[IN THE END] - DICK GRAYSON - YOUNG JUSTICE

CHAPTER 26B

As promised here is B... Part C will be out in the next few days.  Comment and keep reading!  Thanks!

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Hours later Richard stumbled through Clarks door.  "Long time no see!"  Clark exclaimed.  "Yes well you're not the first 'long time no see' I've had today."  A confused look surfaced on Clarks face.  "I'll tell you about it after."  He said dryly.  "Well master Clark, I've told you all you need to know on the phone.  When should I be back to pick him up?"  Clark looked to Richard for the answer.  "Three days tops.  I am not running away from this forever."  He stated.  "Very well."  He said shutting the door on his way out. 

Richard smiled as Clark sat down on the couch next to him.  "So talk to me.  I'm more than glad you're here, but we both know it's only because of a problem."  He took off his glasses.  "Where do I even start?"  Richard questioned.  "Is there a beginning?"  Richard raised his eyebrows.  "I guess... Well you know how Wally died?"  Clark gave him a firm nod.  "After his death two things happened.  Bruce left for specific reasons and  I stopped fighting crime.  As I have once said before, Robin was Wally's partner.  So one day I was looking at the photo of Wally and I, you know the one, and when I flipped it over, the Nightwing symbol you had showed me was there.  And next to it, Wally had written 'I like it.'  So I got this crazy idea to use that logo, and become a new hero.  I had everything planned out, it was all stored away in this file.  Then I went in to my coma, and nine months had passed when I woke up.  I'm sure you got most of these details from Alfred but I'll just reiterate.  So when I woke up, I didn't remember anything.  It took me a few weeks to recover my memories, but one day I had stumbled across the file.  The Nightwing file.  And I felt absolutely terrible.  I felt as though I would betray Wally if I pursued the idea.  So I asked Alfred to burn it.  Afterwards, I couldn't get over the fact that I wouldn't be fighting anymore.  That I couldn't be a hero.  So I started looking into military options.  I think it could be good for me."  Clark's face was filled with astonishment. 

"Have you told Bruce?  I mean I don't know how he is going to feel about that."  Richard just laughed.  "No actually I haven't told him." Clark thought for a second.  "So you came here to ask for advice on how to break the news..."  Richard raised his eyebrows.  "I don't plan on telling him.  I'm here because I don't want to be near him."  His voice was stern.  "I was mad at him for leaving.  When he came back, I hated him.  Then I got into the accident.  I thought I was dying.  I opened up to him, telling him my death bed secrets.  Then I went into my coma.  Like I said, I woke up with no memory.  He viewed the situation as a way to start fresh.  Which is fine, and I get that, but then I remembered him leaving and stared yelling at him.  And then he said something he had never said before.  He told me that he loved me."  He took a moment. 

"But he played me.  It was all a ploy so he could stay close to me, to make sure I wouldn't find any clues that would unravel his plan."  He began to cough a bit.  Clark gave him a look.  "And what exactly was his plan."  Richard rolled his eyes, and then watched as Clark took a sip of water.  "This is where things get interesting."  He clenched his teeth.  "Wally never died."  Clark choked on the water he was drinking.  "Wally's alive?  What does that even have to do with Bruce?"  Richard took a deep breath.  "You know how I said Bruce left after he 'died'?  Well he spent that time with Wally.  He had devised this plan, knowing that I would stop fighting crime if he died.  I mean how fucked up is that?"  Clark could barley process. 

"That does make sense actually."  He said under his breath.  "What do you mean..."  Richard wondered.  "Well he wouldn't let anyone go near one wing of mount justice.  And no one did, because you know Bruce.  If he caught any of us roaming those halls..."  Richard shook his head in understanding.  "So how did you figure this out... You know the whole Wally being alive part."  Richard brought a hand to his forehead.  He began to cough a bit and then drank some water to cool his throat.  "He came to me...  Like in the hospital.  He just pranced right in as if it was no big deal.  It was kind of like 'oh hey how are you doing, by the way I'm alive.'  I mean I thought I was hallucinating but the things he said, they all made sense... Despite how much it hurt me.  He laid everything out for me.  And I finally realized that he was telling the truth.  I mean we had argued for a solid twenty minutes.  And at one point  I... I lost my anger...  For a second I thought I was going to kill him."  He sounded extremely ashamed. 

"You would think that I would of learned from the first time I attempted to kill for vengeance, but I didn't.  My anger took control, his words they were strong...  Not that mine weren't.  But then I had realized that he wasn't even fighting back.  You know...?  He was only using words.  He really didn't want to hurt me.  And I didn't even know I was about to kill him until he told me that I never knew how to handle my anger well.  And I don't.  That's why I came here.  I'm confused, lost in this situation.  I'm mad at Bruce.  I'll always be mad at Bruce.  But I need to control myself.  Be able to be near him without strangling him.  I want to rise from my anger.  I don't want to be stuck in it anymore."  His voice had never been so serious.  So solemn.  He truly did want to change.  Clark gave him a firm nod.  "I think we can both agree that you have already taken the first step."  He smiled.  "How bout we order a pizza?"  He added.

Three days later, Alfred waited at the door, ready to pick him up.  He knocked a few times, standing there respectively, holding a few of his homemade cookies in a plastic bag.  A few moments later Clark opened the door smiling, Richard behind him still coughing.  And still shirtless.  "It was hard not to turn a fan on."  Clark laughed.  "Why did the doctors have to say that I can't be in the cold?"  Richard wondered again.  "Because then you'll get more sick.  You're body is deceiving you for some reason.  But, I see you both have had a good time."  Alfred smiled.  He was glad Richard could have a few days to be happy, before he came home miserable.  Richard took a step out the door way looking at Clark.  "Just remember what I told you.  I know you can handle it.  And about your new aspiration... If you want to do it, do it.  He has no right to hold you back.  But go after you're not so sick!"  All three of them laughed.  "I'm going to wait till I'm eighteen remember?"  Clark shook his head, remembering.  "New aspiration?"  Alfred questioned.  "I'll tell you on the way home.  Just don't tell Bruce..."  His face was grave.  "You think I want to talk to him?"  A chorus of laugher sounded again.  "Well thanks for coming here.  And I'm glad that you now know what you're going to do.  I think that it is smart, and I can understand why you want to."  Clark smiled opening his arms for a hug.  "Thanks Uncle Clark."  He said breaking the embrace.

Unlike the last car ride the two had shared, this one involved a conversation.  "I think that is a very good idea master Richard.  It suits you."  Alfred admitted.  "For multiple reasons...  It will be sad to watch you go but I can understand why you feel as though you need to do this."  Richard shook his head in agreement.  "Yea... can I tell you something else though?"  He saw Alfred nod from the corner of his eye.  "Well before Wally had walked away for good, he had turned back.  But he realized I wasn't there.  I was hiding behind a tree watching to see what he would do.  Would he come to look for me?  Or just keep walking?  It took him a second to turn back around, he really did think about  it.  He had this look on his face.  And it had re-confirmed that he really didn't want to walk away from the circumstance.  He wasn't infuriated.  I mean of course he was mad.  You could hear it in his voice.  Yet you could see, based on his actions that he didn't want to be as angry as he was.  He didn't want to leave Gotham... And he didn't want to leave me...  He just wanted to depart from my rage." 

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