Hello everyone, and welcome to Invalidate. I know, I should be working on Reconciliation, but I have had about 80 pages worth of paper to write this semester, and too many group projects where I'm the only one working, its been nuts which is why I've only been focusing on one shots. Anyway, this is meant as a companion piece/prequel to Snuffing the Light, so if you enjoy this you may go check that out. I'm writing these stories a little (okay a lot) out of order so this one takes place only a couple months after Dick is rescued from his time with Slade, and who knows, when I have more time, I might go ahead and write up the whole apprenticeship depending on how much you guys like this 'verse. Anyway, I don't own Young Justice. But I hope you'll read, follow, favorite, review and most importantly, enjoy!

Invalidate

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds'
I do not agree.
The wounds remain.
In time, the mind, protecting its sanity
covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens.
But it is never gone."

~Rose Kennedy

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?"

Dick Grayson looked up from adjusting his utility belt around his waist, the weight of it still strangely foreign to him. "It's been two months Bruce. I can't keep putting off seeing the team." He could, he wasn't ready to. And even if his body had recovered from his apprenticeship, his mind hadn't.

After the brutal training he'd undergone during those long months, even his daily training with Batman now felt like a warm up. And even if he rarely if ever won in his spars against Bruce, it'd become much easier. But he dreaded sparing with his teammates again. Much less even seeing them.

"You'll need to pull your punches even more when you begin training with them," Bruce replied, sounding almost casual. Perhaps if Dick hadn't been with his mentor so long, he would have missed the strain worry put in his voice.

"I know. And I will. So, can we go now?" he questioned, hiding his dread in impatience.

Bruce smiled, adjusting Robin's vest, reinforced with even more Kevlar now, before nodding as he pulled the cowl over his head. "Dinah won't be happy with me if you're any later," Batman joked, his voice turning gruff with his persona change. "Remember, if anything happens, I'll be in the mountain's lab. We can come back home at any time."

"Nothing is going to happen B. I promise."

02-Batman

B02- Robin

Wally's head shot up at the sound of his best friend's designation. While he'd been one of the few members of the team to see their youngest member almost regularly since his rescue, he had long since grown impatient for Robin to return to the team. Even if Dick didn't say it during Wally's visits, he was lonely and the speedster had hoped being around the team again would help him forget about Slade.

He'd spent the last week persuading Black Canary into pushing Batman to bring Dick back to the mountain. Afterall, it wasn't as if they only trained or went on missions. Heck, Wally figured it'd be a piece of cake to convince his friends to have some sort of celebration for Dick's return.

"Kid Flash has lost."

Wally groaned, he hadn't even realized he was being flipped until he heard the computer and felt the impact of the hard ground against his back. "You shouldn't get distracted in the middle of a fight," Black Canary scolded lightly.

Wally only groaned in response; he hadn't exactly meant to get distracted during their training session which was already running overtime. "Noted," he muttered, standing up to see the Dark Knight and Robin entering the training chambers. They were both talking about something in hushed voices before Rob nodded and Batman vanished down one of the many halls of the Mountain.

"Looks like you haven't gotten any better since I've been gone KF," Robin teased as he joined them, startling the rest of the team whose backs had been turned to him.

Their reaction was instantaneous. M'gann pulled Robin into a hug, which the youngest returned after a miniscule flinch. Wally frowned; Robin was usually more than happy to have physical affection. When he and Roy had questioned the teen about it, he'd attributed it to his time in the circus and with his parents. After that, they didn't hesitate to shower him with attention.

"Like you could do much better," Wally huffed as M'gann released Robin.

Roy snorted, throwing his arm around Rob's shoulder, "Don't let him get to you, Rob. He lost against Artemis today too."

As Wally fumed, Artemis laughed, "He hasn't been much of a sparing partner as you, it's good to have you back Robin."

Kauldar and Connor's welcoming went ignored as Wally pouted.

"It's not like you can beat Canary either."

The moment he said it, Wally regretted it. Artemis elbowed him in the side while Kauldar and Roy sent him a disapproving look. Before, Rob would laugh it off, confirming that he couldn't beat Canary, but right now he seemed to be examining her carefully. And for some reason, that scared Wally.

"Perhaps we should end training today," Canary spoke up. She was sending Wally a careful look, and he knew he was in for a lecture. Robin—on Batman's order—wasn't supposed to participate in training or missions until Batman said so which meant no goading him into it.

"No," Robin said. Too quickly, Wally noticed. The youngest shook off Roy's grip from his shoulders, stepping forward. "I'm here to get used to being with the team. And that includes training."

What had he done?

He felt his arm being pulled behind his back and all at once he was back. He'd never escaped in the first place. This was just a daydream in the midst of the brutal training with Slade. No matter what, he couldn't afford to get distracted. Slade would beat him as much as he could be sure it wouldn't affect whatever he had planned for Robin next. With a loud pop of his shoulder as he forced it out of place so he could twist around, landing a strong kick on Slade's abdomen, forcing the villain back.

"Robin has won."

What?

Eyes wide, he looked down at Dinah who was still on the ground, clutching her abdomen. The team swamped her in an instant.

There was no way.

He'd been back at Slade's lair.

Fighting the mercenary.

Not Dinah.

Robin took a small step forward. Canary was still down. He'd used too much force; she didn't even have any armor to shield her from that kick. Oh god, what if he'd broken something? What if he'd broken a rib and her lung was punctured and she couldn't breathe? What if-?

"Rob, are you okay?" Wally's hand was drifted towards his uninjured shoulder before the younger began backpedaling. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if he hurt Wally or the others on the team. If he'd been able to take down Canary so easily, there was nothing stopping him from doing even worse to his friends.

Bruce was supposed to be in the cave. He'd be safe around him. Slade wouldn't be able to get him, nor would he be able to hurt Bruce. With a last look at Canary, and the wide-eyed expressions of his team, he dashed away to the mountain's lab.

The moment he entered the lab and saw Bruce, he almost collapsed in relief. Tears that he'd been shielded from by his shock made his eyes water. "Bruce," he sobbed, ignoring the shocked expressions of Wonder Woman and Superman who had been conferring with his mentor. Bruce was by his side in an instant, his cape billowing around them as Dick latched his good arm around his mentor.

"Dick, what happened?"

He wanted to tell Bruce everything, and more importantly get Dinah help, but the only thing that made it past his lips was another choked sob.

"Diana, can you check on the team? Clark, Dick should have a pair of glasses in his room."

If the two Leaguers said anything, it went unheard by Dick among the panicked state of his mind. In a smooth sweep, Bruce lifted him up, setting him back down on one of the lab stools. "I'm going to take off your mask, but then we need to relocate your shoulder. Does that sound okay chum?"

Dick gave a small nod and soon enough felt Bruce apply the solution which dissolved the putty keeping his mask in place. His fist was wrapped up in B's cape, clenching it tightly, afraid of his mentor leaving him. It had been a habit that Bruce would always reprimand him for when he was younger. But today, he forwent it, as if sensing the need for proximity.

Slade didn't have a cape. And even if he did, the man would never have let Dick hold onto it like Bruce was now. It was just another grounding thought reminding that he had been rescued.

The mask came off easily, and Bruce moved to take his own cowl off. He paused only momentarily to examine Dick's shoulder. "I'm going to relocate it, on three, is that okay?" Bruce asked. He waited a few moments until Dick finally nodded, sucking in a deep breath. He barely felt the pain as Bruce popped it back into place.

Instead, he clung tightly to Bruce as the man pulled him into a gentle hug. They stayed like that until Dick's sobs slowly devolved into quiet sniffling. And eventually he let go of Bruce, eyes red and puffy but his tears no longer falling. He almost felt silly for thinking there was anyway he was still with Slade, and even more so for thinking, during the time of his apprenticeship that Bruce had abandoned him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dick paused, considering his mentor for a moment. "I just-it was like I was back there. Back with him. And I just," he paled, eyes darting to the door, "I hurt Dinah. Bruce we need to go check on her." The moment he made a move to get off the stool and back out, Bruce put his hand on his shoulder, calming him back down.

"Diana is checking on the team. She and Clark should be back soon."

As if on cue the light ding of someone requesting to enter the lab sounded—Dick hadn't even seen Bruce activate the lock for the door—and his mentor typed in the key code to open the locked door. Clark, holding a pair of sunglasses, entered, followed closely by both Diana and Dinah. And Dick swore he saw a flash of red and yellow waiting outside the door. But despite his relief upon seeing Dinah, he flinched, latching onto the side of Bruce's cape once more.

Dinah slowly walked over to him, settling onto the stool next to him. "Dick, it wasn't your fault," she began.

But Dick tuned her out, offering only a few dazed nods during the conversation.

Because it was his fault.

Even if no one realized it yet.

He never had to take Wally's teasing so seriously. Or force Dinah to spar with him. Or even come back to the Mountain before he'd been ready.

But Slade had spent weeks transforming him into a monster capable of taking down even the Justice League. And even now, weeks after his rescue, Dick was afraid he'd succeeded.

And nothing could change that.