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"Hey Dick." Jason began, keeping his voice calm.

Dick didn't look up, he was far too engrossed with the lid to the cup of water Jason had given him earlier. He didn't seem interested in opening it.

"I brought an old friend of yours with me. You know the one who got sucked into the Speed Force, well they got him out."

No response. Jason expected nothing less. Dick may only answer when Jason asks the questions, that didn't mean he answered very often.

Wally remained silent. Jason did have to look at him to know how upset Wally was, he could practically feel Wally's depression towards the situation.

He nugged Wally, silently suggesting he try something.

"Dick?" Wally began.

This seemed to spark some interest in Dick because he looked up, not at them, just up from the lid of the cup.

"You'll, uh, you'll never guess what happened today."

Nothing.

"Well, Barry got me out of the Speed Force. I'm just as fast if not faster than him now." He laughed weakly.

Still nothing.

"You know Barry has a family now, and if I know Artemis she won't want to go back into retirement. So maybe I should be the Flash now." He tired.

And nothing.

Jason put his hand on Wally's shoulder. "Do you want anything? More water, some food, a shirt maybe?"

Jason tried Dick shook his head. A response. Not a verbal one unfortunately.

"You really should really eat something."

"No." His voice was quiet and raspy. "No more."

Jason sighed. "You're home. You know that right?"

His attention went back to the lid of the metal cup.

Jason noted it was still full. He hadn't drank any of it.

"No more." Dick mumbled.

"No more what?" Jason tried as he crouched to get eye level with him.

Dick looked at him. His normally bright blue eyes filled with his annoyingly playful nature, were now dull with a gold luster.

Jason didn't know much about the Court of Owls.

What he did know, Talons had gold eyes. His weren't quite there yet, but it was bothersome that there was any.

Talons were the Court's enforcers. Jason remembered an old nursery rhyme Dick had told him when Jason had first gotten to the Manor to scare him.

Beware the Court of Owls

That watches all the time,

Ruling from a shadow perch,

Behind city, wood, and time

They watch you at your hearth,

The watch you in your bed,

Speak not a whispered word of them,

Or they'll send the Talon for your head.

Jason had a hunch, and he didn't like it.

Dick shook his head, as if unable to answer the question.

Jason didn't push it. He looked at Wally.

"C'mon." Jason whispered, as Dick's attention returned once again to the lid of the cup.

Wally seemed like he wanted to protest, but smartly opted not too.

They stood between the cell and the hall where Tim and Damian were. Wally looked pissed.

"Care to talk about it?" Jason asked.

Wally looked at him, lost for words. "I hate this, you…" he stopped, "There's gotta be something your not doing."

Jason wasn't proud to admit it, that set him off. He was tired, stressed and hungry. He knew Wally was angry at the situation and how helpless he'd suddenly become. But it struck a nerve. He can say he did not punch Wally, despite desperately wanting too.

"You think I'm not doing everything in my goddamn power to fix this shit?" Jason growled. "If you could do better, than by all means. You think I don't want to fix this? He won't eat, drink, or even sleep. For god sake he still thinks he's with the fucking Court. I hate this, don't think you're the only helpless one."

Wally stepped back. Jason felt slightly guilty for jumping down his throat.

He sighed.

"Go home. We'll, uh, we'll keep you posted." Jason told him. "When he starts talking and getting back to his old self, you'll be one of the first people we call."

He nodded, and followed Jason out into the hall.

Tim took Wally back to the Zeta Tube to approve his transport, while Jason sat back down in his seat.

The room they'd put Dick in had security cameras. The problem was, when he got back, he attacked and caused himself a lot more physical damage. He and Tim had decided it would be best to keep Dick at arm's length. Just close enough to keep him within their grasp in case he did anything but far enough for the same reason.

"You should rest Todd. I can stay." Damian told him.

Jason shook his head. "No, he'll need a sedative soon, you know I'm the only one who can give it to him."

"Then move your feet, I'm going to stay too."

Jason obliged and Damian sat himself across from Jason. They sat in silence. Dick didn't move or look around. It was bothersome. Dick's normal charismatic attitude and charming nature completely washed away leaving an empty malleable shell to be conformed to whoever found it first.

Jason knew he couldn't go after the Court, not alone and not yet. But he wanted too, this was someone he'd looked up too and owed a lot to. He wasn't letting this go, not easily at least.

"Do you think he'll ever be himself again?" Damian asked, his voice soft and timid.

Jason was taken back. It was easy to forget how young Damian actually was.

"I don't know." Jason replied his voice just as soft. "We can only hope for the best, but you know I'm not very optimistic."

"We should call B." Tim told the two of them as he walked back towards them.

"And tell him what?" Jason asked.

"Everything. Starting with the fact we found Dick. He might be able to fix all of this. We obviously can't."

"I'm not calling him."

"Fine, I will." Tim said and walked off probably to do just that.

"I'm gonna give Dick his sedative so he'll sleep than take a shower." He told Damian. "Get me if anything happens."

Damian nodded in agreement.

Jason looked back into the room. Dick had leaned his head against the wall. He was staring straight ahead, looking defeated. Jason had no idea how they would ever get him back to his old self.

He'd hoped to see some sort of progress by now. But there was nothing. He didn't want to consider the idea he was just too far gone. That they had been too late.

But at the same time Jason knew he was the only one who could.

So I couldn't resist going way ahead of my schedule and giving you a new chapter, I know the chapter was uber short, and was kind of a filler. This is still set up, just getting everything ready for what's to come.

Next week's chapter in much longer. Please give me feedback, it's one of my favorite things to read, and I'll 'see' y'all next Saturday.