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Talon resisted the urge to cling to Master like he usually did. He couldn't allow himself to hold Master's arm this time. Although it felt wrong when he wasn't in Talon's field of vision all the time.
All this time, Talon had seen what life was like without the new master and it wasn't preferable. But he had to be strong this time. His plan wouldn't work if he backed out halfway through.
He was now used to sitting with Master and Master's siblings in the theatre room, like it was labelled on the door outside. The entire family liked watching videos in there. Not to look at who their next target would be, but for entertainment.
He had found the idea absurd at first but now that Talon had had time to get used to it, he could admit that some of these 'movies' that the family liked seeing in their free time were entertaining.
Tonight, it was just Master and him in the room, everyone else was busy.
Talon always sat next to Master in the room, soulmarked arm gripped tightly in his hand, and eyes glued to the screen. Talon always tried his best to distract himself with the screen so his attention wouldn't be drawn towards the fact that he felt like bolting out of the room everytime he stepped foot in it. Because it was cold. And dark, very dark.
The first time Master had coaxed him in, Talon had immediately disliked the cold that had set into his bones. After a few minutes, when Talon had just started to become comfortable in this new and cold room, the lights had gone out.
Talon had involuntarily stiffened, his back ramrod straight, eyes peeled back, and hand flexing to grasp a weapon as soon as he spotted one. The room was eerily reminiscent of the cold storage where Talon was kept when not in use while he had been in the court.
It had taken thirty minutes for Master to get Talon to loosen up again after that.
Thirty minutes of Master gently patting Talon's head where it was buried in the crook of his neck and whispering in the gentle voice that Talon had come to love the very first time he had heard it, and then a soft kiss pressed on top of his head, to finally relax.
Talon was well aware of just how much of a burden he must have been in those thirty minutes. Before he had met master, it had always taken him just a few seconds to snap to attention whenever he was ordered to. But now, it took him much too longer than he was comfortable with.
Talon had tried his best to snap out of it the second he had seen master look concerned. However, no matter what he tried, his body just couldn't obey Master's simple command to,
"Relax, everything's okay."
The harder he had tried to relax, the stiffer his muscles had become.
Maybe his body was just being selfish nowadays, now that he was allowed to. Or atleast, not punished. Taking a lot of time to calm down so Master would hold him more -because that's how Master always calmed Talon down- could be why his body was subconsciously taking longer. That was Talon's theory, anyway.
"Hey, hey, you with me?" Master's voice snapped Talon out of the trance he had been forcing himself into to distract from this room.
Talon looked towards Master and nodded. The large screen in front of them was now a black screen with a lot of names running up on it, a sight that played at the end of every movie that Master and his family watched. Talon liked reading all the names.
"You liked this movie that much? You weren't even blinking, just staring straight at the screen."
"Talon doesn't need to blink, Jason."
"Oh...yeah."
Despite not needing to blink, Talon still flexed his eyes a few times to get rid of any stiffness. He brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes thoroughly, pushing up the glasses that Master's sibling had given him. The one named Tim.
Talon's light-sensitive eyes, without any aid, couldn't even stand the little light that the digital clock on Master's bedside gave off, let alone a screen as big as the one in this room.
Master had handed him the new glasses one morning. When Talon had looked confused and pointed out the headpiece and eyeglasses that the court had given him, Master had thrown it in the trash, saying that the replacement had been more than happy to make him new protective glasses.
Talon had learned by now that by replacement, Master meant the second oldest child. It had taken Talon three days to gather up the courage, to seek Tim out and thank him.
Tim had smiled sheepishly. "It was nothing! I just took your previous headpiece and modeled them after it, only after enhancing the protective quality, ofcourse. I'm making you some contact lenses with even lower strain next."
Talon did not know what purpose reducing his eye strain would serve but he had been grateful nonetheless. He had still fished his headpiece out the trash later that night, though.
It took him a few minutes to realise that Master had been speaking again.
"Ready for patrol? Today's route for us goes through fifth street, so I'll even show you my favourite crepe place in Gotham."
Master said, smiling. Talon felt even more horrible now for what he was about to say next.
"Jason, could Talon be allowed to stay home tonight?"
A part of Talon wished that Master would refuse and insist on just taking Talon with him for patrol. It wouldn't be painful, then. But because Master was better than his previous Masters, he just waved a hand.
"Ofcourse, you don't need my permission for anything, anyway."
Talon nodded, equal parts relieved and frustrated at the easy acceptance. It's not like Master knew about Talon's plan anyway, but he had still hoped that somehow Master would dissuade him from actually going through with it.
"Everything okay, though? Do you need me to stay here too? You don't have to be alone-"
Talon tried his best to make it seem casual when he shook his head in response to Master. It wouldn't be any good to make Master suspicious, no matter how much his plan depended on Talon being alone in the Manor tonight.
Unfortunately, Master's face creased with concern.
"I don't mind being here, you know? Really, it wouldn't exactly be a hardship to get one night off to spend with my soulmate."
Talon almost gave up, then. How was he supposed to resist the urge to cling to Master when he looked at him like that? And said things like my soulmate?
He felt desperation leak into his voice as he forced himself to speak yet again.
"Talon will be okay. Just need some alone time."
That was a lie and a term Talon had learned just recently, when Master had explained it to him after hearing it in one of the movies on the screen. It referred to spending time alone without anyone else around. In the movie, one soulmate had said it to the other. Talon had thought that it was ridiculous and offensive. Why would someone want to be away from their soulmate?
But did Master also feel the need to be away from him sometimes?
He saw Master's face fall and felt even more horrible before he braced himself. It was for Master's happiness, and he would have to be strong. Master nodded in response. They headed back to Master's room, where they had been staying till now.
Talon tried his best to not look too broken hearted while Master prepared to leave for patrol.
About a week after they had arrived at the Manor, Master had resumed his nightly duties. Talon knew about Master being a Bat, and Talon also knew about what Bats usually did in this city. Master's duties were more important than the rest of the Bats, Talon also knew. Master couldn't just take a permanent leave from his job and tend to Talon everyday, no matter how much he wished it.
But Talon had refused to let go of him that day.
It was already painful having to see Master leave and actively seek out danger, but there was no way Talon was letting Master face any of it alone. Not that Master was Talon's to command, it was the other way around, but the blinding feeling of emptiness in his chest whenever Master was away from him did not listen to reason.
And so, that day, Talon had looked Master in the eye and demanded that he take Talon with. He had been braced for whatever punishment Master would give him for disobeying, but he would not budge.
The gentle smile and Master's hand stroking his cheek had been an odd choice for a punishment. But Talon was not complaining. In fact, Talon was looking forward to this particular punishment again.
Talon had reworn his court of owls suit and headpiece that night- he had hated wearing their symbol on him again but Master had assured him that they would be making a new costume for Talon very soon. Talon had wondered if the new uniform would be just as painful as this one was, while he swung alongside Master throughout lower Gotham, which Master had said was his territory.
Master had taken Talon along everyday after that, and while his new costume was still not ready, his new moral code already was.
The first crook they had rescued a child from, had died by Talon's blade. Talon had looked back at Master, ready for the validation he so freely offered to Talon- doesn't matter if it was for showing any disobedience towards Master's orders or for initiating a conversation with one of his siblings- Talon had gotten used to the praise and approval.
But Master had sighed and had muttered softly, "Ofcourse, he would do this" while rubbing a hand down his face.
A normal human would not have caught it but Talon's enhanced senses did, along with the disappointment in Master's tone. Talon had not known what he had done wrong, yet he had still braced himself for the punishment Master would be giving him.
Disappointment meant punishment. He doubted it would the cheek stroking from before, this time.
Talon saw Master's eyes meet his, and resisted the urge to flinch. His previous Masters had always wanted him to keep his eyes open and on them while he had received punishment. Would his new Master also want him to do that?
Talon did not want to take any more chances so he had kept his eyes trained on Master, who had raised a hand towards his face.
The pain had never happened. Master had wiped a bit of blood from his cheek and then had cupped it. More gently than Talon thought possible.
"I don't disapprove, calm down. But in the future, please leave these killing judgement calls to me for a while, alright?"
Talon had done nothing but nod frantically.
He had not killed anyone since that night, but had merely stood menacingly to Master's side while they had patrolled. Master had told him that he often looked like an angry kitten while clinging to Master's arm. Talon had not been amused.
Talon was loathe to think that Master would be without his protection today, but enacting the plan was necessary. Everyone who would have stopped him would be out of the Manor tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After taking from him a promise to "Call me if anything's wrong, alright? Here's your comm.", Master had left. Talon had sat in the room, until he was sure enough time had passed. The entire family would have left for patrol by now. Which meant it was time to enact his plan.
Talon got up and closed the door of the room shut slowly, gently, so as to not make any noise. Alfred was still in the house, along with Master's littlest sibling.
Damian hadn't liked Talon very much and was constantly making threats towards him but he did not take them seriously because Master had reassured him that the 'kid was just a brat' and should not be taken seriously. So Talon hadn't.
He opened Master's closet, which was half empty, and most of the full space was taken up by Master's clothes.
Talon liked wearing Master's clothes, so he did not have need for his own clothes. Not that Master agreed, because he had promised to take Talon shopping as soon as he could. Talon almost wanted to weep for the clothes that would never be his, now.
He shook his head and took out the carry bag that he knew Master kept in the lowermost compartment of his closet.
He had spotted it there yesterday when Master had been taking out his clothes. Talon took it to the bed and unzipped it, putting his Court of Owls uniform and headpiece inside.
The bag still looked practically empty, though.
Deciding to run away from Master and Master's home had been easier than deciding what exactly he was going to take with him while running away. Because now, the only way he could make Master happy, was if he left.
Talon looked around the room. It did not seem fair to take away anything that was not his own, especially when he was running away without Master's permission. He took off the glasses he had been gifted and set them neatly on the bedside table. He thought about removing the clothes he was wearing- Master's- and leaving them behind too.
He was halfway through removing his shirt when he decided that Master had enough clothes and he wouldn't need these ones back. Talon had tainted these particular anyway. But he still did not have anything in the bag except for his old costume and headpiece.
It looked too empty, too sad, not like the bag he had seen packed in one of the movies he had seen.
The character had been running away because they had felt suffocated by their own family. Why would anyone feel suffocated by their family? Suffocation was when you were all alone in a cold, dark room.
Talon kneeled and looked through the drawers, for something that had been his own, to take with him. It didn't seem likely, because he had nothing when he had first met Master.
He didn't know why he still checked, though.
"Stop right there!"
And all of a sudden, there was a Katana at Talon's neck. He would not have allowed the katana within ten feet of himself, had Talon not identified the voice. It was Master's little sibling. The youngest one who didn't like him very much.
He turned around slowly, knees dragging on the wooden flooring, and looked at his attacker. He had a scowl on his face directed towards Talon. Oh no.
Damian did not go to patrol everyday. Usually, if it was a school night, he stayed back and manned the batcomputer in the cave along with Alfred. But ofcourse, ofcourse, today would have be the day he was in the Manor and not the cave.
"We take you in, and this is how you choose to repay us? By stealing?"
Talon's eyes widened. Stealing? He wasn't stealing anything, he would never!
He frantically shook his head, trying to speak.Talon's words stuck to his throat in the best of moments, and this was not the best of moments.
"And then, you were going to run away!"
Talon's expression faltered because that part atleast, was the truth. He wasn't going to counter it, so he just stared at the child. He was running away, after all.
"First, I thought you were with Todd because you wanted to complete your court's mission of eradicating the bats. But I see now, you are after nothing but father's money!"
Talon tried hard to get his words out. Why would he be after any money? But he wasn't given any reprieve, he just kept getting talked over by Damian.
"I'll be calling Todd right this instant!"
That did it. Talon could not risk Master coming back before time.
"No.", Talon finally got out, hoarsely.
His voice must have had pleading seep into it because Damian stopped and looked at him. Talon tried to barrel on, trying to get his words out now that Damian was silent.
"Talon does not steal. And Talon does not want any money."
Damian scoffed in front of him. "Then why were you packing a bag? And looking through Todd's things, Richard?"
Despite himself, Talon flinched at the name.
Some way or the other, the Bats had found out what they had said was his real name. Master had taken Talon down to the cave, and there, on the computer, the name that had never belonged to Talon had been shining in big, bold letters.
Right after that, Master had addressed him as "Dick".
The panicked rage he had gone through after that had left the cave worse for wear. The batcomputer was still in repair. The slashes on the computer's old monitor from his claws still mocked him whenever he had the chance to be downstairs.
Master hadn't called Talon that name after that.
"Talon is leaving."
"Leaving? Why? Todd had said that you were happier here."
That was true. Talon was happier here than he had been in a long time. However,
"Talon always makes Jason sad." And that was true too.
He saw Damian's brow furrow for a moment, his grip on the Katana loosening a bit. That was all the opening he needed.
"What are you talking about? You don't make him sad-"
Talon snatched the katana away with one hand and struck out with the other, pressing two of his fingers to the jugular. Damian's face scrunched up in anger and he made to lash out and say something, but his eyes drooped almost immediately. And it was done.
Master's sibling was unconscious, like he would now be for about thirty minutes, giving him enough time to leave without anyone alerting Master.
He gently laid down the child on the bed and zipped his bag shut. It was still empty except the costume but he didn't have time to look for things to fill it.
Talon put on his headpiece, it felt clunky and foreign after a week of wearing the glasses.
Talon stepped onto the windowsill, took a look around the room one last time, and jumped.