Vigilante Struggles

chapter 27

LOCATION: UNKNOWN

TIME: UNKNOWN

Dick was in a difficult situation. He was running, to put it in simple terms, it was the reason why, that was complicated. He knew he shouldn't have listened in and trusted his gut there and then, but how could he when there was something telling him to, and in the space of ten minutes he was forced to second guess the intentions of those closest to him. His family. His mind is at war, the reasonable verses the illogical. The heart verses the brain. He couldn't think straight, which was probably part of the reason he was running. There is no thinking involved. One leg in front of the other, breathe in, breathe out. It is the most primitive form of movement, the most natural.

How could he have known what they intended to do, what they have done. He had been set up from the very start, used and twisted into something he didn't want to be and....Bruce. He was not who Dick believed he was. He had been fooled by his former mentor's public charm. Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy. Batman the greatest detective and strategist. "No. No thinking, just run." Dick urged himself, he clears his mind once more. He didn't need this now. He hadn't meant to find out, he wished he hadn't, but he did and there is nothing he can do about it. He's not sure whether Bruce knows, that Dick had figured things out or not. All he knows is that he will never return to Wayne Manor.

Stopping at the Docks in Gotham City, Nightwing sits on the edge of the wooden walkway, the planks groaning and shifting under his weight. The sound of the waves lapping over each other, and licking at the base of the walkway soothes his flustered thoughts. He knew he shouldn't allow himself to be so exposed, especially with Deathstroke out there, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It has been about three hours since he had escaped Wilson's hideout, and about an hour since he had been at the manor. He had unknowingly run into Tim, who had been staging his own rescue mission only for it to be foiled by the very person he sought to save, Nightwing. Although Dick had found it strange that he had subdued Tim so easily in that hallway, he brushed it off as a fluke, that Tim had known he was there, but hadn't expected his adopted brother to attack him. He had scooped his little brother up and left with ease. Another component of his ordeal that was suspicious, but he had taken full advantage of it. He wasn't waiting around for an explanation from Slade himself.

He had dropped Tim into the medical bay in the empty cave, checked him over and headed up to find Alfred for a second opinion. That's when he had heard quiet voices. The voices that told him, his whole life had been a lie.

One hour before

Wanye Manor

Dick ran into the Batcave, heaving and stumbling forward with a smaller figure in his arms. "Alfred!?" When no reply was returned, Dick carried Tim to infirmary. "Bruce!?.Alfred!?", Dick shouts as he checks Tim's pulse and removes his cape, boots and gloves. Tucking his little brother in gently, he places a small icepack against Tim's neck. Satisfied, he leaves Tim to go search for Bruce and Alfred. It is very unusual to find no one in the cave so late at night.

Climbing the stairs and exiting the doorway behind the grandfather clock, Dick catches himself as he hears soft voices from the study. He steps quickly out from the passage way, silently thanking Bruce for making the mechanism so quiet. Fearing he might have revealed the Batfamily secret, Dick makes his way towards the voices. Hopefully it wasn't a guest, though that might explain why no one had been present when he carried Tim in. The voices grew louder and Dick finally distinguished them as Bruce and Alfred. Just as Dick was about to knock on the door, the topic of conversation stunned him into shock.

"Perhaps this is our out, Sir. Allow Slade Wilson to keep Richard. We have no need for him, now that Master Jason has returned. It was too much of an effort all those years ago for the outcome we are receiving today, he is not good enough to take over the mantel. He could not even prevent being kidnapped in the first place, not to mention he has revealed your secret to the strange girl, Master Bruce." Alfred's voice rang through the door, but the words were not his. There was no way this was Alfred. Kind Alfred who taught Dick how to bake cookies, cleaned his scrapes when he fell while playing in the garden. It certainly wasn't the same Alfred who had advised and supported Dick throughout his lifetime. Dick was shocked, his mouth hanging open while his hand is locked into a fist to knock on the large wooden door. What would Bruce say? Surely he would shut Alfred down for even thinking this way.