Wrong Parent (Dick Grayson)

14--Fifth Day

Today was the day. The day that Deathstroke takes me back. I was uneasy for the whole day, and I knew the team noticed. I kept zoning out, biting my fingernails, glancing over my shoulder. It was obvious something was wrong with me. They kept constantly asking me that question, and I always told them the same thing, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Sometime during one of my mindless wanderings, the team cornered me. "Dick, don't you dare say your fine," Artemis said. "Something's obviously wrong with you."

I shook my head. "I don't know what your talking about."

"You've been paranoid all day," Megan said.

"Not to mention unresponsive," Kaldur said.

"Why are you so sad?" Wally asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not sad." I'm scared.

"Well, will you tell us what's wrong?"

I swallowed and shook my head. "I've told you. Everything's fine." My voice betrayed me by cracking at the end. Tears were building up behind my eyes.

Wally squatted down and looked up at me. "Dickie, you know you can tell us anything. Does this have to do with the Tony Zucco incident?" I so badly wanted to lie and nod my head, but I couldn't keep building up lies, so I shook my head.

"Well than, what is it?"

I bit my lip and slowly shook my head. "I...I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Megan asked. I didn't answer.

"Was it the fear serum? Is that what you're worried about?" I didn't answer. "Don't worry, Dickie. We're not gonna die."

That's what you think, I thought. I knew Deathstroke. If he was coming to kidnap me, he'd take down anyone who gets in his way. All of them being in the same place as me was dangerous. Very dangerous. If Deathstroke came and got me right now, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot them all in the head in an instant.

"Dickie?"

I realized that I'd been zoning again. "I-I'm kinda tired. I think I'm going to lie down for a little bit." I slipped through the team and made my way to my cell. There...there they can't be hurt.

I had almost made it to my cell when a figure stepped out of the shadows, causing me to gasp, though I had been anticipating him all day. He walked slowly over to me and looked down, about a foot away from me. A hand suddenly came out of nowhere and slapped me in the face with enough force to knock me against the wall. My head hit, but I wasn't knocked out, just dazed. "Oh, Renegade," Slade said, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. "You've been a very bad boy, and I need to punish you."

I didn't struggle. The team wouldn't be killed just because I tried to get free. I just hung limply over Slade's shoulder, vision swimming and head aching. Please, just let him slip past the team unnoticed.

"You didn't destroy Batman," Slade said. "I think that I'll have to teach you a lesson."

I cracked my eyelids opened. Where am I? I squinted, making out a couch and tv. Are we in the living room? Is Slade seriously going to use the Zeta tube to escape?

Apparently he was. He typed in a code, but the computer denied him. "So, they don't even trust you enough to let you leave." It wasn't a question. "I guess I'll just have to override the system..."

When I thought this was all going well, none of the team was hurt or killed, someone, namely Wally, shouted, "Dick!"

Slade spun around to face the team.

"Let him go, you monster!" Wally shouted. I heard the sound of Artemis' bow being drawn back.

"Uh, uh, uh," Slade said. He grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and held me out in front of him. "You wouldn't want to shoot Richard here, would you?"

I lifted my eyes and tried to focus them on the team. Artemis slowly put her bow down and glared daggers into Slade.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm hacking into this system," Slade said, throwing my roughly over his shoulder again, causing me to grunt in pain. "No one attack or Richard here pays the price." He turned his back on the team, but I couldn't face them. I closed my eyes and forced down the tears building up behind my eyes. I didn't want to go back. "Oh," Slade said. "And if anyone tells the Justice League about this..." I was once again grabbed by the scruff of the neck, but this time Slade held me out so that he was strangling me. I whimpered in pain and gasped quietly for breath.

"Don't!" The team shouted at Deathstroke. I could almost hear his smirk as he dropped me to the ground, treating me like a rag doll.

Dickie, Wally's voice said in my head. You've gotta fight back!

I can't...he'll kill you... I answered.

We can't let you go back to that hell, Artemis said.

Please Dick, Aqualad said. Miss Martian looked close to tears. I wasn't sure what Superboy was thinking, but he didn't look too happy about me leaving. Maybe he didn't hate me.

I was grabbed roughly again and, instead of being thrown over Slade's shoulder, he simply dragged me behind him. I bowed my head, my hair hanging in my eyes, obstructing my view of the team. Tears silently slipped down my face. ...I'm sorry. With that, the Zeta tubes announced our departure and I had entered the world of my worst nightmares.