who is he! (Reigress/Artery)

Chapter 2

Batman stepped into the medical room, he had heard about a civilian being brought in, he wasn't expecting to see Ryland lying half alive in the hospital bed however, he knew he had been taken from his city, Havenbarrow by Slade who had been brought back to life via a lazzarus pit.
He guessed the reason slade was so brutual was because Ryland had shot and killed him just three years previously. He was 15 when he killed slade so Bruce figured he was 18 now.
Last he had seen or heard from Ryland was at Christmas dinner when he was still 15. He was mad. Mad at Slade, Mad at himself for letting this happen, if only he had taken down Slade when he had first entered Gotham after being brought back by Thalia... This was her way of saying that she wanted him to suffer, hurt the boy he felt he needed to protect the most, he frowned as he heard Miss martian and Zatanna squeal. The were shouting Artery... Were they playing the board game operation?
He heard Artemis exclaim that she 'didn't like him in that way!' and knew instantly what they were talking about, Bruce smiled clearly his son was a ladies man, apparently a man's man also, he never would have thought that Ryland would ever be bisexual and swing both ways. Batman frowned as he remembered Jason telling him about their break up, that Ryland had said one day out of the blue that he didn't love him anymore, Bruce and Jason suspected a different reason all together, was it because Ryland had a gut feeling that Slade wouldn't stay gone? Did Ryland feel like it was safer for Jason to not be romantically involved with him incase Slade did come back? Whatever the reason it scared Ryland enough to cut his boyfriend out of his life entirely, and Bruce wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what could scare a boy as fearless and as emotionally hardened as Ryland Wilson. The door was eased open as Batman Sat down in a plastic white chair, this was a familiar scene. Was history bound to repeat itself? Would Ryland end up with Slade again no matter what? Nightwing and Tigress shuffled into the Room both looking stressed and worried.

"Is he OK?" they asked at the same time. Batman nodded. "He's stable,and is expected to make a ful recovery." he stood up and placed a hand on Artemis's shoulder. "You did the right thing bringing him here, I'm. Going to tell the team and Black Canary his identity, if she has a go at you about him being here before I tell her and the team.... Tell her she can take it up with me." Batman said gruffly as he matched out.

Artemis sighed," I didn't think he'd survive." Nightwing sat next to her.

"Before I joined the team as Robin... I led a different team, we were based in Jump city, we encountered Ryland for the first time, he was a hell of a fighter... Took down the entirety of my team until I got the drop on him, but he got back up and kicked my ass, we discovered that he had been killed and brought back to life nine times by Slade, trust me when I say he's a hard kid to keep down." Artemis listened to his story she never would've guessed that he had been elsewhere as Robin besides with Batman and being solo and this team with Nightwing. "He was fifteen then he went through more than kids at that age should."

"What happened to that team now?"
She asked Nightwing curiously. He smiled. "A new Robin took over, why do you think our Robin changed to Red Robin?"

"To free up the cape and spandex."
She realised.

Martian manhunter entered the room, he explained that the was going to go through the boys memories to discover what had been done to him by Deathstroke, the others nodded as the Martians eyes glowed bright Red, Manhunter saw alot inside the young boys head, his hero days as Oriole, his days being tortured by Slade and killed just to be brought back countless times, but he also saw past memories, memories that weren't of this reality, he saw Rylands true origins with the court of owls and Slade being his kind and loving adopted father, he felt bad for the boy, he had been taken from his world after dying from natural causes and placed into hell, he had went from loving Deathstroke with all his heart to them killing him out of hatred. All the memories from both this reality and Rylands reality overwhelmed him, millions built up from two different lifetimes, he had to leave to collect his own thoughts but in the whirling chaos that was this boys jumbled collection of memories he got lost, lost in somebody else's thoughts, emotions, ideals. He needed an anchor, something to hold onto that would pull him back out of this chaos.
It felt strange, being affected by so many different emotions at once, he his own feelings, sorrow for the boy, hatred for slade but these were nothing compared to Rylands feeling's of sadness, hopelessness, fear, self hatred and most prominent of all anger. More images flashes through martian manhunters head, he saw Ryland sitting in a bar drinking, to forget, to drown his sorrows, until he was kicked out by the bar staff. He must have made some kind of sign that he was struggling as he felt somebody appear next to him, Artemis. He focused on her and he watched as he was raised up towards a bright light away from what looked like a Gotham motel in ruins, it looked like it had Been through nuclear war.

He gasped as he found himself out of the Young boys head and back in his own.

"Are you okay!" Nightwing asked. "You stated to yell about an anchor so miss martian advised us through a mental link to pull you out."

Martian manhunter thanked the two for their help.

"I almost got lost, caught up in a storm."

"A storm?" Artemis asked confused but eager to know what had happened.

"His memories, too many... It was overwhelming, so were his feelings! They swirled around me constantly making me see what he has seen and feel what he had felt. Fear, anger, sadness... Loss." he panted as he still felt some of a Rylands emotions wash over him, this one was an unexpected feeling however, he felt lost, is that how Ryland Felt after he had been plunged into this reality for the first few months or even years? Not having his friends... Not even having Slade around to care for him like he was used to. It was hard to determine when he had felt lost, was it back then? or was it a recent on going feeling?

"I will show to rest of the team and the Leauge his memories and plan my next move, this boy clearly needs our help. For better or for worse he must stay here."

And with that, martian manhunter left in a hurry.

The boy in that hospital bed was a wreck, physically and emotionally. He needed support....the justice Leauge would give him just that, the Martian would make sure of it.

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End of chapter 2