Aromantic_Satan requested this but imma put it in two parts otherwise this would just be too long

If my timelines are off, forgive me but it's hurting my head so just go with the flow

Also kinda went off track here and there but I hope it's still okay

EDIT: TW BLOOD

Damian groaned as ringing filled his mind. He forced his eyes open to see what the hell just happened. One minute he and his family were having a pit stop from patrol inside an abandoned warehouse that they'd recently cleared out and the next Damian was lying on the floor with sharp pains periodically stabbing into different limbs. When he opened his eyes, he was vaguely aware that most of his brothers and father were in the same state as him. A dull shouting caught his attention. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but he knew the voice well enough. It was Dick's. He furrowed his eyebrows and blinked a few times, hoping to be rid of the blur that had settled in his eyes. Several blinks later and his picture of the world was much clearer. Dick was being held back two men in Talon uniforms. He'd recognize them anywhere. His little brother was screaming and crying as he kicked his legs out to stop what was happening. The Talons shared a look before stabbing something into his neck. "Grayson!" Damian replied, outstretching his arm like that would do anything. He watched helplessly as Dick slowly became limp and his cries quietened to an ominous silence. Black dots invaded his vision whilst the Talons escaped, carrying his youngest brother with them.

That was the last time he saw his brother. Every day since then he'd blamed himself for it. He should've fought off the pain he was going through and do something. Sometimes, when he was alone, he'd allow himself to shed a tear over what happened. He'd lost the person he held the closest. He supposed what hurt the most about it was Dick was shouting for him. Dick called his name thinking that he would solve his problem and come save him. But all he did was lay on the floor and watch him be carried off. That was five years ago.

Nightwing prowled the city, looking for anyone causing some chaos. He hadn't given up some sort of hope that his little brother would turn up one day with that stupid grin and dumb phrases. Few members of the League shared his idealistic hope. Although there was a considerable number that thought Dick was still alive somewhere, they shared the consensus that he wouldn't be the child that left all those years ago. He'd be different. Nightwing refused to believe that. He liked things to be the same and naively thought that Dick was just too pure for that to happen. As he dwelled on the thought of Dick for the umpteenth time since his kidnapping, a bloodcurdling scream was emitted from a block of flats near bye. He jumped into action and began running over. He guessed from the scream that it had come from inside one of them and, judging by the clear bloodstain in one of the rooms, the victim was no longer alive. Nightwing climbed up the fire escape steps and smashed open a window. There could still be a survivor inside. He hoped there was. He wasn't in the mood for another grim reminder that the world was cruel.

As he cautiously walked through the apartment, he finally came across the murder scene in the living room. The victim was a man he recognized as one of the rich old men who were invited to the same galas as Bruce. He was never fond of them as he found them too big for the boots. Most of them had been born into money and, since he had three brothers from low-income backgrounds, he didn't see why they should boast about it. Though, that in no way meant he wanted to see them viciously murdered in their own home. He saw no point in checking for a pulse thanks to the amount of blood. Nightwing clutched his escrima sticks tighter as he searched for any sort of weapon or even the culprit. That didn't take him long as the murderer found him first. Someone lept on his back but he quickly fell back, slamming them against the floor. The murderer made a loud grunt of pain at having the force of a twenty-something-year-old land on him suddenly. Nightwing turned around and pinned them to the floor, knocking the blade out of their hand as soon as he could and throwing it across the floor. Something odd he noted was that their hands were rather small for a vicious murderer. He glanced down, catching their yellow eyes in the street light. "Talon," he muttered, knowing their eyes anywhere. Despite the eyes being golden, they looked like someone else he knew. He looked down further, noticing that the assailant was rather small. No, it couldn't be. They couldn't have done that to him. "Grayson?"

The golden eyes that had previously been darting around for some way to escape landed him at the sound of the name. There was no recognition in them. If there was it wasn't well enough to get a response. They stared at him and tilted their head to the side. It was almost like they were confused by the title. Nightwing second-guessed himself for a moment but remained certain that this Talon in front of him was Dick. It had to be. There was no way it couldn't be. The facial structure was perfect for him five years on. His height, although a little smaller than Nightwing thought he would be at fourteen, was definitely close. He inspected the boy closer, noting the yellow lines that ran up his neck and cheeks. They looked like they ran underneath his skin like veins. He frowned. "What have they done to you?" Unknowingly, he softened his grip on Dick's wrists and allowed him to bring his hands up to push him off. Nightwing fell back and frantically searched his utility belt as Dick looked for a way out. He was covered in blood so his escape would be a little hard. His eyes landed upon an open window that only he could fit through and he unclipped his grappling hook. As he jumped onto the window sill, Nightwing threw a tracker on him which adhered itself on the nape of his neck. Dick mustn't have noticed the new attachment and swiftly went about his escape, leaving Nightwing alone in the apartment with the dead body.

Upon his return to the Batcave, Nightwing found himself feeling a mix of excitement and dread. Excitement for the fact his brother was indeed alive yet dread for what he had become. There was no denying that he'd killed someone that night. The evidence was so clear even a blind man could see it. The Dick he knew would never kill someone so he had indeed changed but that change could surely be reversed. "I found Grayson," he announced. His family turned to him but lacked the same excitement as he did. They'd lost hope of finding him a while ago when all their leads went dead. Sure coming to the conclusion that their nine-year-old little brother who had already been through so much was either dead or forever lost was hard but it was harder to keep up the false hope that he would be found. Losing hope for finding him didn't mean they cared any less for him, they just thought it was better to live this way rather than waiting on the day for something to happen that might not ever come. "Damian please, I can't take any more of your dead leads," Bruce begged. He looked tired. He always looked tired since Dick disappeared. Especially in the first couple of months.

"It's not dead! I saw him tonight. He's just...he's not the same anymore."

"You saw him tonight?" Jason repeated his attitude turning.

"In the apartment block on 49th street," he responded.

"You called in a murder there an hour ago," Tim pointed out gravely.

"Grayson killed someone," Damian said quickly, knowing what they would be thinking. "He's a Talon now."

"That's enough Damian!" Bruce announced suddenly. "I can't follow your pipe dream that he's still out there." Damian glared at him.

"But I-" Bruce's look was enough to silence him but that didn't mean he was done with his point. He looked to his brothers who looked away, following Bruce's lead. He sneered at them. "Fine, if you won't believe me, there are people who will," he stated before leaving the Batcave.

He appeared in the Watchtower and stormed through the halls, collecting Superboy and dragging him back to the Zetatubes. Of course, his friend was completely puzzled by what was going on but decided to just go with what was going on. It was much easier that way. They went over to the Teen Titans tower and Nightwing called on Raven, Beast Boy and Blue Beetle. They looked at Jon expectantly but he just gave them a shrug. "What's this about? It's three in the morning," Blue Beetle complained. 

"I found Grayson," Nightwing stated. There was a resounding silence. They had all known Dick one way or another, either through stories or actually meeting him. They also knew just how much finding him meant but it did raise a few questions. One being, "That's great but why did you come here?"

"My family has long since lost hope of finding him and, although I am very capable on my own, I need back up to get my brother back," Nightwing explained.

"Then just tell us what you need us to do," Superboy replied with an empathetic smile. Nightwing nodded and walked over to the computer. A few minutes of typing later and they could see a map with a beeping red dot on it. "I found Grayson but he's not the same. When he was taken, the Court of Owls turned him into a Talon. He seems to have no memory of who he was," he explained. He did his best to ignore their sympathetic looks. He didn't want that from them right now, he wanted them to treat this like any other mission. "When he escaped, I put a tracker on him. That's the red dot. I don't doubt that he's highly guarded. That's where you come in."

"Raven met him, reckon you can sense his mind?" Superboy posed.

"I'd be able to vaguely sense it. I could open a portal around ten feet away from him," she responded. "Jon and I can defend whilst you hack the systems, there's bound to be something on there," she added, addressing Blue Beetle.

"Beetle says it'll be a hard job. The Court of Owls will have a good system, especially since they took such a well-known hero," he replied. "But we can do it."

"Once we find where he is, we'll take Grayson and bring him here. We have to be prepared for him to fight back since they would've brainwashed him," Nightwing reminded them. They nodded. No one really wanted that to happen but it was bound to. They just hoped the violence didn't escalate too far. "I can go through his mind to give him his base memories of your family back but that's the best I can do in one session. It would take multiple sessions to get everything back." Nightwing nodded, hiding his distaste for the idea. He knew how it felt to have someone root through your head and didn't want to subject Dick to that but he had to. "Okay. When's the soonest you can all be ready?"

"I can be ready in twenty minutes, maybe less," Beast Boy announced, getting a few nods in confirmation. 

"Twenty minutes it is," Nightwing confirmed. They began to walk away but he called back for them. "Oh and thank you. I-I appreciate it." They smiled at him. 

"Anytime."

Nightwing's heart was pounding, prompting Superboy to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him back," the super assured him. He hummed to himself.

"It's the least I can do," he replied.

"It's not your fault he was taken in the first place. I'm sure once he's back to himself he'll agree with me," Superboy argued. Before he could reply, Raven had opened the portal and his team was looking to him to say when to go through. "Let's go," he announced. Nightwing was the first through the portal, closely followed by Raven and Superboy who covered him, Beast Boy and Blue Beetle. There wasn't an immediate threat but they didn't doubt there would soon be some sort of threat. Blue Beetle sent a pulse of electricity to knock out the security cameras and began to look through the many files for where Dick was being kept. Whilst he did this, Superboy used his x-ray vision and managed to spot a small figure sitting on the floor of what looked to be a cell. They were hunched up but he assumed it had to be Dick since they were about ten feet apart. "Got him. Should we go about this covert or overt?" Nightwing let his excitement get the better of him at that moment, 

"Overt. Fuck this place." They shared a look of 'is he serious' before going through with it. They were probably going to regret it later but the Court of Owls probably already knew they were they so there was no point in being covert. Plus, they could mess some shit up. Blue Beetle gave up on his covert way and blasted through the wall in front of him, allowing Superboy to fly through and clear out any guards who were waiting for them. There were a few but he easily fought them off. He then turned his attention to Dick who was staring at him. There wasn't a clear expression on his face which was slightly unnerving but he had a job to do. The teen rose to his feet and whipped out a blade from his belt, giving the super a hard stare to get some sort of explanation. Superboy gulped at the size of it. It looked so big in his small hands. "Dick, I'm not going to hurt you," he stated. Dick's head tilted to the side, asking for more information. "Me and my friends are going to take you home. You don't have to be here anymore," the older added, holding his hands up to show he won't hurt him. Dick put the blade back in his belt but kept his hand on the hilt. "Only the Court can make me go somewhere. Are you part of the Court?"

"Uhh, yes! Yeah, I am and they want you back home with your family. You've err you've completed your duties here," he replied, hoping his answer would get them somewhere. Dick squinted at the answer. He didn't believe him, that was clear but they really didn't have time for this. "There's got to be some part of you in there that doesn't want to be here. That doesn't want to kill people," Superboy insisted. "So please, come with me."

His hand stretched out to take Dick's. It lingered there for a moment as he bit his lip nervously and Dick silently stared at it. Superboy was about to give up when another guard came up behind him. He didn't see it since he was so focused on the teen in front of himself but Dick saw it. His hand grabbed the dagger and threw it behind the hero, who was thoroughly shocked at the sudden withdrawal of his weapon. He looked over his shoulder to see the dead guard then glanced back to Dick. "They said I'm not supposed to want things they haven't told me to but...I want to get out of here," the teen explained. He moved forwards and cautiously took the super's hand. Superboy smiled softly and held his hand tightly, dragging him back through the holes in the wall to the group. "I've got him!" he announced. They nodded and Raven brought the portal closer before they all escaped through it. She quickly closed it once they were all back with a sigh of relief. Their plan actually worked and nothing got blown up. Sure a few walls now had rather sizeable holes in them and the Court was obviously going to look for their missing Talon but at least they had Dick back. That was the main thing.

They all turned to the teen they hadn't heard from or seen in years. He looked so different yet so similar. If you stripped away the uniform, the different eye colour and weird-looking marking under his skin, he'd be the same kid only a little taller. Nightwing kept himself together but on the inside, he wanted to gush about how much he was sorry for what happened and how much he loved him. "You fought me," Dick pointed out, looking at Nightwing. 

"You did attack me first."

"You've got me there." His small comment made their hearts melt. Dick was still in there somewhere, underneath whatever they did to him. Raven stepped forward and knelt in front of him. Her eyes made him shift uncomfortably but his features didn't change. He must've been trained to hide such things. "Do you remember your life before you were a Talon?" He shook his head. 

"I was told they took my memories to make me a better fighter," he responded. Raven frowned and pulled down her hood, making him a little more comfortable with her being so close to him. "I can give you some of them back if you let me," she told him. His lips turned up before he caught himself and returned to his neutral expression. 

"You could do that?" he asked. She nodded, giving him a small smile. 

"Just open your mind and I'll do my best." She put her fingertips on his temples to ease the process of accessing the long since forgotten memories and bringing them back to life. He flinched at the movement, instinctively reaching for another blade but he managed to stop himself. "Can't help it," Dick explained when he saw her eyes widen for a moment. 

"I don't doubt that. Hold still."

The group watched on nervously as she began to pluck threads of memories and reattach them. Nightwing was the most nervous out of all of them. He wondered how much this would permanently affect his personality, his morals, really everything that made Dick Dick. What if he could no longer see the justice in the no kill rule? How long till he got back to being Robin? What if he never wanted to be Robin? Nightwing felt a hand slipped into his and looked up to find it was Superboy's. "I bet your family will be happy to see him again," Superboy said passingly to calm him down. Nightwing hummed. He hadn't thought about how he was going to bring Dick back and explain to them exactly what happened to make their youngest member looked slightly terrifying. They'd doubt him at first simply because they'd accepted that they'd never know Dick's fate. That wouldn't be fun for Dick to hear after being away for so long. It wouldn't help him settle back in either to know that only one of his family members were too stubborn to stop looking. "They'll want DNA for proof," he replied. 

"I would too. It's just plain luck that we found him again."

"I would've eventually found him," the shorter snapped.

"Just understand this from your family's view, alright? Not everyone is as stubborn as you after five years." Nightwing huffed.

"Well, they should've been."

"Damian?" a meek voice asked. Nightwing's head snapped downwards towards his youngest brother. He had small tears in his eyes as he looked up, his eyes now able to recognize the features he couldn't before. "Grayson, do you remember me?" Dick hugged him immediately, burying his face in the older's torso.

"I'd take that as a yes," Beast Boy suggested. Nightwing picked up the teen. He smiled at the fact he still rested nicely on his hip. 

"You found me," Dick cried, holding on tighter. 

"Yes well, I thought it right to keep looking. Family and all," he responded. Emotions were never his best asset but Dick always knew what he was trying to say. He heard the tiniest of giggles and his heart swelled. This boy he'd missed for years was right back where he should be and it felt so right. Like things were finally clicking into place and that thing he'd felt missing since Dick went away was finally returned to him. "You should get him home," Blue Beetle suggested. The team was tearing up at the reunion. Yes, there was more work to be done but this felt right. Finally, one of the League's most sorrowful disappearances was solved. Dick didn't have all his memories back, those would come with both time and more sessions with Raven, but at least he remembered the hero that had always fought to find him. "Thank you," Nightwing said, keeping his brother close. 

"Did they help?" Dick asked. His brother nodded. "Then thanks from me too."

"No problem Dickie," Superboy assured him, grinning.

Jason, Tim, and Bruce remained in the cave after Damian stormed out. They felt bad about jumping on him like that. It wasn't until they realized he hadn't gone back out on patrol that they realized the hurt he was probably feeling. Damian was just passionate and it wasn't his fault that they lost their own faith whereas he still had his. There was an announcement for his return yet there was something odd about it. Dick's return was also announced. Their ears pricked up and they stared at the pair arrive in shock. Damian was indeed holding Dick but he looked different. It wasn't the same Dick that left them. "Richard," Bruce announced as his sons were astounded by the sight. 

"Hi Dad, long time no see," Dick greeted. Damian carried him over so they could get a better look at him. 

"It can't be," Bruce whispered. He reached out and touched his son's face but the younger flinched away. He didn't mean for it to happen, it was just a habit. 

"Sorry," he said. Bruce looked to his eldest for some sort of explanation. 

"The Court did something to him. Raven managed to give him his base memories but he'll need more sessions with her to remember more," he answered. 

"Then how can you be sure it's Dick?" Jason argued.

"I-I can do a DNA test," Dick said, desperate to prove he was who he was. He didn't want to be sent back to the Court. Tim went to a draw and began riffling through before returning with a swab. Damian let Dick down so it was easier to collect a saliva sample but kept a hold of his hand. He felt Dick's hand tighten around his as Tim got the sample. "I don't see why you need it. He is Grayson."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because unlike you I have some faith in him," Damian snapped back.

"What do you expect from us? He's been missing for five years, how are we supposed to know if he was alive or dead." Dick furrowed his eyebrows.

"You were looking for me, right?" There was a ping. Thank God for their fast equipment. The results were near immediate and just in time for Dick not to have his heart instantly shattered. "He's the real deal," Tim announced, grinning. "It's really him."

"Oh my God," Jason muttered. "But his eyes are different. Dick's were blue, his are yellow. Plus he has those weird marks." He received a look that told him to shut up before he said something a little offensive. 

"Thanks, Jay, you really know how to make someone feel right at home," Tim muttered sarcastically. 

"It's alright, I know I don't look the same anymore," Dick defended sadly. 

Bruce knelt down to his height with a watery smile, "That doesn't matter. What matters is you're home now." He held his hands out, asking for permission to hug him which Dick gladly gave him by filling in the gap between them. "You've grown," Tim stated, shocked at the difference in height. He always thought Dick would be tiny his whole life. Well, he was still small but he was taller than he was five years ago. Maybe that was one of the contributing factors to him being taken. Having someone so small would mean committing crimes was easier since he could fit through small gaps. His flexibility would also be a big help. Though, Tim decided he wouldn't dwell on it for much longer. "How did you find me?" Dick asked curiously. Damian put a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him he wouldn't like the answer with a shake of his head. That made him frown. Why wouldn't he like the answer? He pulled away from Bruce who looked guilty. He glanced at his two brothers who shared the same look. He pulled away completely, wanting answers instead of comfort. "You were looking for me, right?" His eyes darted to Damian who's face gave him all the answers he needed. "You gave up on me? When?" he exclaimed. 

"They stopped looking after two years. I was one of the few that kept going," Damian explained. Admittedly, he put himself on a pedestal by adding he was the one who kept looking but he couldn't help it. They didn't deserve much sympathy now that Dick was indeed alive and standing right in front of them. Had they continued as he had, maybe Dick would've been found faster and the damage would be smaller. "Dick, you have to understand that we had no leads to find you. We couldn't take any more false hopes. Every time we got to a dead end we were sent back to the start of mourning all over again," Bruce attempted to argue but there was no point in it. Dick had already shown his hurt. He looked like his heart had shattered into a million pieces. "And that's fair for me? I could've been out of there faster if you'd helped! Do you know how awful it was there? Do you?" he yelled. 

"We're sorry," Jason said on behalf of the guilty party. 

"You know, I didn't know anyone was coming to save me but now that I know for sure that only one person was looking from my own family it really shows how much I meant to you. I really was your stupid charity case," Dick spat. They'd never seen him look so spiteful, especially when looking at him. If looks could kill, there would be a triple homicide. 

"It wasn't like that-"

"But it was because if you really cared I wouldn't have been there for so long! I wouldn't have done what I've done!" 

In his anger, his hand reached down to grab a blade. They guessed where it would've ended up had he not come to his senses as he began to pull it out. His face twisted in fear and disgust in himself. Dick grabbed his right hand tightly and moved it in front of him to avoid making the mistake again. "Damn training," he muttered angrily. He looked up to his family. They shared an expression of shock that he thought about hurting them. It made him want to curl up and die right there and then. Something inside said they wouldn't care for him the same now that he was what he was. He wasn't their adorable little brother anymore. He was a Talon who had a sizeable kill count and a past of being someone people loved. "If you want me gone, all I ask is for protection against the Court," he bargained. 

"No, you're not going anywhere," Bruce firmly stated. "I've lived long enough thinking I would never see you again." 

"We kept your room the same," Tim mentioned. "So you can still live here." 

"And we can make up for everything. If you let us."

"That's if you can deal with this," Dick replied, gesturing to his face with a smirk. They smiled back. 

"I'm fine with that, I was always cuter than you," Jason boasted. Dick punched him in the arm, gasping when he realized he hit a bit too hard. 

"Sorry!"

"You're good," Jason replied through gritted teeth and a forced smile. 

"I'll work on that."

pt2 out later