Milk And Cardamom | S. Brown ✔

[39]

After the battle in ACE Chemicals and witnessing both Deathstroke and the shadowy spy working together, Tim's suspicions deepened and he plunged himself deeper into his research. There must be a link between Deathstroke and the spy, some shared goal or common origin, and he could feel that all the answers relied on that link.

Digging into Deathstroke's past, he reopened all the articles ever published on him, every single piece of evidence he could find in the archives of the Batcomputer that had access to the city's darkest of databases.

Bruce was aiding him in the research and the two were working together to decode the mysterious initiative behind Deathstroke's alliance with the shadowy creature and their mutual targeting of the vigilantes.

The answer was not out of their reach though and as Tim scanned the reports Dick had made back in the days when the former had been operating as Red X, he struck upon a very important clue.

"This is it," he exclaimed and Bruce turned to look at him.

"You found something?"

"Everything," he replied, fingers feverishly typing on the Batcomputer as his blue eyes scanned each page he had pulled up, "my assumption was correct. Deathstroke and this shadow creature or rather, Shadow Walker as he is commonly known, share a common origin. They were both recruits of N.O.W.H.E.R.E, both metahumans created to be used as weapons and both far more powerful than they were expected to be when created. Look at this."

He showed him Dick's report about the organization and its members then he showed him another document on the Ravagers and their tied missions first with the organization led by Harvest and then against it. Apparently, the Ravagers were a force of young metahumans controlled by N.O.W.H.E.R.E who later rebelled against them.

Grant Wilson, Deathstroke's second son, was also a part of the Ravagers and had died as a result of that rebellion. Jericho, the eldest son, had lost his life while shielding the first Robin from Deathstroke himself. The only son he had left was Lucas and even he was not willing to join hands with him and had sided with the Bats instead, which added a layer to the hatred Deathstroke held for them all.

"Somehow, their mutual goal is to end us," Tim explained while Bruce took in the evidence in front of him, "Deathstroke has a long held enmity towards us; he blames Dick for Jericho's death and he blames the Teen Titans for what happened to Grant. Why Shadow Walker is involved with him is still unanswered but it was clear the two are not going to back off until they achieve the target they have been chasing."

Bruce nodded though a frown creased his forehead, "this has gotten much deadlier than I thought..."

"I know," he resumed, "I have been tracking Shadow Walker ever since I first encountered him. He is no common metahuman. He has vampiric abilities and combined with his shadow manipulation, he has so far managed to elude capture. As for Deathstroke, you know very well that man is out of bounds."

"Doesn't mean that we will give up," Bruce's brow furrowed as he scanned the article opened on the screen in front of him, "for now, Lucas is in danger and the sooner he goes into protection, the better. As for us, I'm sure the two will strike any of us first chance they get as payback for what happened in ACE Chemicals. I need you all to be twice more careful. And especially you, Tim."

"Bruce I..."

Pale blue locked with his deeper blue irises as Bruce spoke up, "you have an extremely bad habit of ignoring my warnings. You plunge yourself into danger without caring that it could take your life. I have almost lost you twice before, don't let that repeat."

The words silenced him and he knew Bruce was right; twice earlier Tim had taken life threatening risks just in order to solve the cases or help Batman out in his missions. Twice earlier he had barely returned from the pit of death, causing himself extreme damage; both mental and physical.