A Hero or a Talon?

The Blue Boy Scout

"Yes, I'm sure." Dick turned his eyes away from the older man.

Then they continued to eat in silence as if nothing as occurred. Sure, Dick probably should have started a conversation, but well, his "people skills" were rusty.

Fortunately, he didn't have to say anything, for Bruce did,"I need to ask you something."

"Ask away." Dick responded getting somewhat nervous. Was he going to kick him out already? Had he decided that he was more pain then he was worth?

"The night your parents passed, you told me that their death was not an accident. You told me that someone had sabotaged their act."

Dick immediately tensed.

He had told him that, hadn't he....

"Dick, who killed them?"

Dick lowered his head not wanting to respond, but he knew that he had to,"A man named Tony Zucco." He would have lowered his head more if the strain on his neck was not unbearable.

Bruce squinted his eyes,"Tony Zucco? Why do I know that name?"

"He was a mob boss..." Dick trailed off hoping Bruce didn't know anything about Tony's death.

"That's not why. What else can you tell me?"

"Well... I know he was in an.... accident." Dick visibly winced.

"He's dead,"Bruce spoke as if a light bulb went off in his head."I remember when his body was found. He had been tortured horribly, only to be killed, but no one ever found the killer. Who killed him, Dick?"

"I didn't!" Dick immediately shouted out,"I told him not to. I tried, I begged him to stop, but he said that it needed to be done."

"Who?"

"My uncle. "

"Why?" Bruce asked knowing that there had to be more of a reason that just because he killed the Flying Grayson's.

"He believed that if I saw Tony tortured and murdered, then I would stop thinking that killing was a bad think. Of course, it wasn't going to work, but it didn't stop him from trying." Dick spoke fast as if just speaking the words were a pain.

Bruce slightly nodded as he continued to eat his breakfast. He saw that Dick was still haunted by the memory and decided not to dig deeper.

The memory sent chills down Dicks spine. He hated thinking of all the times his Uncle made him witness something awful like that. The thought almost made him forgot about what he had wanted to ask Bruce, but he really needed to do this. No matter how scared he was to ask.

"Um, Bruce?"

"Yes?" Bruce looked at Dick.

It wasn't too late to back out. He could just ask another day, right? Yup, that sounded like a plan.

No.... He had to.... It would be wrong not to.

"I was wondering and I really wanted to know if...,"Dick sped up the last part,"I could go and visit my parents grave." Dick then pulled his head back and shut his eyes as if he was expecting Bruce to beat him for asking such a question. Bruce's heart practically broke knowing that, but he was also filled with anger knowing that the Court of Owls was the reason for it.

"Of course."

Dick slowly opened one eye, and then the next," Really?"

"Yes, I'm sure Alfred wouldn't mind. Just tell him when you're ready."