A/N: Part 2 is an expanded version of my story Fired! I changed a few things in this version to fit more in line with the story.

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Between Father's and Sons

By

AJ

Part 2 – One Year Ago: Torn Apart

"YOU'RE FIRED DICK!"

Those words echoed in his head, words that he didn't ever expect to hear from Bruce. What's happened to him? Why has he suddenly become so cold? It seemed lately when he came home on holidays from College Bruce was treating him more like a child than when he was as a kid. Bruce kept him from being on cases, not telling him what he was doing, leaving him at the manor, just like he did when Dick was in training. Robin tried to explain that the Teen Titans took longer than anyone of them expected, but Batman didn't want to hear what he deemed as excuses.

'As if that's an excuse, it's not. If only he would have listened. He would have realized it wasn't my fault. I had just as much a valid reason as he does when he goes with the JLA.'

And Batman once again hadn't shared vital information that Robin needed to know. He would not have acted so rashly.

Robin removed the old uniform and placed it neatly on the chair in the room that he found himself in. He dressed in an old T-shirt and jeans. There was a hoody draped across another chair in the room along with a pair of sneakers. When Batman threw him out of the cave, he left with just the uniform on his back, just like he did when he was ten years old and his parents had been killed. With tears blinding his vision he didn't know where he was heading. All he knew was that he had to get out of there. Neither had noticed it had started snowing heavily again and the wind had picked up, turning it into a blizzard. If both had paid attention to the weather, Dick knew that Bruce would have sent him up to the manor instead of ordering out of the cave, but in his anger Bruce threw him out and that left Dick making a decision that probably was the wrong choice.

'I know the past two years have been tough, me going off to college, having been kidnapped twice, once by Ravek then by Ra's al Ghul and then the Titans keeping me busy as well as New Carthage . . . Why is Bruce . . . no Batman. Why is Batman questioning my commitment? I took an OATH, but . . . I'm not him. Why can't he see that? I'm not doing this out of revenge like the way he seems to be doing it lately. He'll be the first to deny it, but I know. I've seen it in his eyes. I'm doing this because he gave me a chance to find my parents killer and bring that person to justice. Well, I did that. I could have stopped then, but I didn't. I thought my parents would have wanted me to continue to do this, to do what was right. Now I don't know any more.'

Dick remembered the last time this happened. He had been nearly beaten to death by Two Face. And out of fear, fear that Batman could not protect him; Dick had been fired. Robin had been taken away from him. It hurt, it hurt so much that after his recovery because he couldn't be what he wanted to be, what he needed to be, Dick ran away. Dick wasn't Bruce's son. He was his ward. He still was his ward. Dick didn't come into his majority until he was 21 and at this point he couldn't wait.

'Well if Bruce doesn't want me in the cave, fine. I can't stay at the Manor either. I can't play the part of a spoiled playboy's son. And Hudson isn't doing me any good either. Bruce would kill me if he knew how my grades have slipped. I'm usually an A student, but this past semester I received all Bs. It's not that the course work is too difficult. On the contrary, it's just too easy and I haven't been able to pay much attention to it. I'm only doing what's required and I know it's not enough. I'm just having a hard time with being there. And now I'm having a hard time just being anywhere near Gotham City. Well he can have it. I can take my oath elsewhere.'

Though Dick knew in his heart what he just voiced was a lie. What he wanted was to go back and tell Bruce he was just as committed as he was, but he knew Bruce probably wouldn't listen. The venom in Bruce's voice proved that. Lately, he had been the one to do the apologizing, even when he wasn't in the wrong, but no more. This time Bruce had been wrong. If Batman had informed him about the situation things would be different.

Dick picked up the uniform and looked at it. They were the colors he wore in the circus. He rubbed his hand along the "R" in the black circle then promptly ripped it off. He took the cape and ripped it in two. He emptied the utility belt of its contents and tossed that in a box. Each item that he touched Dick damaged it beyond repair. Silent tears streamed down his face as his heart broke for what was lost. Ripping out the "R" felt like his heart was being ripped out, but right now it was the only thing he could think about doing, and letting Bruce know just what he had done by firing him.

Dick started to wrap up the remains of the uniform in the box containing the utility belt when he noticed a small blinking light among the contents. Dick held it up and realized it was a tracking device.

'So, Bruce is still tracking me despite the fact that he fired me. Well he won't be able to track me ever again,' Dick threw the tracking device in the box. He then wrapped everything up after placing two notes inside a boot. 'Bruce will probably throw it in the trash,' Dick thought, so he addressed the package to Alfred. Dick thought about the two notes, one for Alfred, the other for Bruce, along with the torn uniform. He knew it was vindictive, and maybe it would hurt Bruce, but Bruce had been just as vindictive in his words. And right now that's all he could think about.

The cold was biting. Dick should have kept the uniform one more day and at least waited until he could get some warmer clothes. It could have helped insulate his body. He had no choice but to take what he could from a clothing donation box outside of some chain department store before heading to a motel to change. He found an old pair of shoes, some jeans with holes, a t-shirt, and at least a jacket with a hood. He at least would blend in with some of the homeless, for that's what he was now . . . homeless. Dick stopped at the post office to drop off his package. He paid the priority mail rate so it would get there in two days. At least he remembered to take what money there was in the utility belt. Five hundred dollars might keep gas in his bike to get him to wherever he needed to go, and he could live on the barest essentials, but eventually he would have to find a job.

'I left my wallet at the Manor," Dick thought. 'As Robin I don't . . . didn't carry I.D. I'm going to have to ask Alfred to send it to me."

Right now, the only place he had was his room at the boarding house at New Carthage. He knew he would not be able to stay there for long without Bruce searching for him.

'It looks like New Carthage and Hudson University will be without their "hero."' Dick thought. 'I don't know what I'm going to do with my things. My VW van won't hold everything. I'm glad I asked Alfred to collect what I'll be leave behind. He can keep them for me until . . .' He didn't know if he would be returning.

Tears slipped down Dick's face as he climbed onto his bike, remembering the words he had written to Bruce.

Remember the last time you fired me? You took Robin away from me then, too. Well, I'm taking him away from you. You may have the uniform, but you can't take Robin away from me completely. My parents called me Robin long before I became your partner. Now the partnership's been dissolved. Don't try to find me, you won't. As for being a crime fighter . . . you said you needed total devotion. Total devotion? To what? I took an OATH. If taking an oath and living by that oath for the past eight years isn't total devotion then I don't know what is. Or do you mean total devotion to you. We both should know that's unrealistic. I'm not that kid any more and I guess you don't need a son after all. You've made it clear you really don't need anyone. You going to tell the JLA you don't need them, only Gotham? I have the Titans . . . You going to take that from me as well? What's left isn't worth very much.

Maybe you should have left me where you found me. You would not have been saddled with some ward for eight years and you would have been free to fight crime the way you wanted to and I would be with my parents. Their dead, maybe I should have been dead, too. I told you once in a letter that I loved you. I never thought I'd love anyone else as a parent. Did you ever love me? I thought you did, but you were never able to say it. Goodbye Bruce Wayne. The next time you see me . . . just pretend you don't know me.

Dick revved up the engine on his bike and headed away from Gotham City, away from Batman . . . and away from Bruce Wayne. His only regret was Alfred. He was going to miss the butler who became like a grandfather to him.

'Happy New Year, Bruce,' thought Dick. 'I hope you find what you're looking for.'

The images faded from his mind and Dick stirred briefly. He could sense being lifted and placed on some kind of gurney. He heard voices, but he wasn't certain as to who they were. Was he a prisoner? No, the smells that came to his nose told him that he was home. 'Maybe I should not have come,' he thought, but he was quickly slipping back into the darkness totally unaware that his life was in the balance.

Continues with Part 3 – A Broken Wing Needs Mending