Blood Ties

Chapter 14 -Trade Secret-

Fair warning- Panic/Panic attacks are going to be a big theme in this chapter.

Renegade was grinning ear to ear as he stepped out of the Zeta tube. Matthew growled in his arms, his tail flicking indignantly at the weird sensation of being teleported. Batman followed them out, finding the young mercenary waiting for him before they moved off together.

"Most of the team has left by now, Aqualad has also returned to Atlantis for the night." Batman informed as they walked into the kitchen. Renegade nodded, adjusting the cat in his arms lightly and letting his slightly nervous gaze scan the room.

Superboy was simply standing with his arms folded looking quite cross, but Dick liked to think that was his resting face. Miss Martian was floating around, making some type of food that required eggs, tomatoes, and a few other random ingredients.

She almost paused at the duo's entrance, her confusion quickly replaced by a kind greeting...? Was slapping herself in the head considered a greeting? Or was that just a Martian thing?

"Hello, Megan!" She lightly smacked her forehead, causing a bizarre jolt to run through the acrobat, and exclaimed, "Artemis told me you two left for something important, but she didn't say when you'd be back. Is that a cat?!"

Ignoring the weird greeting, Renegade promptly replied. "Yup!" He said just as joyously, his giant grin growing wider. "His name is Matthew."

"Why do you have a cat?" Superboy grunted, eyeing the young mercenary with barely concealed hostility.

"An old friend," Batman said in the raven haired boy's stead, lifting and resting a heavy hand on the his small shoulder. "And seeing as how I've permitted you to keep Wolf within the mountain, I'm alright with Renegade keeping his own companion."

Superboy and Renegade caught his undertone, the message between the lines. The Bat was making them equal, no certain mercenary precautions and rules. Renegade liked that, and may or may not have sent a snarky smile to the kryptonian who looked less than happy at the unspoken chastisement. Miss Martian, however, was oblivious, being enamored by the fluffy little creature in Renegades arms.

"Aww he's so cute!" Miss Martian fawned, floating over and crowding the cat held by the mercenary. Renegade was spooked by her closeness, nearly backing away before she could start to pet the cat. He remained still though, the heavy hand on his shoulder feeling like both a blessing and a curse. It wasn't that he had anything against the martian, he was just shocked she so willingly entered his personal space. He could almost feel her breathing as she bent down a little to give her full attention to the creature in his arms.

Her amber eyes crinkled as she ran her fingers through the cats long black fur, then switched to his head and scratched behind his ears. Matthew was silent, even his tail stayed still through the alien's ministrations. Renegade was instantly jealous. Matthew was never that nice to random strangers, even him! The acrobat chalked it up to Martian Jedi mind tricks, Miss Martian was cheating.

"Renegade has already had dinner, and I'm sending him off to bed early." Batman said to the two teens, his hand still on the boy's shoulder.

Forgetting for a second that someone was in his personal bubble, Renegade quickly grew a grin again as he remembered back to a good hour or so ago. He relished the shocked look of the drive-through lady at a Chick-fil-A when the Batmobile rode up and ordered a burger. Renegade had been sitting in the passenger seat, making a paper airplane with some trash as he tried to get Batman to order a milkshake for him too. Batman was being as stoic as ever while ordering, even while Matthew was meowing incessantly behind them because of his distaste for vehicles, and seemingly ignoring the 13 year old's cry for a milkshake. As the woman left her window, the little glass door slid closed, but not before Renegade's paper airplane flew right in and rested gently on the adjoining counter. Renegade had fist pumped in victory, only to be reprimanded by Batman's disapproving look. This did not deter the young mercenary, in fact he gasped obnoxiously in amusement when he found the paper airplane in his food bag once they peeled out of the drive-through.