When Night Comes

Chapter Thirteen

Another memory took the place of the previous one, this time there was also a voiceover, "I'm taking you back a bit now for our almost last one. This is the first time Talon and Dick interacted, I think you'll like this one."
And then Dick came running into view around the corner into an alley. His skin had taken the pale tone of Talon but that was it. I'd assume he was still in control.
"Get the hell out of my head." Dick ran over to a wall and began to throw his head against it, full force.
"What the hell are you doing Dick?" Roy went to stop him but quickly realised he couldn't interact with the memory and stepped back, slightly sheepish.
"It belongs to the both of us, counterpart." The voice seemed to come from nowhere, but it was the same as Dick's, just more sinister.
"You are not a part of me. You wanted to kill Bruce." He growled as he gave up fighting and slid down the wall, "Why would you even suggest that?"
"He tried to stop us from killing that clown."
"You from killing that clown." Dick growled, "I wanted nothing to do with it. No one deserves to die."
"He's a mass murderer." Talon argued, "I can help make the world a better place. Just give me a firm step. Let me take control for a couple of minutes. I'll give it right back afterwards. I promise."
"I can't let you kill someone."  Dick argued but I could tell he was losing the fight, his veins were getting darker.
"What about Zucco?" The voice teased, "He stopped you from living out your life, stopped your parent's hearts. Why shouldn't he face death? Why should he be allowed to live whilst the others die? Every breath he takes he takes to insult your family. To kill another innocent child. Do you really want that out in the streets?"
"No." Dick sighed and I heard Artemis take in a breath, "No, I don't."
"I didn't think so." Talon purred, "Give me control counterpart." And then his eyes turned Golden and Talon was in control, "Now let's go on a binge shall we?"

After we finished breakfast we all sat down as Alfred walked us through a timetable he had set up. He was just trying to make sure we were all cared for. And I'm glad he is, otherwise we'd all be falling asleep at the same time and Talon could wake back up. Diana, Clark and Conner were currently on duty patrolling the unguarded cities, Alfred and Barry were sleeping until the afternoon, but we'd probably let Alfred sleep over, Kaldur and Arthur were on food duty, which left me to watch over the injured and the Martian until we changed shifts.
"If you need to doze go for it." I looked over to Dinah, jerking back awake, "I'll scream if you need to wake back up."
"No, I need to watch Talon's dosage. We don't want him waking up but we don't want to over-do it." I said, "And what if John needs help? You can't see him from your bed."
"I can get up you know. Just in crutches." She smirked, "You can rest."
"No, you need to stay in bed." I argued as I got up to push her back down.
"Jade, we're both scheduled to watch over here right now. You can't take it by yourself." She said, "Let me help you."
"You need to rest Dinah. You're injured." I pushed again.
"And so are you." Her soft eyes bored into mine, "Maybe not physically but since you came back from dealing with Joker, you've been distant. And that'd hard seeming you were distant since you saw Talon. You may find it surprising to hear Jade, but I know you better than you think."
"You want to help?" I asked and she nodded, "Hold Lian."
She didn't protest as I handed her my child, trying not to make him stir, and she sat with him, her face lighter than it had been since I saw her. I looked over to my husband as he lay motionless on his own bed, running around inside Talon's head. I could only imagine the horror he was going through.

I ducked as a gun was fired and looked around the alley which had just appeared in front of us, but I quickly found I couldn't move. I was strapped back in the chair and staring at the wall, and a quick glance told me everyone else was too. M'gann was the first out of her bonds, phasing through. Then Wally, then me and we helped Artemis and Rou out of theirs.
"Does anyone know which way to go?" Roy asked as we all grouped in the centre.
"Follow the sound of the fight." I answered and began to walk to the closest cave entrance as the sound got louder, "That's where Talon and Dick will be."
The team didn't hesitate to follow me into the unnaturally light cave. And for once I wish I couldn't see for it would save me from the river of blood where corpses were being devoured by rats and ravens. Not to mention the cave itself wasn't even made from rock, well parts of it were. It seemed to be a patchwork of earth and skin which was rather disturbing. But more disturbing then the setting was the noise coming from the other end of the cave, the sounds of panting and grunting. The sounds of a fight with a clear winner, and something told me it wasn't Dick. I didn't wait for the rest of the team as I took off at a run towards the noise, they'd follow anyway. The cave became more hardened as I ran, the flesh and blood giving way to realistic geological setting and then it opened up, as suddenly as the original cave door had appeared, and I pulled short as I saw where I was. It was the circus, the stands empty and coated in dust, the trapeze swinging forlornly as if pushed by an invisible hand. And then, in the centre of the ring, were the two people we had come to see. Dick and Talon.
Even from the short glimpse I had, I knew the outcome of this match. Dick was covered in cuts and bruises to accompany his ripped uniform, forgotten mask and broken left wrist. And Talon seemed to sport only a few healing items, since he had been winning Dick hadn't landed a single blow on him.
"My god." I heard Roy behind me as he also pulled to a stop, "He's not going to win."
"I can see that." I snapped harsher than intended, "We need to help him."
"No." M'gann's hand came down in my shoulder, stronger than it should have been, "We can not interfere with his mental state without the consent of all of him. That includes Talon."
"We need to help him Megan." Wally called as he and Artemis also appeared, "He's not going to win this fight without us."
"If we step in without his and Talon's permission it would create fissures in his brain.' M'gann explained, "He'd become a shell and the chance of getting him back? Almost nonexistent. No ones ever done it before."
I stared down at my son as Talon danced around him again, stabbing one of his claws into his leg as Dick let out a cry of pain, and though it went against every nerve in my body, I sat on one of the stalls and watched.

I woke with a start as a loud crash echoed through the room. I couldn't see much from my bed and I wasn't going to move with Jades child sleeping on me, so I guess I'll have to wait for whatever it is to make itself known. And thankfully that didn't take long as J'onn let out a string of curses.
"What's wrong?" I asked, still staring at the ceiling.
"Something's happened." He replied, "I'm being blocked from entering his brain. I don't know what's going on in there."
"What do you mean you're being blocked from entering his brain?" I asked, and this time I sat up, moving the now awake child so I could hold him.
"Exactly what he said dumb-ass." I heard Jason murmur but elected to ignore him.
"It was sudden, I had no time to fight back." John came over now so that I could actually see him and he looked exhausted, "And then I was back in here with no route back in. This shouldn't be happening, it has trouble written all over it"
"Well there's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to hope." I sighed and looked over to Jade who had fallen asleep in the chair.
How was she going to react when she found out Roy could be in danger? Not well to say the least, that's for sure. A cry split the air and I looked down at the child in my arms, subconsciously rocking him. I'd always wanted a child. Ollie and I had planned to settle down one day, once Artemis could care for herself, and start our own bloodline. I guess that isn't going to happen now.
"Here, give me Lian." I didn't even notice the Martian take the child as silent tears poured down my face.
Ollie was really gone. I can't picture a future without him, every time I look at the door I expect him to walk in. A carefree smile on his face as he dropped his bow on the floor and gave me a welcoming hug. What I wouldn't give to have that back.
"Dinah, are you okay?" I looked up as Jade came over.
"What are you doing up?" I asked, "I was letting you sleep."
"John woke me up. He wanted to know what Lian wanted. He was just hungry." She explained, "Now, do you want to talk?"
"Umm, well..." I knew I had to get it off my chest, it's the only chance I'll get, "I want Ollie back. I went into that room, my safe room, and it wasn't safe. Instead, my Ollie was sat in that chair. His throat slit from ear to ear like some sick kind of smile. And my dreams suddenly shattered. We were going to tie the knot soon, you know. Get married. Have a baby and raise them. Our own blood combined in a miracle creation. But no more. We couldn't stop our favourite little birdie from killing us all, one by one. He destroyed my dream. He killed Ollie. He needs to be locked up. No, he needs to die. And I've got to be the one that kills him."
"Dinah. We can't talk like that." Jade interrupted me.
"You're thinking it too." I burst out, "I know you are. Look what he did to your sister, what he was willing to do to Roy. You'd kill him if you could."
"No I wouldn't Dinah. And neither would you." She spoke firmly now, "Talon is not Dick. And you can't judge them together."
"He was the one who kept Talon secret!" Now I was shouting, hysterical, "Dick is still the reason this is happening! And you can't tell me otherwise because you know it would be a lie. And trust me, you don't want to lie to me."
"And you don't want to try and kill your favourite birdie." Jade said, "You know you don't."
Yet she wasn't saying she'd stop me, she's thinking the same. She wants him dead as well. It was just getting her to admit it now.
"Mull it over." I said, "Think about it and tell me you don't want him dead." Silence, "See, you can't contradict me. You know it's true, it's just about admitting it."
She turned then and walked out, leaving the door open behind her as she left. I looked over to the bed where Dick lay. He was going to pay.

I knew I was losing. I always tend to lose for the first couple of days but that doesn't mean I'm just going to give up. At least, it didn't before. But it was so tiring and my injures were plentiful. Maybe I could do what Talon does, fight until the other wears out, but I'm the one who seems more worn out at the moment. I stumbled back as his foot came into contact with my stomach, removing the little air I had in there.
"Call it counterpart." Talon grinned as he stalked over to me, "Call your demise and you can have a painless death."
I didn't have the breath to respond, all I could do was glare but then something caught my eye, not something, someone. Bruce was sat in the stalls, Roy, Wally, Artemis and M'gann with him. They came for me, but why were they just sitting there?
"What are you looking at counterpart?" Talon asked and started to turn.
But he never saw them as I leapt on him and we both fell to the sandy floor in a struggle once again. If he saw them, I don't want to imagine what would happen. I still remember last time he saw someone who wasn't meant to be here, I'm not sure Psimon will ever recover.
Looking at me now, I'm not sure I'll ever recover. I ended on the floor with Talon on top of me, still grinning that sickening grin of his as he slowly dragged his claws down the side of my face, light enough to only leave a small well of blood.  But his claws were poisoned, it was enough to get the hallucinogenics in my system. I had 1 minute before they kicked in.
"You still don't want to call it?" Talon asked but his face dropped when he looked up to see my friends, "Inviting back-up then are we? Well, well, well, that's a sneaky move Counterpart."
But the rest of his sentence was lost as the drugs began to kick in, ridding the real walls of my mind into my worst fears.