Chapter 2: Out there

Something's wrong. Gotta wake up. Ugh…I feel weird. Need…to… "AHHH!" Robin exclaimed, jolting out of his sleep induced trance. His bleary eyes glanced around the room for any signs of an intruder, with no signs of entry or disturbance Robin was about to go back to sleep when he realized something still felt weird. He shuffled around in his bed trying to find the trigger for his unease, when suddenly he found the problem. He didn't know whether he should feel embarrassed or relieved, all he could do was try to make as little noise as possible as he slipped out of his bedroom and into the hall. Carrying the sheets from his bed, all the while the same thought kept occurring to him, like a night mare that repeated in a constant loop. I thought puberty was the only time stuff like that happens, so why is it happening now? No, the better question is why hasn't it happened before now and why did have to be while I was dreaming of 'HIM.' Oh boy, am I in trouble now….

Huh…who knew the kid was so…energetic. Sportsmaster thought to himself, after all this time watching the boy it was always surprising to find out new little tidbits like this. He had always prided himself in not only his stealth and quick thinking, but his abilities as a man who knew his way around the bed room. So not only had he gotten some valuable info on the boy wonder… he had also gotten some good data about himself. Keeping up to date on the boy's status was proving to be more fun than he'd originally thought. Be careful, boy wonder, sportsmaster thought to himself, cause we're gonna have sooo… much more fun in the future.

Bruce was going through all the footage of the team during the weeks that followed the test, as expected the team seemed worse for wear. Particularly his protégé, Dick had always had a particular proclivity for brooding, a skill he had obviously picked up from his mentor. Not one of the most popular past times, brooding, but it certainly had its place. Still he didn't like the look of his haggard and defeated appearance which had replaced his generally boyish and charming demeanor. Not that he still isn't cute, in his own quirky way… he just seems to be very lost right now…and all the extra stress is ruining his cute face- wait did I really just say that? Shit. Shit. Shit. No, no, no , no ,no, no,no…. it's impossible. No it's improbable. I can't have those feelings for Dick. I can't afford to. I really just can't. His thoughts kept him up well into the night, when he finally drifted to sleep his dreams were plagued by robins beguiling image. And feelings of overwhelming need the likes of which he'd never felt in all the years following his parents deaths. His resolve was weakening, but he knew that no matter what he could never act on his desires, no matter how much it had cost him over the years.