New fic, crack.

[loopylouise123]

Title: Of fire and wings
Summary: The clan have to move on, away from their sheltered paradise after their home was destroyed along with nearly all of its inhabitants, they end up in the middle of a power struggle, which could turn into war. 
Warnings: Crack and serious AU-ness. There also will be slash, but that comes later.
Characters: Talia, Lady Shiva, Nyssa, Chesire, Cass, Dick, Lian, Tim, Jason, Alfred and Bruce, for now. (yes you read right) 
Rating: For now PG-13
Disclaimer: DC owns all. 
Notes: Okay, this bunny really will not leave me alone, it keeps attacking my brain and I have to admit I enjoyed writing this, no matter how much shame it brings me. I have so many possibilities running through my brain it hurts but I have to know if you want me to continue this or not, because you guys are my reading audience and it's only fair. (and I think I need a break from the darkness of my previous post) 

The flames licked and danced among the stars, forever rising up and up as they consumed the palace and the village beneath it.

 

Their life long friend burnt all the evidence of the battle away, great reptilian bodies, now without their magic to protect them from the blaze, were consumed within it. Lost forever and the only survivors, a pitiful group of twelve, watched it all.

 

The magnificent palace had once been the home of Queen Talia, leader of the sky beasts of the forest. Hidden deep within the thick tress of the mountains this paradise had been a refuge for all females, women who swore leagence to the name of Talia and were free from the tyranny of men. They only left when the urge to procreate became too strong and the reason why males existed came into play.

 

Of course they always returned, pregnant or not, safe from any humans or outside predators, those only being different species of their own kind, and until now they had never been discovered.

 

Until an army of Luthor had stumbled upon their scent. 

 

The battle had been fierce, Talia had refused the join Luthor’s cause, his name had even spread to their small getaway, and so the army, all consisting of eager wingless males, had decided to take them by force.

 

They had been outnumbered but not outmatched.

 

The only male residing in the palace, Talia’s son, had led their defence, he was young, lithe but quick, graceful and deadly and he, against all odds, had managed to lead the defeat of their opponents. Even if they were nearly all dead and their home was in flame.

 

He gripped the earth, tears stung his eyes and he heard the quiet sobs of the other females around him, grieving for their home, their loved ones and to the uncertainty of their future. Three mothers held onto their daughters, comforting them the best they could and he stood, trying to stay strong even when he felt his sister grab his arm and his mother grip his shoulder tightly.

 

“You led us to victory Dick.” Talia said, sounding proud even when her beautiful blue eyes held pain. “You cannot blame yourself for what happened.” 

 

Beside him his fourteen year old sister squeezed his upper arm, minding the gash that still slightly seeped blood. “If it wasn’t for you, none of us would be alive.”

 

He looked into her brown orbs, so different from his and mother’s own true blue, but she wasn’t his sister by blood, she was his sister by choice. “No Cass, it was Mother’s training that saved us all.”

 

The Queen snorted then regained her strict features and looked to the remainder of her people, sky beasts or ‘dragons’ what the humans liked to call them while they were in their reptilian forms.

 

Her assistant, Sandra Woosan or Lady Shiva, Cass’s real mother and her half sister Nyssa came to stand next to her, like her they had not shed a tear, knowing that in doing so it would not bring anything back.

 

“Once again men show us as to why we hate them so.” Nyssa snarled, her eyes flashing yellow for a second before she turned her stare at an indignant looking Dick. She smiled at him. “You don’t count dear.”

 

The young male, only a year before he became of age, eighteen to his Mother’s law, was too tired to argue and even his pride couldn’t be bothered to put up a fight.

 

One of the females with a young daughter stepped forward, her eyes now dry and she gripped her child Lian tightly. “Where do we go now?” Cheshire wasn’t the one to usually follow orders, she had been deeply traumatised by her time in slavery and it was the work of Talia and her sister that had prevented her from going insane. Even so she was fiercely independent, the second strongest female fighter, second only to Shiva and her knowledge of poisons that seeped from her fangs made her a deadly opponent. “We cannot stay here, Luthor will soon discover that one of his armies are missing.”

 

Talia snarled, her pride wanted her to face Luthor himself now and rip him to pieces for what he had done, but her logic forced her to rationalize. “We will head west, away from the Luthor in the east and merge ourselves in a human settlement.”

 

No one seemed too happy with that.

 

“We have no other choice.” Shiva’s commanding tone agreeing with Talia and forcing the other’s to accept their fate. “Do you want to let the male sky beasts to know of our existence, to know that some of them have children? They will take them away from us.” In response the daughters clung to their mothers tightly and Cass suppressed rolling her eyes to the fact that she knew her mother could care less since her father was dead.

 

“Not all males are bad.” One female spoke up, she had only recently joined their society, bringing her three year old daughter with her and rumour had it she had only come because the father had died. She looked at Dick to prove her point.

 

Talia snarled protectively and Dick just continued to ignore everyone while he stared at the flames still burning the palace, lighting the night sky.

 

“He does not count you foolish beast.” Her authority caused the lesser dragon to shrink away, pushing her blond haired toddler behind her. “He is not fully male; I wouldn’t have kept him if he were.”

 

Dick finally decided to speak up. “I am fully male.” He sniffed, his pride wouldn’t let him be anything less. “Stop saying that I’m not.”      

 

Nyssa smiled amusedly, this argument was no stranger to her and she saw Shiva finally loosing her patience.

 

“We cannot argue, we must move by morning.” She nodded to her daughter and she watched as Cass obediently took a reluctant Dick by his hand and led him away, getting him to help her gather essentials. “Those who wish to go else where they may, everyone else will stay under our orders until we find somewhere permanent to put up residence.”

 

Talia spoke up. “I know you are tired from battle and you have young ones to feed but Lady Shiva is right, if we do not move before light breaks we risk discovery and death.” She waited for any objections and when she found none she barked out orders. “Gather only what you need, stay together and meet us by the valley entrance in beast form in two hours.”                  

 

As those who had survived drifted off into the night to find anything that they could use Talia turned towards her sister who was looking at her in concern. “Do not worry Nyssa, I am well.”

 

The woman sighed and flicked her hand through her short coal black hair. “You should not be travelling while pregnant, but I know it cannot be helped.” She then bit her lip as she looked at her nephew and Shiva’s daughter, both busy while searching through the embers for supplies, the flames touched their skin but they were not hurt. “I just hope father does not find us. If worst comes to worst then you can take refuge with Wayne. He will not turn away the mother of his son, especially if you bear that child, it is his isn’t it?” At Talia’s nod she shook her head. “He is still a slave to your beauty then.”   

 

She was surprised at Talia’s negative wave. “No sister, I am still a slave to his.”

 

“I am surprised he didn’t turn you in.” Lady Shiva walked up to them both, interrupting their conversation and holding a basket  full of dried meat rescued from one of the outer houses. “You are known to have killed many in your time.”

 

Nyssa answered for her sister. “What level headed male would turn her in? And I wouldn’t talk about being wanted so lightly Shiva, we all know you were a very successful assassin before you came here.”

 

Shiva laughed and patted Nyssa with her free hand. “I do not deny it. But come, we have work to do.”

 

0.0.0.0.0.0

 

The fires were beginning to die by the time Dick and Cass had gathered all they needed in simple but large bags created from leather. Both had spoken very little to each other during this time, the tragedy of death was still very raw and they had both lost friends and Dick had lost a lover. 

 

To preserve her memory he had created a necklace made from simple black rope, but hanging in the middle was one of her beautiful red scales, given to him by her on their anniversary.

 

Cass had watched him make it with inquisitive brown eyes and her curiosity won out. “Was she really that special?” Giving someone else one of your scales was a sign of great commitment and love.

 

Dick didn’t seemed upset by the question and he rubbed the scale with his thumb lovingly. “I don’t think we would have married, she was more of a close friend then anything else but I lost my virginity to her, and she lost hers to me.”

 

The young girl nodded, understanding and she wished she had someone that she could be that close to.

 

Knowing that it was getting late Dick placed the bag on the floor and tied the necklace around his neck. “We must change and meet the rest at the valley entrance.”

 

Changing into a sky beast was always thrilling, they left their weak human bodies and became something far more powerful, large winged fire breathing creatures of the sky.

 

Cass was a sleek black, thin and long with her tail tipped with inch thick spikes and her claws long and sharp, she had taken after her mother and Nyssa had joked almost fearfully that she could become the next Shiva, Cass hadn’t been impressed. Yet she felt inferior to Dick’s form.

 

The boy had been built for flying. Graceful and lean his form wasn’t as equipped for combat as much as Cass’s was but his wing span shadowed hers. When in flight his moves where so smooth and natural that it was almost like a dance, not even her mother could catch and defeat Dick in a flight fight; and because he was male his bones were naturally stronger so he could dive from great heights and be able to pull out only feet from the ground without breaking his wing bones. Yet because of the size of his wings, no matter how much control he had over them, it was rather difficult to fight on the ground and Cass could kick his butt to hell and back without breaking a sweat.

 

But it wasn’t like he wouldn’t return the favour when they were in the air.

 

They touched down next to their mother’s larger forms and they both immediately noticed the mother who objected earlier wasn’t with them, gone along with her daughter. Dick frowned, that meant that now they were only eight capable dragons to fight in case something went wrong. He hoped that their group didn’t get any smaller.

 

“Come.” His mother stepped forward, walking on all fours, minding the bulge of her stomach. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”     

 

0.0.0.0.0.0

 

The tv channel was switched over again, then again and again…

 

“Can you just find something to watch?!”

 

The twelve year old just stuck his tongue out at his older brother, excited that he had managed to get the reaction he wanted and he ducked with a laugh as Jason angrily through a heavily adorned pillow in his direction.

 

“Master Jason, please refrain from destroying the priceless vases.” The butler had managed to catch said vase in time after it had been knocked over by the pillow thrown in its direction.

 

The teenager didn’t even look sorry when he automatically apologised, instead he had his arms crossed against his chest tightly and he was glaring at Tim, who had retreated to the other side of the room, keeping the remote safely within his grasp. 

 

“Waiting for the tv isn’t worth this shit.” And he stood, walking out of the room ignoring Al’s frustrated sigh at his language. “I’m going outside.”

 

His younger brother suddenly lost interest with the large television as well. “Really? Are you going for a flight? Can I come? I love flying around the grounds when it’s dark!”

 

He followed his difficult sibling through the hallways and past his father’s study who was in there currently on the phone.

 

“No, you cannot come. So fuck off.”

 

The younger male frowned but continued to walk along behind Jason.

 

“If you don’t let me I’ll tell Dad how the glass roof had gotten smashed in the conservatory last week.” 

 

Tim smiled smugly as Jay cursed, stiffened then grudgingly allowed his brother to come. “But if you mess around and piss me off more then you have already…” He trailed off in warning and Tim nodded eagerly and bounced ahead of the stroppy teenager, remembering the days when he had been more fun and not just interested in loud music and girls.

 

Apparently their father had been informed of their plans and they heard him call after them as they headed down the stairs towards the back door. “Don’t stay out past twelve! You hear me Jason!”

 

“I hear you!” He shouted back, already slipping outside after Tim, breathing in the cool fresh air and flexing his muscles. He suddenly felt playful and glanced at his too eager brother. “The first to the river gets the first rabbit.”