My Father is Death

Chapter 14

I have to get up before dawn tomorrow, so up early.

Dick wondered the halls, looking for the exit to the court yards. People brushed by him, making him shuffle away each and every time. Joey and Grant were at classes as Slade said. Wintergreen was in the kitchens making food. Slade was some place else with Ra's Al' Goul. So he was going to meet up with Merlyn on his own for the first time.

When he came out it was in a different part of the yards than he was use too. He saw that the people training in this court yard were younger and smaller than others. These people noticed him and wouldn't stop looking. Dick backed up a step only to run into someone behind him.

He whirled around and looked up to the soft smile of Lady Shiva, "Dick. Are you lost?"

"Yes, ma'am. Where is Mr. Merlyn?"

"He's just past that archway and take a left. He'll be in the left archway with an arrow over head." Shiva pointed, tussling his hair, "No worries. Just ask anyone and they'll point you the way."

"Thank you Ms. Shiva."

Dick ran off to through the archway and stopped. There was someone in this smaller court yard. He was dressed in all black with orange embroidery. An orange mask with golden yellow eyes sat on the man's face. Nothing else redustured to Dick as an image hit him so hard he staggered back a step.

He saw those yellow eyes, the punch, before he was lost in the memory.

~   ~   ~

Tiger paused when the blade tip just brushed the ground in a slice. Someone was watching him. He looked up and saw a kid just inside the archway to the court yard. That lone fact didn't concern him seeing that Sheva was teaching the young ones in the court yard over. What concern him was that the boy didn't look to be breathing. 

Sticking his sword into the ground. Tiger sprinted over but half way there the boy found his lungs and screamed. He just froze not knowing what to do. Insistently both Shiva and Merlyn were in their reactive archways looking in.

"I don't know..... He just.... Did I do something?" Tiger felt on the verge of panic. Ra was normally not easy going when training young students. He didn't want them frightened or severely injured. No combat. And if any adult was seen or suspected of hurting the child, they will have one vary short life, "He just screamed...."

Merlyn rushed over only for the boy to scream again. The boy scrambled back hitting the stone wall. He slid to the ground pulling up his knees and curled his arms around his legs. Shiva took slow steps towards the boy.

"Take off the mask." Merlyn hissed when he came close enough.

Tiger did as asked, "What's wrong? Did I do something? I was just practicing and he didn't look like he was breathing. I came forward to see and he just screamed."

"Not fully your fault."

"Fully? God Ra's going to kill me."

They watched distantly as Shiva reached out to touch the boy only for him to get up and try and run. Tiger reacted on training, and with in a few steps he was holding the boy tight in his arms. It was than that Ra's and Slade ran in. He was so screwed.

"What in the world!" Ra looked at him than to Merlyn and Shiva, "What's happening?"

Slade ignored them, "He's having PTSD! On a fucked up scale."

Tiger held a vice lick grip on the boy as he threshed, "Damn it. What is he fed? I can barely hold him. Does anyone know how to deal with this?"

They all just gave him that look. 

"You fucking don't, do you?" Tiger thought fast. An idea hit him. He mother had always song to him after a nightmare. He started in his home language, singing softly the rhyme his mother always did. Than it was his second language. The Language Ra' had taught him. He went through all the languages he knew and learned to speak before finally saying in english, 

"Hush my child, just listen close,
Call my name you love the most,
Dry your tears for I am right here,
No matter what I won't disappear."

The boy may or may not have stopped trembling after around the fifth or sixth verce. Now he was curled into his arms trembling. Slade reached out, picking the boy up from his arms.

A small, small, voice whimpered, "Dad?"

"Here bud, go to sleep." Slade placed the boy's head on his shoulder, rubbing the boy's back, "Thank you Ben. You alright? I know first hand how hard the boy can hit."

Tiger, Ben, nodded, "Another one?"

"Ha, ha, ha. Vary funny." Slade held out a hand that was not supporting his son, "So you've met Dick."

Tiger tripped on his own feet.

"My son's name is Dick. Dick Grayson." Slade laughed softly, "I may or may not have just taken in a stray."

Ben hummed, "Got it. So.... what happened to him? I don't think you would give such a young child a vary severe case of PTSD."

"He was... torchored to say the least." Slade peeked down at Dick to see the boy had passed out, "But are you sure, you're fine?"

"Yes. The boy only got a few hits in that weren't bad. He's strong I'll give him that." Ben looked down at the boy, "Has this happened before?"

"On minor scales." Slade looked around, "I wonder what triggered such a reaction this big?"

Merlyn picked up Tiger's mask, "This might have done it. Orange. Black. Yellow eyes. Looks like Talon."

"Add the fighting on top of it," Ra' took the mask to hand to Ben, "You might want to keep that off with training from now on."

Ben nodded knowing it wasn't a suggestion, "I will."

"I must get back to my class," Shiva bowed to Ra' before going back through the Arch way she came from.

Merlyn looked around, "I guess I'll see Dick tomorrow if he's up too it."

"I'll tell him." Slade told Merlyn before he disappeared.

Ra gave a nodded before leaving as well.

Leaving both Ben and Slade behind.

"So.... Another kid, really? I thought you swore never to even consider the idea."

"Shut up Tiggy."

"Oh you want to start that again, old man?"

Slade shoved the other man in the shoulder playfully, "Watch it. I rememberer all the shit I had to bail you out of."

"Pot, have you met kettle?"

"If I wasn't holding my son, you'd be-"

"What? In a body cast. If I remember, you've already done that; twice."

Slade snorted, "One of those times was not my fault. I told you not to rush in, and what do you do? Rush in."

Ben glared, "Shut up. My I remind you of all the plans you made that nearly got us killed."

"Oops," Slade smirked turning away, "See you later, Tiggy."

Ben sputtered, "I'll get you back for that Slade!"

Slade glanced back at the arch way, "Sure you will. Sure you will."

"Bastard!"

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