A/N Well, this would've been out sooner, but I tried to participate in NaNoWriMo. Then I got sick, and then discouraged because I was too far behind in that. Anyway, in a strange way I like this chapter. Hope you guys feel the same way.
Oh, and there is one more chapter after this, which is basically him showing back up at the cave. If you have any preference on how long he stays away before going back to the team, please let me know!
Last Resort
Papa Roach
Gotham City
June 1st, 01:23
"Batman wouldn't answer, so I contacted Robin." Kid Flash explains. "He said that their dealing with the Jokers victims, and that the Joker got away." He looks up at the larger teen in front of him as he continues. "If we're gonna find Dick, we gotta find the Joker."
Superboy looks down at him and responds. "Aqualad suggests that we begin searching, and when they get to the city they'll comm' us and find out where we are. Their coming in the bio-ship."
Wally nods his understanding, and looks around "Alright, you start leaping and keep your ears out for laughter. I'll keep up on the ground. We should find them quickly that way." Superboy nods and takes off, not waiting for any more directions. Wally takes a deep breath, reminding himself that this plan will work.
"It has to work."
Dick tries to force himself to smile as he walks, but he can't do it. He types on his holo-computer, hacking into the city's security camera's to find the one person he is looking for. He see's Batman and Robin at a bank, pushing needles into laughing peoples skin. Joker isn't with them, so he wasn't caught. Robin breaks away from the victims of the laughing gas and opens up his own holo-comp.
Dick quickly looks over the other screens, examining every area of the city. He see's a jumping Superboy being followed by Kid Flash, who had at some point changed into his hero costume, going around the middle of Gotham, but no clown.
He focuses back on Robin and Batman just as they finish administering people with the laughing gas antidote. They talk to each other quietly, and Dick doesn't even try to understand what they are saying, but he does notice two words brought up multiple times. His name, and The Joker. After only a minute they grapple out of view of that camera, in the direction opposite of Dick.
Quickly Dick shut of his holo-comp and runs down the road, trying to follow them. He trips when his voice growls at him, trying to convince him that the Joker is not the enemy. His steps falter, and he is almost inclined to believe the voice in his mind.
They all tried to make you fight against him. Your precious Batman keeps attacking him and he only wants to protect himself.
As if in response to the voice, his burns on his back flare to life. He forces himself to start running again.
If that were true, he wouldn't keep hurting people. After tonight he's not going to hurt anyone. Ever.
I can't let you kill him. The voice responds, his voice deep and calm.
Dick stops running, noticing he is only a few blocks from the survivors of Jokers most recent attack. He makes his way up the fire escape to the top of the building nearest him. And why's that? He asks it almost sarcastically, knowing the answer already.
The voice doesn't disappoint in telling him what he already knows. He made me. Without him, I would not be here. There's a pause, and Dick knows there is more. Something new. And without him, I will not survive.
Dick trips his way onto the roof, surprised. What do you mean you won't survive? Even in his mind his voice sounds incredulous.
It doesn't matter. The voice is getting defensive. Because I won't let you kill the Joker.
Dick scoffs. What are you gonna do, talk me out of it?
Immediately, his brain feels like its about to explode. He clutches his head and falls to his knees, biting his lips to stop himself from crying out. Louder than it ever seemed before, the voice speaks again. I'm not just a voice. And though I am in your body I do not feel your pain. I can keep this up forever. As if to prove his point, the pressure and pain inside the ex-Boy Wonders mind increases.
Dick can't help but cry out in pain.
Superboy stops moving, tilting his head to hear the noise that he thought he had heard. His abrupt stop caused Kid Flash to run into him, but while the redhead was on the ground, he barely moved at all. KF jumps back up and moves in front of him. "What do you hear?"
Superboy elects to not answer right away in order to try to pinpoint the yell he had heard. He knows Dick's voice well enough that he is positive that it was him, and it held such pain that Superboy almost forgets that its the same boy who just killed a villain.
Almost.
"I can't pinpoint where he is, but it came from that way." He points forwards and to his left, near the place Kid Flash told him the Joker had attacked people with something called 'laughing gas.'
Kid nods, then grabs his arm. "Who did you hear? The Joker or Dick?" Superboy study's his eyes, noting the worry, terror, and resignation. The eyes of someone whose best friend is being hunted by both bad guys and good.
Superboy pulls his arm out of the speedsters grip. "Dick."
Kid Flash takes a deep breath and steps back. "Please tell me he was talking. Or cackling. Something good."
The kryptonian looks at his teammate, trying to decide if lying to him would be a good thing. Deciding against it, he bluntly responds. "He cried out in-" He stops, another sound reaches his ears.
Only Dick responding to the Jokers laugh shocks him back into action. "The Jokers found him. I know where they are."
Dick sits shaking in pain for a minute, not letting himself cry out again. He was the Boy Wonder, for crying out loud. He is not going to let some voice stop him.
Laughter seems to wrap itself around him, and Dick looks up into the Jokers face. He ignores the fear that's threatening to devour him and fights his way through the pain to stand up.
"I've been looking for you." He speaks conversationally, using his anger to try to cover up the pain that laced itself into every word.
The clown smiles, as though he expected it. "You finally came to see your Uncle J. Should I go get Harley? We can have a big family reunion. Except the hyenas went off of vaca-"
"You can't get her." Dick interrupts his 'uncle.' "She's dead."
The Jokers smile fades away for a second, before it flashes back, bigger than before. "Who killed her?"
Dick feels his muscles losing strength, fighting against the pain in his brain in order to even stay standing. "I did."
The villain doubles over laughing, and wipes away tears. "You've never fit in better with this family, Boy Blunder." He turns serious again, and Dick almost wants to comment on his mood swings. "But how do I know you're not lying?"
"Because I'm alone even though my team and Batman are in the city looking for both of us." The pain in his mind increases again, but he manages to not stumble as he walks forwards. "And because I'll be alone when they find us." With those words he lunges forward and attacks. The Joker and Dick are evenly matched, and although Dick has pain racing through him, he has anger on his side.
The clown laughs as he gets hit in the chest, resulting in him getting knocked to the ground with multiple cracked ribs. "And where will I be, Robbie?" He struggles to stand up, failing when Dick's shoe holds down his neck.
"Dead." He growls. The top of the building shakes below him, causing him to lose focus on his kill long enough for the Joker to grab his leg and twist them out from under him. His head hits the ground and he cries out.
The Joker climbs on top of him and laughs into his ear. "How is your new friend? I designed him myself. Wanna know a secret?" The madman doesn't get a response other than squirming underneath him. "There's no cure."
Dick screams in anger and finally manages to push the clown off of him. The voice starts screaming at him as he forces himself to stand, making is so he can't hear anything else. He ignores that and the pain and goes to move forwards when a large arm wraps around his stomach and holds him back.
It takes Superboy and Kid Flash two minutes to reach the building. Two minutes during which they informed Batman, Robin, and the Team of Dicks location and they were told not to intervene until the dynamic duo got there.
Superboy lands on the roof, causing it to shake. He stands on the opposite side of the roof than the clown and his old teammate, and although the roof is empty neither of them notice him there.
He moves, out of instinct, to help Dick when the Joker pins him down, but suddenly Kid Flash is there, with a light hand on his arm to remind him to stay back.
Kid Flash flinches when Dick lets out a scream of anger at the clown and practically throws the larger man off of him. Both teenagers watch as Dick climbs to his feet, swaying and in pain.
The Joker keeps laughing, and Dick only manages take a step forward when Batman seemingly appears behind him and grabs him from behind. Dick struggles towards the clown as Robin knocks the Joker out with one kick to the head from behind.
After that everyone from the team jumps down from the bioship, which is hovering in camouflage above them. They all start asking questions, and Dicks eyes stay on the clown, though Superboy can feel his heartbeat way above normal pace despite his even breathing.
"Be quiet!" Batman growls, subconsciously tightening his hold on his son. He looks around at the team, noticing one distinct absence. "Where's Miss Martian?"
Zatanna steps forwards, opening her mouth to answer, when she's interrupted by Dick. "Shut up!"
Batman loosens his grip in shock and Superboy glares. "Stop. Please stop. Just shut up." Dick closes his eyes and Batman let's him sink to the floor. Wally rushes forwards and places a hand on his friends arm, trying to comfort him. Dick whimpers is response, and most of the team looks away.
"Fine. Fine I won't. I'll leave him alone." Superboy guesses with shock that he's talking about the Joker. But why would the voice not want him to hurt the Joker? He looks at Batman, who is staring at Dick, his expression unreadable. The dynamic duo is standing off to the side, much like the clone of Superman, not knowing what to do.
"Then what do you want?" Dick whines, placing his head in hands and curling into himself. Wally pulled the smaller boy into his lap.
Dick grabs onto Wally, and finally they can see his face. Tear track are making their paths known down the sides of his face. "I can't." He whispers. "I won't." Dick let's out a scream, causing Superboy to flinch in pain, before he slumps forwards.
Batman jumps into action, grabbing Dick and disappearing. Robin follows suit, leaving the team to gather on the bioship to go back to the mountain.
Superboy can't seem to focus on anything but the unexpected pain he feels because of the way Dick was acting, but he can't help but notice the tear tracks down M'gann's face. Tracks so similar to the ones Dick has.
Dick wakes up in the darkness of the Batcave. He stays still for a second, fearing that the voice will show itself, before he sees a half empty vial near him. He assumes its the antidote and quickly he turns on the 24/7 news channel.
"..the original Robin. Witnesses who saw him running around say they recognized the domino mask and the dark hair, and since the current sidekick was with the Dark Knight, it seems that the sidekick went rogue and killed the partner of the person who has hurt him so many times."
Quickly Dick shut it off and climbed his way out of the hospital bed and up to the Manor. The clock opened, revealing Alfred with his keys in hand. "Master Richard. Leslie has expected you to sleep the day away. Nonetheless, Master Jason is at school and Master Bruce is at work. I'm going to pick up the young Master, would you like to join me?"
Dick forces himself to smile. "No thanks Alf. I'm just going up to my room."
"Of course." The butler nods. "You need rest. I shall be back soon." Alfred walks past him and out the door without looking back. Dick takes his time going up the stairs to his room.
Nearly ten minutes later he's sitting on his bed, staring at the door. He has his bag packed next to him, now he just has to find the courage to leave.
His outfit designs, his money, a few pairs of clothing. Nothing else is coming with him. Except for his phone, for one quick goodbye.
He grabs his back and makes his way out of his home. Once outside he starts running, knowing that Alfred will be home with Jason soon.
An couple hours outside of Gotham, his phone rings and he puts it to his ear.
"Dick Grayson. How might I help you?"
Jason growls through the phone. "Just what the hell are you doing, Dick?"
"I'm leaving, Jay. I can't stay after what I did."
"Bruce and Alfred can't lose you again."
"What about you?"
"I think that what you're doing is stupid and the past week was not your fault."
"Not my fault? Jay it was me doing everything, no matter what. They were my actions."
"It was stupid, Dick. This is stupider."
"I'm making this stupid decision on my own."
"You're making it because of the Joker."
"Okay, you know what? When the Joker tortures you and changes you're life, you can come talk to me about this."
With one smooth motion he hangs up the phone and shuts it down before leaving it on the bus, not worried that other people had heard what he said.
This is Blüdhaven. People have heard weirder.
