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Six Months. Six months of intense training. Jason was given a choice; do you want to continue your life as normal? Or do you want to become a partner to Batwoman, and help the people of Gotham City? Naturally, he chose to fight crime. He’d seen his fair share of it down in the Bowery, and knowing there were people who had been like him down there, was all it took for him to come to a decision.The next six months proved to be very difficult. Kate was like a drill sergeant; she’d wake him up really early, get dressed, and jog around the city block. Then came a high protein breakfast, followed by weight training. On the weekdays, Jason went off to school, but on the weekends, and after school, came hours of combat training. Kate taught him several martial arts over the course of six months. He learned Krav Maga, a few styles of Pentjak Silat, Tae Kwon Doh, and Tai Chi.Gymnastics came next and so Jason found himself on a High Bar or a pommel horse, often. At night, he’d throw on dark colors and Kate would teach him Parkour, alongside even more gymnastics, stealth and infiltration. Escapology made its way into his regimen at some point, too.When Jason wasn’t busting his ass training physically, he was earning multiple Doctorates in Criminology. He was learning Forensics Science, Forensic Psychology Criminal Justice, Computer Forensics, Investigation, and more. He also learned Toxicology, to identify and create different kids of toxins and antidotes.On top of it all, he could now, fluently, speak French, and Hebrew, and was passable at Portuguese and Yiddish.But near the end of his training, the last couple of months, she began teaching him how to utilize and defend against various weapons, from swords and shurikens, to hand guns and rifles. Jason had known that Batman did not like firearms, but “Batwoman” seemed much more lenient towards them, likely as a result of her military training. He learned the proper way to handle guns, how to take them apart, put them back together, clean then, the whole nine yards. She stressed the danger of firearms often, and drilled him on all of these things until he could practically take them apart, clean them, and put them back together again, in his sleep.There were a few times during the course of his training and tutelage that Kate had become concerned that she was pushing too hard; he was still only fifteen after all. Jason, however, insisted on forging ahead, moving forward. His resilience and resolve were impressive to her and he seemed to thrive during Combat Training. He had next to none, basic street fighting aside, when they started, but he picked up his Martial Arts quickly. He picked up everything quickly, and managed to keep his grades up at Straight A’s the whole while.Kate made sure Jason’s training was thorough. She applied everything she knew, every method she encountered during her own military training and time at West Point. She tested Jason time, and time again, and pushed, encouraged, and he endured. She had her doubts and her fears about letting him out on the streets with her, so she wanted to make absolute certain that when he joined her, he could not only hold his own, but be a force to be reckoned with, on his own. Gotham City was dangerous and was filled not just with your garden variety scum bags, but also supervillains. Kate had had her fair share of run ins with the likes of Scarecrow and the Joker. The Joker was the one who worried her the most, and so she made sure to stress, in no uncertain terms to Jason, that he was never, never to underestimate him.“Because if he gets even half a chance…he will kill you.” They all would, but the Joker was something else entirely.But at long last, after six long months of intense training, Jason was ready. And so he stood beside Batwoman in his newly finished costume as her partner, code name “Lark”.His costume was black, made with Zylon Fibers, with heavier Zylon armor on his shoulders and chest. He wore black combat gauntlets and knee high combat boots, with a black utility belt wrapped around his waist. His gloves had raised knuckles, steel tipped on the inside for more impact on his punches. The combat boots were steel-toed for the same reason. He wore a black domino mask on his face to hide his identity. The silhouette of a bird with its wings outstretched, was emblazoned on his chest in gold.Lark grinned and patted the taser gun holstered on his right hip, drawing the grappling gun on his other.“Are you ready for your first night, Lark?” Batwoman asked, uncrossing her arms and grabbing her own grappling gun. Lark grinned wider and aimed his at a taller building across the way.“Oh yeah! Totally ready to kick some ass!” Lark replied, giving her a thumbs up. Batwoman couldn’t help but to smirk in response, firing a line to the building across the way.“Great. Then let’s get started,” Batwoman replied, swinging off into the night with Lark right behind her. From roof top to root top, the duo made their way toward a warehouse that Batwoman had been keeping her eye on for the last few weeks. Military Grade weapon shipments were coming in and out of the place and Batwoman’s intel led her to believe that they were holding Black Market Auctions somewhere here in Gotham and selling the weapons off to the likes of Black Mask, The Falcones, and Rupert Thorne.Tonight, she intended to not only shut down the operation, but find out where these “Black Market Auctions” were taking place. If she could, she’d also wrangle out the source of these weapon shipments and shut them down.Batwoman and Lark landed atop a building across the street from the warehouse. The place was teeming with guards armed with semi-automatic weapons placed at strategic locations to bar entry; they likely had kill-on-sight orders. Batwoman had already made a tactical analysis, but this was Lark’s first mission, his test. She glanced over at him and gestured down toward the warehouse below.“Lark. Tactical Analysis.” Lark nodded and pulled out a small pair of binoculars, looking toward the warehouse across the way.“Guards around the perimeter. Armed with semi-automatic rifles” Lark started, moving his line of sight from place to place as he analyzed the building. “Through the window, I see guards on the second floor, too. Some on the roof. They’re smart; got their bases covered from all vantages of possible attack or infiltration,” Lark reported. He glanced over at Batwoman for a moment, who looked pleased with his report.“Is that all?” she asked. Lark frowned a little, but turned his sight back to the warehouse. He looked around the area and spotted a few suspicious trucks and cars parked in specific locations around the warehouse.“Advanced scouts. They keep a look out in all directions and keep their bosses updated on the state of traffic, and on the cops, giving them time to reinforce, or hide.”“Very good. So what do we do?” Batwoman asked. Lark glanced over at her, then back to the warehouse as he considered a plan of action. Lark looked through the binoculars again, then pointed to the roof.“Our point of entry should be through the roof.”“But they have guards posted there. We could be seen,” Batwoman replied. Lark turned to her and made his counter.“But the roof is the weakest point; it has the fewest guards with only four. It’d be too obvious to come at them from directly across the street, but if we come at them from an adjacent building, we can catch them off guard,” Lark started to explain. He turned back to the roof and looked through the binoculars again. “If we execute quick, precise take downs, we can slip inside before they have the chance to fire off a shot or warn their buddies inside.”Batwoman allowed herself a prideful grin as she reached for her grappling gun.“Pincer attack, then? You go Left--"“I’ll go right,” Lark replied, a grin spreading across his own face as the two of them parted ways and set their plan of attack into motion. Lark disappeared into the darkness and utilized a combination of parkour and grappling gun to sneak his way across the street, to a building a couple of doors down from the warehouse. He landed on the roof beside the warehouse and watched as Batwoman arrived at her own position.Lark waited until the two guards closest to him met each other on the roof of their patrol routes. Once they were in position, Lark dived off of his rooftop and swung across the way toward the roof. The thugs looked up to see Lark coming, shocked looks spreading across their faces. Before they could fire off a shot, Lark kicked both of them and in a series of quick, rapid blows, he knocked them both out before they could make a sound.Lark glanced across the rooftop to see Batwoman had similarly taken out the thugs on her side of the roof. The two of them got to tying them up, binding and gagging them, then dumping them in the center of the roof.Lark pulled open the door on the roof that led down a ladder and onto the level below. Batwoman went first, then Lark followed. The two of them systematically took down the armed guards on the next two levels below, one-by-one. Stealth take downs helped to avoid arousing suspicion. At last, they reached the ground floor and stealth would no longer be an option.“A’right, the last of them crates are in! Get ‘em ready for the next auction!” a ordered a man with a scar on his forehead. He was their ring leader, one James O’Brian. “Where is Fred? Why hasn’t he checked in?! Someone go check on--” he barked the orders, but was interrupted at the sounds of shouting from his men on the other side of the warehouse.“Boss, it’s the Batwoman!” one of them men called, right before Lark knocking him out with a blow to the back of the head.“Yeah, you might want to reschedule that auction. Sometime around next year of never,” Lark taunted, flashing a grin as he cracked his knuckles.“You again, O’Brian? You’re like a cockroach,” Batwoman said flatly.“Smoke ‘em!” O’Brian ordered. Before any of them could fire off a shot, Lark threw several birdarangs, knocking the guns out of his hand. No sooner had the projectiles left his hands, he charged and started beating down the thugs. Batwoman dived into the fray behind him, setting her sights on O’Brian who was attempting to make his escape.“You’re not getting away this time,” Batwoman called after him, reaching for a bolas from her utility belt. Batman dropped down in front of him, however, landing a solid punch to his face and knocking him out cold. O’Brian crumbled to the floor like a sack of rocks.“Batwoman.”“Batman.”Meanwhile, Lark delivered a roundhouse kick to another thug’s jaw, catching himself on his hands. He then flipped himself backwards, kicking another in the gut and sending him toppling backward into a stack of crates.“Wow, you guys suck! Beat down by a kid! How embarrassing!” Lark called out with a laugh. He turned to see a man with a crowbar attacking him, before before he could react, and before the thug’s attack could land, Robin flew by and delivered a devastating kick to the man. The hulking tank of muscle was sent stumbling into a stack of crates. Robin grinned over at Lark, and then the two of them teamed up to deliver a one-two punch that knocked him out.“So, who’re you supposed to be?” Robin asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Lark flashed a prideful grin, puffed up his chest and pounded his fist against the golden bird symbol on it.“Call me Lark!” Lark replied. Robin chuckled in amusement and patted the younger teen’s shoulder.“Another bird, huh? No cape?” he asked. Lark snorted and waved his hand dismissively.“No offense, but I don’t do capes. Totally not my style,” Lark replied.“Robin.”“Lark.” Batwoman and Batman called. The two teenage sidekicks turned to Batman and Batwoman, who both gestured toward the thugs.“Round up these assholes--” Batwoman started.“--And alert the GCPD. We’re going to have a chat with O’Brian,” Batman finished. Robin rolled his eyes and sighed, while Lark just gave a curt nod. And so the two teenage sidekicks got to gathering up all of the thugs and tying them up. Once that was done, they called in the GCPD, then the two of them made their way to the roof.“So,” Robin began, approached the younger boy with his arms crossed. “You’re Batwoman’s new sidekick, huh?”“Damn right,” Lark replied with a grin. Robin chuckled in amusement and drew closer to the teen.“Well…you’re still cute, y’know that, right?” he teased a little, getting in really close. Lark chuckle softly and did likewise, until their lips were but a hair’s breadth apart.“Not cute; cool. Get it right,” he replied in a low tone. Robin chuckled against he lips, then closed the distance. Their lips melted together in a sweet, gentle kiss. Lark’s arm wrapped around Robin’s neck, while Robin wound an arm around Lark’s waist.“So, Jason,” Dick started, lifting his domino mask up “you still up for out date on Saturday? Or does this new gig change things?” Jason snorted, lifting his own domino mask and flashing Dick a grin.It hadn’t exactly been hard to extrapolate that Batman had to be Bruce Wayne, and this his boyfriend, Dick Grayson, was Robin. Once he discovered that Kate was Batwoman, the pieces more or less fell right into place.“This doesn’t change a thing. You’ll still pick me up at seven, right?”“Of course. So you--” Robin turned when Batman called him and saw Batwoman standing beside him. The two sidekicks quickly replaced their masks and jogged over toward their respective mentors.“We’re going. Batwoman and I managed to get some information from O’Brian.”“Turns out our investigations are linked. There won’t be another Auction until next week, but Batman and Robin are prepared to take care of the shipment coming in tomorrow,” Batwoman cut in, glancing over at Batman.“So, we take out the shipment, find out where they’re coming from--” Robin started. Lark glanced over at Robin, then back to Batman and Batwoman and crossed his arms over his chest.“Then the four of us team up and kick some ass at that Auction!”“Precisely,” Batman cut in. He typed some commands into his gauntlet and the Batmobile came racing up the street. He waved for Robin to follow, then jumped off of the roof and into the car below. Robin flashed Lark a grin, then waved goodbye and joined his mentor. The Batmobile took off down the street with Batwoman and Lark watching.“You did great tonight, Lark,” Batwoman said to him, diverting her attention from the retreating Batmobile, and giving it to Lark. She flashed a smirk and patted his shoulder. “Seems all that training paid off. You’re ready to do this with my, full time. Providing you’re still interested?” She asked. Lark grinned from ear to ear, pumping his fist through the air excitedly.“Hell yeah! I’m totally in!” He exclaimed.
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Dick and Jason made their way down toward the local theater, holding hands with their fingers enlaced and both wearing the bracelets Dick had gotten for the both of them around the wrists of their joined hands. Dick chuckled a bit at a joke Jason had told him as he smoothed the wrinkles out of his white, button up shirt. He’d left the top few buttons intentionally unbuttoned and wore a pair of form hugging black jeans. They weren’t quite skinny jeans, but they did a good job of showing off his…assets.Jason almost felt bad in comparison, as he hadn’t dressed quite as nicely for their date; he’d donned a red long-sleeve layered graphic shirt with black sleeves that read “Strong Style Had Arrived”. He had on a pair of faded, ripped blue jeans with zipper pockets, and a pair of black and white converse sneakers. He never liked dressing up, but dating Dick Grayson, his crush, made him want to look nice.“You know, I was almost worried you’d want to call this date off. What with everything going on in our night lives and all,” Dick commented, gently squeezing Jason’s fingers. Jason glanced over at Dick, his stomach doing cartwheels again. Something about his smile just made him melt a little inside. He’d heard about the legendary charm of Dick Grayson, Ward of Bruce Wayne. He’d even seen it a few times at the Galas and events that they’d both attended it.He disliked watching Dick flirt with other men and women at these things, but he knew it was all for show. Dick had told him he didn’t want to drag Jason into the spotlight, and honestly? Jason was glad for that. He didn’t want to be in the limelight, didn’t want to be on the front of some tabloid. But at the same time, he wanted Dick all to himself.He trusted Dick though. Trusted that he was faithful just to him, because when they were alone, when Dick was with him, he was different than when he was flirting with those strangers at the parties. Jason got to see a side of him that no one else did. They had a connection, a genuine connection, and he could feel it. That part of Dick, he knew was for him; just for him. And he knew he didn’t have to share that with anyone.“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t call off this date for shit,” Jason replied with a smirk on his face. Dick chuckled in amusement, shaking his head.“You swear like a sailor,” Dick pointed out. Jason snorted and shrugged his shoulders.“You can take the kid out of The Bowery, but you can’t take the Bowery out of the kid,” Jason answered. The two of them arrived at the theater and made their way up to the ticket booth. Jason unzipped his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, made of black leather with a chain that hooked to his front belt loop, and pulled out some cash.“Jason--” Dick started, but Jason held out his hand.“No, I got this one. You’re always paying. It’s my turn,” Jason cut in. “Can we get two for The Proposal?” Jason asked. The woman at the counter smiled and produced two tickets for their movie. Jason handed over the cash and then led Dick inside.“Thanks for that. I know you don’t care for Romantic Comedies,” Dick said softly, pressing a kiss to Jason’s temple. Jason blushed a little and flashed a smile.“It’s fine. You’re a sap, I get it,” Jason teased. Dick snorted and playfully shoved the younger boy with his elbow. Jason snickered in amusement and shoved him back. They went over to the concession stand first to get some snacks for the movie; they still had five minutes or so before it would start.“Can I get a medium soda, some popcorn, and some snowcaps?” Jason asked. He glanced over at Dick and asked “what about you? You want something?”“Nah, I’m good. Thanks babe,” Dick replied, the nickname making Jason blush a little bit. The two of them made their way into the viewing room, taking some seats in the far back. There were only five other people in the room, all of them down in the first couple of rows.Jason made himself comfortable in his seat, leaning back and heaved a sigh while Dick sat down beside him and sunk comfortable into his chair.“This movie is gonna suck ass,” Jason commented quietly. Dick snorted with held back laughter and glanced over at him.“Then why did you buy tickets for it? We could’ve watched something else,” Dick offered. Jason blushed a little as he glanced over at Dick.“I did it because you wanted to watch it, you ass,” Jason retorted, kicking Dick in his shin. Dick giggled and wrapped his arm around the back of Jason’s neck, pulling in in for a kiss. Jason smiled into it, then playfully shoved the man away and pointed toward the screen. “The movie is starting,” he said.“You little shit,” Dick replied in a hushed tone, watching as Jason’s face split into a grin as he tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. The movie started to play and Jason became aware of Dick’s fingers intertwining with his own. As the previews rolled through, Jason glanced over at Dick to see him staring up at the screen. He glanced down at their joined hands as he sipped his soda. He rolled his eyes, despite the smirk on his face, at how mushy Dick could be. It was also sweet, at the same time.Jason enjoyed his snacks as the movie started, sharing some of his popcorn and soda with Dick. He didn’t mind sharing; sometimes you didn’t want something, only to want it later after it was too late. So he and Dick shared the popcorn and the soda. Though, he didn’t share his snowcaps; he loved his snowcaps. You’d have to fight him for them.As the movie progressed, the snacks eaten, Dick pushed Jason’s hair back with his fingers tenderly. The teen leaned into the touch a bit, turning to look at Dick in the darkness. He leaned in close for a kiss, the movie forgotten, and pressed his lips to Dick’s. Dick’s eyes drifted shut as he opened his mouth, letting Jason deepen the kiss, letting him take control. Jason leaned in his seat some more, eventually climbing out of it to climb into Dick’s lap.“Jason--” Dick murmured a little breathlessly as he stared up at the teen, but Jason shushed him with another kiss.“Relax; they’re not paying attention. I doubt they can even hear us over the movie,” Jason purred, sliding his hand down Dick’s chest to cup his crotch. He smirked slyly and gave it a squeeze, pulling a low moan out of Dick. It wasn’t like they hadn’t done a few things already. Just not in public. Jason glanced back over his shoulder at the other, oblivious members of the audience, then grinned down at Dick before he let himself slide down onto the floor on his knees.Dick’s breath hitched as he stared down at Jason a little wide-eyed in shock. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, but still, they weren’t even on anyone’s radar.“You little shit,” Dick hissed, his tone more playful than angry. Jason looked up at him from his place on the floor as he reached for the zipper of Dick’s jeans. “Jay, wait--” Dick started nervously, grabbing Jason’s hand. Jason looked up at Dick and flashed another grin.“Relax, nobody’s looking. Just sit back and enjoy it,” Jason purred. Dick frowned and took a deep breath. He had to admit though, this was a bit exciting. He looked around again, then down at Jason and grinned.“You’re a little shit head.” Jason just winked at him. He unzipped Dick’s jeans and opened them while Dick fidgeted above him. He glanced up at Dick with a mischievous sparkle in his eye as their eyes met, and reached inside his pants, beneath his underwear, and grabbing his dick. Dick sucked in a breath and held up when Jason gave the half-hard cock a couple of strokes, bringing him to full hardness. He pulled Dick’s cock free and stared at it a bit in surprise; he was a bit…bigger than he expected.“Jay, you don’t have to,” Dick finally said with hesitance, despite that part him that was really turned on and excited right now. He knew a bit about Jason’s past, how he grew up on the streets of the Bowery. He didn’t know anything specific, but he knew enough about the streets to guess that Jason might’ve been forced to do some…unsavory things to survive.Jason glanced up at Dick, noting the concern on his face. It made his own face heat up a bit, made him wonder if Dick knew what he’d done while he was living on the streets in The Bowery. But this was different; he had a choice, and Dick was giving him an out. But he wanted to do this. So Jason leaned in and gave the cock a lick from base to tip, eyes darting up to Dick’s face as he took the head past his lips.Dick clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes rolling back and his head tilting back as he felt his cock sliding down into the silky, wet heat of Jason’s throat. Were they in private, he would have just let go, but he had to stay quiet here. It was both nerve-wracking, and exciting. The excitement of it all, the possibility of being caught, turned him on more, if that were even possible.“Shit--oh my god--nnngh-fuck,” Dick whispered out, clutching the arms of his seat tightly and fighting off the urge to thrust up into that warm, wet mouth. When Dick managed to regain some semblance of control over himself, he let out a shaky breath and glanced down at Jason; the younger boy’s eyes were staring up at him, sparkling with mischief, as he slid his mouth down the length of Dick’s cock, taking all of him, down to the back of his throat.Dick’s face heated up, turning red because that had to be one of the most lewd sights he’d ever seen. He’d been with people before, and had done more with them than what he’d done with Jason, but this was…something else. And as he watched Jason skillfully work his mouth around him, feeling his tongue work on him, he almost forgot how to breath, his breath hitching.Tentatively, Dick reached his hand out, and gently threaded his fingers through Jason’s dark hair. The younger boy looked up at him and he could see that mischievous look in his eyes again, and knew that what he was doing was okay.Dick gasped quietly, writhing in his seat, the others in the room forgotten as he massaged Jason’s scalp, gently tugging at his hair. He had his hand clamped over his mouth to muffle his pants and moans, because good god was Jason good with his mouth; it was downright sinful what he could do with that damn tongue.Jason and Dick’s eyes met once again as Jason slowly slid up Dick’s length. Dick huffed, watching as Jason’s tongue swirled around the head, licking at the underside before taking him back into his mouth. He nearly lost it, and had to cover his mouth again, when Jason grabbed his balls and gave them a squeeze, rolling them around in his hand.“Fuck--nnggh--god damn--shit!” Dick breathed, managing to somehow keep his voice down but no longer able to form coherent sentences. He looked down and saw Jason’s hand moving. He shifted just enough to see that Jason had opened his own pants and was jerking himself off in rapid, sharp strokes. Then, Jason does something, and Dick falls over the edge. He clamped his hand over his mouth and smothered a cry of pleasure.“Jay, I’m gonna--” Dick whispered frantically, trying to push Jason off of his cock, but the teen growled at him, sealing his lips around the head of Dick’s cock as he came, hard, into Jason’s mouth. Jason slid his mouth down Dick’s cock, swallowing him down and ignoring Dick’s whines as he continued to work the oversensitive cock. Jason soon followed, his own cries of pleasure muffled by the cock in his throat as he came.When he finally pulled off, Dick tugged Jason up into his lap, ignoring the mess, and kisses Jason, licking up into his mouth and tasting himself on the teen’s tongue. He rubbed his palm over the oversensitive head of Jason’s cock, pulling a whine out of him and swallowing the sound as they kissed. Jason broke off the kiss and practically dragged himself off of Dick, reaching for a napkin from the snacks and wiped himself off, cleaning up the mess as best he could. The two of them then settled into their seats, trapped in a daze but grinning like idiots, the movie long forgotten. The rest of their date was relatively uneventful. Dick had set aside the whole day, just for them, and so after the movie, they went for lunch and got chili dogs (Jason’s favorite) and fries from a street vendor, then went to the museum, and then the bookstore.Jason was like a kid in a candy store when they got to the bookstore. He’d never seen someone so excited over books before, but Dick thought it was adorable. He ended up buying a copy of The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Jason had been more than willing to buy them himself, but Dick bought them instead, as gifts. That had earned the older boy a kiss, ignoring the other people in the store watching, even.Their last stop before heading home, was dinner. Dick had suggested something fancy; he wanted to impress Jason. Jason picked up on that immediately, and convinced Dick to go somewhere more low key; Dick didn’t need to impress him and he said as much to the older boy. Instead, Jason took Dick down to a Dive Bar in the Bowery where they enjoyed some sushi, and (of course) non-alcoholic drinks.The atmosphere was unexpectedly light, cheerful and boisterous. Dick felt a little guilty for judging the place, expecting something more…sinister or disreputable. Surprisingly, there were people from all walks of life in there; he swore he even spotted a few of the “Upper class” rubbing elbows with the common folk. It was a nice experience, truth be told.But as the sky grew dark, and the hour late, it was time to go home. Dick happily drove Jason home and accompanied him inside the building and up the elevator to the loft.Even after they arrived and the doors slid open, Dick had Jason pinned to the wall as the shared a slow, gentle kiss. Jason’s eyes were closed, holding hands with Dick, their fingers enlaced. Dick cupped Jason’s jaw, sliding his tongue into the younger boy’s mouth and deepening the kiss.“Ahem,” came a voice from behind them. The two boys jumped apart, both blushing crimson when they turned to see Kate standing in front of the elevator with a smirk on his face.“Er, Kate, hi,” Jason said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he got off of the elevator. He turned back to Dick and flashed a smile. “I’ll see you later, Dickie,” Jason said to him. Dick smiled and waved goodbye.“See you,” Dick replied, pressing a button on the elevator and disappearing behind the door. Jason watched him go, still waving and a goofy smile on his face.“You see happy. I take it things went well?” Kate asked, amused. Jason was pulled from his reverie and blushed a little. All he offered was a nod, and then headed inside the apartment.“Yeah, it was great,” Jason replied, kicking off his shoes at the door. Kate grinned as she followed him inside.“Oh, just great?” she asked. Jason blushed a little bit, but didn’t turn until he’d successfully beaten it down.“Yeah. It was fun,” he replied. Kate laughed then, and Jason was left confused.“I’m sorry, but you’re such a bad liar,” she replied. Jason frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.“Well, if I’m a bad liar, then I guess that falls on you, doesn’t it?” Jason jabbed, more amused than annoyed, really. Kate waved her hand dismissively as she padded into the kitchen and grabbed a glass, pouring herself some water.“Oh, I mean, you’re a good liar, just not to me,” she explained.“What do you mean?” Jason asked.“Oh, I can see it written all over your face; you’re in love. Your date was better than just “great”, Jason.” Jason tried to frown, but it didn’t have much of an impact with his face colored red. “Sorry, I’ll leave you alone,” Kate teased. Jason huffed a little and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting a little. He looked back to Kate though, wondering if they were still going on patrol tonight.“So…tonight--”“I’ve caught wind of a child trafficking ring, hidden down in The Bowery. If you’re up for it, we can get down there and break it up for good,” Kate explained, setting the empty glass aside and making for the lift to her HQ. Jason’s eyes narrowed at the words “child trafficking ring”. Of course he was definitely down for that; anyone who sold children or used them like toys, deserved a beat down.“Yeah, I’m in,” he replied, following her to the lift.
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Batwoman and Lark spent the next hour doing reconnaissance on the warehouse. Batwoman had been keeping her eye on this place for a few nights, but security could change at any moment. Intel was key to a successful operation. So for the first hour, they watched, waited, timed the patrol routes and made sure to note every detail. Only when Batwoman was satisfied, did they make their move to infiltrate the warehouse.Lark slipped into the warehouse through the window on the roof and landed silently on the catwalks below. He kept his eyes fixed on the thugs below, but made sure to note the position of the children; they were kept in cages in the back room and most of them looked malnourished and scared. Lark seethed with anger at the sight of them, but he kept it in check for the moment. He and Batwoman had these fuckers to deal with first.More than anything, Lark hated people who abused children. He’d seen more than his fair share growing up on the streets, but it never failed to piss him off. He’d been on the receiving end a few times himself, which brought him to the second thing he hated; bullies. Gotham City had far more than its fair share of those, and some of them chose to hide behind a badge. Men like Gordon, and to some extent, Bullock, were amongst the few good men on the force. Too many thugs were permitted to carry badges though.“Lark to Batwoman. Come in Batwoman,” Lark whispered over the comm device in his ear.“Batwoman here. Are you in position, Lark?” she asked. Lark took one final glance at his surroundings and made sure to memorize as many details as possible.“I am in position. Awaiting your orders,” Lark replied, followed by a pause, and then “just say the word, so we can beat these fuckers down.” There was a brief silence from Batwoman’s end. Lark stared intently at the thugs as the ring’s leaders, presumably, chatted around a table and drank beer. He felt bile rise in his throat; anyone who treated children like this, surely deserved more than a beat down…“Get ready to move. I’m getting a closer look at their weaponry…” Batwoman replied. Lark’s finger twitched on his Tactical Stun Baton but he held his position and waited…albeit impatiently. “I see a couple of sub-machine guns…a shotgun…various melee weapons…nothing we can’t handle.“Alright, let’s move then,” Lark replied quickly.“No. Hold your position. We don’t want to jump into this half-cocked,” Batwoman replied. Lark clenched his teeth and his fists; he hated waiting around, especially when there were children in danger down there. But he held his position. For now. “Alright, I’ll draw their fire. I want you to flank them when I have their attention. Understood?” she asked. Lark breathed a sigh of relief; finally, some action!“Understood,” Lark replied. He waited some more, a little more patiently this time because at least now they were making a move. And so he waited, watching carefully for his moment to jump down and join the fray. He watched as Batwoman dropped down through the glass on the roof, and onto their table. Almost the moment she landed, her fists and feet started swinging. The guards rushed in from outside to take her out, but little did they know, she had backup.Once she had successfully drawn their attention, Lark picked his moment to jump in. Batwoman was currently hunkered down behind a stack of crates while the thugs rained gunfire on them. They thought she was helpless, trapped, but nothing could’ve been further from the truth. She set a trap for them, and it was about to spring.Lark raced across the catwalks and flipped over the railing to the top of the crates below. He threw several mini smoke grenades in the thugs’ direction while still in mid air, landing just as they went off. With their attention diverted to the smoke now rising around them, Lark made his move.Lark dived into combat, covered by the smoke, that he could easily see through thanks to the lenses and different vision types in them. Lark moved from one target to the next. He took them out, one by one, with quick strikes; a combination of punches, kicks, and stun baton attacks.Some of the thugs proved a little smarter than average, however, because they ran out of the smoke to avoid being taken by surprise, and started spraying bullets into the smoke, hoping to hit something.That forced Batwoman and Lark to take cover until it was over but they could count shots, and knew how many bullets their guns had. And with the way they were just spraying gun fire in the area, it was only a matter of minutes before the tell tale click of an empty gun.Lark and Batwoman jumped out of cover, each throwing a birdarang and a batarang respectively, at the thugs and knocking their guns out of their hands. Before they had a chance to react to the situation, Lark and Batwoman delivered one-two punches and knocked them out out cold.They could hear more approaching, so after exchanging a quick look, they dived back into the shadows to prepare and ambush for the rest of them. As the heavily armed thugs stormed the warehouse, two dozen or so of them by count, Batwoman and Lark dived out of the shadows and started taking them out, one by one. Lark glanced back and caught one of the guys making a bolt for it.“I’ve got this one!” Lark called, giving chase.“Lark!” Batwoman called after him, grunting when one of the thugs managed to land a blow. She glared at the thug that managed it, then as he threw another punch, she caught his arm, wrenched him forward, and delivered an elbow to the face.As the fleeing thug rounded the corner, Lark gave chase, throwing a bolas from his utility belt at the man’s legs. The man let out a yelp of surprise as the bolas wrapped around his ankles and tripped him up. Lark grinned as he casually approached the thug with his stun baton slung over his shoulder.“Nice try dirt bag, but you’re not going anywhere,” Lark taunted, kicking the guy over on his back with his foot. The man groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. Lark gasped, eyes widening when he saw who it was. “You,” Lark growled, jaw working and fists clenching. The man swung his legs at Lark’s, catching the teen off guard, then quickly freed his legs. He got to his feet and attempted to run, but Lark jumped back up and pursued him.Lark threw a birdarang at the guy and caught him in the back of the leg, right behind the knee. The man yelped in pain and fell to his keens, and as Lark caught up to him, he punched him in the back of his head. The man yelped again and fell to the ground face down.“I’m not done with you yet,” Lark snarled. He kicked the man over onto his back, then sat on his chest and rained a few punches down on his face. “I hate you,” Lark growled, hitting him again and again while the man desperately tried to stop him.“Please stop!” the man cried out. Lark’s voice wavered, weighted down with emotion as he shouted at the man.“Stop?! Like I asked you--begged you--every night?!” Lark snarled, viciously kicking him in the ribs. “Fuck you! I hate you!” Lark snarled, punching the man over and over.“Lark, stand down!” Batwoman shouted, rushing up from behind him and hauling him off of the man. Lark struggled against her but managed to land a final, vicious kick to his head. The man’s head slammed off the concrete, knocking him out cold. “Lark!” Batwoman shouted. Lark stumbled backward and shook his head, clenching his fists as he glared down at the unconscious scum bag on the ground. “What has gotten into you?!” Batwoman demanded to know.Lark just stood there, silently seething. His fists were clenched at his sides as he glared down at the man. He looked up at Batwoman and then looked away.“Hey, I asked you a question!”Lark didn’t answer and instead, stormed off. He pulled out a grappling gun and pulled himself up to the roof of the building across the way. Batwoman watched him go, sorely tempted to follow, but someone needed to stay and see to these scum bags, and to free the children. But she glanced down at the man that Lark had just beaten; whoever he was, he had to have been someone the boy knew, and not in a good way. She’d never seen him go off like that before.Batwoman knelt down beside the man to check his pulse; he was alive, fortunately. She didn’t bother tying him up like the rest though. He’d be out for a long while yet. In the meantime, she contacted the GCPD and let them know about the trafficking ring, then went back inside the warehouse to free the children. With that done, she took her leave. She and Lark needed to have a discussion.A thin sheen of sweat covered Jason’s body as he threw a series of punches at the punching bag. He was in the ‘Bat Cave’, as he’d come to call it, above the loft and was doing some exercises to blow off steam. He had his earphones on and was listening to some rock music.It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it, and he knew he should’ve been in bed. He couldn’t sleep thought, as he was still worked up from the mission. And from running into a figure from his past. The man he’d beaten to a bloody pulp earlier? His name was Daniel Lewis, or as Jason knew him, “Uncle Lewis”. There was no relation, he was just a “friend” (more like supplier) of his fathers, and also a complete and utter scum bag.On the surface, he seemed like your typical dirt bag. He soled drugs during the day, jacked cars, picked pockets, pretty standard stuff for Gotham City. But at night, he’d pimp out women and children, when he wasn’t “enjoying” them himself. After his father was shipped off to Blackgate, and his mother died “Uncle Lewis” saw an opportunity. Jason had never liked that man and he couldn’t quite place his finger on why, at the time.Living with him proved no different than living with his parents, at first. He had to “earn his keep” of course, which usually involved stealing or jacking car parts. But later on, when the man decided he he could use Jason to rake in even more cash…well, that only lasted a month before Jason left. Living on the streets on his own was better than living with that…thing.Jason threw another few punches and kicks, still hopped up on a combination of adrenaline and anger, when Batwoman entered the room. He glanced, briefly, in her direction, then finished up with with the punching bag. He took a deep breath and wiped his brow with a towel he’d set down on a chair nearby, then grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down until it was gone.“We need to talk,” Kate said sternly as she removed her cowl. Jason didn’t hear her because of his headphone, so she snatched them away, ignoring the teen’s protests.“What?” Jason snapped angrily as he turned his music off. He quickly flashing an apologetic look, because he didn’t really mean to snap at her. Kate frowned at him, maintaining that stern look as she placed her hands on her hips.“What happened out there tonight?” Kate asked. Jason flinched slightly under her stern gaze, but otherwise, betrayed no emotion. “Don’t give me that stoic act, Jason. I can read body language, remember? You’re pissed and I know it,” Kate added in before Jason could answer. Jason frowned but didn’t answer and instead retreated across the room.“Nothing happened. I just…lost my cool,” he shot back over his shoulder. Kate jogged after him and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around and forcing him to look at her.“Don’t walk away from me, Jason. And don’t lie to me. You didn’t just lose your cool. I know you have anger issues, and we’ve been working on them, but that? That was something else,” Kate snapped, pointing toward the exit on the opposite side. Jason’s frown faded, his expression blanking for a few moments before turning almost…sad. Kate’s own expression faded soon after. She sighed and placed her hands on Jason’s shoulders. “Talk to me, Jason. What happened?”“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jason replied softly, turning and walking away from her. Anyone else would have missed it, but Kate heard it; it was the faintest thing, barely noticeable, but she heard a slight waver in his voice.“I’m going to have to bench you,” she said. Jason spun around and flashed a look of disbelief.“What?! Why?! Because of one stupid mistake?!” Jason shouted, throwing his arms out angrily.“It wasn’t just one stupid mistake, Jason! That man is in the hospital with a serious concussion! He’ll pull through, but you could’ve killed him!” Kate shouted back. Jason flinched a bit at her words. He’d almost killed that guy? He didn’t care if he died, the man was a scum bag, and yet…“I didn’t realize I had to prop up some pillows for him, before I took him down,” Jason said coldly, fists clenching at his sides. Kate stared at him as if she were looking at a different person; the sweet, happy boy she’d brought home and had come to love like a son, was gone. Replaced by whoever this was. It became clear then, that that man had meant something to Jason; something bad, something dark.“You’re benched, Jason. And I want you to talk to someone about these…issues you’re having that you won’t talk to me about,” Kate said to him. Jason stared at her in disbelief.“What?! But there’s nothing to talk about! The guy--”“--is a scum bag, yes. So you keep saying. But there’s more to it, and until I’m sure you won’t snap like this again, you’re out,” Kate cut in, speaking with finality as she moved toward the lockers to change out of her Batwoman gear. Jason cursed under his breath and stormed out of the room, back down to the loft.It was late at night and early in the morning and Jason was fast asleep in his bedroom. Kate was up late digging into Jason’s past, or rather those who had been around him before she adopted him. She kicked herself for not having done her research beforehand, back when she first took him in. Bruce would have done it. But at the time, she was more concerned with helping him, than with his past.Regardless, she needed answers now, as to why he had such a violent reaction to that man. She continued her search, digging through everyone in and around his family and found the man from the warehouse. To say she was shocked as what she learned, would undersell it. Daniel Lewis was apparently a pervert who ran a sex trafficking ring down in the Bowery. He’d always gotten off on technicalities or a lack of evidence. But she discovered that he ran with Jason’s father for a while, Willis Todd, and all the pieces fell into place.She didn’t have much time to process the new information, however. A Breaking News report flashed across the TV and that drew her attention; it was about the thugs they’d busted at the child trafficking ring earlier; every single one of them was dead, including Daniel Lewis. That was not a coincidence…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lark and Black Canary worked in tandem to take down some drug dealers who thought it’d be a good idea to make their base of operations in an abandoned apartment building just a block away from a High School. On the outside, the building looked to be in relatively good shape; recently abandoned. The inside was relatively the same, save for the tables covered in beakers, vials, bunson burners and more where these dirt bags cooked up all sorts of drugs to sell to whoever would buy them.Kate knew Dinah, and had asked her if she’d be willing to talk to Jason. She had once been a Gotham street kid herself, so Kate figured she’d be the perfect person to help Jason; someone who understood the streets of Gotham, who knew what that world was like, as opposed to some stuffed collar with a degree on their wall, that merely called themselves “experts”. Sometimes, no amount of education was enough. Sometimes it wasn’t enough to just know about something. Sometimes, you had to actually experience it, to truly understand it.So Dinah was uniquely qualified to help Jason, even if she lacked the fancy degree.But Dinah had a certain method to her madness. It took some prodding, but Dinah managed to convince Kate to let Jason out as Lark with her. She promised to keep a good eye on him and keep him from having another outburst. She wanted to see him fight, to see how he handled himself out in the field. The way a person fought was also a pretty good indication of who they were. She’d be able to read certain things in his movements that he might not express with words.Lark ran from two thugs carrying a baseball bat and a crowbar, or at least that’s what it seemed, what he wanted them to think. Lark suddenly spun around, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he dug through one of the compartments on his utility belt and threw a handful of marbles down on the floor in front of the two thugs. The two men yelped in surprise as they started sliding across the floor on the marbles, and that was when Lark moved in. He rushed forward, both arms out and clothes lined the both of them.He turned when he heard a third coming up from behind him with an aluminum bat. Lark’s lips curved into a scowl as the bat came down toward him. He caught the bat in midair, then delivered a punch to the man’s gut and as he doubled over, Black Canary jumped in and knocked him out with an axe heel to the back of his head.Lark chuckled to himself as he examined their handiwork, the entire building full of drug dealers and…”guards”, if you could call them that, completely incapacitated. He turned to Black Canary, still grinning pridefully at their work and raised his hand for a High Five. Black Canary gave the teen a smirk and High Fived him, and then the two of them got to work tying them up for the cops.“You’re pretty good. Batwoman trained you well,” Black Canary observed, tightening the ropes around two thugs’ wrists. “But you carry your anger in all of your attacks. You pull your punches so you don’t kill or seriously injure, like Batwoman taught you--” Black Canary started to explain, tying the thugs to a window sill “--but I can still see the anger in your attacks and your counters.”“Yeah, so what? I’m working on my anger; I’ve got it under control,” Lark snapped back at the implied accusation as he finished tying up the last of the thugs on his side of the room. He cracked his knuckles and made his way over toward Black Canary, putting his hands on his hips. “I know you’re trying to help, but I don’t need it. I had one outburst, and suddenly Batwoman thinks I’m a mental case.” Black Canary patted his shoulder and gestured toward the window. Lark climbed out first, and Black Canary followed after him. They climbed up the fire escape, toward the roof and Black Canary spoke while they did so.“One outburst that nearly killed a man,” Black Canary replied. Lark snorted, but didn’t answer. He pulled himself onto the roof and wandered across it part way, arms crossing over his chest. Lark took a deep breath, ignoring the slight chill in the air as the breeze blew across his face. He glanced up to the sky, clear blue with small clumps of clouds and the sun almost directly above; not quite noon yet.Black Canary joined Lark on the roof and moved toward him, but stopped halfway. “She doesn’t think you’re a mental case--”“Then why the shrink?” Lark snapped, turning toward her and throwing an arm out in frustration. Black Canary was patient, however. She genuinely wanted to help, so instead of snapping back, she took a breath and remained calm. Not all people care for shrinks; she happened to be one of those people.“First, I’m not a shrink,” she pointed out, moving to stand beside him. Lark turned to her as she turned to him and she placed her hands on her hips “and second, I’m here because I want to help.”“I don’t need--"“Help, yeah, you keep saying that. But everyone needs help now and again,” Black Canary cut in. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a welcoming smile. “There is no shame in asking for help, or in seeking it, or accepting it. Stow your pride away, and let me help. Let Kate help. She adopted you, because she wanted to.”Lark looked down at the ground in silent contemplation, with naught but the sound of cars whizzing by behind him, horns honking, and the sound of engines roaring, in the background. It was like the heartbeat of the city, a sound that he used to lull himself to sleep to when he was living on the streets. It also helped him to think.Kate had been like the mother he never really had. She never treated him like a charity case, always let him make his own decisions, and generally just let him be…him. He knew all of this, and yet there were things he never told her. They were memories, bad ones, he would have rather forgotten. Memories and experiences that he wished he could just bury, down deep, never to see the light of day. But seeing Daniel Lewis’ face again? And knowing he was trafficking in children? It brought some of those memories back to the light, forced him to remember.“Why do you care?” Jason suddenly asked as he took off his mask. Dinah didn’t miss a beat.“Because I was like you once. I was a street kid in Gotham and nobody gave me a damn chance,” Dinah replied easily. Jason was a bit surprised by that information, but she wasn’t quite done just yet. “Until someone finally did take a chance on me. I was digging through a dumpster when a man, who I later came to think of as a father, took me in.”Jason listened to her intently. She got it. She was a homeless kid just like him once. She understood what it was like to scrounge and steal to survive. It made sense then, why Kate asked her to talk to him; she didn’t want just any degree wielding, stuffed collar to psychoanalyze him. She wanted him to talk with someone who got it.“Jason…we don’t know what happened to you as a kid, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help. We can, if you let us in,” Dinah said to him. Jason looked up at her and gave a curt nod. Letting people in was…hard. Letting people in meant making himself vulnerable, and honestly, he was terrified of the idea. Of being vulnerable. He’d let himself do that before, and he’d been betrayed, and hurt. He threw up walls to protect himself, kept people at arm’s length. He never dared to let himself hope, or be vulnerable again. He hated feeling vulnerable.“I can’t say my experiences on the streets of Gotham were particularly bad,” Dinah continued, drawing Jason’s attention back to her “but as far as being a Gotham street kid goes, I’d say I was fairly lucky. But I still know what its like. To go hungry. To have to steal. To do things you don’t want to do, or have no choice in.”“Yeah…” Jason murmured, looking away from her and toward the Gotham skyline. He looked back toward Dinah and held her gaze for a moment, before looking back down to the ground. “I’m…not ready to talk about it…yet. Please--”“And that’s fine,” Dinah cut in, placing a hand on his shoulder. “These things take time. When you’re ready, know that there are people who are there for you.” Dinah pulled out her smart phone, and gestured toward Jason’s utility belt, where she knew he kept his. Jason took it out and she gave him her number. “Here. If you ever need to talk, I’m just a phone call away.” she said.“Thanks,” Jason replied, flashing a smile. She held out her hand to him and he shook it. Dinah punched his arm playfully, a bit harder than she meant to because he stumbled a bit.“Come on, let’s go grab a bite to eat. My treat, Lark,” she said to him with a wink. Jason pressed his mask back on and trotted after her as the moved toward the edge of the roof.“Can we get chili dogs?”“Is that all you eat?” she asked, and Jason laughed.Batwoman spent most of the night investigating the deaths of all of the criminals from the child trafficking ring she and Lark had busted yesterday. Every single member was dead, and all evidence pointed toward murder. There was little to no evidence, however, as to who the killers were. Whoever they were, they were clean and efficient; they didn’t seem to care so much if it didn’t look like an accident, but they were meticulous enough to leave absolutely no evidence that would lead back to the killer, or killers.“You haven’t learned anything either?” Batman asked, stepping out of the shadows with Robin behind him. Batwoman looked up from Daniel Lewis’ body. She broke into the morgue to see if she could use her tech to pick up anything the coroner may have missed during the initial autopsy.“No. I didn’t realize this case was on your radar,” Batwoman replied, pushing Daniel’s corpse back into the freezer. Batman glanced over at Robin, then back to Batwoman. He approached her and raised his gauntlet, bringing up some news feeds on a holographic display.“I wasn’t until today. This isn’t the first time child traffickers have ended up dead, but it’s the first time they have on this scale.”“And what’s worse, is whoever is behind it, is a pro. No evidence whatsoever. The crime scenes are completely clean, except for the corpses,” Robin put in. Batwoman’s eyes narrowed, but footsteps approached the morgue alerted them. The trio retreated from the building to avoid being discovered.The found themselves on the roof of the building, just Batwoman and Batman. Batman had Robin go get the Batmobile so he could talk to her himself. He turned to her, and she to him, crossing her arms over her chest.“I heard about what happened with Lark yesterday,” Batman started. Batwoman’s eyes narrowed angrily.“He’s fine. Everything is under control and I’m handling it,” she snapped. Batman remained passive.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything,” Batman replied. Batwoman shook her head.“I knew there might be some…issues…when I took him in, but it’s worth it. We’re working on his anger and I’m getting him the proper help. Don’t worry about him.” Batwoman replied. Batman gave a curt nod.“It was never my intention to question your relationship with the boy. I was merely asking if everything was alright.”“I know. I just--”“Feel protective over him?” Batman filled in with a slight smirk. Batwoman chuckled a bit, crossing her arms over her chest.“Yeah. But I guess you’d know something about that, wouldn’t you?” she asked, nodding toward Robin as he returned.“Know something about what?” Robin asked curiously. Batman turned to him and gestured toward the edge of the roof where the car awaited below.“Nothing, Robin. Let’s go,” he replied. Robin pouted at being left out of…whatever that was, but did as he was told, hopping off of the roof and joining Batman in the car below.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jason sat on Dick’s lap, in an arm chair, in his bedroom, kissing the older boy. Dick had his arms around Jason’s waist and Jason’s were around Dick’s neck. The teen leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the older boy’s lips. Dick swiped his tongue across Jason’s lips, and the teen opened his mouth for him. He moaned as Dick deepened the kiss and ran a hand through the older boy’s dark locks.They were supposed to have been helping each other study for their upcoming finals, but that only lasted for about ten minutes before they decided to do…something else. Their text books and notes were left scattered on Dick’s desk, and the window seat Jason had made himself comfortable on.“God you’re such a good kisser,” Jason commented, his forehead pressed against Dick’s. Dick let out a low chuckle, pressing another kiss to Jason’s lips. He let his hands wander up and down Jason’s sides, settling on his hips and allowing his thumbs to brush the skin just beneath Jason’s shirt.“I’ve had lots of practice,” Dick murmured. Jason’s lips tugged into a grin as he ground himself against Dick, pulling a groan out of the older boy. He found that he rather enjoyed teasing Dick, in more ways than one, and it was sort of his way of getting back at him for all of the embarrassing pet names.“Not too much, I hope,” Jason replied. Dick’s lips slowly curled into a grin of his own and stole another kiss. Their kissing quickly got heated once again, with Jason’s hands sliding up underneath the other’s baby blue t-shirt. Dick moaned softly into the kiss and Jason could feel the other’s muscles contracting and shuddering underneath his hands as the ghosted over the warm, soft flesh of Dick’s chest and stomach.Since that incident at the theater (which neither of them regretted), they’d continued…exploring each other’s bodies, but never took it too far. They were quite content with where their relationship was at, at the moment, and Dick didn’t want to “go all the way” just yet. They’d both definitely talked about it, but in the end, they decided to wait until Jason had turned eighteen. That was, if their relationship lasted that long. It had already been going for a year and a half, but the future wasn’t set in stone; they both knew that. Things could change.“Ahem.” Jason practically threw himself off of Dick and fell onto the floor, while Dick straightened up suddenly, the both of them blushing. They’d been so into the kiss, that they’d both let their guard down and didn’t hear Alfred coming. Bruce and Kate would probably have been mildly disappointed.“My apologies for interrupting, but I have prepared lunch for the both of you.”“Th-thanks Alfred,” Jason murmured, managing a nervous smile. It was no secret that they were dating, but being caught making out was a different thing entirely. Dick pushed himself up off of the arm chair and held out a hand to Jason to help the teen up.“Thanks Alfred,” Dick replied, tugging Jason to his feet as he flashed the old man a smile. Alfred’s lips canted upward slightly into a knowing smirk, but he offered no other words and retreated from the room. Dick and Jason exchanged a look, their faces painted pink. Jason rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and then hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward their stuff.“I’ll meet you down there. I’ll, uh…go grab our sh--er--stuff,” Jason replied. Dick gave an amused snort at Jason’s correction. The younger boy seemed to catch on quickly to Alfred’s distaste of foul language. After the first week or so of stopping by, he quickly learned that Alfred could hear everything, everywhere. Dick often joked that Alfred we a metahuman, and his power was the ability to hear swear words from a mile away.“Sure thing, babe,” Dick replied as he flashed a smirk to Jason. The pet names always made the younger teen blush. Jason had him pegged though; he knew Dick did it on purpose, because Dick ‘thought he was cute when he blushed’. Dick retreated from the room and left Jason to collect their books and notes.Once he had everything, Jason made his way out of the bedroom and down the hallway. It was an odd transition, from the colorful and cheerful bedroom that was Dick Grayson’s, with posters dotting the walls, including a “Flying Grayson’s” poster above his bed, to a long and seemingly empty hallway. There was a sense of loneliness, even sadness in the halls of the manor, somehow. He didn’t want to say it felt cold, because there was still some warmth in these halls; Alfred was always kind to him, and Dick just always seemed so cheerful and upbeat. It made the place feel a bit more alive.The manor itself was big, which along with just its few residents, lent it a feeling of emptiness, of loneliness. It was a beautiful place to be sure, with care and love seemingly built into every nook and cranny of the place. It had a certain elegance about it, and often times, he found himself trying to imagine what the place looked like back in the day, before…Crime Alley. He found himself likening it to the Beast’s Castle, from Beauty and the Beast, an observation which he would never share out loud. Especially not with Dick, because he’d never let him, ‘Mister I’m-Not-A-Big-Fan-Of-Disney’ as the older boy jokingly called him, live it down.Jason couldn’t really picture himself living in such a place, having grown accustomed to the loft he lived with Kate in. The rooms were spacious and felt more inviting than those of Wayne Manor, but he supposed that was more due to the size of the place, being easier to manage than a whole mansion.Jason made his way into the kitchen; Alfred was doing the dishes at the sink while Dick sat at the kitchen island on a bar stool with a black leather cushion. Jason hopped up on the stool beside him, setting their books and notes down on the black granite counter top.Jason glanced around the kitchen a bit; it was probably his favorite room in the manor and not just because he enjoyed cooking. The entire manor had sort of a classic vibe to it, especially the kitchen. It had cherry oak cabinets, and black granite counter tops. There was a dishwasher, silver, at one end of the kitchen, with a black refrigerator with an ice and water dispenser on the other end. A black stove and oven sat in the middle with a black microwave suspended above it, and a stainless steel sink beside it. He’d even noted a pantry underneath the island, on the opposite side of the bar stools. It had pretty much everything a kitchen could possibly need.“Thanks Alfred,” Jason said cheerily, grabbing his plate which consisted of a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, pickles. It came with a side of deep fried potato wedges, and a glass of cola. Dick munched away happily on his lunch, and glanced up at Alfred.“You know, Bruce had me on a pretty strict diet,” he said with amusement. Alfred gave a curt nod.“Indeed he did. But what Master Bruce does not know, won’t hurt him,” Alfred replied, flashing a slight smirk.“You’re the best, Alf,” Jason added with a grin as he bit into his burger and made an exaggerated ‘mmm’ sound. “I don’t regret training to become Lark, but--” Jason started, sipping his cola “--but I miss delicious, unhealthy food.” Dick laughed as he nodded in agreement, wolfing down his cheeseburger.“Right? I do too. It’s nice to pig out once in a while.”“Indeed. While it is nice to have healthy, well balanced meals, some times it’s nice to indulge one’s self,” Alfred replied as he turned from the counter with a plate of his own. The two teens flashed a surprise look as he joined them at the kitchen island with the same meal, albeit with a fork and knife.Jason grinned over at Dick and then slid the older boy’s text book and notes over to him.“Anywho, maybe we should do a bit more studying?” Jason suggested. Dick snickered in amusement and playfully nudged the younger male with his elbow.“Nerd,” he teased. Jason shoved him back.“Hey, I know your grades are up there too, y’know. Mathlete,” Jason teased back. The two teens got to studying while they ate, like they were supposed to have done in the first place. Alfred quietly cleaned up when they were all finished, though he occasionally noted the small touches and smiles they gave each other when they thought he wasn’t looking. It was sweet and endearing.“So,” Dick began, shutting his book when he decided he was finished studying for the day “are you going to that auction?” Dick arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at Jason. It took Jason a couple of seconds to figure out what Dick meant. In the span of three seconds, his face went from confusion, to realization, to mild anger.“No. Kate has me benched,” Jason replied, glancing over at Dick “because--”“You beat the stuffing out of the Daniel Lewis guy?” Dick asked. Jason frowned and turned his attention back to his text book.“You heard about that?” Jason asked.“Yeah. Did you hear he died shortly after that?” Dick asked carefully. Jason looked up at him with an angry expression, which quickly shifted to a neutral one.“Yeah. Along with everyone else we busted at that warehouse. It’s weird,” Jason replied, turning in his seat to face Dick “because there weren’t any signs that it was different than any other trafficking ring in Gotham. Obviously, someone wanted these guys dead, but why?”A silence settled over the room as Jason stared down at a pencil he was twiddling with in his lap, and Dick stared at his phone, having fished it out of his pocket.“Does what happened…change anything?” Jason asked carefully. Dick looked over at Jason, taking a moment to realize what he was asking.“You mean between us? Nah. Everyone has outbursts,” Dick replied, reaching out and enlacing his fingers with Jason’s. "When we tracked down Tony Zucco, the guy who killed my parents, I--" Dick started, staring down at the floor. "I beat him, roughed him up pretty good, but I didn't kill him. I mean...I wanted to...but I...didn't." The two teens pulled apart again when they heard foot steps coming their way. The two of them turned to see Bruce coming into the kitchen.The man paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Jason. Jason flinched a bit under Bruce’s gaze, then froze like a deer caught in the headlights. He felt like Bruce was trying to read his damn soul or something. The man didn’t seem too bothered by him, but he sometimes got the sense that he wasn’t too fond of him being Dick’s boyfriend? Dick had pretty much told him right off the bat that it’d be impossible to hide their relationship from the man, so he’d known they were together from day one.“Dick. Jason,” Bruce acknowledged.“Hey Bruce, what’s up?” Dick asked, turning in his chair. Bruce gestured in the direction of where the entrance to the cave was, despite Jason sitting right there.“I’ve got a lead on where that Auction is going to be. Meet me down in the cave and gear up. We’ll be leaving soon,” he said. Dick gave a nod in reply and packed his books up, heading up the stairs to his bedroom to out them away. That left Bruce and Jason alone.“Jason,” Bruce started, crossing his arms over his chest. There was a silence in the room as Jason and Bruce just stared at each other. It felt like an eternity, was really, it was only a few moments. The man gave a nod and left Jason alone. Jason breathed a sigh of relief, then shut his book, tucked away his notes, and made his way upstairs toward Dick’s bedroom. Just as he got to the door, his phone went off; it was a text message from Kate.“What’s up, Jay?” Dick asked, stopping in front of him.“Huh. I gotta go. Good timing, though, right?” Jason replied, flashing the older boy a grin. He leaned forward and stole a kiss from Dick.“I’ll see you later,” Dick called after him, cupping Jason’s jaw and stopping him for a moment so he could kiss him again. Jason smiled a bit, then made his way into Dick’s bedroom even as the older boy left. He packed his books into his backpack, then made his way down the stairs, and toward the front door.“Bye Alfred! We’re still good for cooking on Saturday afternoon, right? When Kate and I join you guys for dinner?” Jason called, stopping at the front door and calling after Alfred as the man passed. Alfred stopped and turned toward the young man and flashed a smile.“Indeed, Master Jason. I would welcome your help in the kitchen!” Alfred replied. Jason grinned and made his way out.Jason whistled a tune to himself as he rode the elevator up the building and to the loft. He made his way inside when the elevator doors opened, and kicked his shoes off at the door. Still whistling to himself, Jason pulled off his black leather jacket and hung it up on a coat peg nearby, and dropped his bag beside the couch.“Kate, I’m home!” Jason called, making his way through the living room, then into the kitchen. He kept his ear to the ground for a response while he grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and then moved toward the refrigerator to get some ice out of the ice dispenser, and some water. Kate came out of her bedroom, and into the kitchen, prompting Jason to turn to her. “What’s up?” he asked, sipping his ice water and making himself comfortable at the island.“I’ve decided I want you to come with me tonight,” Kate said to him. Jason flashed a surprised look at the news. That wasn’t what he was expecting. Honestly, he didn’t really know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t that.“Wait, you want me to come with you on this mission? But I thought I was benched? For…well…y’know,” he asked with a confused look, shrugging his shoulders. Kate gave a nod and crossed her arms over her chest. She’d given this a lot of thought and talked about it with Dinah, too.“You were…Dinah and I got to talking though, and frankly, who knows what could be awaiting us at this auction,” Kate explained. “I’ve found precious little intel about this auction, save for where its being held. I don’t like it, so I’d like to have someone I trust at my back.”“You trust me?” Jason asked quietly. Kate smiled and nodded.“Of course I do. I know you’re still a newbie in the field,” she teased, prompting Jason to roll his eyes in spite of the smirk on his face “but I believe I’ve trained you well. And besides, if I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have let you become Lark in the first place.”“Uh, thanks. That means a lot,” Jason replied.“So…are you in? Or are you out?”“Oh I’m in! Definitely in! You can count on me, and I promise I won’t explode like before,” Jason told her. Kate gave a nod of approval, then moved toward where the hidden lift to the HQ was located.“Good. We’ll be heading out in a couple of hours. We’re going to put a stop to this auction. Hopefully it’ll be permanent. Now let’s go suit up.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Black Market Auction was here at last. Batman, Batwoman, Robin, and Lark all learned about it a week ago; Batman and Robin took out and put a stop to the shipments coming into Gotham days ago, and now all that was left was to put an end to The Auctions themselves. The details were shrouded save that only those who wielded power and influence in Gotham City knew about it and were allowed to attend. Fortunately, Batman and Batwoman had both placed trackers on two of the Crime Bosses attending; Rupert Throne and Black Mask.The four of them followed the Crime Bosses, from different directions so as not to draw attention to themselves, down into the Bowery. The location was supposedly an old section of abandoned subway tunnels. It was as good a place as any to hide a secret weapons auction. Though something told them all that there would be more than just weapons for auction.The four of them arrived at the entrance to the subway tunnels, staying hidden on a rooftop across the street. They merely watched and waited, shrouded by the dark of night. The sky was blanketed in blackness, dotted with stars and accompanied by a full moon. The night air was cool, comfortable, and the sounds of cars and people rushing too and fro, sounded in the distance. It would have been a nice night, if not for this dubious “auction” going on underneath the streets of Gotham City.The entrance was guarded, but to the untrained eye, said guards appeared to be nothing more than homeless people, loitering around the entrance to the subway. There was a man and a women, dressed in rags, but undoubtedly wore Kevlar underneath. They’d spotted the muzzle of a gun as well, though they did a good job of keeping their true nature hidden from passers-by.“Let’s go, Lark,” Batwoman said to him, grabbing her grappling gun. Lark gave a curt nod in reply. The two of them glanced toward Batman and Robin, who were also preparing to move, before the swung down to the ground below.The “guards” had no idea what hit them; Batwoman and Lark dived at them from the darkness, delivering a quick and furious combination of attacks to take them out, in tandem, before they could so much as lift a finger. The two of them turned to Batman and Robin as they joined them on the ground below. The two exchanged a look, then the four of them silently slipped down the stairs and into the subway below them.Silent as a shadow, they snuck down into the subway tunnels, which were dimly lit by old lights that still hung from the roof. There were signs that homeless people had once been here, but no longer; they were likely either forced, or bribed out of the tunnel to make way for the auction. It was smart, because the homeless were usually invisible, and thus were privy to information that some people wouldn’t want to be known.The initial train station just down the stairs was empty; not a soul around. They continued forward. Batwoman and Batman looked down at the trackers they’d planted on Rupert Thorne and Black Mask. They stopped their teenage partners and exchanged looks.“Any idea where they could’ve gone? The trackers say we’re right on top of them,” Batwoman asked. Batman’s eyes narrowed as he looked around the room. He tapped the side of his cowl and switched the lenses out to scan for electric currents.‘They’re beneath is, but the question is, how to get down there,” Batman murmured, changing back to night vision.“Secret tunnel!” Lark suddenly chimed in. Batman, Batwoman, and Robin all turned their attention onto him. Lark looked around at each of them and realized they were waiting for an explanation. “Oh, right!” Lark muttered in realization. He cleared his throat and wandered around the tunnel with the other three following behind him. “We homeless kids often had to hide from the GCPD, or the thugs that ran their gangs down in here in the Bowery,” Lark started, stopping in front of a rusty old door. He tugged at it, but it was rusted shut. “Not that one,” he muttered to himself, continuing on.“Okay, so you’re saying--” Robin started., Lark interrupted, glancing back over his shoulder at the older boy.“We would look for all sorts of places to hide; old tunnels, hidden doorways, secret paths, stuff like that. There’s a lot of hidden doors and secret tunnels down in The Bowery. Some of the others kids and I, we found them and used them to hide or escape. A lot of them come from the prohibition era, when alcohol in all forms, was illegal.”“So these tunnels lead to--” Batman started. Lark spun around and flashed a toothy grin, popping a finger gun at Batman,“You got it; speakeasies,” the teen replied, stopping in front of another door. “But down here, in the subway tunnels, there are bunkers. Bomb shelters and the like that the rich folk had built back in the day. You know, the ones that weren’t blood sucking, greedy, corrupt--”“Lark,” Batwoman cut in.“Right. Sorry,” Lark replied with a nervous chuckle, pulling open the rusty door. “Anyway, I’ve only been down here twice, ever, but I remember there’s an entrance to an old bunker somewhere down this hallway.” Lark gestured down the hallway. Batman, Batwoman and Robin all exchanged looks. The two bats came up on either side of Lark. Batwoman smiled, patting his right shoulder.“Good job, Lark.”“Yes, impressive work,” Batman chimed in. Lark flashed a prideful grin and made his way down the hallway, with the two Bats, and Robin, behind him.“I know. Being a street rat has some advantages. Like knowing shit most people don’t.” He heard Robin chuckle behind him, but Batwoman and Batman were…less amused. So he continued forward, silently, until he came to another, rusty old steel door. He reached for the handle and slowly pulled it open.“This is the bunker?” Batman asked. Lark nodded.“Yeah. Nobody comes down here anymore, not even the GCPD, so it makes for a good place to hide,” he replied in a quiet tone, passing through the door and descending down the stone stairs. “You know, there’s even an urban legend, of an underground city beneath Gotham called Wonder City,” Lark commented with a smile on his face. He glanced back over his shoulder, eyes falling specifically on Robin, before turning them forward again.As they descended down the stairs, they could hear voice echoing in the distance; they were getting closer. As they continued down the stair case, they saw four guards on the ground floor, armed with fully automatic weapons. They’d have to take those guys out, as quietly as possible no less, in order to get through.Lark and Robin dropped a handful of mini smoke grenades, then the four of them dived down as soon as they started billowing smoke, and took down the four guards, tying them up and setting them in a corner.Beyond the door, was the auction, and so the four of them snuck through, then parted ways to get different angles on the scum bags in attendance. From what they could see, it was a small gathering but included the likes of Rupert Thorn, Black Mask, Mario Falcone, The Penguin, and others.There was a man on a raise platform who none of them recognized. The man in question was rather short, standing at just under five feet tall from a quick glance. He wore a black suit with a black tie and had dark brown hair with green eyes. One eye blind eye with a scar that stretched from the top of his eyebrow, down across his eye, and stopping just above his upper lip.“Let’s start this auction with this fine showcase here!” the man called, waving his hand out. Three thugs began wheeling a cage with a dozen or so children, that looked starving, malnourished and sacred, to the front of the room.Lark’s jaw worked and his fists tightened. Rage seared through his veins, but Batwoman steadied him.“Lark,” she whispered. He glanced over at her and she shook her head. “Calm yourself. We need you in control. I know how you feel, but--” Lark took a deep breath and nodded.“I’m…okay,” he murmured, taking another breath. When next he glanced over at Batwoman, she flashed a prideful smile. They all turned their attention back to the auction, some of the less…well known and powerful Crime Lords were betting on the children.“Lark, tactical analysis,” Batwoman murmured to him. Both Batman and Robin glanced over at Lark, interested in what he had to say. Lark pulled out a pair of binoculars to better see in the distance.“Guards all around the room. I count a dozen. They’re carrying fully automatic weapons. They’re not your standard Gotham trash. They appear to be mercenaries. Judging from their gear, I’d gauge their skills levels at around mid-tier,” Lark began. Robin and Batman exchanged looks, then turned to the room to get a feel for the layout and the obstacles. “Taking them all at once will be impossible. They’re scattered to far apart, placed at strategic locations to be able to fire at unwanted guests from every angle,” Lark continued. He turned, looking first toward Batwoman, then Batman and Robin. Before he could speak, however, the heard a man’s voice shout out above all of the rest.“Fifteen million dollars for all of the children, cage and all,” came a man’s voice from out of the crowd. The Crime Lords stepped aside and allowed the man to pass through the crowd, up to the raised platform. Batwoman, Batman, Robin and Lark all turned their attention onto the man.The man in question was garbed in jet black armor, trimmed red, with a black utility belt around his waist. His arms were clad in black gauntlets, the finger tips of which turned into claws. He wore knee high black combat boots with glowing red lines on them. His face was obscured with a black hood, and a white, fanged skull mask. Batwoman, Batman, Lark, and Robin all exchanged looks in curiosity at this assassin. Everything about him screamed “assassin”. But who was he, and what was he here for?Lark pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look at the assassin. He gasped slightly at the sight of the dagger and the hand gun, and pulled the binoculars away from his face.“What do you see, Lark?” Batwoman asked. Lark glanced over at Batwoman, then Batman and Robin, then back to the assassin.“I’m not sure, but I think…his weapon are Apokaliptian,” Lark replied. Batwoman took out her own binoculars to get a better look. She looked over the assassin’s gear, and indeed, it appeared to be Apokaliptian.“He’s right. But he doesn’t look like he’s from Intergang. I’ve never seen anyone dressed like that in Intergang before,” Batwoman murmured. Batman’s eyes narrowed at this new guy. If he wasn’t from Intergang, then who was he?“I’m sorry, but you were not invited to this Auction! I don’t know how you got past security--” the auctioneer called, snapping his fingers. A dozen guards with fully automatic weapons stormed the room and surrounded him. The Crime Lords moved out of the way, some of them seemingly ready to bolt.“What an awkward situation,” the assassin said in a surprisingly calm voice. “Actually, someone else took care of your security for me. I just…finished the job,” he replied.“Another intruder?”“The Batman!” The Penguin shouted.“That damn Bat is always screwing things up! Mark my words, it’s him!” Rupert Thorne put in.“Now, I’ll be taking those children into my custody, for my bosses,” The black garbed man declared. Batwoman, Batman, Robin, and Lark watched the scene unfold from the shadows, waiting for their moment to strike. Unfortunately, they seemed to have missed their window.From seemingly nowhere, black clad assassins, two dozen of them at least, seemingly congealed from the shadows. Their gear was solid black with hoods, and bone white masks. They attacked the guards, killing many by catching them off guard.They couldn’t wait anymore; Batman, Batwoman, Robin, and Lark all jumped into he room to stop the slaughter.“Lark, with me!” Batwoman called.“Robin!” Batman shouted. Their teenage partners joined them as the two Bats raced out toward the assassins. The Crime Bosses took the opportunity to escape in the chaos, but Lark and Robin exchanged a look and silently agreed to be the ones to stop them.“Batman and Batwoman. How bothersome,” said the lead assassin, drawing his dagger and hand gun. He charged Batwoman who was otherwise engaged with the lesser assassins. She turned in time to see the main assassin charge, slashing a dagger at her. She gasped and ducked backwards, narrowly avoiding a strike.The assassin was fast, well trained. He didn’t miss a beat; as soon as his attack missed, he spun, swinging his leg. Batwoman caught at and threw him, but instead of falling like any regular thug, he spun through the air, tossing his dagger up, and catching himself on one hand. He then aimed his gun and fired several shots before pushing himself back onto his feet and catching his dagger.Batwoman managed to avoid two shots, but took one to the shin. The gun fire concentrated blasts of energy, but fortunately for her, her shinguard protected her from damage. She glanced over at Batman briefly, to see him fighting off the lesser assassins, but even he was being tested. They seemed to be on par with standard League Assassins; whoever these guys were, they we good.Meanwhile, Robin and Lark were taking on the Crime Lords who were attempting to escape. Lark threw a smoke bomb as far as he could. It exploded in front of them, billowing smoke and sending them into coughing fits. Robin followed up with a bolas, trapping Thorne his stumbled forward, through the smoke, to try and escape. Lark came in behind Robin as Penguin used the blades in the tip of his umbrella as a fan to clear the smoke. He tried to escape, but he didn’t get far before Lark landed in front of him.“Penguin, huh? You seem more like a Dodo to me,” Lark taunted. Penguin’s lips cursed into a snarl. The short, stout man dressed in a suit and a top hat, pressed a button on his umbrella and the blades protruded again. They started spinning as he swung at Lark.“You impetuous little punk! I’m the Penguin!” Penguin snapped with a lower-class English accent. Lark jumped back to avoid the spinning blades. As the Penguin came in for a second strike, Lark side stepped, then put out his leg, tripping the pudgy villain up. Penguin yelped as he tripped and fell to the ground, dropping his umbrella. Lark then crushed it under his boot as he reached for it. “Bollocks,” Penguin growled, glancing up at a grinning Lark. The teen delivered a well placed kick to Penguin’s head, just enough to knock him out cold. He then turned his attention to Robin, who was dealing with Two-Face and a few other Crime Bosses.“Your luck has just run out kid; the coin says you get a bullet to the head,” Two-Face growled, firing off several rounds. The other Crime Bosses were taken by surprise when Lark jumped at them from behind. Two-Face turned when he heard them shout, which was distraction enough for Robin to land a punch to his jaw. As Two-Face staggered, Lark followed up with a Back Roundhouse. Two-Face grunted at the strike and was sent crashing into a couple of other Crime Bosses behind them.To no one’s surprise, Black Mask managed to escape. The two teenagers turned when they heard Batwoman shout from across the room. Lark’s eyes widened in shock as he witnessed the Lead Assassin carrying Batwoman away.“We’ll find out what these two know, and then dispose of her! Let’s go!” the man shouted.“No!” Lark shouted, racing across the room and drawing a gun. He heard Robin shout out for Batman, but he paid no heed, firing a shot toward the Lead Assassin. He threw down a smoke bomb and vanished. Lark swore explosively. He turned to see the lesser assassins grabbed Batman; the man was conscious but he couldn’t seem to move.“Batman!” Robin shouted. He charged the assassins and Lark joined in. Their path was barred by assassins, at least six of them. “Batman!” Robin shouted again as he fought off the assassins. Lark growled and changed out the cartridge in his gun for stun ammo and fired a few shots at the assassins carrying Batman away. A smoke bomb shrouded their escape, but he heard a shout, and then a thud, indicated he’d tagged at least one of them. When the smoke cleared, they were gone.“Gah!” Robin shouted, gasping in pain as one of the assassin’s daggers pierce his armor on his left side. Lark growled angrily and charged them. Two of them turned to counter him, but he was faster. Lark landed a flying kick to one assassin’s head, then grabbed the other’s arm as he threw a punch. Lark yanked the man forward, then delivered a knee to his gut, then an elbow to the back of the head. As he spun around, he threw a handful of marbles that the assassins charging Robin tripped on. Robin landed on one’s shoulders,wrapping his legs around his neck. Throwing all his weight backwards, he flipped the assassin over backwards and slammed him into the ground, leaving Lark to take out the last one.The two teens looked around the room, breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight. It had been a long time since either of them had been really challenged like this. But when they recovered some stamina, and reality set in, panic started to rise in the both of them.“They took Batman!” Robin shouted. Lark growled angrily and kicked at empty air.“They’ve got Batwoman too! Fuck!” Lark shouted. “Dammit, I was supposed to be her partner! I was supposed to have her back!”“I know, me too,” Robin muttered. He called in the GCPD and gave them the location to come pick up the Crime Bosses and assassins, then turned to Lark. “We have to go back to the cave. We have to figure out where they went. Where they took Batman and Batwoman,” Robin said to Lark. Lark nodded and grabbed his gun.“I already know. That shot I fired was loaded with a tracker. I realized I wouldn’t be able to get to her in time, so I fired a tracker.” Robin grinned from ear to ear.“Great! But we’ll still need a plan. Give me one of those trackers,” Robin said. Lark nodded and fished through a compartment on his utility belt on his tracker. “Alright, let’s get back to the--nngh--” Robin cursed, hand clutching at his side. “Damn. I think…poison…getting hard to…move,” Robin murmured. Lark glanced over at the cage with the frightened children, and made his way over to them."Lemme take care of this first," he called over his shoulder. He stopped before the cage, the children shrinking back from him in fear. Lark produced a pick lock from his glove, picking the lock and opening the cage."Go on, you're safe now," he said, flashing a smile. The children fled from the room, a younger girl giving him a hug. Lark made his way back over to Robin and wrapped an arm around his waist. With Lark's help, he and the younger boy made their way out of the bunker.“Bat Cave. Right. I have no idea how to get there,” Lark said. Robin flashed a smirk.“We’ll take the Batmobile. Autopilot will take us back.”“Great,” Lark replied. He heaved a sigh as he helped Robin out of the bunker. “Fuck, this was a disaster,” he murmured.“We can fix it. We have to,” Robin replied.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Ow!” Dick flinched when Alfred pinched the skin together and threaded the needle through to stitch his wound up. It was shallow a shallow stab would on his right hip, just deep enough to require stitched. He and Jason took the Batmobile back to the cave where Dick then loaded the tracker into the Batcomputer so as to enable them to better track Batwoman’s location. They’d also need a plan because they certainly couldn’t just charge right in.“Apologies Master Dick,” Alfred said to the teen, spraying the would with a disinfectant. Dick flinched again as his wound stung from the spray. Once Alfred was done, he pulled a shirt on and padded across the cave toward the computer while Alfred packed up the First-Aid kit. Dick leaned against the back of the chair, glancing down at Jason who was currently sitting at the computer and working at it, then up to the screen.“This computer is pretty amazing! The computer back at HQ is pretty good, but this one’s a bit more advanced. It’s impressive,” Jason said cheerily, pulling up the tracking program. Dick eyed the location curiously. The red dot that signified Kate’s location had stopped in the middle of the street in Midtown Gotham. “Huh. That’s odd. Why--”“The sewers. They’re either using the sewers or the subway systems,” Dick cut in. Jason looked up at Dick and frowned.“There’s a lot of shit underneath this damn city, isn’t there?” Dick snorted in response and flashed a smirk.“You don’t know the half of it.” Dick gently nudged Jason out of the seat, then sat down himself. Jason stood beside him with his eyes locked onto the screen and his arms crossed. He watched as Dick sent tried to contact someone named “Batgirl”. Moments later, a woman with red hair appeared on the screen, roughly their age.“What’s up?” she asked, already wearing her Batgirl attire; a black suit with yellow gloves, boots, utility belt, bat symbol on the chest, and a black cape that was purple on the inside. Jason glanced down at Dick, then he and Batgirl locked eyes. “Whose the new kid? Your replacement?” She joked. Dick chuckled a little in response, but before he could answer, Jason cut in.“Actually, the name is Lark. Batwoman’s sidekick,” Jason replied with an air of pride in his voice. “I think I know you--”“Code names while we’re in the field, Lark. Didn’t Batwoman teach you at least the basics?” Jason frowned, and she laughed. “Just teasing. So what can I help you with?”“Batman and Batwoman have been captured. We need your help. All we know is some freaky new assassins took them. We know where, but we have no idea what we’re up against.”“Impossible odds? Sounds fun. Alright, where should I meet you?” Batgirl asked.“Meet us near Wayne Botanical Gardens,” Dick replied. With that done, Batgirl cut the connected. Jason patted Dick on the shoulder and flashed a smile.“I know someone else who can help us.”Batman glanced over at Batwoman; she was still unconscious. He’d overheard someone talking and with that, discovered that he had been dosed with a paralytic poison that was on the blade of the assassins’ daggers. Batwoman had underestimated her opponent; he was much more skilled than he had let on and managed to knock her out. Of course, Batman too, had also underestimated his opponents. But in all fairness, they’d never encountered assassins quite like that before. They were on par with the League of Assassins but seemed to work as if connected by a hive mind.Batman was currently working on freeing himself, but he wasn’t in much of a rush. He’d gleaned bits of information from the assassins; he could hear them speaking, and though he had to strain, he’d managed to hear bits and pieces. The “interrogation” that they were likely to be put under, was also an opportunity to prod for more.The lead assassin entered the room and stopped before Batwoman. He grabbed her by the jaw and turned her head to see if she was awake. When she didn’t respond, he slapped her across the face to jolt her awake. Batwoman gasped and weakly struggled against her bonds.“Wh…what…d’you do t’me?” she slurred a little, feeling groggy and disoriented. The lead assassin snorted.“Not to worry. You were dosed with a sleeping toxin. It’s wearing off now,” the lead assassin explained. He turned to Batman and flashed a smirk. “And you must be the Legendary Batman. I have to say, I was expecting more of a challenge. It would seem the stories are grossly exaggerated.” The assassin moved over toward a table with various implements laid out over it, picking up a tire iron.“Who are you and what do you want with us?” Batman growled out. The assassin glanced over at Batman. The assassin approached the Bat and stopped before him; Batman could almost “see” the grin behind the man’s mask.“We want to know what you know. And then we’re going to dispose of you,” The assassin replied, bringing the tire iron across Batman’s face and laughing. “I could use truth serum, but I like the hands on approach a bit more. So…shall we proceed?”Robin and Lark made their way to the Wayne Botanical Gardens, where they were to meet Batgirl. They’d parked the Batmobile nearby, but away from where they’d tracked Batwoman and Batman to. They’d have to enter the sewers from further away and find their own way, so as to avoid alerting their enemies.They climbed up to the rooftop of a nearby building and waited for Batgirl to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long, because they saw her moving in the distance only a handful of seconds later. Batgirl swung through the air and landed on the building in front of the two boys.“So, do we at least know where we’re going?” Batgirl asked, red hair blowing in the breeze. Lark and Robin exchanged glances, then Robin pulling out his Smart Phone; it was custom built with an original OS, and the only trackers in it, were specifically for finding Batman, or for Batman to find him. He pulled up the information from Lark’s tracker and showed it to Batgirl.“There. Batman and Batwoman are likely in a subway tunnel, or--”“They’re in the sewer system,” Batgirl cut in. She handed the phone back and looked up at the two boys. “There’s a sewer system further below, beneath the subway. There’s also likely a maintenance room of some kind there. It’s the only place with the space for them to store anything, including captives,” Batgirl explained.“Wow, you’re good,” Lark complimented, flashing a grin. Batgirl chuckled at him and gave a nod in reply. “I know.”Lark turned and looked around for the final member of their rescue team. Sure enough, he could see her coming in the distance. Lark pointed out toward her and smiled.“There she is,” Lark declared. Batgirl and Robin turned their attention toward where Lark was pointing. Within a minute, Black Canary arrived on scene wearing leather boots, fingerless leather gloves, a black bomber jacket, with a black leather zip up top beneath it, and a studded black choker around her neck. On the outside of her legs, the pants were cut, creating a “window” of sorts to reveal the fishnets underneath.“Sorry I’m late. Purse thief,” Black Canary explained, cracking her knuckles. Lark grinned and held his hand out to Black Canary, shaking her hand.“Glad you could make it,” Lark replied. Black Canary flashed a smile.“Of course. I told you, you could call me any time you needed me. And besides, Batman and Batwoman are friends of mine. So, where are we going?” Lark turned to Robin and Batgirl, who also turned and pointed to the manhole down the street a few hundred feet away.“There,” Robin replied, turning back to Black Canary. “These creeps are hiding underneath the streets of Gotham. We’re a distance away from their location--”“So they won’t see us coming. Got it,” Black Canary replied. With that decided, the four of them made their way off toward the manhole. They slipped down into the sewers, pulling out flashlights to light their way. It was dark, damp, and smelled horrible; everything you’d expect from a sewer.Robin took the lead with his phone out, using it to track Batman and Batwoman through the sewer system and chart them a path. Batgirl was right behind him, with Lark behind her, and Black Canary taking up the rear. They proceeded forward carefully, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of movement, other than the rats that made this place their home. Other than they, there didn’t appear to be any sign of life down here at all. Or any sing that anyone had been down here recently.“They’re close,” Robin murmured.“How do you know?” Lark asked. As if on cue, they could hear the sound of a subway train overhead, signaling that they were in the part of the sewer system that resided beneath the subway station. “Ah, that’s how.”“We need to be careful now. They’re bound to have sentries posted around to keep watch and warn whoever is in charge,” Batgirl whispered.“Agreed. Stick with stealth and stealth take downs,” Black Canary chimed in. As the four of them continued more slowly into the sewer system, creeping along at a slow pace, on high alert, some assassins began to appear. Judging from their attire, they were low level mooks, like from the Auction. Even so, they were still dangerous, and there was no telling how many there were down here.Lark slipped into the front this time and held up a hand, signaling everyone to stop. He glanced around the room to see how much he could see. Everyone silently waited, unsure of what he was doing. After a few minutes, Lark turned to them. He silently gestured to himself, then Robin. He turned again, then gestured to a spot, just out of sight of the assassins near a doorway.Robin seemed to understand, because he nodded. Lark gave the hand signal for freeze, held it for a moment, then gestured for Robin to follow. The two of them snuck forward, and stopped at the designated place, just as one of the assassins arrived at his patrol point. They held their positions until he left, then Lark gestured toward Batgirl and Black Canary to move toward the enemy. The two of them looked confused, until he pulled out a pistol and loaded it with tranquilizers.Black Canary and Batgirl saw him do the hand sign for freeze, then waited for his command. As soon as the assassin came back to his patrol point, Lark gestured for them to move. The two of them moved into the room and grabbed the assassin’s attention. With his attention no squarely on them, Lark jumped out of cover and tranquilized him, before he could call for help. Black Canary and Batgirl rushed forward and caught him so his fall wouldn’t make any noise.Lark then made a forward gesture and moved forward, into the next tunnel with Robin, Batgirl and Black Canary behind him. They stopped at the end of the corridor with Lark at the lead. He glanced down both directions, then back to Robin. Robin looked down at his phone, then gestured toward the right. The four of them turned and made their way down the tunnel. They turned and found a dozen assassins waiting for them, along with their leader.“We’ve been expecting you,” the leader called. “I give you credit for managing to sneak in this far, but--” the man started, interrupted by the sounds of combat. He turned to see Batman burst out of the room he’d been kept in, and watched him throw an unconscious assassin across the room. Batman looked to be in pretty touch shape, however.“Your game is over,” Batman growled as Batwoman followed after him with a slight limp.“Kill them all!” The leader declared. The assassins jumped at their leader’s command and attacked. Lark, Robin, Batgirl and Black Canary all met them head on while the leader made his escape, save for the fact that Batman and Batwoman were pursuing him.“Robin, on your six!” Lark called as he bent over backwards to avoid a dagger strike. Robin spun around and deflected a dagger stab, then Batgirl round house kicked the assassin. They both turned to see Black Canary land on one assassin’s shoulders, then bending backwards and hauling him off his feet and throwing him into another assassin.Lark and Robin found themselves fighting back-to-back while Black Canary and Batgirl fought off their own assassins on the other side of the room.“What do you think our chances are?” Robin asked with a grin. Lark’s lips slowly tugged into a grin of his own as he glanced over his shoulder at Robin.“I think we’re gonna kick their asses, six ways to Sunday,” Lark replied, earning a laugh from Robin. They were surrounded by six assassins who jumped at them with weapons at the ready. Lark ducked and Robin rolled over his back to score a kick to one assassin’s face. As Lark stood up, he caught the foot of another and spun him toward Robin, who grabbed him, and flipped him over his head, slamming him into the ground. Two more came at Robin.Robin ducked the first one, then swiped the leg of the second. Lark turned and round house the first one, then Robin somersaulted backwards past Lark and delivered a double kick to another one’s face. The fight went on for a good couple more minutes before the four of them finally finished putting them all down.“C’mon, let’s go check on Batman and Batwoman,” Batgirl called. Lark, Robin, and Black Canary followed after her. When they arrived on the scene, Batman and Batwoman had the lead assassin surrounded. He had a sword in one hand and a hand gun in the other. He raised his gun to fire at Batman, but he never got the shot off. Black Canary rushed forward and let out her Canary Cry. The assassin shouted in pain, dropping his gun to cover his ears, and fell to his knees.“It’s over. You’re defeated and surrounded, with nowhere to go. Give up,” Batwoman declared. The assassin breathed heavily and looked up at all of them, all six of them, and growled. Then, he started laughing.“Yes, I see now. It is over,” he said. He grabbed something from his utility belt, prompting everyone to ready their weapons, just in case. “But if I’m going to hell, you’re all coming with me! For Grave!” The assassin pressed a button on the device he was holding. It blinked, then beeped, and then--“Get down!” Batman shouted. The six of them jumped to get out of the way as the device exploded, killing the assassin instantly. They were all thrown clear across the room by the explosion, rolling across the floor. Groans escaped from everyone as they pushed themselves up and recovered from the explosion.“Is everyone okay?” Batwoman called, followed by a couch.“I’m good,” Batgirl called.“I’ve live,” came Batman’s voice.“I’ve had worse,” Black Canary chimed in. There was a pause, before Robin’s voice sounded.“I’m--ungh--hit, but I’m okay,” Robin ground out, pulling small pieces of shrapnel out of his arm and leg. The wounds were shallow and only bled slightly. Lark didn’t answer. Batwoman’s heart skipped a beat.“Lark?” she called. She spotted him clear across the room, laying face down and unconscious. “Lark!” she shouted, racing over to his side. The back of his armor was almost completely destroyed, revealing his back, covered in cuts and scrapes with bits of shrapnel in it. His domino mask was ripped and blood caked the side of his face.“He was closest to the blast, but I thought he--” Robin started, eyes wide with shock.“We have to get him back to the cave. Now,” Batman cut up, gingerly lifting the teen into his arms. “Let’s go!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Darkness. Jason’s first conscious thought, was that it was dark and cold as he slowly opened his eyes. He groaned as he returned to consciousness, slowly, followed by a gasp as pain lanced up his back. Jason ignored it ans slowly sat up anyway. He shivered a bit and rubbed his arms for warmth.“Hey, woah,” Dick’s voice called. Jason glanced over to see the older boy trotting over to his side, then wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Jason blinked his eyes a bit more and then looked up at Dick, who was smiling at him.“Dick? What’s going on? Where are we?” Jason asked, confused. Dick chuckled a bit and patted Jason’s shoulder, careful not to touch his back. Even so, Jason winced a bit at the contact.“We’re back at the cave. After that Assassin blew himself up, you got injured pretty bad. You were the closest to the explosion, so we rushed you back here,” Dick explained. Jason turned his head to try to see his back, even knowing he couldn’t. He felt sore, but at least he could walk. When Dick told him his back had been injured, his mind briefly panicked. He could feel his legs, still, so that was good. Dick seemed to pick up on that, because he patted the younger teen’s knee soothingly. “Don’t worry, you’re good.”He handed Jason a black, longsleeve shirt, which he happily took and pulled on. The young boy then nodded and groaned as he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the cot. He closed his eyes and let his mind go back to the sewers. He found that he could recall everything, from infiltrating the sewers, to finding Batman and Batwoman, and then the assassin blowing himself up. It was all blank after that, so he assumed that that was when he fell unconscious.“Yeah, I remember all of that. That guy was nuts,” Jason replied, flashing a smirk. Dick chuckled in amusement and wrapped an arm around Jason’s waist to steady him as he got up onto his feet.“Yeah. Good to see your short term memory is still intact. I was afraid your head wouldn’t gotten a bit scrambled from the force of that explosion,” Dick explained. Jason nodded in reply. He looked around the cave and saw Batman and Batwoman over by the computer, but no sign of Dinah. He frowned a little bit at that.“Where’s Dinah? Is she okay?” Jason asked with an edge of concern in his tone. Dick waved his hand dismissively.“Don’t worry, she’s fine. She came back with us, but she had to take off,” Dick explained. Jason nodded in reply, then looked around the cave again, eyes falling on Alfred coming down the stairs with a tray of tea in his hands.“Ah, Master Jason. It’s good to see you awake,” Alfred said to the teen, flashing a smile. Jason smiled back and offered to take the tray, but Alfred refused and instead gestured for Jason to follow him. Together, the three of them made their way over to the Batcomputer, where Batman and Batwoman were hard at work trying to find all they could about the assassins they’d encountered tonight. They’d both wondered if they were related to Intergang by any chance, considering the lead assassin was in possession of some Apokaliptian tech.“Hey,” Jason called, prompting Kate to turn around. She was still garbed in her Batwoman gear, sans the cowl. When she saw Jason, up and about, and smiling, she hugged him.“Jason! It’s good to see you’re alright,” she said with a smile. Alfred mad his way over with the tray still in hand.“I’ve brought tea and lemon cakes,” Alfred commented, setting the tray down beside Bruce. Alfred grabbed a small tea plate and set a cup of tea and a lemon cake on it, and handed it to Jason. “Cinnamon tea for you, Master Jason,” he said. Jason took the plate and smiled back at him.“Thanks Alfred,” he replied.“Earl Grey Tea for you, Master Dick. Green Tea for you, Miss Kane, and Black Tea for you, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, handing each of them their teas.“Thank you Alfred,” Dick, Kate, and Bruce all said in unison. Jason flashed a toothy grin, then gestured toward the screen.“So, did we learn anything about these guys?” he asked. Batwoman turned back to the screen and frowned. The truth was, they didn’t have much. They didn’t have very much at all. Batman got the Lead Assassin to talk a little, but only because the man was certain that both she and Batman were going to die. He was arrogant to a fault which was what ultimately led to his defeat.“Not much,” Kate started. She glanced down at Bruce as the man spun his chair around to turn away from his work. He flashed a slight smile at Jason.“I see you’re doing better. Good. You were in pretty rough shape when we rushed you back here,” Bruce commented. Jason gave a nod in reply. “We know that their organization is called ‘Grave’,” Bruce started. Jason exchanged a look with Dick as he came to stand beside him.“Well that isn’t ominous at all,” Jason joked with a smirk. Dick snorted with held back amusement at the comment, instead opting to wrap his arms around Jason’s shoulders and kiss his temple.“Yes. The Lead Assassin was called a “Reaper”. They’re the organizations enforcers, their absolute best assassins. They live, breath, and sleep assassination. They’re born and bred to be killers,” Bruce explained.“So I’m sensing a death-related theme here,” Jason joked again, earning a snicker of amusement from Dick. Bruce seemed to be ignoring it. He turned back to the screen and brought up the images of the lesser assassins they encountered.“These are called Grims--” Bruce began. Jason snorted with held back laughter.“Called it,” he joked, finally getting Dick to laugh. Even Kate smirked a little at the comment, but Bruce continued, unperturbed.“--They’re standard assassins, small fry. If I had to guess, they make up the bulk of Grave’s forces.”“So what about Grave itself. Do we know what they want?” Dick asked.“Not a clue. That was all we got out of the guy,” Kate replied, glancing over at the teen. She looked over at Jason next and raked a hand through his black hair. Jason only fussed a little, flashing an embarrassed frown as his face tinted pink a bit. “As for you, I think you should take some time off,” she said. Jason’s jaw dropped at the suggestion.“What?! But I’m fine! Look at me! I mean, my back is a little cut up, but--”“Miss Kane is absolutely correct. You were lucky this time. Going out on patrol would risk exacerbating your condition,” Alfred put in. Jason’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.“But--”“No buts. That’s final, Jason,” Kate said firmly. Jason frowned at her, but she merely frowned right back. Jason growled to himself and stomped across the cave, leaving Dick who was snickering to himself at how adorable he found Jason when he was angry.“Are teenagers always so--” Kate began, pinching the bridge of her nose.“Yes,” both Alfred and Bruce interrupted in unison. Kate allowed herself a small smile at that as she glanced over at Alfred to see him sporting a smirk of my own. She glanced down at Bruce who turned in his chair to look at her directly.“At any rate, we’ve come to a dead end. Whoever these people are, they were careful to cover their tracks,” Bruce explained. Suddenly, Batgirl popped up on the computer screen, drawing everyone’s attention, including Dick and Jason who had been preoccupied with each other across the cave.“You’ll want to see this,” Batgirl declared and remotely accessed the cave’s computer, with Bruce’s aid, to bring up a Breaking News Report.“--the GCPD made several arrests today, of costumed criminals, show here. However, before they could be questioned, they were all found dead. Preliminary reports suggest they all suffered massive seizures, but no explanation has been given as to the cause.”Everyone exchanged looks before turning back to the screen. The news report confirmed what they already knew; that these people cover their tracks well. Exceedingly well. It also gave them an idea of who they were dealing with. These were people who were more than willing to sacrifice their own people to keep their secrets hidden. These were very dangerous people. This “Grave” was a huge threat, and they had almost nothing to go on, no idea how to deal with them.“This is getting--” Jason started.“--More complicated,” Dick filled in, the two teens exchanging a glance. Bruce glanced over his shoulder at the teens, then Kate, then turned his attention back onto Batgirl.“So what do you want to do now?” she asked. Bruce frowned as he slipped into deep thought, eyes still focused on the screen. They had no leads, no idea who exactly they were dealing with beyond their methods and what they were willing to do. So essentially, they only had a vague idea as to what they were dealing with, but no idea what kind of what they wanted or who they were. What they had, may as well have been nothing at all.“Nothing. Forget about this, Batgirl,” Bruce finally said.“What? But--” Batgirl attempted to argue.“Forget it. We don’t have anything. Throwing ourselves at an unknown enemy will only get us killed,” Bruce interrupted in a stern, lecturing tone. Everyone, including Batgirl, was silent. There was no real argument, none of substance, that could be made against him, save for emotional ones.“So, we’re giving up?” Jason asked. Bruce turned to him and shook his head.“No. We’ll keep investigating, but we can’t act against shadows,” Bruce explained.“So in the meantime, we go about as normal,” Kate suggested, to which Bruce nodded.“It’s not ideal, but--”“It’s all we can do,” Dick filled in. The teen smiled and turned to Jason, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his temple. Jason blushed a bit and flinched away out of embarrassment. “So in that case, how about we go to the Circus next week? It’s coming to Gotham on Monday,” Dick suggested. Kate chuckled a bit at the sight of Jason all flustered and blushing.“Uh, sure. That sounds great,” Jason replied. Dick flashed a toothy grin, then grabbed Jason’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and making his way for the stairs with Jason in tow.“Use protection, boys,” Bruce called, after clearing his throat. Dick gasped audibly, his face heating up and turning red.“Bruce! Shut up!” Dick squeaked, prompting Jason to started laughing. “You too, shut up!” Dick squeaked again as he rushed up the stairs with Jason behind him. Kate chuckled a bit as she watched the two teens retreat, followed by Alfred with the empty tray in hand.“They’re quite fond of each other,” Kate stated the obvious. Bruce hummed a bit in response, still staring at the screen.“I’ve noticed.”“Jason’s getting help with his anger, before you say he. He’s seeing Dinah,” Kate said, almost as if reading Bruce’s mind. Bruce nodded in response, then turned in his chair to face her.“Dinah. A good choice. She knows what it’s like to live on the streets of Gotham,” Bruce replied, pushing himself out of his chair. “You should be getting back though. I heard your father is coming by soon,” Bruce said with a slight smirk. Kate chuckled a bit and nodded.“Yes, he is,” she answered, accompanying him across the cave. “And I want to thank you, Bruce. For helping Jason tonight.”“That’s what family is for, Kate.” A Reaper, garbed in the Black and Red attire of an assassin for one of his station, knelt down before his masters; Seven figures, shrouded in the shadows, sitting in chairs behind an elegant table in front of them.“A Reaper has failed in Gotham. You shall replace him,” spoke on voice.“Do not fail us like your predecessor has. Remember to stick to the shadows. Remember to draw little to no attention to yourself,” another voice spoke.“Go now, and claim Gotham for Grave.” The Reaper looked up from the floor and toward the shrouded figures, still kneeling in place.“For Grave.”