Chapter four
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It was half past one in the morning but Dick couldn't sleep. He had tossed and turned for hours before finally giving up and going to go sit in the gym.
He wasn't planning on doing anything. Just sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.
His mind hurt and he felt like there was something important he was forgetting.
Whatever it was, he knew it had to do with why he couldn't speak and why he felt nauseous at the idea of shooting a gun.
Of killing someone.
With a shaking breath, Dick got to his feet and went to his room to change. He was going out despite the late hour and he had no intention of telling Slade.
One of the man's many rules was that Dick couldn't leave the building without his permission.
The idea of disobeying the man seemed...familiar somehow and so before Dick knew it, he found himself wandering the streets of Gotham City.
Another place that felt far too familiar.
He sighed quietly and stepped into an alley to catch his breath. He was tired and sore on account of the small fever he still had. If he was being honest, he was starting to regret leaving on his own.
Still, he was starting to become...unnerved by Slade. The man was starting to scare him. In fact, he was starting to have nightmares about the man torturing him. Beating him.
Something told Dick that they were more than nightmares, but he refused to look into it. Slade had promised that they were just dreams. Nothing more.
But did he really trust Slade?
No. No, he didn't.
Cracking his neck and shoving his hands in his pockets, Dick leaned against the alley wall and closed his eyes.
He was so tempted to just sit on the ground and-
"Well, well, well. Look at pretty boy here."
Dick's eyes flashed open and he scanned the alley quickly, eyes falling on three overweight man as they sauntered towards him.
Not good. Dick thought, pushing off the wall and pulling his hands out of his pockets to hold in front of him. So not good. I can't fight more than one person. Hell, I can't even come close to taking Slade in hand to hand combat.
"Looks like you're scaring him, Franks," the man on the right of the middle one sneered. "We should give him our warmest welcome. Formally introduce him to Gotham City."
Dick shook his head and backed away-
-Right into the waiting arms of a fourth man. Instantly, there was an arm around his throat and another around his waist. He began to panic at the other three men approached and began looking his thin form over.
"There's no way he's from Gotham," Franks mused, crossing his arms over his chest and analyzing Dick as the twenty-five year old struggled to get away. "He's far too pretty."
Dick whimpered, but Franks was quick to shove a rag between his lips and cover his mouth with duct tape.
"Not a sound," Franks snarled as he easily restrained Dick's small wrists behind his back as well as lashing his ankles together. "Wouldn't want Bats to hear us, would you?"
"You're Batman!?"
"Yes."
"Woah...wait...if you're Batman, does that mean-"
"I promise you, Richard, I will find the man who killed your parents."
"And you'll make him pay? You'll kill him?"
"I don't kill."
Dick shuddered violently as he was dragged through the alley to a waiting van.
"Franks," the man holding Dick said. Dick choked on the rag. The man's breath smelled of cigarettes and alcohol and it made Dick's empty stomach roll dangerously. "Why don't we just take his money then kill him? What's the point of keeping him?"
Franks sighed and opened his mouth to respond but a shadow jumping at him sent him to the ground.
Almost instantly, it became every man for himself and the man holding Dick tossed the acrobat to the ground and made a mad dash for it.
Dick's head collided with the pavement and he moaned quietly as stars flashed across his vision. He felt dizzy, sick, and lightheaded and so closed his eyes as he breathed heavily through his nose.
Vaguely, he heard what sounded like someone being attacked - grunts and cries of pain followed one after another - but Dick could feel warmth along the side of his face and that was all he could focus on.
When he felt hands on his shoulders, pulling him into a small, warm chest, Dick shuddered and tried to squirm away. But he was tired and his head hurt and he wasn't strong enough to push the person away.
"It's alright," a far too familiar voice said. "You're safe. Don't move, let me get your wrists and ankles."
Dick had learned the hard way from Slade to do as he was told if he didn't want pain, so he went still and allowed the person - boy by the sound of his voice - to free his hands and feet.
"I'm going to remove the tape, alright?" the boy asked quietly. "It might hurt."
Dick squeezed his eyes closed tight and fought against a wince as the tape was removed. As soon as he was gone, he yanked the rag out of his mouth and rolled onto his stomach to dry heave on the pavement.
"Batman, I think he might have a concussion."
Dick moaned and tried to fight against the hands that were pulling him upwards, but he was too tired and weak.
"Can you open your eyes?"
DIck could, he knew that. But he didn't want to. Still, he didn't want to be hurt, so he did as he was told, wincing at the bright light that was shined into his eyes.
"No concussion," a gruff voice said as arms pulled Dick against a broad chest bridal style. "But he'll most likely lose consciousness soon."
Dick did.
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Sorry that chapter was kinda short but I wasn't sure what exactly sure happen. No worries though.
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
AND FOR ANY WHO LIKE SEEING DICK AT SLADE'S APPRENTICE, DON'T WORRY. HE'S NOT GOING BACK TO BATMAN QUITE YET.
ALSO, I'm so sorry, I forgot to turn off caps lock. Haha
XD
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!