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"We went to the museum and it was very interesting. Now it's your turn Dick. I know you can do it." Barbara encouraged as she sat next to the small boy. Talon looked at her with a blank face and then turned to Cass who was beside him also, the boy's gaze rested on the book in front of him.
Damian watched from the doorframe as Cass signed, he could roughly translate it to:
'you can do it. Just try.'
Talon stared at the words and opened his mouth, nothing came out of his mouth except a gargled noise, the boy shook his head and remained silent. He tried again but it came out as a series of jumbled grammar and sounded as if something was lodged in his throat. The smaller boy growled and rapidly brought an arm to his head with such force. He was so stupid! He should know better!
"Dick don't do that!" Barbara cried out, the boy was about strike his head again before Cass restrained him. Talon screamed in frustration and felt his face pressed against what seemed to be a pillow and his hands grasped on to Zitka's fur. The boy breathed heavily and pulled the toy close to his chest. Damian watched as the red haired woman rubbed the boy's shoulder and walked towards him shortly after Cass had left the young boy.
The man crossed his arms and stepped outside the room along with the two woman.
"Not a good session huh?"
Barbara shook her head and sighed.
"His progress has... Reduced. He was constantly getting frustrated with himself since the beginning. We had to take 30 mins off since he shut down. Tried 3 different books. None of them went well. I think it's better that I leave it for today and maybe do another session in a few days time." Damian glanced at the boy who had not moved from his spot, his head rested on the pillow.
'He kept hitting himself for every mistake he made. I recommend that he spends time with Jason. I'll keep an eye on both on them.' Cass signed.
Damian tsked and nodded at his sister to go to their little brother.
Cass walked towards Dick and rested a hand on his shoulder. Talon glanced back at her, he sat up while holding on to Zitka, he placed the elephant plush on the table.
'Why am I so bad at it?' The raven haired signed and sad look plastered on his face. The anger from moments ago washed away, his eyebrows raised in confusion.
'It takes time. You're doing great so far. I hadn't accomplished as much as you have for the past 3 months.' The woman then paused and flashed her younger brother a smile. 'You want to kick Jason' s ass at Street fighter? I'll join later, I have to speak with Damian and Barbara for a few moments.'
Talon's head hung low, his mouth drawn to a thin line, he then shrugged and scampered out of the room and to his older brother's room.
The room was empty.
He was probably in the game room. The boy retreated downstairs and soon the games room door was in front of him.
The raven haired opened the door only to witness his brother along with other kids.
"Dick! What you doing here I thought you had a lesson with Barbara! Get out-!" Jason yelped as he threw his controller back to the couch and ushered his brother out.
Did Talon do something wrong?
Jay wasn't doing any homework.. Maybe he wanted to be alone?
"That's your little punk?" a new voice questioned. Talon slipped through his brother's grasp and saw the two kids. Well one was a kid and one was at least a teenager like Jay. Both of them were red heads, the older one had short pointed hair while the younger one had curtains.
"Yeah but he's gonna spill his guts with his hands about the game and I am not gonna clean the Batcave for month for it, Roy." Jason explained and grabbed his brother's shoulder.
"With his hands?"
"Yeah he can't speak. He's basically mute. In fact he's supposed to be in a speaking lesson right now. Leave pipsqueak!" Was that an insult? Sure Dick could never utter a full sentence without stuttering like a broken record. But he wasn't a pipsqueak... Well he squeaked from occasion and that wasn't because of puberty -he's not even sure if he can go through puberty- but he wasn't a pip was he? Whatever a pip was.. Maybe he was a pipsqueak. He basically answered his own question. Yeah. It was an insult. Talon shook his head at his older brother, the boy jumped in surprise when the other ginger was inches away from his face. The boy had a pair of green eyes and freckles decorated his cheeks, a pair of goggles rested on his hair.
"So he knows Sign Language. That is so cool! Uncle Barry has been teaching me so much recently! You think he would start a conversation with me if I speak? Actually no that is stupid, I don't know can he understand me. But he uses his hands to talk so it would be super unfair if I speak and he just signs and he might not even hear-"
Talon listened to the boy ramble on and signed to him.
'I can hear you. I don't mind if you sign or speak.' Talon tilted his head, this kid was chatty.
A light bulb enlightened Jason's brain. The teen hummed and pushed the two younger boys together, out of the room.
"Hey Dick how about you and KF go somewhere interesting like your room, show him your collection or some shit like that, see ya-!" The door was slammed behind to two boys who just stared at each other.
Talon just walked away, he noticed how the older boy was following. Jay did say to show his collection... His only collection was back at the Labyrinth with his time at the Court. He had a collection of daggers. It did confuse Talon when he arrived at Wayne Manor and his brothers and Bruce didn't even dare let him within a thousand yard radius of a sharp object. Could his game console be considered as a collection? By definition, one could collect retro games or a console line so yeah. He might as well do that once they get there, the raven haired entered his own room and shut the door after the ginger walked in. He stared down at the floor as he walked to one of the beanbags in front of the tv accompanied by the console and sat on it. He watched as his guest followed the action and was seated next to him.
The two sat in silence and held their controllers. They watched as the logo flew past the screen and the in game cutscenes began.
"So what's it like living here?"
Talon raised an eyebrow at the boy.
"I mean do you like it here? With Jason and all..."
He remained quiet, his lips drawn to a thin line.
"It must be cool to have a Batcave and live in a place as big as this."
Cool? Was that a good thing or bad thing? If somewhere big was cool then that would mean the Labyrinth was cool. Nothing was cool about that prison.
Wally glanced back at the younger boy. A blank look plastered the boy's face. He opened his mouth, no words sailed out. His jaw returned back up and his lips were also drawn to a thin line. Right. Communication barrier.
How does one start a conversation with the other who remains silent?
Talon looked away and fiddled with the buttons of his controller, he then placed a thumb in his mouth and scratched his teeth against the surface of the skin, hard.. Soft. Hard.. Soft. Hard.. Soft... Soft.. Copper? The boy pulled back his thumb to see blood oozing out of the cuts he created. Talon forgot his teeth were sharp. Bruce and Leslie were going to be giving him that look when he next has his session. He rubbed the bleeding thumb on the side of his jeans and concentrated on the game. Talon watched as the speedster started the game... Wait they were playing Sonic? He didn't remember remember putting that in. The raven haired squinted his eyes and he leaned back in to the beanbag behind him.
"You know I'm definitely faster than Sonic! He moves really slow. It's not even at the speed of sound!"
Confident emerald eyes glanced at unimpressed amber eyes.
A moment of silence followed.
The occasional high pitched sound effects of rings being gained and lost echoed throughout the room.
A few minutes later Talon perked up as Wally handed him the controller.
"You can have a go." The ginger smiled, Talon tilted his head... Wouldn't that make him sad? That he was taking his turn? His lips weren't down in a... frown? So it must be okay. The boy shrugged and took the controller. He started the level, he watched as the blue hedgehog and ginger fox tunnelled through underwater and forests. It was soon the boss fight.
The boss shot out some harpoons. It reminded him when the Court trained him to dodge flying daggers. The raven haired boy flinched at the sudden memories and watched the harpoon impale his character causing a massive loss of rings.
Almost like how the daggers pierced his skin and black goo painted the white floors
Talon grumbled and continued to play.
He didn't get it.
Why couldn't get it?
What was he supposed to do?
"You need to jump on to the harpoons." Wally instructed him, Talon raised an eyebrow and caused his character to jump... He jumped right into the harpoon. Wait he was supposed to- "You had to jump on the harpoon when it was impaled to the surface of stones" The red haired finished for him.
Talon growled, damn he was stupid. The boy felt the pit of flaming bubbles boil in his chest. He tried the level again, taking Wally's advice but then he lost again after he panicked because the incoming moves and the loss of all his rings. Talon slammed the controller and his hand against his face, he shook his head.
Bad.
Bad.
Bad.
Talon was bad.
Talon couldn't make mistakes.
Mistakes meant punishment.
He didn't want punishments from others anymore.
He deserved to carry out his own punishment. A true Talon realizes his mistake and will face the consequences by himself. A true Talon disciplines himself.
They drilled that to his head for every failure he committed.
It was worse than them drilling that serum to his brain. Even worse than the fact that he was aware of that so thin needle inserted to the soft tissue known as his broken brain.
His brain swam inside his skull as the force of his fists whacked the side of his head. He was about to hit himself before he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.
It was Wally.
Worry etched his facial features.
"Hey no need to beat yourself up about it! It's not the end of the world that you lose a life. Come on we can do this level together. The Wall-Man can help!" The speedster winked before he handed the fallen controller back to Talon. Why wouldn't this kid leave him? His Mami and Tati would leave him, their response was silence. The Court would leave him, their response was pain. Now this kid Wally wouldn't leave him... Why? The boy clenched his fists tightly and was about to prepare himself for another but then remembered the look on the older boy's face... He shouldn't do that. So he tries again with Wally's help of course. Sure he lost a few more times again and Wally had to restrain him from hurting himself further but they got closer and closer everytime. They were so close! He soon got the first 3 hits and beamed but then the speedster stopped talking. Can they even stop their motor mouth?
He couldn't do it without him. His amber eyes shifted to the red hair briefly, his amber eyes pleaded for guidance. His attention was soon snapped back to the screen as a group of rings erupted from his character. No they were going to lose again- Talon was going the loser he always was- Talon was a failure. The raven haired boy turned to the speedster once more but paused as he saw the speedster's hands raised.
'You can do it. I believe in you.'
Something flared in Talon... The boy's gaze then shifted back to the game, he stuck on his tongue in concentration as he continued to jump and duck the incoming harpoons. He then jumped to hit the enemy. POW! Cartoonish blood orange explosions created balls of fire smoke. Dick watched as the villain jumped out of the rusted mechanical device and scampered off-screen. The music soon changed from tense to the cheerful tone prior to the boss. Did he do something wrong? Talon switched his gaze to the older boy beside, he flinched as a blank look was spread across his face and sat there frozen. Thankfully the speedster was soon animated again.
"Yes Dick you won! You did it!" Wally beamed and punched the air.
"I-I w-won?" Talon squeaked and stuttered, he glanced back and forth between the screen and Wally.
"Yeah! You won! You even spoke to me! Jay said it took you ages to speak to him verbally! Awesome! Come on let's do the next part!" The ginger flashed the smaller boy a smile before he pulled the youngest into a half hug and ruffled his scruffy raven hair. Dick giggled and felt blood rush to his cheeks as a reaction to the sudden brotherly affection. His vision focused on the tv, he kicked his feet in excitement and mashed the buttons of the controller as he aimed to complete the next level.
Cass sighed as Bruce stood next to her with boy Roy and Jason in front of them. Why in Earth's name did Jason think he could get away with playing a sexualized and violent game confused her. No matter how many people he beat up as Robin. The kid was still under 18 therefore no 18+ games could even be touched. Now he was going to cleaning the Batcave for a month. Unlucky Bastard. The former assassin headed upstairs to her youngest brother's room, she knocked twice before she entered. The woman stilled and awed silently. She hadn't suspected Wally to be in the room with her younger brother. But there he was. Both of the boys laid on the stack of beanbags, controllers on the floor. Dick was across Wally's lap and was hugging the older boy while the speedster had an arm behind his head and the other around Dick in a half hug. Both of the young boys were asleep, the tv still playing the Sonic 2 Game music on the home menu.
The girl took out her phone and snapped a small picture of the adorable scene, she then sent it to the group chat.
'Looks like our little bird found a friend in quite a flash of time.'