Getting to know you

Flashbacks

Bruce watched as Dick tossed and turned, groaning. They'd managed to get Dick home before he woke up, but something was happening. "Take it easy, Dick. You're safe, at home. Everything's going to be alright." Bruce said, letting a little fear creep into his voice. Bruce feared the drug was the cause, whatever Markus had used.

"Nu, Îmi pare rău, te rog, nu mă doare. Nu am făcut nimic." "Shh, it's ok, Dick. No one is going to hurt you. I promise." "Nu-i! Vă rog!" "No one will hurt you. You're safe, Dick."

"Is he ok?" Tim asked as he walked in. "He's having some sort of nightmare. He's begging someone not to hurt him, saying he hasn't done anything. I don't think it worked. Do we have any idea what the drug Markus used was?" Tim sat down. "Not yet. We've got a few ingredients so far, but not much."

"What are the ones we have?" "Debilito, Latin for cripple. It's a flower Markus bred, which can paralyze muscles. A small sedative, to increase the muscles submission. But adrenaline to keep the person awake. Somehow, Markus managed to combine these and others just right to create the paralysing drug."

Dick groaned, getting slightly more panicked. "Te rog, nu cușca. Sunt acolo de săptămâni!" "Shh, breathe, Dick. You're not going back. You're not his. You're with us, we will never hurt you. Just breathe, son." "More?" "He was saying 'not the cage'. I'm starting to think this was about his time with the Court."

Dick's body was covered in sweat. His clenched hands held some of the blankets, in an attempt to subconsciously calm down. "Do you think he'll be ok?" "I don't know. This clearly wasn't good for him, but I don't know if it's the drug that's causing his panic, or if it goes deeper."

Dick was hunched in the corner of the room, trying to get away from his grandfather. "Te rog, maestre, nu am făcut nimic!" "You fell in love with a boy. An expendable, of all things! What has gotten into you?" "Nu știu! Nu știu de ce sunt îndrăgostit de el, doar sunt! Te rog, nu mă pedepsește!"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow such fantasies to continue. You are a Talon, the Gray Son we've been waiting for. You cannot fail. And you cannot let anything get in the way." Dick's eyes widened as two more Talons dragged the boy he loved out.

"This is your punishment. Kill him." "Nu! Maestre vă rog, nu-l  răniți! Nu a făcut nimic!" "The blame must go somewhere. We will put it on someone who can easily be replaced." William slammed the blade into the small boy's chest, causing Dick to scream. He watched as the one good thing he had in this retched place was killed.

"Take his body to the dump. As for you," William turned to the young boy. "I will expect no more love fantasies. You have no time for love, only for the Court. Understand?" "Da, Maestre." "Good. We will resume training tomorrow. You have one day to grieve, then I want no more mention of the boy." "D-da, Maestre."

The room shifted, William disappearing. He was now thirteen, still being trained. He had been sharpening his sword when he was called to the Court room. He wondered what they could want as he walked through the hallways, having to hide his hatred for the organization.

"Gray Son, step forward." Dick stepped forward, staring at the boss. "We regret to inform you that your grandfather, William Cobb, has died." What? Even if he had been cruel, William was the only family Dick had left.

"You know what will happen to you. We regret it, but no other Talon has offered to train you. You will be an expendable Talon, unless someone decides to train you. You have one day before your new rank sets in. Dismissed."