Clipped

Here I am

When Dick had woken up, he was confused. He was somewhere bright, and cold. He could hear a heart monitor, and felt needles in his arms. Was this a cruel Joker trick?

He slowly opened his eyes, groaning. He heard Wally's familiar voice ask a stupid question, and he had to let the sarcasm out. "No, I'm a ghost come back to haunt you." He'd almost been.

People came in and out, all of them so happy to see him alive. He'd been filled in, so he knew what had happened. By the time everyone was done, he was exhausted. He closed his eyes, planning on sleeping. When he did, he wished he hadn't.

Once again, he was in that cursed room. He was chained, and was in pain. Joker came in, but with the team and the League in tow. "I said if you didn't choose, we'd kill them both. I'm keeping my word." Joker explained before he pulled his first victim forward: Wally.

The Joker laughed as he pulled out a gun before shooting Wally in the head. Dick screamed as his body hit the floor. "Oh, another one? If you insist." He pulled M'gann forward. He watched as he literally melted her. He pulled, trying to save everyone else.

This continued, Joker continuously finding some new torture to kill them with. Dick had tears streaming down his face. By now, Joker had only Bruce and Tim left.

He pulled Tim forward first. Dick struggled, trying anything to keep Timmy from feeling that pain. Joker shoved him down on his knees. He pulled out a knife and cruelly carved the word Joker's into his bicep. He wrote property on his stomach before shoving it into his heart. Dick screamed again. He'd failed. Again.

Lastly was Bruce. Dick pulled, he pushed, he did anything to get out of those chains. And they just kept tightening. As Bruce was shoved onto his knees, he opened his mouth. "Dick, you need to wake up. Wake up, Dick!

Dick shot up, breathing hard. Bruce was at his side, looking worried. "Dick, you were having a night terror. We couldn't wake you up." "Wait, we?" Bruce nodded. "We even had Martian Manhunter try to wake you up. You kept blocking him out. Dick, what did you see?"

Dick started shaking, and Bruce pulled him into a hug. "I-I was back in the chains. Joker had kidnapped the entire team and league. I watched him kill every one of you. I couldn't stop it." He managed to get out. Bruce rubbed his eldest's back. It would take a while before he was alright again, if he ever was.

Eventually, Dick fell back asleep. Bruce laid him on the bed gently, making sure he stayed asleep. Bruce sat down, intent on staying with Dick. In case of another nightmare. Luckily, he didn't have any. Maybe small moments, but nothing to be considered a nightmare.

Sometimes, other heroes world patrol Gotham. Other times, Batman went out himself. Eventually, as Dick healed, it became Batman's responsibility again. The other heroes left for their cities.

After about a month and a half, Dick started getting bored. Bruce was honestly surprised he'd held out that long. The nightmares were still there, but not as often, leaving Dick with more energy. One day after he'd come back from patrol, he heard arguing from the med-bay.

"Dick, you're not supposed to walk for another week!" "Wally, I've been on my butt for six weeks. If I stay still a second longer, I'm going to go insane." "What about Bruce? When he finds I let you walk this early, he'll kill me! But I have to agree, you have been on that wonderful butt of yours too long." "Wally!" "Ow! I see you haven't lost your edge."

Bruce walked in to see Wally holding his cheek while also holding Dick onto the bed. "Oh. Heyyy, Bruce." Dick said sheepishly. Wally turned with an expression of fear. "Dick, you're not supposed to walk until later. And West, keep yourself away from my son's butt." Wally turned red, and Dick was holding in a laugh.

"However, if a change of scenery is what you need, I will be glad to help." Bruce said as he picked his son up, earning a tiny sqeak of surprise. He carried him up to the manor, Wally following. He was still a shade of scarlet.

Bruce set Dick down in the garden. Dick looked very happy. "Finally! Do you know how long it's been since I've been outside conscious?" He complained as he stretched.

"Almost two months." Wally stated, doing the mental math. Because of all that time inside, Dick was very pale. "I'm going to get a tan today." Dick declared as he pulled out a book from one of his many hiding spots.

He rolled onto his stomach, relieved to get pressure off his back. And he was aware of Wally right next to him. He didn't mind, as Wally was with Artemis and it was a joke.

Dick spent the rest of the day outside. If it sounds weird, imagine this. Your son was kidnapped during the day. You spend your entire superhero career at night. Now, to prevent this from happening again, you so patrols twice as much. Once in the hours of the morning, and once again at night. Bruce has come back from his morning patrol.

Sure enough, Dick did get tanner. Wally got a bit of a tan as well. The two boys spent their day just talking, catching up like they'd been supposed to.

Eventually, Dick finally got to walk around again. He was very unstable for the first few days, but quickly recovered. After about three months of his rescue, he was back to running and jumping, much to the annoyance of Bruce. How was Dick supposed to recover of he was constantly hurting himself?

As soon as he was cleared, Dick began training again. He started small, building up his muscles again. Then, he began pushing himself further. Running faster. Punching harder. After five months of freedom, Batman cleared Nightwing for the field.

He didn't get much that first night. A few robberies, one assassin, but it still feels better than being in training constantly. Six months later, and it was like he'd never left. Nightwing was back, and was here to stay.