The black and orange mask

Drowned

Authors note: Hello, and welcome to how it is possible that Slade from Teen Titans is Batman. The beautiful cover picture was drawn by a good friend of mine TheTerraner , go and check her out! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own any DC comic characters.

Dick Grayson was trying to do his homework, but he couldn't concentrate. Alfred's funeral had been this morning... Alfred had been like a grandpa to him. He had been family. And now he was gone. Bruce also hadn't been the same at dinner (and he wasn't near as a good cook as Alfred) he hadn't talked much... and he didn't really seem present. Kinda lonely, but he knew Bruce would get better. Or at least he convinced himself.

He really tried concentrating, but after writing down just one word his thoughts drifted away again. There was a knock at his door "Come in" Dick said, Bruce already in Batman uniform a neutral expression on his face stood in the doorway "Is your homework done?" Batman asked, Dick looked at his nearly empty page for a minute before jumping up and closing the book.

"Of course!" He exclaimed a fake smile on his face. He rushed down to the Bat-cave with Batman and quickly slipped in his Robin uniform.

—

"Robin! Go and fight the goons on the ship, I'll go have a chat with Joker" Batman ordered Robin, Robin was hesitant to leave Batman alone with Joker. But he was always. And nothing to bad had ever happened before. So Robin followed the orders.

The goons were much to easy to defeat, it was nearly boring to Robin. So he was finished quickly. He walked over to the shore, Batman should be there... but he wasn't. Robin stayed calm and observed the water, he saw air bubbles surfacing.

His eyes widened, grabbing his rebreather he jumped in the water. He saw a faint black figure, unconscious, he grabbed the figure and started pulling it on land. Batman drowned, but Robin could still feel a pulse. Heimlich manoeuvre! (Authors note: for those who don't know, heimlich manoeuvre is that thing where you like pump on someone's chest with your hands)

A few minutes later Batman was awake again, coughing up water. The moment he gained a bit more consciousness Batman exclaimed "Joker!" Before Robin could stop him Batman grabbed his rebreather and jumped in the water again.

"Batman!" Robin exclaimed when he saw his mentor jumping in the water that had just nearly killed him a few seconds ago. Robin thought about jumping after Batman for a second, but he decided not to. A few minutes that felt like hours later Batman pulled Joker on land.

Joker had a huge smile on his face, Batman checked his pulse and whispered "I killed him."

—

"Wow these are great news, Robin" Commissioner Gordon smiled, Batman hadn't stayed and Robin had called the police. The Joker drowned, he wasn't killed it wasn't anyone's fault he drowned. Robin nodded fake smiling, then he left, shooting a grappling hook at the nearest building.

He entered Wayne manor in civilian identity. "Bruce?" He asked, no one answered "Bruce!" He shouted a bit louder. Still no reply. Dick walked over to Bruce's study, no one was there. Dick walked down to the Bat-cave. To his relief Batman sat there right in front of the Bat-computer.

Batman of course noticed that Dick was in the cave the moment he stepped in it, but he only reacted when Dick came his way.

Batman wasn't wearing the cowl so you could see his face. Batman got up and smiled at his son placing a hand on his shoulder "You should go to sleep" "No I need to know you're fine Bruce. That you aren't blaming yourself. I need to know" Dick said a bit panic visible in his royal blue eyes.

Bruce pulled Dick into a hug "I'll be fine, I just need some alone time." Bruce let go, smiling weakly "So do yourself a favour and go to bed." Dick just silently stood there, turned around and left. He had been a bit... bamboozled by the hug... Bruce rarely hugged him. Just when he saw it as really important to do so. Like when he had a nightmare about his parents and was really worked up about it or when some Gotham villain had hurt him really bad... but not just like that.

Dick walked to his room after brushing his teeth, falling on his bed he nearly immediately fell asleep.

The next morning or well... later that same day he woke up. He looked over to his alarm clock 9:16 he overslept. Shit. He rushed down the stairs to the kitchen where Bruce was making breakfast, calm as if his son didn't just overslept. "Bruce! I overslept! Why didn't you wake me?" Bruce calmly smiled at his son "You didn't oversleep, I turned of your alarm"

"What!? Why would you do that?" Dick was more than surprised, Bruce still much to calm replied "I thought you might need a day off" Dick didn't argue...yes he was good at school but it got kinda boring from time to time. And he was kinda happy about the day off. "How many waffles do you want?" Bruce asked, smile on his face.

—

Dick sat in his room, reading a book. When his phone had a new message Where were you today, are you sick?! Dick had to smile, it was two minutes after end of school. I'm fine Dick texted back, I'm fine, that's all you answer? We had a test today! Dick chuckled I'll probably be back tomorrow

He put the phone away not in the mood of discussing with Wally.

—

Dinner. Something Dick would normally claim was a waste of time. Now he would call it a waste of time and bad tasting. He knew Bruce tried his best... but no one cooked as good as Alfred. Or could even cook at all.

The only good thing about dinner was that they would go out crimefighting shortly after. He really loved crimefighting.

When he and Bruce finally finished dinner Dick asked "So when are we going on patrol today? In ten minutes? In thirty minutes?"

Bruce looked at him very serious and replied "Not at all" "What!?" Dick exclaimed "Why not?" Bruce sighed "This is not up for debate, now go in your room."

Dick was mad, how could Bruce not allow him to go on patrol tonight? He turned around and left to his room. Not because Bruce wanted him to, but because he wanted to.

He waited till 11 o'clock, Bruce wasn't sleeping yet. But he was in the batcave. He changed in his Robin outfit, he really wanted to go fight crime... ok maybe it was just about his pride and not wanting to admit if Bruce had control over him.

He didn't even try getting out through his window, it was past lockdown time so everything was tightly locked and no matter how mad he was he wasn't mad enough to break a window. He walked down in the main hall of the manor and pulled at the huge door. It didn't move... why didn't it move!? You might think that it's normal that the door is locked, but it was always open from the inside, always!

He was locked in the building...

He didn't leave that night.

—

Next morning his alarm clock wasn't turned off, he got up. Changed into school uniform. Brushed his teeth and entered the kitchen, Bruce entered a few minutes later. Raising a eyebrow he asked "What are you up to?"

That didn't really sound like sarcasm, it sounded like he meant it. A bit confused he replied "Getting ready for school" the next few minutes were spend in silence till Dick got up and entered his room.

He grabbed his school bag and grabbed the handle of his door, he pulled it down and then shoved it open... or at least he tried... the door was locked. "BRUCE!" he shouted thinking the door had locked itself. No reply. Dick went over to his bed wanting to call Bruce with his phone.

His phone wasn't there anymore, he perhaps left it downstairs... that was fine he could just write an e-mail over his compu- his computer was gone to. Slowly a tad bit of panic arose in Dick, where were his electronic devices? If shouting didn't help he had to get out himself.

He walked over to the window and just when he wanted to open it, a metal piece slipped down in front of the window. Evacuation mode. Why was evacuation mode turned on? What was going on?

Even with evacuation mode on, his rooms door shouldn't be locked.

Someone had locked him in his room.