Wrong Parent (Dick Grayson)

18--Safe

I had my hands over my head as Slade kicked me. My jaw hurt too much to try and call for Batman again. Right now, I had to focus on staying awake. If I passed out, Slade could drag me all the way back to the apartment building without a struggle.

Slade was suddenly pushed off me. I crawled to the safety of the Batmobile and leaned against it. Only then did I look up to see Deathstroke and Batman fighting. I blinked the black spots out of my eyes. I wasn't gonna be passing out.

Batman seemed especially violent. I knew with Joker he had been rough, but will Slade...he looked as if he was going to break his no-kill rule.

"He's mine," Slade growled. "I payed for him, I signed the papers, I took him under my wing and made him so much more."

"You also abused him," Batman said sternly, smashing Slade's face into the street. "You hurt him in so many ways, and so sloppily, that I could get you arrested for child abuse, along with your other crimes."

"Sorry to say, Bats," Slade said. "But I haven't been caught yet. And I'm not gonna get caught for something as minor as child abuse. I'm an assassin. What do I care if what doing is against the law?"

I watched the fight with sick fascination. I can learn so much from Batman, I thought. If I survive this and am not taken back by Slade... I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask, no, beg Batman to train me. I turned my attention back to the fight.

I must have zoned out for longer than I thought, because Slade was now unconscious and Batman looming over him. I thought he was going to finished him when he spun on his heel and jogged over to me. He checked me over for any major wounds. When he found none, he gently picked me up and set me down in the passenger seat again. "I'll take you right to the mountain. Right after I take care of..." he turned back to Deathstroke, but he wasn't there.

~

"Dickie!" Wally yelled as he ran into my hospital room. "Are you hurt? Are you hungry?" He grabbed me tightly, causing me to gasp in pain.

"Wally!" Artemis scolded. "You're gonna break him! Don't you know he already has enough injuries without you hurting him!"

Wally let go with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, little bro." He glanced over all my injuries. "What did that demon do to you? And I heard you ran into the Joker." He shuttered. "Your a brave kid, Dick."

The rest of the team surrounded me and said how nice it was that I was back. Miss Martian tried to offer me a plate of cookies, but I pointed to my broken jaw. I wouldn't be able to eat solid foods for about a month.

Eventually, the team was shooed out by Black Canary, saying that I needed my rest if I was ever going to recover. I didn't disagree. My eyelids were getting really heavy. I let them shut and leaned back against my pillow.

~

I stood in front of Arkham. The building made me shiver. It was beckoning me. My feet moved on their own accord, taking me closer to my nightmare no matter how hard I struggled.

"I don't want to go!" I screamed. "I'm not a criminal!"

"Oh, but aren't you?" Joker's voice said in my ear, causing me to jump. "Little Renegade?"

Multiple hands grasped me and pulled me into a cell where Batman was waiting. "I thought I trusted you," he growled. "And this is how I repay everything I did for you?"

I shook my head. "Please! I didn't do anything! You don't understand!"

Hands forced me into a chair. It was the electric chair. "No! I've never killed!"

"If we don't get rid of you," Batman said. "You will destroy this city. It's what you were trained to do. It's nothing personal."

"No! Batman, please!" Tears ran down my face. "D-don't kill me!"

Batman pressed the button and a shock went through my body, causing me to scream in pain.

~
I awoke with a strange scream because of my broken jaw. Someone was instantly to my side. "It's alright, the voice said. He was the last person I expected to comfort me"No one's going to hurt you." It was Batman.

I looked up at the dark man over me. Even behind his cowl I could see concern etched in his face. "B-batman?"

"Richard," Batman said. "You had a nightmare. The team ha told me that might be a problem. Your nightmares sound frequent. Judging from your background, I can't say I'm exactly surprised."

I swallowed, my jaw still hurting. I hastily scrubbed the tears out of my eyes. I grabbed the tablet that the team had given me earlier so I could talk and typed out, 'Sorry I woke you. I'm fine.'

"Are you sure?" Batman asked. I nodded. I layed back down and he pulled the covers over me. "Before you get to sleep...I was wondering...if you'd want me to mentor you."

I jumped up and grabbed the tablet with a smile. 'Are you serious? Of course!'

Batman smiled slightly. "You can stay at the mountain, in your cell, if you want to. But, if you'll give me a chance, you could be my, um...my ward."

My eyebrows rose. Is he serious? I'm gonna be his sorta-son?  Smiled and looked down at the tablet again. 'If you're sure you can handle me.' I smirked.

Batman ruffled my hair, something I didn't mind coming from him. "First, however, you're gonna have to get a haircut."

I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand away.

"Second of all, we'll have to wait until your injuries are totally healed. Or at least mostly. And I want to surprise the team, alright. Don't tell them."

I smiled and made a 'zipping-my-lips' motion.

Batman smiled. "Now it's about time you get back to sleep." He took the tablet and set it on my nightstand then tucked me in again. "Goodnight, Ri-er, Dick."

I smiled and closed my eyes. This is the best day of my life!

~

Okay, so I've always been super crappy at sequels, but I decided I might give it a try with this book. The updates will probably be slower but whatever. This is probably the fastest book I've ever finished! It was so much fun! Thanks!

Btw- the second book will be called Revenge.