Gotham City
June 6, 18:07 EDT
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"Access Denied."
Bruce locked him out?
8
Fine! If Bruce wasn't going to let him be his man in the chair- he was going to go out instead! Dick doesn't waste anytime running up to his room. He always hid spare uniforms in his closet just in case his other one got damaged or lost. But when he opens the secret compartment, it is empty.
Gone.
7
He wants to scream in frustration. How could they do this to him? How could Bruce do this to him? The man knew how much fighting meant to him. How much Dick needed it! So what if he had been hurt!
So what if it had made him want to kill himself!
The small teen lets out a angry sigh before remembering the one other place he kept his uniforms.
Mount Justice.
Dick hurries to get to the nearest Zeta Tube, but as he is on his way to the garage to pick up his bike, he stops as he hears the TV on in the living room. He approaches slowly and only caught a few words before Alfred quickly turns off the news and exits the enclosure.
"Master Richard, I thought you were in your room," Alfred monotones. Dick just stares at him blankly, but his emotions are getting out of hand.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," he breathes. "Dick is fine."
"Of course, Master Richard."
6
Dick just walks away, trying not to alert the butler of any suspicious activity. He should've realized that the man is a lot more observant than an old man would usually seem. "Where are you headed at this hour, Master Richard?" Stop calling me that!
"I'm just going to head outside for some fresh air. I was thinking the park perhaps. I can't stand being caged in here like some sort of bird anymore."
"I understand, but Master Bruce has specifically asked that you remain in the manor tonight." Dick winces as the older man puts a hand on his shoulder. How had he moved so fast? Dick didn't even hear him approaching! Dick stares wide eyed over his shoulder at the taller man who gave a small, comforting smile. "Please refrain from going out."
Dick gives a small laugh and his body starts to shake. Tears begin to well up in his eyes as he asks, "Joker escaped, didn't he?"
"Yes, Master Richard."
"Are you going to stop me if I choose to leave?"
"No," Alfred answers and Dick gains a little hope. Or at least, he did until the pseudo grandfather adds, "but I will contact Bruce and do everything that he deems necessary."
Dick laughs again, the tears flow freely now. "You would wouldn't you," he agrees. They stay like that for a bit before Dick mutters, "Forgive me."
In a moment, he renders the man unconscious and escapes to the garage. He quickly starts his motor bike, grabs his sunglasses, and tears down the driveway.
"Intruder Alert. Activating Defenses."
So Alfred wasn't unconscious after all. Well played, Dick thinks as he weaves through several nets and flying needles. When he nears the large gate, he presses a button and his bike launches into the air high enough to clear it. He grabs several small spheres and tosses them into the air where an invisible force field had been erected. It crackles with electricity for a moment, allowing Dick and his bike to fly through before closing a second later and resuming it's invisible appearance. Then he is off, tearing down the road to get to one particular phone booth.
"Master Richard, please return home," Alfred's voice comes over the radio that he and Batman shared. Dick is sure that he had already informed Bruce, but if he hadn't, this would've been the easiest way to let Batman know his ward had escaped. Dick doesn't respond and as he continues to drive, disabling the radio and tracking device on his bike.
Finally he appears at the phone booth and enters the capsule. He had already expected what to hear:
"Access Denied."
It only takes a few seconds for him to hack into the system and change that. Had he attempted to break into the Batcave and access the Zeta Tube there, the security might've overwhelmed him- and who knows what Alfred would've been capable off. The thought sends a chill down his back. He has never truly been afraid of the grandfather figure before now. Finally, alters the codes and a bright light fills the phone booth.
"Robin B01."
Heads pop up from the living room where they had just shut off communications with one of the Justice League. They all look at each other before nodding and Wally speeds off to greet him.
"Robin! Where ya been, dude!" Wally asks after he had raced up and hugged him, "How ya feeling?"
"I feel fine," he responds.
"Dude, have you been crying?" Wally says softly after pulling Dick back to look at him.
Dick wipes the drying tears off his cheeks, "It's nothing, KF. The Bats just been keeping me under constant watch and I just needed to get out. He doesn't think that I'm ready yet."
"Are you sure he wasn't right?"
5
Dick slaps his friends arms away with a frustrated growl. Wally holds his hands up in surrender and gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry, just wondering."
Dick walks over to the living room and sees the smiling face of his team mates.
"Hey, Robin!
"You're back!"
"Hey guys," He replies. A smile makes its way onto his face. "I wish I could talk now, but there's trouble in Gotham. I just gotta grab my other suit quick."
He turns to head towards his room, but suddenly Wally is in the way. "Hey, why don't you just stay here for a while? I'm sure Batman's got it handled, right? We could... watch a movie or something?" There is something in his tone that feels off and Dick glares at his friend. He turns to look around him- he'd been surrounded.
"I should've seen this coming," Dick admonishes himself quietly. A sad smile creeps onto his face as he looks at his friends. "He convinced you, right? He told you I wasn't healthy yet?"
Aqualad speaks up, his tone full of authority and truth, "No, Robin. You convinced us. And as far as we know, you're off the team."
4
I convinced them? Me? Dick looks around at them confused before he finally stopping at Wally. Words ring through his head, he can't quite remember when they had been said- but it all made sense now.
"I'm telling you that he was trying to kill himself!"
So that's it. They think he is suicidal.
"Off the team..." he repeats numbly. "I suppose..." Tears start to run down his face once again and he hates that he can't stop. It hadn't hurt to be around his friends before...
No.
They weren't his friends.
Wally sees his expression change from solemn to tormented as he smiles through the tears.
Smile, because you always get back up no matter what.
Seeing the mania in their friend, the team gets into their fighting stances, ready to pounce if Robin tries anything.
"I just want things to go back to the way they were," he pleads as he steps towards the direction of his room again. Wally holds out his hand for Robin to stop, but the boy keeps approaching. "I don't understand..."
Smile, no matter who is against you.
The moment when Robin reaches out for Wally, the team attacks. "We just got to stall until the Justice League gets here," Aqualad orders the team. They all give out shouts of agreement, and attack with all their might. All the while Robin keeps saying the same thing under his breath.
3
The battle doesn't take long. Soon, Robin is standing alone. His former friends are littered around him. Tears continue to flow down his cheeks as he looks up at the ceiling and screams. The entire time, one word repeated over and over. It came to his mind and increased in repetition during the fight, driving him close to insanity.
Why?