The Network

Part 8: Meet and Greet

Sorry this has taken so long. I just haven't had much inspiration for writing this at the moment and have been trying to complete other stories. I will get back into this soon though. I know how frustrating it is when a story is Incomplete. But anyway, please enjoy this short update 🥰

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Dick's POV

Two weeks later

I returned to Terminal island to collect my HODs. They didn't know where they were going, nor where I had gone, just that I was coming to collect them in my jet and was going to take them somewhere for a couple of days.

They were all already waiting for me when I landed next to the hangers, fully dressed in my Nightwing suit.
"Come on," I said, motioning for them to climb aboard, "we can't keep them waiting."
"Them?" Beast Boy asked.
I smiled, "I'm taking you to meet some people, although Jade probably already knows them."

They all climbed aboard after stowing away their small amount of luggage and seated themselves in the seven chairs placed behind the pilot's seat. I sat in that, but programmed the jet's autopilot system to fly us directly to my Gotham hanger.

"So," Rose began, "about that thing you threw at us before we left…"
"Did you work out what it is?" I asked.
"A birdarang," Cyborg replied.
"But what I don't understand is how you got one in the first place."
I smiled.
"I thought that would have been obvious."
"Not everyone's as smart as you are," Beast Boy smirked.
"Yeah, right," I replied, sarcastically.
"So, where did you get it?"
"Can't you guys even try to guess," I asked, "don't you even have any theories?"
They shared a glance between one another.
“Well,” Cheshire continued, “it is a birdarang, right?”
I nodded in response.
“But it can’t be possible,” Beast Boy said, “could it?”
“Well I won’t know, if you don’t tell me what ‘it’ is,” I pointed out, smirking.
“That you were Robin,” Cyborg replied, unsure of what he was saying.
I smirked at them.
“You mean you were?” Beast boy cried.
“It’s not that difficult to work out,” I replied.
“That means you were the one on that team with my…” Cheshire began, but stopped abruptly, “Oh no, we’re not…”
I smirked, “We are,” I replied, landing the jet in the hanger, “and we’re meeting them in half an hour, so we’ve got to get there soon.”
“What do you two know?” Starfire asked suspiciously.
Cheshire opened her mouth to speak, but I shot her a glare and she closed it again.
“Why don’t you want her to tell us?” Beast Boy wined.
“Because you’ll find out soon enough,” I replied.

I exited the hanger through the roof entrance.
“How are we getting wherever ‘there’ is, exactly?” Rose asked.
I smirked and ran over to the edge of the rooftop, jumping the gap to the one besides it. They all just stood there, gaping at me.
“Just try to keep up!” I shouted back to them, continuing to jump from roof to roof.
The others eventually followed behind me.

We soon arrived at the roof of the building located next to the alleyway that held the Gotham zeta beam. I waited there for the others, who soon arrived, completely out of breath
“How are you not out of breath?” Beast Boy asked me, resting his hands on his knees.
I shrugged, “I suppose I’m used to it. Now come on, we’re almost there.”
I then flipped backwards off the edge of the rooftop, landing in a crouch on the floor below. The others soon followed.

I led them along the alley until we reached the old telephone box.
“Okay,” I said, “not all of us will be able to go in at once. I have granted you temporary access, so I’ll go first, and the you guys can follow.”
They all nodded in agreement. I smiled at them before entering the phone box.

I was surrounded briefly by the normal flash of light before re-emerging in Mount Justice. The team was already there, and Wally greeted me with a grin. He was the only one who knew the identities of my HODs. I couldn’t wait to see Artemis’ reaction to her sister.

The network members soon came through the beams, their names being announced as they did so. Cheshire or Jade came last and I watched Artemis as she saw her.

“Jade?!”

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