Secrets hurt

Ch 6

It had been a few weeks since Dick had been brought to the manor, and most everyone had adopted the practice of not approaching him unless he approached them first.

He guessed it had been caused by his jumpiness. Lack of sleep will do that to you after all... not that you could tell he wasn't sleeping. One of the perks of being a talon.

That, however, was how Dick knew something was wrong the moment Alfred approached him in the library.

Dick had decided to settle down with a good book in one of the more peaceful areas of the manor while everyone else was doing their pre patrol routine. He found it got overwhelming quickly with his enhanced senses.

He was just now realizing how long he must have been in there, a quick check of the clock showing that it was long past midnight... everyone else was probably still on patrol.

Alfred was tense as he approached, a crease in his brow. "Master Dick, I know it's rather soon..." he began, "and I know you'd like more time to get on your feet before you take your hero mantle up again... but I can't reach anyone else... and our family is in danger."

Dick was frozen for a moment, contemplating the irony of being asked to try and save someone after all the lives he'd taken... "I... I can try," he eventually replied, his heart squeezing in his chest.

Alfred's relief was instant, and Dick realized with a start how much trust the man had put in him.

"Thank you sir," the butler said, his voice thick with what Dick refused to believe were tears.

Dick gave him a shaky smile and followed him down to the cave.

—

The court would often capture petty thieves, releasing them again for their talons to hunt down and capture like some sick game of fetch.

This is what Dick was thinking of as he tracked down his family.

He knew he didn't have an actual time limit, nor were there men in masks waiting to shove him into a cryogenic coffin if he took even just a second too long.

The knowledge alone, however, didn't stop his heart from racing, his eyes trying to pick apart every detail around him as fast as possible.

Even Talons had limits, and this one man rescue was already pushing him dangerously close to his... but he couldn't let his family down... couldn't let Bruce down... not again...

—

It had been more time consuming than hard to unearth the first in a long string of unintentional clues.

When followed, they led to an old meat processing factory.

The factory sagged in its lot, glass long since smashed out of any windows, and color washed away with years and years of rain.

Dick crouched on the building closest, his grip like iron on the stones of the building's roof.

His mind warred with itself as he tried to push away the memory of the last assignment that had brought him to this place. He sucked in deep breaths, using some of the calming techniques he'd been taught by Bruce all those years ago.

It seemed to work too... until he found himself inside the building.

"Master Dick, your heart rate has grown rather erratic, are you alright?" Alfred asked over his communication device.

"I see them," Dick replied, successfully sidestepping the question. "Injuries seem to be minimal. B is unconscious and bleeding from a gash on his head, and everyone else is securely tied. There are two armed men and a weird looking machine."