Titans Tower, San Francisco

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

It's true, what Lilith said. He hasn't been here much since the incident with Light. He's retreated to the familiar shadows that he knows, that he spent most of his formative years and adult life in. Stayed home with his family.

Alcatraz is being pieced back together. For once, the Tower was spared. For that, he's grateful. Not as grateful as Cyborg, but still - another rebuild would have demoralized them further after their clash with the JLA.

On national TV.

There have been countless statements issued since then, and the others have really been putting in a lot of overtime helping S*T*A*R Labs rebuild their facility in New Jersey. He hasn't been there except to sign off on paperwork.

Well, he was the one who led them to that mess, right? He not only led the charge, but he later lost it with Shimmer in a manner he hadn't thought himself capable of since he pummeled Joker into -

Christ.

He feels severely unpopular at present. But there's other family he has to talk to right now, and he really can't put this off any longer.

Under the weight of all that has happened in the last month, Titans Island has rarely felt this oppressive.

Comments

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

Outside the Tower, Mar'i is practicing one of her aerial acrobatic routines. Cuban Eight, Shry'k's escape, Immelmann turn, tailslide, this really icy twist she'd invented when she first joined the Titans back home, a Pugachev cobra followed by a Frolov chakra, then a triple to finish it off. Pleased with herself, she lands near the founders' statue and heads towards the Tower.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He's waiting for her at the entrance. He'd gotten here in time to watch part of that display, and while he may not have brought her up in this timeline, he can recognize the twists and turns that could only have come from someone trained on the trapeze, and some spins on Starfire's moves he's long been familiar with.

Adopted or not, he can't help but enjoy it, and feel a semblance of pride. Good to know he did something right.

That feeling probably won't last.

Hey.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"Dadro!" She gives him a hug. "What're you doing here? How long're you staying? Oooh--classes are going to be out for the holidays in a couple weeks, so I was going to e-mail you about coming out to the 'Haven--"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He returns the hug, but it's laced with a faint stiffness in his frame that she'll likely know means something's up. He holds up a hand to slow her down, a half-smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Whoa, easy, Tiger.

The smile fades.

I need to talk to you. Somewhere we won't be disturbed.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"What?" She searches his face for clues. "Is it Mary? I thought she--hoo. Somewhere we won't ... I still have a room here. Will that be okay?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

No, she's fine.

An abbreviated nod, before he stands aside to let her lead the way into the Tower.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"X'hal be thanked," she sighs in relief, leading him through the lobby to the elevator and up to her room. She doesn't keep many personal effects here--most of them have been moved to her condo on the mainland--but it's not quite as sterile as a hotel room. Her laptop and a small pile of textbooks are on the desk, plus a copy of Reflections: A Collection of Essays and Speeches by Diana of Themiscyra.

Mar'i perches on the edge of her bed, gesturing for him to take the chair at the desk. "What is it?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He makes sure to close the door behind him, a default sign by the others established early on in the Titans' days in lieu of "do not disturb" notices. He crosses the room and sits down slowly, making sure to look her in the face as he does so.

Honey... it's about Ibn.

He watches her carefully. How he goes about this depends on her reaction.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

Her confusion deepens. "Ibn? But ... do you mean Ibn or is this about the League of Assasins?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

Ibn, he reiterates. God. I shouldn't have to do this...

He's... he's alive.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"What?" She doesn't seem to understand. "But he--but--I saw it. When it happened."

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

I know. And he knows how that feels - intimately. Bruce... he went into the Underworld to bring him back.

And the hardest part of all, and his brows knit as he looks for the words.

It happened almost right after he was killed, and... I didn't realize Bruce had managed it. I knew he'd been down there, but... I thought if he'd been successful, you would have been the first person to know...

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

Numbly she shakes her head. "No ... I haven't ... no...."

Her hands are gripping the edge of the bed, and Nightwing can hear fabric tearing under her fingers. "I didn't know," she says in a broken voice, then begins to weep.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

Again that brief surge of anger, instantly quelled by concern for his adopted daughter as fabric shreds. He gets up from the chair to move closer to her.

Mar'i... I'm sorry. I didn't know myself until yesterday.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

As soon as he's in reach, she clings to him, weeping more strongly. Eventually he can make out a word, repeated over and over:

"Why?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He sinks down onto the bed, and wraps his arms around her. He doesn't say anything just yet. It's not his turn to talk. It's hers, and he can feel her anguish tearing at him from the inside.

Eventually, he gives her the only answer he can: his honest one.

I don't know, honey.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

Mar'i doesn't try to talk after he tells her that, merely continues crying until she has, for the moment, run out of tears. "I don't understand," she says in a bruised voice. "But ... I didn't understand Ibn very well at the end."

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

Dick doesn't answer that for a while, letting the silence comfort them both. If it's one thing he's learned, it's that people are hard to understand, period.

I remember what you told me.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

She nods, not so much agreeing with what he says as acknowledging that she has heard it. Eventually she says, "Did ... did he give you any message for me?"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

For someone like Dick Grayson, for whom repressing emotion is more difficult than asking him to walk on water, it's hard to miss the brief, momentary duck of his head.

I didn't speak to him... Oracle did. Just for a moment.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"Oh." She is trembling ... no, she's shaking. Her jaw is clenched.

Abruptly she stands up. "I need to go. Please tell Starfire and Cyborg I'll be back tonight. Or tomorrow." She heads for the window, fumbling a little with the controls that keep it closed.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

And he rises up, concerned she's going to do something stupid in her rage. She inherited temper from both sides, and recent events have brought home only too well what that temper can do.

Mar'i --

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

"No!" she shouts, whirling to face him as the window opens. "I--"

That jaw clenches again, and her lips move. She's counting to 10: in English, Tamaranean, and Romany. "No," she says in a more normal tone of voice. "I need space. I need space. I'll be safe there and I can go somewhere I won't hurt anyone."

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

So this is what it is to be a parent. To be the emotional punching bag for the world's sins, and then, when spent, to be pushed away.

He just recently spent a day borne from hell worried for one daughter's life. Everything in his face says he doesn't want to face that worry again so soon.

But she's not a baby. Still a child in some ways, but she's not defenseless.

Softly:

Alright.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

His worry gets through her turmoil. "I promise," she says. "I won't go far. I'll be back tonight. I just ... I need to hit something. A lot."

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He understands that all too well.

Okay.

He steps forward, takes her face in his hands, and plants a kiss on her forehead.

I'll be here. With...

He pauses, then continues.

With Selya. And Luum. When you're ready.

[mari-grayson.livejournal.com]

The tears are welling up in her eyes again as he releases her, but she manages a grateful smile. "Love you, Dadro," she says, then turns back to the window and streaks away into the sky.

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He stands at the window long after she's gone far beyond his field of vision, the steady breeze from the Bay brisk against his face.

It's going to be a long night.