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So. I've been looking around, and I think I've found a room that will work as a salle d'armes. Which is basically a fancy way of saying a training room.

[The mirror is hovering, showing Dick in a fairly large room that's...not quite as cluttered as some of the others. It can probably be cleared.]

While some of the outside gardens will work most of the time, I'm sure there are people who will appreciate having some walls around them if we're going to get into things like judo throws.

[Which isn't impossible. Things like throws and learning to use your opponent's weight against them is good self-defense, especially for those who aren't as big or strong as others.]

[He pauses a moment, looking uncharacteristically serious for the moment before he nods to himself. He and Tim have had this conversation and had come to the same conclusion. Especially after the memory-dream walking. Now it's just saying the words.]

Which isn't the only reason for me to be on here. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good reason, but not the only one.

I have to admit that...I've been lying to you all. Or, at least, lying by omission. I know a few of you have made a few connections and with the memory walks, I'm pretty sure some of you have already figured things out. But for those who haven't, let me introduce myself again.

[Dick takes a breath and lets it go, drawing himself up to his full height. The posture change does something, makes him seem...more than he was a moment ago.]

My name is Dick Grayson. I grew up in the circus until age 9, when my parents were killed in a fall from the trapeze. I was taken in by a man named Bruce Wayne in Gotham. Eventually, I was made his ward, and, even later, adopted. I grew up in a very different way from the circus.

[He waves a hand almost dismissively.] Which is all stuff that you all know. I haven't exactly made a secret of any of that.

What I did make a secret of is that...Dick isn't the only name I've gone by. My world is known for having superheroes and villains. I've been part of that fight for a long time, under a few names.

I am Dick Grayson. But I have also been known as Robin. And as Nightwing. And, currently...I am Batman.

[Is that EVER going to stop feeling weird to say? Probably not.]

So. If you have any questions, this is probably the place to ask them.

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[Kon drags his hands down his face.]

Oh thank God, you have no idea how hard I've had to work to try not to slip.

Edited 2022-04-08 15:10 (UTC)

[Dick gives him a quick grin.]

Yeah, sorry about that, Kon.

[Ange sighs]

The Green must be very into superheroes.

[Even the dog Kon has is a superhero. Ange can see the pattern, the Green either thought a lot of superheroes would have the best chance to help them -- which she thinks is what happened -- or they're a fan of this genre, which she's not ruling out]

The Green has a couple of avatars in my world, so I'm not massively surprised. And we do tend to be very good at rolling with whatever happens.

I’m not sorry.

[ He’s not mad, and it’s partly his fault they’re coming clean, but he’s not thrilled either. ]

If it's any comfort, none of those names mean anything to me.

[Beyond "batman is kind of a silly name". But he has some sense of tact, at least. And the self-awareness to recognize that his own reticence is similarly ineffective when none of his shit would mean anything to anyone else either.

Sigh.]

But...for what it's worth, I have not been using my real name either.

[It IS a silly name, but it's also a legacy, so Dick doesn't have much choice in the matter. Other than trying to retire it and...that hadn't gone well.]

Thank you. And...it kind of does, thanks. Though it's less the names meaning things to people and more that...it's been getting really obvious that I'm not quite as 'normal'-- [And yes, he absolutely uses air quotes.] --as I've been trying to put on, you know?

Names are whatever you're comfortable with. And sometimes the name you had at birth is different from the person you become, you know? Some are more comfortable than others.

I assume you have saved the world before?

[Maybe he did and that's why the Green got their eyes on him, with that couple avatars having witnessed or heard about that. It'd make as much sense as anything else]

[Considering the last time he was part of saving the world, he nearly got killed and Kon DID die? Dick's expression shutters just a little.]

I've been part of saving the world before. A small part, really. There were a lot of people who did more.

[Oh good, he's admitting it rather than trying to pretend that he's not some kind of weirdo until the very last second. Stacia decides to reward him by not heckling him about it - for now.]

Cool, thanks for telling us. Any skills you've been keeping under your hat in the name of protecting your secret?

What changes does this reveal entail in terms of your abilities and contribution? Do you need the group to provide you assistance of some kind or was this confession a simple matter of transparency?

[ They’re really doing this. Okay. This is fine, because it’s the logical choice for the long-term. ]

I’ve been lying by omission and occasionally directly.

[ Like Dick, Tim isn’t including a blanket apology in the admission. ]

My name is Tim Drake, and I was adopted by Bruce Wayne so I’m legally Tim Drake-Wayne. Dick’s my brother.

I’ve… also gone by Robin. Currently Red Robin. Feel free to not remember the connection between those names for your own good, because we’re currently up to four people from our universe. I’m worried the next one won’t be as fun as we are.

Dr. Fate is trustworthy, though.

[Dick raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms before he starts listing off skills.]

Training in aikido, kung fu, escrima, Capoeira, judo, hapkido, taekwondo, jujitsu, karate, jeet kune do, savate, sambo, ninjitsu, bojutsu, Western boxing, and thrown weaponry. I speak and read Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese and the language of the planet Tamaran. I can also keep up a fairly good conversation in American Sign Language, French, Italian, Persian, and Kikiyu.

[Deep breath.] Also trained in escapology, criminology, fencing, stealth, and disguise. Fairly decent detective in my own right.

Oh. And I can do this.

[Dick pushes the mirror back so that more of the room is shown. He raises it up so that it's just over his shoulder as he turns, then does what's basically an Olympic level floor pass, though he doesn't do a massive flip at the end. Instead, he goes to a handstand on two fingers, perfectly balanced for a minute before he folds down to stand again.]

[A little shrug and the tiniest quirk at the corner of his lips. His social and good-humor gestures are forever subtle.]

Ah, well...what's normal, anyway?

[One of his friends lives in a graveyard and makes dead people tea. Another is a librarian-spy-monk. He has never had a "normal" friend in his life.]

[Dick glances at the text but answers out loud.]

Mostly transparency. I know a few people had already made guesses about the fact that my training and fighting styles were beyond 'rich kid with eccentric hobbies', so may as well come out with it now that the whole cop thing has settled down.

[It gets a good-humored laugh and grin from Dick as well. His are less subtle.]

Honestly? Wouldn't have a clue. I'm pretty sure I've never been normal.

It's hard to believe there's such a thing as 'a small part' when it's about saving the world.

[Because really, if it had failed, then there's no more world and that'd be a major bummer. Everyone who had a hand in it staying safe is integral, that's how she sees it.

That's probably how it'll go here, too -- there are so many people it's inevitable everyone will have 'a small part' in whatever happens]

Hi Dick-Grayson-but-I-have-also-been-known-as-Robin-and-as-Nightwing-and-currently-I-am-Batman, I'm Dan.

Training? I could be down for that.

[He knows. Nothing, basically. Aside from the odd boxing session with Aaron back home, anyway. Besides what is basically instinctive in kicking out to free himself sort of thing, if someone grabs at him. And Miles is indeed one of the smaller, skinnier ones, and younger.

He also knows none of those names so doesn't make that connection of Wayne being Batman either.]

But uh. Right. I'll keep it in mind. The whole. Batman thing.

You’ve blown through three different hero IDs, but Dick sticks?

Okay. Who's Batman?

[His part wasn't exactly small, either, but he doesn't really like talking about it.]

Oh, I contributed. Just that there were others who did so much more, that's all.

Hi, Dan. Dick still works fine, though.

I'd be glad to help you learn how to fight. Or training anybody else who needs it.

[Just putting that out there for anybody who would normally want to ask but doesn't feel they can.]

The Batman thing is...not really important here. I know that some people here know the name. The main thing is that I have training as a...superhero sounds wrong, but it's about as correct as possible.

[Dick huffs a laugh and shakes his head.]

Robin was when I was a sidekick. When I started out. I took the name Nightwing when I became an adult and struck out on my own. Batman is...a legacy name. I'm the second to use the name.

[Jean-Paul Valley is probably the real second person to use the name, but given everything, Dick feels pretty okay saying he is. After all, Jean-Paul hadn't handled things well at all.]

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