Into the Depths – Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three
The Price of Immortality

June 21st, 2009. Sunday, 10:32 am.

Dick shifted, somewhat nervous. The woman was staring at Slade, her gaze unwavering. Dick wasn’t worried about these women – obviously they weren’t enemies. However, he knew to respect them. He wasn’t about to anger a bunch of angels, especially when said angels were girls.

The last thing Dick needed was five more ‘mothers’ on his case. He’d take Slade any day over them. ‘Dad’, he could handle, even if said father were ever angry at him – no matter how frightening that was.

But five angry mothers? Now that was the ultimate of scary.

“And just who are you?” demanded Slade; though his tone was soft and understated, as if his extreme wariness of these beings constricted his voice.

“I am Mikaela,” said the first woman, her Celtic accent lilting her tones. “Before we return you to the surface, we have some things we need to address.”

The woman turned to her companions; they all came to stand about two feet in front of them. Slade reared back slightly, as if intimidated. Dick looked at each, taking in every detail of their appearance. But it was the lack of shimmering that he noticed the most. These women had a more solid form than Mary.

The darkest skinned woman stepped forward; her dress had the most floral pattern in design and the least beaded pearls. “I am Tawiah.”

The woman with glasses and the clipboard stepped forward; her dress was similar to the oriental kimonos. She winked again. “My name is Kimiko.”

The next woman stepped forward; her black hair was braided with white pearls and her dress design bore remnants of ancient Egyptian, which also had the most beaded pearls. “I’m Zahra.”

The final woman stepped forward; her skin was light compared to the others and her dress was the most similar to Mary’s in design, yet more elegant. “And I’m Amelia.”

“Fascinating,” snapped Slade, his eye narrowing at the women. Sarcasm dripping throughout his tone. “Thank you so much for the pleasantries, but if you don’t mind, we need to get going now.”

“Oh, but we do mind,” said Amelia, her gentle, pleasant smile turning a bit more dangerous. “And if this area was more conducive for company, I’d have said to park your butt in a chair and shut up.”

Slade’s mouth hung open.

That moment where Dick had felt almost afraid of these women now vanished. When once they had felt so powerful, even out of this world – as that was the only term Dick could think of – now turned to be more inviting. These women weren’t strange beings. They were true, honest humans above all. It was both amusing and slightly alarming.

The posture to each woman softened. A few chuckled, a few shook their heads. Kimiko rolled her eyes. Tawiah put her hands onto her hips and shot Amelia a scolding look.

“Can’t you be more polite?” demanded Tawiah, her voice filled with an accent as well.

Amelia pointed at Slade, incredulity in her expression. “To this man? He’s given us enough trouble as it is.”

“Oh, yes, because telling him to ‘park it’ is going to endear us to him,” said Zahra, rolling her eyes. Though her skin was dark as well, she still had black eyeliner around her eyes. “You catch more flies with honey.”

“Snapping towels catches quite a few, too – if I do say so myself,” said Amelia, huffing slightly.

Kimiko didn’t say anything, too busy scribbling something on her clipboard. Either she had really small handwriting or her clipboard could hold more than a normal one. Her lips twitched into a reserved smile.

“Ladies, ladies, please,” said Mikaela, holding her hand up. “We haven’t time for this.”

“Not to be rude, but just what are you?” demanded Slade, appearing to be at his end now. Mikaela looked at him with surprise in her expression.

“We’re angels. Archangels, to be more precise.”

Dick waited for the ‘duh’, but it never came.

“Oh, yeah,” drawled Slade, the derision growing more. “If you’re angels, then where are your wings?”

He folded his arms, as if this was the most natural question.

Personally, Dick thought it was smarter and safer to poke a grizzly bear’s cub with his mother watching than to bait these women – but then again, that was just him. After all, he wasn’t immortal. Slade didn’t have to worry about something so trivial as dying.

“What is with you people and wings?” snapped Mikaela, huffing in exasperation.

Mary looked mildly offended.

“Oh, yes. Yes!” cried Mikaela, almost hysterically – as if she had reached some stunning epiphany. “Yes, I see it now! It’s brilliant.” The woman motioned each size as she continued to rant. “We go from teeny tiny plankton to hairy monkeys to humans to giant birds with wings! Yes, I see it clearly now.” Her head dropped into her hand. “Dear Heaven, grant me strength.”

Dick snickered under his breath.

“They could be functional, I’ll have you know!” interjected Mary, putting her hands onto her hips. “If you would only consider them—”

“Mary Grayson,” snapped Mikaela, in a tone that suggested this topic had been repeatedly discussed, much to her exasperation. “We are not birds!”

“But—”

There was a sharp rapping sound, cutting off both women in their argument. All eyes turned towards the source. Kimiko had tapped her pen against her clipboard. She pushed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose, her dark eyes gazing at all who looked at her.

“We have nineteen minutes and twenty-two seconds before the other battle becomes severe, to the point of failing,” said Kimiko, her accented voice bordering on monotone as she stated the numbers. “It is now ten thirty-three. We have until ten fifty-two.” Then, her voice lilted upward, as if in questioning. “I suggest we get on with it?”

Mikaela took a deep breath. She nodded. “Right.”

However, before she could continue, a new voice, unrecognizable to Dick, spoke out. It was young, that of a teenager.

“Wait a mo, Mike! I wanna join in the fun, too.”

Then, Dick caught a glimpse of Slade he had never seen before. The man had stiffened, frozen to the spot, his eye widening with a mixture of intense emotion beyond anything Dick had seen there – fear, shock, and agony whirled within. For a long moment, Dick actually worried about the man; it appeared as if he had stopped breathing.

Then, a figure shimmered and appeared. There, standing next to Mary, was a boy. He was taller than Mary by a few inches; thus, a number of inches taller than Dick. He had dark brown hair, which was parted in the middle. His eyes were like Rose’s, a grey blue. And then, Dick knew exactly who this boy was. He had an element of mischief, far greater than Dick’s own, within his eyes. Even in the youth of his face, Dick could see so much of Slade in the boy. However, he could also see why Slade had once compared the two of them.

Grant Wilson: Slade’s firstborn.

“How’s it hangin’, Dad?” said Grant, grinning from ear to ear.

The poor man appeared to have a small heart attack.

Slade had to take a step back, as the voice of his first son took him back so many years ago. There was no wall behind him or else Slade would’ve indulged in leaning against it. As it was, it was extremely hard not to sway on the spot. Instead, he couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Dick by the shoulder and holding onto the boy for support. As Dick looked at him, there was a gentle light in his eyes, as if he knew exactly how Slade was feeling.

His son still existed.

Slade wasn’t sure what was more heart failing at that moment.

“Grant Wilson, how many times have I told you not to call me Mike!”

“Only six hundred and sixty-five times,” said Grant, grinning broadly as he rocked back onto his heels with his hands behind his back. He winked. “What to go for one more?” His eyebrows waggled in mischief. Mikaela sighed in exasperation, while the other women chuckled.

If there was ever a thing to take his breath away, other than Adeline on their wedding day, it was this. Seeing his son, the boy he had last seen motionless, now alive with so much life – well, it was stunning beyond measure. The boy hadn’t changed at all. He was still the adorable back-talking brat – fondly mentioned, of course – that he’d always been. He was different than Dick, who had an element of mischief to his personality, but not to the point where one wanted either laugh or strangle him. Grant had always danced along that line.

“Just what do you think you’re doing here, young man?” demanded Mikaela, putting her hands onto her hips, while ignoring the chuckling that was still going on among her peers. “Did you do as you were asked and direct the others?”

Grant nodded. “All done.”

“Then, why are you here?”

Grant displayed a wide, toothy grin. “Just wanted to join the party. And scare Dad to death.”

“You were told to stay put!”

“And miss such a fantastic opportunity of seeing my Dad’s flabbergasted expression? Yeah, like that was gonna happen.” Grant turned his attention to Dick, grinning even broader. “That’s such a great word, isn’t it? Flabbergasted.”

Grant’s mischief was contagious, because Dick slowly smiled back at him. While Mikaela continued to sigh and shake her head, the others were smiling and ever chuckling at Grant.

He’s still causing trouble… He really hasn’t changed.

“We don’t have time for the affect your presence will cause,” said Mikaela, her tone filled with scolding. “Your father will already have enough information to deal with without the shock of you showing up. Think of the man’s poor heart!”

Grant only grinned wider. His grey blue eyes twinkled as he motioned to Slade. “Ya see, she thinks you’re old, too. You might wanna sit down before you pass out, ol’ man.”

Dick let out a laugh, which he quickly changed a snorting cough. He glanced innocently at Slade, amused guilt in his features. Thus, with that, Slade let out a low sigh and placed a hand on his forehead.

Slade had already had a hard time understanding Trigon’s existence. Being effectively blackmailed by the creature hadn’t helped, obviously. However, somehow, Slade’s mind could wrap itself around the existence of the darkness. After so many years, it didn’t surprise him. The world was a dark place – Slade had experienced this intimately, whether on the battlefield or in contact of the villain underground.

The existence of light was so much harder to understand and accept. It changed everything Slade ever understood and accepted about the world. A battle to the death, Slade could handle that. But seeing for himself, knowing for himself that angels – actual angels, blast it! – were entering the ally side of the battlefield was enough to send Slade over the edge of sanity.

But it was Grant’s appearance that completely threw him off balance.

Maybe, maybe he could’ve accepted Mary. A mother watching over her orphaned son, even after her death, such a sad tale could be understood. Ghosts could be explained, right?

But this…

Oh, what he would’ve given to have Wintergreen at his side right then. The old man would have offered some kind of advice, something to bring sense back into everything. Right?

Then again, the old man would have more than likely caused Slade even more confusion.

“Grant, you may only stay if you remain quiet for now,” said Kimiko, checking her clipboard again. “You may speak with your father later, but right now there’s no time.”

There would be a chance to actually talk?

Grant went rigid in a military attention and saluted the woman.

“Roger!”

There was another long, tired sigh. Somehow, Slade could relate.

“All right, onto the subject at hand,” said Mikaela, shaking her head for a moment as she glanced at Grant. “Immortality on Earth isn’t something mankind is supposed to have currently. However, there are three, now, who do have this. You, Slade, and your two children, Rose and Joey.”

“Ah, I would like to interject for a moment,” said Kimiko, speaking up. “Your immortality can be passed down to children, as in the case of Rose and Joey; therefore, to contain further immortality among others, you will not be able to have any more children. Rose and Joey will be unable to have children as well.” Her tone softened; her dark eyes filled with emotion. “I am sorry.”

There was a sharp intake of breath. Slade glanced towards its source; Dick appeared stricken by the news. For a moment, Slade couldn’t help but wonder why. It wasn’t like he was married, nor was Slade planning on it ever again. Once was enough.

It wasn’t like Slade would find someone to fill what Adeline had been, anyway – and Adeline had made it more than clear she wanted nothing to do with him. And who would marry him, anyway? A fellow mercenary? Good grief… Maybe he should put out a want-ad: will marry if you can kidnap my son to be your apprentice.

Mmm, now there was a suggestion, one which made Slade growl in his throat at the very thought.

“You’re not included in this, sweetie,” whispered Mary, her eyes filled with understanding. There was a sigh of relief, as Dick placed a hand onto his chest. Slade raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling alarmed that, already, the boy was planning on children. Good grief, the boy was only fifteen!

The news about Rose and Joey, however, wasn’t good. It meant that Slade would never have biological grandchildren – not that he was asking for them just yet. Still… It would’ve been nice. He wasn’t sure how Rose and Joey were going to take it, though.

These women… They were meddling busybodies, weren’t they?

“When you volunteered to be a test subject for the truth serum,” said Mikaela, continuing. “You were the only one we gave immortality. Sadly, though, you were the only one who survived the events surrounding this.”

There was something in the way she said it… After a moment, Slade’s eye widened, horror filling his face. Fists clenched at his sides. Then, his hand bolted out; Dick jerked in surprise, his eyes wide in alarm. Slade grabbed the woman by the collar and dragged her close, uncaring over his actions. Further surprise entered Dick’s eyes as he glanced at Slade’s hand, then to his mother, before glancing back – Slade didn’t notice this.

“Are you saying you killed thousands of men and women for this?” shouted Slade, the fury uncontained. “You allowed them to die, while keeping me alive?!”

A warm hand touched Slade on the forearm.

“You should’ve died as well. We have no power to stop the choices of men,” said Tawiah. Her voice was calm. “They have their freedom of choice, a gift given to them in their very birth, conceived even before time existed. Terrible things happen, simply because man chooses these things. We cannot stop it or else we infringe on this freedom.”

“How could you let them die?” demanded Slade.

“We didn’t let them die. We had no control over that. We are not to blame for other people’s choices – only our own,” said Mikaela, her eyes never wavering. She appeared unconcerned that Slade held her by the collar. “Humanity’s very nature is an enemy to everything that is good. It will be those who fight against their very nature, they are the ones who will become something magnificent.”

Slade’s hand loosened its hold as he frowned.

“Those who give into it,” continued Mikaela, her tone becoming powerful. “Those who give up, they are those who are weak – and if there’s one thing humanity is not, it’s weak!”

The hand slipped out of the woman’s collar.

“We’re not unaware and we’re not unprepared,” said Zahra. “No mortal is truly free from death. There are some that claim it, there are some that flee from it, there are some who deceive it, but no matter what, they are not exempt. The three individuals chosen for this time who are currently without fear of death are you and your two children.”

“You were hand chosen to protect the land until time has been completed,” said Mikaela.

All five women were staring at Slade, as if this news was supposed to explain everything – as if that justified the fact the countless other deaths. Well, wasn’t that just wonderfully irritating – in fact, it was so irritating, Slade could actually feel his blood pressure rising.

“This must be a joke.”

And a poor one at that.

Protect the land? What did that mean? Were these women honestly suggesting that they chose him, out of so many better people out there, to be someone they trusted? Why not Batman or Superman, for crying out loud! They were far better suited to the do-gooder act than he was – okay, yes, he did some good things, but nonetheless, he wasn’t about to go saving stranded cats in trees. If Dick wanted to do that with the rest of his life, then that was fine. Slade had no inclination for that sort of nonsense.

Wintergreen didn’t even need to be there for Slade to hear the old man’s mocking voice of, “Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”

“This is not a joke!” snapped Mikaela. “We chose you for a reason.”

“And of all those good men and women, you chose me?”

“Correct.”

“Oh, yes,” drawled Slade, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “Since my moral code is the highest one around. Naturally, I was picked out of the lot.”

Personally, Wintergreen was at the top of Slade’s list. Why hadn’t they picked him? He would’ve been so much better for the job and he would’ve actually enjoyed it, too.

Mikaela smiled. “Not quite,” she said, giving Slade an amused lift of her eyebrows. It set Slade’s teeth on edge. “We chose you because you are the most capable of change. Your ability to adjust yourself, your ability to learn, to grow – these are the reasons we chose you.”

‘The most capable of change…’

Out of all the people in the world, Slade would’ve sworn he was the least capable of change. He was immortal. Wasn’t that the point, after all? He couldn’t grow, since it had been stopped so many years ago. Yes, of course, he’d gotten a bit more… mellow this past year, but that was only because Dick was a sensitive boy and Slade was only trying to be a good father to him.

Surely… Surely that wasn’t the sole reason they would pick him?

However—” continued Mikaela, breaking off and turning her head ever so slightly, a smile lifting her lips as she looked down at Dick. “A certain condition needed to be met before it could be fully unlocked. Your mother figured this out and put this into motion. Her son truly was born with a unique power.”

Dick frowned. “But I don’t have powers,” he protested.

“Are you sure about that?” said Mikaela. A smile lifted her expression. “The man who was a mercenary now stands beside you as man convicted to his new position as a father. He will sacrifice everything for his children now – for his family. This is a man worthy of our choice. You have the power to change people’s hearts. Your spirit is very special.”

“But I failed Terra,” whispered Dick. “In the end, she still betrayed us.”

“Did she? Did she really betray you in the end?” asked Zahra. “From the beginning, she was a spy. From the beginning, she came into your group to destroy you. But because of your kindness, because of that unwavering heart of yours, she turned towards you. In the end, it was Trigon whom she betrayed and he tried to kill her, but her power protected her – in fact, it’s her power we’re using in protecting everyone else. Without her gift, people would’ve died.”

“So, now all you have to do is stop Trigon,” said Mikaela, smiling pleasantly.

Oh, yes, since that was so easy. Whether or not it was on the top of Slade’s to-do-list, it was still nearly impossible to accomplish. And he certainly did not need these women to state the obvious!

“Your power of healing will keep everyone on the battlefield going,” said Amelia. “The only requirement needed for this to activate is your intent. You must believe and trust in your own power, and you must want to heal. Without those things, your healing is useless.”

Slade drew in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring in aggravation.

“Look, I understand this is difficult to process,” began Mikaela. “I know you have dealt with much—”

“No. You know nothing about me,” hissed Slade, his patience officially at its limit. “You can claim to be whatever you wish, but you know nothing. Do us all a favor and stop acting as such—”

“You were never in a coma.”

Blood drained from Slade’s face. The woman was unwavering as ever, the powerful light in her eyes gazing at him with an element of deep knowledge – as if she knew, something that simply couldn’t be.

Or, in reality, something Slade didn’t want to be.

He could feel the boring eyes of Dick, his stance frightening curious, yet not over demanding. Dick, no doubt, was wondering exactly what the woman had meant – he was quick, though. The boy would piece together the truth before the woman even opened her mouth to reveal more.

There had been no reason to state otherwise. Better to say he’d been in a coma instead of what really happened during those two years. When he had told the boy his story, it had been before their deeper connection. Well, Slade had no qualms about telling the truth, even dark secrets, what had happened during those two years did not need to go into the ears and mind of a fourteen year old – and fifteen wasn’t a step up from that, either. Immortality didn’t happen in a deep sleep.

Vietnam was terrible. It was horrific.

And yet, it didn’t compare to what happened during those two years.

“What is she talking about?” whispered Dick, glancing between Mikaela and Slade.

“Two years in a coma? It was a lovely cover up story to what truly happened there.”

He hadn’t even told Adeline. She was a strong woman, one of the main reasons he married her. She could handle the talk of war, being in the army herself, no matter the horrors it brought. But Slade kept the worst of it to himself.

And that included everything else in his life, not just the war.

“What happened?” asked Dick, his eyes wide with anticipating horror.

“To put it lightly—”

“Enough!” shouted Slade, glaring at Mikaela. She was unaffected. “You will not speak of it, especially not in front of Dick.”

“—they tortured you.”

Rage beyond anything Slade had ever felt before billowed and exploded in his heart. How dare this woman sprout out deep secrets. How dare she stand there, acting so nonchalantly about dark things that should never be dredged up.

How dare she!

“The truth serum was harder than they originally suspected,” said Mikaela, still ever unwavering, yet now a softness entered her eyes, as if the relating the information was painful. “They weren’t looking for something that merely induced a small amount of truth. They wanted something more all encompassing. They wanted a truth serum that made its victim lose all sense of personal agency. Even if the victim didn’t want to speak, they would have no choice but to spill everything their soul possessed. Not even the strongest of wills could resist it.”

“If they had succeeded,” said Zahra, her voice low. “It would have been the means of creating armies of mindless soldiers. The world would’ve experienced terrible war, beyond that of the previous world wars.”

“Instead, we allowed them to find a formula for immortality, even though they’ll never know it,” said Mikaela. “However, to be clear, the original formula itself only works for you. On anyone else, it will fail.”

“But I gave the serum to Dick,” said Slade. “It worked, to a point.”

“No, you gave him an injection of your blood, to be exact. Which is dangerous for normal people, I might add. But since it’s your blood, it was fine. In fact, you can inject your blood into any person and it will give the same effect – healing.”

Wait, what?!

“Healing?” asked Dick. “You mean, he can heal more than just himself?”

Mikaela nodded. “How do you think you became well overnight? Slade used his healing on you, though without realizing it.”

Healing abilities? No, no, no, that couldn’t be correct…

Slade frowned. Well, it did explain why Dick recovered so suddenly. The boy had wanted to call it a miracle. Obviously there had been an explanation for the impossible. It was almost comforting, if it weren’t for the fact Slade had to accept a further level of his powers.

“Each of you, Rose and Joey included, have individual gifts on top of the immortality,” said Amelia. “While each of you have the gift of regeneration when needed, only you, Slade, have the gift to extend it outside yourself. Rose has the gift of power. Joey has the gift of voice. Not only is Rose powerful, but if she uses it well, she can effectively teach others to gain power for themselves. The art of persuasion and leadership is given to Joey. His voice can sway people; thus, he will be a leader, who can bring many together under his command.”

“Together, the three of you make a complete triangle, each power interconnecting with the other,” said Kimiko, motioning with two fingers in the air to form a triangle. Then, she brightened up, beyond anything she had displayed yet. “Kind of like the Legend of Zelda, but not quite. Unfortunately. Too bad, really.”

Slade looked over at Dick and hissed underneath his breath, “The what?”

Dick leaned closer and whispered, “Video game.”

“She’s comparing real life to a video game?!”

“Apparently.”

Hibernating sounded absolutely fantastic at that moment.

“I have a wonderful idea,” said Slade, sounding almost optimistic. Those who knew him well would’ve heard the oozing sarcasm creeping there. “How about we send you into battle, while we offer our insignificant, unneeded, and unwanted moral support.”

Dick groaned and dropped his face into his hand. He shook his head, while murmuring, “Dad,” in a chiding tone.

Grant snorted. “He’s still got it.”

“Oh, come on!” snapped Amelia. “It’s a battle against the father of all evil. Stop complaining about this. We’re trying to help you. We could’ve just let you all be. Then, you’d be dead. Honestly, did you really think it’d be easy? A simple playground fight? Bah, of course not!”

“What Amelia is trying to say is,” interjected Zahra, lifting her hands in a placating motion. “A battle against evil is ongoing. Every moment you breathe, you fight. Every moment you’re alive, you’re battling against the evil in whatever form it takes. Whether it be a visible opponent or whether it be yourself. This is just on a higher scale than what you’re normally used to—”

“This is ridiculous,” snapped Slade. “This battle is obviously on a different plain on the scale of insanity. This isn’t our fight and you know it. Why involve us in your supernatural fight, anyway?”

That, apparently, had been a strange question to ask. The five women looked at Slade, puzzled surprise entering their features. Even Kimiko paused from her clipboard to stare at Slade.

“Our world is your world,” said Tawiah, her voice soft. “Your world is our world. We are interconnected. We are family. You would never abandon your children, would you? It is the same here.”

Slade could feel a headache coming on.

As the another argument surged upward with Slade at the helm –something about all this being too much, along with a few mutters of where a good, stiff drink could be located – a soft voice took Dick’s attention.

“Dick,” whispered Mary, motioning to herself. Dick looked back at Slade, now arguing louder than ever with Mikaela. It even alarmed Grant, who was trying to do some damage control. Dick tore his gaze away from the mess and came over to his mother. Mary’s eyes glimmered as she looked at him.

For a moment, she didn’t say anything. Then, with a hoarse whisper, “Listen to me, my little robin. I have a few things to say to you before you go.” Dick nodded, noting the seriousness in her tone. “To overcome this challenge, you must look within yourself. You must overcome your weaknesses – and to do this, you must acknowledge them and accept them; there’s no hiding from them. You cannot sweep them underneath the rug, like you used to do during your chores when you were a child.”

Dick blushed, but he smiled. However, his mood sobered when he saw the desperate light in her eyes.

“You aren’t perfect,” whispered Mary. “And that’s okay. You’re not meant to be in this life – but you still must understand where your limits are. Once you do, it is then and only then that you have the knowledge and strength to overcome them through your diligence.”

“I hear you, Mama,” said Dick, wanting to reassure her; she seemed so anxious – so worried and desperate for him to understand. Problem was… he didn’t. “But I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

Concern entered Mary’s face. She looked to the side, as if trying to gather her thoughts. Then, after a long moment, she glanced back at Dick. She lifted her hands in the air, raising one finger on each hand.

“Two sides war against each other right now,” said Mary, her voice still low and quiet. “It is always easy to listen to the one – to give into the weakness. However, your true strength cannot come out when you do what is easy. No one ever truly wants to do hard things, except for a handful of thrill seekers, like your father over there—” Dick snorted. “Some might like challenges, but much of the time, the trials and challenges of life are never the ones we would choose for ourselves.”

And there it was again, that desperate light in her eyes, as if she worried about the enemy he would have to face – as if she knew his weaknesses more than he knew them himself.

“Remember, little robin,” whispered Mary. “When you feel weak, when you feel like giving up, push a little more, trying a little harder, take one more step – your weakness will become your strength, then.”

She hesitated for a moment. Then, in a hushed tone, one filled with so much meaning, but one Dick couldn’t fully understand, she whispered yet again.

“Don’t fear yourself.”

“I… still don’t really understand,” whispered Dick, wishing his mother would be a bit more clear – he understood her vague instructions; she was obviously warning him about something. But why couldn’t she just say it outright?

But Mary only smiled, though it was slightly strained. “I can’t say more, my little robin.” She paused; her expression became contemplative, though her eyes twinkled. “Protocol… after all.”

Dick snorted into a laugh.

“So I’ve heard.”

The twinkle faded in Mary’s eyes. She clasped her hands, twisting them together, worriedly looking at him. It was as if she were trying very hard not to have a nervous breakdown – no matter how much she was actually failing at that.

“Mama, what’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“My baby’s going off to war,” whispered Mary. “It’s hard not to feel a little anxious.”

“Oh,” said Dick, blinking.

And then he knew.

He had wanted to ask, had wanted to understand what Styx had meant with his cryptic and disturbing warning. But the look in his mother’s eyes said it all. It wasn’t just a warning, yet it wasn’t a prediction. It was only a possibility, one that couldn’t be allowed to come to pass. And with every conviction in Dick’s soul, he wasn’t going to fail in that.

Dick took a deep breath and smiled at her. “I’ll be careful, all right?” he said, confidence in his tone. “I promise. Everything is going to be fine.”

A peace melded across Mary’s expression. She smiled at him, the worry gone. She nodded.

“I know. I’m still your Mama, though,” said Mary, her nose wrinkling with her smile. “It’s my job to worry myself sick over you.”

She stepped closer to him, her hands slipping upward next to his cheeks. Dick could feel the shimmering warmth, yet there was no weight to it. He dipped his head, just as Mary leaned forward. Their foreheads touched, that same warmth entering his skin. Dick pushed back the longing of wanting to hug her and simply enjoyed the moment.

A soft whisper entered Dick’s ear.

“There’s another gift you’ve been given.” Mary exhaled, a gentle laugh on its edges. “The injection of Slade’s blood did more than just heal you. For you and only you, as this won’t happen for anyone else – you are truly your father’s son now. Heart, soul, and blood.”

Dick’s eyes widened.

“You mean…”

“You’ll notice it in your children. The resemblance will be unmistakable. You’re still a Grayson, but you’re also a Wilson now. Just no… immortality. If you need further proof – knowing Slade – a blood test will confirm it.”

As they pulled back, there were tears in Mary’s eyes. She gave him another smile, one filled with pride and joy. The information blew Dick’s mind. With everything going crazy, this was the best gift Dick could have been given. Even after her worry, it was like she was confirming that there was a future for everyone – and Dick was determined to see that future.

The argument seemed to have calmed down now, though Slade appeared to be sick, tired, and exasperated – while Mikaela merely smiled. However, a worried voice broke the calm.

“Mikaela,” whispered Grant, pausing for a moment. Then, the color draining from his face slightly. Further alarm entered his tone. “I think something’s wrong. The others… Don’t you think we should let them go now?”

Mikaela nodded, her expression turning grim.

“I noticed it, too. All right, you best hurry, then,” said Mikaela. She walked to one of the walls in the cavern. “From here, this will take to the surface. After which, you will only need to go a small ways before you enter the battlefield,” she said, pointing to the doorway, which appeared and formed from the rock face. “Trigon planned on keeping you down here forever. Whether your death came from suffocation, starvation, or the multitude of demons, it mattered little to him.”

“Hold up, that’s it? This all still doesn’t make any sense!”

Dick blinked, remembering that new fire demon. He completely ignored Slade, riding over the man, “Wait a minute, what was that black demon?” he asked. Slade glared at him for interrupting. “I hadn’t seen anything like it before.”

“It’s the highest ranking demon beneath Trigon,” said Kimiko, looking at her clipboard. “There are five in existence, to counter our five Archangel court. They are quite difficult to defeat. Each have their own unique army to command. You’ve met one, who commands the great army of secondary fire demons. Luckily, however, three are currently unavailable at this time, being stationed among other parts of the universe.”

The young woman smiled at them, almost cheerful like.

“Consider yourselves lucky,” said Kimiko. “Had all five been stationed here, there would be no hope to defeat them.”

Zahra rolled her eyes. “Leaving things to chance isn’t our way. Don’t listen to her. She’s teasing you.”

Teasing, Dick could take that. The unknown worry about another one of those nasty, terrifying demons, now that was something Dick didn’t need.

“So… We have to take down two of them?” asked Dick, glancing between the women. “What does the second one command over?”

There was a weak laugh, one which bore the recognizable sounds of someone trying to cover up something. Mikaela came to their sides and pushed them forward.

“Now, now, I do think it’s time for you to go.”

Of course, this only alarmed Dick more.

“Hold up, what aren’t you telling us?” demanded Dick, his head whipping back and forth between every woman, resting finally onto his mother. She was wringing her hands together, her lips pursed firmly into a straight line.

Well, that didn’t bode well.

“Nothing like experiencing the full effect on the battlefield,” said Mikaela cheerfully, as if a full on battle with demons was perfectly normal and acceptable.

“I prefer to have my intelligence beforehand, if you don’t mind,” snapped Slade.

“Well, that’s good. You’re going to need it,” said Mikaela.

Grant snickered.

“Mikaela is just trying to cover up the fact we could only get rid of three of them,” said Amelia. “You shouldn’t have to deal with them at all, let alone with two of them.”

“All right, fine,” said Dick, trying to control the rising fear. “So, just tell us what we have to face. We got this, but information is a must.”

Unfortunately, all three of them, with Raven placed and settled into Slade’s arms again, were pushed into the rocky opening that was posing as a door. Kuroi followed them, her tail high. Mikaela grinned, lightly clapped her hands together a few times, before gesturing upward with a finger.

“Going up?”

Dick would’ve had time to enjoy that irony if he hadn’t been so focused on the subject of confronting more demons such as the black one.

“See ya, Pop!” said Grant, grinning from ear to ear as he waved. “I’ll probably see you later. Just win.”

He winked; Mary sighed in exasperation.

“Can’t you tell us anything?” asked Dick, the worry overflowing now. “Like what army or something?”

The doors slowly began to close. Mikaela looked up at the ceiling, her expression filled with a mixture of pained amusement and faked innocence. Zahra laughed weakly.

“Think bugs,” said Zahra, almost conspiratorially. Her smile became wider, her eyes wrinkled in apology. “Really big bugs.”

The rocky doors continued to slowly close. Dick frowned, his eyebrows furrowed deeply, as his thoughts raced over that slightly unusual, but disturbing statement. Slade raised an eyebrow and they shared a confused glance. The doors were only foot away from connecting shut. After a moment, there was a soft inhale of breath from Raven and her eyes widened. It was then that Dick’s mind flashed through memories, ones which were two months old. At this, pure horror rushed through every vein.

As the doors came shut together, Dick’s exasperated, frustrated cry was the last thing heard by the guilty, smiling angels behind.

“You have got to be kidding me!”

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