Chapter Text
The Ghost of Time is grieving. He is grieving for the young ghostling that he took under his wing. The child is now fated to die. There's no humane way to avoid it. All viable timelines point to the tragic end of the child's life.
There is no alternative for Death is coming for the king.
But there is one thing Time can do to prevent the death of the child. He can set off the dominos for something horrid and truly despicable to happen. Time has no other option to save his child's life but this.
The child will still die, of course, but in a different way. In a more cruel way, some would say. A way so cruel that the hundreds who would walk down the blood-soaked path with him would perish and wither before long their time. A fate that an evil beast full of hatred had sculpted by hands for the weak.
It is a cruel fate, but if this were to occur, more timelines would reveal themselves. Timelines full of death, plague, monsters, joy, life, family, and love.
Time can see it all begin to form as he sets up the string of dominions.
He accepts the guilt and blame with a heavy unbeating heart. For if it is the child's mind or his life, Time knows his choice.
So, with a last teary breath, Time sets off the catastrophe series of harmless events that will cause thousands of dead to suffer in their decaying corpses but have the chance to save them all. A woman takes a turn down the wrong street. A young couple decided to take a shortcut home. A young boy watches his mother once again give in to her addiction. Another young child watches his parents fall to their death while another is locked away in an empty cage to die. Another invitation is sent by a lone man who looks down on those around him.
Now, Time can only watch.
Time for the last time glances at something shown in the mirror whether it is the future, past, and present is for none to know for sure except for him.
Tim is running. The monster that was literally hiding under his bed is now chasing him. A stabbing pain comes in his leg, but Tim doesn't have to look down to know why. As the wanna-be boogie man under his bed stabbed him with a questionable yellow glowing syringe. Tim wasn't able to kick the thing away before they injected at least half of the liquid into his leg. Hopefully, they cleaned the needle first.
Also, hopefully, it's not what he thinks it is, and they don't want him to join them. They do. They have to or they wouldn't be here. Though Tim doesn't have much time to think about that as he is currently you know being chased. Further down the hallway something that sounds like a click echoes down the hallway while something else taps on what sounds like glass. Why did he have to stay home today of all days?! Sure, Batman forced him to take a break, but this is why he can't take any breaks!
A loud crash sounds through the manor. Hopefully, it's not Mother's expensive hundred-year-old tea set that just broke. If he gets out of this she'll end up killing him. If he can get out. He just has to make it to the door. Just make it to the front door. Once he does that he'll go from there which is the worst plan ever but it's kinda hard to plan when he's fighting something new. Sure, he knows what is following him. Batman had talked about the Court of Owls before. Bruce had made him read the age-restricted files and had said if he ever saw a Talon, he was to run to Bruce. 'Identity be damned' if he had to. The only problem is that Bruce isn't here. His phone, of course, is dead, so he can't call anyone either. The Talon was too close for him to get out a window without being - Tim would rather not think about that. So Tim's only option is to run and hide. Jason would be so disappointed in him.
Thankfully, the stairs are up ahead, and if Tim is fast enough, he can get out the doors and trigger his homemade alarm system. All he has to do is hit the door hard enough to where the alarm thinks someone is trying to break in or if he's fast open the door. Which, going by his calculations, he's got this. Tim quickly runs down the stairs and bolts to the door - Oh shit - and only barely manages to stop from stumbling over his feet. The front door is right there. He just needs to get outside. He's trapped. The front door has another Talon hanging on to it. Dad is going to raise hell at the tiny scratch marks in the door frame. The monster lifts its claw things towards the door and slowly digs them into the wood. He can see some of the sensors in the door! It'll trigger the alarm. He's saved! However, it tears a large gash into the door and makes a terrible scraping sound. He's not saved. Forget Father, Mother is going to kill him.
It's quiet.
Why aren't the alarms going? They're supposed to go off if the door is damaged or hit, and well, giant gashes being carved into the wood should count. Tim should know. He watched his parents have the stupid thing installed. Why aren't they working?!
The Talon jumps down from the door. Oh crap! Tim starts running again as he hears it begin to chase him. He is running and running as fast as he can. He just has to find a room with a strong door or somewhere he could hide. He glances at each window he runs by, only to see they are all locked. It would be hopeless to even try to jump out, never mind unlocking it. Plus, if they had one guarding the door, they have someone watching the yard. He's locked in here with the monsters!
They set this up. He's like a mouse in a maze who is trying to find the exit to the cheese. Only Tim thinks the cat is PLAYING with him. The thing could have killed him so many times that Tim has just lost count. It's enjoying this. It finds Tim's terror amusing. The things aren't even HIDING that it's here either. It's scraping and scratching up walls and furniture. Moving right in front of cameras with no care. It's almost as if it has permission to be here. As if it knows Tim's parents won't care about the state the Talon left the house in. As if Tim's parents sent it here. And if they turned off the alarms. Tim gave them control over them the last time they visited. He never did find out how they knew about them. NOPE! Focus on running! He can think later!
He quickly runs down the hallway and glances behind him. There are two of them. Where did the second one come from? Stupid question. How did it catch up so fast?! He quickly turns and out and that's a door! He stops running and quickly grabs the handle of the thing and tries to pry it open! It's locked! Crap! Tim quickly takes out a hair pen from his pocket and shoves that sucker in the lock. Yes, he carries some in his pj's, and no, he won't elaborate!
Oh, Batman let it open! A click comes from the door! He turns the handle and it doesn't open. Why?! A scratching sound comes from just down the hall. Oh, Mother is going to maim him. Tim risks a glace. The Talon stops running towards him just as Tim scrambles to finally - Oh, thank Batman!- Unlock the stupid door! Yes!
He quickly runs into the room and slams the door shut before locking it behind him. Running comes from the hallway. It's so fast! The Talon bangs and claws at the door like a rabid animal. Tim takes in a beep breath. It can't get in. He falls to his knees and watches the door. Maybe it'll just go away. Please just go away. Maybe if he's quiet, it'll leave. Maybe it will just lose interest and go back to hiding under his bed. It'll leave. They'll just go away. The more rational part of him knows better. He knows it won't. None of them will. Not until he is being dragged back with them. He has to find a way out before that happens.
He stands up while looking around the room.
He's never been in this room before. It's full of artifacts that look old, but that's not new. His parents are archeologists. Though the weapons don't look like anything he's ever seen. They all seemed to slightly glow an eerie green. The artifacts look new compared to everything else in the house. Each of them are in glass cases that have not a single spec of dust on them. Why does the room smell like soap? Not a good soap either. It almost smells like bleach. Mis. Mac hasn't come by the house this week. Who cleaned this room? Why does it seem so important? What's with everything in here being in glass cases?
Also, why is the one in the middle of the room just sitting open on the floor? It's full of odd green glowing liquid. It looks like it just reaches his ankles. It's a just glass rectangle on the floor that has some green glowing liquid. He wants to get closer. It doesn't have a lid on it. Why is that? It has to be important. Tim blinks and shakes his head before he looks back at the case. Fenton works is engraved onto the front of the glass. That's a weird name. His parents never talked about working with anyone named Fenton. The green stuff begins to glow brighter. It wouldn't hurt to get a little closer, right? Maybe there's a paper about whatever this is or something.
Tim walks closer to it. It's pretty! The eerie glow is so nice. The other stuff in the room isn't as cool as this thing. It's so bright! It's dangerous. It-it feels familiar in a weird way. It feels wrong yet, so normal. He can't decide if he wants to get away from it or touch it. He gets a little closer. He has to know what this is.
The door is slammed with a loud bang. Tim snaps his head to look at the sound. The Talon is slamming itself into the door on the other side. Tim takes a step back. It's not going to hold for much longer. He takes another step back as the door is slammed into again. He needs to run!
Tim quickly looks around. No more doors. No windows. There's no way out. Tim is trapped. He's going to die. He's going to die, and then Batman would go back to that! He failed. He's a failure to the Robin title! He's going to die, and it'll be a stain on Jason's legacy. Barbra will wipe his time as Robin to protect Jason's legacy. Dick will be so disappointed, and no one will ever visit his grave. He might not even get a grave. Mother is going to take the Drake name from him.
The door is slammed against again. Tim lets a small sob. He just wants it all to stop! He- he wants - The thing beyond the door starts clicking. Three clicks and then a pause. Then another three clicks. What is happening? What are they doing? Is he going to die? There's no way out. This is it. He's going to die alone, and no one will notice! No one will notice. B won't know what's going to happen to him. Especially if his parents cover it all up. He's going to die alone.
Four clicks come from the hallway. No. No! It sounds too close to be from the hallway! Tim quickly takes a step towards the door!
"Click. Click. Click. Click." Somes from something above him.
He's going to die. Four clicks a pause and then a thump as a Talon drops down in front of Tim. Its haunting yellow eyes illuminate the room. The green glowing of the weird pool seems to almost greet the yellow as if they were friends or the same. Tim lets out a small whimper as the monster looks at him. He's going to die.
The Talon takes an agonizingly slow step towards Tim. Tim takes one step back. He trips. His ankle! His stupid ankle hits the glass walls of the rectangle on the floor. He falls backward into the green pit as the Talon just watches him. He lets out a scream as he falls. No one is around to hear them! No one but that monster!
He hits his head on the bottom of the pool as the green liquid - why is it so sticky?!- surrounds him. He tries to get up, to back away from whatever it is only for the green to somehow hold him down. Tim can feel it poking at his skin, attempting to get into his mouth as he struggles. The Talon watches and slowly comes closer, now standing just outside of the pool. It's just like a cat.
It's watching. The monster titles its head as if it were a tiger watching a small animal it had caught. Or as if Tim is a struggling lab rat and the Talon is the scientist. Stop metaphoric-ing and more escape! Tim is going to die. Please don't. Oh, Batman, he is going to die. Just keep struggling!
Tim struggles more and more. Thrashing as he tries to get away. Away from the green or the Talons, Tim doesn't know. Both? Definitely both. The water stays in the rectangle. None of it even got on the floor. It acts like viscous thick cookie dough but feels like soapy water at the same time. It was wrong! Tim-Tim wants Bruce to be here! To take him away to the Batcave! To save him!
Please?
The Talon leans over Tim and suddenly grabs Tim's neck with its sharp claws. The claws tighten around his neck as he kicks at the monster. He can feel the needle-like claws poking at his neck before his skin breaks. The claws drew blood as they cut deep into Tim's neck. The liquid green begins to make a whirlpool before springing upwards towards him. The green liquid quickly latches onto him and into the wounds on Tim's neck. It burns! Tim let out a choaks out a scream. It feels wrong! Like he was healing but dying! He wants it to stop! Please! Stop!
Tim lets out another scream as the Talon shoves him down, his face is now almost under the green. The water is rushing towards him somehow! As if it's alive! It's going towards his mouth as if trying to get inside of him. What is going on?
"Tim Drake?" Asks the Talon. Tim looks back at the thing. Cold yellow eyes stare straight at him. The Talon has a knife in its hands. It is ready to strike. To Stab. He's going to die. He doesn't want to die.
"The Court of Owls has sentenced you to a fate beyond death." Says the Talon as it lifts the knife. Tim opens his mouth and lets out one last scream, but the water flushes inside his mouth. He desperately tries to cough it up just as the knife goes down into his chest.
Danny knows something is not super oki-dokie as he stands outside the door to the hotel room in Gotham. Yep. You heard that right. Gotham. The most dangerous city in the US and probably the world that he was just allowed to 'frolic' in.
His parents have literally dragged him and his sister to Gotham. Something about ghosts and some old fruitloop, Kane or something, wanting to see their inventions. Apparently, if this guy sponsors their weapons, they could get a lot of money. Like a lot. So much so that, for once, his parents wore fancy Fruitloop clothes instead of their hazmat suits. His parents couldn't afford to mess this up.
Is it wrong that he hoped they did?
Well, he didn't have to hope as in true Fenton fashion, the previous night had gone to shit. His parents. Well, not much else needed to be said about them. They had embarrassed themselves at the dinner with said fruitloop and were almost kicked out. Then whoop-de-do, Bruce Wayne - a guy who is probably the reason there are directions on shampoo bottles- and his kid - an angry dude who was about a month older than Danny - ended up asking them to come by for dinner at their place the next night. Unfortunately for Danny, this meant another couple of days in Gotham. It's such a great way to spend the last few days of summer vacation.
Sam is jealous, though, so that does make it a little better. And yes, he's made sure to send her photos of him in front of all the Gotham gargoyles. So far, he is up to forty-two pictures.
Luckily, Danny is able to escape said dinner by going to the Gotham Museum, which is boring as all hell. Though at least he wasn't stuck with his parents. Jazz wants to go with him, but someone has to make sure their parents don't kill anyone else with their inventions. So that left Danny exploring the museum, walking the streets of Gotham, bragging to Sam, and now looking at the door to the off-feeling hotel room alone.
Great.
It's around 8 now. The dinner is supposed to last from 7 to 8:30, but of course, the unfortunate rich Fruitloop who was foolish enough to want them to talk about their inventions would probably end it sooner. Jazz had texted a couple of minutes ago that the rich guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack once Mom pulled out a Fenton gun at the dinner table. So definitely gonna end earlier than expected. Sadly? Maybe. It will be nice to have Jazz here with him. His parents not so much.
But back to the feeling thing. Something is off. Everything looks fine, but his core - His core is screaming. Screaming that something is here. Something sick and broken is here. It feels wrong. It feels sticky and gross. It is - it's just off.
It feels like ectoplasm but more fruitloopy. More angry? Watered down? Weaker? Ectoplasm in its evil era?
Crap. Just great. Another mystery for Danny to solve alone. Whoop-de-do. Jazz is going to kill him. No, Sam is. Again. Whoop-de-do? Hopefully, he doesn't get kidnapped this time. Otherwise, Tucker will make his phone play 'Somebody's watching me', again. Which mood and understandable but fuck you, Tucker.
Yeah, he's gonna text Jazz first so maybe this time if he gets kidnapped he can say he did tell someone it feels off. Just in case. He quickly sends Jazz a text to get home soon. He didn't tell her why. He doesn't need to, especially since it's kinda ghost stuff, and their parents are definitely looking over her shoulder. Again. If they remember she exists.
Yeah, he is going to text Sam and Tucker, too. Just in case. Which he did. Sent a text to Sam and Tucker, that is. Just in case. After all, if he was to get kidnapped by the weird sticky ungirlboss feeling, they would have more information than just a 'get home soon, something feels off'. They get a 'hotel room, and it feels off. Ghostly off. Might get yoinked. Talk to u later' with a ghost emoji at the end of it.
He doesn't want to go in there.
He should send Jazz an 'I think it's ghosts'. His parents would be here within the minute. Danny quickly sends Jazz another text about it maybe being ghosts. It would suck if it is a ghost, but at least his parents would know IF he goes missing this time. He really doesn't want the police, or Mr. Lancer if it takes him that long to escape breathing down his neck.
Fuck Vlad.
It's probably weird how chill he is about possibly getting kidnapped but at this point. Danny blames Vlad for this. He should sue Vlad for emotional distress. Stupid Fruitloop and his stupid obsession with marrying his Mom. The fruitloop should learn to take a hint. Or maybe Danny could punch one into him. He should probably go inside now and see if it's actually Vlad. Yep. No more chickening out. He's gotta go inside.
Slowly, Danny unlocks the door and peaks his head inside after turning in the lights. Nothing looks out of place. Danny takes a hesitate step inside. It looks just how they left it. Should he be worried by this? Probably. Will he? Yes. He's paranoid.
Closing the apartment door behind him, Danny walks into the apartment while shoving his phone in his pocket. Just in case he was keeping it close. He doesn't lock the door as well he might need to run out of it soon. Just for funnies if he needs a way to girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight, girlrun the fuck out. Or look like an idiot tourist to everyone who saw the unlocked door. Eh. Sacrifices must be made for girlbossing the fuck out. Plus, he already looks like one for standing outside the hotel door for like five minutes. Either that or he looks insane which in Gotham is probably the norm.
Walking further into the apartment, Danny still doesn't see anything wrong, but his core still has that feeling. Why isn't his ghost sense going off? Why is it cold? Whatever this feeling was, it feels off? Like whatever is nearby isn't a ghost? But is? What? Maybe it was one of his parents' new inventions? No. He hopes not. Their newest harpoon gun really hurt. Danny shakes his head. Less depresso, more figuring out what was happening-O. He still doesn't see anything off. The room looks fine. If really messy and has a dent in the wall from where Dad punched it. He thought he saw a ghost.
Slowly, Danny sits on the bed and begins to take off his red shoes. He let out a sigh and looks around the room agian. Nothing is out of place. It's fine. Everything was normal, it probably was, and his core was just being paranoid. Yup. Just paranoid. Hes paranoid to the core. He hasn't been attacked in the last four days after all. Maybe Jazz was right. Maybe he did have an adrenaline addiction or maybe - No. Stop it. He is not going to look for trouble in Gotham. He hasn't been attacked lately, and he should keep that streak going. His current streak was a miracle, really. It was very girlboss of the universe. Suspiciously, girlboss of the universe.
But there's no reason why a ghost would be here. All his rogues back at Amity promised to stay there until he could come back. It was fine. It was all fine and 'dan'dy.
Danny then let out a cold breath. Frickity frogs. It was foggy, and it's definitely telling him that something is there. But where? He can't sense where it is. Almost like whatever he's sensing is muddled? Muddled is a word, right? It's a word now. The feeling feels like it's covered in mud and muddled. This is weird and not very grilboss of his ghostness. Maybe it's just one of his parents' inventions? Something that would mess with his ghost sense?
'Bang'
A subtle bang came from the corner by the door. Danny quickly looks over just to see a rock. Like a tiny rock. What? Okay. This is definitely a ghost fucking with him. Not Box Ghost or Lunch Lady. Maybe Johnny? No Johnny is more in your face when he messes with you though it could be shadow. Danny slowly stands up to get a little closer to the rock that was thrown against the door. This is weird. Very peculiar. Very not girlboss. Not Ember she also is very in your face when she messes with him. Danny took a few steps away from the bed. This is very weird. Was this Kitty coming to bug him? Or maybe it's a trap from Skulker again. It's a really basic trap if it is.
'thump'
A thump came from behind him.
Well, that makes figuring out who it is easier. Danny is about to turn around when he is tackled to the floor by weird claw hands - what? Red? Landing face first on the floor, Danny doesn't even have time to open his mouth before a weirdly yellow glowing needle find its way into his neck. Ow! This wet clam! What the fickle de dii!? Who just breaks into a hotel room, hides, tackles and then stabs the first person who comes in with a glowing needle?! What the hell?
So rude but at least drugs don't really work on him. Weird glowing yellow or not, it probably won't work. Hopefully. Danny quickly snags the buttholes ankle and -using the moves him being him taught him - flips that myster bandit onto the floor away from him. The mystery bandit was - what the?
A half filled syringe clatters to the floor as Danny looks at his attacker. Well, that's boring. It's just some dude with glowing yellow eyes, in what looks like a really messed up bird-thing costume, is watching him. The dude had a granola bar ton of knives and was snarling at him. What? Is man's copying Vlad or something? Only Vlad snarls like that. What a sad thing to do. That's like extra sad boogaloo moment right there. Fs in the chat for this man's.
Also, man's ugly costume. Like Ancients, he's so ugly they make their happy meal cry. This man done goofed on his whole villain thing. Honestly, dude looks like a diseased-riddled green flavored corndog in the back alley road that connects Gotham and Metropolis. Like man saw that ugly old Nightwing costume and really said hold my cherry lime kool-aid. Yes, it does have to be carry lime kool-aid. The dude just has the vibe. One cannot argue with the vibes.
Either way, ugly ugly, ugly costume aside, Danny should probably get away. After a few more insults. It's been a hard week, okay? Just let him have this!
Like there are horrifying mutated homicid rats in Gotham, one almost bit him on the way home, but Mr. Snarls over there is somehow uglier than them. Like those rats definitely would hands down vote this man as most horrific looking wannabe villain in Gotham. And that's going against the Joker, who is a clown with some weird crazy ex vibes for Batman. Like wows. He really did say hold my cherry lime kool-aid when Mr. Snarls went for that ugly villain title. Also what is with the gold and green? There are so many rouges who use green in their get up. Sure Danny also uses green but he dosen't have a choice. These guys do.
Also, this dude is one hundred percent the reason his mom left because of course this guy dosen't have one. Like if mommy issues what shown in one outfit it would be this one. Just forget Lex Luther in the 'worst mommy issues competition' because this guy won. No contest. He won. He definitely won.
Okay, Danny's done now. Back to figuring out how to leave. How to leave. I'm out, ya know. How is he gonna get out of this without losing them money on damages.
Ugly is just snarling at him on all fours. Weirdo. Like Vlad, for example always acts like an evil off-brand vampire. The dude could at least offer a hand shake or not crawl on the floor and snarl. He's leaning too much into the vampire thing.... Maybe he should try to have some basic human decency? Though that was probably too much to ask of Ugly. Is the guy even human? Can he ask that, or is that offensive? Why does he feel dizzy?
Danny blinked. He felt tired. What the hell? Did the drug actually work?! Fuck! Danny quickly backs away from Mr. Snarles and towards the wall. He has to get out! If he gets out of view of Snarly over there, he can transform and dip. Though with his parents on the way, that might not be a good idea...
Whoop-de-frickin-do.
Pressing his back against the wall, Danny watches the creepy ass villain reject. Snarls watches him back. Danny sticks out his tongue. Though this just makes Ugly madder as Ugly jumps at him, and Danny quickly goes intangible - what. Why isn't he going intangible?! What the hell! Shit! Mr. Snarls slams into Danny as he struggles to get his stupid powers to work! What is happening!?
Mr. Snarls holds his neck with one hand and shoves his knee into Danny's side. The butthats other leg pushes down on Danny's knee, which stops him from trying to kick. Danny aims a quick punch to the guys face, but the asshat caught his wrist and slowly begins to tighten their hold on Danny's neck. With another tug on his core, Danny still doesn't go intangible. He doesn't even go invisible. What's happening?! Why aren't they working?! He feels weaker. It's harder to move. He can't give up yet. He just has to buy time for Mom and Dad to get back. Danny continues to struggle in the hold, but sharp claws slowly begin to cut into his skin. A warning. Okay. Fine! Danny stops struggling. He's going to get kidnapped again. This is so Vlads fault. He's so taking Vlad to Court. Clockwork can be his witness.
Mr. Snarls weird claw hand things still hold his neck, but they stop digging into his skin. Instead, Mr. Snarls pulls out another needle. Why do they have so many?! The jerkhat slowly brings the needle closer and closer to his neck. He feels weak. Danny can do nothing but watch.
The needle pokes into his neck, and unlike the first, a sharp burning pain shoots through his neck. He can't even scream. He can barely feel anything but the pain. Is he screaming? He can feel is burning in his veins as it is shoved inside of him. Danny tries to thrash, but the grip holds him in place. It hurts to move. The pain shakes through his body and twists and turns in his veins. Maybe Vlad hired this guy to inject him with blood blossoms or something. It's getting closer to his core. Oh fuck he's going to die. He's going to die again. No! Danny thrashes and with his one free hand tries to scratch whatever it is out of his neck.
Another set of claws drags his hand away from his neck as he spasms from the agony. A different set of claws suddenly shove a pillow in his face, which only muffled his screams(?) He's screaming? (Why isn't his ghost wail working?!) The horrible pain slowly wrapes around his heart - his core before another wave of agony crosses over him. It feels wrong! It hurts! Make it stop! Please!!
It's feels just like the portal did.
Then it stops. The pain stops. Danny let's out a breath. The pillow is still pressed against his face. His body trembles from the after shock of whatever that was.
Slowly, the pillow is taken away from his face, and Danny is face to face with two Mr. Snarls. Great, now there's two of them. Fuck. Danny lets out a shaky breath. Tears and snot fall from his face. He wants his parents.... He wants Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. He wants to go home... His powers still don't come when he calls them.
"Sorry." Says the monster. Danny doesn't even register what they said before a sharp pain flashes across his throat, and the world goes black.
The Fentons arrive not a minute later, but by then, Danny Fenton is gone, and in his place is a pool of blood and an open window.
He's gone.
The Court is freezing as a Talon sits bleeding but healing on a table in the laboratory. Ice is beginning to form on the cold metal doors. It is winter now, but Talon doesn't mind. It doesn't care. It has no opinions or ambition or anything of the sorts. It is a tool, and it will die a tool. It is something that belongs to the Court. Just an item. A weapon if you will. Talon is simply an empty husk now. It is safer that way. Safe to be empty than to have substance. This way, it has nothing to lose but life and undesirable memories. What a pity it is, the Court would say if they knew it still had memories to lose.
It is also safer when it has no name. It's a good thing that it forgot its name. It is a bad thing when it is remembered. It has all the names it needs. It doesn't need its old name. The other older Talons referred to it as being a Fledgling. It was such an odd name, but it is Talon's. It was the name of many Talons. After all, in the Court, there are only hatchlings, nestlings, fledgling, and eventually, just Talons. It will be a Talon soon. It feels nothing.
Being a fledgling in the Court was a new experience they were experimenting with. Instead of working alone after graduating from being nestling, they would work with a group. A flock. It was always 3-4 fledglings in one flock. They would eliminate targets together, they would steal together, and they would protect the Court together. They would do everything together. In the end, they would even kill each other together. The Court would make fight them all fight each other. Then, the ones that lost the first fight would fight. They would all fight each other until one was left. One that always lost.
The last one was to be killed, or if it was really unluckily, they would abandon it to the laboratory. No Talon came back from there. No human came back from there. Especially not after the Court gave up on them... The Court is filled with endless mercy, but even they have limits.
Talon had lived, though. It had doomed a member of its flock to die. It had killed part of its flock... Nothing could or can be done. Their were four members of its flock. It was able to beat them. It was able to beat all but one. One Talon from Talon's flock beat it. That Talon was an adult now while Talon was still a fledgling for one more year. One more year of training until it would go out on its own missions or follow an adult around until the Court trusts it to go out on its own. One more year, and it could see - no. It has no ambition, no opinions, or any of the sort. All it has is memories, its life, and the need to find someone.
Unfortunately, though, Talon is in the lab. It hasn't done anything wrong. It just needs dionesium. It had bled a lot during the fight. Some of Talon's flock had joined it in the lab. Each in separate rooms to be give dionesium. The Court said it was to calm the flock. Talon has no reason not to believe them. The Court is all it knows. It wasn't always that way. Talon doesn't need to know about that, though. It just has to wait. It has to bide its time. It watches and waits.
The labs are strangly silent. Only the sounds of the drip from the needle and bag made any sound. That and the beeping from the computer. Good. The screams of the weakest from their flock had stopped an hour ago. Talon hopes it was given the mercy of death. The Court was always merciful to its Talons, after all. Failures or not. In the Court, death had become a mercy.
Talon is silent. It is calm. No eyes are watching. Talon can breathe. It is burning, but that was fine. It was healing. Broken bones and shredded skin would be healed soon. Talon takes in a breath and slowly lets it out. It did well. It is good. It needs to be better, though. To show its worth to the Court. It doesn't need to be the best, but it did need to prove its value.
Another breath in and another breath out. Talon is calm. It is not tense. It is good. It doesn't feel.
A noise drags Talon away from its head. It's the sound of something being wheeled closer. The obnoxious sounds echo through the halls. Loud. Talon lets out a silent internal hiss. Loud was bad. It leads to it burning and it being punished. The sounds got closer and closer to the room Talon was left in. Maybe it will continue to be left in here. It knows it's not that lucky.
It also knows what the hallway outside the room looks like. The rooms in the lab all look similar to one another. The white sterile lab room was filled with surgical equipment and needles of glowing yellow. Which gave the room an unnatural yellow glow. The lights have been turned off. A mercy from the Court. A reward. The Court was very merciful today, or maybe they assume it has given up.
The door is tapped on. Talon looks at the floor, but it can still see the room and doesn't react any further to the disruption. It is better than that. It had learned to be better. It had learned to pretend to be better. The door is slowly pulled open, and a metal lab table slowly slides inside the room. The loud screeching from the wheels following the table. The table had a black cloth covering it. A small thin boney arm poked out from under it. Dried blood was on the arm.
Talon is drawn to the corpse. It-it needs to do something. But what? Its chest(?) Is screaming it needs something? Did it do that before? It needs to get closer. Something is different about this one. This new hatchling. It is drawing Talon's chest thing to it. Talon doesn't react. At least not on the outside.
The table is wheeled in by another Talon. An older Talon. Possibly an older fledgling or maybe even just a Talon... It has no opinions. It is a husk. All Talons are husks. It's safer that way.
Talon watches the floor and doesn't move. It is a perfect statue. Motionless and emotionless. It's not perfect, but with time, it will be. The Court said so. Talon has no reason to doubt them. Talon must escape before this happens. It has seen what the monster it will become if it doesn't.
Slowly, inch by inch the table was wheeled inside of the room. Talon watches it closely. The pull in its chest is stronger now. The one on the table needs something. Needs more of something. Something only it can give. But what?
The table is wheeled against the wall, and the other Talon leaves the room without a word. It shut the door behind it as it left. Good. It's very good that it shuts the door. Talon waits a few seconds for the silent steps to leave. The shadow stays outside of the door for a minute before wandering away. Talon watchs.
It slowly stands and walks towards the table. The black cloth still covers the corpses below. The Talon approaches. It stands next to the covers head of the small thin body and slowly reaches out a stick like claw. It slowly lifts up the cloth over the head and sees the face of a child. They have black hair and were so pale already. Dried blood covered their skin. Dried tears left little tear marks in the blood. Their lips had a slight blue tinge to them. Were they cold when they died? Their tiny face is scrunched up in a look of fear. Life was not kind in the end to them, but now death has given them peace. The Court will not let them rest. Talon... Talon will- Talon feels something. It feels the urge to protect. The urge the Court had once beaten out of it.
The child is Talon's now. Talon hasn't had someone in so long. Talon once had humans that cared for it. They are all gone. (Right?) Can Talon have another? Its chest screams out that it can. Talon looks at the child. They can't be a flock. Flocks are forced to kill each other.... Maybe they can be family? Someone called Talon that or did it wish someone would? It doesn’t matter. Memories might be one of the most important things, but they also get Talons killed. Talon can't remember if it wants to live long enough to escape with the child....
Talon tilts its head. It's chest screaming and almost pulsing(?) forward as Talon observed its dead human child - family. Scraps and healed brushes that still look to be healing line their skin. Its chest continues to scream, but Talon had an idea of what it was supposed to do. How it needs to help It's new family. Maybe it can get let its chest take control to show it how...
Talon blinks and opens its now lime glowing eyes. They were more yellow, weren't they?
Slowly, Talon looked around the room before it spotted a pen. It quietly grabs the newfound weapon and walks back over to the child's head. They won't need much. How does it know that?
Talon liftes up it arm. The same one with the needle in it. With little care or worry, it brought down the pen into its vein. It's doesn't twitch as it broke skin. Would its claws have been more effective? Yes. But a scratch from its claws would take longer to heal than a stab from a pen. It quickly brings the bleeding arm up to the child's face. Green, red, and yellow bleed from the wound, and Talon tiltes its wrist so that the liquid would drip on to the child.
The green is easily shimmers into the youngs skin without issue. Good. The red blood wouldn't be noticed as the youngs own blood hides it. The yellow might be a problem, but Talon doesn't think the Court will notice. Not with the dark brownish-black veins already showing on the child's neck. Their a child. The new Talon is too young to be here. Their all too young to be down here... How many doses has it had already? How long have they been dead? It doesn't matter. Death is like sleeping anyway, isn't it?
Talon continues to bleed on the child. Its chest is finally quiet at last. Its wrist was healing. With one last drop of blood, Talon begins to move. It covers the child up agian. It returns the pen after wiping the blood on the child's visible bloodied arm. The green was absorbed. Good.
Talon moves slowly, before it sits down in the same position it was in before. No one would have hear it. No one would see it. No one will know. It moves the bag holder and needle to where it was before. The room looks the same. No one will know, but Talon. And Talons always forget.. Talon needs to get both of them out now. New Talons are always watched, and Talon is watched a lot as well. It will have to be very sneaky. Maybe it can escape through the vents. The new Talon looks small enough to be able to do that. Talon would just have to be sent on a mission, and then they both could escape. Though if the Court catches them, they might just kill them....
Maybe it should wait until they can both go on missions?
A quick, sudden flash of light causes Talon to blink. A green square now sits on its knee. It's important. Talon quickly reads it.
"Choose wisely, Young Dead, for the young you have claimed as fraid has been made frail.
Choose wisely for life himself would die between your fangs and death herself would be chained to your claws.
Choose wisely, for the flock of birds is no place for young. They would sooner to kill than to protect the frail.
Choose wisely, for if you decide wrong, not only will life be lost, but so will the worlds beyond death.
Choose wisely Young Dead, for only one can be left."
The writing looked rushed. It looks as if someone wrote as fast as they could to get the note to it on time. Talon tilts its head. It's never seen a note just appear. At least not that it can remember. It doesn't seem to be from the Court, but Talon remembers trusting the green notes. It hasn't forgot that yet. Talon will trust the note unless it's given a reason not to.
Talon stares at the note and crumbles it between its claws. It snaps open its jaws and, after uncovering its mouth, drops the paper in. It bites and tears apart the note with its teeth. Do not think it doesn't care. Do not misinterpret this. Talon is giving the note an important place inside. It covers back up its mouth, and all the evidence of the note is gone. Talon is giving the note a place in its memories. The most precious thing a Talon could ever keep other than life.
Well, it used to be. Talon, it seems no longer has nothing to lose but life and memories. It is a shame the Court will say if they find out. It can't let them know. If they know, they will erase it or kill it, and Talon doesn't know which would be worse.
It looks at its new family on the table. It doesn't understand. Only one can be left. Only one put of thousands of dead will live. Only one will live abd it has to chose? It has to chose. It has to pick one out of thousands. It has been given a choice. Who would give a powerless thing a choice? The Court would be furious. They would punish it if they inf out. It taps its claws on its leg.
Only one can leave. Only one will be free, and Talon's chest screams that it must be the child on the table. So does its head. Talon will give up its own need to escape and give it to the one on the table. The frail one will escape even if it costs Talon's life. The child will be left but it can't be left unguarded. The Court could easily kill it then or even worse erase Talon and make Talon kill the child. Talon will have to find someone to guard them - it. To guard the child from the Court. To protect the child from whatever fate the Court decides for it.
But for now, Talon will wait. It will be the perfect Talon until its family is safely guarded. Then- then it will decide what to do.