Archive of Our Own ^beta

Dick couldn't help but stare at his reflection. He had two scars across his face, large and pink and tender. The shorter of the scars extended from the his left cheekbone to his hairline, over his temple. The larger of the two stretched from his hairline, cut through his left eye, across his nose, down to his jawbone.

It wasn't the only scars he'd gained in the past three weeks, but the most visible of them all. Dick Grayson was dead, so currently the scar didn't mean much. But as soon as his mission was over and he was home it would. He couldn't return to Nightwing with something so recognizable. Hell, it would make his life as Dick Grayson more difficult.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he froze. He hadn't-

"Dick?" Midnighter stood behind him, concern and guilt etched across his face. M knew who he was. Who he truly was. He had been there with him when the group had tortured him.

He hadn't been able to escape and save either of them. In the end, it had been Dick who saved them.

"It wasn't your fault." Dick whispered.

Midnighter frowned and pulled Dick into a hug. "I can get you out. Get you home."

He bit back his sob and shuffled his weight from his left leg to his right. Both were banged up, he probably shouldn't even be standing, but he couldn't stay still.

He could go home. Tiger was in charge of Spyral and their threat was significantly lessened. He was more likely going to 'blackmail' Dick into sparring against him full force rather then to hurt any of the heroes. He saw them as a need, and knew that if they stopped existing their world wouldn't be anything close to stable.

Tiger had offered to release him.

But…

His mission wasn't over.

Batman stopped contacting him two months into this suicide mission. Two months after Dick died to a paralytic and was revived by the same man who killed him. Two months after he might have suffered from brain damage, told to him by Spyral doctors after the desert and baby. Two months after he was beaten by his once father and forced to go undercover.

In their last communication, B told him how he failed the mission. How he failed the heroes. How he failed his city. How he failed his siblings. How he failed his parents. How he failed his son. His Dami. His baby.

He…

Dick Grayson was dead.

He couldn't be Nightwing again.

He… he didn't know what he could do now.

"I want to visit my son." Midnighter's eyes widened in horror at Dick's words. No one knew he had a son. Not even Midnighter. "And then I… I don't know."

"Okay." Midnighter whispered. "Where's your kid?"

He felt tears swell in his eyes and folded his arms around himself. "Wayne Manor's family cemetery."

Midnighter looked even more horrified. He laughed mournfully, and barely kept himself from sobbing. He didn't know what he'd do after he said goodbye again to his son. Maybe he'd… maybe he'd join as a new hero? No. He'd be found out quickly.

Maybe a villain or antihero then?

He looked to his reflection.

He'd never been this bad. This morally compromised. This mentally unstable. But the last time he had been even close, Deathstroke had taken him in.

Slade did…

He did sign the adoption papers when Dick asked. He held Dick when he broke down. He went after Mirage and Catalina after… From what Dick had heard from the little bit of the mercenary world he still had contact with, Deathstroke had torn apart the remaining Crime Syndicate members.

Only his titans (Will, Donna, Garth, Dawn, Hank, Raven, Gar, and Wally) would ever be able to figure out who he was of he came back as Renegade. Will was out of the game and a father. Donna, Garth, Raven, and Wally were dead. Dawn and Hank were working as unbiased liaisons throughout the universe when the JLA and Green Lantern Corps were in question. Garfield was in charge of the Outsiders and hadn't told anyone he was one of the original Titans.

Dick wanted to talk with Will and Gar before he rejoined the game at all, and give Will the evidence of abuse in case any of his siblings threw out the allegation without having enough to actually convict. (It was kind of sad that it took Jason being taken in and adopted for Dick to start getting evidence to expose him and yet keep it hidden until another one of his siblings showed up with a bruise that wasn't given from patrol.)

…

Once medically cleared, Tiger officially retired him and Midnighter escorted him out. The visit to Damian was… longer then they'd both assumed, since Alfred showed up.

"Master Dick?" Alfred whispered, the old man's voice surprised both him and Midnighter. Dick turned and Alfred's face paled as he saw the scars.

Dick bit his lip and looked to Damian's headstone. "Hey Alfie."

"My boy, are you-" Alfred knelt near him, a hand ghosting over Dick's shoulder. In their family, people rarely stayed dead. Midnighter mumbled something, and left them alone. He wrapped his arms around himself and looked downward.

"Don't… don't tell anyone?" Alfred nodded solemnly, wrapping his arms around his grandson. Dick half smiled and leaned against him. "I was undercover. I… I didn't want to be…"

Alfred froze slightly beneath him. "Did Master Bruce…?"

Dick nodded. Alfred might have been unaware of what truly happened in the cave when it was just Dick and Bruce, but he'd heard enough from when their arguments occured upstairs.

"He… I don't know who I am anymore, Alfie." Dick whispered and looked at his son's name. A good son and brother. Caretaker of many animals. Thank god it didn't say a good soldier. Dick was a good soldier. Damian was a good son. "I'm… I don't know where I'm starting, but I…"

"Find yourself, Master Dick. Your health will always be more important then Master Bruce's mission. But please, call home once in a while?"

He swallowed and looked downward. "Only you, Alfie. I don't think I can face them."

"That's okay, Master Dick. That's all I ask."

Dick tucked his face against the man's suit. "Thank you, grandpa."

…

The phone calls between him and Dick occurred biweekly, and always to the Manor's number with a different calling number. Alfred thought it was paranoia, but Dick seemed to be doing well. The letters Alfred received had photos and even sometimes postcards of where his young ward was going next.

He wished for Master Dick to come home, but he knew it was impossible. Not only had Master Bruce forced Master Dick out - for that, Alfred was making Master Bruce's least favorite meals - but Master Damian had lived here. Just as Master Bruce was his son, Alfred could see that Master Damian was Master Dick's. Except, Master Dick had planned on making it official, if the adoption papers in his night stand said anything.

Alfred marked the postcard with it's sequential number, organized the postcard into it's countries folder, and frowned to himself. This letter had included a keychain, from the Spy Museum in the District of Columbia, and a postcard from Brazil. Alfred was worried for what the two pieces meant. Master Dick had been undercover as a spy and their headquarters was in Brazil. Was Master Dick meeting up with old colleagues from his time undercover? Was he revisiting Brazil for another reason but suspected the spy agency's path and his own might cross?

Alfred shook himself from his thoughts and hid the box away. Master Bruce, Master Tim, Mistress Cassandra, and Master Jason were to be arriving soon. They'd all gone to outer space for one reason or another, and now they'd be returning with a guest who might need medical attention.

He made his way down to the library easily, the way through the Batcave easier. He prepped the medbay and pulled several xray machines out and prepped them as well.

The roaring of the Bat plane reached him, and he waited thirty seconds for the plan to begin to turn off to walk put of the medical bay. Master Bruce was uncharacteristically angry, and Master Jason wa sin the middle of chiding him. Mistress Cassandra was hugging a smaller form, and Master Timothy had already made his way to the Bat computer.

Alfred studied the bpt before he froze. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that was anyone but…

"Master Damian?"

Master Damian looked up, puffy red eyes meeting Alfred's. "Alfred."

Alfred walked to the boy, Mistress Cassandra reluctantly released him, and knelt next to him. He first checked for obvious bruising before brushing his hand across Master Damian's cheek. Master Dick would be happy.

"Welcome home, Master Damian."

Master Damian nodded curtly, before rushing past him and up the stairs behind him to the elevator. Odd. But Master Damian had been crying, so Alfred could guess what he was told. Alfred turned to look at his other worries. Master Jason shifted slightly, glaring at Master Bruce. Master Bruce was staring after Master Damian, and Mistress Cassandra looked ready to sleep.

"I told him not to tell Damian that Dick was dead." Master Jason explained. Master Tim and Mistress Cassandra both darkened at the reminder, their existing frowns growing deeper and their eyes sadder.

"Damian didn't know Dick. If he had, I would have listened."

Alfred barely kept his calm demeanor. He reminded himself about when Master Dick's next phone call was to be. Tomorrow morning he could talk with Master Dick and, more then likely, tell Master Damian his father was alive.

"Master Bruce, the welfare of a child is more important than whether or not the child knew Master Dick." Alfred stared down his son. After ten seconds, he turned to his younger masters. "Master Timothy, Master Jason, Mistress Cassandra, would you allow me to patch your wounds?"

Mistress Cassandra nodded slowly, and Master Jason just walked to the medbay. Alfred could scold Master Jason, but chose not to. No. Master Bruce was the one in need of scolding.

…

Dick was throwing a knife in the training section of the Spyral headquarters when Tiger had asked for a spar. Dick had… been somewhat forthcoming with the fact he was undercover against Spyral when he'd returned yesterday, and as he'd suspected, Tiger had asked if Dick ever used his full strength in a spar.

The answer was no. It would always be no. He's only ever used his full strength twice. Once against Joker when he thought the man had killed Tim and kept making jokes to killing Jason. There wasn't enough Justice League Associates in the world to stop him from killing Joker. The second time it hadn't been enough. Or rather, it had been too late. Damian was dead and Dick lost control.

Dick rolled his eyes and grabbed two escrima sticks from the wall beside him. Tiger grabbed two as well, and the rest of those in the gym made room for a fight. Even not using full strength or most of his acrobatics Dick was known for being hard to pin down. He'd defeated Paragon for hell's sake.

The two sparring partners nodded to eachother, and Dick rushed forward. Dick was aware most heroes thought he was a meta or enhanced or hell, just not human. With the rumors he and B had spread about his creation to the criminal underbelly of Gotham, he was surprised more people didn't think he was a wind demon Brice had either created or caught.

He fought as if in flight, danced his way through enemies shots, and it seemed as if he only landed to humored gravity. There were very few people who could see his attacks coming and manage to beat him. Two Face, because he terrified Dick and made it so his attacks were less thought out and more opportunistic. Deathstroke, who'd trained him and still struggled against him. Finally, Dami. Damian was his baby, and he had trained the boy himself. He taught his son everything he knew in a less violent and less isolating manner then Batman had. He taught Dami something that Dick didn't even know how to do. How to shut off his training and enjoy the world around him.

Tiger landed on his ass quickly, Dick's escrima in his face. If only his baby had grown up and been able to really live.

He had expected Tiger to last longer, but Tiger didn't know how to fight him. How to fight the true him. Not the Agent him, but the Aerialist who lost his parents and learned everything the Bat and League could teach him. The Aerialist who lost his brothers and sisters and father and son. The one who had no reason to hold back but did so anyway.

"You did better then M and Helena when they both fought me." He smiled softly as he offered Tiger his hand. It had taken ten seconds for both of them to lay flat on their asses, Tiger had lasted nearly thirty.

"Who the fuck did you train under? Black Canary and Deathstroke?" Tiger was joking. Dick knew he was joking, but Dick just chuckled and helped his ex field partner up.

"More then those two I'm afraid." Dick admitted. Tiger froze and stared at him. Tiger had known Dick was undercover for someone, not specifically for who. He had a bet with M about who Tiger would think he was. M suspected Tiger would try to correlate him with the Arrows or Outlaws, while Dick had full faith his field partner would recognize who he was.

"…tell me your not a Bat." Dick smirked and remained quiet. Tiger laughed and folded over on himself. "Your the first Robin aren't you? Your Nightwing?"

M owed him two hundred dollars.

"I went for the escrima for a reason." Dick rolled his eyes. "Now-" His phone buzzed and his smile turned sad. "Sorry, I promised to call my grandpa biweekly."

Tiger stared for a moment. "I didn't think you had any family."

Most Spyral members didn't. Being a spy meant having no reason to go back to their old lives. No reason to compromise the mission. Maybe that's why Dick felt so at home here. It was like the cave.

Dick shrugged. "Well, considering only my grandpa and first mentor even know I'm even alive, I don't really think I do."

Tiger shrugged, smirking. "I've got some research to do into Nightwing and the first Robin anyway. Next time we fight, I'm lasting twice as long."

Dick had a feeling he was going to get a call from Wintergreen about someone poking around on how to defeat Nightwing. He shook his head and walked out of the base. Brazil was beautiful, and one of the few countries Haly's circus didn't ever visit. One of the few places without Owls. One of the few places where the cult wouldn't be able to touch him.

He leaned against the fencing and pulled his phone out. He sighed and called the number he'd memorized at eight.

"Wayne Manor, Alfred speaking."

He frowned at the slight strain in Alfred's voice. "Hey Alfie. Sorry for calling later then usual."

A soft sigh cake form the other side. "No need to apologize, young man. How have you been?"

"Okay, I think. Did you get my postcard and keychain?"

"Yes. I assume you were meeting with old friends?"

"Yeah." Dick smiled. "My ex-field partner wanted my help with an issue we thought we'd shut down already. Brazil is beautiful, so the call back doesn't really hurt."

"Has it been stopped?"

"Yeah. I also got rescanned to see how my injuries are healing. No need for surgery or anything." Alfred made a humming noise. Silence echoed for an second or two linger then it should have. "Alfred?"

"I apologize. I've been thinking how to ask you something important." Alfred spoke gently.

"Alfred, I'm not-" coming home.

"Master Damian is alive." He swore his heart stopped beating. "Master Bruce, Master Jason, Master Timothy, and Mistress Cassandra brought him home late last night. I wanted your approval before I told him anything."

Dick tapped his second phone to life, messaging M and asking for a Door. "Is anyone else there?"

Alfred paused briefly. "Master Timothy and Master Jason have retreated to their own apartments, Master Bruce is at Wayne Enterprises, and Mistress Cassandra boarded a plan for Japan two hours ago."

Dick smiled as M responded quickly. A yes filling his screen. "I need you to turn the cameras off. I'm coming home."

…

Dick ran down the hallways towards Damian's room. He froze as he saw it was empty. Damian wasn't- Damian was missing. Oh gods-

"I thought I saw your bedroom light on this morning, Master Dick." Alfred called after him. "And please don't run in the manor."

Dick smiled sheepishly to Alfred, before half running to his room. It was… It was quite a ways away from everyone else's, yet the closest to Alfred's. He thought it was telling that Bruce had placed him so far away and that Dick was the only one of his 'kids' that he didn't adopt.

He knocked gently on his own door.

"Leave me alone Drake." Damian snapped. He blinked his tears away and slowly opened his door. Damian sat up and threw a pillow at him. "I said leave me alone!"

Dick caught the pillow and smiled at his son. "I would never leave you, Dami."

Damian's eyes snapped to him and Dick felt a tear fall down his face. A face that Damian shouldn't recognize.

Dick barely caught his son. His baby wrapped his arms around him and started sobbing into his shirt. Dick fell to his knees and held his son tightly.

"Father told me you were-"

"I was. I came back. Bruce put me undercover and only Alfred and you know I'm alive."

"Are you staying?"

Dick swallowed and tucked his face into Damian's hair. Dami needed a shower, but Dick just wanted to be close to his son. "I don't know."

"Let me go with you." Dick stiffened, and Damian explained. "If you aren't staying, neither am I. Father is… You said once that I get to chose who I am. Well, I want to be a Grayson."

Dick's eyes found the papers on the nightstand. Damian had gone looking for an explanation. He found the adoption papers instead. He looked to Alfred, who nodded.

"Okay," Dick smiled as he paused, "okay, Damian Grayson. We'll leave together." Dick stood and held his baby tightly. "I'll call biweekly still."

"You best, Master Dick. Now shoo. Before Master Timothy notices the cameras are off."

…

Slade felt like he was about to have a stroke. First, the kid shows up alive and scarred and asking for help. Slade had gotten his answers while Dick got to learn who he was again. And now Dick has Damian. The only kid Slade has ever also called Robin. (Jason was second hand theif in his brain, while Timothy was Theiving replacement. Stephanie was just Brat. He knew what Robin meant to Dick, and he knew that he'd chosen to give it to Damian.)

"Why Deathstroke?" Damian questioned his father. Slade just shook his head and walked further inside his house. It was pretty large and in Alaska. God knows how Dick found it, he's never taken anyone but Wintergreen and Rose ans Joey here. Well, guess he figured out how.

"Rose and Joey are here." Slade warned, walking down the hallway to the living room. Dick's heartbeat didn't even falter. Probably something to do with the fact his son in alive and in his arms. Slade knows how he feels. After Joey healed, Slade found that he would be okay with everything, as long as his son was safe.

"Dad, who was it?" Rose asked, turning and freezing in place on the couch. Joey signed something rapidly and Dick chuckled to himself.

"Yes Joey, I brought those sweets you wanted from Brazil." Dick smiled softly to Joey, he gestured to the bag across his back. Slade sometimes wondered if Dick was the Bat with the adoption issue. Dick can never resist a bird with a broken wing. The only words spoken by Wonder Girl he actually agreed with.

"You knew?" Rose turned to her brother.

"Yes. Found him eating marshmallows in the kitchen like a gremlin." Joey signed.

That's probable, Slade smiled slightly. During Dick's first time as Renegade, he used to sneak into the kitchen for anything sugary after missions. Because it was just sugar and Dick made sure Slade never saw him in the kitchen or with sugary treats, Slade never punished him. The kid lived off sweets. No doubt in his mind that if you took away food and water from the man, he'd survive purely off sugar.

"So, why are you here?" Slade turned to Dick and Damian.

"Richard will be adopting me."

"Oh finally." Rose rolled her eyes. She got over the surprise easily.

"Your both legally dead though?" Joey signed.

Dick smiled. "I am the Architect of Aliases, you guys. I just needed somewhere we can stay until I get everything together and make our new identities unbreakable."

"Congrats to you both. Any ideas?" Slade asked.

"An acrobatics teacher and gymnasium owner." Dick looked down at Damian. "Either in my New York nest, or in Australia."