We Are Robin

6: Who is in Control?

Chapter 6: Who is in Control?

Signal blinked. One. Two....He blinked five times before his eyes were adjusted to the light shining over him. It was funny to him that he could control something that was now bothering him.

"Hey, kid. You're up?" Nightwing looked down at him. Gone was his uniform and helmet, They were replace with hospital pajamas and Nightwing's mask. Luckily, the mask fitted on his face.

Signal blinked again at Nightwing hovering over him. "Yeah, I'm up." He turned to sit up, but Nightwing gently pushed him back down.

"Take it easy. There's no need to get up so quickly. You did a good job."

Nightwing smiled at him, and he blinked. "Dic- I meant, Nightwing One."

"Yeah, kid. It's me. You are getting better at this."

"Not really. The compliment and the fact that you sound like you actually care were giveaways." Signal corrected. "Damian would have called me an idiot by now, and Jason would have order me to lay back down with at least two curse words thrown in."

Dick smiled softly. "They are not the best at expressing their feelings, huh?"

"No, they are not."

Dick smile grew wider. Just a little. Jason and Damian always had a way of expressing themselves. When it was only Jason and him, it annoyed him to no end. By the time Damian popped up, he understood more.

"Well, you should be happy that I'm here to greet you and not one of the others."

"You wish. I like Jason the best. My greatest adventures are when I'm with him."

A strange look passed over Nightwing's face, causing Signal to be alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Nightwing replied, grabbing a clipboard and flipping through the pages. "The tests that we ran came back clear and your vitals are normal. However..." He paused to studied Signal, who gulped.

"However, what?" That had been the first time that he had used his powers to go as far as he did is in time. He had no way of knowing the ramifications of his actions.

"You must be suffering from some kind of sickness if you like Jason more than me." He smiled.

Signal chuckled. "You had me worried for a moment. I thought I was going to turn into a mindless veggie or something."

Nightwing's face turned serious. "You do know that could be a possibility. We don't know all that we need to know about your powers. Your biological father, who is now gone, was our only way of knowing all of your limitations. You have to be careful, and don't push yourself too hard."

"I thought, you said that I should always push myself."

"There are times when you should push yourself, and there are times when you should stop and think of another way. You are a smart kid. You will know when you should do one and not the other. Or else you could end up like me."

The room got quiet as his words sunk in. He wasn't trying to scare the kid. He didn't have to. While most superheroes were slightly crazy as the villains that they fought, Signal was different. He was cautious and very sane. He never did anything without calculating the risk first.

Nevertheless, he was brave and a protector at heart. People like that intend to die first in their field. You needed a little craziness to live. The craziness helped you live longer.

"See. This is why I like Damian the best." Signal said, purposely changing the name. "I don't have to worry about him going from playful to serious on me." Dick took the clipboard and hit him gently upside his head.