Chapter 3

Worthless

I opened my eyes and I wasn't smiling. It was by far one of the worst dreams I had ever had. I was alone in the room, lying by myself in the dark, and I finally allowed the tears to begin flowing. Bruce was out there somewhere, and I was sitting around waiting for something to happen. I had to be out there trying to get home, but I was useless in my current state.

Then it hit me; if Bruce found me like this, and it couldn't be reversed, he wouldn't need me. Well, Bruce never needed me; Batman needed me. If I couldn't walk, Batman wouldn't need me, so Bruce wouldn't want me around. Next would be orphanages, or at least foster homes, being bounced around, but never staying in one place, because really, who wants to adopt a former acrobat who's confined to a wheelchair?

Two whole weeks and I finally realized what would happen to me if I didn't walk again. No legs, no hero business, no hero business, no home. It was all I knew since my parents died, and without it, I was plain old Dick Grayson, and without that thrill and the business of hero life, I would have to slow down. Slow down and really realize where my life had gone. I would have to accept that my parents were dead and I was an orphan.

I didn't even notice when Holiday came in and began stroking my hair and saying some calm words to me. I didn't, couldn't pay attention to anything besides the fact that if I didn't get better, or even get home, then life as I knew it was over.

The next morning my eyes were sore, and I was reintroduced to the feeling of waking up from crying, which hadn't happened since the night my parents died. I was actually grateful that Bruce hadn't been there the night before, because after that outburst, I would have been on the streets. Batman didn't cry, so therefore Robin didn't cry.

The door slid open and I saw Holiday walk in carrying a tray of food. She didn't say anything as she set the tray down on a side table and helped me to sit up. It was driving me crazy that after 2 weeks I was still too week to pull myself up. Once my hands healed enough though, I would be much better off.

I finally decided to break the awkward silence in the room, "Sorry about last night..."

She turned to me and looked horrified, "Dick, you don't need to be sorry for anything. You've been stronger than any of us expected during this."

"Batman doesn't cry." It wasn't really directed that anyone, but it had to be verbalized.

For a split second I thought she was going to slap me for saying that, but then she calmed down and sat down on the side of the bed, "But you're not Batman, are you? You're Dick Grayson, and for a 13 year old kid, you've seen so much more than anyone your age deserves to."

"I… I don't want to be Batman. Not anymore."

"Why not?" she asked, looking rather curious now.

"There was an… accident. It was supposed to be an exercise, but one of my team members, her subconscious mind took control of the exercise, and we all thought it was real, and everybody… oh god, everybody was dying. I killed them. Not directly, but I was in charge, and I sent us all to our deaths, and to Batman, that's just the price that has to be paid… he doesn't mind letting them die, but that feeling… Wally destroying anything he could, crying over Artemis' death, and M'gann, the way she just collapsed when Superboy was killed.

I knew that it would happen, but I kept asking myself 'What would Batman do,' and it made perfect sense. I mean, it seemed natural to send them to their deaths for the good of the mission, but in the end, Wally and I… we blew up, and I felt every moment of it, every flame that got too close and burned through my costume… All I could do was hold onto Wally, and tell myself that I deserved every burn, every resulting scar, because I had lead my team… my friends, to their death."

"You don't want to do that again, so you don't want to be Batman," Holiday said, more as a statement than a question, and I could have sworn that I saw her wiping some stray tears from her eyes. "Dick, you have been treating the situation how you've been trained. If last night was a fluke in your training, then Batman needs to lighten up, and you need to realize that crying is not weakness."

She got up and placed the tray over my unfeeling legs and started walking towards the door. "Six, Rex and I have a mission, but Ben will come by in a little bit, ok?"

I ate in silence and dozed off after, but was soon awoken to Ben transforming into random aliens and screaming out their names. I tried to ignore it, though. "Swampfire!" Next, "Spider Monkey!" Next, "Humungosaur!" aaaaand again! "Cannonbolt!"

"Will you stop it?" I asked, opening my eyes when I finally couldn't take it.

"Oh, you're up!" Ben said, still as Cannonbolt.

"I've been up for at least 5 minutes, listening to you…"

"Aren't I awesome?"

"Save the world from some psychopaths and I'll get back to you," I said with a smirk.

"Man, I've saved the world from plenty of psychopaths!"

"Human psychopaths? Or aliens? Because, I don't think aliens count as psychopaths, seeing as how their from outer space and are really just evil."

"Oh… but- no, he's crazy… but then- wait, no, he's definitely crazy…"

"Exactly. I mean, you're still a hero, but aliens are kind of a common thing now… I'm amazed both of our governments don't have equipment to deal with them yet. But then again, not all aliens are bad…"

"You guys have good aliens too?"

"Well yeah, haven't you heard of Miss Martian, or her uncle, Martian Manhunter? Green Lantern? Superman?"

"Wait, Superman and the Green Lanterns are aliens? I mean, I thought they were normal people with magic rings!"

I laughed, "Well, they're part alien at least. That, or they just look human… that one always confused me."

"I guess Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian are pretty obvious though… are all Martians good?"

"Well, most. As far as I know, the Green Martians are definitely good, but the White Martians, not so much. They're war lovers, but some of them are against it. Like Miss Martian."

"Wait, Miss Martian is a White Martian?"

"Yeah, it's a little confusing. I mean, she's still Manhunter's niece, but she's just… white. And less human looking than Green Martians."

"You know any other aliens?"

I nodded, "good and bad. I also know Atlantians."

"Isn't that where Aquaman is from?"

I nodded again, "What about you? Are there any good aliens where you come from?"

"You mean you don't know about me?"

"Not really… I mean, I just met you a couple weeks ago, and we haven't really talked that much since… y'know."

"Well, you now my name, so we'll skip that. I'm 16 and am part of an organization known as Plumbers. We basically go around and take care of alien activity and such. I'm teamed up with my cousin Gwen, and her boyfriend Kevin, who used to try and kill me when we were kids, but he's my best friend now, so it's ok."

"Hey Ben!" Rex's voice called from the hall. "You'd never believe who we found out there! Says he knows you or something."

The door opened and Rex walked in, followed by a boy around 17 with mullet-like black hair. He wore a black t-shirt over an off white long sleeve shirt and blue jeans.

"Kevin!" Ben exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "Man, am I glad to see you!"

"Who's your friend?" Kevin asked, nodding his head towards me with a bored look.

"Richard," I said as he walked over and held his hand out to shake. "But my friends call me Dick."

"Dick?" Kevin asked, shaking my hand and laughing. "What kind of a name is that?"

Ben elbowed him in the side and Kevin seemed to become ten times nicer, "I mean, uh, great name. Hear it everywhere." Well, somewhat nicer.

"Wait, if Kevin is from your world, then… that means the portal must have opened again," I said, immediately perking up. "Which means that somebody from my world must have come through too, like Bruce!"

Then it hit me; if Bruce was there, then he would see me like… that. Unmoving and weak, almost pitiful, actually.

"We'll see if anything comes up," Rex said. "And if he does show, we'll find him, don't worry."

I nodded, suddenly hoping that Bruce wouldn't come. I would rather Joker came through than Bruce, to be honest, because Bruce was Bruce, and if he didn't need me anymore, then I would be gone. And that was what I kept telling myself for days, until something finally happened.

…To be continued.

A/N: Yes, I made a reference to his name… but really, I couldn't help it! I've been holding off for so long, but his name just bothers me! It really does, which is why I named my tablet Wally instead… Anyway, Bruce and Wally will be int he next chapter, and Kevin is here!