[IN THE END] - DICK GRAYSON - YOUNG JUSTICE

CHAPTER 4

        Batman hoped in his car and raced to the Smiths.  He had the address memorized because all along he knew that Dick was there.  It just never occurred to him that he would be in the shed.  But with the article practically giving up his location, he was positive that he would find the young boy there when he opened the door.  Except things in life never go as planned.

                Batman parked his car a block away from the house to be more subtle.  He ran towards he house praying that he wasn't too late.  He strained his eyes to see James pouring stuff on the lawn surrounding the shed.  Batman wasn't going to keep quite anymore.  "May I ask what you are doing?"  He took a step out from behind the bushes.  James continued to pour the liquid on the grass.  "I'm just watering the plants Batman... Can I help you?"  Batman just started back at the man.  "Cut it out James, give the boy up."  James began to laugh.  "Oh... I see.  Well in that case I guess we can finally begin."  Batman looked at the man confused.  James was pulling something out of his pocket.  Batman was about to bolt into the shed until a glow caught his eye.  He watched the small light fly in the air until it grew massively.  Batman stood there in shock.  The next thing he knew James threw him to the ground punching him over and over.  "It's called a distraction... I just hope you get him out soon..."  Batman pushed the man off until he was the one punching him.  "I intend to."  He said to the man as blood began to cover James' face.  In between punches James managed to say "I... mean... alive."  His remark only made Batman more angry sending James a punch that knocked him out.  Batman stood up a turned back to the shed that was begin to collapse from the flames.  He sprinted to it, running through the burnt door.  He didn't think twice about what was going to happen to him.  His suit was pretty durable, but still his one goal was to get Dick out.  He was bending down in the crumpling structure searching for him, and he couldn't find him.  He thought about what James had said.  'It's called a distraction.'  Maybe Dick wasn't here. 

                He started to kick things as a result of a mental breakdown.  He was mad at himself for letting James get into his mind. Then he kicked the carpet to reveal another door.  And finally he felt relief.  Sure enough Dick was there when he lifted the trap door.  He was still chained to the wall and appeared to be unconscious, drowning in the flames.  Batman thought fast and jumped down to become level with the boy.  He yanked the chains from the wall and scooped Dick up into his arms.  He quickly climbed back up to the regular part of the shed which was practically burnt to the ground.  Batman stood up and sprinted out off the lawn before Madison could come out and say anything.  He ran around the block until he reached his car where he securely strapped the boy into the passenger seat.  He leap into the car and rushed to the hospital.  As he was driving he could hear the sirens of the emergency vehicles heading towards the Smith's. 

                In a matter of minutes, he pulled into the hospital.  He was quick to unclip his seat belt and run around the car to grab Dick.  He cradled him in his arms running to the entrance of the emergency room.  He told the police what happened and they laid him on a stretcher placing a mask over his nose.  Bruce watched as they chaotically wheeled him through the halls.  The boy had yet to open his eyes.  Knowing that all he could do, he had done, he turned it in footsteps and head back to the Smith's to investigate. 

                When he arrived the police were escorting both James and Madison to separate cars.  He tried not to make his smile that noticeable, so he kept his head down.  He then asked if he could look through the house, and the commissioner was more than happy to let him take a look around.  He had circled the main floor a few times and then decided to view the upstairs.  He grabbed the rail and made his way up the steep steps until he reached the hall way.  He was looking at the images that were hanging on the wall when the door to the attic caught his eye.  He pulled the string, and then began to ascend the ladder.  When he arrived up in the small crawl space he sifted through things lying on the floor.  And then he found something really interesting.  He picked up a ripped photo.  It had been split down the middle and all that was visible was a woman.  She looked really familiar.  He then glanced at the floor to find the second piece of the photo which was a couple inches from where the original lay.  He brought the two pieces together and sure enough they fit.  And it was then that he realized who was in the photo.