Chapter Two: Robin Squared

A/N: So things are a little AU in the sense that although this is pre-Season 1, Dick and Jason will meet earlier. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed!

"This had better be important." Sylvie walked into her office with an unimpressed expression on her face. She was known to drop everything to come into work when people needed her. However, she didn't really appreciate Dick calling her in about Mark - not when she'd actually been with the man at the time."

"It is," Dick insisted. She hadn't seen him in a while, and couldn't help but be struck by how good-looking he was, although she only allowed herself a moment to drink that fact in.

"Alright, what is it?" Sylvie cast around to see that Dick was joined not only by Lauren, but also Jason. "I was actually with Mark when you called, so that could have ended badly."

"The children can leave." Dick looked pointedly at the teenagers. "We need to talk in private."

"Really?" Jason complained as he headed for the door, Lauren heaving a dramatic sigh as she left as well. "Why am I always getting sent away?"

"Lauren is working for Mark," Dick said once the door closed behind them. He folded his arms over his chest. "That's who she's stealing for."

Sylvie was a bit taken aback. Mark knew how much she despised adults using kids to do their bidding. It wasn't as though he was the most moral person around, but she had hoped she might have influenced him a bit. Apparently not. Since their break up, it appeared he'd only gotten worse.

"Next time, you should text. If Mark suspects something…"

"She's not some frail kid. She can handle herself." The words contradicted the urgency with which Dick had spoken of Lauren working for Mark.

"I'm just glad he didn't overhear anything." Sylvie shook her head slowly. "I made him leave after you called."

Dick raised his eyebrows. "You're still seeing him?"

"It's not like that," she insisted, not wanting Dick to think she'd gotten back together with her toxic ex, "We aren't in a relationship."

"So you're just sleeping together?" he asked, his tone indicating that he didn't think highly of the situation.

"What does it matter if we are?" Sylvie didn't really think Dick was in the right space to place judgement. From what she knew, he'd only embarked on a long string of casual relationships and one-night stands.

"Is that a good idea?"

"It's just sex, Dick." Sylvie flopped in her office chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Whatever you want to say, please, spit it out."

"I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life," Dick said tactfully, but Sylvie didn't want to hear it. She wanted to hear what he really thought.

"You think it's stupid."

"Of course I do." Dick leaned over the desk. "Why do you keep going back to him?"

"I'd try and explain, but I don't think you'd get it." Sylvie focused her attention on a fountain pen, turning it over between her fingers. Mark had been her safety net, her escape from the streets. No, he hadn't always been good to her. But she'd been hopelessly in love with him, and although she wasn't anymore, some part of her clung to what they'd had.

Dick threw his head back. "I don't understand everyone's obsession with him."

"I'm not obsessed with him," Sylvie responded indignantly, the accusation prickling at her, "He keeps coming to me. I just...I don't know. I don't turn him away."

"You should start," Dick suggested.

"Why, Dick?" Sylvie tilted her head to the side. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I care about you." It was true that they were good friends, and had become so over a series of years. Dick had never approved of Mark, and although he'd never said it openly, he hadn't exactly made a secret of it either.

"It's just nice to have the intimacy, I guess." Sylvie put the fountain pen down, unsure how to explain the complicated nature of her relationship with Mark.

"Can't find someone better?" Dick asked.

Sylvie leaned forward in the chair. "Excuse me?"

"You could find someone less toxic." Dick shrugged his broad shoulders. "There are plenty of people out there."

She shook her head. "I don't do that anymore."

"What? Date?"

"Screw random men." Sylvie hadn't done that since she was a teenager, since before Mark. She'd been fourteen when she'd first run away from her uncle and lived on the streets. Some of her choices hadn't been the smartest, but she wasn't going back to anything that reminded her of those times.

"I'm not saying do that. I'm saying go on a date. Meet a nice guy."

Sylvie's green eyes narrowed. She didn't need some man to get her life together. She'd done so much more in the two years since she'd broken up with Mark than she had in the years she'd been with him.

"I don't need to date. I don't need a nice guy. I'm doing perfectly fine."

"This is ridiculous." Jason scowled as Sylvie shut the door, leaving him and Lauren alone in the waiting room.

"Get over it." Lauren watched as he paced angrily, while she flopped onto the couch. At least it was a comfortable waiting room. She didn't like being left out anymore than Jason, but she also knew there was no point arguing with Dick and Sylvie about it. They were the ones who would win the argument inevitably. "Stop pacing."

"Stop telling me what to do." Jason snapped at her and Lauren let out a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long afternoon if she had to wait around with someone who was in a foul mood. "So, this Mark dude..."

"What about him?" Lauren raised an eyebrow. She knew the topic was bound to turn to Mark eventually.

Jason sat in the chair opposite her, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Why do you work for him?"

"He keeps me off the streets." Lauren shrugged. It's not like she did any high end crimes, just easy thefts here and there. Her teleportation made it easy for her. Her cafe job didn't pay well and her street ones meant she had a roof over her head.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure he's a great guy."

"You live in a big fancy house, you're lucky. Some of us aren't that lucky." Lauren scowled at him. She had remembered living in the mansion with Dick after her parents had died and left him as her only family.

"You don't know me." Jason snapped back, narrowing his eyes at her.

Lauren rolled her eyes before getting to her feet and pulling her phone out. She had expected Mark to have messaged her by now to find out why she wasn't going to him for jobs, but she also figured he probably knew about Dick being in town. Not that she had ever told him that they were related. She was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Mark and Dick had history, and it wasn't even close to being good history.

"So what's the deal with you and this Mark dude?" Jason questioned, having shifted so his feet were propped up on the small coffee table. "You're not sleeping with him or anything?"

"No, but I wouldn't be opposed to it." Lauren shrugged. It wasn't like Mark was unattractive.

"Gross." Jason made a face at her answer. "You having the hots for Sylvie's ex is gross."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to get it." Lauren muttered, leaning against the wall and staring out the window. She was keen to get away from the office, but also knew she had to wait for Dick and Sylvie to be done.

Despite her unconventional education, Sylvie had always thoroughly enjoyed books. In particular she enjoyed non-fiction, books about psychology and the human mind. Usually, the thick volumes she absorbed were related to her work. Sylvie loved learning, and believed that you never stopped picking up new things. A knock on her door roused her from her reading, and she placed the book down on the coffee table.

Crossing over to open the door, Sylvie had for some reason assumed it might have been Dick. When she saw it was Mark, she sighed heavily, going to close the door again.

"Not tonight, Mark."

He rested a hand against the door, stopping her from closely it completely. "I'm here to talk."

"Okay…" Sylvie opened the door, letting him inside. "Talk about what?"

"Dick Grayson is in town." Mark made himself comfortable on the couch. It bothered Sylvie that he was so at ease in her home. This wasn't his space, it was hers. He only came around to sleep with her. "Heard he was at your office."

Sylvie shrugged. "So?"

"What did he want?" Mark asked, leaning forward. As much as he might try to sound casual, Sylvie could tell that he was nervous. No doubt he suspected that Dick was aware of what he was up to.

"Just to catch up."

He arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

Sylvie smiled tightly. "Are you scared, Mark?"

"Should I be?"

"That depends on what you're doing these days." Sylvie let the threat hang in the air, smiling sweetly as Mark's blue eyes narrowed. He must suspect that she was aware of what he was up to, although Sylvie knew there was a bigger picture she wasn't seeing yet. There was no way Mark was working on his own.

"He knows Lauren, doesn't he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sylvie shook her head, but they both knew Mark wasn't buying it.

"I'm not stupid, and I know you aren't either."

"No, I'm not," Sylvie admitted with a light shrug of her shoulders and a hint of sass, "Don't know about you, though."

"How are they connected?" Mark pushed himself to his feet, walking over to her as she remained silent. He loomed over her, but he was an idiot if he thought she was intimidated by him. "Tell me, or I'll get it out of her."

"What's in it for me?" Sylvie asked. She didn't really want anything from him, she just wanted to see if he was cutting deals.

"What do you want?" Mark tilted his head to the side. She considered her options, realising that she had the chance to actually ask something of him. There was only one thing she really wanted, and it hadn't been until she talked to Dick that she realised she wanted it.

Sylvie took a deep breath. "I want you to leave me alone."

"Fine." Mark sighed heavily, raking a hand through his blonde hair. "Answer my question first."

"Dick's here because of me." It wasn't the truth, but Sylvie wasn't exactly about to spill her guts to her ex.

"And his relation to Lauren?"

Sylvie crinkled her nose in feigned confusion. "What relation? You're just paranoid."

When Mark showed no signs of leaving, she looked pointedly at the door. They'd had a deal, and even though she hadn't been honest with him, she expected him to hold up his side. Yet she knew Mark, and he didn't always do what he said he would.

"You said you'd leave me alone."

He smiled malevolently. "Never said I meant it."

"Why won't you?" Sylvie's brow furrowed. Didn't he want to move on, like she did? Mark just winked at her, and the cruel glimmer in his eyes made cold shivers run up her spine.

"It's fun messing with you."

Mark strode out of the apartment, and Sylvie slammed the door shut behind him. She leaned against it and took a deep breath, her whole body shaking. She tried to ignore how he had the ability to get so deep under her skin. She just wanted to move on with her life, but that wasn't going to happen until Mark stopped haunting her.

Lauren frowned as she walked into her living room, dumping her bag on the couch and seeing Jason in front of her TV, beer in hand. She didn't remember inviting him over, and she didn't remember when they'd become best buds either. "You're in my house now?"

"Hey." Jason greeted her, seemingly not phased by her displeasure. "How was work?"

"It was fine." Lauren told him, tugging her jeans off and searching for a pair of shorts.

Jaosn watched her carefully as she did, before swapping her coffee stained top out for something else. He had to admit she had a nice figure. "Nice."

Lauren shot him a glance over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at her. "You can stop drooling."

"I'll try." Jason finished his beer, watching as she seemingly ignored him and began to make tea. "Want me to go?"

"You'll just come back." She shrugged, stirring milk and sugar into her tea before moving over to her washing and beginning to fold it.

"I was asked to keep an eye on you. Keep you safe." He explained to her, watching her closely. He could tell she was annoyed about that fact, but was confused when she began to laugh. "Why is that funny?"

"Because we both know I'd be the one protecting you." She pointed out to him, sipping her tea.

"Uh huh." They both knew Jason was far from helpless, and had bested Lauren countless times despite her teleportation, but they'd become friendly rivals.

Lauren flopped down beside him, well aware that his eyes were still glued to her as she sipped her tea. "Are you just going to stare at me all night?"

"Maybe." He smirked, putting his empty beer bottle on the table. "Or I can leave."

"I don't hate your company." Lauren admitted to him, finishing her tea and getting up to dump the mug in the sink.

"Aw, I'm growing on you." Jason mocked her, earning a sharp look from her. She was tired and not in the mood for jokes.

"Maybe." She muttered as she moved towards the bedroom, glancing sideways at him as he moved to grab the blanket draped over the back of the couch. If he was going to be staying the night, she was decent enough to not make him sleep on the old and uncomfortable thing. "If you keep your hands to yourself, you can share the bed."