A Twist of Fate

Chapter 15

Dick sat under the umbrella on the beach. The sun was nearing the waters, on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight to see. The water didn't look blue but yellow, orange, red, green, purple, and hints of blue. It was a rainbow of color, all blended seamlessly together. If only he could paint it like Rose could. Or sketch like Joey. Even Grant was good at carpentry. Dick couldn't do anything creative or at least he hadn't found anything creative he loved and could work to get better at.

"Hey dude." Wally greeted, sitting his dripping self down next to the nearly dry Renegade, "You looked lost there for a second. What are you thinking about?"

"Stuff. My siblings. How they could do creative things and I can't." Dick admitted.

"You can create things. You're creative. Look what you were able to do in that game and you said you can create games! That's creative!"

"No it's not." Dick mumbled.

Wally frowned, "Yeah dude it is. I bet you could code a whole game. Dude you could be a millionaire if you liked!"

Dick grinned softly, "You think?"

"I don't think! I know!" Wally had a wide grin on his face, "Now let's get you back into the water."

Wally grabbed Renegade's arm pulling him back out to the crashing sea. The water was cool on Dick's bear feet. Getting the sudden urge to dunk Wally for dragging him to the water. He made eye contact with Conner and gave him a grin the devil would be jealous of. Subtlety he pointed to Wally and made a dunking gesture. Conner gave him an evil smirk back.

Dick felt proud of himself. It had only been three days, granted he was passed out with a knockout drug for the first day, he was already corrupting the young innocent teens that were heroes. He felt a surge of accomplishment.

With trained ease he snuck up on Wally calling out a greeting. Wally jumped nearly three feet out of the water, whirling around.

"Dude! Not cool to do the ninja thing! Batman's enough to give me a heart att-!"

Conner picked Wally up like it was nothing and threw him, gently, twenty feet further into the water. Wally came up sputtering and spitting water. Dick was laughing at the top of his lungs, tears nearly bursting from his eyes. Conner was full on grinning. The two masterminds high fived.

"You two are going to pay!" Wally threatened.

Using superspeed, Wally wined his arms up, rotating them in circles. Water cyclones hit Conner and Dick right in the chests, shooting both of them back on the sand. It caught Artemis, Magan, and Kelder's attention. With wicked grins and teaming up, the war was on. Dick and Conner, Magan and Artemis, Wally and Kelder.

The war was fairly even. The duo that won was no one. If there was a loser it would have been the beach, umbrella, and towels. There was currently a new crater just thirsty off the shore on low tide now. They may or may not have gotten Canary drenched in water at one point or another.

It was far past sunset when they got out and made their way back to the Cave, laughing, shoving, and over all being teens. Artemis didn't even say a snide comment to either Wally or Dick.

Batman was waiting for them at the Cave looking them all over. Pausing briefly when he saw the scars criss crossing Renegade's legs. He knew that the boy had to have some scars. The scar on the boy's calf looked too big to be an arrow.

"Yes I have scars." Dick snarled, "Just like everyone else in this world of good and evil."

Batman nodded turning to the rest of the team, "I have a mission for you. You'll be given it tomorrow at Six A.M. Don't be late. Renegade you will be going as well."

Dick froze before sneering, "You can put me in a cage. You can put a collar on me. You can take away everything that was mine. But you can't make me join, your little junior Justice League. I refuse."

Batman glared, "Fine, but you're still getting up at Six and coming to the mission briefing tomorrow morning."

Dick's mood sank. Marching off to his assigned room, he slammed the door behind him. Telling everyone what he was thinking with having to say a word. A wordless poem. Dick's favorite. Slade had let him. Wintergreen had always scolded him for it. Saying that a physical outburst would only spear the tormentor on. Dick didn't care at that moment. He wanted to punch the Dark Knight, until he was bleeding and broken just like them... Like the loving people were that fateful night.

Dick angrily got dressed for bed. Angrily brushed his teeth. Angrily got in bed. Angrily glared at his alarm clock debating to set it or annoy the Bat and sleep in. He took the alarm clock and put it right where he could grab it in the morning and throw it at anyone who walked in. Hoping it wasn't Wally, because not even he would be spared the punishment of angering Renegade.

~ ~ ~

Bruce sat in the dining room in the manner at five in the morning, thinking.

"A bad thing for all the Villains of the world."

The comment made it into his head, making him smirk.

"Is something amusing this early morning, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, pouring a glass of orange juice.

Bruce frowned again thinking. He glanced at the rest of the table noting that the table was only set for him. That meant, Tim, Jason, and Damien wouldn't be joining them for this early breakfast.

"Alfred go grab your meal and come sit in here. I would like to bounce ideas off you."

Alfred looked a bit surprised but came back a moment later with his plate of eggs, bacon, toast, and milk. He sat down to the right side of Bruce, "Now what do you need advice on?"

"You know the League has Renegade, Deathstroke's apprentice."

Alfred nodded even if it wasn't a question.

Bruce moved on, "The boy is pleasant, peaceful, almost respectful to everyone."

"I hear a 'but' coming."

Bruce smiled, "But, whenever I come into the room he gets hostile. You would call him rabid."

"Have you asked Slade about this?"

Bruce shook his head, "I don't think even Slade would know why the boy would act out at me and only me. I've asked if he hated anyone in the League that I would have to watch for. Slade said, 'not to my knowledge. I don't think he's ever met anyone in the League'. That's were his exact words when we first hatched this out. I don't know why."

Alfred took a sip of milk, "I would think that the boy might have lost someone and you weren't there to save them. It could have turned his world upside down. Or he could have seen you arrest someone he cares about, leaving him alone. He could have been abused and you never came for him. He probably saw Batman as a hero that could help everyone but the reality stripped away the innocent thought or hope. His hate might not be personally you but that you are human and can't save everyone. That it was you as a hero to make him realize that. He probably doesn't hate you. Talk it out with the boy and do not push him for a confession."

Bruce nodded. Thinking everything over as the two men ate in silence. Alfred thought of what he needed getting done that day. Bruce coming up with a plan to ask the boy his problem with Batman.

"Thank you Alfred." Bruce said after they finished eating, "I don't know where I would be now, without all your help you give."

"You would be a drunk Playboy." Alfred said without missing a beat.

Bruce gave him a ray look, "Thanks for your confidence in me."

"Always, Master Bruce."