What I've Done To You

Chapter 6

"Are you...?" Barbara asked carefully, not taking her eyes off Dick as she shot a Talon.
"I'm back." He said. Barbara threw her arms around him, but she saw a figure creeping up behind him. "Go kick his ass." He smirked.

"Later, I'm gonna kick your ass for all this." She smiled.

Now that Dick was back with them, the whole family was fighting like they once did. Now they were winning. But something was gnawing in the back of Dick's head. Eh. Focus on clearing out the Talons. He thought. Hold on.
"The bomb!" He yelled. Everyone turned to him. "I put a bomb in the cave." Everyone started running towards the grandfather clock. Jason smashed it out of the way. Indeed, there was a bomb, wires spraying off it, blinking red.

"What're you waiting for? Disable it!" Bruce ordered.

"I-I-I can't." Dick stuttered.
"What in hell do you mean?" Barbara screamed.
"It's designed to destroy everyone here. It never had a failsafe. This was an endgame." Everyone stood in shocked silence as they took in the full extent of Dick's actions.
"We have to go. We can't help blowing the cave. But we have to get out of here." Bruce grabbed Damian's hand and started pulling him towards the dock.
"Bruce...we only have three minutes. We won't get out in time." Dick pointed at the countdown. "We can't disable it, but someone could stay behind and lengthen the time the other's have to get out."

"I'll do it. I've already died." Jason volunteered.

"No! I should, you all deserve more time to live." Bruce cut him off.

"The city needs Batman." Barbara interrupted.

"It would be heroic if I did it." Damian said stubbornly.

"I could keep the timer going longer." Tim protested.

"Guys, stop." Dick shushed them all. "I got you all into this mess. I'm going to get you out." Barbara's face flashed.

"No way in hell am I leaving you!" She screamed.

"Babs, it's okay. I'm ready." He smiled sadly. "Who knows, maybe I'll get out."
"Dick, we're not leaving you." Tim folded his arms.
"Yeah." Jason agreed.
"I...I'd miss you." Damian hugged Dick's legs. "Dick."

"If you stay here, I stay." Barbara stood firmly. Everyone looked at Bruce.

"We don't have much time. Dick, you can go and I'll stay-" He started.

"I'm staying. You all need to go." Dick said. The family reluctantly began walking towards the docks, but Barbara didn't move.

"Babs, go." Dick put a hand on her shoulder. Jason and Bruce started pulling her away.
"No! I'm not leaving you!" She screamed, and struggled against the hands carrying her. "Dick!" As they disappeared into the sub, Dick sat on the batcomputer's chair, and held a photograph of Barbara in his hand.
"I love you." He whispered. Behind him, the countdown started beeping, and Dick made no move to escape.

10...
9...
8...
7...

6...

5...
4...

3...
2...
1...

Outside, Barbara and the rest of the Bats stood at the very edge of the Wayne property, and saw the entire Manor burst into flames. Finally, Jason and Dick released their hold on Barbara, and she started running frantically into the flames.
"Dick?!" She screeched, tears running down her face. Her cape was smoking, but she simply ignored it. "Dick?!" Barbara began pulling up debris and rubble, searching for her best friend. A gloved hand appeared, and she pulled out the rest of the body.

Charred, bloody and bruised, Dick's body lay lifeless in front of Barbara. She reached out slowly to touch it. He didn't move, and there was no pulse. As Jason, Damian, Tim and Bruce run in, they stopped when they saw the red-head crouched over the body.
"No..." Jason whispered.

"He's..."
"Grayson..."
"Dick..."
Barbara's head fell onto Dick's lifeless chest.
"He's gone." She whispered, her voice and body shook with sobs. "He's really, really gone."

Two months later...

"I should've told you what you meant to me." Barbara whispered, looking up at Dick's holo-statue. The only difference between his and the others, was that every few minutes, the smirking NightWing would switch to a grinning thirteen-year-old Robin, "I-oh." The newly returned Wally walked in.

"Were you just talking to Dick?" He asked.

"Yeah..." She admitted.

"Don't worry. I do that sometimes." He sighed. "I mean, I wasn't there, but...it sucks that he'll never know that I'm back."
"And that you're the Flash now." Barbara added.
"Yeah...it feels weird though. So much has happened since I left..." Wally trailed off. "So, you've suited up. But as...wait, what are you?" He asked.
"Something that's going to destroy the court."

"Oh, okay." Wally walked out. Barbara buried her head in her hands, and sobbed.

Losing him hurt me more than anything he had ever done when he was alive. I never knew how much I needed him. Barbara thought.
"Dick Grayson..." She said aloud. "I miss you so damn much."
"Not as much as I miss you, Babs."