High School Sweethearts : BO1 : Dick Grayson

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

"The rest of the team may also be at risk" Aqualad explained, "Team, report status" He tried to check but only got a high pitched ringing in return "Ugh, com is jammed, and Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we split up" Aqualad groaned.

"Actually, you let everyone split up before communications were set" Captain Marvel said, to which Aqualad protested, "They would not listen!" "I guess, but back at the cave, Batman stopped everyone from arguing with one word" The captain retorted, making a point. "Because Batman is... Batman" Aqualad tried to explain, though it was more to himself than anything.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me. When I first joined the League, all he did was boss me around and it's hard not to take it personally, but, I never disobeyed an order and that's probably what kept me alive" Captain Marvel said. "Batman takes command, he has to.. for the good of the League. Thank you for helping me understand" Aqualad responded.

"Hey, wisdom of Solomon"

Suddenly, it was as if Aqualad heard something, "Yes, Miss Martian, report" It made sense now. As Aqualad was speaking Miss Martian, the Captain got interested in something he saw, making Renner want to follow as he left. Aqualad turned to see both of his partners gone, making him sigh and look around to see if he could spot them.

He saw Renner just as he ran out of sight and followed quickly.

As Renner and Captain Marvel were following the Tiger the Captain saw, it suddenly turned and the two realized it was wearing an inhibitor collar. "It's another one, like the elephants!" Renner tried to warn, but Captain Marvel was already making his way towards it. He followed quickly, though making sure to try and subtly stick behind the Captain in case it attacked.

It growled in pain, and just as the Captain was going to get the collar off, three poles rose from the ground emitting an extremely high pitched sound, making Renner let out a cry and fall unconscious.

-------->

The team was fighting, M'gann had set up a link and they were fighting about something that Renner couldn't really hear. It was like he was underwater, or on the other side of a wall listening through a cup. "Guys!" He tried to call, but they continued, not listening to him at all. He noticed his environment was familiar, unsettlingly familiar.

It was an underground cave, where the telepath held him when he was trying to get information about Batman. He had him there for weeks, giving him almost no food or water. He was a dehydrated screaming mess, of course the screaming was almost never verbal.

Renner couldn't tell how many times he broke out screaming at this point, the mental gouging out of his eyes somehow seemed more painful than the real thing. Renner had no mental power, he was a mess in that way and could never seem to find out how to help with his depressive episodes.

He couldn't fight, but he wasn't going to give anything up about Batman, since he knew nothing anyways.

Renner gasped awake, tears streaming down his face as he gasped, trying to suck in air that didn't seem to come. "I- I can't- I can't breathe" Renner cried, barely hearing his teammates voices in his mind.

Outside the compound, Robin and the rest of the team were stuck hearing Renner's screams, unsure what was causing them to come out through the mental link. Everyone cringed when they suddenly stopped, a wave of panic that wasn't theirs coming over them. Aqualad, though reluctant, told Miss Martian to remove Renner from the link for the time being.

"Anemoi! You're awake! Oh- breathe! Try to take in a, a deep breath!" Captain Marvel tried to reason, but if he was honest, he was panicking too. There was a sound that struck Renner as odd, though he hardly picked up on it as he tried to listen to Captain Marvel, trying to take deep breaths to no avail.

It felt like a running trend on these missions, him losing the ability to breathe. He should take lessons on holding his breath, Renner thought, trying to take his mind off the excruciating pain of his memories. It was working, his breathing slowing and he was able to take deeper breaths.

Soon, there were two explosions and gunfire, making Renner wish that he wasn't stuck to the table. Though, suddenly, Dick appeared into his vision, a smile making its way onto Renner's face almost immediately. "Renner, are you okay?" Robin asked, lowering his voice so no one would overhear his name.

"D-Dick.." Renner gasped, watching as he freed his arms, Renner then worked on the restriction on his neck as Dick freed his legs. "I heard you screaming..." Dick commented, a grave look on his face, "I-I don't remember screaming, I'm sorry if I scared you" He stuttered in response.

"It's fine, you're fine" Dick assured, almost going to hug Renner before glancing behind him, where the team was going to fight two odd persons, a gorilla and a robot with a brain in it. The Brain, Renner recognized. The gorilla growled in rage at being cornered, behind it, The Brain stood, "No Mallah, this will not be our waterloo" He spoke, unfolding weapons in a red glow.

"Au revoir, mes amis" The Brain said, making Renner's eyes widen. He got off the table quickly and brought Dick down with him as he hid behind it, thinking the big show of weapons was going to be a bomb.

All the lights turned off simultaneously and when they returned, Renner peeked over the table, finding The Brain and 'Mallah' gone. "Wait... that big weapon thing was... a light switch?" KF asked, sounding rather disappointed. "That was anti-climactic.." Renner commented, glancing over to Dick.

The pair stood up and followed the group as they made their way to the bioship, where they rounded up the collared animals to take them off. Renner fiddled with the lock of the collar tight around a monkey's neck, using a dagger from his pocket, and got it off a few seconds before Aqualad took off the last one with ease.

"That's the last of the collars?" Captain Marvel asked the tiger, Renner watching in fascination as they seemed to hold up a conversation. "This has been an eventful day, huh?" Renner remarked, looking out to the forest with Dick. "It has... Are you sure you're okay?" Dick replied, obviously not forgetting about the earlier events.

"I'm fine, Robin, it's all in the past now" Renner assured, stepping up the ramp of the bioship with him.

Aqualad followed, but was stopped by Dick. "Look, I need to know, why did you keep the mole intel a secret?" He asked, the rest of the team gathering around the bioship to hear the answer. "The source of the tip was Sportsmaster" Aqualad responded, earning immediate protest from Artemis.

"I did not. It seemed possible, even likely that he was attempting to divide the team with false information" Aqualad let the team draw the obvious conclusion. "And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded, but you had to consider that it might be true" Dick spoke. "Yes. As a leader, I did, in which case I did not wish to alert the traitor" He finished.

"Hate to say it, but... makes sense" Dick confessed. "I am still prepared to step down" Aqualad suggested, to which KF made a vote to keep him in. It was unanimous, leaving Aqualad as leader.

Everyone piled into the bioship, bar Captain Marvel, who decided to fly back to wherever he was needed. Renner took his seat next to Dick and they made their way back to the cave quickly enough.