Dick figured he'd run off for a bit, have a look around the country. Zeta tubes made that easy, and Bruce probably wouldn't care enough to track him down. He wasn't an absent guardian, per say, but he did give Dick a very long rope.
He'd come back if he wanted, probably not though. Dick honestly wasn't sure. He just wanted to move, roam around, he missed the days of living in a circus when you weren't in a city for more than a month. And by moving around maybe he could figure out what it was he disliked about the justice league at this point. It was probably the high-and-mighty attitude.
He packed a bag, stuffed it really. Before anyone could come by his room he was gone. He changed into casual clothes, but kept a knife in a sheath under his jumper. It wasn't great adventure attire. but it hid the bandages really well, his attempt at re-stitching himself up wasn't as good as Alfred's, but it was passable.
Either way, there was one person he knew would have a good idea as to where he could go, and Dick was lucky enough that he was in town.
Haley's circus still managed to look like a childhood dream, even when the tents were empty and equipment was still strewn about. No one was in the middle of working, it was still a bit early, but Dick could hear someone making a racket in a nearby tent, likely starting to cook breakfast.
Dick pulled his hood down and made his way to the train compartment he knew Haley would be in- working away at paperwork. He hopped onto the connection between the two trailers and knocked on the door.
As it opened Haley was speaking, voice tired, "Jimmy, I know I said I'd get those papers to you yesterday, but something's-"
Haley froze, eyes meeting Dick's.
"hi," Dick said, stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I, uh," he cleared his throat, "hi."
Haley leaned out the door to see if anyone was there, then met Dick's eyes again, "hi."
He lead him inside, "uh, take a seat, I..." Haley fumbled for words, "what are you doing here?"
Dick blinked, "well, I... had a bit of a falling out, I'm just laying low. I saw you were in town."
Haley smiled, "ah, it's good to see you kid," he said, "but you really shouldn't be here."
Dick's heart fell, "what?"
Haley sighed, sat down on the chair on the other side of the desk, he gave Dick a sad look, "my boy, there is a history to your family that you do not know- and by being here now that history puts you in danger."
Dick blinked, "Haley, if there's some kind of mob troubles or... whatever-"
"no, no Dick," Haley sighed, "you were never supposed have a life."
Dick frowned, "I'm sorry, what?"
Haley leaned over to a drawer in his desk, he pulled it out and rifled through it as he said, "when you were young you were chosen by very... dangerous people. When your parents passed they had claim to you, I messed around with some things and made sure it didn't happen."
"I'm sorry, what?" Dick scoffed, "Haley, what are you on about?"
"have you heard of the Court of Owls?"
Dick laughed, "the old wives tale? The crazy people who used to run Gotham?" Dick smiled, "you mean like beware the court of owls, that watches-"
Haley jumped across the desk and covered his mouth before he could continue, "Speak not a whispered word!"
Dick burst out laughing, "Pop, have you been drinking again?"
"no, and I am disappointed you would think such of me!" Haley said, leaning back in his chair, "the court is real. They fell out of their old power a while ago, but they still... lurk."
Dick raised an eyebrow.
"there was a prophecy, that a new Talon would be chosen and they would lead the court back into glory- their Gray Son."
Well now Dick knew there was definitely something off, because this sounded extremely made up.
"Haley, I'm sorry, but I think you need some sleep."
"Dick, I need you to take this seriously," Haley said, showing Dick a picture he'd retrieved from his drawer, "your mother was a young thief, the best I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. But she had no last name, so she stole the title as her own after her father revealed the prophecy to her. Your father couldn't go by his own name. Your parents never realised who had contacted them till you were older," Haley said, and Dick finally looked closer at the picture, "but you're father figured it out."
The picture was of his parents, in his mother's arms was an infant, in his father's was a full-faced mask. Dick analysed his father's clothing, armoured and strange, but he recognised it. it was what was worn in the League of Assassins.
"your pops knew some... dangerous people. And when they found out about the court's claim on you they were furious. What was left of the court was wiped out." Haley explained, "your parents were about to change their names, they didn't want any connection to the court, but..." Haley trailed off, "well, you know."
Dick snatched the picture from Haley's hands and stared at it, so close to his face that his eyelashes almost brushed the faded glossy surface.
"this can't be real."
"it is, my boy, and it's why you shouldn't be here," Haley said, "the court was pulled apart, piece by piece. But I wouldn't risk it, their talons were immortal and deadly."
Dick stared at Haley, he had come here for help and possibly an idea as to where to go next, he was not expecting everything to be made even more complicated than before.
"why didn't you tell me this?"
"because you were a boy, I didn't want your memory of your parents to be tainted by their pasts," Haley said, "and when I saw you, last year, you'd seemed happy."
"this is my family, Jack!" he said, fingers pinching the corner of the picture, "my history!"
As much as he'd been separated from the people that could have connected him to his culture and taught him the virtues held close by the people before him, he was still proudly a Romano man, and a part of that pride was his love of family. He was, if he was being honest, scared of the idea that he'd never truly been close enough to that family.
"Dick," Haley sighed, "I'm sorry. I should have told you. That was my mistake, but please," his face etched itself with worry, "don't investigate this. Don't go looking into it. it's too much of a risk."
Dick looked at the photo, his mother holding his infant self, smiling and happy. His father dressed like some kind of warrior of old. He wanted to figure out how to make a real difference, sure. But he also wanted to figure out who in the hell he really was. he'd thought he was Robin, that that was the most important part of him. Without that he needed to find something new.
He did not want to be a Talon, he felt no pity at the idea the old cult had crumbled. But this was his history, his heritage. The only reason people learned history was so it could inform the future.
"Dick." Haley drew his attention once more, "promise me you won't go digging into this."
Dick looked at the picture once more, put it in his pockets.
"I don't make promises I can't keep."
He turned and left.
So when investigating an ancient super powerful assassin cult, where does one start?
Dick had been given all he needed to know thanks to Haley, and that was because of the picture he still had on him.
He held it up, the morning sun starting to creep closer to the horizon and tinting the picture. He recognised where the image was taken.
The old Wayne Railroad station, which was now a historical site. It was built by Alan Wayne, Bruce's Great-Great-Grandfather, who had also pretty much built Gotham in general. The building itself came under the Alan Wayne Trust, as far as the public knew it was maintained by the trust as a piece of Gotham's history.
Maybe there was more to it.
The picture was of his parents and his infant self, there was nothing that proved it specifically had anything to do with the court. But it was a lead, and Dick didn't know why his parents would be at a Gotham Railroad Station when he was a newborn.
The place was closed, it was only open for tours from 10 till 4, Mondays through to Thursday, according to a sign on the door. Dick scaled up to the second floor, forced a window open and snuck in.
No one was around so Dick didn't bother being sneaky, but he kept the hood over his face and made sure not to touch anything. There were probably cameras around and he didn't need the mess of breaking and entering charges. Technically, Bruce owned this building so Dick was fine. But one could never be too careful.
He didn't really know what he was looking for, he figured the court probably had their base of operations under ground. If it was above ground there'd be more work in keeping it secret.
So Dick headed to where the covered train stops were. When the station had been running there were only three lines, hence three trains and three platforms. There was a high arching roof that protected the platforms, then it was wide open to the fenced in railing. It was only then Dick realised he could've just jumped a fence instead of crawling through a window; the drama and thrill of breaking in made it worth it.
Dick sat on the edge of the platform with a sigh, dumping his bag next to him.
Sitting there on the eerie edge of Gotham that was still close enough to the city to hear it but too far to be urban felt like stepping out of reality. As Dick exhaled everything around him seemed to slow. The world around him was losing speed, coming back to normal and settling.
The court case, the mission, being fired, the warehouse, speaking to Haley, it all happened so quick. It had barely been four days, they'd all passed in a blur.
Really, what did he think he was doing? Going off on adventures and sticking it to the man.
What was he doing? He didn't even know.
Should he double back? Crawl into the Batcave and ask for forgiveness? Hell no. maybe he'd apologise to Wally, but Bruce? No.
Hell no.
But then where was he going?
He really didn't know.
He gazed down between his feet at the dusty gravel below. He wondered if this was how his grandparents would've felt, on the crux of traveling to the next place. Train stations must have become their bread and butter, they'd probably been to all of them. Would they be disappointed to see their descendant sitting on the edge of travelling and hesitating? standing where they would have stood and thinking of the terror of not having a solid home to come to.
He sighed, leaned back, and gazed at the roof.
There was a bird sitting on the beams, ruffling its feathers, and staring down at him. Dick stood, eyes rolling.
"what, are you my spirit guide or something?" he asked, dropped his hand son his hips, the bird didn't move. "what?"
The word echoed and the bird startled, swooping down over his head, and flying off down the hall. it cawed and the sound echoed, a strange archaic sound that met his ears and brought the hair on the back of his neck to a stand.
Dick frowned, and he followed the bird. His bag left on the platform. He turned down several hallways and came to the office, the bird had come through the ticket window. It sat on the back of the chair and stared at Dick expectantly.
"what?"
Dick sighed.
"great, now I'm talking to a bird," he scoffed, "brilliant."
He stepped further into the room and kicked something, jumped at the noise. It was a floor tile, it had come loose.
He followed where it had scattered to, and picked it up, staring at the small office, trying to figure out what felt odd about this place.
It was probably the very fancy desk with all kind of buttons. Probably used to control the tracks and trains back in the day, but... wouldn't that be in a different room? not an office?
He drifted his hands over the controls, reading the markers and trying to make sense of them.
One said entrance. He had worked with Batman to know that nothing was a coincidence- at least, nothing in Gotham.
'to hell with it,' he decided, and he flicked the switch.
The bird shrieked and Dick shot around to look at it, it swooped over him again, grabbing his hood. He stumbled and flung his arms about with a yelp and gained balance again, tripping to a stop.
And right where the tile had met the wall, it now met dusty stone. His toes edged over the seam of tile and rock, and he looked up into a hole, the wall gone, replaced with a tunnel that was dark and cold.
The bird grabbed his sleeve and tried to guide him in, Dick pulled back, staring wide eyed at the tunnel before him.
"holy shit," he whispered, and even that tiny sound bounced across the uneven edges of the tunnel in front of him.
Dick needed a torch. He didn't have one in his bag, so he took out his phone and turned on the light. He waved it round the edges of the tunnel, looking for some kind of death symbol or waiting for a monster to jump out, trying to find anything that would give him reason to stop looking right now and go back to the platform.
He found no reason.
He took one step in. the bird seemed to settle slightly and fluttered to the floor by his feet. Dick's breath shuddered in and out.
This was it, this had to be it.
This was the way to find out about himself, about his family.
He took another step.
The bird hooted and Dick finally decided to take notice of the breed. A Horned Owl, rather small for its breed. Dick looked between it and the darkness.
"you coming with?"
The owl hooted.
Dick held out his arm, readying for the talons that the bird definitely had. It fluttered up and sat on his bicep, claws finding just the right spot to not hurt too much or hit any dangerous spots.
Dick took a deep breath and stared at the dark tunnel.
"let's do this."
Dick's phone light was very quickly sapping his battery, he watched it lower, not being able to stop himself from smirking and thinking 'nice' when it hit 69%. The owl snuggled into his hair a few times, but mainly seemed comfortable sitting on his arm and making quiet sounds every now and then.
It was getting colder every second, and the ground was on a mild slope. His eyes wouldn't stop glancing around, imagining sounds where there were none. He didn't know how long he'd been walking, but he'd lost sight of the opening behind him a while ago, thanks to the organic twists and turns of the tunnel.
The owl's talons felt... like a claim almost. It had taken its spot there and it felt almost like it would never leave. Something about it terrified him, down in the same place that had been scared when Haley had explained the court's decision to take him.
It was a kind of fear he hadn't felt in a while. The kind that made his stomach twist and his shoulders shake and his breath hitch.
His chest felt tight
But he kept going, kept walking. Something in him needed to know about this part of himself. Without Robin, without his family, without his life as he'd come to know it, he had nothing. No guidance, no help, no support.
His history could show him the way. He did not want to be a talon, never would. But maybe there was something, anything, that could show him who he was.
He just wished he'd find it faster.
The tunnel kept going, further down, further down. The slope was becoming steeper.
He glanced to his phone, lit the screen up to check the battery once more.
27%, and it was 9:30. His stomach grumbled. He'd be in school by now normally, Wally would be right now.
He didn't have his bag, he had no food or water. If it hit 12:30 he was doubling back.
He turned the phone off again, taking a deep breath as he kept walking. The ground kept sloping.
And sloping.
And sloping.
The owl screeched and Dick flinched. It took off, swooping around and screeching. Dick stumbled, the ground was still sloping, the bird clawed onto his jacket, feathers flapping against his face and screeching in his ears, he was still tripping over himself, the ground still sloping. The owl swooped, claws scratching across his shoulders through the jacket.
And he tripped, and the ground sloped, and he fell.
His phone scattered, the screen shattering. He tumbled across the ground and...
His hands grabbed for something, he slipped across the rocks and...
The ground dropped out beneath him.
He was falling, the light was gone, the owl was gone, everything was gone and he was falling.
Falling, falling, falling. Darkness at the edge of his vision and cold seeping into his heart and falling, falling, falling into nothing and emptiness.
Nothing. Nothing but dark.
Wally showed up at the mountain grumpy.
That was to be expected when you professed your love from someone and it ended with the two of you calling each other useless.
He'd gotten home and just slammed his head into the wall several times, then Barry had asked if he wanted dinner. He was going to go back to the head slamming afterwards, but Iris told him no.
So he woke up, went to school, and then headed for the mountain. Which wasn't a good idea, because it reminded him of that fact that Dick was now gone, with no explanation, and everyone probably figured he'd have seen him last. Seeing as they were best buddies or whatever.
Not anymore, apparently.
So when he walked in and met eyes with Artemis across the room everything in him deflated. He was not in the mood to deal with her teasing and sarcasm.
"oh hey Wally," Megan greeted him, "I made cookies! Want some?"
Wally sighed but decided he'd keep up appearances, taking a few and leaning over the back of the couch where Conner was watching static.
"hey, where's Robin?" Artemis asked, "he disappeared with Batman, he good?"
Wally shrugged with a barely hidden scowl, "I don't know."
"well you two are always so buddy-buddy," Artemis said, picking up on Wally's foul mood, "I just wanted to check in about my injured team mate," she grumbled.
"yeah, well," Wally huffed, "myeh."
Artemis and Megan gave him confused looks, even Conner frowned at him.
"'myeh'?" Megan said, "I'm sorry I don't know that word."
"It's not a word, Wally's just sooking for some reason," Artemis rolled her eyes, "what happened, did Batsy say you couldn't come over for a play date?"
"shut up," Wally grumbled.
"Wally," Aqualad said, finally joining the team in the main room, "what has you so upset?"
"Nothing," he said, crossing his arms, "Robin's the one who's upset, for no reason."
"Oh no," Artemis said with a blank face and dull tone, "what happened?"
Wally threw his hands around, "he- just, he's a- little, aarrrgh," he groaned trying to find something to say that wasn't 'he killed a guy and then ran off'.
"ah," Artemis said, "enlightening."
Wally groaned, dropped his head in his hands, "I don't know why I try."
Megan gasped, "Hello, Megan! I know what this is!" she grabbed Wally's hand, Artemis's hand and then started running off.
"I- what?" Conner blinked.
Aqualad called after them, "do you need us?"
"nope!" Megan said back.
She dragged Wally and Artemis to her room, pushed them in and closed and locked the door behind her.
"okay, now the boys are gone," she grinned.
"but I am a-" Wally started.
"what's going on here?" Artemis asked, looking between her two friends.
Megan poked Wally's chest and giggled, "boy troubles."
Wally blinked, "what?"
Artemis's face went slack with surprise and then turned to a knowing look, she playfully hit herself in the head, "hello, Artemis, duh!"
"excuse me?" Wally said.
Megan smiled, "you asked Robin out, didn't you? Or something like that?"
Wally blinked, "no?"
"oh my god, he did!" Artemis laughed.
"I- no! what- I didn't," Wally spluttered.
Megan hugged him, "oh, it's so obvious how you felt about him, and it's so obvious you said something."
Wally froze, then deflated with a groan, "I said I like him and he said it back but now he's gone cause I messed it all up!"
Megan gasped and guided him to her bed, Artemis laughed and earned a sour look from the Martian.
"okay, tell us everything, and we'll help figure this out," she said.
"Batman tried to fire Robin so he ran off cause he was mad. I went after him and we fought and it was all a mess!" he sighed, "and now he's running around doing who knows what and he doesn't like me cause I said I didn't agree with him and that he was wrong and that he's being stupid."
Artemis and Megan shared a look, "this is gonna take work," Artemis said, "uggghhh."
"so what is wrong with Wally?" Aqualad asked, looking to Conner.
He frowned as he listened in, leaning against Megan's bedroom door, "something about... boy troubles?"
"what?" Aqualad said.
"liking people?"
Aqualad frowned, "best leave them to it, I think they know more than we do."
"definitely."
They walked back into the main room, Conner was about to settle in front of the TV and Aqualad about to grab a book when the zeta beams lit up and announced Batman's arrival.
Kaldur greeted him and Batman gave him a steely look.
"where's Robin?"
Kaldur frowned, "he hasn't been here since he left with you."
Batman didn't falter, "where's Kid Flash?"
"talking with Megan and Artemis."
"get him out here, I need to speak with him," Batman said.
"yes sir." Kaldur turned back down the hall, starting worry about what was going on.
Wally was well aware that he was basically walking to his doom.
Batman took one look at him and gestured to a side room, he remembered having a conversation in that very room with Canary, post-crazy mental death mission. Then it had been for therapy, this time it would be his last conversation with a person before he no longer had eyes, or a leg, he didn't really know what Batman was most likely to attack.
Batman closed and locked the door, Wally awkwardly rubbed his arm while waiting for him to start talking.
"what. Happened."
Wally swallowed, "what... do you m-"
"you know perfectly well what I mean."
Wally cleared his throat, "I, uh, don't, actually."
"Where. Is. Robin."
Wally opened his mouth to answer.
"spit it out."
"IF YOU LET ME SPEAK I COULD TELL YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW!" is this what Robin dealt with? No wonder he wanted to storm out.
"Robin is missing," Batman hissed, "and I am 100% sure that you know why, how and where. Now start talking."
Wally clenched his fists, staring at the ground.
"you know what?" he looked Batman in the eye, "fuck you."
Batman's glared heightened, but Wally forged on.
"fuck you and your stupid high expectations and your stupid emotionless attitude and your stupid inability to accept anyone into your life," he said, "fuck you and your stubborn attitude and fuck you for driving my friend away!" he yelled, "because it's your fault he's gone Bruce, you were supposed to help him through his shit but you've just thrown him under the bus and told him to take it, for years now!"
Batman's scowl was terrifying, but Wally met it with his own.
"Dick is gone, and he's gone because he lost faith in you! You want to know why? Because the most support you gave him was a pat on the back and a send-off to the next group of villains to smack down with," Wally said.
"That's enough, West," Batman said.
"yeah, it is," Wally hissed, "and here's the final truth; I don't know where Dick is. I fucked up, too. But you've got more to apologise for than I ever will. and here's the kicker: you'll probably never see him again."
Wally stormed for the door and opened it, hesitating on the last step out, "and by the way," he looked over his shoulder, "you might want to swing by Gotham's bayside. He left a pretty big mess."
A/N
bit of a shorter chapter this time, works better for pacing tbh.
it's taking forever to write out all the start stuff because there's important stuff in there and i just... urgh.
maybe I'll have some of it be flash-back stuff brought up later insetad of writing it out now? hmmm...
anyway, so we're introducing the court so we can sweep them under the rug later like everyone else on Wattpad. also, yes, we have a birb. don't get attached.
and Wally gets to have a spine. I know, not very cliche, but I personally hate the common thread on Wattpad that Wally is useless and can't do anything but be comedic effect.
and, yes, Dick is Roma. I did minimum research and even I know that Romani is the word for women in the Roma culture, the men are Romano. so, once again, Wattpad fandom is fucking dumb.