Dick stared at his reflection in the mirror.
He needed a haircut.
He let out a breath, turned off the tap and leant against the sink.
He activated his electrum. He saw his yellow and green eyes in the mirror. He used to hate them, for a long time. he didn't like looking at mirrors while it was activated because he knew he looked like a monster. But now...
He stared at it, waiting for the repulsion. Waiting for a hallucination of Cobb staring back at him.
He didn't get it. there was a deep blankness, nothing. He stared at his eyes, they were just his eyes. Not Cobb's or any of the other Talon's. not the crazed aftereffects of a maniac coming out of the pits. Just his eyes. his.
And when they appeared he could feel the electrum thrumming, feel it giving him more energy than he knew what to do with. His senses heightened, he could hear every creak in the ship, smell the bare traces of dust, see every spec.
He breathed out and let it go. He missed it immediately, in the way a runner misses the track, the way a wrestler misses the hit, a junkie misses the adrenaline, a vigilante misses the... purpose.
The yellow and green faded to blue. He had feelings towards that colour.
They were his mother's eyes. They were what he got from her that wasn't an assassin cult's legacy. They were what everyone always used to compliment him on.
Dick Grayson, Robin, the boy wonder had blue eyes. Renegade had yellow, even though he didn't always let it show. The green tinge was from Renegade, his connections and his mistakes.
He was both of those people. He was neither of those people.
No.
He was those people.
They were pitstops of his life. He had been Dick Grayson, circus boy. He had been Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder. He had been Dick Grayson, wondering teen. He had been Dick Grayson, Renegade.
He hadn't even chosen that name. Thalia came up with it when they realised he'd need an alias. He was the betrayer. The rebel.
Was.
Now?
Now he just had to get to the next day, then the next, hopefully saving his friends and family along the way. Saving himself along the way.
His comm went off and Artemis' voice crackled in his ear.
"Renegade, I'm going on break, get to Kaldur's room."
Dick sighed, stood straight. He brushed the hair from his face and left the bathroom.
"on my way, Tigress," he said.
The day had started. He just had to keep it going.
M'Gann was basically doing all the heavy lifting, Kaldur was more pointing out where one piece of column went, and then the next. Especially seeing as everything was almost done, Kaldur was back to his old self pretty much.
Dick stared at the pantheon around him. an open area, marble flooring and engraved and a painted ceiling, the columns were etched to hold ancient runes filled with magic. The view was getting better by the second, coral reefs beginning to flourish, schools of fish winding their way through the buildings.
There wasn't much for him to do when he was on watch, but standing around in Kaldur's mind was slightly less boring than standing around in the room.
"you know," Kaldur said, and Dick turned to see him by one of the columns, "when I said you could one day see Atlantis this isn't what I had in mind."
Dick laughed, Kaldur swam closer.
"hey, it's the closest thing I'll get," Dick shrugged, "pretty nice though, not too shabby."
Kaldur smiled, looking up at the ceiling, "this is a public performance area."
"oh?"
He pointed to the raised centre, "that's where choirs or orchestras would play."
"under water?" Dick asked.
"magic."
"right, yes," Dick nodded, "magic."
"not a believer?"
Dick snorted, "I'm not Wally." He looked up at the rolling waves painted on the ceiling, "I can see magic, I can believe it."
Kaldur was looking at him with sad eyes, "are the Lazarus pits magic?"
They shared a look.
"yeah," he said, looking out at the view, "yeah."
"not all magic is a pain in the ass."
"ooh, coming in with the curse words, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Dick snickered.
"you talk to Artemis enough you pick up some things."
Dick huffed a laugh, "you know, I'm twenty two years old and Thalia would still give me dirty looks if I swore around her."
"you're kidding?"
"nope." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I used to swear in Romanian around her cause it's one of the few languages she doesn't know."
"what, one of three?"
"twelve."
"really?" Kaldur feigned surprise, "and I thought she was an educated individual."
"it's all an act," Dick shrugged, "Slade's not even that scary once you get to know him. and the king of assassins? Spends his days doing paperwork and figuring out how to bring reliable transportation into Nanda Parbat."
"wow," Kaldur laughed, "this feels like forbidden knowledge."
"oh yeah, now I have to kill you," Dick chuckled.
"ah, well, I had a good run," he sighed.
"what are you two gossiping about?" M'Gann asked, floating in, with her was Artemis.
"architecture," Kaldur answered.
"yeah, Atlantis has a lot of it." Dick smiled.
"yes, and now it's all fixed," M'Gann said, smiling, "everything where it should be. How do you feel?"
Kaldur nodded, "good." He looked at Dick, "I am... back in the game."
"well," M'Gann sighed, "say goodbye to the pretty architecture." The mindscape faded, Dick opened his eyes, he was standing behind M'Gann, leaning against the wall. Artemis was standing by Kaldur's hand, next to the bed.
"Manta plans to kill you as soon as you've finished healing Kaldur," Artemis said.
"yeah, Dick told me, he's already given orders," M'Gann scowled.
"which is why he must not learn I am already healed, at least until we can find a way to get M'Gann out of here."
Dick and Artemis shared a look, "I've had some thought, if we could stage some things we might be able to make it look like M'Gann escaped and turned the collar off."
"that's a long shot."
"I said might."
The door opened and Manta strode in.
"I grow tired of your stalling, Martian." The voice altering of his helmet almost made it sound like he was growling, "you have twenty four hours."
Once Manta left Artemis gave Dick a look.
"you should head off, take a break, at least drink some coffee." She continued mentally, "you'll be in range, we can think of something."
Dick nodded, "try not to blow anything up while I'm gone."
"your grievance, Sports Master, will be greatly compensated-"
"Manta's son Aqualad killed my daughter, Artemis, without my permission, as the Light's enforcer, I expect reparations."
"we grieve at your loss," Luthor said, smoothly, "and, as said, offer substantial monetary compensation."
"and normally I'd be fine with that but this goes to the heart of my rep," he hit his chest for emphasis, "word gets out I took a payoff I look like a cheap punk."
"and," Savage began, "what would you suggest, old friend?"
"you know the code," Sports Master said, not wavering, "an eye for an eye, a kid for a kid."
"no one touches Kaldur'Ahm!"
"agreed," Savage said, "the death of Kaldur is a non-starter."
"fine," Sports Master said, hands behind his back, "if the minnows under the size limit I'll go fish for the whale."
He threw a shuriken and-
It was shot from the air, he turned and Deathstroke stood in the doorway, gun smoking.
"I see you didn't waste any time hiring my replacement, old friend," he said.
Savage brushed dust from his shoulder, smiling, "fortune favours the prepared."
"you don't say."
An explosion rocked the room and the wall opened up, utterly destroyed. Cheshire behind the controls of a helicopter ready to go.
They'd get their revenge.
"we ready to start?" Artemis asked.
"affirmative," Dick said.
"then begin."
Artemis turned to the camera, "Deathstroke, I need a break and I need coffee."
"acknowledged."
Artemis left, heading down the halls.
"coffee? Fresh pot," one of the troopers offered.
"no thanks," Artemis said, walking further down the hall. She found her way to the computers and shut off the inhibitor collar.
All according to-
"intruder alert, reinforcements to my son's block."
Oh shit.
M'Gann watched Artemis leave, eying the trooper that had been left to fill in till Dick's shift began.
And before she could move the grate in the ceiling dropped, hitting the trooper in the head. it was followed by tazer lines attaching to their helmet and shocking them to the floor. Cheshire dropped in.
Cheshire? What?
She threw a knife and M'gann batted it away with her chair.
"you protect the man who murdered your best friend?"
"Dick get to Kaldur's room now." she turned to Cheshire, "stop, you don't understand."
She had to tell her everything and quick, Slade didn't know the plan, he'd turn off her telepathy and send for backup.
"move out of the way, Martian," Cheshire said, sword pointed at M'Gann, "I might even let you get a cut in if you're lucky."
The door swung open and troopers started firing. M'Gann almost felt relieved. Cheshire dodged the fire expertly, jumping around and not staying still. She slammed the door closed and sliced her sword into the controls to keep it in place.
She was weapon-less, time to move.
M'Gann jumped in, tackling her from behind, Cheshire threw her back into the wall. M'Gann reached for the trooper's gun, Cheshire grabbed it as she did and they fought for it. M'Gann grunted as she struggled, turning the gun to point at the camera, she shot wildly till it frizzed. Cheshire got leverage and pulled the gun from her and pushed her to the ground.
"stop."
The two whipped their heads to Kaldur, sitting on the bed.
"all is not what it seems," he said, sliding out of bed and taking the Sai blade from the wall where it had embedded itself after M'Gann batted it away with the chair.
"the minnow speaks," Cheshire said, her mask's eternal grin matching her voice, "killing you will be so much more satisfying.
"you seek my death because of your sister, but Artemis is alive."
Cheshire faltered, her stance hesitant, "Artemis is... alive?"
She dropped her arms.
Then grabbed the blade, got behind him and held it to his neck.
"you didn't really think I'd buy that did you?"
Dick raced to Kaldur's room, finding a group of troopers outside.
"sir, Cheshire is in there."
"what?" Dick barged to the door, looking at it, trying to figure out how to open it.
"she severed the computer's connection to the door's mechanisms, we can't get it to open."
"the computer?" he wasn't listening to the troopers answer.
She'd severed the computer, the door was a bunch of mechanisms with nothing to tell it what to do.
Which he could work with.
He opened the computer's compartment by the door, ripped out the wires. He took the few pieces that were on the door's side of the system and plugged them into his computer device inside his glove. He hacked past it in one second, made the order for the door to open in two.
He ran through, the door closed behind him before the troopers could get in.
"Cheshire!"
She turned her head, a blade was to Kaldur's throat.
"Renegade," she hissed, "long time no see, when was it, France?"
"Tibet."
"ah, good times," she sighed, "now, stay out of my way, this is a basic case of revenge, I'm sure you can understand, you don't have to be a part of this."
"Cheshire," he looked at the camera, it was out, "you don't understand, this isn't how it seems."
She ignored him, going for the kill.
Dick let the electrum in, he raced for her, grabbed her arm, kicked her behind the knee. Kaldur hit backwards with his head and escaped her grasp. Cheshire tried to elbow Dick but he caught it and twisted her round, letting the blade clatter to the ground. He hit her across the face, her mask went askew and she stumbled towards the bed.
And the door exploded.
Dick was up quickly, he watched Manta run in and get the door off Kaldur. Dick intercepted Cheshire's electric device, the buzz ran up his arm, he grit his teeth, pulled it off and threw it.
"impressive," she hissed. Then threw a shuriken, Dick batted it away with a knife, Manta strode forwards to attack, Cheshire jumped forwards to attack Dick, he batted her away and Manta went to throw a punch but Cheshire twisted and slapped another electric device on his helmet. He shuddered and collapsed.
"ENOUGH." Miss Martian rose into the air and let her collar fall.
The next thing Dick knew he was in a whole new mind scape.
It was six o'clock Sunday morning. Two beds were pushed against either side of the room. An Alice in wonderland poster was taped above one. The windows were hung with blinds that were broken, each slat uneven and the rope keeping them together fraying. An old rough rug sat between the beds atop a wooden floor. A dresser was pushed into one corner.
It was a kid's room. Small. Musky. Dust motes were floating in the air. It was perfectly normal, nothing strange about it other than the inhabitants.
Tigress lay on the bed, sitting up and standing to look around. Cheshire stood against the wall, by the foot of the other bed. Kaldur not far from her right. Sportsmaster was tucked into the corner. Renegade was by the bedside table between the two beds, back to the piece of wall between the windows.
They stared around at each other. M'Gann flew in from the ceiling.
Cheshire regained her wits first, "how dare you," she hissed, "what gives you the right to invade my mind and steal this memory-"
"it's not your memory Jade," Tigress stood forward, "it's mine."
M'Gann looked between them all, with a wave of her hand Tigress became Artemis, wearing a black turtleneck and jeans. Kaldur became Aqualad, his old uniform almost forgotten. Cheshire's mask disappeared, her weapons with it. Sports Master was the same. Renegade became Dick Grayson, a pale scar against his throat.
"I'm alive," Artemis said, "I'm here."
"look," Miss Martian said, her eyes glowed and the world turned dark as memories resurfaced.
Kaldur stabbed Artemis, but the blade bent around her chest.
"Aqualad did not kill Artemis."
Batgirl was placing a necklace around Artemis' neck.
"she only pretended to be dead."
Tigress stood beside Kaldur, on the mission to the mountain, Dick sitting in one of the chairs as Kaldur turned and told Tigress to hit the switch.
"so she could become Tigress and join Aqualad's deep cover mission to infiltrate the Light and the Reach."
The memories faded. Jade stepped forward, "you're alive?"
Artemis nodded, "I'm alive, so you don't need to take vengeance on Kaldur."
"I guess I don't," she said, turning to Kaldur, "you are so lucky fish boy."
"we appreciate the cooperation."
"and where's this one come in?" Cheshire said, gesturing to Dick.
"I heard Ra's was emancipating, didn't realise he was being this drastic," Sports Master said. His tone clearly suggesting he wasn't believing any of this but was trying to find out as much as possible.
"I'm sympathetic to the cause," Dick smiled with a shrug.
M'Gann snorted and waved her hand, the robin uniform appeared on him. he returned the gesture with a glare.
"remove it, now," he ordered.
"still suits you," she smiled.
As it faded he crossed his arms, "it's tacky and the cape is ridiculous."
Cheshire blinked, "Thalia's guard is... the ex-boy wonder."
Dick glared, "yeah and Damian's dad is Batman, it's a fucked up family, get over it."
Artemis blinked and turned to look at him, "what?"
He shrugged, "long story."
"I can't believe you're buying this," Sports Master scowled, stalking up to Jade, "this is some kind of Martian illusion. She's playing with our minds."
"kinda hard, you don't have a mind to play with," Dick said.
Sports Master stuck a finger in his face, "can it, Renegade, or I'll-"
"you'll what?" Dick activated his electrum, "try me, school coach."
"you wanna go freak?"
"stop, both of you," Kaldur said, pulling them apart.
Sports Master chuckled, "Artemis is still dead, I still have my reputation to fix," he grunted, "once I'm out of here I'm taking your head and turning it into chum."
"come on Crusher," Jade sighed in annoyance, barging past him, she rested a hand on Artemis' shoulder, "Artemis is your daughter, can't you feel her presence here?"
"I don't even feel your presence here."
"he's hopeless," Jade threw her hands in the air, "and I don't know why I'm surprised."
"release us," Artemis said, "I'll convince him."
"yeah, good luck with that."
Dick came back to the land of consciousness as abruptly as usual. What made it worse was he was suddenly hurtled against the wall.
"Cheshire," M'Gann greeted, floating before her, "I'd waste my time dealing with you, but given the way Manta's treated me the past few months-"
"the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"exactly." She dropped her, "make your escape, I'll buy you all the time you need."
"not good enough, I'm still out for Kaldur'Ahm," Cheshire hissed.
"go," M'Gann ordered, "I'll deal with him myself."
Cheshire ran off, M'Gann moved on to Manta.
"so who's first. You or your degenerate son?"
Kaldur slammed into her from behind, she let go of her control over Manta and Dick. He pulled his sword from its sheath and levelled it on her, but she density shifted through the metal, disappearing.
Kaldur fell to his knees, keeping up the act. Manta circled him with a hug.
"father, are you alright?"
"just fine, my son," Manta said, holding him close, "thanks to you."
Dick stood. he had to keep up the act.
"I'll go after them," he said.
"yes, go," Manta said, not really paying attention.
Dick ran down the halls knowing exactly where Cheshire and Sports Master would have gone, he caught them just as Deathstroke did.
"going so soon?" Deathstroke drawled, "and you didn't even say good bye."
"good bye."
Dick sat down at Kaldur's desk with a huff, Artemis leant against the back of the chair, Kaldur took his seat behind the desk.
"I think, all considered," Dick shrugged, "roaring success."
There was a moment of quiet. And then they all erupted into laughter.
"M'Gann, bless her soul, but she can't act for shit, oh my god," Artemis snickered.
"you didn't see Kaldur lie through his teeth to Manta," Dick chuckled, "'father are you alright' oh my-" he burst into laughter.
Kaldur shook his head with a smile.
"anyway," Kaldur said, clearing his throat, "back to business."
"yep," Dick said, "Ra's wants me outta here so he can hurry up and leave this trash fire, so I've done a bit of digging and said a few things to the right people. You had your conversation with the Light earlier, they think you're the top shit, so I no longer have to stick around and make sure you're not conning everyone."
"that's why you're here? I thought it was to protect him?" Artemis frowned.
"yeah, that's the story," Dick shrugged, "but come on, they just wanted someone to keep an eye."
Kaldur nodded, "so you're headed back to Nanda Parbat?"
"soon, yeah," Dick said, "which means I won't be able to help clean up whatever scrapes you get into round here. But Deathstroke's gotta hang around for a bit, so he can help if you get desperate," he explained, "and I can give you a secure private communicator if you need me for anything."
"we'll probably need your help digging up dirt on the light," Artemis said.
"yes," Kaldur agreed, "if we are going to end this we need proof."
Their comms crackled.
"Tigress, report to Manta's office."
Artemis groaned and stood straight, "so long, my friends, I must anon."
"we'll pray for you," Dick called after her.
"you will be in our hearts," Kaldur said.
The door shut and Dick and Kaldur shared a look.
"I never got to ask," Kaldur said, "where'd you learn Atlantean?"
"back home there's all kinds of people, you ask nice enough they'll teach you anything." Dick leaned back, "my sister's got a crush on this girl who works at one of the cafes, so we spent a lot of time there. her dad's a historian and her mum's a collector and ex-archaeologist, between the two of them they knew ancient Greek."
Kaldur blinked, "and they taught you?"
"I had to do something while Alex was trying woo the barista."
Kaldur chuckled. He sobered and looked at Dick, "is that what Nanda Parbat is for you? Home?"
Dick blinked, "I... yeah? Course it is, I've been living there for going on six years."
Kaldur opened his mouth to speak but faltered.
Dick turned sad, "say it."
"what?"
"or ask it, either way."
"you don't know what I'm going to say," Kaldur frowned.
"you're going to say something about assassins being bad people and how I've made mistakes, whatever, I don't know, the sentiment is already understood."
"I was going to ask how you deal with it."
Dick stared, confused, "what?"
"your family is full of assassins and people with bad history," Kaldur said, "how do you... go on, when some of your morals clash with them? When you love them and care for them but... you can't show it."
Dick was silent, staring at Kaldur. His eyes drifted to stare at the nothing between his feet.
"you... love Manta."
Kaldur shook his head.
"I should," he said, "and I shouldn't. he's my father, I... want to..." he sighed, "I just wish he was a normal father I suppose, or even that he wasn't... well," he made a face, "him."
Dick smiled, "look," he said, "I'm not a shining example of disregarding your family history."
Kaldur laughed, "no I suppose not."
They shared a comforting silence for a few moments.
Kaldur wanted to push further. He had the idea that he could probably point out that Batman had been like his father and he'd left that behind.
But something made him not do that. Something about Dick's smile and his carefree look and how relaxed he was.
"do you remember," Kaldur said, smiling, "the beach outside the mountain?"
Dick frowned, surprised by the change of subject, "yes?"
"I think," Kaldur said, "when this is over, I'm going to find the best beach I can, and I'm going to buy the house with the best view of it, and every morning I'm going to wake up and make myself a coffee and look at the view."
Dick stared, a small smile starting to tug at his lips, but it fell rather quickly.
"you don't want to go back to Atlantis?"
Kaldur pursed his lips and stared at his desk, "I don't think I'll be welcome back there."
"you will," Dick said, "this is all to save the world, Aquaman will understand that."
Kaldur shook his head, "it's treason against my king."
Dick dragged his chair forwards up to the edge of the desk, leaning over it to look Kaldur dead in the eye, "they will forgive you. Your king will forgive you."
"how can you be sure?"
"well," Dick sighed, "in the words of the great Artemis Crock 'people can forgive and move on, you dummy'."
Kaldur laughed, "she said that to you?"
"yeah," Dick laughed.
"and you're turning it on me?"
"yep."
"does that mean you believe it, too, now?"
"what?"
Kaldur smiled, "'people can forgive and move on, you dummy' so stop worrying about having 'betrayed' the JLA," he said, having caught Dick in his own comforting, "we can forgive and move on."
"did you just have a sob fest so you could turn it on me?" Dick asked.
"no," Kaldur smiled, "we just so happen to have similar sob fests."
Dick laughed, "ah, yes, our lives are both complete and utter messes."
They both sat there, smiling, drunk off of some inside joke they hadn't even said. Faces about three inches apart. It didn't occur to them that they should probably stand up and leave.
Dick looked up, caught a glimpse of Kaldur's eyes and-
Oh shit.
His feelings for Wally had completely snuck up on him because he'd literally never thought about them. Then all of a sudden one day he'd been chilling with Wally and found himself incapable of tearing his eyes from his friend's mouth.
His chest fluttered.
He stood up, clearing his throat, trying to hide his face and its slowly forming blush.
"well, uh, anyway," Dick said, scratching the back of his neck, "I should, uh... probably go pack my stuff."
Kaldur stared up at him, confused, "uh, right," he said, standing up.
"it's fine, you do whatever, uh."
"no, here let me."
Kaldur didn't know what had gotten into him. all he knew was that when Dick stood Kaldur could only remember his mother telling him that when on a date with a nice lady you should always open the door for her.
He reached for the handle of the door, brushing past Dick's side as he did so. The contact felt charged, like if there were tinder between them it would set fire. It made the electricity he could conjure with magic look like child's play, like rubbing sticks together.
Dick froze, Kaldur froze. He spied the blush along Dick's cheeks.
He also spied the pale scar along his neck. With the hood and mask down it was visible, but Kaldur had never noticed it from far away. This close it seemed obvious, as if he should never have missed it.
He frowned, before he could stop himself his hand lifted up to trail along it. Dick flinched, just barely and Kaldur moved his hand away immediately. They stared at each other.
His skin was warm, burning almost. He should move away.
He didn't want to.
He should.
He didn't want to.
His free hand was still in the air, hovering between him and Dick. His other was still on the door handle. He let it drop.
Dick was staring, Kaldur was staring, blue and silver eyes unable to tear away from each other.
Dick moved his hand, bringing it to hover just behind Kaldur's. he tore his eyes away, watching Kaldur's hand as he took hold of it, rubbing his thumb along the back of his palm. Kaldur wasn't watching, his eyes stayed focused on Dick's. but his hand turned warm. And then his cheeks. It spread to his chest, a tingly feeling that made him want to shiver despite how warm he felt.
Dick's other hand came to rest on the side of Kaldur's face, and they were staring at each other's eyes again.
Kaldur didn't know if he should kiss him. this all seemed like the right messages but also-
Dick closed the gap, slow and soft. Kaldur wrapped his hands around Dick's neck and felt Dick's remaining free hand settle on his waist.
And he was warm. They could be dropped in the middle of ocean and Kaldur would always be warm.
They broke apart, foreheads resting against each other, breathing the same air.
"the armour makes this a bit hard," Dick laughed.
Kaldur smiled, "you're the one in spandex."
"it's armour-weave," Dick snickered.
"Renegade report to manta's office."
They jumped. Hands falling away from each other, eyes startled.
Dick cleared his throat, "uh, I have to go."
"yeah," Kaldur said.
Dick smiled, "we should probably talk about this some time."
"yeah," Kaldur laughed, rubbing at the back of his neck.
They stood a moment longer.
"uh," Kaldur opened the door.
"right, thanks," Dick snickered, "I'll see you... uh, later."
Kaldur shut the door, staring at it. he dropped his head against the metal with a sigh.
"spandex, are you kidding, Kaldur, come on," he hissed to himself.
"Kaldur."
He jumped, once more, hitting his head on a screw in the metal.
He rubbed at his head as he listened to Artemis on the private comm frequency.
"Manta's confirmed that Renegade is heading back to Nanda Parbat."
"cool, okay," he said, then rubbed at his eyes.
"I've got to go on watch, so we'll talk again later."
"right, sounds good," Kaldur said, then had a thought, "remember how I told M'Gann to tell Batgirl to join us for a meeting?"
"yeah?"
Kaldur stared at his hand, "what do you think our chances are of dragging Dick to that meeting?"