𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐑𝐄 , nightwing

022 robin.

𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐊 entered the room later. I wasn't sure how long. "Nate? What are you doing on the floor, did they do something to you?" He stepped closer to me and held out an arm, supporting me to my feet. "I couldn't find you in the other room..."

He pulled me over to the side, looking overly concerned. I blinked at him with a blank expression, my head blurry as if I'd just woken up from a really long dream. He spoke quieter just to me, the parents watching us closely. "What's wrong? Why did you come in here? I was going to go, I need to go do something but I don't know whether to leave you."

He watched me as I stood silently, he searched my face as I blinked back to myself, my reality. "I don't know whether you're safer here or with me." He stepped closer, his hand still on my arm holding me upright in case I collapsed. "Nate, talk to me."

With every blink, the darkness washed over me. With every millisecond it took, not even that, I was baptised by the void. Drowned and drenched in it, flooding my brain. I decided to stop blinking. Maybe stop sleeping too. No more darkness.

"I'm alright now. Just... I don't even remember coming in here." Dick watched closely and nodded, thinking for a moment. He slowly escorted me out of the motel room and under from the praying eyes of the parents.

"Look." He held my shoulders firmly, however with a tender touch. "I think you should stay here, but-" He started before I could object. "I'm going to give you this. Any reason you need to come to me, need help or anything, you press this. I'll send help, be right there, or I'll get you to me. Whatever the situation."

He held out a black device with a Bat-logo on it. It had a button on it that I presumed was for emergencies. It seemed to have a keypad as well as a small digital screen. "I know you don't have a phone, so."

He seemed almost nervous for me to take it, as if I'd refuse it. It slid right into my palms, turning it around and giving it a look over, Dick watched me. "Thank you." My tone was flat, way less expressive as usual, but Dick saw it. The genuine gratitude in my eyes showed as I looked up form the device. "Seriously."

He nodded and walked away, informing me he wouldn't be gone long and would contact as soon as needed/able. Even while the dark woods were sitting on the horizon, where I'd found myself lost at the mercy of cigarettes, I felt Dick keeping a keen eye on me as he strode away down the hall, then as he soon popped up on the parking lot, giving me one final look before slipping into the drivers seat.

It had become morning now. Kory had left me watching four creepy robot-people while she went outside for whatever reason she didn't have the patience to explain to me. To say the least, I'd grown bored and irritated with ease. The morning was barely new, way too early for me usually to be awake and tasked with a duty, especially if it required my focus, however Kory didn't want to hear my 'excuses.'

I sat in a chair on the other side of the motel room as they all sat tied up in a line silently. My head was laying on the back of the chair, glaring holes in the ceiling while I sat taking occasional bites from a pizza slice I'd acquired. Not only did I have a sudden craving, but the pizza place opposite conveniently opened a little early with a small amount of persuasion.

"We know you're different." The older female's voice cut through the silence like a butcher suddenly working through a pig's guts in-between the pews of a silently praying church. "Different, like Rachel. But you're not like her, either. Are you?"

I rolled my eyes and my munched my pizza slice ignorantly joyful. Whatever she wanted to goad me into was not going to get into my head. The father spoke out. "You can't hide from it. You also don't know much about it either, we could help you."