The Labyrinth

Chapter 3: A Distracted Opponent Is An Easy Opponent

"Hello Mrs. West, I'm here from the Daily Planet here to interview Richard Grayson, I have written consent-"

Dick bolted upright, startling the speedster next to him. They'd been reading comics on the ground- trying to ignore the sudden disappearances of not just Bruce Wayne but Barry Allen too- but when Dick heard the woman, a reporter, speak from the door his gut started to grow uneasy.

"Oh is she here?" Wally said, sitting up more slowly and putting his comic down, noticing the obvious discomfort in his younger companion.

Dick only nodded.

"Hey," Wally shoved his shoulder lightly, getting the boy to turn to look at him. "You'll do great, keep to the truth and nothing will go wrong."

Dick still looked nervous. "She's here to ask about his disappearance, not the abuse, but I'm sure that'll come up."

"Dick? Come on down, Ms. Lane is here to see you." Aunt Iris yelled up the stairs, pulling both boy's attention.

"Coming!" Wally yelled from where he sat on the floor, then he gave the acrobat another look. "You don't know anything about that though right? This should be easy."

"But your uncle went missing too, it's too suspicious, and I'm the only link between missing people" His eyes lowered and he moved his feet out. "And the only possible reason Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne would even be in the same sentence is because of the suspected abuse! It's their only lead so of course they're going to ask me about it!"

Wally grew a frown and stood up, helping Dick up too. "Well my advice still stands, honesty is the best policy."

'But I can't do that' Dick wanted to say, but then his mouth formed other words. "You're one to talk."

Wally chuckled light heartedly, but Dick didn't miss the flicker of fear dash across his eyes. The acrobat wanted to slap himself, he really had to stop letting his anger out on others, especially Wally. He really meant no harm by the comment, he liked Wally and Wally needed a friend.

"Sorry..." Dick mumbled as he headed off to the doorway, his dark hair hooding his crystal eyes. "Stressed. I didn't mean anything by it."

Wally walked up to him in silence, "I-It's okay, I would be too." then they walked together to the top of the stairs.

Dick mentally shook his head, he was trying to say sorry. The appropriate response to 'sorry' was 'thank you' as Alfred schooled him one day after an eventful gala.

Cake was involved, and the neighbors kid...  Tom? Tim? Tim. Tim's mom had been so mad he ruined her son's dress shirt and demanded an apology and then some. Of course Dick said sorry and helped in anyway he could to right his wrong. But as he was cleaning up the cake from the younger boy's shirt (he couldn't have been more than five years old and scary posh) it was Tim who said sorry. Dick was completely baffled and shrugged it off, as it totally was Dicks fault, but then the kid looked even more solemn afterwards. When Dick asked Alfred about it he found out his response to the apology was incorrect.

Saying 'it's okay' does not fix the problem and only makes saying 'sorry' redundant, if it was 'okay' then a sorry wouldn't be needed at all. Saying 'thank you' acknowledges what the other person did was wrong and accepts the other person's own recognition and reproach to their action.

'Sorry' means it won't happen again.

'Thank you' acknowledges it and praises the build of character.

'It's okay' means it still bothers the one being apologized to, but they're responding out of politeness instead of facing the issue head on.

Unless it's like a bump on the shoulder while passing, that you can say 'it's okay' to because if it WASN'T okay then there would be a fight. Dick knew all about bumps making fights, and how loose the term 'bump' was in school.