Renegade Part 2
Series Title: Renegade Part 2: Under the Hood
Part Title: Anniversary
Author: cat_13145
I finally have a beta (does little dance) Green Galands
Rating: Pg-13
Disclaimer: If I owned them, you think Battle for the Cowl would have happened?
Summary: A New Player watches a Titan Celebration
Author's Notes: This starts about three years after the end of the last arc.
Part 1 Anniversary
“hey Birthday Boy!” the blue blur swept from above, tossing Tim high above his head.
“Ja-Nightwing, put him down.” The young woman, who looked reassuring normal in Jeans and a blue T-Shirt, despite the cold night air smiled. “Hi, you must be Mr. And Mrs. Drake. I’m Marie.”
“what no mask? No codename.” Jack Drake stepped into the Titan’s spacious lobby, shaking his head.
“Well, technically I’m Nighttnurse, but the only person who ever calls me that is Batman.” She had a warm friendly smile and could only be in her early twenties. “and even then only when he wants to annoy me.” She shrugged. “I didn’t choose the spandex life.”
“Nope.” Nightwing had swung back down, depositing Tim next to his parents. “she married into it.”
“there’s still two months till the Wedding, plenty of time for me to change my mind Mister.” Marie shot at the young man who was still hanging upside down. Smiling she turned to Tim. “Robin, the others are just finishing up a training session. Why don’t you go and say hi?”
It was clearly a ploy to give her and Nightwing a few minutes to talk to his parents, and Tim’s rolled eyes, informed them that he knew that. But he headed up the stairs with no protests.
Marie turned back to face them, and Nightwing landed beside her. Dana took the opportunity to have a good look at this strange young man.
Like Marie, he seemed to be in his early twenties, but it was hard to tell as his eyes were hidden behind a black mask. His costume was black and blue, and the thought made her want to laugh. For Jack’s sake, however, she stopped herself.
“Mr. Drake.” Marie was speaking, her face and voice earnest. “I would just like to say how grateful we all are to you for coming. We know you don’t approve of Tim’s...decision.”
“make it sound like a bloody career choice.” Jack muttered. Marie had started up stairs. At Jack’s words, she turned to face him. “Isn’t it?” she asked calmly.
****
Dana had to admit, if they hadn’t been in costume, and she hadn’t already know, she would have had a hard time identifying these kids as Superheroes. It was just like every other teenage party, like the one they’d tried to host for Tim a couple of weeks ago, right down to attempts to spike Fruit punch been thwarted by the “parents”, which here appeared to consist of Nightwing, Marie, a young woman in a wheelchair introduced as “Babs” and a man a couple of years older than Nightwing, who was introduced as “Arsenal”, but everyone else seemed to call “Speedy” or “Arrow breath”, who had brought a little girl with him.
She followed Marie as she removed the latest bowl of punch, something about “speedsters.”
“Boys will be Boys, I suppose.” She said, standing uncomfortably against the work top, while Marie measured out portions of the juices.
“Yeah.” Marie nodded. “Even with super speed.”
“is there anything...?” Dana began, but Marie was shaking her head.
“honestly, today is just about giving the kids a chance to have some fun, and an attempt to convince your husband that we’re not all like Batman.”
“No?”
“No!” Nightwing had entered the kitchen, bearing another bowl. At the expression on his fiancée face, he said, “Superboy, not Bart this time.”
Marie snorted. “Kryptonians can’t get drunk, can they?”
Nightwing shrugged. “ask big blue later.”
“Later?” Dana felt embarrassed at interrupting their banter, especially as both looked slightly sheepish.
“Yeah.” Nightwing handed the bowl to Marie, who exited with a slightly nervous glance back at them.
“The JLA is coming around ‘bout an hour before patrol. To pick up and that stuff.”
“Including...?,” Dana asked, trying her best not to sound nervous.
“Including Batman.” Nightwing confirmed, grabbing another bag of chips. He looked at Dana’s expression for a moment.
“Robin’s his partner. Contrary to popular belief, he does have a heart. You can’t expect him to stay away.”
No, Dana agreed, as she followed the blue back out, but I can expected to have some sense.
*****
“Hey.” Oracle desperately tried to hide her tears as she heard the balcony door open.
It was silly and selfish. Jason and Marie had had so much bad luck in their lives, who was she to begrudge them the happiness they’d found with each? But still... the sight of Jay and Marie, spread out on the couch, taking a few seconds advantage of the league’s arrival.
It had choked her up.
“You do know the purpose of this party is to convince Jack Drake that we’re not all like the Bat?”
Roy was standing only a few feet behind her. There was no way he couldn’t tell she was crying.
“yeah.” She said, incredibly proud of herself for keeping her voice steady.
“That’s kinda hard if you’re brooding on the balcony.” Roy was standing next to her now, gazing across the city. There was a pause, before he added. “it’s O.K. to miss him you know.”
She blinked at him.
“I do, sometimes, especially when Jason’s in that get up.”
“stupid.” She muttered darkly.
Roy shrugged. “Dick was pretty special. And there’s been no closure.”
“Bruce caught the Joker.” He fought the desire to smile at the Bat clan’s, any members desire to defend their patriarch.
“At least two hundreds times,” he shook himself unable to go down this route again.
The Joker had killed his best friend, Barbra’s lover, Bruce’s son, Jason’s, and Tim’s he supposed, brother. Beaten him to death with a crowbar and lord only knew what else. Alfred had hid the autopsy report.
And Bruce had sent the man back to Arkham, despite knowing it was at best a temporary solution. But that ranked along with a man called Felipe Gazonas as things you did not discuss with the Batclan, if you were fond of having all your teeth.
Babs was staring out across the city.
“You remember me mentioning Stan at the library?”
Roy paused and nodded. “the one who keeps asking you out?”
Her eyes remained fixed on something only she can see.
“I’m considering saying yes.”
It feels like she’s asking for his permission, but she’s no need to. He’s no right to tell her what to do, O.K., there was that one night, a couple of weeks after Dick’s death... but they both agreed it was a mistake and never to speak of it.
“I think you should.” He said, slowly and carefully. “it’s being what four years?”
“Five.” She corrects him. “Six in October.”
At his face, she shrugs. “Jason was fourteen. He’s now nineteen.” She continued to gaze out over the city. “Guess I’d better ask Marie for advice in dealing with Bruce hating you.”
Roy laughed. Marie ticked most of the boxes in Bruce’s dislike.
She was the daughter of one Mafia Don, and goddaughter to another. While her father had been killed in a Federal Prison for his crimes, her godfather remained untouchable and a sore point between her and the Bat.
On top of that, her father, lacking a son had trained Marie to take over his empire. Marie had a shot that most Marine’s would have envied, and no objections to carrying a gun. She was also not convinced of the sanity of human life, arguing that some crimes placed their perpetrators “Beyond the pale.”
Bruce was convinced she was using Jason.
Barbara sometimes wondered if he’d thought the same thing about her and Dick.
“he’ll understand.”
A small snort, informed them that their conversation had been over heard. Cass stood, her arms crossed watching them.
“We cut cake. Marie says fetch you” Was her only response. Roy stood to one side, to let Babs wheel herself in.
*****
Bruce sat watching his family.
Tim sat at the head of the table, surrounded by his team. The Little JLA, not so little now, he supposed, were all talking at once, while they stuffed the cake Marie had baked earlier. Stephanie or Spoiler as her codename stated, had her arms draped around him, which was making Kon very uncomfortable.
Nightwing stood, his arm around Marie, smiling softly. While he hated to admit it, Marie had been good for his fiery son. She acted like a balm on his troubled son, same as the Titans had. He was proud of him. Leader of the Titans at 16, flying solo at 15. He laughed softly to himself. He should have known that Jason was born to fly alone.
Batgirl was standing beside Oracle and the rest of the Birds of Prey. She was smiling. Oracle wasn’t, not properly. She was smiling, but her eyes were red, as though she’d been crying. He supposed that events like this, with their hints of what might have been had to be tough for her.
He blinked and forced himself to focus, as Jason was talking.
“It’s moments like this that define us. Not the swinging through the air, not the beating up bad guys-though it is fun.” The others laughed softly. Bruce frowned.
“No. What really defines us is moments like this. With friends and family.”
He paused, his eyes running over to Bruce and to Marie.
“some of you will know, but before the recent troubles, there was some really bad shi...” He caught Alfred’s eyes and amended. “stuff happening in my life. A guy, who blamed me for his mother dieing, decided to target to me.”
Bruce remembered that. The Guy, his name was Roland Desmond, had been a minor level villain in Blüdhaven
, until an illness had forced him to be treated with experimental steroids. After an incident involving the Original Nightwing, he had become obsessed with the removal of the vigilante, not realising that Jason had taken up his brother’s mantel. He had blow up huge sections of crime alley, including the garage where Jason worked.
In his mind’s eye he could still see the hall, from the footage Oracle have sent him. His middle, well eldest technically, son standing there, while Blockbuster ranted at him. Claiming that he could keep this up forever, that every loved one, every stranger, would suffer and die.
Could see Jason, standing there listening, his face unreadable. Then as Blockbuster paused, calmly lighting a cigarette.
“Let’s think about this, shall we?” Jason’s voice had been pure ice. “My family starts with Batman. My Friends start with Superman, you want to explain to me how that works out for you?”
And before the villain had had a chance to draw breath, he had continued. “And I have the fucking JLA on speed dial_” He hadn’t had a chance to say more, as a Red and Blue figure emerged behind him, standing next to him was an Archer dressed in Red an arrow notched to his bow, a green skinned Martian, A woman in Red and gold and various other figures who he couldn’t see clearly. The look on Blockbuster’s face had been priceless.
His only regret was that he hadn’t been there. That Jason had never told him about what was happening until it was nearly too late. That it had been the JLA who helped out his son, who arrested Blockbuster, Not him.
Jason was still speaking.
“I don’t want to think about what would have happened if they hadn’t been there. And I know I don’t have to. That rule Number one in this game is that we stick together.”
“Rule number two is that we kick the crap out of anyone who threatens our own.” Arsenal added, earning himself a disapproving look from Alfred, and rolled eyes from Marie who asked if anyone wanted seconds.
******
Surprisingly it was Superman who was the first to leave, muttering about a typhoon in Thailand.
Then it was Flash, who was on monitor duty. Slowly one by one everyone made their excuses and left.
Batman offered Robin the night off, who took it. Barbara offered to help Marie clear up, but she argued that she could do this here and catch the subway home, or go home and spend the next four to five hours worrying about them.
Barbara couldn’t help smiling at that, knowing it only too well as a cop’s daughter.
She paused, by her car. It was nothing definite, nothing certain, but she could have sworn they were being watched...
*******
They were leaving.
He watched as Bruce emerged, the Batmobile at hand. Watched him offer Jason a lift, and the young man in his costume shake his head and indicate the bike.
He was surprised that Jason, that the second Robin, His Replacement, had taken that name. They’d never been close, indeed most of his memories of the kid involved them trying to beat the snot out of each other.
Nightwing had meant something that he was his own man, nobody’s sidekick. But it had been his for a year if that . It hadn’t been as important was Robin.
Robin. The name his mother had called him, the Name he had given to Bruce, The Name Bruce had given away.
He blinked. Emerging from the lobby were three figures. Two adults in civilians’ clothes and...
The costume had changed. The short pants that had caused so many jokes over the years were gone, to be replaced with long leggings. Robin Colours. Green leggings. The cape was black on the outside now, though the yellow was still present in the lining. The ridiculous pixie boots were gone, not that he was sorry about that!
His breathing quickened, and his hand gripped tighter.
NO! He breathed deeply, stopping himself. There would be time for that soon enough. Time to make them Pay.
He watched Babs get into her car, noting the number plate.
He’d be paying her a visit soon. Her and the rest of the clan that had forgotten and forsaken him.
Slowly, he melted into the night.
TBC