I'm pretty sure you guys know what I watch by now, but this title is from something I grew up on. Anywho, as one story ends, another unfolds. No this isn't the end (10 more chapters peoples!), but one part is completely over with this bit. Read and take a gander as to what is over and done now. A little foreshadowing but that's all. enjoy! Especially the dramatic change in the middle there. *evil laugh*

20 - He's Dead Jim

Dick was honestly starting to like the look of Bludhaven. There was crime of course, and it had a similar feel to Gotham, but it was also different. It was a bit newer, without the ancient legends of his home town, but still rustic enough to make it homey. Maybe when he was allowed to live on his own, he'd move there and strike out as an independent hero. Not too far away from Gotham or Metropolis, so he could always call in backup, but far enough away to call it his own.

That was if he made it to adulthood. At the rate things were going, he wasn't sure if he'd ever make it. Sighing to himself and Wally walking next to him, he tried to figure out his next move in general. Over two weeks ago Conner vanished, nearly three. Still no sign of him. M'gann was going frantic now, trying to rope her uncle into doing a worldwide mind scan just to get a clue where he was. That of course was out of the question; the repercussions would cripple both of them, maybe cause permanent brain damage or insanity. As close as she and the others were getting to the funny farm, no one wanted to go there just yet.

He and Wally were walking around Bludhaven to clear their minds and try to think of another avenue to search for Conner. As this was the place the exchange and his holding cell was, it was as good a place as any. Besides, there was something else Dick wanted to do. Wally stuck with him to make certain he didn't do anything extreme. Bats in general tended to go overboard.

"Look Dick," the speedster tired again, tired of walking around the city aimlessly with the boy wonder, "we really should head back to the cave and see if anyone else has come up with something. Hanging around this place is kinda depressing. Especially after that blown up chapel."

"Just one last place and we can go." The acrobat's voice cracked for a second, earning a snicker from his friend. Dick glared back at him, annoyed to high heaven and back. "It's called puberty. You get over it. Unless you're one of the unlucky ones perpetually stuck in it, like a certain redhead I know."

"You're talking about Roy right?"

"Dude, I think you were just born awkward." Shaking his head, the circus kid checked his phone mapping the way and kept on going. "Come on. It's not far and afterwards we'll visit an all-you-can- eat. My treat."

"Sweet, but... Where are we going?!" Wally threw his hands into the air dramatically, aggravated he didn't know what was going on. Bats were the masters at keeping secrets, usually. Mostly though, they just forgot to tell people their master plans. Seriously, they almost seemed to believe others could read their minds or figure things out for themselves.

Slightly abashed, Dick looked away. "Um... it's kinda personal."

"Personal how?" The older boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he wasn't about to jump the gun.

Fidgeting, the younger one murmured something that weighed down on him. "Conner wasn't the only one lost that night."

Still perplexed, Wally tried to get more out of him only to get neatly sidestepped by the teen bringing up the weather. Why was it always the weather? It was sunny, hot, humid, and really needed a breeze. As pretty as Bludhaven was, it kinda reeked in the summer. Thankfully a park came into view and the boy was headed for it. Green grass, trees, and a breeze! Next to indoors with AC, a pool, or the beach, a park like this was the perfect place to spend summer days!

"Cool! But..." The ginger eyed his friend as they went inside and headed a particular direction. "Why come here? There are parks all over Central and Keystone if you didn't want to be in Gotham. And the ones in Happy Harbor are pretty cool."

"You didn't pay much attention to that Father did you?" Wally watched his friend for a minute before thinking back to their earlier location. For some reason, they visited the chapel that was bombed a few weeks back and talked to the minister there. Well, Dick talked to the guy. Wally was looking over the place with some historical fascination. The architects were pretty talented when they made the place. He wasn't really religious, but he did admire their artwork.

"Nooot... really..."

Dick shook his head, sighing slightly. "That bombing there? It was the same night of the exchange. The so called bomber was my... jailer? Guard? Warden?" He tried to find the right word for a minute, then gave up. "His name was Steve Hawes. He left behind his wife Sarah and their two kids. Good guy really, just a loose end Luthor had to tie off. We ate the same food while I was incarcerated."

They made it over to one part of the park near a fountain where two little boys were playing soccer (poorly) while their pregnant mother sat off to the side, watching them solemnly. Each of them wore a black armband, but their mother was cradling something in her hands, straining to keep a smile on her face as she watched her boys. It was both sad to see and adorable to watch.

The two heroes watched from a distance, silent sentinels watching over them. After a minute, Dick reminded his friend of the rest. "The only reason Steve died was to prove I had bombs in my body. He was going to church to confess... Probably to the League next... He was a good man. His family shouldn't have to suffer like this."

Quietly, Wally murmured a painful question about the kids. "Will they even remember their dad? They can't be in school yet."

"I don't know." His friend rubbed his eyes, deeply troubled by the many victims he couldn't help. These three, four when the baby came, were just many of the ones whose lives were torn apart because of Luthor's ego. "I don't even know if it's a good thing they won't or not. Not a lot I can know about this."

They watched from their post on the hill for a long while, admiring the view and trying to figure out what to do next. "So... you gonna talk to them?"

"Strange teenage boy comes up out of the blue to talk to two kids about their blown up dad who's been painted a terrorist by the media." Dick gave him a you're-an-idiot glare. "How do you think mommy will react? I'd be lucky to keep my limbs."

"Point... but you came all this way and-"

"It'd be better if Robin apologized," he admitted, glaring at the ground. "It'd explain things better, but might make her upset. If Conner was there too, we could probably..." A second of silence, then, "I don't know what to do okay? Bruce promised he'd help her survive with her kids, so I'll trust him to that. But there's nothing more I can do."

"Then... Why are we here?" Wally's question went deep into the lad's heart, making it ache a bit. "If you won't do anything, why come all this way?"

"I don't know." He watched the kids playing below, saddened greatly. They'd never get to play with their dad again. They wouldn't know their father. He knew what it was like to be fatherless, to miss the man you respected and admired most. He wasn't sure if they would like not knowing who their dad was, especially if the man was still labeled as a terrorist. He didn't even want to think about what Mrs. Hawes was going through at that moment. He hadn't a clue how bad things were for her but knew it had to be horrible. They had to clear Steve's name at the very least. "I just... I had to see them. Make sure they were alright."

His friend shrugged, scratching the back of his head in thought for a minute. "You know, two guys watching kids on an open hill like this is kinda creepy. How about sitting in the shade and just talking nearby? That tree looks pretty good and it's not near as creepy."

He pointed to a willow not too far off, one with low branches and plenty of shade. Dick shrugged. "Kay."

"Should have brought a picnic," the speedster murmured as they walked over. "I'm starved."

That got a chuckle out of his friend. "Half an hour, then we'll get lunch. I promise."

Lex turned on the news during his lunch visit with Conner, turning up the volume when an interesting new report came in. CNN's story did little to perk the clone's interest as he ate, but it did put a slight smirk on his donor's face. "Well well well... Look at that."

"It has been confirmed," a lady in red stated, standing before a hospital, "Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, collapsed during a board meeting this afternoon and has yet to wake up. I am standing before North Gotham General Hospital where the billionaire was rushed to mere minutes ago. The reason behind the sudden collapse is currently a mystery, and there appears to be no evidence of foul play. EMTs say his condition is stable and initial assessments say his collapse may be due to low blood sugar or exhaustion. Details will be shared as soon as any theory is confirmed. This is Summer Gleeson from Gotham City."

"That's what he gets for partying all summer," Luthor stated smugly. "You pass out in the middle of something important. Playboy deserved it."

Conner ignored the comments, barely catching the name. Bruce Wayne... Wasn't he someone important?

Dick's jaw dropped, letting food slip out of his mouth and back onto his plate, when he read the report at the bottom of the screen at the Chinese buffet place they were at. Bruce... Collapsed... Hospital...

"Dude!" Wally's voice didn't penetrate his consciousness. All the lad saw was the words on the mute screen. "That's disgusting."

"Bruce..."

"What?" Quickly, the older boy jerked his head around and saw the news cast on the screen. All the color drained from his face from what he read, forcing him to look back at his friend a second later. His face had turned deathly white and he was starting to shake. His usually sparkling blue eyes were horrified, just gaping at the monitor. And... was he shaking? "Dick?"

Without warning, the acrobat jolted to his feet and bolted out the door, only one thought on his mind. He had to get back to Gotham. He had to know what happened to Bruce! Quickly he whipped out his phone and speed dialed Alfred. The old man wasn't picking up for some reason. "Come on... Come on!"

"Whoa! Hold up a sec!" Wally finally caught up with him. Of course he did, fastest boy alive and all... "Where do you think you're-"

Dick grabbed him desperately by his shirt, begging him for help. "Wally! Please! You have to get me back to Gotham! Bruce is-"

"I know. Calm down." He looked him in the eye and held the boy's shoulders in an attempt to calm him. The kid was in the midst of a panic attack. "I'll get you to him. Just... tell me how to get to that hospital. Didn't catch a name."

A smile poked out of the corners of his mouth as he let go of his friend. "Not entirely sure but it looked like North Gotham General. Just head to the manor from here and I'll point out the turns."

"Righto!" The two of them ducked into an alleyway before Dick leapt onto his back. Holding on tight, Wally gave his friend a very high velocity piggyback ride back to his city. They took a lot of twists and turns, nearly giving him vertigo, but concentrating on the task at hand kept it at bay. It only took ten minutes to get to the north end of Gotham, but it felt like an eternity to the boy wonder. When they got to a particular crossroad, he tapped the speedster's left shoulder for him to turn. A few more lefts and rights later, he pulled back, reigning him in. They pulled into a nearby alley to separate.

"It's just a block from here," Dick told him, now having a little control of himself. He climbed off of Wally's back, teetering for a moment as he got used to ground beneath his feet once more. "I sure hope I got the right hospital."

"I'll hang out here if you're not sure." Wally watched his friend with some trepidation. A couple weeks ago he swore he wouldn't come back to Gotham until Conner was back. But one word of Bruce Wayne in the hospital and he was back in a heartbeat. Even if they were technically fighting, Dick always had his back.

The teen handed him a wad of cash. "Get something to eat. I'll call later and let you know." He gave him a weak smile. "Thanks Wals. For everything."

Dick didn't give him any chance to respond. He just took off as fast as his own feet could carry him.

A/N: Guess who worked himself ragged? More intel to come tomorrow on Bruce's condition. I think the fight is over. Plus we got the last of Steve Hawes' story. there's plenty going on behind the scenes that won't be shown or talked about because that would make this drag on forever and it's not that important. Someone offered to write more about him once. If anyone wants to, just run it by me and we're good.

Hope you're having fun! Ten chapters left until this one's done and I vanish from sight again. =P