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sylph_ficsTitle: Cupid Drew Back His Bow...
Cowriter:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
merfilly
Characters: Most of the combined clans, references to most others, and a guest star some may or may not be pleased to see.
Rating: R, profanity
Word Count: 9,088
Continuity: The HappyVerse. All fic gathered here.
Disclaimer: DC Comics makes the money, people
Notes: It's official... HappyVerse is our refuge from the meaner things in comics--and our one-stop fix-it shop.
Summary: It's almost Valentines Day, and Brucie promised Dinah a Date... but when have they had an uninterrupted holiday? Oracle has some news that no-one takes very well.
Dinah knocked on the door of the hotel room, pleased she had wrapped up a day early, and should be able to surprise Bruce. Bruce tilted his head at the sound of the knock, wondering, then went to look, then opened the door, smile on his lips as he stepped back to let her in. "Dinah." Her name was low and soft... unlike the kiss he pulled her into as soon as the door closed behind her.
She pressed close to him, yielding to the strength of his kiss, one hand resting on his chest, the other moving along his side. He took a step backwards, pulling her with him, mouth still fastened to hers.
He broke the kiss to breathe, hands running across her, "You're early..."
"I know," she murmured, eyes closing to half-mast. "Full week, too." She pressed tight to him, leaning up to kiss under his jaw.
"Until something comes up," he said with the easy acceptance of the demands of both their lives, head tipping back to give her his throat as he held her with one arm, the other hand roaming her body.
She moaned softly as she tasted his skin, inhaled his scent, felt him so close. She was a half step away from promising more with her own touch when she recalled her bags should be on the way up. Reluctantly, she parted, twining her hand in his. "Don't want the bellboy to interrupt us," she said. Bruce nearly growled as she stepped back, then sighed and nodded, fingers tangling in hers. "True, we don't." His other hand slid back to his wallet, pulling out a bill to tip said person.
"Kon said he heard Tim in the city; I take it Dick was there too?" She was thrumming with pent up energy, hoping they would have privacy for a little while.
Bruce nodded. "They decided they needed the practice in the language, and intended to spend most of the day haggling with the merchants. I'm intrigued to see what they come back with. ...and they're in the suite four rooms down on the east side of the hall."
Her eyes lit at that, before the bellhop arrived and caused her to slip away while Bruce dealt with him. "Shower," she said by way of explanation. "Had to convince Zinda to fly about three hundred miles off our course to drop me and Kon here."
Bruce knew little of Oracle's latest... acquisition to her team, but anyone Dinah spoke of with such pleased familiarity deserved some credit. The bellhop arrived as the water turned on, distracting him with the young man for long moments, then locked the door, threw the deadbolt, and went to step into the bathroom. "Did you want company?" There was always the chance she was more interested in the bed... His answer was a graceful finger coming out from behind the curtain, crooking at him invitingly.
He stripped to the skin swiftly, not saying a word as he slid behind her and kissed her throat gently, drinking in the sight of her. "So beautiful," he breathed softly.
She moved her hair back, head bending to give him more access to her throat and shoulder before she turned in his arms and slid her hands down his body, caressing lightly. None of her bruises or aches mattered right then, as all she wanted was to be with him.
Bruce closed his eyes, wanting to keep her bruised back against the strong spray, and kissed her throat again, hands petting down her back almost as gently, careful of the bruises he'd noticed as he pulled her in close again. "That voice of yours should be illegal," he told her, low and rough against her ear, holding her against him.
She arched into his hands, a soft cry of hunger escaping her, as he brushed a very sensitive spot. "You've inspired me for years," she said in a purring tone.
He kissed down her throat, sucking gently, then tired of the way he needed to bend to do so and lifted her, hands settling just below the perfect curves of her ass, holding her so his mouth had easy access to her collarbone.
She moaned softly, eyes closing. "Bruce?" her hands had moved to the back of his head when he picked her up.
"Hm?" he asked, holding her against him. She was so light, no trouble to hold her there and lick his way out a collarbone, nipping very lightly at a pulse-point. He had no idea what she intended to wear, and she'd kill him if he marked her somewhere that would show.
"We need a bed, I think," she said her voice tight with anticipation. "Showers are nice, but I want you attention on pleasing, not supporting," she added, voice turning very wicked in its hunger for him.
"True, but you had to have a reason you headed here instead of for the bed... " If she wanted to wash, and soak a bit, he could probably be persuaded to put her down... probably.
"To get clean." She smiled at him. "Then I got distracted," she added, her eyes a very dark shade of blue.
Bruce slowly slid her back down his body, biting back a moan at the feel of her. "Shame to waste the attempt..."
"You'll appreciate the effort, I'm sure," she told him, turning back into the water. He knew enough about how battles ran to know something very heavy had collapsed on top of the small woman to cause the pattern he saw.
Bruce reached for soft sponge and soap both, brushing her hair out of the way to wash her upper back. "What hit you?"
"A wall. Some idiot started a fight near a bistro, and Kon was busy. There was a kid..." She chuckled, then sighed at the feeling of being pampered, keeping her desire to a barely contained flicker. "That feels good."
"I'm glad," he told her as he gently scrubbed her back, other hand tracing light patterns over her skin. He didn't want her tamping it down, he wanted to keep her on edge, feel her react...
He reined in his displeasure with the idea of her taking that kind of a hit--he would have done no different, after all.
She moaned as he traced over a slightly more sensitive spot, almost pressing back to him. She shook her head with a smile, feeling like a giddy teenager to be with him.
"You sound proud of him," it was a question, though few would have recognized it... And his hands never stopped moving on her, changing as he dropped to a knee to wash lower.
"Kon and Rose both make me proud. They're learning to work together and with me." She gasped softly as he used the sponge gently on her, his other hand added to the riot of nerve impulses driving her insane.
His hands went down the backs of her legs gently, one washing, the other still teasing. "That's good, I think. The... discussion between he and Dick over that had been an interesting one, but Dick had been right. She was not sane then, nor responsible for her actions. "It will be interesting to see how they mesh with Speedy and Robin. You know Mia's been coaxing Kyle to bring her out to join us... Turn around, Dinah."
"I know...Kon's trying to get flight for distance back to fix that," she said, turning slowly. She reached out, caressing his face lightly. "And I think Rose will surprise all the Titans...We had a long talk about Mia, and she's promised me to protect her from harm."
Bruce leaned into her touch, then coaxed her into giving him one of her feet to wash, hand massaging out the strain she put her feet under. He nodded once at Dinah's words. "Hmm. That may not go over so well... and it would please Tim if he did so quickly."
"Mmm," she murmured, raising the other when he had finished the first. "You certainly know how to make a woman feel good, Mister Wayne," she teased softly. He shifted and leaned in to press a lingering kiss against her upper abs, still washing her foot, then just smiled up at her and went back to washing up her legs.
She ran her fingers through his hair. "So, you have me at your mercy for a theoretical week. My my, whatever shall we do?"
"I have a few thoughts on that..." Bruce said lazily, washing halfway up her abs before he slid to his feet again, washing up her body.
She purred contently, her eyes again closing with pleasure at the way he treated her. "Tonight, I'd really like to stay in, and not see anyone but you all night long."
"That sounds perfect," he said as he washed her breasts gently, kissing her.
Her cooperation in that kiss promised many more great things for the night.
*****
Kon set down out of sight, then focused on the sound of Tim's voice again, following it to the open air market, where Tim appeared to be arguing with the merchant in front of him over a very intricately threaded shawl in red and gold.
Tim was arguing very intently, and hating every time his facility with the language slipped slightly... Which meant it was Dick that spotted him first, from where he was lounging back against the support pole of the stall. He waved Kon over with a grin, not distracting Tim.
Kon made it over and grinned. "Hey man."
"Hey. You look good..."
Tim reached backward and laid a hand against Kon's side, quickly finishing his haggling and turning away with the shawl. "Hi, Kon..." small, honest smile on his lips, "Wait a sec you weren't supposed to be here 'til tomorrow.."
Kon looked slightly embarrassed. "We, uhhm kinda wrapped up early." He did not want to explain they had been forced to wrap things up in a public setting because their quarry had almost eluded both he and Canary.
"What'd you--nevermind. Tell me later." He moved over and hugged him quickly, making only that much concession to the local customs. "Missed you." Then he tilted his head, "Think Mia'll like this?"
"She'd better, considering what you just paid for it..."
Tim snorted, "I did better than you managed."
"Yeah, she should. What is it with blondes and red?" Kon took a deep breath to get Tim's scent fully, and tried to keep his hands to himself when they started walking. He finally settled for placing a hand on both of their shoulders, walking between them, to have an excuse to touch.
"It looks good?" Tim was not trying to hide the bag slung against his side. He wasn't.
"Pretty much," Dick agreed, "Plus there's the legacy factor.." //Subtle, Kon, real subtle.
"Legacies," Kon harumphed. "I figured out kinda recently, legacies are cool, but you're still who you make yourself be." It was pretty obvious to both of them that he had been talking to Rose in the weeks they had been living under Dinah's roof.
The pair of Robins looked at each other in amusement, both realizing where the boy that idolized Superman so might have gotten an idea like that, then Tim tilted his head, "So, planning on changing your name anytime soon?" He was absolutely teasing, as his voice made clear.
Kon grinned, pure and simple. "No...just going to make the name mine!" He smiled at Tim, his eyes pulsing bright with a wish to be somewhere alone with his lover.
"I think we all do some of that," Dick said with a grin, feeling the sparks jangling between the two of them. //Great. Kicked out of the room, and Dinah's with Bruce... oh, uncool.// Not that a trace of it showed on his face.
Tim nodded, "Yeah, we do... look at the two of us." His eyes were saying that same thing back.
Kon nodded. "So, what's the gameplan?" //Let it be back to the hotel now.// He tried hard to keep that thought out of his face, away from his body in general.
"We had planned on spending the rest of the day bs-ing around here, but I doubt you'd have much fun, so..."
"We did intend to drop back and leave things," Tim said casually.
"Sounds doable," Kon said, with a grin.
//subtle as a mack truck,// Dick thought in amusement. //And, Freudian slip much, Kon?// "Yeah. It's not that far back to the hotel, walk, or ride?" tilting his head at one of the pedal-powered 'taxi's' so common throughout this part of Asia as it went past.
//Richard John Grayson I am going to kill you,// Tim thought at his brother as he kept his face under control at the thought those one-two comments had snapped into his mind. "Kon?"
"We can ride," he said, planning to show Tim his short range flight later.
Tim chuckled and headed for the edge of the street to flag one down, carefully folding the shawl into the bag, then swung in, waited for his lover and brother, then told the driver where to head. Dick had given serious thought to being a brat and stealing middle, just to mess with Tim, but he'd played nice, hanging back to let Kon take his spot.
Kon slid in, laying his arms along the back of the seat, so Tim could rest against him. "What else is in the bag?" he asked.
"Oh, this and that. A few things I saw for people, and he claimed I was younger, I could carry, so most of what he bought, too." Tim leaned in against him.
Dick merely shrugged. "It's not like there's anything heavy...."
Kon laughed. "So damn glad I don't have an older brother living with me," he said, grinning at Tim.
Tim nearly asked, 'or at all?', but realized that would probably get him smacked by Dick, and just stayed pressed to Kon's side, remembering to behave.
"No brothers with you, true enough... but how's Rose doing?"
Kon nodded slowly. "I don't know what the hell Dinah said to her...but she sticks by the Bird. And she's not so bad. Silent as hell when we go to the Tower unless someone bugs her, then its all sharp wit and sometimes a little crazy action but she's all...I dunno. The crazy bit, I think it's a mask now, when it gets rough for her."
Dick frowned slightly, and made a note to call Rose sometime soon. "Good to hear she's not doing too badly. Quiet at the Tower... because of BB, or...?"
Tim settled to listen, but was glad to hear they were getting along okay. He pitied Dinah's entire apartment if they weren't.
"Mostly...just trying not to lose her temper I think. They're riding her hard, not quite trusting, you know?" Kon shrugged. "I go with her to the gym, she gets to let it out, and keeps going. When I'm not there, it's usually Cassie who has to take the brunt of it."
"How's that working?" Tim asked, sounding both amused, and worried.
Dick shook his head slightly. "I guess I can't blame them too much. Thanks for having her back, Kon. She needs it."
"Hey no problem...kinda been there done that." Kon glanced at Tim with an amused look. "Let's see...last I checked, there was a poll on when the two of them would have angry sex in the gym, so...."
Dick tossed his head back and started to laugh, "So, any thoughts on how likely that is?" He figured her ex ought to know, if anyone did. He wasn't sure about Rose's opinions. Tim snorted, and waited for Kon's reply before saying anything.
"Cassie and that Amazon of hers are...disagreeing over her role in 'Man's World', so...I'd say by the Fourth of July at least." He was amused by his ex. Tim chuckled. "Wondered how that was going. Not well, huh?"
Dick blinked, very slowly. "I... missed this one..."
"Of course you did. I think we're the only people she told. Well, probably Cissie too."
"Yeah." Kon looked smugly amused, as if he knew something they did not, which got him jabbed in the ribs by his boyfriend. "What? I know that look. You're holding stuff back. Talk."
"She's back. Not every weekend. But most of them." He grinned at that. "Anita comes when her dad's partner agrees to keep her parents," he added. "Greta says she doesn't have a place there, still, but hey...two out of three."
Tim grinned, then paused. "I can't believe Mia didn't TELL me!" he squawked indignantly. "I am gonna..." he muttered and settled into plotting-mode. //See if I buy you pretties again anytime soon, Mia Dearden-Queen...//
"..Neither can I..." from Dick. That wasn't much like Mia...
"Cissie and she are trying to work out the details, but they said two teams means a need for two archers," Kon said. "It was completely cool to watch them trying to out shoot each other."
Tim drummed his fingers against the side-rail of the taxi, muttering comments in Mia's direction that were far less than flattering. Thankfully, they weren't in English, for Kon to hear. Dick, on the other hand, made plans to be far away the next time Tim got his eyes on Mia.
When they arrived at the hotel, Kon could barely keep from hovering, ready to get Tim upstairs and do what he wanted with the other boy.
"Kon, feet belong on the ground," Dick said very softly as they walked up to the suite. "I'm going to grab my cell out of the room and head back out, let you two say hi properly," he added in the privacy of the elevator, which made Tim flush slightly. He'd finally finished swearing vengeance at Mia for not letting him know a friend he'd gotten far too distant from had come back, and had leaned against Kon's side once they were in the elevator.
"Thanks, Dick. I appreciate that. And Roy says he's hitching a ride," he added, unable to believe he had let that slip his mind. "When the old man comes."
Dick grinned, then frowned. "Who on earth did he get to keep Lian? Kyle and Connor? They'll kill him..."
Tim laughed. "Oh, they probably would. He might be planning on leaving her with Donna, Mia did tell me she'd moved back to Titans East..."
Kon shook his head. "He was talking to Tempest at the time he told me."
"Oh. Cerdian, sure," Dick agreed after a moment to think. "That makes sense. And Garth knows how to take care of kids." The elevator opened and he headed in to grab his phone and leave again. He really, really hoped the hotel's soundproofing was good... Some things he just did not need to hear.
Once the door shut behind his brother, Tim tossed the bag into a recliner and moved to Kon, pressing up against him to kiss him, hands sliding down into the back pockets of Kon's jeans.
"I missed you, Timmy," Kon said once they broke, holding his lover close. "So...got anything left to do today...besides me?"
Tim shook his head. "No... I don't," and he kissed him again, deeper yet.
A quick, controlled thrust of TTK got them both in bed, still clothed, but half the fun was peeling away the cloth between them, Kon decided. For now, he just kept Tim pinned, kissing and grinding slowly. Tim moaned into the kiss, twisting under him, hands sliding under Kon's shirt to run up his back, feeling all the hot skin and muscle there... and Kon just smiled, more than ready to drive Tim crazy.
*~*~*~*
Oracle had been keeping tabs on certain villains more closely than others for years. One particular villain got almost star treatment on her lists, being a frequent thorn in the side of two people she truly cared for.
When he had been locked up, she had put the watching into an easier pattern; she had a camera trained on him. Then a member of the more shadowy arm of the government visited him. She stepped up her surveillance, saw when he signed a Suicide Squad Deal in exchange for a full pardon.
And he did not come back. The government cleaned up the mess begun by him dying in the middle of the mission by having a 'military accident' nearby.
Oracle got suspicious when her agents could not turn up a body in the unmarked graveyard given to members of the Squad who died. She dug, using nearly every resource in the backdoors of the government she had created.
She did not like what she found.
*~*~*~*
Other than during his visit a few days earlier to one of the city's best tailors, he had not been in Hong Kong as Bruce Wanye, posing as merely a well-off businessman taking a holiday with his sons. That all changed the night after Dinah's arrival. He called ahead to one of the more exclusive cross-cuisine restaurants in the city, making a reservation for two on a night when they would be at their busiest, and was amused by how swiftly they agreed to his request. Dressed in the new suit, he stepped from the car door when it opened and turned to take Dinah's hand as she stepped out, drinking in the sight of her as much as he had the moment she finished dressing and allowed him to see her. They'd barely made it out of the hotel, if he was honest with himself. It amused him that her raven locks were the wig, now, instead of the blonde, but she looked utterly stunning.
Bruce mainly ignored them, though he did answer the calls for her name after a few moments, smiling at them with his 'usual' foolish smile before the doors closed and sealed them away from the gossipmongers. They were seated by the maitre'd, no less than expected, and a server hovered nearby. "What are you planning to have, Dinah?"
"Oh, I'm sure whatever you choose will be just delicious, Bruce." Her voice was like honey, and she knew the waitstaff would be heavily bribed tonight.
Which would only add to their good fortune. He denied her words with a laugh and a shake of his head, "No, no. I don't think I know enough to pick something good... but I do happen to know who to ask!" He lifted his hand slightly, and their server was there almost instantly, making a very good attempt at pretending she had not heard every word. "Are you ready to order, sir? May I be of any assistance?" Her English was perfect, he noted, still with the crisp accent of the British schools.
"Yes, I think you can. I'm a little confused by the menu, what would you say would be the best meal for such a lovely woman, and also for myself?"
The young woman paled slightly, but recovered her composure almost instantly, and with every evidence of delight recommended several options. Two were exactly what he would have preferred, and he chose both, pleased. His hand lay across the table, barely touching her hand. Their server bowed and disappeared, and he smiled over at her. "I hope it meets your tastes, Dinah, I really do. I was sure lucky to spot you, in all this..."
"I'm still so flattered that you, Bruce Wayne, even remembered me," she flirted. "I mean, Gotham is a big city, and every one knows who you are, but me?" She used her finger tip to caress his index finger.
"I don't know why you'd be surprised, you're a pretty unforgettable woman, Dinah," he replied with a smile, shifting his hand to touch hers a little more.
She almost purred at the compliment. "Thank you." She debated just how far to push this, and smiled when a server walked near enough to truly hear. "It's almost a teenage fantasy come true; I had the most amazing crush on you growing up."
He smiled back, delight on his face, and chuckled. "Well, let's hope I can come close to meeting your dreams, then. Quite a lot to live up to, though..."
"Well, Bruce, you're off to a ...sizzling start." She let her voice drop into pure sex-kitten ranges for that.
"Nice to know I'm meeting your expectations so far," he smiled, dropping his own voice to reply just as their server arrived with the trays and settled a glorious meal in front of them both. "Thank you, miss. This all looks amazing, wouldn't you say? Now, I guess the question is where do we start?"
"I'd say with a bite here, a taste there," Dinah replied, her eyes and voice matching the flirty set of her lips.
"Begin as we mean to go on, then? Sounds like a wonderful idea, not that I'm surprised. You're rather full of those." Thankful he did not have to pretend to be incompetent with chopsticks, he selected one of his favorite dishes and took a bite, let pure delight cross his face--it truly was exceptional--and swallowed before lifting another bite. He waited a moment for her to finish, and told her, "You simply must try this, Dinah, it's exquisite..." then turned his arm and wrist to extend it across the thankfully small table.
Dinah leaned forward, taking her time to slowly, artfully take the morsel in her mouth. "Mmm, that is wonderful," she purred.
He swallowed, the reaction not at all an act, and smiled, "I hoped you'd like it. How's yours?"
For answer, she picked a piece up with her sticks, her skill with them as ingrained as his, and made an offering to him. "Do try." She watched his mouth rather than his eyes.
Bruce leaned over and took it lightly, letting his eyes close to savor the flavors. "Oh. Wonderful is definitely the word... rather like you."
"Thank you. They do say I'm a bit spicy like this," she said shamelessly.
"I think if anyone says you're only a "bit" spicy, they don't know you well... but that suits me--I'm fond of spice."
She laughed with music in her voice, then coughed and reached up to play with her ear, finger ghosting over the earring there. Just about the same moment, his own small receiver tingled.
"B. Oracle here."
He reached up to brush his hair back out of his eyes, "Not a good time," he spoke very softly.
"I was busy," Dinah said softly at just the same time.
"I don't care. We have a high priority mission that is going to need all of you," Oracle continued, and Dinah hissed in a breath, wondering who else was on channel, even as she met Bruce's eyes. "Twenty minutes for you to rendezvous at your hotel, then I'll brief." The connection clicked out.
Bruce closed his eyes a moment and swore mentally, dropping his hand away. They could easily have spent an hour or more over this, and enjoyed every moment, now... they would have to eat quickly, as though on fire for each other--//not untrue//--and hurry out...
Dinah flicked through their options as well, and hated them all. She decided Oracle needed a swift kick if she could not have found someone else to handle this. That same thought flickered in his eyes before he sampled another dish and once again offered her a bite, voice teasing, free hand sliding to her wrist.
She responded to the light touch with a smoldering look, following the chopsticks back across the small table, knowing he could read her, and he would cooperate in a kiss to begin the exit act. He kissed her, lightly, leaning over, then made every attempt to ensure that they ate well, touches to her free hand becoming more and more electric to the observer until he hurriedly called for the check, reassured the nervous maitre'd the food had been excellent and they would most certainly return, holding her close against his side as he smiled, then got them out the door.
Dinah played up to every touch, every look, and the ride back to the hotel did not break the show. She knew just where and how to touch him, or herself with an art of drawing his eye just so, to insure the driver had a good tale to be bought by the paparazzi. He was slightly more well-behaved as they crossed the floor to the elevator, and was thankful that they managed to step into one without other occupants--most people were out enjoying the late evening, as they ought to have been. The second the doors closed he kissed her deep, pulling her tight against him for long, long moments, hands running up her back... He finally broke it to breathe, and growled, "Your partner, Dinah..." The act had been only a bit an act, and wanting her was like breathing, these days... //Babs, what have you got against the holidays?//
"I know, I know..." She ran a hand down his chest, lower, as the other cupped the back of his neck, wishing for more time.
He growled, low and soft, and kissed her again, pressing against her touch as he stroked the side of her hip, her back, other hand carefully at the base of her neck, not in the wig.
She whimpered softly to him, reluctantly moving away as Oracle activated her earpiece, but not his. She looked very frustrated as she listened carefully. She then sighed, just as the elevator came to a stop. "Witch just made me responsible for getting you, Tim, and Dick to the air strip, once she briefs. Zinda's already en route," she told Bruce once Oracle was off her comm.
//All of us? What's happened?// He felt the hair on his neck raise out of dread. Barbara knew very well how little he wanted to be disturbed during this year. That she was calling boded very, very ill. And that she wanted all of them was even worse. "Tim? She has no excuse for that." The arousal was put aside, banked for later rekindling as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Our room, I think. I'll get Tim." He kissed her one last time, and went, unlatching the door with his keycard--he stopped with words on his lips as his partner's voice ran over his ears, low and rough and begging from the half-open bedroom door, and shut the one he was holding quickly. "Never mind."
He went to join Dinah, shaking his head once at her look, and his head turned as Dick jogged down the hallway, eyes narrowing at the sight of them. "I was afraid she meant you two..." he said as they got inside the doors of the suite.
"Everyone," Oracle's voice crackled to them. "We have a situation concerning one of the Titan rogues," she continued as they moved into the room and locked the doors. Dinah moved into Bruce's space, worried, but needing at least some touch to settle her nerves. That was far too many for their kind of mission.
"Who all's on channel, O?" Nightwing asked.
"The three of you. I don't have your Arrows outfitted yet," Oracle said grimly, planning to rectify that. "And Tim's comm gear malfunctioned." There was the sound of a deep breath being taken. "The trial for Slade Wilson was rushed through and he was found guilty on all counts," she began.
Dinah became very still in Bruce's arms, her entire body tensing.
"I know," Dick said, arms crossing low over his chest, hands pressed to his side in sharp contrast to the hard edge in his voice. //Do you really think I don't, after what he did to my city? To me? (To everything I have with Roy?)// He'd paid very close attention to that, once he healed, but that had been finished months ago. Slade was supposed to be locked up tight.
Bruce could just guess what, or who, had caused that malfunction, given what he'd overheard. He held Dinah gently, close against him, informed by her reaction that the complex... relationship he'd known was between her and Slade possibly had more layers than he knew. "And?"
"He was given the Waller treatment."
"No!" Dinah's growled denial was involuntary and harsh, while Dick's breath stuttered.
"Yes, Canary...and it was reported he died. Only, I have finally confirmed he did not. He is, however, currently in the hands of a dubious government agency, undergoing extreme experimentation."
"Oh, he probably did," Dick replied to Oracle's words, then went completely still, eyes blazing with blue flame. Furious as he was at Slade, betrayed as he felt by so much that had happened in recent years, the man that had saved his team, willingly taken the beating that had let him pour out his grief and rage for a beloved friend and guarded him through the aftermath, had been his biggest challenge and the best whetstone to his skills still held a place in him. The thought of the man he had once respected held, tested--"OH, FUCK no. One's Enough."
Bruce's eyes narrowed involuntarily as his lover and his son proved once again that Slade had hooks deep in them. //Wilson, you arrogant son of a bitch...//
"You said our Arrows?" Dinah latched onto that. "Zinda has them?"
"Yes, I called Green Arrow, requesting his assistance and Arsenal's. He agreed, on strength of my claim you wanted him there. Speedy is aboard...but I would prefer she keep Superboy company there."
"Agreed," Dick said swiftly. //Oh, shit. Roy is going to go postal. Twice. I just finally really got him over my complete stupidity...// "They know the target yet?"
Bruce nodded, also agreeing. This... was nothing for the two young Titans. The rest of them had enough background in covert operations for this, but despite Tim's age, they were going to need him as well. He was the best hand with a hack they had to put on the ground.
"They do not know, only that it is a threat of League priority... and we are the closest thing to a League," Oracle replied. "Zinda should touch down in the hour. I started her moving before I had a confirmed site to move all of you to. Further briefing will be aboard the Aerie One." The JSA was still rebuilding and despite some of the rumors she was hearing, the League was down still.
"Understood, Oracle." Dinah shivered at the thought of more people like Slade...or worse, his daughter when she had not yet regained sanity.
There was only one airstrip that could handle the Aerie One in Hong Kong, Bruce knew, and it was only a few minutes by what his son still called the rooftop highway. "Anything else, O?"
"Not now, B. I'll need R to help me decrypt files once he's aboard." She cut her end of the link to the two men. "Canary, I know you needed a break."
Dinah walked away from Bruce a little, hand to her ear. "I've got it, O. We can't afford any monsters being made with his abilities. Just make sure the Tower knows Ravager might be staying a little later than the end of the week."
"I can do that. Oracle Out." Dinah took her hand down, turning back.
"Dick--"
"I have eyes, Dad. I'm gone. I'll... go hang in the lobby or something. See you in 40? I'll roust Tim out, too." He'd snorted at the very implication that he'd stick around when tension was boiling off the two of them. Hell with the lobby, he wanted the gym, but he couldn't show off that badly here...
Dinah turned her eyes to Dick briefly, thanking him silently, even as he saw the signs of her masking the completely involuntary reactions of earlier. Dick managed to flash a grin at her and vanished out of the hotel room, trying to control his own reactions.
Bruce crossed the floor to her, pulling her close and around to kiss her deeply, holding her tight. //Mine, Dinah. Mine and Ollie's.// The thought was a low growl as he tried to control his own reaction to hearing her almost panicked cry at the news. //I nearly lost my son to him. I will not let him have you.//
She gasped into that kiss, feeling him take firm control of her. It was exactly what she needed to push away the confusion Slade Wilson had caused in her life, and she brought her hands up to hold on to him.
He smiled to feel her wrap around him and lifted her again, completely careless of the dress as he carried her towards the bedroom. Time enough, if not as much as he would have wanted, and he needed her badly--between the teasing earlier and now this... He would have her, now. She gave a small whimpering moan, clinging to his strength, to his solid will to make her his.
He worked at the fastenings of her dress as he moved towards the bed, wanting her out of it before he pinned her down, kissing down her throat, barely managing to restrain the desire to mark her as he stripped the fabric away. The dress came away easily, leaving her in little bits of nothing designed only to tease, not conceal. She shivered softly as the air hit her all over. "God, Bruce...."
"Hmm?" He laid her out on the bed, appreciating the view and the care she'd taken to tease him as the exorbitantly expensive suit quickly fell to the carpet before he joined her, trapping her against him, pinning her possessively.
"I need you." Her blue eyes met his, just before she leaned up to kiss him, running one hand into his hair, the other down to his shoulder.
"Mine," he told her, kissing her deep as his hand ran over her intently, feeling her pressed tight against him, pleased to hear the need in her voice. //Mine, Dinah.// She shifted beneath him, body open to him, to his touches. She was very sensitive, as his hand drew gasps and moans within their kiss, and made her move against him, reacting so very hungrily to him.
It wasn't long before he slid into her, moving slow and deep into her as his mouth ran everywhere he could reach without breaking that connection. Her voice rang out from the first moment he slid inside her. In no uncertain terms, she let him know that she was his, now and always, with every cry, every buck up against him, her nails carefully turned away from his skin as she held on, conscious enough not to leave cuts that would sting with sweat under armor.
Finally, he whispered to her, "Fly for me, Dinah," he coaxed, aggression having slowly been taken over by simpler love and desire as her reassurances settled into his mind. The uninhibited strength of her reactions, the way she willingly gave in to him had worked to calm him
She clung to his neck, pressing up to him as her body began to shake, on the edge when he spoke to her. "Bruce, my love..." She whispered it against his throat just before her back arched, giving herself to him completely as she lost all control, fireworks behind her eyes.
"Dinah," he whispered back to her, letting himself follow her over, arms wrapped tight under her body, hands at the back of her neck and the small of her back.
She held on tight, her body shuddering several times around him even after the first sensations had begun to die away. "Mmm, not exactly what I had in mind," she whispered, once they both had their breathing back.
"No," Bruce agreed, lifting his head to kiss her gently, petting her equally gently.
She smiled at him. "Still have time for a quick shower," she told him softly. "The water closet on the Aerie is not big enough for two."
Bruce nodded and slowly moved away from her. She moved off the bed, catching his hand, dragging him to get a shower as quickly as they could. If she slowed it down with hungry kisses here and there, he at least knew just how much time they had left in his head. He was keeping that count, and returning a few of those kisses with interest as he got them through the shower, dried, and into their respective choices of outfits. The suit was far too recognizable and Oracle had best have armor on the Aerie, so it was a night-black gi and the pieces he simply had to have, for now, black belt and thinner gloves and other pieces..
Out of the bag that Dinah hated carrying at times, she pulled a fully black body suit out, one that had a very high collar. She had discarded the wig earlier; now she hastily secured her long hair in a pony tail at the nape of her neck, tying off the end to keep it together until she had a chance to braid it to make it stay out of her way. Certain small devices slipped into unseen compartments built into the suit, and her distinctive jewelry was traded for a different set. She carried the mask that went to this body suit, knowing she would add more protection to it at the aerie.
Both of them ready, they stepped out the bedroom door of the suite. Dick was leaning there in almost a twin to Bruce's outfit, though the harness for his sticks broke the lines slightly, and he was amused to see that he'd kept his boots. Tim, too, was in soft black, and looked anything but pleased behind the concealment. Beside him, Kon looked both sheepish and bitterly unhappy.
Dinah nodded to Tim, then let Bruce lead. Her mind ticked over the armory on the Aerie. She could borrow Huntress's armor pieces, her crossbows with the tipped bolts. She would let the Bats use the armor they had originally stocked for Savant and Wildcat, as well as the range of smoke and gas grenades. A quick thought of taking the forty fives for when they found Slade was discarded; she was sure Bruce would be dismayed, and Zinda might not appreciate her letting a man that had almost killed her use her own weapons. If they could even trust him with them.
"Briefed, Tim?" Bruce questioned.
"Yes. I need a new comm set, though." He shot an annoyed look at Kon, who flushed darker. Which privately amused Bruce, pleased to know he was correct. Dick chuckled, amused.
"I have more for all O's frequencies on the bird." Dinah shook her head. "I think I have enough to equip everyone onboard."
Bruce nodded, and walked to push the balcony door open, eyeing nearby buildings. "Doable. Let's go."
Kon tilted his head. "Tim, flying with me?" He had to go pick Mia up, Tim might as well come along the easy way...
"...yeah. I am."
Kon's grin flashed brilliantly, "Airstrip, right, Di?" He waited only for Dinah's agreement, and the two of them were gone.
Dick chuckled softly, shaking his head, amused as he followed, eyeing the lines himself--then he was gone, line fired and over the edge. Bruce glanced to Dinah, arching a brow behind soft black cloth.
She flowed up against him, letting him feel that the cloth of her uniform was deceptively reinforced. "Not my style, but I trust you."
Bruce nodded once, quickly, and fastened an arm tight around her to take to the jumplines, then the rooftop highway once they hit an appropriate spot. On the rooftops, she was able to keep up with little trouble, knowing by sheer instinct just when and where to turn for her jumps, never breaking stride. When the rooftop stretch was at an end, she was at his side, letting him take her down, within the outer fences of the airstrip.
Bruce spotted the unmistakable form of the Aerie One coming in, pleased they'd beaten it, and dropped to the ground to join his sons--and his youngest's lover.
"Lady B, we're waiting on you." Dinah stood just far enough from Bruce to keep it from being obvious to a casual observer they were together. Kon had no such compunctions, touching Tim the entire time they waited.
"Roger that, Canary. Bosslady says she's almost got things ready, and you've got two fine fellas waiting to get the dirt." That made Dinah smile, as she fidgeted with the mask she was carrying.
Dick waited, trying to keep his nerves under control. Roy was going to go so insane over this... he would almost rather that Babs hadn't brought him along.
The Aerie taxied to a full stop, the hatch opening. Pretty quickly, Mia was disembarking, and the others were waiting to go up. Dinah saw the sulking look, and the half opened lips and shook her head furiously.
"I will not let you go along... you're not trained for the covert nature, and I won't...I don't want you in a position where lethal force might be involved." That cut off every protest Mia had prepared.
Tim nodded his agreement with that, arms crossed over his chest at her. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me Arrowette was back," he growled.
Bruce shook his head and walked up to go hunt armor, letting them hash this out. Dick was right behind Bruce, getting out of the way of his brother's bad mood, looking for both his lover and armor. He'd almost had enough time to cool down.
Mia's eyes snapped to Kon in anger. "How could you?! She asked me not to tell him!"
"Didn't ask me," Kon said defensively. "Tim should know she's back."
Roy was just inside the plane, looking slightly torn between happy to see Dick, and pissed that he did not know what was going on. Ollie was nearby, fidgeting with the dark grey gi he had donned for this. Dick went and pressed close against his lover, distracted from his hunt for a few long moments. "Hey, you."
Tim frowned, then sighed. "Okay, fine. You I forgive. You promised. She and I are going to talk, though." He hugged her quickly, then kissed Kon again. "You've got the room key, right? And know how to get back? I've got to go."
"Tim... I've got this," Kon reassured him, rolling his eyes.
Mia moved close enough so Kon could pick her up, after hugging Tim. "See you when you get back," she told her friend.
Roy nuzzled him, then drew him along toward the armory he had been shown. "So, what's the gig?"
Dinah saw the kids move back, let Tim go up ahead of her, then climbed up and shut the hatch. Her eyes flicked over Ollie, noting Bruce had moved on ahead of the boys. "Zinda, honey, go ahead." The plane started to move, as Kon had gotten Mia clear as soon as Dinah disappeared inside.
Dick shook his head. "I'll let Babs tell you," as he picked through the armor and equipment.
"That's all the blonde would tell us too," Roy grumbled. He had already outfitted himself, and looked very lethal.
"Waiting for me is always the best policy," Oracle said, amused, her voice coming from various speakers. "The situation is grave, and is against a covert arm of the government."
"Sounds like my kind of party," Ollie said, snagging Dinah's hand and drawing her into his lap.
"Shh, Ollie. Let her spit it all out." She nuzzled him gently. "I take it you know where he is and how we can get in?" she asked her partner.
Dick roamed around, tension in his shoulders, unable to hold still even to reassure Roy. Bruce settled fairly close to his lovers, waiting, while Tim dropped into a seat instantly, listening.
"Slade Wilson is being held in a secure, off the books facility in the middle of South Dakota. It is minimally staffed, and a team of our precision should be able to get in, break him out, and get clear before they can alert any back up."
"Slade Wilson?!" Both archers' voices rang out in shock and anger at hearing who the target was. Dinah flinched, sliding out of Ollie's grasp to her own seat as the man vibrated in hostility.
"GREAT way to start, Oracle!" Nightwing snarled at the ceiling. "Aren't you the one normally yelling at me about tact?"
"Calm down!" Canary said fiercely. "All of you!" She glared at Ollie until he backed down.
"Arsenal; Arrow. Would you like to face an entire platoon of soldiers enhanced with Slade's abilities?" Oracle's voice was harsh; Dick had pissed her off; this was her bird, her mission, her call on how to handle it. The only reason she had called on the arrows was to give sufficient ranged back up.
Ollie stewed, his eyes locked on Dinah's a long moment. "That is a point."
Tim's eyes were wide behind the masking cloth. It wasn't often Babs did something that would cause that kind of a reaction deliberately. He could hardly believe she was sending them after Slade, of all damn people, but... He shivered slightly at the idea of more Slades, or, more likely, more Roses. //Can't let that happen...//
Roy swore under his breath for long, long moments, finally giving up. "No, I don't, but they've tried that before and failed miserably. What makes this any different?" //I'd rather just leave him rot...// He wanted to pin Dick to something solid and make him swear he wouldn't do anything... rash, flicks of that red and black wrong armor in his mind. //Stop that. He promised. (Not the first time he'd have bro--) Oh no. Knock it off.//
"...Rose." Dick said softly. "Rose survived. Whatever he did, or had done... Rose came through."
"Exactly. So he unlocked the secret." Dinah shivered.
"Robin, I unlocked most of the surveillance equipment, but the diagrams are in need of your touch," Oracle said, causing a console to light up to show him where to work. "From preliminaries, Canary, I suggest letting the archers and B provide the distraction. You and the FBW are quicker at getting in and through security to get to him, nd the FBW can disable the lockdown rig they have him in."
Robin got up and headed over, settling to work on the software, slowly starting to mutter in programming languages under his breath after a few moments.
"Hey, O. Not that I don't appreciate the compliment, but do you wanna fill the rest of the class in on how he got locked in some government hellhole?" //You're the one that said you were doing the briefing and dropped Di and me live bombs to cope with...//
There was a pause, and the sound of a sigh. "Waller's meddling. He got listed as dead after signing up for his mission though....I know that project, and I followed up."
"No body where they usually hide them?" Ollie growled. Bruce reached over and laid a hand lightly on Ollie's shoulder, trying to settle him down.
"None, Arrow. So I dug...I've got reasons to be as paranoid about him as certain others. And I found him buried in this facility."
"I can't believe even she'd offer that, not after what he pulled..." Roy muttered, eyes hard. //Not after the 'Haven...//
Tim was lost in his own little hacker's world, not paying any attention to the rest of reality. Right now he liked it that way.
"Oracle?" Dinah's voice begged a question, and it had Ollie and Roy look at her from differing viewpoints.
"Yes, Canary, it was a definite set-up. They intended to get him killed all along...and in his arrogance, he likely thought he could beat the odds."
Dinah looked down, shaking her head, and they thought she might have said 'stupid' under her breath.
"If some of the people that know him were involved, they knew what would happen... god, that thickheaded stubborn idiot..." Dick growled.
Ollie looked from Dinah to Dick, then back at Roy, who shrugged helplessly. He hated this whole situation, as there was no way they could ignore this mission, but it was Slade... and Slade twisted Dick around so badly. And Dinah, Roy amended to himself, watching his friend/sister/mother look up with a mask of professionalism. //I do not like this.//
"And they have further complicated things. The prisons issued a death certificate. Slade Wilson is a free man, under the letter of the law, as the government will not openly admit what they did with him, if we get him out. And much as none of us like that thought, we have to, or face worse consequences."
Dick closed his eyes, hands tightening into hard fists. "Damn, Damn, Damn. Son. of. a. bitch." //We have to let him go?! No!//
"That's not important," Dinah said clearly. "What is, is getting in, trying not to hurt more people than we have to in order to do this, and get the bastard out. What we do after...well, I know a nice little island."
The sound of quickly muffled laughter from their invisible teammate was a much needed tension breaker.
"Hopefully somewhere freezing cold and with continual rain?" Roy asked hopefully, mainly to keep his father from erupting all over again. //You'd better mean somewhere awful, Di...//
Dick finally re-opened his eyes. "Sorry. I'm good." His voice was perfectly level.
"Better...Dinosaurs that all his skills did not save his butt from...and rain...and a nasty bunch of Japanese world war two soldiers and scientists," she continued, until Ollie couldn't help but grin and lean over to kiss her.
"Sounds like the perfect hell," he told her.
Tim found the cypher and finally cracked the compound's full diagrams. Using the surveillance feeds, he could see the route in to their target, and three viable routes out.
Roy grinned too, pleased with that. He wanted to do something to help Dick, but... There was honestly nothing he could do, not when it was Slade that was the problem... but his lover'd better plan on not stirring out of the hotel for a few days.
Even Bruce approved of that thought, nodding once. Dick wasn't okay, but he had it under control, from the expression. That would have to be good enough. It would be ridiculous to expect much more.
Cowriter:
merfillyCharacters: Most of the combined clans, references to most others, and a guest star some may or may not be pleased to see.
Rating: R, profanity
Word Count: 9,088
Continuity: The HappyVerse. All fic gathered here.
Disclaimer: DC Comics makes the money, people
Notes: It's official... HappyVerse is our refuge from the meaner things in comics--and our one-stop fix-it shop.
Summary: It's almost Valentines Day, and Brucie promised Dinah a Date... but when have they had an uninterrupted holiday? Oracle has some news that no-one takes very well.
Dinah knocked on the door of the hotel room, pleased she had wrapped up a day early, and should be able to surprise Bruce. Bruce tilted his head at the sound of the knock, wondering, then went to look, then opened the door, smile on his lips as he stepped back to let her in. "Dinah." Her name was low and soft... unlike the kiss he pulled her into as soon as the door closed behind her.
She pressed close to him, yielding to the strength of his kiss, one hand resting on his chest, the other moving along his side. He took a step backwards, pulling her with him, mouth still fastened to hers.
He broke the kiss to breathe, hands running across her, "You're early..."
"I know," she murmured, eyes closing to half-mast. "Full week, too." She pressed tight to him, leaning up to kiss under his jaw.
"Until something comes up," he said with the easy acceptance of the demands of both their lives, head tipping back to give her his throat as he held her with one arm, the other hand roaming her body.
She moaned softly as she tasted his skin, inhaled his scent, felt him so close. She was a half step away from promising more with her own touch when she recalled her bags should be on the way up. Reluctantly, she parted, twining her hand in his. "Don't want the bellboy to interrupt us," she said. Bruce nearly growled as she stepped back, then sighed and nodded, fingers tangling in hers. "True, we don't." His other hand slid back to his wallet, pulling out a bill to tip said person.
"Kon said he heard Tim in the city; I take it Dick was there too?" She was thrumming with pent up energy, hoping they would have privacy for a little while.
Bruce nodded. "They decided they needed the practice in the language, and intended to spend most of the day haggling with the merchants. I'm intrigued to see what they come back with. ...and they're in the suite four rooms down on the east side of the hall."
Her eyes lit at that, before the bellhop arrived and caused her to slip away while Bruce dealt with him. "Shower," she said by way of explanation. "Had to convince Zinda to fly about three hundred miles off our course to drop me and Kon here."
Bruce knew little of Oracle's latest... acquisition to her team, but anyone Dinah spoke of with such pleased familiarity deserved some credit. The bellhop arrived as the water turned on, distracting him with the young man for long moments, then locked the door, threw the deadbolt, and went to step into the bathroom. "Did you want company?" There was always the chance she was more interested in the bed... His answer was a graceful finger coming out from behind the curtain, crooking at him invitingly.
He stripped to the skin swiftly, not saying a word as he slid behind her and kissed her throat gently, drinking in the sight of her. "So beautiful," he breathed softly.
She moved her hair back, head bending to give him more access to her throat and shoulder before she turned in his arms and slid her hands down his body, caressing lightly. None of her bruises or aches mattered right then, as all she wanted was to be with him.
Bruce closed his eyes, wanting to keep her bruised back against the strong spray, and kissed her throat again, hands petting down her back almost as gently, careful of the bruises he'd noticed as he pulled her in close again. "That voice of yours should be illegal," he told her, low and rough against her ear, holding her against him.
She arched into his hands, a soft cry of hunger escaping her, as he brushed a very sensitive spot. "You've inspired me for years," she said in a purring tone.
He kissed down her throat, sucking gently, then tired of the way he needed to bend to do so and lifted her, hands settling just below the perfect curves of her ass, holding her so his mouth had easy access to her collarbone.
She moaned softly, eyes closing. "Bruce?" her hands had moved to the back of his head when he picked her up.
"Hm?" he asked, holding her against him. She was so light, no trouble to hold her there and lick his way out a collarbone, nipping very lightly at a pulse-point. He had no idea what she intended to wear, and she'd kill him if he marked her somewhere that would show.
"We need a bed, I think," she said her voice tight with anticipation. "Showers are nice, but I want you attention on pleasing, not supporting," she added, voice turning very wicked in its hunger for him.
"True, but you had to have a reason you headed here instead of for the bed... " If she wanted to wash, and soak a bit, he could probably be persuaded to put her down... probably.
"To get clean." She smiled at him. "Then I got distracted," she added, her eyes a very dark shade of blue.
Bruce slowly slid her back down his body, biting back a moan at the feel of her. "Shame to waste the attempt..."
"You'll appreciate the effort, I'm sure," she told him, turning back into the water. He knew enough about how battles ran to know something very heavy had collapsed on top of the small woman to cause the pattern he saw.
Bruce reached for soft sponge and soap both, brushing her hair out of the way to wash her upper back. "What hit you?"
"A wall. Some idiot started a fight near a bistro, and Kon was busy. There was a kid..." She chuckled, then sighed at the feeling of being pampered, keeping her desire to a barely contained flicker. "That feels good."
"I'm glad," he told her as he gently scrubbed her back, other hand tracing light patterns over her skin. He didn't want her tamping it down, he wanted to keep her on edge, feel her react...
He reined in his displeasure with the idea of her taking that kind of a hit--he would have done no different, after all.
She moaned as he traced over a slightly more sensitive spot, almost pressing back to him. She shook her head with a smile, feeling like a giddy teenager to be with him.
"You sound proud of him," it was a question, though few would have recognized it... And his hands never stopped moving on her, changing as he dropped to a knee to wash lower.
"Kon and Rose both make me proud. They're learning to work together and with me." She gasped softly as he used the sponge gently on her, his other hand added to the riot of nerve impulses driving her insane.
His hands went down the backs of her legs gently, one washing, the other still teasing. "That's good, I think. The... discussion between he and Dick over that had been an interesting one, but Dick had been right. She was not sane then, nor responsible for her actions. "It will be interesting to see how they mesh with Speedy and Robin. You know Mia's been coaxing Kyle to bring her out to join us... Turn around, Dinah."
"I know...Kon's trying to get flight for distance back to fix that," she said, turning slowly. She reached out, caressing his face lightly. "And I think Rose will surprise all the Titans...We had a long talk about Mia, and she's promised me to protect her from harm."
Bruce leaned into her touch, then coaxed her into giving him one of her feet to wash, hand massaging out the strain she put her feet under. He nodded once at Dinah's words. "Hmm. That may not go over so well... and it would please Tim if he did so quickly."
"Mmm," she murmured, raising the other when he had finished the first. "You certainly know how to make a woman feel good, Mister Wayne," she teased softly. He shifted and leaned in to press a lingering kiss against her upper abs, still washing her foot, then just smiled up at her and went back to washing up her legs.
She ran her fingers through his hair. "So, you have me at your mercy for a theoretical week. My my, whatever shall we do?"
"I have a few thoughts on that..." Bruce said lazily, washing halfway up her abs before he slid to his feet again, washing up her body.
She purred contently, her eyes again closing with pleasure at the way he treated her. "Tonight, I'd really like to stay in, and not see anyone but you all night long."
"That sounds perfect," he said as he washed her breasts gently, kissing her.
Her cooperation in that kiss promised many more great things for the night.
*****
Kon set down out of sight, then focused on the sound of Tim's voice again, following it to the open air market, where Tim appeared to be arguing with the merchant in front of him over a very intricately threaded shawl in red and gold.
Tim was arguing very intently, and hating every time his facility with the language slipped slightly... Which meant it was Dick that spotted him first, from where he was lounging back against the support pole of the stall. He waved Kon over with a grin, not distracting Tim.
Kon made it over and grinned. "Hey man."
"Hey. You look good..."
Tim reached backward and laid a hand against Kon's side, quickly finishing his haggling and turning away with the shawl. "Hi, Kon..." small, honest smile on his lips, "Wait a sec you weren't supposed to be here 'til tomorrow.."
Kon looked slightly embarrassed. "We, uhhm kinda wrapped up early." He did not want to explain they had been forced to wrap things up in a public setting because their quarry had almost eluded both he and Canary.
"What'd you--nevermind. Tell me later." He moved over and hugged him quickly, making only that much concession to the local customs. "Missed you." Then he tilted his head, "Think Mia'll like this?"
"She'd better, considering what you just paid for it..."
Tim snorted, "I did better than you managed."
"Yeah, she should. What is it with blondes and red?" Kon took a deep breath to get Tim's scent fully, and tried to keep his hands to himself when they started walking. He finally settled for placing a hand on both of their shoulders, walking between them, to have an excuse to touch.
"It looks good?" Tim was not trying to hide the bag slung against his side. He wasn't.
"Pretty much," Dick agreed, "Plus there's the legacy factor.." //Subtle, Kon, real subtle.
"Legacies," Kon harumphed. "I figured out kinda recently, legacies are cool, but you're still who you make yourself be." It was pretty obvious to both of them that he had been talking to Rose in the weeks they had been living under Dinah's roof.
The pair of Robins looked at each other in amusement, both realizing where the boy that idolized Superman so might have gotten an idea like that, then Tim tilted his head, "So, planning on changing your name anytime soon?" He was absolutely teasing, as his voice made clear.
Kon grinned, pure and simple. "No...just going to make the name mine!" He smiled at Tim, his eyes pulsing bright with a wish to be somewhere alone with his lover.
"I think we all do some of that," Dick said with a grin, feeling the sparks jangling between the two of them. //Great. Kicked out of the room, and Dinah's with Bruce... oh, uncool.// Not that a trace of it showed on his face.
Tim nodded, "Yeah, we do... look at the two of us." His eyes were saying that same thing back.
Kon nodded. "So, what's the gameplan?" //Let it be back to the hotel now.// He tried hard to keep that thought out of his face, away from his body in general.
"We had planned on spending the rest of the day bs-ing around here, but I doubt you'd have much fun, so..."
"We did intend to drop back and leave things," Tim said casually.
"Sounds doable," Kon said, with a grin.
//subtle as a mack truck,// Dick thought in amusement. //And, Freudian slip much, Kon?// "Yeah. It's not that far back to the hotel, walk, or ride?" tilting his head at one of the pedal-powered 'taxi's' so common throughout this part of Asia as it went past.
//Richard John Grayson I am going to kill you,// Tim thought at his brother as he kept his face under control at the thought those one-two comments had snapped into his mind. "Kon?"
"We can ride," he said, planning to show Tim his short range flight later.
Tim chuckled and headed for the edge of the street to flag one down, carefully folding the shawl into the bag, then swung in, waited for his lover and brother, then told the driver where to head. Dick had given serious thought to being a brat and stealing middle, just to mess with Tim, but he'd played nice, hanging back to let Kon take his spot.
Kon slid in, laying his arms along the back of the seat, so Tim could rest against him. "What else is in the bag?" he asked.
"Oh, this and that. A few things I saw for people, and he claimed I was younger, I could carry, so most of what he bought, too." Tim leaned in against him.
Dick merely shrugged. "It's not like there's anything heavy...."
Kon laughed. "So damn glad I don't have an older brother living with me," he said, grinning at Tim.
Tim nearly asked, 'or at all?', but realized that would probably get him smacked by Dick, and just stayed pressed to Kon's side, remembering to behave.
"No brothers with you, true enough... but how's Rose doing?"
Kon nodded slowly. "I don't know what the hell Dinah said to her...but she sticks by the Bird. And she's not so bad. Silent as hell when we go to the Tower unless someone bugs her, then its all sharp wit and sometimes a little crazy action but she's all...I dunno. The crazy bit, I think it's a mask now, when it gets rough for her."
Dick frowned slightly, and made a note to call Rose sometime soon. "Good to hear she's not doing too badly. Quiet at the Tower... because of BB, or...?"
Tim settled to listen, but was glad to hear they were getting along okay. He pitied Dinah's entire apartment if they weren't.
"Mostly...just trying not to lose her temper I think. They're riding her hard, not quite trusting, you know?" Kon shrugged. "I go with her to the gym, she gets to let it out, and keeps going. When I'm not there, it's usually Cassie who has to take the brunt of it."
"How's that working?" Tim asked, sounding both amused, and worried.
Dick shook his head slightly. "I guess I can't blame them too much. Thanks for having her back, Kon. She needs it."
"Hey no problem...kinda been there done that." Kon glanced at Tim with an amused look. "Let's see...last I checked, there was a poll on when the two of them would have angry sex in the gym, so...."
Dick tossed his head back and started to laugh, "So, any thoughts on how likely that is?" He figured her ex ought to know, if anyone did. He wasn't sure about Rose's opinions. Tim snorted, and waited for Kon's reply before saying anything.
"Cassie and that Amazon of hers are...disagreeing over her role in 'Man's World', so...I'd say by the Fourth of July at least." He was amused by his ex. Tim chuckled. "Wondered how that was going. Not well, huh?"
Dick blinked, very slowly. "I... missed this one..."
"Of course you did. I think we're the only people she told. Well, probably Cissie too."
"Yeah." Kon looked smugly amused, as if he knew something they did not, which got him jabbed in the ribs by his boyfriend. "What? I know that look. You're holding stuff back. Talk."
"She's back. Not every weekend. But most of them." He grinned at that. "Anita comes when her dad's partner agrees to keep her parents," he added. "Greta says she doesn't have a place there, still, but hey...two out of three."
Tim grinned, then paused. "I can't believe Mia didn't TELL me!" he squawked indignantly. "I am gonna..." he muttered and settled into plotting-mode. //See if I buy you pretties again anytime soon, Mia Dearden-Queen...//
"..Neither can I..." from Dick. That wasn't much like Mia...
"Cissie and she are trying to work out the details, but they said two teams means a need for two archers," Kon said. "It was completely cool to watch them trying to out shoot each other."
Tim drummed his fingers against the side-rail of the taxi, muttering comments in Mia's direction that were far less than flattering. Thankfully, they weren't in English, for Kon to hear. Dick, on the other hand, made plans to be far away the next time Tim got his eyes on Mia.
When they arrived at the hotel, Kon could barely keep from hovering, ready to get Tim upstairs and do what he wanted with the other boy.
"Kon, feet belong on the ground," Dick said very softly as they walked up to the suite. "I'm going to grab my cell out of the room and head back out, let you two say hi properly," he added in the privacy of the elevator, which made Tim flush slightly. He'd finally finished swearing vengeance at Mia for not letting him know a friend he'd gotten far too distant from had come back, and had leaned against Kon's side once they were in the elevator.
"Thanks, Dick. I appreciate that. And Roy says he's hitching a ride," he added, unable to believe he had let that slip his mind. "When the old man comes."
Dick grinned, then frowned. "Who on earth did he get to keep Lian? Kyle and Connor? They'll kill him..."
Tim laughed. "Oh, they probably would. He might be planning on leaving her with Donna, Mia did tell me she'd moved back to Titans East..."
Kon shook his head. "He was talking to Tempest at the time he told me."
"Oh. Cerdian, sure," Dick agreed after a moment to think. "That makes sense. And Garth knows how to take care of kids." The elevator opened and he headed in to grab his phone and leave again. He really, really hoped the hotel's soundproofing was good... Some things he just did not need to hear.
Once the door shut behind his brother, Tim tossed the bag into a recliner and moved to Kon, pressing up against him to kiss him, hands sliding down into the back pockets of Kon's jeans.
"I missed you, Timmy," Kon said once they broke, holding his lover close. "So...got anything left to do today...besides me?"
Tim shook his head. "No... I don't," and he kissed him again, deeper yet.
A quick, controlled thrust of TTK got them both in bed, still clothed, but half the fun was peeling away the cloth between them, Kon decided. For now, he just kept Tim pinned, kissing and grinding slowly. Tim moaned into the kiss, twisting under him, hands sliding under Kon's shirt to run up his back, feeling all the hot skin and muscle there... and Kon just smiled, more than ready to drive Tim crazy.
*~*~*~*
Oracle had been keeping tabs on certain villains more closely than others for years. One particular villain got almost star treatment on her lists, being a frequent thorn in the side of two people she truly cared for.
When he had been locked up, she had put the watching into an easier pattern; she had a camera trained on him. Then a member of the more shadowy arm of the government visited him. She stepped up her surveillance, saw when he signed a Suicide Squad Deal in exchange for a full pardon.
And he did not come back. The government cleaned up the mess begun by him dying in the middle of the mission by having a 'military accident' nearby.
Oracle got suspicious when her agents could not turn up a body in the unmarked graveyard given to members of the Squad who died. She dug, using nearly every resource in the backdoors of the government she had created.
She did not like what she found.
*~*~*~*
Other than during his visit a few days earlier to one of the city's best tailors, he had not been in Hong Kong as Bruce Wanye, posing as merely a well-off businessman taking a holiday with his sons. That all changed the night after Dinah's arrival. He called ahead to one of the more exclusive cross-cuisine restaurants in the city, making a reservation for two on a night when they would be at their busiest, and was amused by how swiftly they agreed to his request. Dressed in the new suit, he stepped from the car door when it opened and turned to take Dinah's hand as she stepped out, drinking in the sight of her as much as he had the moment she finished dressing and allowed him to see her. They'd barely made it out of the hotel, if he was honest with himself. It amused him that her raven locks were the wig, now, instead of the blonde, but she looked utterly stunning.
Bruce mainly ignored them, though he did answer the calls for her name after a few moments, smiling at them with his 'usual' foolish smile before the doors closed and sealed them away from the gossipmongers. They were seated by the maitre'd, no less than expected, and a server hovered nearby. "What are you planning to have, Dinah?"
"Oh, I'm sure whatever you choose will be just delicious, Bruce." Her voice was like honey, and she knew the waitstaff would be heavily bribed tonight.
Which would only add to their good fortune. He denied her words with a laugh and a shake of his head, "No, no. I don't think I know enough to pick something good... but I do happen to know who to ask!" He lifted his hand slightly, and their server was there almost instantly, making a very good attempt at pretending she had not heard every word. "Are you ready to order, sir? May I be of any assistance?" Her English was perfect, he noted, still with the crisp accent of the British schools.
"Yes, I think you can. I'm a little confused by the menu, what would you say would be the best meal for such a lovely woman, and also for myself?"
The young woman paled slightly, but recovered her composure almost instantly, and with every evidence of delight recommended several options. Two were exactly what he would have preferred, and he chose both, pleased. His hand lay across the table, barely touching her hand. Their server bowed and disappeared, and he smiled over at her. "I hope it meets your tastes, Dinah, I really do. I was sure lucky to spot you, in all this..."
"I'm still so flattered that you, Bruce Wayne, even remembered me," she flirted. "I mean, Gotham is a big city, and every one knows who you are, but me?" She used her finger tip to caress his index finger.
"I don't know why you'd be surprised, you're a pretty unforgettable woman, Dinah," he replied with a smile, shifting his hand to touch hers a little more.
She almost purred at the compliment. "Thank you." She debated just how far to push this, and smiled when a server walked near enough to truly hear. "It's almost a teenage fantasy come true; I had the most amazing crush on you growing up."
He smiled back, delight on his face, and chuckled. "Well, let's hope I can come close to meeting your dreams, then. Quite a lot to live up to, though..."
"Well, Bruce, you're off to a ...sizzling start." She let her voice drop into pure sex-kitten ranges for that.
"Nice to know I'm meeting your expectations so far," he smiled, dropping his own voice to reply just as their server arrived with the trays and settled a glorious meal in front of them both. "Thank you, miss. This all looks amazing, wouldn't you say? Now, I guess the question is where do we start?"
"I'd say with a bite here, a taste there," Dinah replied, her eyes and voice matching the flirty set of her lips.
"Begin as we mean to go on, then? Sounds like a wonderful idea, not that I'm surprised. You're rather full of those." Thankful he did not have to pretend to be incompetent with chopsticks, he selected one of his favorite dishes and took a bite, let pure delight cross his face--it truly was exceptional--and swallowed before lifting another bite. He waited a moment for her to finish, and told her, "You simply must try this, Dinah, it's exquisite..." then turned his arm and wrist to extend it across the thankfully small table.
Dinah leaned forward, taking her time to slowly, artfully take the morsel in her mouth. "Mmm, that is wonderful," she purred.
He swallowed, the reaction not at all an act, and smiled, "I hoped you'd like it. How's yours?"
For answer, she picked a piece up with her sticks, her skill with them as ingrained as his, and made an offering to him. "Do try." She watched his mouth rather than his eyes.
Bruce leaned over and took it lightly, letting his eyes close to savor the flavors. "Oh. Wonderful is definitely the word... rather like you."
"Thank you. They do say I'm a bit spicy like this," she said shamelessly.
"I think if anyone says you're only a "bit" spicy, they don't know you well... but that suits me--I'm fond of spice."
She laughed with music in her voice, then coughed and reached up to play with her ear, finger ghosting over the earring there. Just about the same moment, his own small receiver tingled.
"B. Oracle here."
He reached up to brush his hair back out of his eyes, "Not a good time," he spoke very softly.
"I was busy," Dinah said softly at just the same time.
"I don't care. We have a high priority mission that is going to need all of you," Oracle continued, and Dinah hissed in a breath, wondering who else was on channel, even as she met Bruce's eyes. "Twenty minutes for you to rendezvous at your hotel, then I'll brief." The connection clicked out.
Bruce closed his eyes a moment and swore mentally, dropping his hand away. They could easily have spent an hour or more over this, and enjoyed every moment, now... they would have to eat quickly, as though on fire for each other--//not untrue//--and hurry out...
Dinah flicked through their options as well, and hated them all. She decided Oracle needed a swift kick if she could not have found someone else to handle this. That same thought flickered in his eyes before he sampled another dish and once again offered her a bite, voice teasing, free hand sliding to her wrist.
She responded to the light touch with a smoldering look, following the chopsticks back across the small table, knowing he could read her, and he would cooperate in a kiss to begin the exit act. He kissed her, lightly, leaning over, then made every attempt to ensure that they ate well, touches to her free hand becoming more and more electric to the observer until he hurriedly called for the check, reassured the nervous maitre'd the food had been excellent and they would most certainly return, holding her close against his side as he smiled, then got them out the door.
Dinah played up to every touch, every look, and the ride back to the hotel did not break the show. She knew just where and how to touch him, or herself with an art of drawing his eye just so, to insure the driver had a good tale to be bought by the paparazzi. He was slightly more well-behaved as they crossed the floor to the elevator, and was thankful that they managed to step into one without other occupants--most people were out enjoying the late evening, as they ought to have been. The second the doors closed he kissed her deep, pulling her tight against him for long, long moments, hands running up her back... He finally broke it to breathe, and growled, "Your partner, Dinah..." The act had been only a bit an act, and wanting her was like breathing, these days... //Babs, what have you got against the holidays?//
"I know, I know..." She ran a hand down his chest, lower, as the other cupped the back of his neck, wishing for more time.
He growled, low and soft, and kissed her again, pressing against her touch as he stroked the side of her hip, her back, other hand carefully at the base of her neck, not in the wig.
She whimpered softly to him, reluctantly moving away as Oracle activated her earpiece, but not his. She looked very frustrated as she listened carefully. She then sighed, just as the elevator came to a stop. "Witch just made me responsible for getting you, Tim, and Dick to the air strip, once she briefs. Zinda's already en route," she told Bruce once Oracle was off her comm.
//All of us? What's happened?// He felt the hair on his neck raise out of dread. Barbara knew very well how little he wanted to be disturbed during this year. That she was calling boded very, very ill. And that she wanted all of them was even worse. "Tim? She has no excuse for that." The arousal was put aside, banked for later rekindling as he stepped out of the elevator.
"Our room, I think. I'll get Tim." He kissed her one last time, and went, unlatching the door with his keycard--he stopped with words on his lips as his partner's voice ran over his ears, low and rough and begging from the half-open bedroom door, and shut the one he was holding quickly. "Never mind."
He went to join Dinah, shaking his head once at her look, and his head turned as Dick jogged down the hallway, eyes narrowing at the sight of them. "I was afraid she meant you two..." he said as they got inside the doors of the suite.
"Everyone," Oracle's voice crackled to them. "We have a situation concerning one of the Titan rogues," she continued as they moved into the room and locked the doors. Dinah moved into Bruce's space, worried, but needing at least some touch to settle her nerves. That was far too many for their kind of mission.
"Who all's on channel, O?" Nightwing asked.
"The three of you. I don't have your Arrows outfitted yet," Oracle said grimly, planning to rectify that. "And Tim's comm gear malfunctioned." There was the sound of a deep breath being taken. "The trial for Slade Wilson was rushed through and he was found guilty on all counts," she began.
Dinah became very still in Bruce's arms, her entire body tensing.
"I know," Dick said, arms crossing low over his chest, hands pressed to his side in sharp contrast to the hard edge in his voice. //Do you really think I don't, after what he did to my city? To me? (To everything I have with Roy?)// He'd paid very close attention to that, once he healed, but that had been finished months ago. Slade was supposed to be locked up tight.
Bruce could just guess what, or who, had caused that malfunction, given what he'd overheard. He held Dinah gently, close against him, informed by her reaction that the complex... relationship he'd known was between her and Slade possibly had more layers than he knew. "And?"
"He was given the Waller treatment."
"No!" Dinah's growled denial was involuntary and harsh, while Dick's breath stuttered.
"Yes, Canary...and it was reported he died. Only, I have finally confirmed he did not. He is, however, currently in the hands of a dubious government agency, undergoing extreme experimentation."
"Oh, he probably did," Dick replied to Oracle's words, then went completely still, eyes blazing with blue flame. Furious as he was at Slade, betrayed as he felt by so much that had happened in recent years, the man that had saved his team, willingly taken the beating that had let him pour out his grief and rage for a beloved friend and guarded him through the aftermath, had been his biggest challenge and the best whetstone to his skills still held a place in him. The thought of the man he had once respected held, tested--"OH, FUCK no. One's Enough."
Bruce's eyes narrowed involuntarily as his lover and his son proved once again that Slade had hooks deep in them. //Wilson, you arrogant son of a bitch...//
"You said our Arrows?" Dinah latched onto that. "Zinda has them?"
"Yes, I called Green Arrow, requesting his assistance and Arsenal's. He agreed, on strength of my claim you wanted him there. Speedy is aboard...but I would prefer she keep Superboy company there."
"Agreed," Dick said swiftly. //Oh, shit. Roy is going to go postal. Twice. I just finally really got him over my complete stupidity...// "They know the target yet?"
Bruce nodded, also agreeing. This... was nothing for the two young Titans. The rest of them had enough background in covert operations for this, but despite Tim's age, they were going to need him as well. He was the best hand with a hack they had to put on the ground.
"They do not know, only that it is a threat of League priority... and we are the closest thing to a League," Oracle replied. "Zinda should touch down in the hour. I started her moving before I had a confirmed site to move all of you to. Further briefing will be aboard the Aerie One." The JSA was still rebuilding and despite some of the rumors she was hearing, the League was down still.
"Understood, Oracle." Dinah shivered at the thought of more people like Slade...or worse, his daughter when she had not yet regained sanity.
There was only one airstrip that could handle the Aerie One in Hong Kong, Bruce knew, and it was only a few minutes by what his son still called the rooftop highway. "Anything else, O?"
"Not now, B. I'll need R to help me decrypt files once he's aboard." She cut her end of the link to the two men. "Canary, I know you needed a break."
Dinah walked away from Bruce a little, hand to her ear. "I've got it, O. We can't afford any monsters being made with his abilities. Just make sure the Tower knows Ravager might be staying a little later than the end of the week."
"I can do that. Oracle Out." Dinah took her hand down, turning back.
"Dick--"
"I have eyes, Dad. I'm gone. I'll... go hang in the lobby or something. See you in 40? I'll roust Tim out, too." He'd snorted at the very implication that he'd stick around when tension was boiling off the two of them. Hell with the lobby, he wanted the gym, but he couldn't show off that badly here...
Dinah turned her eyes to Dick briefly, thanking him silently, even as he saw the signs of her masking the completely involuntary reactions of earlier. Dick managed to flash a grin at her and vanished out of the hotel room, trying to control his own reactions.
Bruce crossed the floor to her, pulling her close and around to kiss her deeply, holding her tight. //Mine, Dinah. Mine and Ollie's.// The thought was a low growl as he tried to control his own reaction to hearing her almost panicked cry at the news. //I nearly lost my son to him. I will not let him have you.//
She gasped into that kiss, feeling him take firm control of her. It was exactly what she needed to push away the confusion Slade Wilson had caused in her life, and she brought her hands up to hold on to him.
He smiled to feel her wrap around him and lifted her again, completely careless of the dress as he carried her towards the bedroom. Time enough, if not as much as he would have wanted, and he needed her badly--between the teasing earlier and now this... He would have her, now. She gave a small whimpering moan, clinging to his strength, to his solid will to make her his.
He worked at the fastenings of her dress as he moved towards the bed, wanting her out of it before he pinned her down, kissing down her throat, barely managing to restrain the desire to mark her as he stripped the fabric away. The dress came away easily, leaving her in little bits of nothing designed only to tease, not conceal. She shivered softly as the air hit her all over. "God, Bruce...."
"Hmm?" He laid her out on the bed, appreciating the view and the care she'd taken to tease him as the exorbitantly expensive suit quickly fell to the carpet before he joined her, trapping her against him, pinning her possessively.
"I need you." Her blue eyes met his, just before she leaned up to kiss him, running one hand into his hair, the other down to his shoulder.
"Mine," he told her, kissing her deep as his hand ran over her intently, feeling her pressed tight against him, pleased to hear the need in her voice. //Mine, Dinah.// She shifted beneath him, body open to him, to his touches. She was very sensitive, as his hand drew gasps and moans within their kiss, and made her move against him, reacting so very hungrily to him.
It wasn't long before he slid into her, moving slow and deep into her as his mouth ran everywhere he could reach without breaking that connection. Her voice rang out from the first moment he slid inside her. In no uncertain terms, she let him know that she was his, now and always, with every cry, every buck up against him, her nails carefully turned away from his skin as she held on, conscious enough not to leave cuts that would sting with sweat under armor.
Finally, he whispered to her, "Fly for me, Dinah," he coaxed, aggression having slowly been taken over by simpler love and desire as her reassurances settled into his mind. The uninhibited strength of her reactions, the way she willingly gave in to him had worked to calm him
She clung to his neck, pressing up to him as her body began to shake, on the edge when he spoke to her. "Bruce, my love..." She whispered it against his throat just before her back arched, giving herself to him completely as she lost all control, fireworks behind her eyes.
"Dinah," he whispered back to her, letting himself follow her over, arms wrapped tight under her body, hands at the back of her neck and the small of her back.
She held on tight, her body shuddering several times around him even after the first sensations had begun to die away. "Mmm, not exactly what I had in mind," she whispered, once they both had their breathing back.
"No," Bruce agreed, lifting his head to kiss her gently, petting her equally gently.
She smiled at him. "Still have time for a quick shower," she told him softly. "The water closet on the Aerie is not big enough for two."
Bruce nodded and slowly moved away from her. She moved off the bed, catching his hand, dragging him to get a shower as quickly as they could. If she slowed it down with hungry kisses here and there, he at least knew just how much time they had left in his head. He was keeping that count, and returning a few of those kisses with interest as he got them through the shower, dried, and into their respective choices of outfits. The suit was far too recognizable and Oracle had best have armor on the Aerie, so it was a night-black gi and the pieces he simply had to have, for now, black belt and thinner gloves and other pieces..
Out of the bag that Dinah hated carrying at times, she pulled a fully black body suit out, one that had a very high collar. She had discarded the wig earlier; now she hastily secured her long hair in a pony tail at the nape of her neck, tying off the end to keep it together until she had a chance to braid it to make it stay out of her way. Certain small devices slipped into unseen compartments built into the suit, and her distinctive jewelry was traded for a different set. She carried the mask that went to this body suit, knowing she would add more protection to it at the aerie.
Both of them ready, they stepped out the bedroom door of the suite. Dick was leaning there in almost a twin to Bruce's outfit, though the harness for his sticks broke the lines slightly, and he was amused to see that he'd kept his boots. Tim, too, was in soft black, and looked anything but pleased behind the concealment. Beside him, Kon looked both sheepish and bitterly unhappy.
Dinah nodded to Tim, then let Bruce lead. Her mind ticked over the armory on the Aerie. She could borrow Huntress's armor pieces, her crossbows with the tipped bolts. She would let the Bats use the armor they had originally stocked for Savant and Wildcat, as well as the range of smoke and gas grenades. A quick thought of taking the forty fives for when they found Slade was discarded; she was sure Bruce would be dismayed, and Zinda might not appreciate her letting a man that had almost killed her use her own weapons. If they could even trust him with them.
"Briefed, Tim?" Bruce questioned.
"Yes. I need a new comm set, though." He shot an annoyed look at Kon, who flushed darker. Which privately amused Bruce, pleased to know he was correct. Dick chuckled, amused.
"I have more for all O's frequencies on the bird." Dinah shook her head. "I think I have enough to equip everyone onboard."
Bruce nodded, and walked to push the balcony door open, eyeing nearby buildings. "Doable. Let's go."
Kon tilted his head. "Tim, flying with me?" He had to go pick Mia up, Tim might as well come along the easy way...
"...yeah. I am."
Kon's grin flashed brilliantly, "Airstrip, right, Di?" He waited only for Dinah's agreement, and the two of them were gone.
Dick chuckled softly, shaking his head, amused as he followed, eyeing the lines himself--then he was gone, line fired and over the edge. Bruce glanced to Dinah, arching a brow behind soft black cloth.
She flowed up against him, letting him feel that the cloth of her uniform was deceptively reinforced. "Not my style, but I trust you."
Bruce nodded once, quickly, and fastened an arm tight around her to take to the jumplines, then the rooftop highway once they hit an appropriate spot. On the rooftops, she was able to keep up with little trouble, knowing by sheer instinct just when and where to turn for her jumps, never breaking stride. When the rooftop stretch was at an end, she was at his side, letting him take her down, within the outer fences of the airstrip.
Bruce spotted the unmistakable form of the Aerie One coming in, pleased they'd beaten it, and dropped to the ground to join his sons--and his youngest's lover.
"Lady B, we're waiting on you." Dinah stood just far enough from Bruce to keep it from being obvious to a casual observer they were together. Kon had no such compunctions, touching Tim the entire time they waited.
"Roger that, Canary. Bosslady says she's almost got things ready, and you've got two fine fellas waiting to get the dirt." That made Dinah smile, as she fidgeted with the mask she was carrying.
Dick waited, trying to keep his nerves under control. Roy was going to go so insane over this... he would almost rather that Babs hadn't brought him along.
The Aerie taxied to a full stop, the hatch opening. Pretty quickly, Mia was disembarking, and the others were waiting to go up. Dinah saw the sulking look, and the half opened lips and shook her head furiously.
"I will not let you go along... you're not trained for the covert nature, and I won't...I don't want you in a position where lethal force might be involved." That cut off every protest Mia had prepared.
Tim nodded his agreement with that, arms crossed over his chest at her. "I cannot believe you didn't tell me Arrowette was back," he growled.
Bruce shook his head and walked up to go hunt armor, letting them hash this out. Dick was right behind Bruce, getting out of the way of his brother's bad mood, looking for both his lover and armor. He'd almost had enough time to cool down.
Mia's eyes snapped to Kon in anger. "How could you?! She asked me not to tell him!"
"Didn't ask me," Kon said defensively. "Tim should know she's back."
Roy was just inside the plane, looking slightly torn between happy to see Dick, and pissed that he did not know what was going on. Ollie was nearby, fidgeting with the dark grey gi he had donned for this. Dick went and pressed close against his lover, distracted from his hunt for a few long moments. "Hey, you."
Tim frowned, then sighed. "Okay, fine. You I forgive. You promised. She and I are going to talk, though." He hugged her quickly, then kissed Kon again. "You've got the room key, right? And know how to get back? I've got to go."
"Tim... I've got this," Kon reassured him, rolling his eyes.
Mia moved close enough so Kon could pick her up, after hugging Tim. "See you when you get back," she told her friend.
Roy nuzzled him, then drew him along toward the armory he had been shown. "So, what's the gig?"
Dinah saw the kids move back, let Tim go up ahead of her, then climbed up and shut the hatch. Her eyes flicked over Ollie, noting Bruce had moved on ahead of the boys. "Zinda, honey, go ahead." The plane started to move, as Kon had gotten Mia clear as soon as Dinah disappeared inside.
Dick shook his head. "I'll let Babs tell you," as he picked through the armor and equipment.
"That's all the blonde would tell us too," Roy grumbled. He had already outfitted himself, and looked very lethal.
"Waiting for me is always the best policy," Oracle said, amused, her voice coming from various speakers. "The situation is grave, and is against a covert arm of the government."
"Sounds like my kind of party," Ollie said, snagging Dinah's hand and drawing her into his lap.
"Shh, Ollie. Let her spit it all out." She nuzzled him gently. "I take it you know where he is and how we can get in?" she asked her partner.
Dick roamed around, tension in his shoulders, unable to hold still even to reassure Roy. Bruce settled fairly close to his lovers, waiting, while Tim dropped into a seat instantly, listening.
"Slade Wilson is being held in a secure, off the books facility in the middle of South Dakota. It is minimally staffed, and a team of our precision should be able to get in, break him out, and get clear before they can alert any back up."
"Slade Wilson?!" Both archers' voices rang out in shock and anger at hearing who the target was. Dinah flinched, sliding out of Ollie's grasp to her own seat as the man vibrated in hostility.
"GREAT way to start, Oracle!" Nightwing snarled at the ceiling. "Aren't you the one normally yelling at me about tact?"
"Calm down!" Canary said fiercely. "All of you!" She glared at Ollie until he backed down.
"Arsenal; Arrow. Would you like to face an entire platoon of soldiers enhanced with Slade's abilities?" Oracle's voice was harsh; Dick had pissed her off; this was her bird, her mission, her call on how to handle it. The only reason she had called on the arrows was to give sufficient ranged back up.
Ollie stewed, his eyes locked on Dinah's a long moment. "That is a point."
Tim's eyes were wide behind the masking cloth. It wasn't often Babs did something that would cause that kind of a reaction deliberately. He could hardly believe she was sending them after Slade, of all damn people, but... He shivered slightly at the idea of more Slades, or, more likely, more Roses. //Can't let that happen...//
Roy swore under his breath for long, long moments, finally giving up. "No, I don't, but they've tried that before and failed miserably. What makes this any different?" //I'd rather just leave him rot...// He wanted to pin Dick to something solid and make him swear he wouldn't do anything... rash, flicks of that red and black wrong armor in his mind. //Stop that. He promised. (Not the first time he'd have bro--) Oh no. Knock it off.//
"...Rose." Dick said softly. "Rose survived. Whatever he did, or had done... Rose came through."
"Exactly. So he unlocked the secret." Dinah shivered.
"Robin, I unlocked most of the surveillance equipment, but the diagrams are in need of your touch," Oracle said, causing a console to light up to show him where to work. "From preliminaries, Canary, I suggest letting the archers and B provide the distraction. You and the FBW are quicker at getting in and through security to get to him, nd the FBW can disable the lockdown rig they have him in."
Robin got up and headed over, settling to work on the software, slowly starting to mutter in programming languages under his breath after a few moments.
"Hey, O. Not that I don't appreciate the compliment, but do you wanna fill the rest of the class in on how he got locked in some government hellhole?" //You're the one that said you were doing the briefing and dropped Di and me live bombs to cope with...//
There was a pause, and the sound of a sigh. "Waller's meddling. He got listed as dead after signing up for his mission though....I know that project, and I followed up."
"No body where they usually hide them?" Ollie growled. Bruce reached over and laid a hand lightly on Ollie's shoulder, trying to settle him down.
"None, Arrow. So I dug...I've got reasons to be as paranoid about him as certain others. And I found him buried in this facility."
"I can't believe even she'd offer that, not after what he pulled..." Roy muttered, eyes hard. //Not after the 'Haven...//
Tim was lost in his own little hacker's world, not paying any attention to the rest of reality. Right now he liked it that way.
"Oracle?" Dinah's voice begged a question, and it had Ollie and Roy look at her from differing viewpoints.
"Yes, Canary, it was a definite set-up. They intended to get him killed all along...and in his arrogance, he likely thought he could beat the odds."
Dinah looked down, shaking her head, and they thought she might have said 'stupid' under her breath.
"If some of the people that know him were involved, they knew what would happen... god, that thickheaded stubborn idiot..." Dick growled.
Ollie looked from Dinah to Dick, then back at Roy, who shrugged helplessly. He hated this whole situation, as there was no way they could ignore this mission, but it was Slade... and Slade twisted Dick around so badly. And Dinah, Roy amended to himself, watching his friend/sister/mother look up with a mask of professionalism. //I do not like this.//
"And they have further complicated things. The prisons issued a death certificate. Slade Wilson is a free man, under the letter of the law, as the government will not openly admit what they did with him, if we get him out. And much as none of us like that thought, we have to, or face worse consequences."
Dick closed his eyes, hands tightening into hard fists. "Damn, Damn, Damn. Son. of. a. bitch." //We have to let him go?! No!//
"That's not important," Dinah said clearly. "What is, is getting in, trying not to hurt more people than we have to in order to do this, and get the bastard out. What we do after...well, I know a nice little island."
The sound of quickly muffled laughter from their invisible teammate was a much needed tension breaker.
"Hopefully somewhere freezing cold and with continual rain?" Roy asked hopefully, mainly to keep his father from erupting all over again. //You'd better mean somewhere awful, Di...//
Dick finally re-opened his eyes. "Sorry. I'm good." His voice was perfectly level.
"Better...Dinosaurs that all his skills did not save his butt from...and rain...and a nasty bunch of Japanese world war two soldiers and scientists," she continued, until Ollie couldn't help but grin and lean over to kiss her.
"Sounds like the perfect hell," he told her.
Tim found the cypher and finally cracked the compound's full diagrams. Using the surveillance feeds, he could see the route in to their target, and three viable routes out.
Roy grinned too, pleased with that. He wanted to do something to help Dick, but... There was honestly nothing he could do, not when it was Slade that was the problem... but his lover'd better plan on not stirring out of the hotel for a few days.
Even Bruce approved of that thought, nodding once. Dick wasn't okay, but he had it under control, from the expression. That would have to be good enough. It would be ridiculous to expect much more.
