don’t.”

“It’s okay, Ames. Gotham got to Bruce, Gar, and it gets to me too.” He paused for a second, letting out a breath, “No, I don’t want to have to kill Jason.”

“I just-” Gar sighed, lips pressing tightly together. “I just don’t understand. Why’d he go bad?”

“He had a tough life. That’s what Bruce looked for. Someone with anger. Someone he could make into a weapon.”

Her mind traveled to when she was sixteen years old, the day she went out as Calico for the first time. Selina has gone with her, donning her Catwoman persona, as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop, until they ended up at a jewelry store in the fashion district. It was a simple robbery and went down without a hatch, but just as they were about to take their wares and go, Batman and Robin showed up. She hadn’t even recognized that Robin was Dick yet. She remembered fighting him that day on the rooftop, his punches landing and hitting hard. She had put up a decent fight herself, but his anger and frustration made him ruthless. Selina and Bruce had let them fight it out, almost like a test to see which protégé would out-do the other. Almost like they had planned it. Selina had eventually pulled Amelia out of there and she went home that night with a black eye, split lip, bruises littering her skin, and a bag full of jewels. 

“But Crane’s manipulating him.” Gar’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Look, I have to believe that this dude we fought alongside, my friend- that he’s not all bad. What if this is not his fault?”

The silence, save for the hum of the fans in the air vents, was deafening. She knew what Dick was thinking. As much as she wanted Gar’s theory to be right, wanted to believe that the kid who she thought of as an annoying little brother was not all bad, it just wasn’t something they could risk.

“What if it is? We just don’t know.”

Amelia’s gaze flittered over to Gar, taking in his look of disappointment. His nostrils flared as he let out a breath through his nose, shoulders dropping. His eyes had glazed over as he stared at the computer screen once more. She reached out, placing her hand over his and he met her gaze as she gave him a small smile in comfort. There wasn’t much else she could do or say.

“Okay, where am I at, now?”

“Above the storage room.” Gar answered, voice low as he pulled his hand away from her. A frown pulled at her lips.

“Oh, okay.” A grunt sounded from the speaker of her phone. “I’m in, be back in 20.”

—----------------

Amelia leaned against the wall of the weapons room, twirling a stiletto dagger in her hand, and watching as Dick set up one of the portable BatComputers on the floor. Gar stood off to the side, a rack of different swords sitting behind him.

“Bruce and I used to do this together as part of my training.” Dick explained, rolling up his sleeves, before sitting down on the floor in front of the computer. He glanced over at Gar, “Join me.”

The teen reluctantly met him at the computer causing her to chuckle softly. She knew this was Dick’s way of trying to get back on Gar’s good side. The kid loved learning new things, especially when it came to the world of Batman and Dick was bonding the only way he knew how to - through training exercises.

Dick played the audio, a distorted chatter coming through the speakers of the computer, along with some kind of classical music faintly playing in the background. The sound of flesh squelching and the swish of a blade made Amelia cringe, multiple gasps and screams blaring through. She put away the dagger and approached, watching as Dick rewound the audio tape and closed his eyes, before playing it over again.

He opened his eyes, “The killer was twelve feet north east of the surgeon. Knife throw.” 

Gar furrowed his brow, letting out a slight chuckle. “What? A twelve foot, precision-targeted throw? Was that an assassin?”

“It has to be an assassin.” Amelia butted in, listening as Dick played the audio again. “There’s no way this is an amatuer’s job. Those blade strokes are too targeted.”

The sound of a slashing blade reverberated through the speaker and Dick paused the audio. “Sliced across the back. Our killer has the ability to kill quickly, but likes to savor the victim’s pain.”

Gar grimaced, “Sounds personal.”

She snorted at the teen’s comment as Dick replayed a portion of the audio before pausing it again. He glanced over at Gar, “Okay, take a seven-inch blade and do a horizontal slash from West to East.”

Gar walked over to one of the knife stands and grabbed a seven-inch blade. Following Dick’s instructions, he slashed the knife through the air from West to East. Pressing the play button, the sound of a woman’s gasp broke through the focused silence before Dick paused it again. “Grab a sixteen-inch blade, reverse quick flash.”

Grabbing the sixteen-inch blade, Gar unsheathed it, before precisely swiping it through the air and landing on one knee before getting back up.

Dick nodded, eyes lighting up. “Yeah, that’s it.” He played the ending of the audio, closing his eyes again before pausing and reopening. “Severed the Achilles tendon,” He looked back at Gar, “Now, pivot, knees bent, slice. Go.”

Gar ran through the motions smoothly, the sword slicing through imaginary limbs. Dick smiled at the teen, “Nice work. Our killer’s between 5’6 and 5’8. Trained in sword fighting using a sixteen-inch wakizashi blade. And she’s right handed.”

Sword work like that usually took years to master, especially with a wakizashi blade. It was a unique sword that not many people possessed, something that she had only seen once in her- She felt her chest tighten, her breath hitching as her face dropped, realization dawning on her as a past memory resurfaced.

Six Years Ago

Working on a team was never Amelia’s strong suit, she was too selfish for it. Yes, she had occasionally teamed up with Dick as Robin, but only for her own personal benefit. She could pretend to be the hero for a couple hours if it meant being able to steal some mob families' cash stacks. A team of criminals, however, could get messy. She maybe put about ten seconds of thought into it before deciding to team up with a mercenary, who called herself Lady Vic, and her criminal boy toy. They were after a rare diamond that was locked up in Gotham Central’s bank vault. The minute the word diamond was tossed into the air, Amelia had re-evaluated her opinion on team ups.

There were two keypads in the vault that needed to be entered simultaneously for the glass to be lifted on the display where the diamond was kept. The plan was that Lady Vic and her boyfriend would enter the codes while she grabbed the diamond. Amelia, however, had a plan of her own. One that involved taking the diamond for herself, but little did she know that two people would already be there with the same idea.

Amelia crouched hidden behind a larger display case in the vault, catsuit on and dagger in hand as Lady Vic alerted the two masked individuals, a man and woman, of her presence. She watched eyes narrowed behind her mask as the two women fought before spotting Vic’s boyfriend attacking the male. She swiftly made her way around the large vault, making sure to keep her presence unknown as she zeroed in on the diamond. The sound of grunts and flesh hitting bone was like music to her ears, her eyes glancing over at Vic’s boyfriend getting beat by the masked male. Amelia paused, eyes widening a little behind her mask as her breath hitched, taking in the fluidity of punches the masked man was throwing out. Her gaze jumped to his hardened stare, an air of familiarity swirling in his brown eyes. She quickly glanced over at the woman fighting Lady Vic, her red hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Amelia’s face dropped, a mix of irritation and disbelief swirling in her gut. It was Dick and Barbara.

She watched as Lady Vic sliced at Barbara’s calf before honing in on Dick, who was gaining the upper hand on her boyfriend. Her heart hammered in her chest as Vic made a move to throw her dagger at Dick, aiming for his heart. It was like Amelia’s body was on autopilot as she stepped out from the shadows, a scream lodged in her throat.

“NO!”  

Dick’s gaze met her own at the sound of her voice. Barbara lunged for Vic as she threw the knife, losing her aim, causing the blade to lodge itself into the other man’s chest, his body pummeling to the ground. The sound of an alarm blared through the vault, echoing in Amelia’s ears as she stared into Dick’s brown eyes, shock evident in them. The sound of Barbara’s groans of pain tore his gaze away from her and he rushed to her side, helping her up. Lady Vic rushed over to her boyfriend, hushed cries leaving her lips.

Amelia looked between the two couples before meeting Dick’s gaze again. His eyes pleaded with her, silently telling her to leave and come with them. She let her eyes flicker over to Barbara, narrowing them at the way he protectively wrapped his arm around her. None of this would have happened if they just stayed out of it, if Barbara wasn’t playing criminal like it was a game to her. Amelia averted her gaze to the diamond, the dim lights shining off it and making it glitter. The display was open.

Making a run for the display, she smoothly snatched the small diamond from its case, holding it up in front of her face to inspect it. A smirk curled at her lips as she twirled it in her gloved fingers before pocketing it in the small bag on her belt. She glanced back over at the vault door, Dick and Barbara were gone. The cries of Lady Vic pierced her ears and she looked back at the woman sobbing on the floor.

Lady Vic looked up, her gaze leaving the body of her dead boyfriend, spotting Amelia standing by the empty display case. Her eyes took on a murderous gleam as she hissed. “You. It should have been you.”  

A snort escaped Amelia as she made her way towards the exit, twirling her ring dagger around her finger. “Sorry about your boy toy, Vicky. I would love to stick around, but I have a diamond to sell and you look like you want to murder me. Good luck in prison!”

“You can’t hide from me forever! I will kill you, Calico!” Vic screamed out as Amelia nonchalantly walked away. The sound of police sirens blared in the background, drowning out Lady Vic’s screeching. Making her way out the emergency exit, Amelia launched her grappling hook onto the roof of a nearby building before disappearing into the night.

The buzzing of her phone resting in her back pocket shook Amelia out of the memory. Dick glanced over at her with a look of concern before turning back to Gar and letting out a breath through his nose. “I know who the killer is.”

The rest of their conversation fell on deaf ears as she grabbed her phone out of her pocket, an unknown number ringing through. Amelia’s brow furrowed as she quickly and quietly made her way out of the room before answering. “Hello?”

A gruff voice sounded through the speaker, “Amelia? It’s me. Bruce.”  

Her breath caught in her throat before she quickly glanced around the room, looking for any sign of Dick or Gar. She was still alone. “Bruce? What-How-Where are you? Why are you calling me?”

“I’ll be where it all started. Come quickly and don’t tell Dick.”

“Wait, Bruce-” The line disconnected before she could get another word in. Amelia shoved her phone back in her jacket pocket, brows still furrowed in confusion. Why the hell was Bruce Wayne calling her and not Dick? Where has he been this whole time? Whatever was going on, she couldn’t risk telling Dick. There was no way Bruce would show up if she did. Hopefully, Dick would understand once she brought Bruce Wayne home.

—-----------

Crime Alley, where it all started. Where Bruce Wayne became Batman. The streetlights outside the alley flickered as Amelia rounded the corner, her heart hammering in her chest. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, most likely another missed call from Dick. He had been calling since she left the manor, but she couldn’t risk him finding her. Pulling her jacket tighter around herself, she walked swiftly down the alley, eyes squinting as she came face to face with Barbara, the two meeting outside the backdoor of the movie theater. 

“Amelia?” Barbara’s brow furrowed as she wheeled herself to meet her. “What are you doing here? Where’s Bruce?”

“Me? What are you doing here?” Amelia responded, confusion etched into her features. “Bruce called you too?”

“He told me to meet him here.” Barbara’s phone rang in her lap, the shrill sound making Amelia glance down at the caller ID. It was Dick. Barbara scoffed as she glanced down at her phone before silencing it and meeting Amelia’s gaze again. “You didn’t tell Dick, did you?”

“No. Bruce told me not to.” Amelia’s eyes narrowed as she looked around the alley, goosebumps prickling her skin from the cold. “Something’s not right.”

“Barbara, it’s me. Bruce. Meet me where it all started. Don’t tell Dick. Amelia? It’s me, Bruce. I’ll be where it all started. Come quickly and don’t tell Dick.” Bruce’s voice rang out through the alley, causing Amelia and Barbara to turn towards the theater door, spotting a small black box sitting on the ledge.

The two women looked at each other in realization, cursing under their breaths. Someone set them up. The sound of boots thudding against the pavement caused the two to quickly turn around to face the front of the alley. It all happened so fast. A sharp, burning pain radiated through Amelia’s lower abdomen, her skin twitching from the impact of a knife slicing through her insides. A gasp escaped her lips, eyes widening as Lady Vic padded to a stop in front of them with another knife in hand, fingers waving lazily in Amelia’s direction. A choked whimper escaped her throat as she fell to the cold, hard pavement, hands hovering over the knife handle.

Panic seized itself in Barbara’s chest as she watched helplessly as Amelia fell to the ground. She quickly took out her gun and flipped the safety off, pointing it in Lady Vic’s direction as she pushed down her panic. Her eyes narrowed, finger hovering over the trigger. “Drop your weapon.”  

Lady Vic smirked in Amelia’s direction, ignoring Barbara’s command. “You couldn’t hide from me forever, darling. I told you I’d kill you.” The woman brought her attention back to Barbara, eyeing down the barrel of her pistol. “How movin’. The commissioner who overcame all the odds.”

A ringing settled in Amelia’s ears, the conversation between the two women becoming murmured background noise. A warmth spread across her stomach, her head aching from where she hit the pavement. Blood pooled around the knife, the dark spot on her shirt slowly getting larger. The sound of fighting and gunshots fell on deaf ears, panic rising in her chest as she shivered from the cold. Amelia had gotten stabbed before, numerous times, but fuck, this time looked really fucking bad. It took everything in her not to pull the knife out, an instinct that she’d trained out of herself when she got into these kinds of situations. The cold winter air would help too, possibly slow the bleeding down a little bit.

Slowly, she pulled herself into a sitting position before dragging herself across the alley and leaning her back against the wall. Every movement tugged at the wound as she swallowed her screams of pain, eyes watering as she breathed through it. A large, bright light pulsed through the alley, causing her to shield and close her eyes from the white light before it dissipated. Amelia blinked, her eyes adjusting to the darkness again.

“Amelia!” Barbara yelled out, quickly wheeling over to her, eyes raking over the stab wound in her abdomen. “Shit. I’ll call an ambulance.”

“No!” Amelia gasped out, shaking her head frantically. “No hospitals. Call Dick. Please call Dick.”

“Amelia, this is-”

“Barbara, please.” She pleaded breathily, eyes tiredly meeting her gaze. “Call him.”

Barbara’s eyes roamed over Amelia’s body once again, taking in her pale and sweaty complexion, the blood soaking through her shirt. Against her own judgement, she pulled out her phone and called Dick’s number.

“I don’t have much time to explain, but Amelia’s been stabbed. We’re in Crime Alley, hurry.”

Less than five minutes felt like hours for Amelia as she drifted in and out of consciousness, the cold air nipping at her face. Barbara sat with her, eyes filled with worry as she watched her breathe. Tires squealed in front of the alleyway and Amelia let her head roll to the side, catching a glimpse of a grey Jeep. A smile played at her lips as she heard Dick’s voice break through the air before darkness enveloped her vision.

“Barbara! What happened?” Panic and urgency laced his tone, as he ran towards them. He kneeled down in front of Amelia, heart seizing as he laid his eyes on the knife sticking out of her abdomen, along with the blood soaking her shirt. Her eyes were closed, most likely losing consciousness from the blood loss. He willed himself to mask his panic, his face falling stoic as his heart pounded out of his chest.

“It was Lady Vic.” Barbara explained, watching as Dick carefully scooped her up in his arms, trying not to jostle her too much. “She set us up, said something about killing Amelia before attacking me. There was this bright light and then she was gone. I think Red Hood lost his lackluster, she’s Crane’s new toy. I wanted to call an ambulance, but Amelia insisted I call you.”

Dick shook his head, a bitter chuckle leaving his lips. “She’s not a fan of hospitals. You would think this would be her one exception, but no, she’s too stubborn for her own good.”

He opened the back door to the Jeep, gently laying her down on the backseat before closing the door. He looked over at Barbara, “Are you going to be okay? I can send someone to bring you home.”

She shook her head, “I’ll be fine, Dick. Go, she’s lost a lot of blood.”

Opening the driver’s side door, he climbed in and started the Jeep. He gave Barbara a pointed look, “Text me as soon as you get home. I’ll keep you posted.”

“I will, I promise.”

Those were the last words Dick heard before peeling away, the rumble of the engine echoing into the night.

Chapter Text

The steady sound of beeping was the first thing Amelia heard. She swallowed, her mouth and throat feeling dry as she slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light above her. A dull ache settled in her abdomen as she gingerly sat up, looking around the room to gather her bearings. An IV sat nestled in a vein in her left hand, connected to a line and a small bag hanging from an IV pole, most likely some type of pain medicine in it. The fabric of one of Dick’s button up shirts felt soft against her skin, sleep shorts riding up her thighs. 

The rocky walls of the Batcave brought a sense of comfort to her, before her eyes landed on Dick resting in a chair nearby, arms crossed as he slept. She spotted her leather jacket on the floor, then her bloodied shirt laying next to it. The past few hours hit her like a slap to the face. Getting a call from Bruce, meeting Barbara in Crime Alley. Bruce was never there, but Lady Vic showed up. The feeling of a knife embedding itself into her stomach. The blood, there was so much blood. Lady Vic had gotten away. 

A surge of adrenaline rushed through her as she started unhooking herself from the heart monitor, the machine letting out a long, alarming beep as it flatlined. The noise startled Dick awake, his stomach dropping in panic as his eyes shot open, noticing a very not dead Amelia yanking her IV out of her hand.

He quickly got up and grabbed onto her shoulders to steady her as she got out of the infirmary bed. “Whoa, Ames. Stop. Where are you going?” 

The ache in her abdomen turned into a throb, Dick’s shirt brushing the tops of her thighs as she stood, the shorts underneath entirely covered by his shirt. The Batcave started to spin a little. “Lady Vic stabbed me. No one stabs me and gets away with it. I have to find her.” She tried to push herself away from Dick - well the two versions of him that circled her vision. “I don’t know how there’s two of you right now, and believe me, I’m not complaining, but I really have to go.” 

“If you’re seeing two of me, you aren’t going anywhere. Amelia, you were just stabbed. You lost a lot of blood.” Dick explained, keeping her steady on her feet. “You had some internal bleeding when Kory pulled the knife out, she used her powers to cauterize it. I don’t know how you are even up right now with the amount of morphine in your system.” 

Amelia scoffed, squinting as she tried to decipher which version of Dick was real. The opioid made her brain feel fuzzy. “The same way you were up after bleeding out from a gunshot wound. Sheer willpower and stupidity.” She poked his cheek, a small gasp leaving her lips. “I found you! I knew you were the real one!” 

Dick breathed out a sigh, pulling her hand away from his cheek and holding onto it. A part of him was relieved that she was acting somewhat like herself, but that didn’t make it any better. He couldn’t even fault her for what she did when he did the exact same thing not even 48 hours ago. The anger he felt was still there, but it wasn’t directed at her, only at himself for not being there to protect her. 

A yawn escaped her lips, the adrenaline in her system quickly wearing off as the morphine took over. Amelia’s eyes felt heavy as she slowly blinked up at him, feeling the drug induced drowsiness. “I’m sleepy. Bring me to bed, pretty bird. And not in a sexy way.” 

Dick chuckled softly before scooping her up from underneath her legs and wrapping his other arm around her back, carefully, as to not agitate her wound too much. He cradled her against his chest as he made his way out of the BatCave, her face nuzzling into his shirt. She let out a content sigh, “So warm. And soft. Like a freshly toasted croissant.” 

An amused smile played at his lips as he walked up the stairs into the foyer, the grandfather clock clicking shut behind him. “A croissant, huh? That’s a new one.” 

“A freshly toasted one.” She murmured, correcting him, her eyes widening slightly as she stared up at him, rambling in her drug induced haze. “You’re so pretty. Like it’s honestly unfair. Also, super hot. How did I land such a hot piece of ass? You know, I'm pretty sure your ass is better than mine.”

Dick smirked as he carried her down the hallway towards their room, shaking his head. “You are not going to remember any of this when you wake up tomorrow.” 

His comment went right over her head, a yawn working its way out of her mouth as she spoke again. “I would be the founder of the ‘Dick Grayson’s Perfect Ass’ club. And the sole member ‘cause no one else should be looking at it. Your ass is mine. Actually, maybe I’d invite Kory since she’s the only ex I would share you with, but no one else. She can be a co-founder.”

He pushed open the door to their room, holding back laughter as he carried her inside before gently laying her on the bed and pulling the blankets over her. “Try not to move too much and stay on your back, I’ll make sure you don’t tear your stitches in your sleep.” 

Amelia nuzzled her body into the mattress, one of her eyes peeking open as Dick swiftly pulled his shirt over his head before unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down his legs, leaving him in his briefs. She opened her eyes fully, blatantly letting them roam his figure as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants. “I think I might rescind my invitation to Kory. She’s already had plenty of time with your ass.” 

Dick chuckled softly as he made his way into bed next to her and pulled the cord on the lamp on the nightstand, enveloping the room in darkness. He positioned himself on his side, facing her, and she turned her head to look at him, sleepily blinking as she tried to stay awake. He propped himself up on one arm, resting his head against his palm as his other hand brushed her hair out of her face, thumb caressing her cheekbone. It was terrifying, seeing her like that. So close to death's door. 

“Dickie?” Her voice was soft as she spoke, her eyes finally drooping closed as sleep started to take her. 

He hummed, “Yeah, baby?” 

“I love you.” 

Dick’s lips curled into a small smile, his thumb rubbing her cheek soothingly. It was rare for her to say the exact words. She reserved them for private moments, only saying it when she truly felt the emotion behind it. Majority of the time, she said it without saying it - using the opposite of the word to express her love or through her actions. He was used to the language she developed to express herself, but it was definitely nice to hear those three words and eight letters. 

“I love you too, Ames.” 

No other words were spoken, the only thing Dick could hear was the steady sound of her breathing. He laid his head against his pillow, eyes roaming her face as she slept, his thumb still rubbing her cheek softly. He briefly thought back to all those years ago, all the times he had dismissed the thought of being with her, of loving her like this. Something inside him always drew him to her, even when he was with past girlfriends. No matter who he was dating or spending time with, he was always thinking about her. Always wondering what she was up to or who she was with. He tried so hard to push her away during those times, it wasn’t fair for him to be thinking about her when he was with someone else. It never worked, if anything it made him think about her more. He tried so hard to convince himself that the love he felt for her was platonic or even brotherly, and he did, for many years. When that started to unravel, he convinced himself that he wasn’t good enough for her, that he would only drag her down. Sometimes those thoughts resurfaced every now and again, but she was always there to convince him otherwise. He could never imagine living life without her now. 

He watched her nose crinkle in her sleep as he pulled his hand away from her face. He grabbed her outstretched hand instead, intertwining their fingers together. The bridge of her nose relaxed, a sleepy smile curling at her lips. He couldn’t wait to tease her about her ramblings in the morning. Dick let out a breath through his nose, relaxing himself into the mattress and closing his eyes, letting sleep take him. 

BZZZZT. BZZZZT. BZZZZT. 

A soft groan sounded from Dick at the sound of his phone vibrating. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed at his sleep riddled eyes before glancing over at the clock, it was four in the morning. He grabbed his phone from off the nightstand, the caller ID showing Barbara’s name.

He glanced at Amelia’s sleeping form as he answered the call quietly, laying back down on his back. His voice was hoarse with sleep as he spoke. “Hey.” 

“Hey. Sorry to wake you. I know you probably had a long rest of the night.” 

“No problem.” He murmured into the phone. “What’s going on?” 

“Three attacks already tonight. A dozen killed, twice that many injured. None of the attackers have any history of violence. Just regular folk who went berserk. They found inhalers at all the scenes.” 

Dick furrowed his brow, slowly sitting up in bed as he gently pulled the blankets off himself. He glanced back at Amelia, who was still sleeping soundly, the morphine in her system making her dead to the world. “They’re putting their drug on the street.” 

“First Lady Vic, now this. How is Amelia doing, by the way?” 

The mention of Amelia slightly shocked him. He didn’t think Barbara would genuinely ask about her. “She’s stable, was hit pretty badly. She had some internal bleeding that Kory had to cauterize.” He chuckled softly into the speaker, “The minute she woke up she was ready to go after Lady Vic. The morphine in her system was making her feel invincible and a little unhinged.” 

“Unhinged and Amelia? What a shocker.” The sarcasm behind Barbara’s words was not lost on him. 

“I, uh, I never got the chance to thank you for helping her. I know you’re not each other’s biggest fans, and she was asking you to do something-” 

“Incredibly stupid and reckless? Yeah. I get it now though. She must really have a lot of trust in you for her to put her life on the line like that. She obviously loves you a lot, Dick, I see that now.” 

“Barb-” 

“Let’s just leave it at that. Please.” It was silent between the two before she spoke again, mostly to herself. “Now, what the hell does Crane want?” 

He let out a breath through his nose, “What he’s always wanted, to create chaos through fear.” 

“Please tell me this doesn’t have anything to do with the three of us working together?” 

“No, it’s not. He was doing this before us. That’s why Batman put him away.” 

“Yeah. Then we let him out again.” 

He felt Amelia stir beside him and he glanced back at her before reaching a hand out to keep her from rolling over in her sleep. She settled back into her previous position on her back, nose wrinkling before letting out a breath through her mouth. He brought his attention back to the conversation. “We’ll put him back in…as a team.” 

“From your lips. I’ll call you from the office.” 

Hanging up the phone, Dick let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping. The only good thing that came out of that phone call was the reassurance that Barbara had finally accepted Amelia in his life. He put his phone back on the nightstand before running a hand through his bed ridden hair. 

As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t stay here with Amelia while she recovered. The situation with Scarecrow was escalating fast and something had to be done before things got even more out of hand and more people got hurt or killed. She’d probably still be knocked out for another couple of hours, giving him enough time to gather the rest of the team and fill them in. 

With a little reluctance, he pulled himself out of bed to dress himself. After throwing on some jeans, a blue button down, and grabbing his brown leather jacket from the closet, he let himself walk over to Amelia’s side of the bed, her breath still rising and falling steadily as she slept. Leaning down, he brushed her hair out of her face before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. With one last look at her, he walked out of the bedroom to gather the rest of the team. 

—--------------------

The sound of screams played through the BatComputer speakers as surveillance footage played of groups of people on the streets of Gotham getting attacked or killed by multiple unarmed and armed drugged individuals. Connor sat in front of the computer, Kory and Gar watched at his side. Dick stood in front of the large console, listening to the repetitive screams from the video. 

“Crane is weaponizing anybody willing to take his drug.” Kory remarked, hand resting on her hip. “It’s turning people into violent psychopaths.” 

“That’s what he did with Jason.” Gar piped up softly, his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Jason’s gone.” Dick rasped, meeting Gar’s gaze before glancing over at the others. “He’s Red Hood now. It’s time we all accept what he is. Now Crane has the multiplier, he’s going to start mass producing this drug.” 

“This was the damage after three inhalers, imagine what happens with 30,000.” Kory replied. 

Gar’s face dropped, “Gotham will tear itself apart.” 

Dick nodded towards Connor, “Did you do scans on the machine yet?” 

“I tried to trace the multiplier’s heat and power signatures,” Connor’s brow furrowed, shaking his head. “But so far, nothing. It’s like he’s hidden it.”

Dick let out a breath through his nose before moving to leave. “Keep looking.” 

“Where are you going?” Connor questioned. 

He stopped in his tracks. “There’s another computer. The GCPD does this sort of thing. A bit better hardware.” 

“Why haven’t we been using it?” Kory asked, scoffing. 

“Because it’s illegal.” 

“What about Amelia?” She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest. “She’s going to wake up eventually, and you know she won’t stay bedridden for long.” 

Dick’s eyes softened at the mention of Amelia before masking his emotions again, shoulders tensing. “She shouldn’t be awake for another two hours or so and she’s going to need another IV placed. She ripped out her last one and I know she’s going to overdo it on the morphine, so make sure the pump cuts her off.” 

Kory’s brow raised briefly and he gave the group a somewhat pleading look before continuing, “I would really appreciate it if someone could look after her while I’m gone. I would stay if I could, you all know that. If she wakes up and starts giving you a hard time, call me. I’ll come back home.” Without another word, he walked out of the cave. 

Another scoff left Kory’s lips as she shrugged, dispersing from the group. “Well, if we’re breaking laws, I’ve got an unhappy mobster to track down.” 

With Kory and Dick gone, Gar looked over at Connor, lips pressed together in a thin line. “I guess we’re on babysitting duty.” 

—------------------

A burning pain seared its way through Amelia’s abdomen, a gasp leaving her lips as she startled awake. The sun shone through the open curtains, lighting up the room, making her eyes squint as she adjusted to the light. Every sensation was hitting her all at once, the searing pain in her stomach, the bright light shining in her eyes, the dull ache in her head. Her throat felt bone dry as she swallowed hard. Any movement tugged at the tight skin of her stomach, a wave of nausea threatening to expel from her mouth. 

“Holy fuck.” She croaked, eyes watering at the throbbing pain. Her chest tightened, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. Was the room spinning? 

Tossing the blankets off, she summoned any amount of adrenaline left in her body to help her move out of the bed. Another wave of nausea tore through her as she moved her body, her eyes closing as she breathed through the pain. Everything felt like it was on fire. She could only akin this feeling to what she thought it felt like to get hit by a train and being burned alive. She hadn’t even registered Gar and Connor walking into the room, the latter super speeding over to her before she could fall to the floor.  

“Jesus, Amelia! Are you insane!?” Gar scolded, as Connor held her against him, letting her lean all her weight into him. 

A gag escaped her mouth, the back of her throat burning as she swallowed down the bile that was threatening to expel and she squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m gonna puke. Oh my fucking god, why does this hurt so much?” 

“Kory literally lit your insides on fire last night, you were on a morphine drip,” Gar explained, gesturing for Connor to help her back into bed. “But, Dick said you ripped the IV out, so I’m gonna have to place another one.” 

Using his superspeed, Connor gently settled her back into bed, careful not to jostle her around too much. He pulled the blankets back over her as she sat slightly elevated against the pillows. 

Her face screwed up in pain and disbelief as Gar gathered what he needed to place another IV. “Why the fuck would I do that?” 

Gar sat down on the bed in front of her, latex gloves covering his hands as he grabbed her right wrist and wrapped a makeshift tourniquet around it. With expert precision, he placed the IV catheter before taping it down to her hand and unwrapping the tourniquet, flushing the line with an injection of saline. 

Connor sat down in a chair across from the bed as he piped up, gaining her attention. “I looked at the surveillance feed from the infirmary last night. You had this determined look on your face before you unhooked yourself from the monitors and everything, but Dick stopped you from going anywhere. It looked like he carried you up here and eventually you passed out from the morphine that was still in your system. You’ve been out since then.” 

She let out a deep breath, eyes closing as her stomach throbbed and skin burned. The memory of last night was a little hazy in her head. She remembered being stabbed by Lady Vic…waking up in the BatCave…something about a croissant? Her stomach gurgled as the thought crossed her mind.  

Gar quickly set up the morphine pump, connecting the line into her IV and handing her the remote attached to it. She rapidly pressed the red button on top of the remote, the machine pumping as the drug entered her veins, her shoulders untensing. A slight throbbing pain could still be felt in her stomach and she pressed the button again, eyes narrowing as the machine did nothing. 

“What the fuck? Gar, it’s not working. Fix it.” 

The teen shared a look with Connor before meeting her narrowed gaze. “It cuts off at a certain amount. You know, so you don’t get addicted… Or accidentally kill yourself.” 

Amelia scoffed, “I’m not going to kill myself, Gar. I was just stabbed, if I wanted to die I would have just pulled the knife out.” The frustration was starting to eat at her quickly, the throbbing becoming more of an annoyance as she laid in the bed, helpless. She let out a frustrated sigh, “Fine. Whatever. Where’s Dick?” 

“He went to the GCPD. Crane’s been putting that drug inhaler out on the streets, people have been attacking and killing each other when they take it.” Connor explained, “I can’t trace the multiplier that Crane took, so he’s going to use some supercomputer to try to find it before Crane can start mass producing.” 

Every word Connor uttered went in one ear and out the other, the copious amounts of morphine she quickly streamed into her veins making her head feel fuzzy. Her whole body relaxed, sagging into the mattress as she slowly blinked. “Wow. Since when were there two of you?” 

Connor looked over at Gar, a slightly amused expression on his face. “I think the morphine kicked in.” 

Gar chuckled, watching as her eyes widened in Connor’s direction, her hands grabbing at the air. “Okay, this is kind of funny.” He pulled out his phone, tapping on the camera app and switching it to record. “I don’t even care if she tries to kill me later, I have to get this on video.” 

Amelia yawned loudly and dramatically, eyes blinking tiredly as she slurred. “I love you guys, like so much. You’re like the little brothers I never wanted to have. You’d never leave like Jason did.” Another yawn and she snuggled into the pillows, eyes closing. “I miss my baby bird. I wish he’d just come home.” 

The amused smile on Gar’s face dropped and he stopped recording, shoving his phone back in his pocket. He shared a look with Connor as he muttered, “Well that got depressing really fast.” 

It wasn’t long before she succumbed to the drug induced sleep that swept over her, soft snores leaving her lips instead of words. With a sigh, Gar sat down in a chair next to Connor. “Well, she won’t be awake for at least another four or five hours. Wanna play some video games?”

Connor furrowed his brow, “Aren’t we supposed to be watching her?” 

“Dude, she’s knocked out. I don’t think she’s going anywhere.” Gar scoffed, shaking his head as he got up and headed for the door. “Besides, we’ll just be right down the hall and you have super hearing. Plus, there’s no way she’s waking up before noon.” 

Getting up, Connor looked at the clock, then at Amelia’s sleeping figure, it was only nine in the morning. Maybe Gar was right, she wouldn't be up again until around two o’clock. With a slight shrug, he followed Gar out of the room.  

—----------------

GOTHAM CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Walking through the GCPD, Dick made his way towards Barbara’s office in quick strides. She was finishing up a conversation with one of her officers when she spotted him, quickly ending the conversation to give him her full attention. 

“Hey.” Dick called out, meeting her in the middle. 

Barbara started wheeling herself towards her office, “Hey. Any luck?” 

“The SPM machine Crane stole is part of a city-wide ramp up.” Dick explained, following after her. “He’s in production.” 

“So, is that hundreds or dozens of doses?” She wheeled herself behind her desk, facing him. 

“Thousands. On the streets by tonight.” 

“Jesus.” 

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, “That machine has a searchable heat signature, but the BatComputer can’t see it. We need something that can see a little deeper.” 

Barbara sighed. “No. Don’t even ask.” 

“Oracle’s our only hope.” Dick argued, eyes pleading. “Bruce couldn’t stop Scarecrow until he used Oracle.” 

“And then the NSA slapped an injunction on us,” She snapped, “And I don’t really feel like going to jail.” 

He let out a breath through his nose, frustration teetering on the edge. He leaned on the desk, voice lowered. “They’ll never know.” 

“That sounds like something Bruce would say.” 

The statement made a small smirk curl at Dick’s lips, before he let out a scoff and shook his head. “If we don’t use it, more people are gonna die. You and I both know that.” 

There was no other solution, at least not in Dick’s mind. Barbara let out a breath, “I promised myself I wouldn’t.” 

“You didn’t get rid of it, did you? Why not?” He pressed.

She looked down, avoiding his intense gaze. “Because I imagined a moment in the future so terrible that we might need it.” 

“That moment, we’re here.” 

The words Dick spoke hung heavily in the air. Gotham was on the brink of erupting into total chaos and without using Oracle, everything Crane was working towards would come to fruition. No other words were exchanged between the two, only Barbara giving a reluctant nod and gesturing for Dick to follow her to the elevators. 

Oracle resided on a restricted floor in the bottom depths of the GCPD, with only Barbara having access to getting down there. The elevator ride was silent, the doors opening to reveal a large, dark room. Barbara wheeled herself off the elevator, Dick following, before coming to a stop in front of a small scanner sitting to her left. 

A blue light scanned across Barbara’s eyes before disappearing. A computerized voice echoed around the room. “Access verified. Gordon Barbara Gail.” 

The lights flickered on as Dick and Barbara stood in the middle of the room, coming face to face with three large circular screens lighting up yellow and green, the one in the middle brighter than the others, almost resembling an eye as it powered up. “You have company. Identification requested.” 

A green light emitted from the ceiling, scanning over Dick’s body as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Identified. Grayson Richard John. Hello, Dick!” 

“Hello, Oracle.” 

“My condolences for the loss of Mr. Todd, and Mr. Hall, and Mr. Wayne’s sudden departure. Although, I am pleased to know that you have found companionship with Miss Pierce. You make a very happy couple.” 

Slight surprise washed over him, a small smile playing at his lips at the mention of Amelia before he addressed the artificial intelligence. “I see you’ve updated your data systems.” 

“As is my protocol upon reactivation. Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Grayson?” 

Barbara looked over at Dick, brows raised as she teased sarcastically, “Would the two of you like some time alone?” 

Dick rolled his eyes, “Commence search, Dr. Jonathan Crane.” 

“Of course. One moment.” Oracle’s color’s changed, turning from green to blue as it searched. “Public communication, negative. Would you like to search private communications?” 

“No.” “Yes.” Barbara and Dick spoke at the same time. 

“Invalid answer.” 

He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing over at Barbara with a raised brow. She looked up at him briefly before letting out a sigh. “Yeah.” 

Dick looked back at Oracle, slightly smug. “Yes.” 

“Of course. One moment.” Oracle’s lights turned bright green, the sound of overlapping chatter emitting through the speakers as it searched for Crane. Voices overlapped each other before Crane’s voice, in real time, could be heard through Oracle. “By tonight. Is it pure?” 

“That’s Crane.” Barbara pointed out, Dick’s eyes narrowing as he listened intently. 

Another voice spoke, “Yeah, man, it’s pure.” 

“Good. 6328 Bollinger Avenue. I’ll be there in six minutes.” 

Dick quickly made his way towards the elevator, Barbara’s voice calling out after him. “Dick, wait.” 

He entered the elevator, facing her as the doors started to close. “I’ll tell you what I find.” He pulled out his phone, calling Connor, the line picking up within two rings. “Hey, Connor. 6328 Bollinger Avenue. Meet me there.” 

—-----------------

WAYNE MANOR 

A groan escaped Amelia’s lips as she blinked her eyes open, the brightness in the room making her squint in irritation. A fuzzy feeling wrapped around her brain like a fog as she sat up in bed, eyes traveling to the IV catheter lodged in her hand, then to the pump hanging on the IV pole. God, this thing was fucking annoying. Without a second thought, she ripped the IV out and got out of bed with surprising ease, Dick’s shirt brushing against the tops of her thighs as she stood, her stomach gurgling loudly. She was starving. 

Stumbling slightly, Amelia padded out of the room and down the long hallway towards the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she opened the pantry door, eyes roaming over the abundance of snack options before deciding that a bag of potato chips would be a sufficient meal. 

She opened the bag, shoving her hand into it before pulling out a couple of chips and stuffing them into her mouth. A moan escaped her at the salty snack, her hunger slowly being satisfied at each chip going into her mouth. These chips were amazing, actually better than amazing. Every crunch was like a salty and savory explosion in her mouth.

“Amelia? What-How are you even awake right now? It’s barely noon!” Gar’s voice ripped her out of her chip daze, the teen standing in front of her with an incredulous look on his face before he looked away entirely. “Please tell me you are wearing pants.” 

A smile played at Amelia’s lips as she let out a gasp, “Garsoph! You have got to try these chips, dude. They are so fucking good. And I’m not wearing pants, I’m wearing shorts.” 

She shoved the chip bag in his direction, shaking it enticingly. He met her gaze, her pupils constricted in her irises. She was completely out of it, the morphine in her system making her loopy. Gar slowly took the half eaten chip bag away from her and placed it on the counter before trying to lead her out of the kitchen. “I can’t believe you ripped your IV out again . How did you even get out of bed? You can barely stand up.” 

She stumbled a bit, waving a hand around in nonchalance as he prevented her from falling. “I can stand just fine, thank you! My legs are just a little noodle-y.” 

Gar raised his brow in amusement as he helped her walk back to the bedroom. “Noodle-y?” He echoed, trying to hold back laughter. “Oh my god, you are so high right now. Connor has no idea what he’s missing.” 

Amelia’s eyes widened as they started nearing the bedroom, an overwhelming urge to run enveloping her entire being. There was no way in hell she was going back in there. With surprising strength, she pushed Gar to the floor, the teen yelping in surprise as he hit the hardwood. She stumbled down the hallway with the grace of a baby deer. 

Gar sat up on the floor, shaking his head in disbelief as he watched Amelia disappear down the hallway. A twinge of annoyance panged in his gut, he was really starting to hate Dick for calling Connor away. With a groan, he pushed himself off the floor and chased after her. “Amelia! Don’t make me call Dick!” 

Realistically, she hadn’t made it that far, even if it felt like miles for her. Her journey landed her in Dick’s childhood bedroom turned into Jason's room, shaky steps leading her into the middle of it and eyes wandering around it in quiet nostalgia. Nobody had dared to move Jason’s things, even his dirty laundry sat exactly where he had left it last. She sat down on the ottoman at the end of the bed, not even registering the footsteps bounding into the room, Gar coming to a stop in the doorway as he spotted her. 

He let out a breath, shoulder’s dropping as he slowly stepped into the room. He could hear the quiet sniffles escaping her as he sat down next to her, her words barely a whisper. “I miss him.” 

Gar’s lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke. “Yeah. I do too.” 

“Do you think he misses us?” 

“Yeah I do, but he’d never admit it.” 

A snort of laughter left Amelia and she looked over at Gar, giving him a sad smile. He met her gaze, her pupils a little less constricted than earlier. He wondered if the remembered pain of losing Jason was masking the physical pain she felt. 

“I was thinking about looking for Jason.” He confided, eyes wandering around the room. “There’s gotta be something in here that can explain why he went rogue. Maybe if we just talked to him, we could get him to come back.” 

She watched as Gar stood up, following him with her eyes as he started rummaging through Jason’s stuff. She pitched her voice low, mimicking Jason. “ Go for it, shithead, figure me out .”

Gar’s brow raised in amusement as he looked back at her, a chuckle leaving his lips. She shrugged, “What? You said you wanted to talk to him. You can’t tell me he wouldn’t say that to you.” 

“No, no. Your impression was pretty spot on actually.” He complimented, going back to wandering around the room. 

Amelia got up, wincing a bit as the movement tugged on her wound. The morphine was starting to wear off and her head was feeling a bit less fuzzy. She followed Gar around the room, “You know when Dick and I were in here last time, we ended up finding that key to his storage unit. It was hidden in Dick’s old hiding spot on the wall.”

“ Stay out of my stash, narc. ” Gar mimicked Jason’s voice causing her to snort, shaking her head. He paused for a second, almost like a lightbulb went off in his head, before Gar’s eyes flashed green. 

She followed him towards the fireplace as he sniffed the air, following the scent he had picked up. He pushed on a square tile on the mantle, a small drawer opening up and revealing a black rectangular box. Gar smirked, glancing over at her. “Would you look at that, Juvie 101: always have two stashes just in case one gets compromised.” 

Amelia grabbed the box from the drawer and opened the lid, grabbing a piece of paper that sat at the top. Her brow furrowed as she unfolded the paper, skimming the words written on it. “It’s a letter from someone named Molly. It looks like she knew Jason when they were younger.” 

Gar took the letter from her grasp, eyes scanning the paper. “Maybe she knows something we don’t.” 

A hiss escaped Amelia’s lips as a searing pain shot through her abdomen. The morphine was definitely starting to wear off now. Quickly shoving the paper into his pocket, Gar wrapped her arm around his shoulders and started leading her back towards her bedroom. 

“I’m not putting you back on the IV drip since you obviously have horrible impulse control.” He quipped, helping her lay back down on the bed. “I’ll grab the morphine pills from the infirmary. It’s not going to be as strong as the drip-” 

Another sharp pain ran through her as she spoke between clenched teeth, “I don’t care. Just stop talking and hurry. I feel like my insides are melting.” 

He grimaced, nodding his head as he quickly started leaving the room. “Alright, just give me a minute.” 

She let out a breath through her nose, trying to breathe through the pain as much as possible. God, she wanted nothing more than to hunt down Lady Vic. She was probably long gone by now, most likely half-way across the world using the money Crane probably paid her. There was no way Dick would allow her to go off on a revenge trip anyway. That’s fine though, Crane was still around, she could just beat him to a pulp instead. 

Footsteps sounded outside her door and she let out a sigh of relief as Gar re-emerged into the room with a small bottle of pills. He unscrewed the cap and dumped two of the small blue pills in her awaiting palm. “Okay, two pills every twelve hours. Got it? Repeat it back to me.” 

Amelia downed the two pills quickly, dry swallowing them down as she nodded her head. “Two every twelve hours. Got it.” 

Gar raised his brow skeptically, not entirely trusting her words. Those months he spent alone with her had left a lasting impression, her old drinking habits could easily spin out into something much worse. “I’m keeping track of the bottle, just so you know. And I’m letting Dick know too.” 

She rolled her eyes, her expression shifting from pain to annoyance. “I’m not a drug addict, Gar. I’m an alcoholic, there’s a difference.” 

“It’s really not that different.” 

She huffed, trying to come up with a retort, only to feel a wave of warmth wash over her as the pain slowly dulled. It was nowhere near as strong as the IV, but it was better than nothing. She felt herself slowly sinking into the mattress, eyes blinking sleepily. “Shut up, tiger boy.”  

Gar let out a sigh of relief as he watched her eyes flutter shut, soft snores falling out of her mouth. She was like taking care of a large toddler. He’d take drunk Amelia over drugged Amelia any day, at least drunk Amelia didn’t have the tendency to run.

Shaking his head, he reached into his pocket, pulling out the crumpled up note that they found in Jason’s things. He glanced over it again before taking another look at Amelia’s sleeping form. Hopefully she’d be out for a bit longer than last time, maybe long enough to give him time to track down this Molly person. He stuck the note back in his pocket before making his way out of the bedroom, heading in the direction of the Batcave. 

—-------------------

Hunting for the multiplier and Crane had kept getting increasingly more complicated. When Connor and Dick had arrived at that address, there was no Crane in sight. He had set them up, embedded a heart monitor bomb into a civilian’s chest. By the time they discovered the man, it was already too late. Connor had thrown Dick across the lot before taking on the impact from the bomb.

Oracle was compromised. Crane had been watching their every move, all the way down to Barbara destroying the artificial intelligence. It frustrated Dick, Barbara taking down Oracle without consulting with him first. It was their one way of watching Crane, even if he was watching them back. Barbara begged to differ. It was pointless to argue about it, what was done, was done. In the end, with the help of Kory and her mob connection, they ended up figuring out that Crane was hiding the multiplier in a place that took freezing to a whole new level, Snowy Cones Ice Cream Factory, the empty hideout of Scarecrow’s old buddy Mr. Freeze. 

With a target in mind, Dick filled the team in on everything he had found out before ordering for everyone to suit up. Amelia was less than thrilled when he told her she couldn’t go with them. She grumbled and groaned as he suited up in front of her. She even went as far as suggesting she could take more pain pills so she could fight. Dick had shot that idea down before the full sentence could even leave her mouth. With much reluctance and a fear of missing out, she kissed him goodbye and let him lead his team to a much needed win. The multiplier was destroyed, but Crane and Jason were in the wind again.

Laughter filled the large kitchen, a warm feeling settling in the pit of Amelia’s stomach. She was finally coherent and pain-free enough to shower and change her clothes, all in the name of team bonding. The entire team, Blackfire and Barbara included, were celebrating taking down the multiplier and Crane’s plan. They had all been reminiscing and joking around for a couple hours. Connor munched on an apple, standing next to Gar who was drinking a soda. The adults all nursed their beers, some indulging more than others.

Using the laughter as a distraction, Amelia reached behind Dick, grabbing onto a bottle of beer and quickly hiding it behind her back. 

“Give me the beer, Ames.” The sound of Dick’s exasperated tone made her look up at him and she rolled her eyes, a frown pulling at her lips as she reluctantly handed it to him. Her frown deepened as she watched him open it up and take a swig. 

“You’re no fun.” 

“And you’re on pain pills. You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you drink right now.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She grumbled as he affectionately pressed a kiss to her head. 

“Three hundred thousand nebulizers were destroyed tonight.” Connor boasted, taking another bite of his apple. “His whole operation.” 

Blackfire smirked. “And dozens of Gotham’s mobsters in jail.” 

“And a few in the hospital, thanks to Krypto.” Gar interjected, smiling. 

Connor nodded, “Not a bad night.” 

“It will be better when we bring down Crane and Jason.” Dick voiced, glancing between his team members. “They’re on the run now. They’re getting sloppy. That’s when we win.” He grunted at the jab of Amelia’s elbow into his ribs, before raising his bottle. “But good work. Cheers.”

 A chorus of ‘cheers’ rang out through the kitchen. It wasn’t long until the night started to wind down, Barbara being the first to announce her departure. Amelia watched as she wheeled herself out of the kitchen, disappearing into the foyer. 

“I’ll be right back.” She said quietly to Dick, not wanting to draw attention to herself. He raised his brow at her, but didn’t question it, instead watching as she left the room without waiting for a response. 

“Hey, uh, Barbara! Wait up!” Amelia called out, spotting the other woman in the hallway by the front door, about to leave. 

Barbara slowly turned around to face her, slight confusion and apprehension etched onto her face. “Yeah, Amelia?” 

She opened her mouth, about to speak before letting out a huff of air in hesitation. She felt her fingers twitch as she crossed her arms over her chest, shifting where she stood. Going against her better judgement, she met Barbara’s expectant gaze before letting out another breath. 

“I, um-” Amelia chuckled nervously, licking her lips. “I’m not good at, uh, you know, this .” 

“ This? Meaning? ” Barbara drawled, quirking an eyebrow in amusement at her awkward demeanor. 

“I mean, I know I can be a bit-” 

“Uncooperative? Impulsive? Reckless?” 

“ Okay , you’re not exactly a walk in the park either, Babs .” She narrowed her eyes, stance relaxing a bit as they fell into their usual rhythm. “Anyway, you listened to me and called Dick, and I’m surprisingly not dead.” 

Barbara let out a light scoff, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you are trying to thank me, Ames .” 

“Well, it’s a good thing you do know better.” 

It was silent between the two women, both of them looking away from each other to glance around the hallway. Amelia found a pattern on the carpet that looked particularly interesting. 

“He loves you a lot, you know.” Barbara’s voice was soft as she spoke, a slight bittersweet chuckle leaving her lips as Amelia met her gaze. “Way more than he ever did me. Even when we were together, you were still all he would talk about. It drove me crazy. Especially because you were so-” 

“Uncooperative? Impulsive? Reckless?” Amelia listed off, jokingly, repeating Barbara’s own words back to her. She knew she could be a bit much, especially for people that didn’t understand her.        

She smirked, “Exactly. And I know I’m not a walk in the park either.” 

“Are we bonding over our dislike for each other? Is that what this is?” 

“Yeah, Amelia. I think we are.” 

Another silence fell over the two, both of them saying exactly what they wanted to say without saying it. A truce had formed between them, an understanding that there was no need for competitive jabs or underhanded comments. They were on the same side now, each of them understanding the other a bit better than before.   

Barbara cleared her throat, garnering Amelia’s attention. “Well, I’m gonna head out before this gets any more awkward.” 

A chuckle escaped Amelia’s lips. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Night, Barbara.” 

“Goodnight, Amelia.” 

With no other words said, Amelia turned and started heading back into the foyer. She let out a breath as she stopped in the middle of the room, hearing the laughter of her teammates in the kitchen. She smirked as she saw Dick walking into the room, hands stuffed into his pockets as he took her in, eyes roaming over her figure. The intensity of his stare made her shiver. 

“Are you going to stare at me all night or?” She trailed off in a teasing manner, meeting his gaze. 

He slowly made his way over to her. “No scratches or bruises. No bleeding. Did you finally have a conversation alone with Barbara that didn’t end in a fight?” 

She rolled her eyes as she huffed in irritation at his impish smile, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was going to tell you, but now you’re just making fun of me.” 

“ Me? Your incredibly handsome and loving boyfriend?” Dick grinned, his tone still taking on a teasing lit. “I would never .”    

“ Dickhead .”

She ignored the way her stomach swooped as his smile widened, fighting to keep her annoyed attitude. He chuckled lowly as he invaded her space, leaning in slightly, a smirk of amusement playing at his lips. 

“You’re cute when you’re pretending to be annoyed with me.” 

Amelia scoffed as she felt her cheeks warm, lightly pushing him away. “Shut up. What do you want? You were obviously looking for me.” 

Dick smiled, barely budging from his spot in front of her as he grabbed her hand in his. He loved when she got like this, pretending like his words didn’t affect her. “I was coming to get you for your meds. Also, you’ve been up for too long, you need to rest for a bit.” 

She rolled her eyes, letting out a mild sigh of annoyance as he led her out of the foyer. “You know, I’ve been stabbed before, right? I think I can manage staying up past my bedtime.” 

They walked into their bedroom together, Dick closing the double doors behind them, as Amelia waited by the bed. She watched as he walked into the ensuite bathroom for a moment before reemerging with a small glass of water and pill vial. “I know you've been stabbed before, so have I. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be resting.” 

He met her by the bed as he handed her the glass of water and popped open the lid on the medication bottle, pulling out two pills. She took them from his open palm and tossed them into her mouth before taking a swig of water and swallowing. He watched as she took her medication, his expression softening. Despite her fiery attitude and insistence that she was fine, he knew she had to be exhausted and sore by now. 

He sat down on the bed and toed off his shoes before laying back against the pillows, arms outstretched towards her. “Come here.” 

Placing the glass of water on the nightstand, Amelia shook her head, eyeing him cautiously. “I don’t know. This looks like a trap.” 

Dick chuckled softly at her hesitation, grabbing onto her hand as he gently pulled her closer to the bed. His gaze was still soft, his expression earnest as he looked up at her. “Humor me? Please?” 

With a little hesitation, she let him gently pull her onto the bed. Everything in her was screaming at her to toughen up and push through this. A part of her still thought she had to deal with this on her own, like all the other times she’d been hurt. It was ingrained in her mind since she was a teenager. You get hurt, you get right back up. You keep pushing. There wasn’t any time for coddling or breaks. There was always another heist or another robbery. She couldn’t afford to be out of the game. 

He pulled her into his side, letting her rest her head on his chest as he rubbed her back from underneath her shirt soothingly. Her body relaxed as she breathed out, the warmth radiating from his body causing her to feel drowsy. Her eyes fluttered shut as she listened to the thump of his heart. Maybe she could rest her eyes for a little while. 

“If you move right now, I will kick your ass.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Ames.” 

Chapter Text

It had been a little less than a month since the fight with Crane and still no sign of him or Jason. Everyone had relaxed a bit more, falling into a routine of helping the GCPD out with petty crimes or training in the Batcave. Amelia had finally gotten her stitches out, her stab wound had healed decently with only a small scar to show for it. 

“Well, what do you think?” 

Barbara's voice rang out through Dick’s phone speaker as Amelia and him stood in the kitchen, the former chowing down on a sandwich while the latter made his own. Barbara had invited them to a GCPD gala, something about her getting an award. Amelia was surprised when the invitation was extended to her, she could only speculate that this was Barbara’s way of making good on their truce. She had never been formally invited to a gala, only crashed them as Calico. It was a good place to make money, all of Gotham’s elite tended to travel to those types of things. Dick had filled her in on the more boring aspects of attending a gala, right down to the lack of food usually served.  

A tablet was perched on the counter in front of them, Gotham News was showcasing the Titans’ very own version of the Bat Signal, a giant light in the dark sky with the letter T emblazoned in the middle. 

“Can you make it any bigger?” Dick quipped, a small smile tugging at his lips as he put slices of cheese on his sandwich. 

A laugh echoed through the speaker, “How big do you need it?” 

“Bigger than the Bat Signal, at least.” 

Amelia snorted as she put down her half-eaten turkey sandwich. “It’s okay to be insecure about the size of your signal, Dick. Not everyone gets a big one.” 

“The man takes out one drug factory and thinks he’s the Prince of Gotham.” Barbara’s voice teased. 

A laugh escaped Amelia’s lips as Dick gave her a light shove, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I hate more, the two of you fighting or the two of you ganging up on me. Also, I was thinking more like viceroy.” 

Taking another bite of her sandwich, she watched as Dick continued making his sandwich, spreading mustard on a slice of whole wheat bread before the knife slipped from his grip, clattering onto the counter. The two winced in unison at the unnecessarily loud noise, Barbara was under the impression that they would all be eating together at the gala. Amelia also may have convinced Dick to pregame a couple of shots of tequila with her before making their sandwiches. 

“What was that?” 

Amelia placed her hand over her mouth to quiet her giggling as Dick tried to fight his amused grin. He cleared his throat, “Uh, batarang. Ames was messing around with it.” 

“Huh.” 

Her eyes roamed over Dick’s figure, taking in the all black ensemble he was wearing. Black dress pants and dress shirt that hugged his muscular body way too nicely, a black tie to finish it all off. She had seen him dressed up before, but this was different. He’d be going as Dick Grayson, son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, and she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t like this persona of his too. She could only hope the dress she bought could match his Wayne alter ego.

She bit down on her lower lip, eyes hungrily watching as he continued making his sandwich, before turning her attention to his phone. “Hey, Babs. Are you sure you want us at this thing tonight? There’s a lot of… things Dick and I have to get done in the Batcave.” 

“Yeah, I do. Dick?” 

At the sound of his name, Dick drew his attention away from his sandwich, meeting Amelia’s heated gaze. He raised his brow at her and she raised hers back in a challenge, swiping a bit of mayo off the corner of her sandwich with her index finger before raising it to her lips. He swallowed hard as he watched her lick her finger clean. 

“Ames might be onto something, Barbara.” He tugged at his tie, loosening it a bit as he tried to ignore the flush creeping up the back of his neck. He sent Amelia a slightly scolding look and she smirked. “We can watch the facial recognition comps. Crane and Red Hood are gonna get flagged tonight. I can feel it.”    

“You know what I can feel? My hunger pangs. If I don’t get some hors d’oeuvres soon, I’m gonna eat these poor goldfish. Don’t let Amelia make you two late. I’ll see you there.” 

Amelia rolled her eyes at Barbara’s jab as the line disconnected. Dick scoffed as he shook his head at her. “Things to do in the Batcave, huh?” 

She tilted her head slightly, smirking again. “Facial recognition comps? I was thinking of the type where I get down on my knees and-” 

“Hey, I thought you two were going to the gala?” Kory’s voice broke through their conversation as she strutted into the kitchen, eyeing the two of them. 

“We are.” Dick stated pointedly, sending Amelia a look. She rolled her eyes again.

“Pregame meal?” Kory noted, eyeing the sandwiches and condiments on the counter as she leaned against it. 

He took a bite of his sandwich before speaking. “Have you seen the dinners at those things? Chicken the size of golf balls.”

Kory chuckled, moving her gaze towards Amelia. “Don’t you leave in like two hours? Why aren’t you ready yet?” 

“She’s secretly hoping we stay home.” Dick interjected between bites. 

“I am not!” Amelia protested, narrowing her eyes at him as he chuckled. “I was actually about to come find you Kory, I need some help getting ready.” 

Kory smiled, “I’d love to help.” 

“Hey, Dick? Amelia?” Gar’s voice rang out over the intercom, his tone pitched with concern. 

Amelia furrowed her brow, meeting Dick’s gaze as he spoke, “Yeah? What’s up?” 

“Someone’s here to see you.” 

“We don’t have the time, Gar. I still have to get ready.” Amelia replied, exasperated. 

“No. You’re gonna wanna talk to him.” 

“Gar, we can’t be late.” Dick insisted, nodding towards the doorway as he signaled Amelia to start leaving the room. 

With a sigh, she started making her way out of the kitchen, Kory following behind her, only to be stopped in her tracks by Gar’s reply. 

“He says he knows that you guys are Nightwing and Calico.” 

A pit formed in Amelia’s stomach as she quickly made her way back towards the counter where Dick was still standing, the tablet that once played the Gotham News switching to the front door security camera. An older looking teenage boy with short, curly black hair stood in front of the intricate wooden door outside the manor with a backpack slung around his shoulders, a look of slight nervousness etched into his features. 

Dick narrowed his eyes, studying the live footage. “Who is this?” 

“Says his name is Tim.” Gar’s voice reverberated through the intercom. “Tim Drake.” 

Kory met them back at the counter, eyeing the footage. “Maybe a friend of Crane’s?” 

Gar’s voice spoke again, “That was right before he told me Bruce Wayne is Batman.” 

—------------------

Amelia’s eyes narrowed at the older teen, Tim, as she watched him pull out various CD’s and a signed ‘Flying Graysons’ poster covered in a protective plastic. Dick sat next to her on the couch in the foyer, the two sitting across from Tim, arm slung around her shoulders as he took on a relaxed posture, eyeing the memorabilia in front of them. 

Tim let out a nervous breath as he met both of their gazes, eyes gleaming in slight excitement. “I was there. At the beginning. At the end.” He picked up the signed poster, placing it directly in front of her and Dick on the table before looking over at the latter. “I went to Haly’s Circus to see The Flying Graysons and The Amazing Pierce, the night your parents were killed. You both signed it for me before the show.” 

She felt Dick stiffen slightly beside her, prompting her to grab his free hand to hold it in her own and squeezing it. She glanced down at the old poster, spotting her 13 year old self’s messy cursive sitting right above the bold letters of her old stage name. 

“I remember every move you two performed.” Tim continued, smiling to himself as he reminisced. He grabbed two old newspaper clippings, placing them on top of the poster. “Then one day, I saw Batman and Robin on the news chasing Penguin. Robin did a one-handed meat-hook to scale a rain gutter. Then, I saw footage of Calico robbing a jewelry store with Catwoman downtown. Calico did an aerial cartwheel to escape the cops, only she added her own flair to it by adding a backflip at the end of it.” 

He met Dick’s gaze, placing a photo down in front of him. “A trapeze move only two people in the world can do. You and your dad.” Tim looked over at Amelia next. “And an acrobatic move that was your signature during performances.” 

Amelia met Dick’s gaze, the two sharing a look with each other. This kid definitely knew his shit, that was for sure, but there was no way he could actually prove it. Robin was no longer around and Calico stopped doing the aerial cartwheel with the backflip pretty recently; it was ridiculously harmful on her joints that no amount of stretching could alleviate. 

Dick chuckled softly, shaking his head. “So, Robin pinched my moves. I can’t copyright them.” 

“Calico stole shit for a living, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she stole my signature. Maybe whoever Robin and Calico are were fans and just took inspiration.” Amelia added, relaxing into Dick’s side.

Seemingly ignoring the two’s deflections, Tim grabbed another photograph and placed it down in front of them. It was a grainy photo of Nightwing, Calico, Starfire, Dove, and Hawk all standing outside surrounded by numerous GCPD vehicles. 

“Then, the Titans made a splash.” He continued, smirking. “I heard they were good, so I started keeping tabs. I was surprised to see Calico since she was always loyal to Robin, but, guess what? Nightwing also does the one-handed meat-hook and Calico has been attached to him instead, meaning you were Robin, then Nightwing, and you have always been Calico. I mean, you are even together right now.” 

Amelia glanced over at Dick, unsure what to even say at this point. Each connection that was uttered made her stomach flip in nervousness. Dick, however, was the embodiment of calm and collected, fingers running soothingly over her knuckles to calm her. 

Tim stared at the two, eyes shining hopefully as Amelia picked up the photograph of the Titans. “You can keep all of those. I have copies.”  

She chuckled softly, “Thanks.” 

“Like we said, stole our moves.” Dick retorted, before turning to her. “Go finish getting ready. I’ll take care of this and I’ll come get you when I’m done.” 

She glanced over at the grandfather clock, noting that she only had a little less than an hour to get ready for the gala. With a sigh, she placed a chaste kiss on Dick’s cheek before getting up and meeting Tim’s gaze, giving him a soft smile. “It was nice to meet you, Tim.” 

Without another word, she left the foyer in search of Kory. Dick watched her retreating form disappear down the hallway before looking back at Tim. “Come on, follow me.” 

With wide eyes, Tim scrambled to shove the newspaper clippings and poster into his backpack before following after Dick, the two making it into the kitchen as the Gotham News played on the tablet sitting on the counter, a female reporter speaking on a series of crimes and the Titan’s signal in the sky. Dick grabbed his wallet on the counter, shoving it into his pants pockets.

Tim furrowed his brow, eyeing the tablet. “My dad got shot and the Titans put on a light show?” 

Dick grimaced slightly as he turned the tablet away from Tim’s view, pressing the power button on top. He turned around, meeting the older teens' almost watery gaze. “I’m sorry about your dad.” 

“It wouldn’t have happened if Batman were here.” 

Dick turned away, back facing Tim, not wanting to witness the disappointment in his eyes. He grabbed the keys to his motorcycle off the counter as Tim spoke again. “You need help.”  

“Help?” He questioned, making his way towards the doorway to leave the kitchen, Tim following behind him. 

“I want to be the next Robin.” 

A scoff escaped Dick’s lips as he stopped in his tracks, turning around to face the teen as he raised his brow. “Look, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I appreciate your imagination, but Bruce Wayne is just a philanthropist currently consulting in Europe. I’m just a former Detroit city cop and Amelia’s just a retired circus gymnast. We don’t wear capes.” 

“Oh, next you’ll tell me there’s no Batcave.” Tim countered. 

Dick let out a breath through his nose before continuing his trek towards the hallway. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride home.” 

—----------------

The motorcycle hummed as Dick came to a stop in downtown Gotham, his dress shoe meeting the kickstand of the bike before he turned the ignition off. Tim hopped off the back and took the spare helmet off his head, handing it back to him. 

“You sure you don’t want me to drop you at the Noodle House?” Dick asked, taking the helmet and attaching it to the side of his bike before taking off his own. 

“That’s far enough.” Tim replied, stepping onto the sidewalk. “My cousin lives around the corner.” 

“Hey, listen-” 

“I’m not gonna tell anybody, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know the rules. Some secrets have to be kept.” 

“If I can do anything for your dad…” Dick retorted, “or your family, let me know.” 

Tim pressed his lips together in a thin line before coming up to the motorbike, his brow furrowed. “There’s just one thing I haven’t figured out yet. Who the second Robin was, the dead one. I used to think it was Jason Todd because he was also a Bruce Wayne kid. But then, I saw him the other night.” 

Dick furrowed his own brow, “You saw Jason Todd?” 

“The night my father was shot. He was standing across the street from the shop wearing a hoodie.” 

“And you recognized him from across the street?” 

“He walked like Robin. I studied him, too.” 

Dick paused, letting his brain put the pieces together of Jason possibly hanging around here. Crane and him had been in the wind for almost a month and Jason just showed up out of nowhere by himself? Huh, maybe that feeling he had was right afterall. 

 He gave the teen a small smile, “It was nice to meet you, Tim.” 

Tim nodded before making his way down the sidewalk. “We’ll meet again.” 

He waited until Tim was out of sight before putting his helmet back on, dialing Barbara’s number and revving the engine, peeling off onto the streets of Gotham. Her voice reverberated through his helmet. 

“Hey, I was just about to leave the station. What’s up?” 

“There might be a slight change in plans.” Dick replied, speeding around cars on the street. 

“This smells like a cancellation.” 

“Just got a strange tip.” 

“Yeah, me too. Police Commissioner Gordon’s going to the gala completely alone.” 

“Can you access Gotham’s security video outside the Drake restaurant two nights ago?” He asked. “The night of the attack. Somebody says they saw Jason.” 

“We did that already.” 

“Can you do a gait recognition sweep?” 

A sigh, “This is gonna cost you.” 

Dick chuckled, shaking his head as he sped around another car. As he waited for Barbara to pull up the footage, he put his call with her on hold before calling Amelia, the line ringing before going to voicemail. He waited for the beep before speaking. “Hey, Ames. I’m gonna be a little late picking you up. I got a tip on Jason, I’ll be back at the manor as soon as I can.” 

Hanging up his call with Amelia, he maneuvered back to speak with Barbara, her voice sounding through his helmet again. 

“Yep. Somebody was right. I pulled some old video of Jason as Robin and got a hit. Got the same walker.” 

“Can you track him?” 

“He left the Drake restaurant the night of the shooting and went straight to ABC Liquor.”   

“Can you fast forward?” He questioned, revving the engine on his bike to speed up. “I’ve gotta pick up Ames, we have a gala to catch.”

Barbara chuckled, “Hold on, loverboy. Jumping to hyper speed…..and we’re live. Last seen at the south end of Ripley Park. Ten minutes ago.” 

“Ripley Park? Okay.” Dick pulled up to a stop on a side street, sitting along a row of cars waiting to turn. He pulled up the eye shield on his helmet, eyes squinting at the figure standing across the street in front of him wearing a grey hoodie and holding a bottle of liquor. The figure turned, the green eyes of Jason meeting his own. 

“Jason!” He yelled out, heart hammering in his chest as the teen started walking away. He slammed the shield of his helmet down and revved the bike's engine, speeding down the side street and into the road, a horn blasting in his ears before he felt the impact of a truck slamming into his side, throwing him off this bike as he landed with a thud on the concrete street. 

Pain blossomed through Dick’s body as he laid on the ground, gasping for breath as he tore the helmet off his head. A ringing started in his ears, the murmur of people becoming faint background noise and his vision blurred, the lights from the street lamps warping with each blink of his eyes. A grey figure strode into his view as he fought to keep his eyes open, the blurriness in his vision dissipating for only a second for him to make out Jason’s face. 

“Jason?” Dick breathed out, before his body started shutting down on him again, the once clear face of Jason becoming blurred, then turning to darkness as his eyes closed shut, his body lying limp on the ground. 

—----------------------

The steady beeping of a heart monitor was the first thing Dick heard as his eyes shot open, before squinting at the harsh light shining down on him. His entire body ached, every muscle tight and limbs heavy as he shifted in the hospital bed. 

“You know I’ve been stood up before, but never once has someone gotten hit by a truck to avoid going on a date with me.” 

He turned his head at the sound of Amelia’s voice, a mixture of irritation and amusement lacing her tone. His eyes widened as he looked her over, a satin, dark blue, floor length evening gown gracing her figure. The dress hugged her in all the right places before flaring out at the bottom, the straps of the dress sitting on her bare shoulders. Her normally straight, brown hair was curled into ringlets and tossed behind her shoulders. Makeup donned her face, more than she normally would wear, highlighting her facial features.

She turned to walk towards the other side of the hospital bed, away from the windows, his eyes drinking in the open back of her dress, her bare skin on display before being covered just below her tail bone. She looked beautiful. Ethereal. God, he really didn’t know what he did to deserve her. 

Amelia’s lips quirked in a smile as she felt his eyes on her, before making her way towards the bed and sitting down next to his legs. “How ya feeling, pretty bird?” 

He sighed, letting his head fall back into the pillow. “Like I was hit by a truck. I’m sorry I stood you up. You look beautiful. Gorgeous. I don’t even think those are the right words to use to describe you.” 

She snorted, letting him intertwine their fingers together. “Cheesy, but I’ll allow it this one time. And It’s okay. I figured we weren’t gonna go, especially after I got your voicemail. Then, Barbara called me in a panic and I showed up here maybe ten minutes after you came through the emergency room. You’ve been out since last night.” 

“I’m sorry, Ames. This must be torture for you, I know you hate hospitals.” 

“Honestly, being in here with you makes it slightly more bearable. Plus, the vending machines aren’t too bad. I stole some cash out of your wallet to get some cookies.” 

Dick let out a soft chuckle before his face screwed up in a wince, the ache in his abdomen persisting. “Did you call home?” 

She nodded, “Yeah. Everyone was really worried, and Kory offered to come be my emotional support alien, but I told her everything was fine and that I had it covered.” 

He raised his brow, “Emotional support alien?” 

“Friend, shoulder to cry on, whatever you want to call it.” Amelia prattled on, rolling her eyes at his need to question her. “Anyway, you got super lucky. Somebody anonymous dialed 911. Nice to know there are still decent people in Gotham.” 

“I think it was Jason.” 

She blinked, silent, before letting out a chuckle. “Ha. Funny.” 

“I’m not kidding.” Dick persisted, meeting her gaze as he sat up. “He was standing right over me when I was on the ground.” 

“Pretty bird, you hit your head on the pavement.” She reasoned. “You’re telling me that Jason was standing over you, and could have killed you, but called 911 instead? Don’t get me wrong, I want to see the best in him too, but why would he do that? Why now?” 

“He must have lost his nerve.” He replied, eyes softening in her direction. “Run out of drugs. Who knows? It’ll be easier to finish off now.” 

“Finish?” 

“Bruce used to say ‘Throw water on a drowning man. Close the deal.’”    

Amelia hummed, taking in the words Bruce instilled into Dick’s mind. She understood the implication behind it, it felt very….Batman. She sent him a slight nervous smile, “Look, I know we’ve exhausted our…nicer options and they don’t exactly have that Batman vibe you’re looking for, but if Jason wants to end this quietly, we’ll let him do that. Right?” 

Dick could read her like a book. She was unnerved, afraid he was losing himself to the darker parts of Gotham and turning into the worst parts of Bruce. Maybe Gotham was starting to get under his skin again, but not enough for him to do something rash or unstable. She didn’t need to worry. 

He gave her a small smile, “Right.” 

Amelia felt her body relax, the tension leaving her shoulders at his response. She smiled softly back, letting go of his hand to brush a loose curl off his forehead. “How’s your head?” 

He grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away from his head and brought it to his lips to kiss the palm of her hand, making his way slowly down to her wrist. “It’s fine. Can we get out of here or what? I wanna help you out of your dress.” 

She let out a laugh, her cheeks flushing as a slight smirk curled at her lips. She pulled her hand away from him before gesturing towards the eye chart on the wall. “Easy there, boy wonder. Read the sixth line.” 

He laid his head back against the pillows again, giving her a flirty grin. “Cat burglar, Titan and now optometrist. What can’t you do?” 

Amelia shook her head, playfully rolling her eyes. “Just read the line, stupid. I’ll give you a kiss if you get it right.” 

“E-D-F-C-Z-P.” 

She looked back at the chart, reading the letters that Dick spoke. Meeting his gaze, she leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Good. Read the eighth line.” 

He frowned, “You said you’d kiss me if I got it right. What was that?” 

“I didn’t say on the lips, just that I’d kiss you and I did. Eighth line, Richard.” 

With much reluctance, Dick brought his attention back to the eye chart, his eyes squinting as the chart blurred, a fuzzy feeling enveloping his brain. He blinked, brow furrowing as he watched black splotches dance across the white background before forming into the Batman emblem. He stared at it for a second, blinked again and watched as it shifted back into the normal eye chart. That was…odd. Maybe he hit his head harder than he thought.  

“D-E-F-P-O-T-E-C.” He repeated slowly, brow still furrowed in confusion. He let out a breath, relaxing himself, before meeting Amelia’s gaze again. “Is that good enough for you, Doctor? Can we go now?” 

She hummed, feigning contemplation before leaning in, pressing her lips to his with her hands cupping his face. He eagerly returned her kiss as he sat up to meet her, a hand resting on her thigh. He made a move to pull her into his lap, only for her to pull away with a teasing smile on her lips. 

“That was plenty good enough, let's bust you out of here.” 

An hour and a signed AMA form later, Amelia was sitting in the back of the cab with Dick next to her, the latter talking on the phone with Barbara. Amelia hadn’t driven to the hospital that night, having taken a cab instead, since her panicked self couldn’t remember where all the keys to the cars were. 

“Did you do another video sweep of the accident, see where Jason went?” Dick asked into the phone, listening to Barbara’s response in return, noting that Jason just seemed to vanish after that night. His brow furrowed as she started talking again, something about structural integrity and a leak, before the line cut out. “Barbara? Hello?” 

He shoved his phone back in his pocket as the cab slowly pulled to a stop in front of the manor. All time seemed to slow, that fuzzy feeling returning as he looked out of the window. A boy, maybe no older than thirteen stood with his back facing the cab, a yellow cape hanging around his shoulders. Dick’s eyes widened as the boy turned around, coming face to face with his younger self in a makeshift Robin costume. 

His 13 year old self appeared by the window of the cab, calling out to him. “It’s all gone. The old road, the old house. You’re never gonna find them.” 

“Dick?” The sound of Amelia’s voice brought him back to his senses, that fuzzy feeling dissipating as he blinked, gathering his bearings again. A look of unease was still etched onto his features. 

“Is there a problem?” The irritated voice of the cab driver made Amelia narrow her eyes. He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for someone to pay him. She opened her mouth to speak, about to say some unsavory words, before Dick cut her off and handed the driver a twenty.  

“Sorry. Thank you.” 

She watched with a look of concern as he slid out of the cab before following after him. The hum of the car engine faded into the background as she stepped in front of him, eyes scanning over his face. “What’s wrong? Is it your head?” 

He studied the look of worry on her face, the anxiety creeping up on her. He’d dealt with hallucinations before, it wasn’t anything new. It was probably just from hitting his head, he didn’t need to worry her any further. 

Dick plastered on a reassuring smile, taking her hand in his to lead her into the manor. “I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.” 

“Are you sure? Cause-”

Dropping her hand, he cupped her face instead, meeting her anxious gaze. Reaching up, he smoothed over the crease in her forehead with his thumb before returning to her cheek again. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Now can we please go inside so I can admire you in your dress properly?” 

Amelia leaned into the warmness his hands provided against her cheeks, eyes closing as she took a deep breath to calm herself, before fluttering them open again and meeting his gaze. She searched his face for any hint of deception, only to come up empty. 

A teasing smile played at her lips, “Alright, pretty bird. Only if you help me take it off like you said you would.” 

He shook his head, chuckling softly at her before releasing her face and taking her hand in his, the two of them making their way into the manor. Anticipation clawed at Amelia’s insides as he led her down the hallway and into the foyer. Just as they were about to ascend the stairs, a voice called out to them. 

“Dick! Amelia!” 

The sound of Gar’s voice made Amelia frown in disappointment. Her and Dick turned around, the green haired teen standing in the kitchen doorway.

“Yeah, Gar?” Dick answered. 

“It’s about Jason. He wants to talk to you. Both of you.” 

After taking her dress off herself and changing into the familiar comfort of her jeans, tank top, and leather jacket, Amelia had followed after Dick to meet Gar in the kitchen. The green haired teen stood across from them, arms crossed over his chest as he spoke. 

“He wants to meet both of you. Not Nightwing and Calico. Alone.” 

“Where?” Dick asked, voice low. 

“Townsend Tunnel. Six o’clock. He said you know them?” Gar replied, brow furrowed. 

Amelia could feel the tension radiating off Dick as he processed Jason’s request. She looked over at him, his forehead creased in thought before he took a deep breath. 

“Feels like another set-up.” He concluded, meeting her gaze. “Ames?” 

She hummed, thinking it over. It was certainly odd that now, all of a sudden, Jason wanted to talk. Crane was still MIA too. It very well could have ‘set-up’ written all over it. “I mean, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.” 

“Uh, we could give you back up.” Gar suggested, “Be close by.” 

“Those tunnels?” Dick replied, before letting out a sigh in annoyance. “Rum runners built them back in the day. Bruce used them as an escape route, wired them with cameras and sensors. Anybody who goes in or out Jason’ll know about it. That’s why he chose them.” 

“I can ask Molly if he’ll meet someplace else.” 

“No. If it's the tunnels he wants, it’s the tunnels he gets.” 

 —-----------------

The sounds of police sirens and car horns sounded in the distance as Amelia and Dick arrived at one of the tunnel’s entrances, flashlights in hand. A large metal door labeled ‘Gotham Public Works’ sat surrounded by concrete and Dick opened it with ease, revealing a set of concrete stairs. A smell almost akin to hot garbage wafted into Amelia’s nose, causing her to wrinkle it in disgust. 

“Oh my god, that’s horrible.” She muttered, repressing a gag. 

“You get used to it.” Dick replied, making his way down the stairs. “Come on.” 

“I guess you want to finish him together, huh? I don’t think Batman would have brought Catwoman along for something like this.” An all too familiar voice chimed out, causing Amelia to turn around, Dick doing the same, coming face to face with Tim Drake. 

Annoyance radiated off Dick as he walked back up the stairs, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know where you get these ideas, Tim. I’m just a regular guy, doing regular things. I’m actually on a special investigation for the GCPD.” 

Tim raised his brow in disbelief, “And you brought your girlfriend on this ‘ special investigation ’? Batman used these tunnels, I saw him come out once.” 

Amelia let out her own sigh in irritation, before an idea popped into her head. She placed her hand on Dick’s shoulder, the latter giving her a confused look as she spoke. “It’s okay, honey . Let’s just tell Tim what he wants to know.”  

She squeezed his shoulder, meeting his confused gaze as she mouthed ‘trust me’, before looking back over at Tim, the older teen giving her an expectant yet smug look as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“You’re right, Tim. Dick’s lying to you. We know Batman used the tunnels.” Amelia started, a sheepish grin on her lips. “Because, well…it’s, uh, it’s kind of embarrassing, but Dick and I use these tunnels for…dirty sex.” 

Tim narrowed his eyes in her direction. She looked over at Dick as he tried to keep his face stoic, mortification creeping up on him. 

She met the older teen’s gaze again, “ Yeah . It’s unbelievable, I know. We’re just two freaks that have a….uh, Batman fantasy. Dick pretends to be Batman and chases me through the tunnels. And then, we….have dirty sex. Really turns me on, ya know? He’s my very own dark knight. Isn’t that right, sweetums ?” 

Everything in Dick’s being screamed at him to just close the hatch on himself, anything to avoid whatever this was . He should have known the second she called him ‘honey’ that he should have shut her down immediately, but once she was on a roll it was kind of hard to stop her. The look on Tim’s face just confirmed his assumption that he didn’t believe anything either of them had said, yet had a hint of amusement hidden in it, most likely from Amelia’s wild explanation. 

A jab to his ribs broke Dick out of his thoughts, grunting in annoyance as Amelia gave him an expectant look, waiting for him to agree with her. He let out a heavy breath through his nose.

Tim clicked his tongue, nodding his head slowly as he processed the obvious lie that was Amelia’s story. “Uh huh, okay. Well, while you two are doing… that, I’m gonna go find Red Hood and Scarecrow and show you how it’s done.” 

“Wait, Tim!” Dick called out as Tim walked away, not bothering to look back. “Tim! It’s not a good idea! Tim!” 

His pleas fell on deaf ears as the older teen disappeared. He clenched his jaw in worry and irritation before making his way down the rest of the concrete stairs. Amelia followed after him, closing the metal door behind her, before following him down a metal ladder into the tunnel system. She scrunched up her nose in disgust at the smell again.

Turning on her flashlight, Amelia shined it around the large concrete maze in disappointment. “Huh, I would have thought Bruce would have tricked this thing out more. Wouldn’t have killed him to install some lighting.” 

“It’s not meant to be comfortable.” Dick retorted gruffly, turning on his own flashlight. “Although, I thought you would have known that by now, given all the sex we have down here fueled by a Batman fantasy.” 

The displeasure and slight sass in his tone was not lost on her as she swiftly followed next to him, walking through the tunnels. She scoffed, “ Sorry, my story wasn’t up to your standards, Mr. ‘Regular Guy’ . Tim saw right through your police investigation bullshit, by the way. At least with mine he didn’t ask anymore questions.” 

“The tunnel sex I could have handled.” He muttered, shining his light down different pathways. “But I could have lived without hearing you say that Batman turns you on. That’s practically saying you want to…. have sex with Bruce .”

A dramatic gag escaped her as she smacked him on the arm. “EW! Don’t say it like that! Oh my god!” 

“I’m just repeating what you said, sweetums. ” 

“Keep talking, pookie . You’re making me not want to have sex with you .”  

“ Alright . Let’s just find Jason.” 

Silence enveloped the area, the only sound being heard was the slap of shoes against the concrete and the drip of water echoing in the distance. Amelia smirked to herself in satisfaction as they continued their trek through the tunnels. 

She followed after Dick in silence, occasionally yelling out for Jason while he did the same. The smell didn’t bother her anymore, the time spent walking down different pathways contributed to that. She shined her flashlight around the area, only finding more wet concrete before Dick quickly spun around, shining his own flashlight into her eyes. 

“What the fuck, Dick?” Amelia hissed, eyes squinting at the blinding light.

His eyes were wide as he stared at her before he blinked, shining his flashlight down at the ground. He furrowed his brow, “Sorry, Ames. Thought I heard something.” 

“Yeah, you heard me breathing in Gotham’s toxins down here. Where the fuck is-” 

She abruptly stopped talking as she watched him whip around again, frantically shining his flashlight down the other end of the tunnel, his body tense as he breathed heavier. Her abrasive demeanor softened as he rubbed at his eyes and exhaled before she placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“You okay? This is the third time today you’ve spaced out like that.” Amelia spoke softly, concern lacing her tone. “If something’s happening-” 

“I’m okay.” Dick interjected, grabbing her hand off his shoulder and intertwining it with his own. He sent her a small smile, not wanting to worry her. “I’m fine. Just…a lot of memories down here.” 

Her eyes narrowed skeptically, opening her mouth to retort before a screeching noise cut her off, followed by Jason’s voice echoing through the tunnels out of an intercom system. “Dick? Amelia?” 

“We’re here.” Dick called out, slowly leading her down the concrete pathway. 

“Remember these tunnels?”  

“Yep. I do.” 

“Bruce nearly scared me to death down here.” 

“Where are you?” 

“Once I figured out how to use them though, they were my ticket out.” 

“You wanted to talk to us, Jay?” Amelia interjected, eyes scanning the otherwise empty tunnels. 

Jason’s voice crackled through the air. “It’s just you two, right?” 

“It’s just us.” Dick replied, “Are you alone?” 

“Me and Crane are finished. I’m done killing for him.” 

The two shared a quick glance with each other, a hint of hopefulness and distrust in it. Whatever Jason said, it needed to be taken with a grain of salt. 

“How do we know that?” She questioned, the two of them continuing their trek deeper into the tunnels. “Cause the last time I talked to you, it didn’t end on good terms.”

“I know, but, Dick, you saw me standing over you. I could’ve killed you.” A hint of desperation laced through Jason’s words. 

“What do you want?” Dick offered, skeptically. 

“I want to come home.-” 

Amelia could have sworn she felt her heart break at Jason’s admittance. Her eyes softened as she shared another look with Dick, the latter letting out a sigh. 

“-Be with my friends. Be a Titan again.” 

They stopped in the middle of the tunnels. Dick’s brow furrowed, a look of distrust still evident in his features. “You killed Hank.” 

The reminder was like a punch to the gut for Amelia as she sucked in a breath. He sent her an apologetic look, eyes softening as her own started to burn. She felt torn, struggling against wanting to let Jason go or bring him back home again. 

“You did a lot of damage, Jason.” She added, voice hoarse. 

“It wasn’t me, Amelia. That was the drugs talking. Crane talking, too. But, I’m clean now.” 

Dick ran a hand through his hair, the same emotional turmoil Amelia was feeling, now running through him. He thought back to the conversation he had with her in the hospital, about letting Jason end things quietly. Maybe coming home was the push he needed to get back on the right side of things, but they needed to get Crane out of the equation. 

“You can come home if you give up Crane.” He stated, squeezing Amelia’s hand in reassurance as she looked at him with wide eyes. “Does that sound fair, Ames?”   

The plan of bringing Jason home sounded crazy, especially after everything he put them through. But if he was telling the truth, if he truly wasn’t in control, they couldn’t blame him for it. Crane was the one to blame and if Jason brought him in, well, they’d definitely know the truth then. 

She nodded, “Yeah, sounds fair to me.” 

A beat of silence, then Jason’s voice rang out. “Live in the house?” 

“Right in your old bed, Jay.” 

“Meet me at the old Wellington pump station tonight at nine. Oh, and Dick? Amelia?” 

“Yeah?” The two chimed out in unison. 

“Thank you.” 

“Of course.” Dick muttered, pulling Amelia into his side. “You’re family.” 

—------------------------

“You said he could do what !?” 

Amelia let out a frustrated sigh as she sat on the couch next to Gar, fingers pressed into her temples as Kory snapped. The minute Dick and her got back from their meeting with Jason, the team was called into the foyer to get caught up with their latest decision. Not everyone seemed to be as open minded about it. 

“He killed Hank.” Connor added, voice tense with anger. 

“He kidnapped kids.” Kory continued, brow furrowed in irritation. “He made that woman snap her own neck.” 

Connor scoffed, “So we’re just gonna set an extra place at the dinner table? ‘Oh, hey, Jay, pass the mashed potatoes.’” 

With a pounding headache and anger boiling inside her, Amelia launched herself from the couch, whipping around to face the rest of the group, eyes glaring in Connor and Kory’s direction. “Don’t you think we know all of this!?” 

“ Ames .” Dick’s voice called out to her softly, his hand resting on her tense shoulder as he held her back from doing something she’d regret. She took a step back to stand next to him as he addressed the rest of the group. “He’s offering to turn himself in and bring in Crane.” 

Kory shook her head, arms crossed over her chest. “This is bullshit. You’re forgiving a murderer.” 

“We need Crane.” 

“Hold on.” Gar interjected, “What if all the killing was Scarecrow?”  

“No.” Dick dismissed, shaking his head. “He needs to be held accountable.” 

“You didn’t hold me accountable when Cadmus took me over, made me a killer.” The green haired teen countered. “You guys all took me back, no questions asked, because we’re family. Jason deserves the same chance.” 

A small smile curled at Amelia’s lips, Gar was always the one who saw through the dark cloud and into the light. With the lack of argument coming from the rest of the team, it seemed that he had made a pretty decent point. 

“Alright.” Dick concluded, an air to his tone that stated this was final. “We bring them both in, and after that we assess the situation.”   

“I’ve never met the guy,” Blackfire chimed in from the background, removing her legs from off the table and sitting up in her seat. “But I’m bullish on second chances.” 

He nodded, “Batcave, five minutes.” 

With that final order, the team dispersed to suit up. Amelia ran a hand through her hair, letting out a breath to relax herself from the tense situation. Just as she and Dick were about to leave the room, Kory called out to them. 

“Hey, I can’t believe you two.” She met them at one of the entrances to the foyer, shaking her head as she met Dick’s gaze. “Bruce said be a better Batman and there are two versions of that. One kills, one doesn’t.” Her eyes met Amelia’s next, “You should know better than anyone the difference between that.” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes, anger swirling in her gut again. She felt Dick grab her hand and squeeze it, a warning not to push things further. She clenched her jaw, but stayed silent, letting him dismiss the conversation. 

“We should go.” He muttered to Kory, not looking back as he pulled Amelia out of the room.  

It didn’t take long for everyone to suit up and meet in the Batcave to go over the game plan. Around nine o’clock, they had all arrived at the Wellington pump station in record time, Krypto running ahead of them to scope out the area. Multiple barks sounded out and Connor super sped to his K9 companion.  

“There’s someone on the ground!” Amelia heard Connor’s voice yell out, prompting everyone to sprint in his direction. 

Her eyes widened behind her mask as she took in the body on the ground, quickly kneeling next to it. “It’s Tim!” 

Dick quickly made his way to the ground next to her as he ordered for Connor to xray the older teen. Tim had been shot, but the bullet went clean through. Gar backed away from the group, calling an ambulance through the comms system. Amelia held Tim’s head in her lap, heart pounding in her chest as she wiped away fresh blood from around his mouth, his breathing getting shallower by the second. 

“I need something to stop the bleeding.” Dick stated as Connor ripped open Tim’s discarded backpack, grabbing a spare shirt out of it and handing it to him. He pressed the cloth into the open wound, Tim gasping for air. “He’s got blood in his lungs. He’s gonna drown.” 

“Paramedics are on their way. Three minutes, tops.” Gar announced as he quickly made his way back to the group. 

“I don’t know if we have three minutes.” Amelia muttered, eyes frantic as she watched more blood pour out of the corner of Tim’s mouth, his eyes wide as he stared up at her. 

Dick pressed harder into the wound, staring down at Tim’s body. A throbbing started in his skull, his eyes widening as he saw his own body underneath his hands, before he let out a gasp, pinching his eyes shut and wobbling backwards. 

Gar quickly took Dick’s place, pressing into Tim’s wound as he muttered. “Dick? You alright?” 

Amelia tore her gaze away from Tim, instantly landing on Dick as she watched him press his fingers into the bridge of his nose, wincing in pain. “Pretty bird, talk to us.” 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Dick murmured, getting up off the ground. He let out a breath, regaining his bearings again as he ordered the team. “Kory and I will go in this way.” 

“We’ll go around back.” Connor informed, nodding towards Blackfire as the two quickly took off. 

Dick took off running into the building as he shouted, Kory not far behind him. “Gar, Ames, stay here!” 

Amelia bit down on her bottom lip, eyes meeting Gar’s concerned gaze. It wasn’t long until they felt the ground shake, glass shattering behind them, as they took in the large cloud of fire tear through the roof of the pump station. Her heart dropped, a pit forming in her stomach as the fire raged. 

“No. No, no, no.” She muttered to herself, breath shaky as she gently laid Tim’s head on the ground before getting up. With a trembling hand, she pressed her finger to her comms unit in her ear. “Dick? Kory? Dick, I swear if you don’t answer-” 

“We’re okay.” Dick’s voice reverberated into her ear and a relieved sigh left her, but the frustration in his tone as he spoke again made that pit in her stomach ache. 

“It was a set-up. We just dosed Gotham’s entire water supply with Crane’s fear toxin.”  

Chapter Text

Water. It was the one thing people couldn’t live without. Crane’s fear toxin was now polluting the entirety of Gotham’s water supply. It would be only a matter of seconds before Gotham started tearing itself apart. Tim had made it safely to the hospital, only to end up in a coma. The doctors don’t know if or when he’ll come out of it. 

Dick and Amelia stood off to the side, hiding in the hallway of the GCPD as they waited for Barbara to finish debriefing with public works on different plans on how to clean the toxin out of the water. The arguing back and forth seemed to be getting to her as her tired eyes looked over at them. With a nod of her head to Vee, letting her second in command take over the situation, she wheeled herself over to the two. 

“Hey.” Barbara greeted softly. 

Amelia gave a small smile in return as Dick greeted her similarly. “Hey.” 

“You alright?” She questioned, eyes scanning over them. 

Amelia sighed, “Just peachy.” 

“A little bit of brain fog from the accident, but I’m feeling better now.” Dick replied. 

“Anything new out there?” Barbara questioned. 

Dick shook his head, “We scanned the city up and down. Nothing.” 

Amelia watched as Vee walked over, cutting their conversation short. “Senator McDonald just called. The Feds are sending in the National Guard.” 

“Good,” Barbara sighed. “We could use their help.” 

“No, they’re not here to help.” Vee interjected, “They’re sealing off the city. No one in or out.” 

The look on Barbara’s face said it all. “Alright. Get down to the DWP. Take back-up and a warrant. I want this water shut off now .” 

“With pleasure, Commissioner.” 

It was like almost something was summoned as Vee left. Amelia’s brow furrowed as she felt her jacket pocket buzz incessantly. Then, Dick’s phone chimed, followed by a plethora of buzzing and ringtones going off throughout the GCPD. Amelia took her phone out before she felt Dick nudge her. She looked up, following his gaze to the giant screen in the back of the GCPD, everyone in the department surrounding it as the Batman symbol appeared. Slowly, Dick, Barbara and her joined the rest of the group. 

Crane’s voice broke through the speaker. “Gotham City used to have a protector, a guardian angel.” The screen switched to the Titan’s emblem. “But Batman abandoned Gotham and left Nightwing and his friends in his place.” 

Amelia’s eyes widened as she watched a picture of herself in her Calico suit, as well as Dick and the rest of her teammates in their suits, splashed across the screen in red. In big bold font underneath read ‘Titans Wanted’. 

“What is this?” Dick muttered, voice low. 

“I don’t know, but it’s not good.” Amelia replied softly, watching as the video changed to footage of Nightwing taking out a group of armed guards, the words ‘liar’, ‘thief’, and ‘conman’  in yellow font flashing in the background. 

“And what has Nightwing done?” Crane’s voice reverberated over the video. “He’s robbing you. Poisoning the very water you drink, the water you give your children.” 

More video footage popped up, all different instances of the Titans defending themselves, only constructed in a way to make it look like they were the ones attacking first. Amelia watched as a video of herself appeared on the screen, fighting against criminals as Calico with the word ‘murderous’ flashing behind it, followed by a still photo of Calico kissing Nightwing on a rooftop with ‘heedless whore’ plastered on it.

“Calico, a fellow Gothamite turned into a brainless, harlot, traitor. She could have been your savior, instead Nightwing turned her into his plaything. She will do everything in her power to protect him, don’t let her fool you.” 

Footage from the explosion at the pump station showed next, showing an angle of Kory blasting a fireball into the pipes. A banner sat at the bottom of the video, the word ‘terrorists’ in bold font with the Titan’s symbol plastered around it.

“Nightwing is a criminal. Protected by the Gotham City Police. Only you can stop him. There will be a $50,0000 reward paid to the person who brings him in. Dead or alive. But, take heart Gotham, a new hero will rise, and you will know his name. Red Hood.” 

Dick’s jaw clenched as an image of Red Hood’s helmet took to the screen, the words ‘Gotham’s Savior’ underneath it. The video cut out, a black screen greeting them, as murmurs and whispers started to spread through the police department. If this was the message Crane wanted to send, he must have broadcasted it to the whole city by now. 

Amelia ran a hand through her hair as Barbara led them into her office. Once inside, Dick immediately started pacing, hands stuffed into his pockets as he processed his thoughts. 

“There’s no way that people actually believe that shit.” Barbara snapped. 

“People believe what they need to believe.” Dick retorted, halting his pacing. “They’re scared and Crane just gave their fear a target.” 

Amelia shook her head, scoffing in astonishment as she leaned against the wall. “The entirety of Gotham now thinks I’m a brainless whore.”

He sighed, "Okay, how many people do we think have been affected?

“Thousands.” Barbara implored, “I mean, anybody who’s drank from the municipal water supply in the last eight hours.” 

“So not everyone, right?” Amelia interjected, fingers twitching against her legs. “Maybe we can still reach them. Get ahead of this.”  

Slight panic laced Barbara’s tone, “If we lose their trust, then it’s all over. Even when things were at their worst the people of Gotham believed that Bruce and my dad would be there for them.” 

“And we will be, too.” Dick placated, finding his spot next to Amelia as he grabbed her hand. “We do what we do best. We fight for this city. We can fix this, Barbara.” 

He didn’t leave room for Barbara to argue, instead moving to lead Amelia out of the room. With one last look at Barbara's nervous face, she followed after him. 

—---------------

Fights and riots were breaking out downtown, the chaos spreading through Gotham like a wildfire. Amelia let out a grunt as she kicked some guy to the ground, Calico suit clinging to her body. Kory fought next to her as Gar and Connor hung back, the latter furrowing his brow in confusion. As much as he wanted to help, Dick sequestered himself in the Batcave, watching this all go down from the city’s camera system. 

“How do we tell the good guys from the bad guys?” Connor asked, following after Gar and into the fight. 

“No clue. Your guess is as good as mine.” Gar replied, dodging a punch thrown in his direction. 

It was a valid question, the people they were currently fighting off were a mix of unruly criminals and civilians affected by the water. The longer they fought, the more people gathered to watch, spectating their every move. 

Amelia swerved out of the way of a knife before kicking the guy to the ground. She narrowed her eyes in irritation, her jaw clenched. “Stay. Down.” 

A growl rumbled its way out of the man’s throat, spit flying as he got up off the ground. His mouth foamed like a rabid animal as he charged his way at her before she grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back, his shoulder popping with a sickening crunch. 

“Ames.” Dick’s voice sounded in her ear through her comms - a warning. 

Anger bubbled inside her as the man snapped and growled, trying to wriggle his way out of her hold. With a roll of her eyes, she pushed him backwards, letting him stumble away from her. With surprising ease, he popped his shoulder back into place, his face void of any discomfort. Amelia’s eyes widened in shock as he ran at her again, only to be stopped by Kory’s fist, the fiery woman knocking him out with ease. 

Amelia let out a breath, “Thanks Star.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Kory replied, giving her a small smile. 

“Maybe it wasn’t a good idea, me staying here.” Dick’s voice reverberated through her comms. 

Kory pressed her finger to her ear, replying. “No. You’ve got a $50,000 bounty on your head. It’d only make things worse.” 

“She’s right, pretty bird.” Amelia spoke into her own comms. “Although, I feel like you're worth more than $50,000. I’d say at least $100,000.” 

More and more people circled around them as Gar shouted out about another one coming his way, a man sluggishly dragging an axe in his direction. Gar took him down, only for the man to groan and get back up again, more energized. 

Amelia’s eyes flickered around the area, the murmur of people getting louder as the Titans fought. Gar eventually took down his guy at the same time as Blackfire, Connor using his super strength to disarm someone with a poke of his finger. 

“Looks like the worst of it is over.” Dick stated through the comms. 

The team gravitated towards each other as the circle of people continued to grow, concerned civilians mixed with toxin fueled people. They were completely surrounded. 

“Hold that thought.” Amelia muttered, slowly bringing her fingers away from her ear, sharing a worried look with Kory. 

“Please don’t hurt us!” A civilian shouted out, voice shaky. 

“Folks!” Kory called out, garnering everyone’s attention. “Everything’s alright.” 

Amelia’s heart pounded in her chest, finger clenched around the hilt of her whip as she frantically took in each person staring her down, their faces ranging from scared to disgusted to pure anger. It wasn’t hard for her to make out the murmurs of ‘whore’ and ‘criminal’.

“You’re Titans!” Another civilian yelled out. “Nightwing’s gang!”  

“No, we’re not really much of a gang, really.” Gar placated, an awkward chuckle leaving his lips. “More like roommates.” 

A man stepped up, holding a wooden board. “Just get the fuck out of here and leave us alone.” 

“We’re here to help!” Connor countered, brow furrowed. “That video you saw, it’s all lies.” 

The murmur of people grew louder, civilians shouting in their direction. “They’re the reason the water’s poisoned!” 

Panic seized in Amelia’s chest as more people surrounded them, grabbing makeshift weapons. The shouting came from all sides now, different derogatory terms getting thrown around. 

The sound of Dick’s voice in her ear soothed her panic slightly. “Kory, Ames, get them out of there.” 

“He wants us to just leave?” Connor questioned, glancing between Kory and her. 

“I vote stay.” Blackfire dictated, jaw clenched. “Give them a good reminder of which side we’re on.” 

“If you stay, it will only get worse. Get out now.” Dick ordered. 

Amelia swallowed hard, hand clenched tighter around her whip. The shouting only continued to grow louder as they stood there. She met Kory’s gaze as she gave her a nod, the two leading the team away from the growing crowd. 

“Yeah, that’s right!” A voice shouted from behind them, a tone full of hatred and disgust. “Get the fuck of of here! And take Nightwing’s whore with you!” 

Amelia halted her footsteps, tongue running along her teeth as her jaw clenched. The panic she felt quickly morphed into pure rage. She let go of her whip, instead grabbing a ring dagger from its holster. Blackfire halted beside her, the two sharing an irritated look before Blackfire glanced back at the group of civilians, only for them to back up in response, scared for their lives. Amelia let out a breath, fingers tightening around her dagger before holstering it and following after Blackfire, the word ‘criminal’ bouncing around inside her head. 

—------------------

It was later in the evening when Barbara called for Dick and Amelia to meet her. They agreed to meet her at a small dive bar downtown, the GCPD no longer being safe to discuss their after hours activities. Amelia walked next to Dick, spotting Barbara sitting at a table by the bar, coffee cup in hand. The two made their way to the table, greeting Barbara in turn. 

“Is it safe here?” Dick questioned, taking his jacket off and hanging it on the back of his chair before sitting down. Amelia sat down in her own seat, leaning back in it with her hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket. 

“I got guys on four corners outside, so,” Barbara trailed off, shrugging. “Safe as we can be.” 

A waitress wandered up to the table, cutting off their conversation. “Anything for you guys?” 

“Uh, I’m fine with coffee, thanks.” Barbara replied, giving her a small smile. 

Dick sighed, “Shot of absinthe, please.” 

Amelia perked up, taking her hand out of her pocket to hold up two fingers towards the waitress. “Make that two and a double Jack Daniel’s , neat. Thanks.” 

With a nod, the waitress left to gather their drinks. Barbara scoffed, “Jesus, you two. Really?” 

“I’m running out of good ideas.” Dick retorted, leaning back in his chair. “Resorting to bad ones.” 

Amelia snorted, looking over at Barbara. “I think I’m influencing him too much.” 

“There’s an art gallery around the corner if you two want to go heist a Monet” She suggested, sarcasm dripping from her tone. 

“Don’t tempt me with a good time, Babs. That’s easy money.” 

The waitress appeared, handing them their respective drinks before disappearing again. Amelia held up her shot glass, clinking it against Dick’s in cheers before knocking it back, the liquid burning the back of her throat as it went down. Her lips curled into a small smirk as Dick’s face scrunched up a bit from the strong taste. Putting the shot glass down, she traded it for her glass of whiskey, taking a sip. 

“So, you said that you have a plan?” Barbara prompted before taking a sip of her coffee. 

 Amelia took a longer sip of her whiskey, she had yet to hear of this plan and if he was finally resorting to bad ideas, it couldn’t have been a good one. 

“I’m gonna turn myself in.” Dick spoke, voice low as he leaned in. “Make a show of it at the GCPD, as Nightwing.” 

A choked cough made its way out of Amelia’s throat as she accidently inhaled her whiskey. Dick sent her an apologetic look as she gazed at him wide eyed. “I’m sorry, what ? That’s your plan?” 

“God, you really are out of good ideas.” Barbara muttered. 

“I need to show the people I’m not working with Gotham Police.” He explained as Amelia downed the rest of her whiskey. “Give the city’s trust back where it belongs. With you, Barbara.” 

“Then what?” Barbara prompted, brow furrowed. “We put Nightwing on trial?” 

 Amelia pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. “Oh my god, I need another drink.” 

He shook his head, “It’ll never get that far. I’ll pay bail and disappear. Work out of sight, just like always. Except this time with the Titans.” 

“I don’t like it, Dick.” Amelia sighed, leaning forwards. “I don’t know why, I just don’t like it.” 

“I agree with Amelia, I don’t like it either.” Barbara said softly. 

Dick let out a breath through his nose as he leaned back in his chair. “I don’t either, Ames, Barb. But it’s the best I got.” 

Silence enveloped the table as the waitress wandered up, eyeing Dick and Amelia. “Another?” 

Barbara sighed, “Make it three.” 

Amelia leaned back in her chair again, arms crossed over her chest. “And another whiskey, too.” 

The waitress left the table and Dick raised his brow at Amelia, a teasing smile pulling at his lips. “So, that art gallery, think it has a Rembrandt? I’ll do it for Rembrandt.”  

Barbara chuckled as Amelia snorted, rolling her eyes at his joke. “I’ll let you know after this shot and about two more glasses of whiskey. Show you how a real criminal does it.” 

—-----------------

The plan had evolved once Amelia and Dick had gotten home and gathered the rest of the Titans in the foyer. Dick couldn’t just turn himself in, like he thought he could. The world regarded each Titan as a criminal just as much as they did Nightwing. If this was going to work, they all had to turn themselves in. 

“So, we turn ourselves in and then what?” Gar questioned, sitting on the back of the couch. 

Amelia stood next to Dick, arms crossed over her chest, eyes unfocused on the group. The idea of getting arrested made her nervous. Her whole life revolved around avoiding arrest and now she was just supposed to hand herself over to the police as a show of faith? Granted, they were all doing it, but nobody had the track record she did. Maybe Blackfire did, but not on Earth. Everything about this just made her uneasy. 

“And then we post bail, continue doing our work, but in a less public way.” Dick explained, hands shoved into his pants pockets. “Work in the shadows, take this city back night by night. It’s not gonna be easy, and it’s not gonna be fast, but we can do it. If you have a better idea, please, now’s the time.” 

Gar sighed. “They hate us.”

“They’ve been manipulated into hating us, by Crane.” Kory interjected. 

“Connor, Blackfire, what do you think?” Dick asked. 

“It was brutal out there.” Connor breathed. “I don’t want to be looked at like that again.”

Blackfire wandered next to Connor, “Well, surrender isn’t my thing. But I am used to people looking at me like I’m a monster, so whatever you all decide on, I’m in.” 

“Kory?” Dick prompted. 

“We’ve played it by the book so far and this is where it’s led us.” Kory replied, an almost solemn look on her face. “So maybe you’re right. Maybe we try a new way. I’m in.”  

“Ames?” 

Amelia blinked at the call of her name, meeting Dick’s concerned gaze. She let out a breath through her nose, shaking her head. “As much as I hate it, I’m in too. We’re family, we do this together.” 

Dick grabbed her hand in his, giving her a small nod in acknowledgement before addressing the rest of the team. “Alright, then. Let’s suit up. We go in together, like Ames said. As a team. As a family.” 

The ride to the GCPD was relatively silent, Amelia sat in the passenger seat as Dick drove. They had all suited up, the others driving in another SUV following behind them. Her fingers twitched against her leg, as she looked out the window, watching the city lights flash as they drove by. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, chewing on the frayed skin as the metallic taste of her blood danced along her tongue. Her nerves were getting to her, but Dick seemed confident, at least from what she could tell. He had discussed with Barbara ahead of time how everything would go down, and for this to work, everything had to go smoothly - no surprises. 

Amelia looked over at him as his gloved hand settled on her thigh, squeezing it affectionately. He quickly glanced over at her as he continued driving, she knew he could tell where her head was at. 

“We stick together. We stick to the plan.” Dick consoled, voice soft. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. I’ve got you.” 

She took a deep breath before nodding, holding the hand he rested on her thigh and intertwining their fingers together. “I know. I trust you. I love you, Dick.” 

He slowed the car to a stop in front of the GCPD doors, cutting the engine. Blue and red light flashed around them, highlighting Amelia’s face as he met her gaze, his eyes softening. “I love you too, Amelia.” 

No other words were said as Amelia reluctantly let go of his hand and  got out of the car, Dick and the rest of the team following, Krypto staying in the car in case things went south. Armed SWAT and GCPD officers lined the entrance of the department, shields up and ready as they all walked inside, Dick leading them. Amelia swallowed hard as she walked next to him. 

“This seems excessive.” Kory remarked, eyeing the officers surrounding the entirety of the police department. 

“Barbara cleared it with me.” Dick replied, sensing the underlying nerves of his team. “It’s all for show. They need to stand their ground.” 

The officers followed after them, surrounding them from all sides. The second floor balcony was littered with more armed officers, the majority of them holding their guns, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Amelia’s stomach dropped, a pit of nerves forming in it as her fingers twitched at her sides. She clenched her fists as she breathed out. 

“This is all optics, right?” Gar murmured. 

Dick halted his steps as they all came to a stop in the middle of the GCPD, spotting Barbara and Vee on the second floor balcony. He nodded, “Optics.” 

Amelia winced as she heard Blackfire grunt from the impact of a shield pushing her into the middle of the room. A whoosh from Connor was heard as he sped over to her, coming in the middle between her and the officer. “Back. Off.” 

More officers pushed in on them as Dick held up his hand in surrender, trying to control the situation again. “Easy. We’re not here for a fight.” 

“Move in!” A man shouted from the balcony, the SWAT team taking the signal to push in further. 

Amelia’s eyes widened behind her mask as multiple shielded men surrounded her and she put her hands up, grunting as she tried to push them back. Each Titan was surrounded by their own group of officers, all being crowded and separated from each other. 

“Stand down!” Barbara yelled out, only for her command to fall on deaf ears.  

A baton hitting hard against her abdomen made Amelia cry out, her pained cry echoing in Dick’s ears as he angrily pushed the officers surrounding him away, before grabbing onto the closest one surrounding her and throwing him to the side. All hell broke loose after that as he grabbed onto her and pulled him to her, the two back to back as more SWAT members fought against them. 

A gunshot reverberated through the air, the bullet hitting Blackfire in the abdomen as she fell to the ground. Connor grabbed the gun-wielding officer by the throat, tossing him across the room. Kory screamed out as her sister fell to the ground, fireballs flying as she fought her way to Blackfire.     

A mixture of anger and fear suffocated the air. Amelia fought next to Dick, grabbing a loose baton and beating an officer into the ground as Dick punched another one. A roar sounded from the other side of them, Gar having transformed into a tiger, jumping out from underneath a pile of SWAT members before another gun went off, a tranquilizer dart embedding itself into his shoulder. He jumped up on a desk, before climbing his way to the second floor balcony, glass breaking as he broke through the windowed door, running off. 

“I need to get her out of here.” Kory yelled out to Dick, Amelia, and Connor as she pulled Blackfire off the floor, making her way out of the building. “Cover us!” 

“Shit!” Dick cursed as he pushed another officer off of him. “Go!” 

Amelia grunted as she kicked another one in the chest as five more formed a wall behind them, Connor using his heat vision to blast the grenades they threw. Another gunshot rangout, this one coming from Barbara as she shot a commanding officer in the shoulder, the man having had his gun pointed in Dick and Amelia’s direction. 

“We need to go, now!” Dick called out, the three of them having disarmed the remaining officers, only for more to take their place, guns and shields up. He grabbed Amelia’s hand, pulling her with him as they met Connor in the middle. “Where are the others?” 

Connor breathed out, “They’re gone.” 

With a nod in confirmation, Dick threw out multiple smoke grenades, covering them as they linked arms with Connor. “Let’s go.” 

With a whoosh of air, they were gone. 

—----------------

Superspeed was definitely not Amelia’s favorite mode of transportation. With Dick’s instruction, Connor landed them at an old radio transmission tower station. The minute they arrived, a wave of nausea washed over her like a tsunami. She heaved as she bent over, bile rising in her throat before she released it all over the ground. Dick gathered her hair as she vomited, holding it up as he rubbed his hand soothingly down her back. Connor grimaced, a muttered ‘sorry’ leaving his lips. 

Once her nausea settled, they walked into the old building with Krypto following after them. Dick had tried multiple times to get a hold of any of the other Titans, only coming up with static on the other side. 

“Still nothing?” Connor asked, concern lacing his tone. 

“Lines are down.” Dick confirmed, as he shook his head. “Barb shot a cop. She’s gonna need our help.” 

“She’s the commissioner, she’ll be alright.” 

Amelia sighed as she leaned against a dusty console. Her stomach throbbed from the hard hit she took, limbs aching from fighting off the heavily armored men. “What about you, Con? Anything from the others?” 

He shook his head, “I got the same message. Like everything’s shut down.” He glanced at her with worry in his eyes before looking over at Dick. “Dick, I think we should go home.” 

“Red Hood and the cops know about Wayne Manor.” He countered, voice low. “It’s the one place we can’t be.” 

“Then, let’s go outside. Help some people out!” 

“Look,” Dick sighed, exhaustion weighing heavy on him. “I wish we could, but right now, our only job is to not get caught. Gotham city’s on its own.” 

The silence between them lasted a decent amount of time. Hours ticked by with no communication from the others, night turning into day. Connor had sped through a store nearby, grabbing them civilian clothes to change into, along with some food and water. Amelia let out a sigh as she stepped back into the room, having gotten changed out of her suit in the small hallway and putting on the black jeans and grey sweater Connor had grabbed for her. At least the kid knew her sense of style. 

She watched as he fiddled with the radio transmitter controls, the sound of sirens wailing and people screaming emitting from the small speaker. Dick stood off to the side, taking his mask off and placing it with his suit. 

“Man, it is bad out there. Even for Gotham. I didn’t see a single cop.” Connor grimaced before looking over at Krypto. “Most of the stores are gated up, but we still managed to harvest some supplies, didn’t we, pal?”  

The super powered dog barked in reply, panting happily at doing a job well done. Amelia chuckled as she scratched behind his ears. 

“Thanks for the clothes.” Dick spoke up, making his way towards them. 

“I didn’t think traipsing around Gotham in a super suit was the greatest idea right now.” Connor replied before furrowing his brow. “Any luck tracking down Blackfire? Or Gar? Or anyone?” 

He shook his head, pulling on a jacket Connor had grabbed. “No. The Internet's down, cell phones are down. Police scanners must have switched to an encrypted frequency.”  

“How long do you think they’ve been working for Crane?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“I guess that explains why we got our asses handed to us by the cops.” Amelia muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as she made her way next to Dick. 

Suddenly, a small screen on the main console in front of them flipped on, Red Hood popping up on it, his voice sounding through the small speaker. “Hello Gotham!” 

“What the hell?” Connor mumbled, furrowing his brow as Amelia and Dick came closer to the screen, watching as Red Hood held a camera up in front of him, showcasing his surroundings.. 

“It’s Red Hood. Coming to you live from the most exclusive spot in town, the Batcave. For too long, this city has been at the mercy of criminals. And I’m not just talking about the Penguin, and the Riddler, and the Joker. I’m talking about the ones who pretend to help but only make things worse.”

Amelia scoffed, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” 

“First Batman, now the Titans. Hypocrites who feed off your terror in pursuit of glory. And they turned Gotham into a city of carnage. But it all comes to an end today. There’s a new savior in town. First thing I’m going to do is burn the trash. You hear me, Nightwing? You’re public enemy numero uno… but not for long. Meet me at midnight. You know the place. It’s time for us to finish this.” 

Amelia’s jaw clenched as the screen cut out, the little fucking shit. She had believed him, wholeheartedly, when he said he wanted to come home. She vouched for him, and put her trust in him, only for him to choose wrong. No more would she put her heart on the line for Jason fucking Todd. 

“He’s right.” Connor fumed, fists clenched at his sides. “It’s time to finish this. We’ve got to get back to Wayne Manor.” 

Dick crossed his arms over his chest. “We can’t just burst in there. That’s what he wants. What he expects. We need to break through the security system remotely, and I can do that at Wayne Enterprises.” He glanced between Connor and Amelia before walking away. “Stay here.” 

Connor’s brow furrowed, “Are you talking to us or Krypto?”

“I’m talking to all three of you.” 

Amelia narrowed her eyes as he started to walk away, another scoff leaving her lips as she quickly followed after him. “You did not just say that.”

“So I’m good enough for getting groceries, but not this?” The super powered teen snapped, following next to her.  

“I need you two to stay here. I’ll see you when I get back.” Dick deadpanned, not halting his steps. 

“Hey!” Connor snarled, grabbing onto the back of Dick’s jacket and forcefully turning him around to face him. “Blackfire got shot! I’m not gonna stay here and do nothing!” 

Amelia quickly stepped between the two, strategically grabbing the small pocket knife she hid in her boot, pointing it against Connor’s throat. She knew it wouldn’t even make a mark on him, if anything it would crumble to pieces the minute it touched his skin, but the threat behind it was still there. “ Let go , Connor.” 

He stared her down, eyes narrowed, before letting go of Dick and backing up. She slid the knife back into her boot as Dick fixed his jacket. “Look, our best chance of connecting with Blackfire is through that radio. I need someone to be here if they call.” 

That answer seemed to be enough to satisfy Connor for now, as he nodded his head and made his way back to the radio with Krypto. Amelia grabbed onto Dick’s arm and dragged him into the hallway, before pushing him back into the wall and digging her pointer finger into his chest. 

“Now is not the time to be pulling this ‘I’m on my own’ bullshit.” She hissed, staring up into his eyes. “You don’t need two people manning the radio, I’m coming with you.” 

Dick grabbed onto her hand and pushed it off his chest, shaking his head. “I’m not arguing with you about this, Ames. It’s not safe out there. Stay here.” 

“That’s exactly why I should go with you.” She argued, grabbing onto his arm before he could walk away again. “We’re safer together. I don’t need your protection!” 

“I never said you did.” He rebuffed, voice low. “But that doesn’t stop me from doing it. You already got hurt last night because of me, I’m not letting it happen again.” 

A scoff left her lips as he pulled himself away from her. Amelia narrowed her eyes at him, irritation gnawing at her the longer she stared at him. “You’re being stupid! I’m going-” 

“I’m done, Amelia!” Dick snapped, voice rising as the stress and irritation finally got to him. “I’m done arguing with you about this. Why can’t you just fucking listen for once in your life? You’re staying here, that’s an order!” 

Her mouth gaped open in shock as she watched him leave, the metal door slamming shut behind him, not giving her the chance to argue back. Anger bubbled up inside her as she covered her hands with her face, letting out a muffled scream. Everything in her being urged her to lash out and leave out that same door after him, yelling at him until she was red in the face. How dare he order her around like she was just some soldier, like they weren’t partners!

“You okay?” The sound of Connor’s voice made her look up, hands leaving her face as she exhaled. She knew he heard everything that was said, even without his super hearing. 

“Just peachy.” Amelia muttered, running a hand through her hair as she made her way back into the transmission room. “I think I need a drink.” 

—--------------------

The walk to Wayne Enterprises took Dick about twenty minutes. Everything that Connor said about the city was unfortunately correct. Stores were locked down or boarded up and police sirens wailed on every street corner. The streets were relatively empty, most people choosing to hunker down in their homes for safety. The few that remained, hid in the shadows of the alley ways, waiting to pounce on their next victim. 

The walk had done Dick some good, giving him enough time to gather his thoughts and calm down. He didn’t mean to snap at Amelia like that, ordering her to stay like she was his subordinate, but he couldn’t risk something happening to her, Gotham was too unpredictable now. He’d rather her be angry with him and safe, than putting herself in danger for him. He knew she was fully capable of defending herself, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel the need to do it for her. It was just easier this way. 

The lobby of the building was completely empty, not a security guard in sight. Once he got in the elevator, he pushed the button for the top floor, letting it take him to Bruce’s private office. He stepped off the elevator as the doors opened and made his way down the long hallway, stopping in front of the large wooden doors, a retina scanner attached to the side paneling. Dick leaned in, letting the red light run over his eyes before it beeped, opening the door to the officer. 

The door clicked shut behind him as he walked into the large room, passing by the lounge area and heading straight for the desk, a mini version of the Batcomputer sitting on top of it, along with small picture frames. Dick sighed as he sat down in the chair, eyeing the framed picture of himself and Bruce, dressed in expensive tuxedos at a Wayne Foundation gala. It sat right next to a framed picture of Thomas and Martha Wayne and one of a young Bruce with Alfred. 

He ignored the complex emotions that stirred inside him as he pressed his thumb to the fingerprint scanner, it lighting up green as it granted him access to the Batcomputer. He started typing, trying to remotely hack into the system to turn off all access to the computer, only to see Jason pop up on the screen. 

“Come on, Dick. Really?” Jason’s voice reverberated through the speaker, a smirk curling at his lips. “I knew you’d try this. Going through the back door rather than having to face me. Sorry, but no.” 

Dick stayed silent, jaw clenched as he exhaled through his nose. 

“You should come check out the new digs.” Jason mocked, smug smirk never leaving his lips. “Crane’s kicking it in Bruce’s bed. It’s a party. Hey, uh, asking for a friend, how are the Titans doing?” 

“You know you’re never gonna win.” Dick glowered, voice almost a growl. 

“Yeah, we’ll see about that. Let Amelia know she’s welcome to join me when she eventually gets tired of your self-righteous bullshit.” 

“This is between you and me, like you said. Leave her out of it.” 

“Midnight. Third and Barons. This is how it was always gonna end.” 

The screen cut to black as the computer shut down. He was officially locked out of the Batcomputer and Wayne Manor. Dick leaned back in the office chair, rubbing a hand over his face as he sighed in irritation. There was nothing else he could do, if Jason wanted a fight, then that was what he was going to get. There was no way Connor and Amelia would let him go alone. He needed something, something strong to keep at least Connor subdued long enough for him to leave.

He quickly got up and made his way into the lounge area of Bruce’s office, eyes narrowed at the painting hanging on the wall. Bruce always kept extras of certain things hidden in places he frequented most, something of a last resort, and Dick knew all about it. He slid the painting to the side, revealing the safe underneath it and pressed his thumb onto the fingerprint scanner. The safe opened with a beep, a faint green glow lighting up the inside of it. 

He stared at the large crystal of kryptonite, along with multiple small baggies filled with fluorescent green dust. It was definitely a last resort, he couldn’t stop Connor from following him on his own. It was the only way to keep him out of the line of fire. Dick grabbed one of the small baggies filled with kryptonite dust and shoved it into his pocket. That should be enough to keep Connor and Krypto down for a while. 

He closed the safe door before pulling the painting back over it. He didn’t know what he was going to do about Amelia yet. Knowing her, she’d still be mad at him, and maybe it was enough for her to stay away entirely. As much as he wanted her to stay in the radio station, he knew she would have left eventually - she was never one to take orders from anyone, especially him. He’d just have to hope she’d be gone by the time he got back. 

Dick waited until it was dark, closing in on midnight, before he went back to the radio station. He walked into the transmission room, passing by Connor who was leaning against a console. Amelia was nowhere in sight. 

“Did you do it?” Connor asked, perking up and following behind him. 

“Do what?” Dick replied, gruffly. 

“Break into the Wayne Manor security system like you said you were going to.” 

“Change of plans. Where’s Ames?” 

Connor’s brow furrowed, “Wait a minute. You’re not really meeting up with him, are you? Dick, it's a trap.” 

He turned around to face Connor, sighing. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m going. Where’s Amelia?” 

“At the liquor store across the street, she’s been gone for a while. But that’s besides the point, I’m going with you. ” 

“Nope.” 

“Look, I don’t mean to get all Lex Luthor on you, but I’m bigger than you. I’m stronger than you. I’m faster than you. And there’s really not a thing you could do to stop me.” 

“I was worried you’d say that.” Dick remarked, before quickly holding out his hand and blowing the green kryptonite dust in Connor’s direction. The look of betrayal that crossed his face didn’t go unnoticed by Dick as he caught the teen in his arms and gently laid him on the ground. He should be knocked out for a couple hours. “I’m sorry, Connor.” He mumbled. “I’m sorry. I had no choice.” 

Krypto whined as he ran up, head tilting as he saw Dick next to an unconscious Connor. The white dog barked as Dick raised his hand up and slowly approached before sprinkling the remaining dust on Krypto. “Hey, buddy. It’s okay. I’m sorry.” 

With a whimper, the super powered dog laid down on the ground before his eyes closed, the kryptonite putting him into a deep sleep. Dick sighed, at least he didn’t have to worry about dealing with Amelia. He knew what she told Connor was a lie, her suit was no longer where she left it. A part of him wished she was here, so he could apologize to her and tell her he loved her before taking the fight to Jason. But it was better this way, the farther away she was from this, the safer she would be. It was time to end this once and for all.  

—----------------------

Amelia sat quietly on the rooftop of the liquor store across the street, dressed in her suit, as her eyes narrowed behind her mask. She slipped into the cover of darkness, using the shadows to shield her as she watched Dick slip out of the radio station as Nightwing. It was nearing midnight, he was going to fight Red Hood. 

She knew when he didn’t come back a little while after he left for Wayne Enterprises, the plan had changed. There was no way he would let her near this fight, it was time to take matters into her own hands. She was still mad at him, but not mad enough to let him get himself killed by Crane’s puppet. She’d let him fight this battle by himself for now, but the minute things got out of control, she’d be there to help clean up the mess.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following him all the way to Third and Barons. He was there early enough to be able to catch Jason off guard, and catch him off guard he did. She watched from the darkness as Jason fired shots into car windshields and into the air, shooting where Dick was seconds before he disappeared again. It didn’t take long for the real fight to begin, the two meeting in the middle of the town square, matching each other’s moves hit for hit. He disarmed Jason quickly, only losing one of his escrima sticks in the process. Amelia’s heart pounded in her chest as she descended the building she was hiding on, ready to engage as groups of people emerged from the shadows, surrounding the two as Dick kicked Jason to the ground. 

“Hey! It’s Calico! Grab her!” 

Her eyes widened in panic and shock as she was grabbed from her spot, arms wrenched behind her back before she could even put up a fight. She didn’t know what to do next, these were civilians holding her back, innocent people that were just scared. Two burly men dragged her into the group of people, she didn’t know what else Crane had put in his toxin, but whatever it was made these guys strong and fearless. Her eyes met Dick’s behind his mask as he turned around, taking in the large group that he and Jason managed to pull in, along with Amelia being held against her will. The distraction was long enough for Jason to get off the ground, letting out a disgruntled yell before grabbing Dick by the throat with both hands. 

“No!” Amelia cried out, wriggling against the two men. “Fucking let me go!” 

Anger flooded through Dick as he pushed Jason off him and lifted him up before throwing his body on the ground behind him. People murmured with each other, some scared and some ready to jump into the fight. Amelia watched with bated breath as Dick grabbed one of Jason’s discarded guns before walking back over to him, pointing the barrel down at his chest. 

“Nightwing, don’t!” 

Her words fell on deaf ears as Dick stared down at Jason, the teen gasping for breath as he laid on the ground. 

“Just remember, I did this to you.” Jason choked out, coughing. 

“You did this to yourself.” Dick groused, voice low. 

“Finish it.” 

With the gun pointed down at Jason, Dick watched as the teen sputtered for breath, his eyes locked with his as he waited for his demise. With heavy breaths, Dick looked at the gun before tossing it over Jason’s head. 

“We want you out of here, Nightwing!” A bystander yelled out. 

“Yeah! Take your whore with you!” Another added. 

 Amelia trembled as a gunshot rang out, hitting Dick in his armor. A kid, no older than seventeen, shook in fear with a gun pointed straight at Dick. She let out a shaky breath as Dick turned around, holding his hands up in surrender as the kid lowered his gun. Her head whipped back towards Jason, who had gotten up and reloaded his gun. 

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion after that. Dick turned around, ready to face Jason again. The kid raised his gun again - two more gunshots rang out, hitting Dick in his armor. A third shot out of the barrel, a scream ripped its way out of Amelia’s throat. The bullet flew through the air, ripping apart the side of Dick’s neck, hitting his carotid artery.

“NO!” Amelia screamed out as the two men dropped her to the ground. She scrambled towards Dick as he fell, holding his neck, blood dripping through his fingers at an alarming rate. Tears flooded her vision, choked sobs leaving her lips as people chanted ‘Red Hood’ around her. She felt another person grab her, holding her back again as multiple people grabbed at Dick’s wounded body, taking turns kicking him as he struggled to breath. 

“NO, STOP! STOP! YOU’RE KILLING HIM! JASON, HELP HIM! HELP HIM, PLEASE!” She shrieked her voice raw as she watched Jason slowly back away, a mixture of fear and shock on his face. He didn’t even look at her as he turned and ran the other way. “PLEASE, JASON! JASON!” 

The sound of Dick’s cries of pain and stuttered breaths made her uncontrollably sob. Warm and wet tears rushed down her face and under her mask. Her body trembled as she was thrown to the ground again, the crowd quickly dispersing as their so-called hero ran for the hills. She crawled her way across the ground towards Dick, gasping for breath between her choked sobs. As gently as she could, she laid his head in her lap and brushed his sweat-matted hair off his forehead. His face was pale, eyes dimming as he stared up at her. His blood fell in rivulets on her suit before it pooled on the ground. 

“Dick, please .” Amelia sobbed, her gloved hand cupping his pale cheek as her tears dripped onto him. “ Please don’t leave me. I can’t-I can’t do this without you.” She ripped her mask off her face and tossed it to the side, she didn’t even care if people saw her. “I love you, please, Dick . A pretty bird can’t go-” Another sob ripped out of her chest. “-g-go anywhere without his cat. Y-You can’t l-leave me .” 

Another heaving sob left her as he weakly lifted his hand to her cheek, brushing her tears away. “‘M sorry.” He gasped out, between shallow breaths. “L-Love you, A-Ames.” 

She grabbed his hand before it fell, holding it in her own as she kissed his gloved knuckles. She couldn’t get her body to stop trembling, each shake making her teeth chatter. Her breath came in gasping pants between sobs as she held Dick close to her, blood soaking into her gloves and suit. She whimpered under her breath. 

“ Please . Please don’t leave me, pretty bird.”   

Chapter Text

“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE!” 

Amelia’s cries echoed through the night air as she held Dick’s body in her arms. His eyes had closed and his breathing had finally stopped. No one had answered her cries. For once, Gotham was silent. Her heart had broken into pieces and Dick Grayson took it all with him. She hadn’t even registered the sounds of footsteps behind her, only the sound of a familiar voice as it called out to her. “Amelia! Dick!” 

She turned her head, a relieved sob escaping her as Gar and Rachel ran up to her. She didn’t know when or how Rachel had gotten here, it didn’t matter, she let the girl run up and lean over Dick’s body, as cries left her lips. 

“Rach, I can’t-” Amelia heaved out a choked cry as she gently placed his body down on the ground. “ Please . Rachel, I can’t lose him .”  

Gar’s voice wavered as he stood behind them. “Rachel, is there anything you can do?” 

Rachel let out heavy breaths as she placed her hands against Dick’s chest, tears running down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Purple light emitted from her fingertips towards the wound on Dick’s neck before it dissipated completely. Amelia saw the distraught look on her face before Gar did, another sob leaving her.  

“No.” Rachel sniffled as her voice cracked. “It’s too late.” 

Hearing the words out loud made Amelia cry harder. She felt Rachel’s arms wrap around her trembling body, the teen crying with her as they held each other. Gar let out an anguished scream into the night air. 

Her chest felt hollow inside, an emptiness settling inside her as she held Rachel to her. Her world was no longer a bright and happy place, not without him in it. It was bleak and grey, a world void of his bright smile and infectious laughter. No longer would she be able to look into his brown eyes and tell him how much she loves him. Nothing in this world would be the same without him. There was no Calico without Nightwing, and there was no Amelia Pierce without Dick Grayson.

The screeching of bats pierced through the night, causing her to look up. Amelia sniffled as a giant hoard of bats circled around them, screeching incessantly. Her eyes met Rachel’s as Gar groaned out, before the two looked at him. His skin turned green, fingers developing webbing between them. His face slowly morphed into one of a bat, before he vanished, clothes dropping to the floor as a little green bat screeched in their direction. 

“Gar?” Rachel breathed out as Amelia’s eyes widened. 

Rachel grabbed onto her, pulling her up and away from Dick’s body as the bats chittered and screeched, the large horde flying around in a circle as they all seemed to grab onto Dick’s body and pull him up in the air. 

“Rach, what the fuck is happening?” Amelia asked, voice hoarse as she watched the bat version of Gar lead the others up and away with Dick’s body. “Where are they taking him?” 

“I think I know.” The teen replied softly, grabbing onto her hand. “Come on, we have to follow them.” 

A million questions raced through Amelia’s mind, but she pushed them to the back of her head and grabbed her mask off the ground, stuffing it in her utility belt, before she let Rachel pull her through the city and into a dark, dank crypt underneath an abandoned building. Stray bats chittered as they flew past them, Rachel leading her to a large pit in the ground filled with a dark green liquid inside of it. The energy emitting from the pool hummed with life as Rachel entered the room. 

“Gar, now!” The teen called out as she sat at the edge. 

Amelia dropped to her knees at the edge of the pit, panic seizing in her chest as the bats started lowering Dick’s body into the strange liquid. “What are they doing with him? What’s happening ?” 

“It’s called the Lazarus Pit.” Rachel explained as Dick’s body sunk deeper into the murky pool. “It has the ability to bring the dead back to life. That’s how Jason came back.” 

“Rachel.” Gar’s voice sounded out from in front of them, a breathlessness to his voice. He looked dazed as he stood there, shirtless from his transformation. “Is he gonna make it?” 

Rachel swallowed hard, “I don’t know.” 

—----------------

Dick never put a lot of thought into how he would die. He’s had too many near-death experiences to be able to pin-point how exactly he would want to go. He never speculated on where he would end up, but a damp cave with a bright, white light at the end of it seemed pretty accurate. He breathed out as he slowly approached the light. It was appealing, sure, but something didn’t feel right about it. 

“Is he gonna make it?” Gar’s voice echoed. 

“I don’t know.” Rachel. 

“He has too. I can’t do this without him.” Amelia. 

He looked around the rocky walls, brow furrowed. It almost sounded like they were in his head. 

“In the beginning, there was fear.” Crane’s voice echoed around, causing Dick to whip around, eyes wide. 

“Where am I?” 

“Eternity.”  

Crane approached slowly, surrounded by a halo of white light. “Your story begins the night your parents died. When Mommy and Daddy died, a door in you closed. You closed it in an attempt to avoid further pain. Didn’t quite work though, did it?” 

Circus lights, a rush of air. Screaming. Blood, so much blood. The memory raced through Dick’s mind as he let out a shaky breath. “What are you talking about?” 

“When a parent dies, it’s like the ground beneath you suddenly gives way.” Crane’s voice sounded from the other side and Dick turned, only for Crane to circle him. “You trust nothing good again, not fully.” 

Two white roses. Two headstones. Heartache and pain. Dick felt his eyes burn.  

“You live in fear. But Bruce Wayne , he showed you how to live with that fear.” The villain continued on. “Punish it, strike first. And then that’s all you had. Fear and rage.”

Blood soaked hands. Screams of pain. Bones crunching and snapping. Sharp steel meeting soft flesh. The warmth of blood splattering across his face. Fear and Rage. 

“You felt fear, and dealt rage.” Crane stepped closer as Dick flinched. “Don’t you get it? The battle for your soul…is over. You lost.” 

“Dick. Talk to me.” The sound of Rachel’s voice made Dick turn his head. 

“You chose the path,” Crane trailed off, “of Bruce Wayne.-” 

“Dick, please. I love you. Come back to me.” Amelia’s voice hung heavy in the air. 

“-But he was not your father. You are the son of John Grayson. And he would be so disappointed with the man that you’ve become.-” 

Dick felt his eyes burn again, a tear rolling down his cheek. 

“-You’re failing him. Just like you failed everyone.”  

Jericho. Donna. Hank. Jason. They had all died because of him. 

“Jason.” Crane’s voice droned on. “He never stood a chance. You always wanted him dead.” 

Dangling off the edge of the building. Jason hanging onto his hand, his fingers slipping from his grasp. The face of sheer terror as he fell. 

Dick’s jaw clenched as he shook his head. “No.” 

“So you killed him.” 

“ No , it was the Joker.”. 

Crane shook his head, expression solemn. “No. The Joker was just a weapon in your hands.” 

A coldness washed over Dick as maniacal cackles echoed around him, Joker’s distinct laugh making his skin crawl. A heavy weight drew him to look at his hand, a crowbar nestled tightly in his fist, green gloves squeezing the metal weapon. Snow fell from the air, multiple different colored plastic balls bounced to the ground. Dick looked down at himself, he was dressed in Joker’s purple and green suit. 

“You always wanted Jason gone.” Crane circled him, a smug look on his face. “So you abandoned him. You hated him. You wanted to be the Detective’s only son. And then Jason came and he took your place. He took your home….he took your father. It’s only a matter of time before he takes the woman you love too.”   

His jaw clenched again, anger welling up inside him as he looked down, the young Robin’s body laid out in front of him. Jason’s voice wavered as he spoke, “ Please .” 

“You holding a gun to his head tonight,” Crane drawled, “that was as predictable as the sun rising.” 

Dick clenched his fists, his dominant hand squeezing the crowbar as he raised it in the air, breathing heavily. Jason’s pleas morphed into garbled cries of pain as Dick pummeled the crowbar into him, blood soaking the metal and splattering across his face. A grunt escaped him as he slammed the crowbar back down, again. And again. And again. 

—------------------

Amelia sat in front of the Lazarus Pit, staring into its murky, green depths with her legs pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around herself like a security blanket. She didn’t know how long it had been since Dick was submerged in the pit, but it was longer than she would have liked. Rachel had helped clean Dick’s blood from her shaky hands and her suit before kneeling next to her, staring into the pool, as Gar groaned out to the right of them, pulling on a shirt. “Can you sense him in there?” 

“He has to fight, Gar.” She answered softly, before meeting Amelia’s anguished gaze. “I’m sorry. We can’t help him anymore. He has to fight.” 

“It’s okay. He will. I know he will.” Amelia croaked, wiping her tear stained cheeks before she stared into the pit again. She tore her gloves off and stuffed them in the same pocket where her mask was, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself like a shield as she breathed out a shaky sigh. 

The liquid inside the pit swirled in a mix of greens and yellows. Rachel and Gar had started up their own conversation, but Amelia paid them no mind. A deep ache had settled itself in her chest, a hollow feeling developing where her heart laid. Her eyes burned from crying, throat raw from screaming, and her whole body felt fatigued, almost numb. The crypt seemed to melt away as she got lost in her memories, remembering the day she first met Dick when she was six years old. 

Her mother had told her she’d be right back, leaving her sitting just outside the entrance to Haly’s Circus. She didn’t remember too much about the night her mother abandoned her, only the little acrobat boy who happened to walk past her. 

“Hey! Circus boy! Have you seen my mommy? She looks like me, but she's tall.” 

“No, sorry.  Maybe my mommy and daddy can help you. Come with me. My name’s Richard, but everyone calls me Dick.” 

“Your name’s funny.” 

“It’s not funny. Your name is funny.” 

“You don’t know my name, circus boy.” 

“Well, what is it, then?” 

“Amelia. I think I like you. You’re gonna be my best friend forever now.” 

“I already have a best friend, Amelia.” 

“Yeah, it’s me. Duh. Best friends have nicknames for each other, you can think of one for me while we walk. I think I’ll call you…. Dickie.” 

“I don’t like that name.” 

“Too bad, Dickie.” 

Amelia smiled to herself, sniffling as more tears ran down her cheeks. She may have lost her only family that night, but she gained a new one in the Graysons. Mary and John welcomed her with open arms, happy that their son had found someone his own age to play with. That best friend that Dick had told her about was Atlas the Strongman or, to his friends, Clay Williams. He had quickly become a friend of hers too, treating her like the daughter he never had. 

The memory was quickly taken over by a new one. The night she realized Dick was Robin. It was a couple years after Selina had found her on the streets of Gotham. She had just started robbing jewelry stores by herself as Calico. Batman had started sending Robin on patrols by himself, letting him deal with the low-level criminals. They were no older than sixteen. She had just finished stuffing everything she could in her utility belt and had strategically made her exit onto the rooftops, only to be stopped by Robin standing in her path. 

“Nice of you to join me, boy wonder, but I was just on my way out.” 

“Nice haul. But unfortunately it’s not going with you.” 

“Does the big, bad, Bat know you’re out here all by yourself? Seems like it’s past your bedtime.”    

“Unfortunately for you, Batman doesn’t put me on a curfew. Though, now that I think about it, it looks like you’re the one that needs a little supervision.” 

“I’ll be sure to pass the message along to Catwoman when I get home with her haul.” 

“Like I said before, Calico. Those jewels aren’t going with you.” 

“You want ‘em, pretty bird? Come and get ‘em.” 

He had chased her from rooftop to rooftop, only to finally catch her on top of some abandoned warehouse. They had fought and matched each other’s moves perfectly. His flips and agile movements always rang alarm bells in her head, but she would push it into the back of her mind every time they fought. It wasn’t until he had her pinned down that she had truly looked at the boy behind the mask. 

“Dickie?” 

“What? How do you-?.....Ames?” 

“Oh my god! It’s you! It’s really you!” 

“Amelia! Where-How-? I thought I’d never see you again.” 

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Dickie. I told you we’d be best friends forever.” 

Another memory hit her at full force, one more recent. It was a couple days before they got the call to come to Gotham. Titans Tower was still their home. It was late into the night, the day had gone smoothly - no criminals that needed to be taken down or big bads threatening the city. Everything was normal and quiet. Tension had built between them throughout the day, resulting in them holing up in their room for the night, naked and satiated. She had laid her head on his bare chest, while his fingers lazily brushed against her back. The question escaped her before she could stop it. 

“What do you think our future looks like?” 

“As long as it has you in it, Ames, I’m happy with whatever it’ll be.” 

“Stop, I’m serious!” 

“I am too!” 

“That’s like, the worst answer you could give me. It’s too vague.” 

“Alright, fine. I think…we’d eventually move out of the tower, have our own place. How do you feel about a dog?” 

“A dog? Contrary to popular belief, I like dogs. Way more than cats. Selina had waaaay too many cats.” 

“Okay, so, a dog. Just us and a dog. What about….kids?” 

“Kids? I mean, I don’t not like them. Rachel was certainly a hand- oh. You mean, like, a baby…and having one.” 

“I’m perfectly fine if you don’t-” 

“Well, wait. I-I don’t know. I mean, it’s kind of hard to picture myself barefoot and pregnant. I don’t think I’d have the patience for it. I feel like there’s a difference between having one and…. acquiring one. Kind of like how we took on Rachel, or even Gar or Connor.” 

“Well, I’m serious when I say I’m happy with whatever you want. Like I said before, as long as you’re with me, I’m content with whatever happens.” 

“......That was disgustingly sweet. It makes me want to punch you for even saying it. You’re so lucky that I love your stupid face, Grayson.” 

“I love you, too, Ames.” 

  The Lazarus pit bubbled and gurgled, the noise breaking Amelia out of her thoughts. The wetness on her cheeks didn’t surprise her, but she hadn’t even realized she had been crying again. The liquid in the pit seemed to come alive as she stared into it, an almost violent nature taking it over. Her heart pounded in her chest, hands shaking as she looked over at Gar and Rachel, the two sitting close to one another. 

“Guys! Something’s happening!” 

—-----------------

Dick grunted as he slammed the crowbar down across Jason’s face, blood splattering from the impact. His breath came out in heavy pants as he stared down at the lifeless body in front of him, his anger slowly dissipating the longer he stood there staring.

“You’re mine now.” Crane smirked, “And you are never going to escape.” 

Dick lifted the crowbar, almost like his body was on autopilot. He grunted again, jaw clenching as he fought against the invisible force that beckoned him to slam the metal weapon back down again. “I don’t want this.” 

The minute the words left his mouth, his hand opened, the crowbar dropping to the ground with a resounding clang. A bright white light surrounded him, a warmth spreading through his body before it slowly dissipated, his surroundings changing. He was no longer in that dark cave, he was standing in the woods. 

His brow furrowed as he looked around, the sound of a child’s laughter echoing through the air. He turned his head towards the noise, eyes widening as he saw a young boy laughing along with his father, the two jogging in his direction. 

“Dad?” 

John Grayson slowly made his way over, picking up the younger version of his son on the way. An ache settled in Dick’s chest as he stood face to face with his father, his eyes watering. 

“Dad, I’m sorry.” Dick started, voice low and hoarse. “I lost my way. I was trying to be someone I’m not. And I failed you.”  

“It’s okay, son.” A small smile curled at John’s lips. “I love you.” 

He felt his eyes burn at the edges as he furrowed his brow again, jaw clenched to keep himself from crying. The grief he felt was still there, that ache in his chest a reminder of it, but hearing his father say those three words lessened it. It helped heal something that was broken inside of him. He turned, watching his father continue walking down the trail with the younger version of himself in his arms until he disappeared all together. 

“Daddy, come here!” 

A younger, more high pitched voice sounded from behind him. Dick slowly turned around, his breath caught in his throat at the little girl, no older than five, standing in front of him in a light blue dress and holding onto a pink balloon. Her big green eyes stared at him in wonder as he knelt down, letting her toddle her way towards him. Her chestnut brown hair was twisted into a braid that sat against her shoulder. She smiled a toothy grin as she handed him her balloon and he smiled back. 

The little girl giggled, “Hi, Daddy!” 

He didn’t know who this child was or why she didn’t resemble him or even Amelia, but seeing her felt right. Hearing her call out to him felt right. It felt like something worth fighting for. It felt like home. 

“Mary, tell your Daddy that he gets no cake if he doesn’t get his butt over here!” Amelia’s voice broke through the air, a teasing lit to her tone. 

“Momma!” 

He looked up from the little girl, Mary, and came face to face with Amelia, her hands resting on her hips with that same leather jacket she always wore covering her. She lifted the giggling girl into arms, nuzzling her nose into her cheek before looking back down at Dick, her free hand extending out to grab his own.  

“Come on, pretty bird. We’re all waiting for you.” 

His heart quickened in his chest as he reached out to her, the moment in front of him quickly fading away as he blinked, the familiar walls of the Batcave surrounding him. That feeling of hopefulness and love was quickly replaced by dread as Crane’s voice echoed around him. 

“‘What huge imago made. A psychopathic god-” 

Dick stood up slowly, eyeing the Batcomputer console in front of him. The screens fizzled with static as he approached, finding an open notebook laid out with a leather bound book of poems sitting next to it. Crane’s voice droned on.  

“-I and the public know; what all schoolchildren learn; those to whom evil is done. Do evil in return.” 

Dick blinked again, his eyes staring down at his own reflection in the small pool of blood sitting in front of him. He looked up, recognizing the town square in Gotham where he had fought Jason, the teen standing in front of him with a scared look on his face. 

“Jason.” Dick voiced, only getting a scared gasp in return. 

Crane appeared in front of him suddenly, pushing Jason out of the way. “Your father wasn’t the only one you failed. You failed Jason as well.” 

Dick’s jaw clenched, “There’s still time.” 

“Time for what ?” 

“Time to change him.” 

“To change? No.” Crane let out a delirious laugh. “No, no, no. He works for me now. All it took was a simple fear treaty. And poof! His soul was mine.” 

“I can stop you.” Dick’s nostrils flared with anger.

“No, you can never stop me now. You had your chance and you failed .”  

An almost protective feeling enveloped him, mixing with his anger for Crane. He clenched his jaw harder, face twitching in restraint before he let the feeling out. He pulled his fist back and punched. 

—--------------

A startled gasp escaped Amelia’s lips as she stood with Rachel and Gar on the edge of the Lazurus pit, the liquid sloshing and bubbling. Dick’s arm broke through the surface, his fist clenched, before his head emerged from underneath the murky depths. He swam to the edge of the pit and pulled himself out, sputtering and coughing as he laid out on the ground of the crypt. 

Amelia couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as she quickly fell to her knees next to him. His Nightwing suit was gone, replaced by civilian clothes. She didn’t know how the fuck that happened, but she didn’t question it, only sobbing in relief as he let out a deep breath in exhaustion, his entire body soaked. 

He slowly sat himself up, gaining his bearings again, his eyes focusing on the three people in front of him one by one. “Rachel. Gar.” He let out another breath as he focused on the pair of brown eyes in front of him. “Amelia.”   

She launched herself into his arms, her body trembling as she urgently pressed her lips to his. She kissed him like he was the air she needed to breathe and he responded just as passionately, his hands cupping her wet cheeks. The empty ache in her chest was quickly taken over by the pounding of her heart. Her tears mixed with the water that drenched his form, but neither of them cared. Nothing else mattered in this moment but the feeling of love and relief that they poured into each kiss they shared. Their breath came out in heavy pants as they pulled away from each other, foreheads resting against one another as they stared into each other's eyes. 

“Dick, oh my god.” Amelia choked out, her voice hoarse as she pulled away to wrap her arms around him, burying her face into his neck. “I thought I lost you. Y-You were dead , I-” 

He returned her affection, wrapping his own arms around her as he felt her body tremble again. “It’s okay, Ames. I’m okay, baby. I’m here.” 

“Are you alright?” Rachel questioned him softly, kneeling down next to Amelia as she pulled away from him. 

Dick sighed, eyes closing as he held his head, an almost fuzzy feeling wrapping around his brain. Amelia quickly brought her own hand up, pushing his wet locks out of his eyes, before sliding it down to his cheek. He met her loving gaze as he opened his eyes, taking her hand from his cheek and intertwining it with his own. 

“Wha-What happened down there?” Gar interjected, causing Dick to flicker his attention towards him. 

The answers that he discovered from the pit seemed to hit him all at once, his eyes widening as he dropped Amelia’s hand and launched himself off the ground. “Crane can be stopped. There’s still time.”

Amelia scrambled to get up, Rachel and Gar doing the same, as Dick continued to walk towards the opening of the crypt. 

“Dick, wait!” Amelia called out, grabbing onto his wrist to stop him. “Are you insane? You need rest.”

“Anton and First Street, there’s an abandoned radio control room. Amelia can take you there.” He looked towards Rachel and Gar. “Find Connor. Make sure he’s okay. Unite the Titans.”

The two teens sent him an incredulous look. Amelia’s eyes widened as he continued to walk away, a new sense of determination behind his steps. 

“Reunite the Titans where?” Rachel called out. 

“Find Donna!” 

Amelia quickly followed after him, leaving the two teens without looking back. She grabbed Dick’s arm, stopping him in the long hallway, her eyes burning. “Wait, you can’t just leave again! I-I just got you back. Tell me what’s going on, please .” 

Dick’s eyes softened at the frightened look on her face, shoulders dropping in an effort to calm himself. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, thumbs wiping away the stray tears that fell. “I’m sorry, I know. I wish I could stay here and explain everything to you, but Ames, we don’t have much time. You have to trust me on this.” 

A million unanswered questions raced through her mind, but she pushed them away. Whatever happened to Dick in the pit, it changed him somehow, and whether that was for good or not, she’d find out eventually. As much as she hated it, now wasn’t the time to dwell on the unexplained, if Dick was right about Donna being alive and the team being able to stop Crane, she’d just have to take his word for it. 

Her gaze bore into his own and without a second thought she pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back without hesitation, lips moving urgently against hers as his hands dropped to her waist and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, pouring everything she couldn’t say into it, her body melting against his. 

After a few moments, he slowly pulled away, his forehead pressing against hers as he tried to catch his breath. She brushed her nose against his before kissing him again, slow and sweet, before pulling away. 

“Be careful, please .” Amelia breathed out, her warm breath fanning across his face as he kept her close. “I love you, pretty bird.”  

“I love you, too, Ames.” Dick whispered, pressing one last kiss to her forehead before reluctantly letting go. He took a step back, his gaze lingering on her face. She smiled softly at him. 

“I’ll be back, I promise.” He said, his voice firm and resolute, starting to make his way out of the crypt again. “Find Connor and Donna. Bring the Titans together.”

With those last words, he disappeared from her view. With a new sense of determination, Amelia yelled out down the long hallway as she put her mask and gloves on. “Rach, Gar! Get me out of this death cave! Operation: Unite the Titans is a go!” 

Chapter Text

Night was starting to settle in on Gotham, the darkness carrying a new sense of dread with it. Amelia had led Rachel and Gar to the abandoned radio console station, only to find kryptonite dust on the floor and no sign of Connor. The only good thing that came out of their trip was the radio crackling to life, Tim’s voice on the other end repeating out coordinates and about having a Titan on sight.

The three had quickly made their way towards Tim’s location, gunfire echoing through the cold, night air. Multiple sets of flashing lights started to appear as they got closer to the scene, coming up behind the large barricade of armed officers. Amelia nodded towards Rachel, directing her to focus her powers on the officers. Purple and black tendrils enveloped each officer, their shooting coming to a halt as they screamed. A smirk curled at Amelia’s lips as she followed behind Rachel, the two walking through the barricade as the teen subdued the remaining officers before retracting her powers. 

A roar sounded to the left of them, Gar running up to a lone officer in his tiger form. The armed man raised his gun towards the green tiger, only to fall to the ground unconscious as Gar let out another loud roar. 

Amelia smiled as she spotted Donna, looking as alive as ever. An armored truck sat behind her, three people she didn’t recognize and Tim all standing around it. Gar ran up to Rachel and Amelia, still in his tiger form, as the three of them made their way towards Donna. 

“Why don’t you get out of that fur suit and come say hi?” Donna teased their animal friend, shaking her head with a smile on her face as Gar let out a happy grumble in response before running off to change. 

“Well look who it is,” Amelia beamed, pulling Donna in for a hug. “You know I cried at your funeral, I feel like you should be offering me some emotional compensation.” 

Donna pulled back from the hug, playfully rolling her eyes as she smiled at her friend. “I missed you, too, Amelia.”  

“Jeez, you look good for someone who’s undead.” Rachel joked, a smile pulling at her lips as Donna pulled her in for a hug next. 

“Oh, that’s sweet.” She crooned, before releasing the teen. “Hey, look. Lydia told me that you held vigil for me. I really appreciate that.” 

“Well, it probably did more for me than it did for you, but, hey, I tried.” 

“Funny how that works, huh?” Donna smiled again as she spotted Gar jogging towards them. “Hey, kiddo!” 

Gar let out an incredulous laugh as he enveloped Donna in his arms. “If it ain’t Wonder Girl, the sequel!” 

The two laughed, pulling away from each other. Amelia cleared her throat, “Sorry to cut this reunion short, but Dick sent us. There’s something going down with Crane and we need to go.” 

Donna looked back towards where Tim stood, more police sirens wailing in the distance. “We’re gonna need a minute.” 

Amelia followed her gaze, watching as Tim hugged the two older adults in the group, most likely his parents, before making his way over towards them, a smile on his face. Donna let out a soft chuckle, “Called it.” 

—--------------------

The engine of the Porsche roared as Dick pressed down on the gas pedal. Once he had left the crypt, he had confronted Jason. If they were going to have any chance at taking Crane down, they need Jason on their side. After an intense conversation, Jason had agreed to help, deciding that he wanted Crane gone as much as the Titans did. 

Their truce and one of Bruce’s expensive, high tech cars had led them to a vault of villain keepsakes where Bruce had displayed his more dangerous tokens. From Penguin's umbrella to one of Joker’s laughing gas bombs, he had it all stored in there. This included vials of Scarecrow’s toxin. When Dick and Jason had arrived, the vials were gone and replaced by a book of poems. A single poem was marked and only Dick understood the meaning behind it. 

“One poem, multiple bombs.” Dick mused, his eyes focused on the empty road. “Clues to where the bombs are, are placed in the poem.” 

“What’s the plan?” Jason asked. 

“Find some supers and stop the bombs from going off.”

Jason’s eyes widened as he looked over at him, “Titans? What are they gonna do when they see me ? Your girlfriend’s gonna have my head after what I did.” 

Dick pulled the car over on the side of the road. “They’re not.” 

“What’s going on?” 

“Get out.” 

 “ Out? ” 

“I can’t bring you back to the Titans. It’ll cause a war.” Dick explained, letting out a breath. “But I do need you.” 

Jason scoffed, “So I’m your dirty little secret?” 

“You want to help us and get back on Amelia’s good side, this is the way it’s gonna be. I can only fight one war at a time.” 

It was silent for a moment, before the teen let out a sigh. “When do you need me?”

“If you don’t hear from me before, meet me back here in three hours.” Dick raised his brow, “Got it?” 

“Yeah.” With a slight huff, Jason opened the car door, got out, and pushed the door shut. 

Putting the car back into drive, Dick pressed down on the gas pedal and sped off down the road, tires squealing. It wasn’t long until static started to crackle on the complex radio system in the car, a familiar voice starting to come through. 

“Dick, do you copy?” 

His brow furrowed, “Barbara?” 

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Are you?” 

“I’m fine. Vee busted me out, apparently she’s working for A.R.G.U.S.” 

“A.R.G.U.S. is in Gotham?” 

“Long story. Basically, Vee isn’t who she said she was. We’re getting the A.R.G.U.S. satellite locked in on you. We’ve already contacted the other Titans and activated their comms. They’re meeting in a Chinatown hideout.” 

“Good. Crane is about to blow Gotham to pieces. We need all hands on deck.”  

“Yeah. Happy to help.” 

He pressed down harder on the gas pedal as his eyes caught a bright light shining against one of the many buildings in Gotham. “The T-signal. Nice touch.”  

“What was that?” 

“It’s shining on a building off Gotham Plaza.” He explained, brow furrowing as static crackled on the radio. 

“This is Doctor Jonathan Crane for Dick Grayson.”

Crane’s voice broke through the radio, causing Dick’s jaw to clench in response. 

“This is only the beginning. There are ten bombs across the city. How many can you find? How many will die? September has finally come, and the season of the harvest is upon you.” 

“Dick, is everything okay?” Barbara’s voice sounded through the radio. “We lost you for a few seconds.” 

“Get a call out to anyone near Gotham Plaza.” He ordered, heart pounding in his chest. “Tell them to stay inside.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, a large cloud of fire and smoke burst from one of the buildings a couple miles away from him. He slammed down on the brakes, tires squealing, as green smoke and ash floated through the air, the top of the building collapsing in on itself. He quickly got out of the car, watching the toxin spread through Gotham Plaza, the sound of screams echoing in the distance. Scarecrow’s reign of terror had officially begun.  

—--------------

The hideout in Chinatown was ridiculously well equipped, thanks to Tim. Amelia had found out that he had set everything up on his own over the years, using it to track Batman, the two former Robins, Calico, and the Titans. Now, it was the Titans’ saving grace. They had all met up at the small hideout, Dick being the last one to arrive. He had filled them all in on everything going on, the ten bombs hiding throughout Gotham, the poem Crane used to hide the locations, and the green toxin polluting the air. Once everyone was split into groups and assigned a line from the poem, they all got to work. 

Amelia stood with Kory and Donna, going over one of the lines of the poem and scouring over a map of Gotham. She pinched the bridge of her nose to lessen the pounding in her head. They had been going at this for at least an hour.

Dick made his way over after checking in with the other groups, nodding his head towards them in greeting. “Hey, how’s it going?” 

Donna scoffed, “Like trying to find ten invisible needles in a thousand haystacks.” 

“At the bottom of the ocean.” Kory added, frustration visible on her face. 

“Riddler isn’t even this complex.” Amelia muttered, brow furrowing as she stared at a map of Gotham.

“Look, if these bombs go off, we’ll need a plan to save these people.” Dick responded, voice low. 

“It’s a deadly toxin.” Donna emphasized, slightly exasperated. “I don’t know what kind of plan we’re talking about, Dick.” 

Amelia let out an annoyed sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. Dick did the same, jaw clenched as they stood side by side. Everything was becoming increasingly more difficult. If they couldn't locate those bombs soon, the entire population of Gotham would be dead, including themselves. It’s not like they had the power to bring people back- 

Amelia’s eyes widened as the lightbulb went off in her head. “What about the Lazarus Pit?” 

“Yeah, but we can’t bring the whole city to the Pit.” Donna refuted, meeting her gaze. 

“Unless we can somehow figure out a way to bring the Pit to the city.” Kory countered, looking between her and Donna. 

Dick nodded, voice stern as he turned to walk away. “Try to find a way.” 

Kory furrowed her brow, interjecting. “Don’t expect miracles here.” 

“I absolutely expect miracles.” He retorted, whipping back around to face her.

Amelia let out a nervous chuckle as she grabbed his arm, feeling the tension radiating off him in waves. “ Okay! I’m gonna pull you away now.” She started leading him away from the two women as she called out to them. “Let us know when you find that miracle, please and thank you.” 

She pulled Dick over to one of the computer desks, watching as he rubbed a hand down his face in frustration, his whole body wound tight from stress. She turned him to face her, meeting his tired eyes. “We’re all trying our best here, pretty bird. Take it down a couple notches.” 

“I know, I know.” He sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. “I didn’t mean to snap at Kory. I’ll apologize to her later.” 

“Good.” Amelia nodded, before she let her gaze land on Connor. “I think there’s someone else you need to apologize to. Pulling out the kryptonite dust was a pretty low move. I should probably do the same, honestly. I totally ditched him that night.” 

He grimaced, before following her gaze. The younger super was leaning over a large book with Blackfire. Dick let out a breath, “Hey Connor, can we talk to you for a second?” 

Connor looked up at the call of his name, eyes questioningly landing on both Dick and Amelia before he made his way over to them. 

“Listen, about what happened-” Dick started, only for Connor to cut him off, shaking his head. 

“You did what you had to do. I know what it’s like.” He glanced back at Blackfire before turning back. “I did what I had to do, too. We have bigger things to worry about now.”

Connor held out his hand to Dick, the two of them shaking hands and nodding to each other. Amelia snorted at their weird, guy handshake before addressing Connor. “Well, I’m sorry for ditching you that night, mini supe.”

He chuckled, “It’s okay. I knew you weren’t going to come back anyway, you're not a very good liar, Amelia.” 

Her mouth gaped open at his admittance, eyes narrowing in disbelief as he walked away to continue researching with Blackfire. She scoffed as she met Dick’s slightly amused gaze. “I’m a great liar! Right? ”  

“He’s not wrong, Ames.” 

“Shut up. I’m an amazing liar. That’s why I’m so good at poker games.” She mused, smirking to herself. 

Dick’s brow furrowed as he looked around the room, studying each group of Titans struggling to put the clues together. He thought back to Amelia’s statement, the word game ringing in his head like an alarm bell. His face twisted into one of annoyance, more at himself than anything for not noticing it sooner. 

“Alright, everybody stop!” He called out, causing everyone to look up, Amelia’s brow furrowing as she looked at him. “Forget the poem, forget the clues. We’ve been going about this all wrong.” 

He let out a sigh as he took out his phone, instantly dialing Barbara’s number and walking into the hallway. The team all turned their heads towards Amelia next, looking at her expectantly. 

Her eyes widened at all the pairs of eyes on her as she shrugged. “Don’t look at me! I don’t know what’s going on either.”   

Meanwhile, Dick stepped into the hallway, phone to his ear as it beeped, connecting his call. “Barb?” 

“Talk to me.” Barbara answered. 

“ This , all of this, all of us racking our brains, following clues, chasing our tails.” Dick rambled frantically. “We’re playing right into his hands” 

“Whoa, Dick, slow down.” Vee’s voice sounded through his phone. 

“This is all just a fucking game to him. He wants us to run around Gotham looking for his bombs, just like Batman would’ve.” 

“You’re right.” Barbara replied. “To him, you and I might as well just be Bruce and Jim.” 

“It’s the same old game over and over again.”  

“So, let’s not play it anymore.” 

“Wait.” Vee interjected, her voice coming through the speaker. “We’re not going to look for the bombs?” 

“No, we’re not.” Dick replied, letting out a breath. “Can the A.R.G.U.S. satellite initiate a computer override?” 

Barbara’s voice sounded out, “Uh, yeah. If we can establish remote access to the mainframe, maybe. Why?” 

“We’re going to beat Crane by doing what Batman never would.” He remarked, lowly. “We’re going to Wayne Manor, but not the way he expects.”  

“Um, Dick?” 

He turned around, taking his phone away from his ear as he noticed Kory and Donna standing in the hallway, looking at him expectantly. 

Kory sent him a sheepish smile, “About that miracle you asked for, I think we’ve got it.” 

—--------------

While Connor, Kory, Blackfire, Donna, and Rachel worked on their Lazarus Pit storm cloud idea, Amelia took off with Dick, Tim and Gar. She didn’t know how their magical storm cloud was going to work, but she’d figured her energy would be better spent helping break into Wayne Manor. She may not know how most science worked, but she did know her way around an intricate alarm system. 

Dick pulled the Porsche to a stop on the outskirts of Wayne Manor and cut the ignition before getting out of the car. Amelia pulled herself out of the passenger seat as Gar and Tim got out of the back. They all met in front of the car.

“We need to get inside Wayne Manor before Crane sets off the other bombs.” Dick explained, voice firm. “Kory, Rachel, and Blackfire are gonna drain the Lazarus Pit, and use it to try and bring back people that have already died. There’s not enough for the whole city, so we have exactly one shot at this.”     

He turned his gaze towards Gar, the latter giving him a confused look in return. “Wait. Why are you looking at me?” 

“You saved my life by turning into a bat. Think you can do it again?” 

Gar let out an exasperated scoff, “I’m pretty sure I can’t . When I did it, when I turned into a bat I was part of a hive mind, thinking with a hundred brains. It was loud and confusing, and I was flying! I was so dizzy afterwards, I could barely walk.” 

“I didn’t say it’d be easy.” Dick chided, shaking his head. “But once you get inside, I need you to go to the keypad in the hall and shut off the security system, so I can send Amelia in after you. Barbara needs to access Wayne Manor’s computer network. There’s a router in my room. When you get in, I’ll talk you two through setting it up.” 

The green haired teen let out a sigh, “Okay. Okay, I’m in.” He started to make his way towards the edge of the property before turning back around. “Wait, uh, what’s the code?” 

“Well, it’s five digits and the last person to set it up was Jason Todd.” Dick retorted, turning on a walkie talkie as he leaned against the car. Amelia made her way over towards him, taking a seat on the hood and unsheathing one of her ring daggers, twirling it around her finger. 

A knowing look crossed Gar’s face before he nodded. “Got it.” 

Tim’s brow furrowed, “Wait, what is it?” 

“Four-twenty, sixty-nine.” He smirked, before running off towards Wayne Manor. 

Amelia snorted in amusement as Tim muttered, “That tracks.” 

He turned back around to face her and Dick, an almost nervous expression on his face as he spoke. “Uh, Dick, I didn’t want to say anything, but Wayne Manor is crawling with GCPD. When they hear the alarm, Gar’s cooked.” 

“Don’t worry.” Dick placated, posture relaxed as he wrapped an arm around Amelia’s shoulders. “I’ve got that covered.” 

“I’m in.” Gar’s voice sounded from the walkie, seemingly breathless. 

“Good.” Dick responded, pressing down on the talk button. “Head down the hall and shut off the alarm. I’m sending Amelia in now.” 

A teasing smile curled at her lips as he released her, comm unit sitting in her ear. She turned around to face him, still twirling her dagger and walking slowly backwards as she spoke. “Think my usual window is still unlocked?” 

He smiled back at her affectionately, the memory of her breaking into the manor to see him at the forefront of his mind. “It’s always unlocked for you, especially since you broke it.” 

“You would think Bruce would have fixed it by now.” She mused, before letting out a content sigh and sheathing her dagger. “Oh, how I’ve missed breaking and entering.” 

With those last words, she took off towards the manor. It wasn’t that far off from where they parked, the run taking her less than a minute. She huffed as she came up to the side of the large mansion where the window to Dick’s old room sat. It was on the second floor, but that didn’t matter much to her. With complete ease, she scaled the rain gutter, before launching herself towards the second floor balcony, hands grasping at the edge of the banister before pulling herself up and over it. She narrowed her eyes as she spotted the window before making her way to the other side of the balcony and climbing up on the banister, balancing herself along the edge. With practiced grace, she jumped towards the window’s ledge and grabbed onto it. Digging the toes of her boots into the stone wall’s cracks, she reached up with one hand and pushed open the double windows, hoisting herself up and through the open window, landing flat on her feet. 

Her eyes instantly landed on Gar, his face lit up with shock and amazement as he stared at her, having watched her whole routine. “What?” 

He let out an astonished chuckle, “ How? How did you do that?” 

“I’m a reformed cat burglar, remember? Also, this isn’t my first time sneaking into Dick’s room.” 

A disgusted look crossed his face, “I don’t want to know anymore.” 

She huffed, “I didn’t mean in- you know what? Nevermind, let’s just find this router.” 

The two quickly split up, searching their respective sides of the room. Amelia looked around at the walls, searching for any sign of wiring, while Gar rummaged through drawers. 

“I don’t see it.” He groused into his comm, closing the drawer he was looking through. 

Dick’s voice sounded in both their ears, “Okay, look down the left leg of the nightstand. There’s a button on the back.” 

Amelia quickly made her way over towards Gar, arms crossed with an amused expression on her face as she watched him determine which side was left and right. He kneeled down on the ground, hand searching underneath the nightstand before a click and a beep sounded, opening up a secret compartment in the drawer. He reached inside before pulling out a small, almost flash drive looking device. 

Amelia pressed her comms unit, “Got it, pretty bird.” 

She followed Gar out of the room, the two running towards the digital security system panel on the wall. She let out a grunt as Gar started backtracking right into her. She grabbed him by the shoulders, physically moving him out of her way as she peered around the corner. “What the fuck, dude? What’s-Oh you little fucking shit!” 

Her eyes instantly narrowed in on Jason standing a few feet away from them, gun in hand, eyes wide as he stared at her. With ridiculous speed, she grabbed one of her ring daggers, ready to throw it at his head. 

“Wait! Wait! Dick sent me, okay!?” Jason yelled out, eyes pleading. “I know you're pissed at me, but I’m on your side.” 

Her narrowed stare never wavered as she held her dagger in the air, Gar standing slightly behind her with an unsure expression on his face. Heavy footsteps sounded from down the hallway, an armed officer rounding the corner. Before he could even process the three of them standing there, Jason whipped around, shooting him in the chest. 

“See?” He pressed, turning back around to look at them again. 

“Thanks.” Gar breathed out. 

With her eyes still narrowed, she slowly lowered her dagger before storing it back in its holster on her thigh. 

“Set up the router, I got the hall.” Jason replied, slightly breathless. He nodded towards Amelia, lightly tossing one of his pistols to her as she caught it with ease. “Here, just in case.” 

She tossed the weapon back to him, rolling her eyes. “I’ll make do with my daggers and whip, thanks. Let’s go, Gar.” 

With wide eyes, Gar nodded and led the way back towards the security panel. She made her move to follow him, only halting in her steps when Jason called out her name. 

“Uh, Amelia?” 

She looked over at him, meeting his nervous gaze. He swallowed hard, “I know you hate me right now, but I’m really fucking sorry.” 

Amelia looked down at her boots, swallowing the lump in her throat. She was still beyond pissed at him for leaving her and Dick that night, but her heart still felt for him, even after everything he had done. 

“Help us take down Crane, then I’ll accept your apology.” 

Without another word, she made her way back to the security panel. Gar was leaning against the wall, holding the router in one hand as he spoke through his comms. “Okay, Dick, we’re here. What do we do?” 

Dick’s voice reverberated through both their ears, “Okay, I need you to connect the router to the Wayne Manor mainframe. Slide the security panel cover straight up. It should come right off.” 

The sound of Dick’s voice in her ear made annoyance well up inside her. She watched Gar slide the security panel up as she pressed her comms unit on and hissed. “You’re so lucky I’m in the manor right now, Dick Grayson, or you would be dead . Again. ” 

“You should have told us about Jason.” Gar added, putting the security panel cover down on the table next to him.  

“Would you two have gone inside if I had?” 

The green haired teen scoffed, “You still should have told us.” 

“Especially me.” She scolded, arms crossed over her chest. “Alright, panel’s off.” 

“Okay, hold on. You’re not done yet.” 

The boom of gunfire made Amelia whip around, grabbing both daggers from their holsters. A series of grunts and heavy footing made her look back at Gar. “Stay here. Keep working on the router.” 

“Ames? Gar?” Dick’s worried tone sounded in her ear and she pressed her comms unit, effectively cutting him off, before running back towards Jason. 

She met him in the hallway, eyes wide as she took in the eight downed officers surrounding him. He met her gaze, breathing heavily. A smirk curled at her lips, “Impressive, baby bird.” 

Jason rolled his eyes, suppressing the small smile that threatened to bloom. “I hate when you call me that.” 

“Too bad.” 

The sound of more gunfire coming from downstairs made them move. She booked it down the stairs next to Jason, before they both snuck around the corner and into the foyer, weapons ready. Gar emerged from the other side, holding onto a shoe as a makeshift weapon.

Dick stood in the middle of the foyer, clad in his Nightwing suit and surrounded by multiple downed officers. Amelia let out a breath when she saw him, sheathing her daggers and making her way over to him, Gar following. She watched as Dick walked up to the security camera installed just outside the secret door to the Batcave, a smile on his face as he saluted at it, Crane most likely watching their every move.

Dick looked back at the three of them before nodding his head towards the Batcave. “It’s time. Let’s go.”  

Grabbing her whip off her belt, Amelia followed after him, only to halt her steps at the sound of Jason’s voice. “No.”

Dick motioned for Gar to open the entrance to the Batcave before sharing a look with Amelia, the two slowly approaching Jason. 

“Look, this is a Titans job.” He continued, voice low. “He knows I turned on him, and that’s enough for me. You guys finish it.”  

Dick muttered, “You sure?” 

“Yeah. And tell the others I’m sorry, for everything.” 

Amelia’s eyes softened behind her mask, “Thank you, Jason. I mean it.” 

He shrugged, a faux scoff leaving his lips. “I don’t know what you're talking about. I was never here.” 

With those last words, Jason left. The distinct click of the entrance to the Batcave made Amelia and Dick turn around, Gar beaming at them as the door opened. Amelia suppressed a laugh as Tim wandered into the room, most likely having been running around trying to find them, a look of astonishment on his face as he watched the three of them make their way into the Batcave before following.

They all made their way into the control room of the cave, watching as Crane hovered anxiously over the Batcomputer, his electronic detonators failing in front of his eyes. He turned, eyes crazed as he spotted them.

“I asked Barbara to set up a duplicate screen.” Dick spoke, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You didn’t detonate anything.” 

Amelia twirled her whip as Crane’s eyes moved to her and she tilted her head. “Cat got your tongue, Scarecrow?” 

“What’s the matter?” Dick taunted, stepping closer. “All your clever hopes and dreams just expire?” 

 Crane remained silent as he cautiously stared at them, huffing in resignation. Dick smiled, “Hey, Tim. You’ve always wanted to see the Batcave. Well, here it is. What do you think?” 

Tim narrowed his eyes in Crane’s direction. “I think it’s a little crowded.” 

“I agree.” Gar mused, nodding his head. 

Amelia smiled wide, nudging the older teen in the arm. “Tim, why don’t you do the honors?” 

She watched proudly as Tim walked up to Scarecrow, fear absent in his expression. Crane scoffed, tilting his head. “And who are you supposed to be, huh?” 

“My name is Tim Drake.” He griped, voice low and steady. “You tried to kill my family. You failed .” With quick precision, he curled his hand into a fist before punching Crane square in the face, knocking the man onto the ground. “That’s for Gotham, bitch.” 

With a smile still on her face, Amelia attached her whip back to her belt as Tim turned back to them, breathing heavily. Dick pressed his comms unit on, “Barbara, tell me something good.” 

A beep sounded from the Batcomputer, an automated voice echoing through the speakers. “Playing Tell Me Something Good by Rufus and Chaka Khan.” 

“Tell me something good, yeah” 

Dick let out an annoyed sigh, “No. That’s not-” 

“Tell me that you love me, yeah”

The funky melody of the song made Amelia snort, a laugh escaping her, Gar and Tim laughing along as well. She slid her way in front of Dick, a playful smile on her face as she swayed to the beat of the song. He shook his head at her, a reluctant smile tugging at his own lips as he let her grab his hands and pull him to her before wrapping her arms around his neck. He let out a laugh, gripping her waist as they swayed off beat. 

“I guess that works too.” 

—----------------

Scarecrow's reign of terror had finally come to an end and the Titans had saved Gotham City, effectively winning back the people’s good graces. A couple days passed of helping clean up the city, but it was time to move on. Bruce had made his way back to Gotham, having come to terms with his grief. Dick had arranged for Jason to meet with him, the two coming to an understanding, but ultimately, Jason decided to leave Gotham- at least for a little while. Barbara had set up a meeting for Donna with Vee about A.R.G.U.S, so Dick tagged along. Amelia hung back at the manor, packing up her things and helping the other Titans pack their belongings before they headed to the Wayne private jet hanger.

Leaving Donna with Vee, Dick wandered into Barbara’s office, hands shoved into his pockets as he approached her. “I thought maybe you’d have a day or two off before jumping right back into rebuilding the police force.” 

She looked up from her desk and scoffed lightly, “What police force?” 

Dick raised his brow, “Good point. So, now what?” 

“Well, since A.R.G.U.S. is already on the scene-” 

“Why not make the most of it?” 

“Why not?” She agreed, shrugging. “Have them stick around, help us build back better than ever.” 

He nodded, taking a seat on the chair in front of her desk. “I like it.” 

“Oh, and the A.R.G.U.S. Satellite is working to bring Oracle back online.” She continued, smiling. “And if it can, I’m the only one who can handle him.” 

“And what if he doesn’t forgive you for-” 

“Destroying him?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Well, what’s a partnership without a little conflict?” 

Dick smirked, all the times Barbara and Amelia fought or threw snide comments at each other coming to mind. “True.”

“Uh, speaking of…” Barbara trailed off, brow furrowed. “Do I need to worry about Red Hood?”

He sighed, “No, he’s leaving Gotham.” 

“How are the Titans taking it?” 

“Very differently. Gar always saw the person behind the hood, and he knows how far Jason went to helping us out in the end. Amelia somewhat made her peace with him, but I know a small part of her still holds some resentment for what happened to Hank and me. And the others? We’ll see.” 

She hummed, “And you?” 

“We made our peace.” 

“Good. So, you’re heading out?” 

“You could always come with.” Dick offered, his brow raised. 

A small smile curled at Barbara’s lips, “You could always stay, Amelia too.” 

It was silent for a moment, the quietness between them saying everything they couldn’t. Dick sighed, “Look, Barb, I wanted to stay. Amelia did too-” 

“It’s okay.” She replied softly. “I’ll see you both next time.” 

“See you next time.” He gave her a small smile before getting up from the chair, heading out of her office. 

“Hey, Dick?” 

He turned around as Barbara called out to him. She smiled again, “Thank you, and tell Amelia that too. I wish you two nothing but the best.” 

“Thank you, Barb. I will.” 

With one last nod, he turned back and walked away, meeting up with Donna in the bullpen of the GCPD. The two walked in tandem, Donna smirking in his direction. “You asked her to go with you guys to San Francisco, didn’t you?”  

Dick raised his brow, hands shoved into his pockets. “She asked me to stay, Amelia too.” 

“And yet here you are, walking off alone.” 

“Never alone when you’re around.” He remarked, teasingly. “So, we’ll be seeing you in San Francisco?”  

She shook her head, “Probably not. No, I think I’m headed to Paris to see Dawn. I’ve got a message from Hank that I need to deliver.” 

“After that?” 

“You never know. There’s always more bad guys than good. Maybe I can figure out a way to even out the odds a little.” Donna smiled, “Congrats by the way.” 

Dick furrowed his brow, “For what?” 

“For finding Nightwing. Oh, and for finally getting with Amelia. I can’t believe I missed all that.” 

He chuckled, “ Starting to find, and all I had to do was die. As for Amelia, well, that took a punch to the face, a well thought out apology, and a new super suit.” 

Donna chuckled along with him before replying. “Now, I will say this. The one thing about dying and coming back, it sure sets your priorities straight.” 

Dick smiled softly, his mind going to what he saw when he was in the Lazarus Pit. He shook his head slightly before looking back at Donna. “You want to come for a drive? Come on. There’s some people that want to see you off before you leave.” 

—----------------------

Amelia groaned as she stood in Bruce’s private jet hanger, bag sitting by her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest, the other Titans and Tim standing around with her as they waited for Dick and Donna to arrive. “I could have sworn he said ten o'clock.” 

Kory set her bag down, looking from Amelia to Connor. “He did say ten, right?” 

“He said ten.” Connor confirmed, sighing. 

“He’ll get here.” Rachel piped up, standing next to Gar. “Eventually . He always shows up.”

Amelia scoffed, “The word I think you’re looking for, Rach, is late . I mean, what could possibly be so important that he can’t-” 

The sound of a horn honking cut her off mid rant. She turned around, eyes widening at what she saw pulling up to the hanger, the horn honking again. “Oh my god.” 

Gar turned around next, brow furrowed. “Hey, did somebody order a bus?” 

The large RV pulled up to a stop before the side door opened, Dick stepping out with a smile on his face, Donna following behind him. The rest of the team turned around, taking in the large vehicle. 

“Hey, Dick, uh, what is that?” Rachel questioned, slight sarcasm etched into her tone. 

Dick pointed towards the vehicle, his tone amused. “ That’s an RV. I figured it would be way more fun than taking Bruce’s jet.”

“Why would that be more fun?” Kory muttered, pouting slightly. 

“Road trip!” Gar yelled out, high fiving Dick on his way into the bus. 

Rachel rolled her eyes as she followed after Gar. “ Right , cause who wouldn’t want to fly in the Bat jet?” 

Amelia clicked her tongue, watching as he gathered everyone’s bags and tossed them in the undercarriage of the camper, the short sleeves of his t-shirt straining against his biceps. “You’re really living up to the DILF lifestyle, aren’t ya? It’s making me want to get you a ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ mug.”  

Dick smirked at her words, amused by her comment. He grabbed her duffel bag sitting by her feet and slung it over his shoulder.

"Only if it says 'World's Hottest Dad,' too." He winked at her, a playful glint in his eyes. “Maybe if you’re lucky I’ll give you a private tour of the RV.” 

A dramatic gasp escaped her lips, “Richard! Our kids are on that bus.” 

“Nothing a little pit stop couldn’t fix, baby.” 

Amelia smirked, shaking her head to rid herself of the flush that threatened to creep up her cheeks. “Well, let’s get the hell out of Gotham, then.” 

“You two done flirting yet?” Donna called out, a teasing smile on her lips as she stood with Kory, Tim, Connor and Blackfire by the private jet. “I’m still waiting for my goodbye hug from Ames.” 

“Cool your jets, Wonder Girl.” Amelia replied playfully, making her way over towards the group. “I’m coming!” 

She embraced Donna in a goodbye hug before pulling back, the two women smiling at each other. Kory stepped up next, hugging Donna before taking her leave with Connor for the RV. Amelia followed after them, stopping next to Dick by the camper. Tim stood next to Donna, an almost somber look on his face as he waved goodbye. 

She nudged Dick with her shoulder. “I think we’ve left him in the dark long enough, don’t you?”  

The two shared a conspiratorial smile, before meeting Tim’s gaze. Dick nodded towards the RV, “You coming?”

Tim’s brow shot up, shocked. “Are you serious?” 

“The question is, are you?” He implored, “You’ve got some nice moves, but you need proper training, if you’re up for it.” 

A wide grin broke out on the older teen’s face as Donna lightly pushed him towards the RV. He jogged his way over and Amelia smiled at him before he entered the RV. “Welcome to the Titans, Tim Tam.” 

With the rest of the team finally boarded, Dick turned to Amelia, arm outstretched as he leaned against the open door. “Right, destination, San Francisco. Forty-four hours.” 

Her eyes widened. If she had water in her mouth, it would be on the floor. “ Forty-four hours? ” 

“Yeah, I know, Ames.” 

“Okay, forty-four hours, I can handle that. Probably. Maybe. Possibly.” She mused before a wicked grin broke out onto her face. “Only if I get to play DJ.” 

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, “You might have to fight Kory for that role.” 

“Oh, she’ll have to pry my bluetooth connected phone from my cold, dead hands.” 

Dick chuckled, looking down at her with a fond expression. She smiled up at him, eyes shining with love. They had faced tragedy, near death experiences, an almost lethal stab wound, an egomaniac obsessed with fear, and actual death. A forty-four hour road trip was nothing, not when they had each other. 

“I believe I was promised a private tour of the RV.” Amelia teased, taking a step up in the vehicle. “Better get a move on, pretty bird.” 

A laugh escaped her as his hand made contact with her ass, giving it a firm slap, ushering her up the small set of stairs. “Get in the RV, Ames.” 

He followed close behind her, closing the door on the way in before making his way to the front of the vehicle and sitting in the driver’s seat, Amelia plopping down on the passenger side. She sent him one last teasing smile as she connected her phone to the RV’s bluetooth, the familiar melody of Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked by Cage the Elephant playing through the speakers. 

“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”  

Chapter Text

The bowling alley was alive with the sounds of laughter, the rolling of bowling balls, and the smack of pins tumbling down in a strike. The smell of buttery popcorn and greasy pizza wafted through the air, making Amelia’s stomach rumble as she took a handful from the bucket of popcorn that sat at the small and sticky table and tossed a few pieces in her mouth, a smile never leaving her lips. Dick sat next to her, sliding a too sweet chocolate milkshake to her as he grinned back at her, enjoying the look of ease that was plastered on her face. Together, the two watched as Rachel stepped up to the bowling lane with a look of confidence before precisely throwing her bowling ball straight down the middle, hitting a perfect strike. Amelia chuckled as the purple haired teen took a playful bow towards Connor, Gar, and Tim. 

Kory sauntered over to the table, a smile on her face as she sat down next to Amelia and grabbed her own milkshake, watching the younger Titans bowl. “I can’t believe it.” 

“I know, right?” Dick mused, amusement shining in his eyes. “Doesn’t seem like the bowling type, but she’s beating Connor.” 

“She’s beating all of us.” Amelia snorted before taking a sip of her milkshake. 

Kory chuckled, “No, not that. A few days ago, I didn’t think we were gonna make it. Now, here we are goofing off in a bowling alley.” 

Amelia shrugged, “I’d say we got pretty lucky”

“Is that what it was?” She pressed, tilting her head in curiosity as she glanced between the two. “Just luck?” 

Dick raised his brow at her before he sighed. “Plus skill, strength, courage, teamwork, brains.” A slight grin pulled at his lips as he chuckled softly. “But, yeah, like Ames said, mostly luck.” 

The thud and clang of a bowling ball striking pins pulled the three from their conversation, looking back towards the younger Titans. Connor threw his hands up in victory at his perfect strike, Kory leaving the table to go congratulate him. 

Amelia laughed, “Look! He finally made one!” 

Dick looked over at her, eyes softened as he watched her sip at her milkshake before she glanced up at him mid drink. She swallowed before a playful smile played at her lips, a slight giggle leaving her. “You’re staring, pretty bird.” 

“I know.” He smiled as he stared into her eyes. “You seem…different.” 

Her cheeks warmed under his intense stare, stomach swooping. She looked down into her milkshake, before meeting his gaze again, a warmness spreading through her chest.. “Yeah. I feel…different. Happier. I feel like we’ve faced so many obstacles since you picked me up in Gotham some odd years ago.” 

“Well, let’s see.” Dick started counting on his fingers. “We were both possessed by Trigon, Deathstroke was hunting us, you almost fell to your death, the stuff with Scarecrow, you were stabbed pretty badly,-”

“I think you’re forgetting the fact that you threw yourself in prison, you got shot in the chest, and, oh! You literally died like less than a week ago.” 

He grinned, amused by her need to point out his own past discretions. “And we survived all of it.” 

She shook her head before taking another sip of her milkshake. “Still haven’t survived the RV yet.” 

A laugh escaped Dick and Amelia smirked, grabbing a handful of popcorn and tossing more pieces in her mouth before adding, “Right now, the only thing I want to be able to survive is a stomach full of milkshakes and popcorn, and a bad night’s sleep.” 

The two sat in silence for a moment, Amelia leaning her head on Dick’s shoulder as they both watched Tim step off to the side with his phone and Gar step up to the bowling lane. 

She hummed, “What about you, pretty bird? How are you feeling?” 

He pressed a kiss to her head, “I’m just glad we’re all together.” 

“Me too.” 

The sound of Dick’s phone ringing made Amelia sit up in her seat. He shot her an apologetic look before taking his phone out of his pocket, glancing at the caller ID. She peeked over, a frown pulling at her lips. Bruce was calling. 

Dick sighed as he got up from his seat. “I’ll be right back, Ames.” 

Amelia let out a huff as he left to go answer the call, tossing another couple pieces of popcorn in her mouth. Kory walked back over to the table, Rachel in tow, as the two took their seats at the table, grabbing their own milkshakes.

“Rach, you are kicking ass out there.” Amelia beamed proudly. “I mean, seriously, you have to tell me how you got so good at bowling.” 

“A master never reveals her-” Rachel started with a teasing smile, before her eyes caught the bowling lane again, Gar’s arm elongating into an octopus tentacle to roll the ball into a perfect strike. “Hey! Hey, no! No, no, no, no!” 

Amelia laughed with Kory as they watched Rachel run off to reprimand Gar, the purple haired girl scolding him about cheating and how using his powers isn’t fair as Connor laughed and cheered in the background.

“Amelia! It’s your turn!” Connor called out. 

With a little pep in her step, she sauntered up to grab her blue bowling ball before taking her spot in front of the lane, rolling the heavy ball with ease. Her eyes narrowed as she watched it roll straight down the middle before hitting a strike. 

“Yes!” She cheered, spinning around to face the rest of the group as they cheered for her. She made her way towards the seats by the ball return where Connor was sitting, taking a seat next to him, before she looked over at Gar with a teasing smile. “That’s how you do it with no powers, baby!”  

Gar laughed at her jab, the others joining in with him as Tim walked back up to the group, hanging up his phone with a sigh. 

“Who was that?” Rachel asked, concern lacing her tone. 

“Oh, just my dad.” Tim replied, sticking his phone back into his pocket. “He’s worried we’re already into something.” 

“Hey, did you explain to him that sometimes we go hours without saving the world?” Gar joked. 

Tim nodded, grabbing a bowling ball and walking up to the lane. “Yeah. I think he just wanted an excuse to call. My phone's been blowing up ever since we left.” 

“Aw!” Kory cooed, “It’s nice to have parents that miss you.” 

“Yeah, nice to have parents .” Rachel added. 

“Hey! Look who’s finally back!” Amelia called out, turning the almost morbid conversation towards Dick, who had just walked back over, hands shoved into his pockets as he tried to hide the enthusiastic look on his face. She got up from her seat and made her way over to him, his arm instantly wrapping around her shoulders as her own wrapped around his waist. 

“Everything okay?” Kory questioned, her brow raised. 

Dick raised his own brow, nodding. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

Amelia glanced up at his face, narrowing her eyes. “I know that face. That’s your ‘I have news face’.”

He let out a breath, as the group gathered around. “Well, I do have news. Just got off the phone with Bruce.”

A chorus of groans and protests sounded from the younger Titans as they all simultaneously spoke. “No!” 

“No, we’re not going back to Gotham.” Kory protested, shaking her head. “We’re not doing that.” 

“I’m with them, on this one, pretty bird.” Amelia added, unwrapping herself from him to cross her arms over her chest. “We are not going back, not right now.” 

“I just left!” Tim scoffed. 

Gar smiled, shrugging. “For the record, I don’t mind going back.” 

“Okay, hang on. This isn’t about Gotham.” Dick placated, a smile on his face as he looked over at Connor, the young super’s eyes widening. “It’s about Metropolis. Bruce and I have been talking about you wanting to meet your dad. So, Bruce made some calls and….he wants to meet you.” 

 A look of shock crossed Connor’s face as he gaped, each question he asked building his excitement. “Superman wants to meet me ? Are you serious? He-He said that ?” 

“He said you need flying lessons, actually. But, um-” 

Amelia suppressed a laugh as Connor’s eyes widened comically, Gar and Tim freaking out behind him. “ He what? ” 

“No, no.” Dick chuckled at the boy's excitement, lightly tapping Connor on the shoulder. “I’m joking.” 

Connor let out a soft laugh, grinning. “Come on!” 

“But he does wanna meet you.” 

A smile crept up Amelia’s face as she took in Connor’s disbelief and excitement. He shook his head, almost breathless. “This is incredible. I-I can’t even believe it’s really happening.” 

Amelia stepped up to Connor, playfully ruffling his hair. “You better believe it, mini supe! You’re meeting your dad! We’re all so happy for you.”

“Yeah, nine o’clock sharp at S.T.A.R Labs.” Dick added as she made her way back towards him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders again. 

“ Wait , S.T.A.R. Labs?” Tim interjected, disbelief in his tone. “ The S.T.A.R Labs?” 

“The Special Projects team heard we might be visiting and went into overdrive.” He explained, “Apparently, they’ve been trying to get their hands on us for some time. Bruce said there might be some surprises. Whatever that means.” 

Kory stepped up to the bowling ball return, grabbing her pink ball. “ Well , sounds like Superman isn’t the only one who wanted to meet us.” 

Dick winced as he muttered quietly, “Please don’t burn down the bowling alley.” 

Amelia snorted, watching as Kory sauntered up to the lane and tossed her ball. “Better get the checkbook out, cause she definitely will.” 

A sigh of relief left Dick as Kory landed a strike and cheered, the rest of the team clapping for her.  Amelia laughed and cheered as she nudged him in the side. He looked down at her with a playful smile before clapping.. 

With Kory finishing off the last bowling round and Rachel being crowned the winner, their team bonding day came to a delightful end. Amelia snatched up her popcorn bucket off the table before grabbing Dick’s hand, the two following Tim, Connor, Kory, and Gar back to the RV, not realizing that Rachel had lingered behind, startled by a spilled milkshake that morphed into a thick pool of blood.

—------------------------

METROPOLIS 

As soon as Dick parked the RV in front of S.T.A.R Labs, the team piled out of the side door looking around in amazement. Amelia took a deep breath of fresh air as she stepped out of the vehicle, Dick following behind her and closing the door. She took in her surroundings, spotting the large globe of the Daily Planet, the intimidating building of LexCorp, and a large steel statue of Superman sitting front and center. She met Dick’s gaze before nodding towards Connor, who was standing in front of his father’s statue, before the two made their way to him, hands locked together. 

“You ready?” Dick prompted, causing Connor to look back at them. 

He nodded, “Ready.” 

They all chuckled as Tim excitedly ushered Connor towards the doors, all of them walking into the sleek building together. Amelia looked around in amazement at the amount of holograms and people that mingled about, different infographics catching her eye. She’d never even heard of S.T.A.R. Labs until now, she wasn’t really in the know of all the organizations that were around to help heroes and vigilantes. She had never been to Metropolis before either, the only way she could describe it was that it was the sunnier version of Gotham.

Dick had told her stories of Superman when they were teenagers. Batman used to take young Robin with him to Justice League meetings and that’s where his fascination with Superman started. He had shown her a picture of him as little baby Robin with Superman when they were eighteen; she'd never forget the look of betrayal and disgust on his face when she told him that Superman was hot and asked if he was available. She had cackled like a hyena that night as he went on about how Superman was basically his uncle and that it was weird of her to ask that. Thinking back on it, he was definitely jealous. 

The memory made her smile wide, not even realizing Dick had glanced down at her with a slightly suspicious look on his face. “What are you smiling about?” 

A snort left her as she looked up at him, before a teasing smirk curled at her lips. “Oh nothing , just thinking about Superman. He’s married, right?” 

He narrowed his gaze playfully at her, about to retort, before Tim’s voice echoed through the bustling lobby, the group slowly coming to a halt in the middle of it. 

“S.T.A.R. Labs. Scientific and Technological Advance Research Laboratories. Built by Garrison Slate in 1971.” He prattled on, “Dedicated to pure scientific research, but no private or governmental affiliations.” 

“Tim, I appreciate the tour, but how about we leave it to the actual guides.” Amelia jested as two people, a woman in a lab coat and a man in a dark purple button up and vest, approached them. 

“The Titans, I presume!” The man announced, a smile on his face. 

“Bernard, good to see you.” Dick greeted, shaking Bernard’s hand. 

“Good to see you again, Mr. Grayson.” He greeted in turn, before addressing the rest of the group. “Everybody. I’m so, so happy that you’re all here. My name is Bernard Fitzmartin and I am the Director of the Special Projects here at S.T.A.R. Laboratories.” He held his arm out towards the woman next to him, “This is Dr. Espenson, the Director of Applied Sciences, and we have got a very big day planned.” 

Amelia nodded in thanks as a visitor badge was handed to her, along with the other Titans, and she draped the lanyard over her head, pulling her hair out from underneath it.  

“We’ve been scrambling a little since we heard you were coming today,” Bernard continued, “but we’ve managed to put together a few things for you.” 

“So, why don’t I show you what we’ve been working on, and you can show us what you do.” Dr. Espenson added with a smile. 

Bernard gestured towards her, “If you would follow the good doctor.” 

The rest of the team followed after Dr. Espenson, Amelia walking hand in hand with Dick, only to be halted by Bernard. “Um, Dick, Connor, if you don’t mind hanging back.” 

Amelia looked up at Dick, slight nerves eating at her at the thought of being studied. Letting go of her hand, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead in comfort before ushering her to catch up with the rest of the team. “Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” 

With her heart in her stomach, she let out a breath before catching up with Kory near the back of the group, the fiery woman wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked together. 

—------------------

Amelia stood off to the side with Rachel, protective glasses sitting on their faces as they observed Kory. A giant meteorite littered with purple and blue stone sat in front of them, a protective blast shield behind it. Kory thrusted her hand out towards the giant rock, a fiery blue heat emanating from her palm, blasting it to pieces. Since everything that happened with the Lazarus Pit, Kory’s powers seemed to evolve. Her once orange fire balls had morphed into a fiery blue light and she had no idea why.

Amelia let out a low whistle at the impact, taking off her protective glasses and setting them on a table behind her, Rachel doing the same. 

“Well, shit.” Rachel cursed, taking slow steps towards Kory. “Do we have to pay for that?” 

Amelia let out a sigh, “I’ll tell Dick to transfer the money.” 

“No, we actually needed it fragmented.” Dr. Espenson reassured with a soft chuckle. “This was way cheaper than lasers.” 

“So, how’d I do?” Kory questioned, flexing her fingers. 

“Well, considering that was Perithium, the hardest known substance known to man, I’d say you did great.” The doctor answered, her brow furrowed. “And you have no idea what this power is or where it came from?” 

“Well,” Kory sighed, “Apparently, I was born with it, but I just discovered it last week.” 

“Okay. Well, we can try to identify the nature of the energy source you’re drawing from.” Espenson spoke as they all followed her towards her computer. “But I can tell you this. You’ve just barely scratched the surface.” 

Amelia tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Kory’s chart. Espenson pointed towards a section labeled ‘kinetic energy monitor’ as she continued. “Just now, you’ve used only 8.1% of your total estimated kinetic output.” 

The sound of someone clearing their throat cut their conversation short, all of the women looking towards the door. A young woman, most likely an intern, stood in the doorway, holding a clipboard tight to her chest. “Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Espenson. Mr. Grayson and Bernard are requesting Miss Pierce’s presence in the Gadgets Department.” She looked over at Amelia, “Miss Pierce, if you would please follow me.” 

“I guess it’s my turn to play with some toys.” Amelia smirked, making her way over towards the door to follow the young woman, waving back at Rachel and Kory. “I’ll see you guys later.” 

The young woman led her through the halls of the laboratory and to an elevator, pressing the button for floor five. Once the elevator doors opened, the young intern led her to a large set of glass doors, before opening one of them for her. Amelia walked through the doorway, eyes wide as people bustled all around her, an array of different machinery wiring to life as they worked on different projects. 

“Ames!” Dick’s voice called from her left before she saw him. A smile pulled at his lips as he grabbed her hand, leading her towards a metal table where Bernard stood, hands clasped behind his back. A punching bag dummy sat a few feet away from the table. 

“What’s all this about?” Amelia questioned, brow furrowing as she looked down at a pair of ring daggers and her Calico gloves on the metal table before looking between Dick and Bernard.   

“Dick told me that you sometimes use ring daggers during combat.” Bernard responded, a bright grin on his face. “So, we made some minor modifications to those gloves of yours.” 

She picked up her gloves and slid them on, flexing her fingers to make her retractable claws come out. She looked back at Dick, an excited grin on his face as he nodded towards the table. “Pick up a dagger and throw it.” 

Amelia’s brow raised at his excitement, carefully picking up one of the ring daggers on the table. She narrowed her eyes at the dummy a few feet away from her before throwing the dagger with utmost precision, impaling it right in the chest. Within a few seconds, the dagger wiggled a bit, before launching itself back into her open palm, her fingers wrapping around the hilt to grab it. 

A laugh escaped her lips, “Holy shit. That’s fucking awesome!” 

“We’ve magnetized your gloves and daggers, so you can quickly retrieve them during a fight.” Bernard explained, amusement etched into his features as he watched her throw both daggers at the dummy before calling them back and catching them. “We’ve also made the same modification to your whip as well, along with some other small changes.” 

Amelia put down the daggers, a large smile on her face as Bernard handed her the hilt of her whip. With a flick of her wrist, her bullwhip extended from its hilt, the tip of it hitting the floor with a loud smack. “It’s retractable!?” 

Dick chuckled at her astonished tone as Bernard nodded, “Yes, it is. There’s a button on the side that allows it to retract back into the hilt. There’s also a second button that sends an electric current down the length of the whip. But I wouldn’t recommend testing it-”

Not processing anything else Bernard had said, she pressed the second button, a blue electrical pulse running down the length of her whip. A mischievous grin pulled at her lips as she flicked her whip towards the dummy, the electrical shock hitting the rubber and scorching it, small flames emerging from the spot. 

“-in the lab.” Bernard finished, wincing. 

With wide eyes, she quickly pressed the second button, turning off the shock feature, before pressing the first button that retracted her whip. “Whoops.” 

Dick sighed as she sheepishly grinned at him, placing the hilt of her whip on the table. Multiple lab technicians ran over, fire extinguishers in hand, to dwell the flames. He met Bernard’s eyes, “How much?” 

Bernard gave a nervous chuckle, “Considering that test dummy was retrofitted with a special grade of rubber, I’d say around $10,000.” 

“I'll transfer the money to billing.” 

—-----------------

After the fire incident, Dick and Amelia hung with Tim by the coffee bar in the lobby, waiting for the team’s order. Amelia leaned against the bar, sipping her own coffee as Dick leaned next to her. A smile threatened to tug at her lips, but she took another sip of coffee to hide it. Dick had something special planned for Tim and he, of course, told her all about it. It was taking everything in her not to spoil the surprise. 

A cardboard tray of hot coffees was slid towards Tim. “Alright, that’s everyone.” He stated, before looking over at Dick. “You sure you don’t want anything?” 

Dick shook his head, “No, I’m good.” 

“Alright, let’s go.” 

“Wait a minute, Tim Tam.” Amelia nodded towards Bernard, who was heading their way. 

Tim’s brow raised as Bernard approached with one arm hiding behind his back. “Tim? When, uh, Mr. Grayson called us he asked that we design something especially for you.” 

Tim’s face instantly lit up, excitement practically vibrating off of him as he grinned. “ No . The Robin suit!? Yes! I knew it!” He pulled Dick in for a hug and Amelia sipped at her coffee again, suppressing a snicker. 

“Uh, no.” Dick voiced, an awkward chuckle leaving him as Tim pulled away. “That’s uh-I’m sorry, it’s not the Robin suit.” 

“Huh? It’s not?” 

Amelia couldn’t hold back her snort as she patted Tim on the shoulder. “Not even close, dude.” 

Dick raised his brow, “Of course not. Are you crazy? You’ve been a Titan for five minutes. It’s still something pretty cool, though.” 

Bernard stepped up, holding a skinny metal rod in his hands. “This…is a rokushakubo.” With a slight jolt, the rod extended, and he held it out for Tim. “It’s a bo staff.”  

Tim gingerly grabbed the bo staff, looking it over. “But, I don’t know how to use one of these.” 

“ Yet .” Dick interjected, a small smile on his face.  

“You’re gonna teach me?” Tim inquired, eyes wide. 

“Starting tomorrow.” He revealed, wrapping his arm around Amelia’s shoulders to lead her to the front entrance to meet up with the rest of the team. They walked a little ways to the front, before she stopped them both, looking back at Tim, who was chatting with Bernard. 

A small smirk pulled at her lips, noticing the way Tim and Bernard seemed to hover around each other. “Tim? You coming?” 

With a nervous smile, Tim retracted his bo staff and grabbed the tray of coffees, quickly following after them as they continued walking. Bernard followed them to the front entrance, “Oh, one more thing.” 

“We did a quick retrofit of your recreational vehicle while you were inside.” He continued, once they stepped outside, the rest of the team grouping up to follow. “I hope you don’t mind.” 

The RV pulled up to a stop in front of the building, looking more modernized than ever. The once brown paint on the vehicle turned a sleek black with grey accents. Bernard held up the key and pressed a button, part of the undercarriage lifting up and pulling out a grey Porsche from underneath it. Amelia could practically feel the excitement rolling off of Dick in waves at his upgraded RV. 

Bernard smirked and dropped the key into Dick’s hand. “A gift from Bruce Wayne. Something about saving Gotham City.” 

Tim shook his head in amazement before he ran up to the car. “This is ridiculous.” 

“Who is driving that thing?” Gar chimed in, eyeing the Porsche with a grin on his face. 

Dick let out a light scoff, “I am.” 

Amelia looked up at him, a teasing smile on her lips. “Are we allowed to sit in it?” 

He looked down at her, eyes gleaming mischievously as he smirked. “You are. Everyone else can start a sign-up sheet.” He took a pen out of his back pocket, looking back at Gar as he handed it to him. “You can go first.” 

Dick unwrapped himself from Amelia, a wide grin on his face as he made his way over to the Porsche. Gar ran ahead of him, exclaiming. “Where do I sign!?” 

Amelia stood next to Kory, the two women sharing an amused look with each other as Gar practically dove into the backseat, Tim making a move to steal the driver’s seat. Seeing Tim closing in on his territory, Dick jogged to the driver’s side, laughing as he grabbed the back of Tim’s jacket. “Get your ass in the back, new kid.” 

The sound of their laughter echoed from inside the car before cutting off all together as the doors closed. Connor made his way over towards Kory and Amelia, hands in his pockets as he chuckled at the chaos that had just ensued. 

She watched with her brow raised as the engine roared to life, the Porsche taking off before squealing to a stop in front of her, the driver’s side window rolling down and revealing Dick with a flirty grin on his face. 

His eyes roamed the expanse of her body, “Need a ride, gorgeous?” 

She felt Kory teasingly nudge her side, a flush spreading into her cheeks at his blatant flirting in front of the team. 

Amelia shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip before she smirked and made her way around the front of the car to the passenger seat. “I’m always up for a ride from you, handsome.” 

Dick and her laughed as Gar and Tim groaned in disgust from the backseat. 

—---------------

The RV was ridiculously well equipped now. The once dull interior was retrofitted with sleek kitchen appliances, a dining table, a large convertible couch bed, a large flatscreen TV, upgraded bathroom, on-board WIFI, and a high tech computer system connected to the Batcomputer server. 

Amelia sat in the passenger seat, humming to herself as she flipped one of her new ring daggers around. Their stop in Metropolis may have been short, but it was entirely worth it. Dick sat next to her in the driver’s seat, taking sips of coffee as he drove from the ridiculous Superman themed travel mug she had gotten him, the words ‘Super Dad’ written in bold lettering across the Superman emblem. She couldn’t suppress her laughter as she handed it to him, calling him an ‘official DILF’.

She tossed her dagger into the air before catching it again, picking up bits and pieces of the younger Titans and Kory conversing about Tim and his interest in Bernard. Her brow furrowed as the lights started flickering, sitting up in her seat as she looked towards the back of the RV. 

“Please tell me we didn’t break the RV already .” Amelia groaned, meeting the rest of the team’s confused faces, the screens behind them convulsing with bits of static. 

“What the hell’s going on?” Dick muttered as the dash started to flicker, the RV gradually slowing down on its own, cars honking as they went around.

Suddenly, Connor dropped to the floor, holding his ears as he cried out in pain. The young Titans and Kory surrounded him, trying to console him. Krypto whined loudly as he laid on the floor, rolling over onto his side as he brought his front paw up to scratch at his face. Amelia’s eyes widened as she quickly got up and joined them, crouching down on the floor next to the white haired dog and soothingly petting his head. Dick quickly looked back, slight panic in his eyes before he started pulling the RV over.  

“What happened?” Amelia frantically questioned, the lights flickering rapidly above them. 

“I don’t know!” Kory spoke over Connor’s groaning, looking back at Amelia worriedly. “He just dropped to the ground, then Krypto started whining.” 

The RV jolted to a stop, Dick quickly un-buckling his seatbelt before making his way towards the back. “Connor!” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, the lights seized their motion, the screens returned to normal, and the RV’s engine revved to life. Connor let out a gasping breath as he pulled himself off the floor with the help of Tim and Rachel. Krypto immediately sat up and dragged his tongue across Amelia’s hand, his tail wagging slightly. She got up off the floor, standing next to Dick with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Are you okay?” Dick asked the super-powered teen, concern etched into his tone. 

Connor nodded, “Yeah.” 

“What happened?” Kory questioned, eyes wide. 

He let out a shaky breath, “We have to go back to Metropolis.” 

After things had calmed down, Connor had proceeded to tell them that Lex Luthor had been the cause of his migraine and the electrical chaos, using a frequency only two people in the world could hear- Superman and himself. It was Lex’s way of getting Connor’s attention, he wanted to meet his super-powered son. 

Amelia, Dick, and Kory had stepped out of the parked RV with Connor, the three of them all in agreement that meeting Lex was less than ideal.

“All I’m saying is, it’s complicated.” Kory stated, standing next to Amelia with her arms crossed. 

“I mean, not really.” Connor refuted, “He wants me to come to LexCorp Tower tonight at 8:00pm.

Dick sighed, “Look, we’re talking about Lex Luthor here. He’s the only man Bruce Wayne was ever afraid of.” 

“I’ve never met the guy and even I know he isn’t someone to be messed with.” Amelia chimed in, hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets. “He’s not a good person, Con.”  

Connor shrugged his shoulders, “Well, Superman’s not afraid of him and neither am I.”  

“You should be.” Dick argued, voice rising a bit. “He spent the last 40 years trying to kill Superman. He tried to kill you, too.” 

“He failed . He’s just a man. He doesn’t have superpowers.” 

Dick suppressed the hurt look that threatened to cross his face, grabbing Amelia’s hand instead. “Not all of us do.” 

Connor sighed, “Dick, the whole reason we came to Metropolis was so that I could meet one of my parents. Okay, so, it wasn’t the one that I wanted. Am I supposed to just ignore him? Walk away?” 

Amelia looked up at Dick, noticing the way his resolve was starting to crumble. In a way, she could see where Connor was coming from. He had thought he was finally going to get the chance to meet his super-powered father, only for him to not show. He had been disappointed, rightfully so, and now he had the opportunity to meet his other, more morally corrupt, father. It wasn’t what he wanted, but Lex was still his dad, even if he wasn’t the greatest person. 

“You’re right.” Dick conceded, “You deserve to know your parents. Everyone does. It’s just Lex Luthor never shows his cards. We don’t know what he wants.” 

“Then maybe we should find out.” Kory piped up, brow raised. 

Amelia hummed, nodding her head. “I agree with Kory. If he is up to something, wouldn’t it be better if we found out ahead of time? Do some recon?” 

Dick scoffed, “The man’s a psychopath.” 

“We know, pretty bird.” She placated, squeezing his hand. “You won’t get any argument from us there, but it’s not our decision.” 

“It's Connor’s.” Kory finished, gesturing towards him. 

It was silent for a moment, before Connor nodded his head. “I want to meet him.” 

“Okay.” Dick let out a breath. “I don’t like it, but if it’s gonna happen, Kory and Ames are right. We should get as much information as we can first.” 

“So, what do we do?” Amelia implored in faux thought. “Call him up, ask for a quick chat?” 

A small smirk curled at Dick’s lips, “That’s not really my style.”

She shared a look with Kory, before responding. “Us too.”   

—----------------------

It didn’t take long for them to get back into Metropolis and S.T.A.R. Labs had generously allowed them to park the RV there for however long they needed. The plan was for Kory to infiltrate LexCorp and distract Lex while she planted a special device that allowed them to hack into Lex’s computer. Dick and Amelia were on standby with Tim in charge of his laptop in a newly constructed skyscraper a little ways from LexCorp. Once the device was planted, Tim would be able to gain access to all of Lex’s personal and corporate files. Connor had wanted to learn a bit more about his father, aside from his less than honorable actions. Dick had sent him, Gar and Rachel to the Daily Planet to check out the archives. 

Clad in her Calico suit, Amelia snorted at the manly grunts and cries of pain that came over Kory’s comms as they listened in from Tim’s laptop, not one guard escaping her fiery wrath. She threw her newly magnetized dagger in the air before swiftly catching it again, eyes roaming Dick’s tense figure as he stood in his Nightwing suit, looking out the large floor to ceiling window.  

Tim sighed, “So far nothing.” 

“Just give her some time.” Dick replied, listening in as Lex talked nonsense with Kory. 

Sheathing her dagger, Amelia let out a soft sigh as she made her way over to the window, staring down at the large expanse of the city before muttering. “Family road trip, more like a family work trip.” 

“I acquired this bottle at auction.” Lex Luthor’s voice sounded from Tim’s laptop. “It was in the sealed-off compartment underneath Jean Paul Marat’s bathtub.” 

“He’s a wine aficionado, a classical music lover, and an art collector,” Amelia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “The only thing I’ve learned so far is that he’s the world’s most stereotypical evil billionaire."

Dick looked down at her through his mask, "Patience, Ames.” 

“You know I have none of that.”

Ten more minutes passed of Lex and Kory going back and forth, the former stating he wanted to know more about Tamaran and Kory’s abilities. Kory responded in stride, turning the conversation over to his interest in Connor. A beep sounded from Tim’s laptop, making them all look towards it, the data transfer starting to load. 

Tim let out a sigh of relief, “It worked. Unbelievable.” 

“The unbelievable thing about Bruce’s toys is never that they work. It’s what they do.” Dick replied, making his way towards Tim. Amelia followed, a smug smile on her face as she took in the abundance of files loading in on Tim’s laptop. 

Tim’s eyes widened, “I’ve got personal, medical, financial, schedules, calendars.” He let out an astonished chuckle, “Hell, I’ve even got his Twitter account. What do you want?” 

Before Dick could respond, Lex’s voice rising through the speakers caught their attention. “I wanna give him the benefit of my knowledge and guidance. And I want him to be prepared to one day take over as President of LexCorp.” 

Kory’s voice sounded next. “You know what I think? I think what you really want is to own the thing you created. You consider Connor your possession. He is not. He has compassion, empathy, moral intelligence. All of which make him far stronger than you. In every way. You want him to be your personal weapon. He will never be that.”  

“Isn’t that exactly….” Lex’s gravelly voice replied. “...how you are using him, Richard? Didn’t Bruce teach you a better way?-” 

Amelia’s eyes widened at the mention of Dick’s name. Dick’s jaw clenched as he slowly walked over to the window, looking out towards LexCorp, spotting a shadow of a man waving in greeting. The slam of a door made Amelia whip her head around and snatch her ring daggers out of their holsters. Shoulders tense, Dick cautiously made his way around the plastic coverings that concealed them, Amelia following as Tim grabbed his bo staff.

“-I’d like you to meet some friends of mine. Remember, Richard, this is me…being gentle.  

With her eyes narrowed, she gripped the hilts of her daggers harder, stepping next to Dick as he looked around the open space. Tim came up on his other side, bo staff gripped in his hands. 

“Tim, stay down.” Dick ordered, grabbing a hold of his escrima sticks. “Ames and I can handle this.” 

Suddenly, multiple men dressed in black robes appeared a few feet in front of them, katana’s drawn. Amelia tilted her head, “Are those-?” 

Dick sighed, “Ninjas.”

“Well, fuck.” 

Multiple Ninja stars were thrown in their direction, Dick blocking them with his escrima sticks as he and Amelia met the group of Ninjas half-way. There were five total, Dick taking on three while Amelia handled the other two. Her daggers clashed with one of their katanas while she kicked her leg out towards the other, pushing him away from her. Yells and grunts echoed through the empty building. Using his escrima sticks, Dick electrocuted two, letting them fall to the ground, only for them to get back up again as he fought off the third. Amelia huffed as she stabbed one in the thigh, letting go of her one dagger while she used the other to block a katana from slicing her. 

The clang of Dick’s escrima stick hitting the ground made her look over at him, before she quickly flexed her gloved hand, calling her dagger back to her. A squelch and a yell could be heard from her left as the dagger magnetized back into her grip. The ninja in front of her pushed down against her other dagger’s blade with his katana, making her grunt from the weight of it. With quick precision, she threw the other one, slicing through the calf of the Ninja that Dick was fighting, gaining him the upper hand. He kicked the injured Ninja in the chest, making him stumble away from him before chucking his last escrima stick at his head, knocking him down. With quick movements, Amelia pushed back against the last ninja and roundhouse kicked him into some metal scaffolding, effectively taking him down. 

“You guys good?” Tim piped up, eyes wide as he clenched his hands around his bo staff. 

Dick and Amelia both breathed out heavily from the exertion of the fight, meeting up near Tim. Amelia let out a breathless chuckle, shaking her head. “Fucking ninjas.”   

“I hate ninjas.” Dick breathed out as more footsteps sounded from behind them. He shared a look with Amelia, before he glanced behind them, then looked back with a weary sigh. “More ninjas. Okay .” 

A groan escaped Amelia’s lips as she turned to face the four ninjas in front of them, standing ready with their katana’s in the air. “Can I sit this one out?” 

Her question went unanswered as the ninjas ran up to them with a yell, Dick scooping up a loose katana off the floor while Amelia called her other dagger back to her. While they each fought two, Tim had taken on one that had gotten off the floor, his bo staff clashing against two ninja swords. Amelia elbowed one in the face, as she fought the other with her daggers blocking hits.   

The sound of Tim’s pained grunt made her quickly glance over towards the young Titan, before two katanas clashed against her daggers. She grunted before yelling out towards Dick, “Uh, I think Tim’s in trouble, Nightwing .” 

Dick sliced his own Katana against one of the ninjas, blood splattering across the floor. He breathed out heavily as another ninja double wielding swords came at him. He gritted his teeth as the two swords came down on him. “Kinda in the middle of something, Calico .” 

Letting out an annoyed sigh, she sliced one of the ninjas across the chest before kicking him to the ground and roundhouse kicking the other one. “Tim! If you can hear me, don’t let the ninja kill you! We’ll be right there!” 

Amelia breathed out as Dick took out a ninja with a paint bucket, the two sharing a look as he shrugged. Another grunt sounded from Tim, the last ninja kicking him in the chest and through the plastic covering. Within seconds, the two took off running towards him, Dick throwing two wingdings into the ninja's back, while Amelia tossed both her daggers, hitting the backs of the ninja’s thighs.  

They broke through the plastic sheet, Tim laying on the ground with his staff in the air. Dick grabbed the ninja by the back of the neck and forced him towards the window, slamming Lex’s lackey into the glass. Blood smeared across the once pristine window as the ninja fell to the floor, Dick staring out of it as he breathed heavily.

Lex’s voice broke through Tim’s laptop, “I liked those men. All I ask is six months. If you believe you know Connor’s answer, then you’ll have no problem conveying my offer. I expect an answer tonight.” 

Dick clenched his jaw tight as he let out another heavy breath. He turned back to Amelia and Tim, his voice practically a low growl. “Let’s go.” 

He didn’t wait for a response from either of them as he started stalking out of the building. Tim’s eyes widened as he quickly slammed his laptop shut and grabbed it, while Amelia yanked her daggers out of the ninja laying by the window before sheathing them. Fury coiled in her gut at the audacity that Lex Luthor seemed to have, thinking he knew Connor better than they did. Her anger was more subtle than Dick’s, fists clenching at her side as her jaw ticked. She didn’t say a word to Tim as she followed after Dick. Tim didn’t need to be told twice as he ran after them. 

—-----------------------

While Dick, Amelia, and Kory changed out of their suits, Tim was tasked with going through Luthor’s files. He picked through every computer folder and calendar reminder that was available, until he found the gold mine they were all looking for. 

The three older Titans walked through the Daily Planet archives together, spotting Connor sitting with one of the archivists at a computer. They were looking at a front page article from an old Daily Planet paper, Connor questioning why Lex Luthor would randomly start a charitable foundation that gave out multi-million dollar research grants to hospitals and laboratories. 

“Because he’s dying.” Dick made their presence known as he, Amelia, and Kory made their way over. 

Connor turned around, brow raised. “What?” 

“Lex Luthor has six months left to live.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, “He wants you to stay with him, Con, and learn how to run LexCorp. Learn about him while you still can.” 

“How do you know all of this?” Connor asked, confusion etched into his features. 

Kory held up the data transfer device, “Oh, I let one of these loose in his penthouse.” 

“It’s a superbug from Wayne Tech.” Dick explained, taking the device from her. “It hacked into Lex’s files and revealed multiple visits to medical clinics all around the world.” 

Spotting the article on the computer, Amelia moved towards it, pointing at a picture on the front page, the tip of her finger landing on one of the men in it. “This guy right here, his name is Arthur Holmwood. He’s the world’s leading expert in kryptonite poisoning.” 

“Luthor was diagnosed two years ago.” Kory added, “And there’s no cure.” 

Connor looked down at the article, mumbling. “This changes things.” 

“It does.” Dick agreed, “We think Lex wants to use you as a way of saving himself.” 

“Holmwood created a theory. It’s called, um-” Amelia trailed off, trying to remember what she had read, eyes glancing over at Kory for help. 

“Radical mass transfusions.” Kory finished, nodding towards her. “It’s blood, organs, everything.” 

Dick crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re the closest living genetic match. Your body’s obviously stronger than his. There might be a way he can use it to fight his disease.” 

Connor let out a sigh as he looked up, looking lost in thought. “Okay. Uh, a blood transfusion. People get those all the time, right? If that’s all he’s asking-”

Amelia scoffed, shaking her head. “ Connor. You can’t be serious. Lex doesn’t even-” 

“Ames.” Dick cut her off, sending her a pointed look. He looked back at the young super, gently pulling him to the side. “Can we talk?” 

Once they were out of earshot, Dick started talking. “A dying man is like a cornered animal. That’s when they’re most dangerous. Listen, Connor, at the end of the day, it’s up to you. But if my opinion means anything , I wouldn’t get within a mile of Lex Luthor.”   

“I hear you.” Connor placated, his brow raised. “But you’re the one that told me I deserved to know my parents.” 

A scoff escaped Dick, his own words coming back to bite him. Connor continued, “Maybe he’s a terrible person, but I have to find that out for myself. And I have to know it before I can know what to do about it.” 

Dick shook his head, “You don’t owe him anything.” 

“Maybe he owes me something.” 

“Like what?” 

“ Answers .” Connor pressed, “Why was I created? For what purpose?” 

Dick let out a breath through his nose. “I understand. Trust me. But none of that matters to him. His purpose is not yours .”

The young super shook his head, his mind made up. “I still need to find out.” 

“Look, I can’t tell you what to do,” He retorted, his eyes softening a bit. “But, I can tell you this. You’re a part of our family. And if you leave , it’s gonna hurt us.”  

“I know.” Connor mumbled, looking down at his feet before meeting Dick’s gaze again. “I’m sorry, Dick, but I have to do this.” 

Without another word, Connor took off down the row of archives, leaving Dick alone with his thoughts. 

—---------------

The RV was silent as Dick drove down the highway away from Metropolis. The absence of Connor had put everyone in a dull mood, the feeling almost akin to losing a limb. Amelia sat in the passenger seat, staring out the windshield at the passing cars, a tightness in her chest from the day’s events. 

“I hate Lex Luthor.” 

Dick glanced over at her, his voice low. “Yeah, I hate him too, Ames.” 

She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a low groan. “I just, ugh, I know that Connor needs to do this for his own personal growth or whatever, but I just-I don’t like it.” She swallowed hard before mumbling. “People like Lex Luthor, they only destroy things.” 

“Like you and Kory said, it’s Connor’s choice.” He replied hoarsely, eyes fixed on the road. “I just hope he made the right one.” 

Amelia sniffled, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “Yeah. Me too.” 

Screams suddenly ripped through the quiet air, both Dick and Amelia jumping to attention. Dick slammed down on the brakes, pulling the RV over on the side of the road as Amelia instantly got out of her seat to see Gar and Tim holding Rachel as she screamed, Kory sitting down in front of the girl as she tried to console her. 

“Rach!” Amelia called out, panic flooding her chest as she crouched down next to Kory, no amount of consoling from either of them ceasing her screams of terror. “Rachel!”

Dick made his way to the back of the RV next, coming up next to Amelia. “Rachel!” 

One by one, they all called out to the screaming girl, trying to get her attention. It was like she wasn’t even seeing them or hearing anything they were saying, her face contorted into one of sheer terror as she shrieked. Another blood curdling scream escaped Rachel’s lips before it dissipated altogether. She looked at them with confusion in her eyes as Gar and Tim slowly released her. 

Rachel’s brow furrowed, “What happened?”       

Amelia collapsed herself onto the floor, letting out a heavy breath in disbelief as she met Dick’s panicked gaze. She was really starting to hate this RV.

Chapter Text

"The sudden death of Alexander Luthor continues to shock the world as Superboy is detained in connection with Luthor's death. An official statement from LexCorp does indeed confirm that Superboy is and I quote, 'a genetic aberration', a weaponized combination of Superman and the late Lex Luthor's genetic material. Developed as a weapon, and with great regret, it seems he has become just that."

Lex Luthor's death was the hot topic on every news channel, with Connor as the villain of the story. They were about two hours away from Metropolis when Tim saw it on the morning news channel, prompting a swift detour to Metropolis Detention Center where Connor was being held. Dick had to pull a lot of strings in order to get visitation rights, even calling up Bruce for help. Eventually, it worked out in their favor. No one could say no to Bruce Wayne's legal team.

A bright green glow was cast over Connor as he stood, wrist and ankles shackled with special kryptonite cuffs to the holding cell he was detained in. It wasn't humane in the slightest, the only comfort offered to him was a metal chair welded into the floor. Armed guards meandered around the white room, ready to fire their bullets at a moment's notice. Amelia, Dick and Kory stood in front of his cell, if it could even be called that, listening to him intently.

"I can hear everything they're saying." Connor muttered, staring off into the distance. "People outside, what they're saying about me." He brought his attention over to Dick, taking a couple steps closer. "I didn't kill him, Dick. It happened the way I said it did."

"I know." Dick said softly, arms crossed over his chest.

"We're gonna get you out of here, Con." Amelia stated, a finality to her tone. "And find the people who did this."

The young super looked between the three of them, his voice low. "I've never seen anything like that. I didn't know that kind of power existed. He was terrified. No one should die like that. Not even Lex Luthor."

"How are they treating you here?" Kory asked softly.

Connor let out a sarcastic chuckle, his brow furrowing. "Besides the kryptonite? Like I'm a murderer. Like I'm the weapon I was created to be." He let out a scoff, as he caught sight of a guard holding a machine gun. "Lex was right. All it takes is one mistake and you're the villain."

Dick cast his gaze downwards. Amelia shook her head, scoffing. "You didn't make a mistake. You did nothing wrong."

Kory nodded, "Amelia's right. The PD's just holding you here until they figure out what happened."

"Dick, I-" Connor voiced, gaining Dick's attention, only for a loud buzzer to cut him off.

"Mr. Grayson, Miss Pierce, Miss Anders, time is up. We need to question it." A woman's voice crackled over the PA system.

"His name is Connor." Dick snapped, before letting out an annoyed sigh. "This is bullshit. You don't have to answer anything."

"Dick's right." Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, scowling. "Don't let them treat you like you're less than."

Another sarcastic chuckle left the young super as he held up his kryptonite cuffed hands. "Yeah, I think I have to."

Her eyes softened as she looked at Connor, someone who was so full of love and hope, becoming so jaded and lifeless. He walked back to the middle of his cell, taking a seat on the metal chair.

"I was born in a tube." He rebuked, face void of any emotion. "I'm used to being kept in a cage."

The shrill buzzer from the intercom sounded again, that same woman's voice crackling through. "Mr. Grayson, we need-"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time!" Dick yelled out, anger swelling in his chest as he turned around to glare at the security camera.

"Shove your questions up your fucking ass, lady!" Amelia chimed in, rage boiling in her veins as she whipped around.

Kory placed a hand on both of their arms as she sighed softly. "Alright, okay. Let's go."

Letting out a huff, Amelia let Kory lead her out of the room, Dick walking ahead of them. They wandered the hallway in silence, making their way outside the detention center before Dick finally exploded.

"You know, part of me wants to tell Connor to just break out of this fucking place." He raged, turning around to face them.

"You don't even have to! I'll go fucking break him out myself!" Amelia fumed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Hey, cool off, both of you." Kory scolded, "Connor's doing what he needs to do. Now it's our turn. We need to find the person that killed Lex Luthor."

Another huff escaped Amelia's lips as she crossed her arms over her chest, Dick doing the same as he stood next to her. They both knew Kory was right, she almost always was. They wouldn't be able to figure out who actually killed Lex Luthor by being Connor's cellmate.

"And I'm gonna stay on Connor, make sure he knows he's not alone." Kory finished, looking between the two of them.

Dick pressed his lips together in a thin line before letting out a sigh, taking his phone out of his pocket and unlocking it. "I gotta show you something first, Kory."

"What?"

Amelia's brow furrowed as she looked down at Dick's phone with Kory, watching him pull up a picture. It was a shot of Connor and Kory talking, most likely taken from across a street somewhere in Metropolis.

Kory's brow raised, zooming in on her own face. "You sneaking pics of me, Grayson? Your girlfriend's right there, ya know?"

"What?" Amelia looked back at him with an almost offended look. "Why wasn't I involved in this? I can take way better pictures than that."

"What? No. Ames, stop talking." Dick sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. "It was Lex Luthor. When Connor got arrested, I did a brute-force hack on Lex's personal computer. I found these photos and an address."

"Why was he watching me?" Kory inquired.

"I don't know. Wanna find out?" He replied, raising his brow. "Ames and I are gonna bring Rachel to Lex's penthouse, see what she can find."

"Good magic versus bad magic?"

Dick scoffed, "Bruce never thought there was any difference. Based on what Connor saw, I'm starting to understand why."

It was Amelia's turn to scoff. She'd been around her fair share of magic users back in her prime, some good, some bad, and some in between. To her, there was a definite difference between good and bad magic, and it all came down to the magic user. Her favorites were the inbetweeners, the ones that used magic for fun or their own personal gain. Those ones always knew how to keep things interesting.

It wasn't long until Dick sent the address he found to Kory's phone, the beep of a ringtone tearing Amelia from her thoughts. Kory let out a weary sigh before nodding at them, heading towards the detention center's stone staircase.

"Be careful, Kory!" Amelia called out.

Dick continued, "It could be a-"

"Be a trap?" Kory let out a sarcastic chuckle. "What else is new?"

—------------

It was surprisingly easy to break into Lex Luthor's penthouse, even with it being an active crime scene. Dick popped his head around the corner once the sound of heavy footsteps faded, before motioning for Rachel and Amelia to follow him. "Alright, let's go. We've gotta be quick."

The three quickly walked into a large, open room. Amelia looked around, taking in all the black and gold decor and furniture, before letting out a scoff. "Wow. You'd think for a billionaire he'd be able to buy something that's actually tasteful."

"They cleaned the crime scene." Dick muttered, not even registering her words as he looked around. "Whatever happened here, they wanna hide it."

"They can't hide it from me." Rachel replied, making her way farther into the room. She stopped in front of one of the large windows. "Yeah, Connor was right. Someone used magic."

Dick's brow furrowed, "How do you know?"

"Because all magic leaves a trace." Amelia chimed in, glancing between the two, Dick sending her a slight bewildered expression. She rolled her eyes, "I picked up a thing or two back in the day."

Rachel narrowed her eyes before they flashed red and black, the red crystal embedded in her forehead glowing. Her head turned towards the living room area as her eyes turned back to normal, the glow dissipating.

"Amelia's right. In the physical world, things pass." She started walking towards another section of windows as they followed. "But beyond the veil, things remain...like echoes. So, I should be able to get a sense of whoever did this."

Rachel stopped suddenly, standing between the wall of windows and the living room area. She looked back at Dick and Amelia, "This is where Alexander died."

The teen crouched and placed her hand down on the hardwood floor, purple and black waves emitting from her open palm, pulsating and covering the floor. She was silent for a few moments, her body still as stone as she focused. It wasn't until she started subconsciously moving towards the window that Amelia and Dick started to get nervous.

"Rach?" Amelia called out, sharing a worried look with Dick. "Rachel?"

They both approached her slowly, Dick placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Rachel!"

With a startled gasp, Rachel turned around, her eyes wide. Dick removed his hand from her, his voice low. "What did you see?"

"I don't know who did it, but I've seen where they've been." The purple haired teen confessed, before making her way out of the room. "Come on."

Just to be safe, they gathered Tim and Gar from the RV before making the journey to the place Rachel saw in her vision. She led them to a wealthy neighborhood a couple miles outside the city, an area that seemingly looked free of crime or anything remotely evil.

"This is what I saw." Rachel confirmed, coming to a stop in front of a large, nice looking red brick house with a stone porch.

"In your vision?" Gar questioned.

"That address, this house."

Dick glanced at the house, brow furrowed, before looking back at the rest of the team. "Stay close. We don't know what we're gonna find."

A chill ran up Amelia's spine, making her pull her leather jacket tighter around herself. Dick made his way up the staircase first, her and Rachel following behind him as Gar and Tim took up the rear. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she heard Tim murmur in confusion about Rachel having visions.

The front door opened with ease, not a single lock turned. They all piled into the house, Tim closing the door behind them. The soft, melodic tune of Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes echoed through the house. Amelia swallowed hard as the floorboards creaked under her boots, goosebumps raising across her skin. Dick directed Tim and Gar towards what looked like the living room of the house, before glancing back at Rachel and Amelia, nodding at them to follow him.

Sandman, I'm so alone

Don't have nobody to call my own

Please turn on your magic beam

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

The three of them cautiously wandered into a small hallway off the kitchen, Rachel halting in her tracks as she picked up a framed photograph of a mother and father with their young daughter. Dick stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, Amelia stopping next to him as they both looked over at Rachel.

"Rachel." Dick called out quietly. "What do you sense?"

"Loss." She responded, slowly putting down the picture.

An unsettling feeling floated through the air as they continued into the kitchen. An old radio sat on the kitchen counter, surrounded by a couple of green apples that seemed to be haphazardly thrown down. Dick wandered further into the kitchen, approaching the radio.

Mr. Sandman

Yes?

Bring us a dream

Give him a pair of eyes with a-

He switched the radio off, silence enveloping the house as his eyes caught sight of an apple on the floor, blood droplets littering the green peel. Amelia followed behind Rachel, her heart pounding in her ears as they peeked around the kitchen island. A wave of nausea passed through Amelia as she stared at the dead woman leaning against the island cabinets, sitting in a pool of her own blood. Her throat was slashed, dried blood crusting over the wound and staining her shirt. The gruesome sight left little to the imagination.

"Dick?" Rachel called out, gaining his attention as he made his way over, his eyes widening slightly before he crouched down to inspect the body.

The sound of Rachel's voice garnered Gar and Tim's attention, the two quickly making their way into the kitchen. Tim let out a shaky breath at the grisly sight. "Oh god."

"Go watch the front door." Dick ordered, not looking away from the body. It was obvious who his command was directed at.

Gar gently coaxed Tim back towards the entry way. "Come on, they've got it from here."

Rachel crouched down next to Dick, her hand gently passing over the woman's open eyes to close them. Amelia let out a deep breath, shoving her hands into her pockets. This wasn't her first time seeing a dead body, if anything she'd seen way too many, but something about this one made her feel like she needed to run.

A dull thump made her jump, her pulse jumping with her. Her eyes widened, "Did you guys hear that? Please tell me you heard that."

Dick and Rachel slowly got up from the floor, another loud thud sounding from somewhere in the otherwise quiet house. The three of them quickly made their way out of the kitchen, following the sound towards an old wooden staircase that led to the upper floor of the house. Amelia's brow furrowed as another thud vibrated through the ceiling before a small, girlish shriek sounded. Without any caution, Dick rushed up the stairs. Amelia chased after him, Rachel following close behind as the three of them followed the sound to an ajar door.

Dick slowly creaked the door open, revealing a child's bedroom, his eyes widening as he spotted a young girl, her eyes closed as she convulsed and whimpered on the floor. He rushed over to her, crouching down in front of her and placing his fingers to her pulse, feeling it beat rapidly under his fingertips.

"Oh god." Amelia breathed out as she came to a stop in the doorway, her eyes flitting over the young girl before she quickly rushed over to help. "Rachel! Get in here!"

Rachel ran into the room and crouched down in front of the girl as Dick spoke, panic laced in his tone. "I think she's in shock. She might be seizing."

Her hands hovered over the whimpering girl before she cupped her face. Her brow furrowed in shock and confusion. "No, she's in a nightmare. He left her this way."

"Well what do we do?" Amelia questioned frantically, the whines and tremors from the girl making her chest tight.

"I'm calling the paramedics." Dick uttered, getting up and reaching for his phone in his pocket.

"No!" Rachel rasped, her voice rising. "No, no, no, wait! I can help her!" She met Dick's hesitant gaze first, before meeting Amelia's eyes. "Trust me."

The purple haired teen didn't wait for a definitive answer, only letting out a deep breath before her eyes turned black and red, the purple and black tendrils of her powers reaching out towards the young girl.

Amelia slowly got up and backed herself towards Dick, her eyes wide with worry as she grabbed his hand in hers to comfort herself. A couple moments passed as they watched Rachel's powers thrum with energy before shrill screams emitted from the young girl's mouth. It was the type of scream that shredded vocal chords and broke vases, the sheer loudness of it alerting Gar and Tim from downstairs, the two appearing in the doorway.

"Dick, Amelia, what's happening?" Gar yelled out, looking between them frantically.

Amelia didn't even know what to say, her words caught in her throat as she squeezed Dick's hand. Words escaped him too, the shrieks from the young girl pulling at his already heavy heart. He knew those screams, Amelia did too. It was pure, unadulterated terror. The type of fear that shook you to your very bones and made your heart beat out of your chest.

A gasp escaped from Rachel suddenly and the young girl's eyes shot open, a panicked look on her face. The teen quickly embraced the girl, holding her tight as she whispered placating words. "Hey, hey, you're safe. You're okay."

A heavy breath escaped Amelia as she met Dick's gaze. She could see the relief on his face, but hidden deep in his eyes was something closer to anguish. It didn't surprise her that the screams from that young girl reminded him of his own when he was around her age. It reminded her of the same thing.

Rachel looked back at them, still tightly holding the girl. "I saw him in the nightmare, the man that killed Luthor. I didn't see his face. He's not far, but I don't know where he's hiding."

"That sound," Tim voiced shakily. "I've never heard anything like that."

Gar's brow furrowed, his eyes watering. "I have. It's the sound of dying animals."

—---------------------

With the help of Gar's observation and Rachel's powers, they had eventually figured out where this mystery murderer could possibly be. There was an abandoned slaughterhouse not too far from the edge of the city, Rachel could sense his presence nearby. After making sure the little girl, Aria, was safe with the paramedics, changing into their suits, and grabbing Kory on the way, they arrived at the old slaughterhouse in record time.

Amelia still didn't understand what 'he' was, but whatever power he possessed, it wasn't a good one. The way Rachel could explain him was that he was like a dream walker, able to steal people's consciousness through nightmares, but also still manage to appear in the waking world. It was something neither of them had ever dealt with before and that made him all the more dangerous.

The cool dampness of the slaughterhouse made a chill run down Amelia's spine. It was littered with cobwebs and lined with rusty metal pipes, along with long metal hooks that hung from the ceiling. It reminded her of something out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. She remembered watching it with the older Titans back in San Francisco around Halloween time. She had hid herself in Hank's chest for half the movie while he laughed and teased her for being a baby. Hopefully, whoever this guy was, he wasn't wielding a chainsaw.

She cautiously followed after Dick, the rest of the team behind her as they came to a stop in front of an old wooden desk, a small, rusted lamp lighting up the desk's surface. Dried blood stained the dusty wood, different sized knives, butcher tools, and an intricate carved bowl sat on top of it.

"He's here, somewhere....close." Rachel stated, looking around the dark room.

"Did the knives and the blood bowl give it away?" Kory replied, slight sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"Starfire, Calico, and I run point." Dick ordered, voice low. "Rachel, keep sharp."

Amelia took a nervous glance around the room again, an uneasy feeling creeping into her gut. Her eyes widened as Dick and Kory started walking further into the room. "Okay, so we're just going to look around the slaughterhouse, no big deal."

She quickly caught up with them, the younger Titans following behind. A dull thump sounding from above made her jump, instantly grabbing Kory's arm. The fiery woman stopped and looked down at her with a raised brow, amusement etched into her features. Amelia cleared her throat as she let go. Dick pointed towards the ceiling, signaling that they should go up. They approached a wooden staircase, the wood planks creaking under their feet as they made their way upstairs.

It was just as creepy upstairs as it was down, Amelia had concluded. The windows were boarded up, minimal light shining through. The wooden floorboards still groaned as they walked, immense amounts of dust blanketed the floor like a light snowfall. She walked next to Kory, Dick taking the lead as they turned the corner, coming across something that made her want to turn around and run in the other direction.

Five bodies hung from ropes tied to the meat hooks hanging from the ceiling, arms shackled with metal cuffs. Some type of long tubing hung from their limbs, their blood flowing freely and feeding into the old tin buckets and milk jugs that sat underneath them.

The drip drop of excess blood droplets made a wave of nausea pass through Amelia as she covered her mouth with her hand. The sight of blood usually never gave her a problem, but this was something else entirely.

Kory let out a soft gasp, "He's collecting their blood."

Dick took a step closer, looking at one of the hanging men before looking back at the team. "That's Aria's father."

A hoarse cough sounded from the man, the chains around him rattling as his body shook. Dick's eyes widened slightly before he sprung into action. "He's alive. Help me get him down."

"Oh, god." Amelia mumbled, helping untie the ropes with Dick and Kory.

A low groan sounded from another victim, Gar's brow furrowing before he started untying one of the other men. "This guy's alive too. Tim, give me a hand!"

Tim nodded, making his way over to help. "Got it!"

Flexing her fist, Amelia unsheathed the claws from her gloves, running a nail through the tough rope, the sisal tearing open strand by strand. An angered scream made her stop, her eyes meeting Dick's as they both looked at each other, speaking in unison. "Rachel."

Leaving the rest of the team, they booked it down the wooden stairs. Rachel stood a little ways from them, purple and black tendrils flowing from her as they held up the man they were looking for. A burst of flames made Amelia fall back into Dick's chest, his hands grabbing her waist to help steady her as they watched the floating man burn, Rachel's powers retracting as she quickly backed up. The man screamed out in agony, the smell of burnt flesh enveloping the air.

Dick slowly made his way towards Rachel, letting go of Amelia in the process, his hand coming to rest on the teen's shoulder. She let out a startled gasp, her eyes wide with fear as he tried to console her. "It's okay. It's okay, it's me."

"He-He did that to himself." Rachel stammered breathlessly, her arms wrapping around herself.

Amelia walked up next to them, her eyes never leaving the fiery scene in front of them. The screaming eventually stopped, burnt ashes falling to the floor as the fire disappeared completely. She looked over at Rachel, the teen sent her a pleading look.

"I didn't do that to him." She trembled, "He did it to himself."

"It's done now." Dick replied, shaking his head. "That's all that matters. No more nightmares."

Rachel paused for a moment, her eyes focusing on the spot where the man burned. She slowly started walking.

"Rach?" Amelia called out, sharing a quick look with Dick. "What's wrong?"

The teen halted in her tracks, back still turned to them as she breathed heavily. "Um, for a second I felt...something or someone. It's gone now." She backed up a bit before turning around and walking past them to the wooden stairs. "When the cops are done with this place, they should burn it to the fucking ground."

Neither Dick or Amelia disagreed with her or responded. They both cast their eyes on the pile of ash, a mask laying in the middle of it, smoke floating from it. It must have been made entirely of bone if it didn't burn up in the fire. Amelia shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin as she looked at it before she grabbed Dick's hand. He tore his own gaze away from the mask to look at her, the two sharing a look of unease before making their way back upstairs to help.

—------------------

The steady beeping of a vitals monitor was the only sound that emitted from the hospital room as Dick and Amelia approached. Aria's father and the other victims had made it to Metropolis General barely alive, all of them being put in a drug induced coma to heal. Dick had wanted to visit the young girl and make sure she'd be okay for the time being, having just lost her mother and now her father being in a coma was sure to have some kind of traumatic effect on her.

Amelia held Dick's hand as they walked into the room, spotting Aria curled up in a chair in front of her father's bed, knees pulled up to her chest. Dick rapped his knuckles on the wall, alerting her of their presence as she looked up at them.

"Hey." Dick said softly, "Doctor's say your father will be okay. Just needs a little bit more time."

Aria let out a quiet sigh, her voice hoarse as she spoke. "My mom. Nobody will tell me what happened to her." She got up from the chair and stood by the foot of the hospital bed, staring longingly at her father. "But I saw her. I know what happened."

Amelia bit down on her bottom lip, her heart breaking for the young girl. She let out a breath to help release the tension she felt in her chest. The whole thing reminded her of the loss of Dick's parents. Watching them fall, Dick's terrified screams. The hollow feeling in her chest when she finally realized that they were never coming back, that she nor Dick would ever see his parents again. Mary and John Grayson may not have been her own parents, but she still felt their loss like they were.

"I lost my parents when I was about your age." Dick's brow furrowed as he spoke. "What I remember is how cold everything felt. No matter what I did to get warm... I couldn't."

Aria looked over at them, tears sliding down her cheeks. Dick continued, letting out a sigh. "And then, a very strong man wrapped his jacket around me. This jacket." He let go of Amelia's hand, shrugging off the worn, brown leather jacket. "He told me that time would make things better. And it did. Here."

A small smile graced Amelia's lips as she watched him wrap the jacket around Aria's shoulders, the large coat enveloping her tiny frame. The young girl pulled the jacket tighter around herself as she sniffled.

"The girl that found me...Rachel. She used magic like the nightmare man?"

"No, Aria." Amelia spoke up, shaking her head. "Nothing like him. She's one of the good ones."

Dick picked up a mint off the tray table, holding it up for the girl to see. "You see there's good magic and bad magic."

Amelia watched in amusement as he made the mint disappear, showing the girl his empty hands before reaching behind her ear, the mint suddenly reappearing again.

A small smile pulled at his lips, "The good magic always wins."

Aria took the mint from his palm, a hint of a smile gracing her features. Dick took Amelia's hand in his again, intertwining their fingers together before nodding towards the girl. "And you can keep the jacket."

Without another word spared, he led Amelia out of the hospital room, the two gingerly walking down the hallway. A warmth settled itself in her chest as they wandered the halls towards the exit.

"The jacket was a nice touch." Amelia mused, a soft smile on her face. "I think you really sold it with the magic trick though."

"I just-I saw a piece of myself in her. I couldn't let her go down the same path of grief and blame that I went down." Dick replied, shaking his head slightly.

"You made her feel like she wasn't alone and made her a little less scared. That little girl will remember what you did for the rest of her life."

The doors to the hospital's entrance slid open automatically as they approached it, the cool night air hitting their faces as soon as they stepped outside. She stopped him for a moment, facing him with that soft smile still on her face.

"I don't know how you did it, Dick Grayson." She reached up to cup his cheek with her hand. "But I think you just made me fall more in love with you."

Dick's heart skipped a beat as Amelia cupped his cheek, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He covered her hand with his own, leaning into her touch, finding solace in her presence. Her words hit him like a warm wave, washing away the heaviness he often carried on his heart. He let out a soft breath, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes.

"You keep saying things like that, and I might start thinking you like me or something." He teased lightly.

"Don't let it all go to your head at once, pretty bird. Your ego's already too big."

His hands found her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. A slight chuckle left his lips before he spoke. "How do you go from complimenting me to beating me down in the same breath? "

"Don't be so dramatic." She playfully rolled her eyes, a smirk curling at her lips. "It's a part of my charm. It's kept you around this long, hasn't it?"

"Now who's the one with a big ego?"

"It's still not me, Mr. 'My RV is bigger than that guy's RV'. Now, come on, let's go grab Connor and get the fuck out of Metropolis."

—----------------

The air in the RV held a tension to it, at least in Amelia's mind. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the Younger Titans over her Uno cards. She was down to two cards, a yellow three and blue five. She was still the undefeated Uno champion, her competitiveness overtaking any sense of her playing like a normal person. When it came to Uno, she meant serious business.

"Okay." Gar muttered to Rachel. "Can I use this now?"

She nodded, "Yes."

Gar placed down a blue two. Amelia let out a loud cackle, as she threw down her blue card. "Ha! Uno, bitches!"

The younger Titans groaned in unison. Tim shuffled through his cards, slamming down a blue seven. "Let's go!"

Connor side eyed Tim, an amused expression on his face at his outburst. "It's a seven."

The group burst into laughter. Rachel placed down another blue card and Gar placed down a wild card, glancing over at the purple haired girl expectantly.

She smiled, "Pick a color."

"Oh. Yellow."

"That was a big mistake, Garseph." Amelia slammed her last card, a yellow three, down on the pile. "I win! I am the undefeated Uno champion, please hold your applause!"

Tim threw the rest of his cards down on the table. "Again!? How do you keep doing this?"

"Oh, Tim Tam, I'm just that good."

Meanwhile, Dick chuckled from the driver's seat at Amelia's boasting. He glanced over at Kory in the passenger seat, the fiery woman leaning on the arm rest with her head in her hand as she stared out the windshield.

"At this rate, I think we're gonna have to take away the Uno cards." He mused, "If Ames loses once, she's gonna riot."

Kory briefly met his gaze, a small, yet not complete smile gracing her lips before she brought her attention back to the highway. His brow furrowed, noticing her less than genuine smile and off behavior.

Dick pressed his lips together in a thin line, glancing at her again before returning to the road. "You okay?"

"Deathstroke and evil Jason were one thing," She mumbled, voice low. "But what was in that slaughterhouse..."

"No more stops until we get to San Francisco." He declared, his eyes softening slightly. "We leave all of that behind us. And when all that shit stops getting to you, that's when you know you have a problem."

Kory raised her brow, a teasing smile on her face. "Is that when one starts dressing like a bat?"

"Who's dressing like a bat?" Amelia announced her presence as she sauntered up to the front of the RV, leaning against the side of the passenger seat. She looked over at Dick, "I will actually kill you if it's you."

Dick rolled his eyes, "No one's dressing like a bat, Miss Uno champion."

"You're forgetting undefeated. It's important to me that you know that."

A bright, flashing red hue casted through the large windshield of the RV, effectively cutting off their conversation. Amelia's eyes widened at the scene in front of her, red streaks of lightning and black smoke emitted from under the bridge over the highway. Cars slammed on their breaks in front of the bridge as people ran from their cars.

Dick sighed as he pulled the RV over, blocking any cars from passing. "Why is it never easy to leave this town?"

The smoke dissipated from the area, revealing a woman standing in the middle of the highway, that same red lightning surging the giant staff she was holding.

"This is just a hunch," Amelia tilted her head, as the red streaks flashed in front of the RV. "But I'm gonna assume she's a bad guy."

The younger Titans made their way to the front, Rachel taking the lead, as they all stared out the windshield.

"She killed Lex." Rachel stated, voice firm in confirmation.

"Are you certain?" Dick questioned, eyes never leaving the red steaks.

"It's not over till we stop her."

"Then let's finish this." Kory declared.

"Suit up!" At Dick's command, the Titans quickly threw on their super suits and exited the RV.

Amelia stood next to Dick, grabbing her whip off her belt and flicking it to extend it, the end smacking against the asphalt with a loud crack. The woman slowly approached them, head tilted as she sized each of them up.

Connor stepped up first, brow furrowed in anger as the woman beckoned him mockingly with her hand.

"Connor, wait!" Rachel called out, her plea falling on deaf ears.

He launched himself into the air, heat vision burning from his eyes as he tried to attack. The woman lifted her staff, a zap of red hitting him full force and launching him backwards. Connor's body flew over the Titans and through a large van, crushing the hood of a car as he landed.

Amelia's eyes widened as she looked back at Connor with the rest of the group, all of them in shock at the force of the hit he took. She quickly turned her head back towards the woman, her breath hitching as she stalked menacingly towards them. Rachel ran towards a stalled vehicle and climbed onto the roof, her powers exuding out of her and towards the woman's staff. It wasn't long until her powers started to dissipate all together, Rachel's body dropping as she fell unconscious, her body sliding down towards the trunk.

Dick's eyes widened slightly as he nodded towards Tim and Gar, "Check on Rachel."

The two wasted no time sprinting into action. The woman only smirked in response, head tilted in amusement as she held her staff.

"I think now's the time to test out that electricity function on your whip." Dick took a quick glance at Amelia as he grabbed both his escrima sticks.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" She mused, pressing the second button on the hilt of her whip, a blue crackle of electricity traveling down it. "Let's go burn the wicked witch of the west."

Dick took off first, escrima sticks hitting against the woman's staff as she fought back against him. She easily blocked his hits, gaining the upper hand as she hit his side with the top of her staff. Amelia ran down the road, flicking her electrified whip towards the large weapon. The woman brought her hand up, magic flowing from her fingertips as she froze both Dick and Amelia in place.

The woman twisted her hand, a wicked grin on her face. The next thing Amelia knew, her back was hitting the pavement, head knocking onto the hard ground as she dropped her whip with a groan. Dick's body had hit the ground a few feet away from her, a pained groan leaving his own lips.

With a grunt, the woman made a move to slam the bottom of her staff into Dick's chest, only for him to catch it before it could land. Black smoke and red lightning emitted from the top of the staff and cascaded downwards, enveloping Dick in a painful shock and spreading around to hit the other Titans.

Amelia cried out as the red electricity enveloped her body, back arching off the ground as it curled around her bones. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, the muscle working overtime to combat the energy coursing through her. The black smoke clouded her vision, swirling into her chest and through her lungs making it hard to breathe. She let out a pained gasp, her body losing its will to keep her alive.

A large explosion of red, black, purple and blue shook the ground, the energy surrounding the area dissipating as fast as it was expelled. Amelia let out a loud, gasping breath as she shot up off the ground. Dick quickly pushed himself up before helping her, pulling her to her feet as he pushed her hair out of her face.

"You okay?" He murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to her head.

Amelia let out a groan as she stuck her gloved hand out, the hilt of her whip magnetizing to it. She pressed the second button to turn off the electrical shock before pressing the top button, retracting it. She hooked it back on her belt.

"I feel like I was just struck by lightning." She breathed out, looking around the highway. "I'm pretty sure that's exactly what happened though." Her eyes widened when she spotted Kory struggling to get off the ground. "Oh my god, Kory!"

The two quickly ran over to her, Amelia helping boost her up on one side and Dick on the other. The fiery woman let out heavy breathes, struggling to even out her breathing.

"Breathe. Just breathe, Kory." Amelia muttered, awkwardly shuffling with her and Dick towards the RV.

"What happened?" Kory gasped out.

"You saved our ass." Dick replied, looking at her with concern in his gaze.

She looked back towards the bridge, before meeting his gaze again. "Saved us from who?"

Amelia's brow furrowed as she opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Gar's rough, yet frantic yell. "Nightwing! Calico!"

As fast as they could manage, they limped over towards Gar, Tim, Connor, and Rachel. The purple haired teen was still on the ground unconscious, Tim holding her head off the ground. She gazed at Rachel with wide eyes, watching as the little red gem that sat in the middle of her forehead disappeared before her once purple hair turned stark white.

"What did she do to her?" Gar fretted, looking between Dick and Amelia.

Amelia looked over at Dick, the two sharing a worried look. Neither of them knew what had happened to Rachel, but whatever it was, it had changed her. That woman, whoever she was, was now the Titans greatest enemy.

Dick's breath came out in heavy breaths as he carried Rachel into the RV, Amelia and the rest of the team frantically following after him. He gently laid her down on the table as Kory grabbed a pillow and placed it under her head. Amelia kneeled down next to her and pressed the back of her hand to the teen's forehead.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Gar asked, voice frantic.

"Her heartbeat is steady." Connor replied, his eyes flashing as he scanned her with his xray vision.

Dick placed a gloved hand against the girl's cheek. "Rachel, can you hear me?"

Amelia kneeled down next to her, taking her glove off, before she pressed the back of her hand to the teen's forehead. She yanked her hand back quickly. "She's freezing. Get some blankets!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Rachel's eyes slowly fluttered open, her gaze unfocused as a gasp escaped her lips. She shot up, breathing heavily and staring at the group in confusion. "What happened?"

"We were attacked." Dick explained, hand resting on her arm to help steady her. "You got hit pretty bad. Are you okay?"

She shook her head, her brow furrowing. "No. I can't feel you. I can't feel any of you."