A/N: I do not own these characters they belong to DC Nation. Thanks for reading! Review! Review! Review!

Chapter 24:

Saturday, 10 September 2013

10:37 PM

Dick's POV:

Joker wasn't at Arkham. This was good. This was a lead. Finally. Nightwing dragged Robin with him to check out all of Joker's known hideouts but they had come up empty and eventually Robin had convinced Nightwing that they should go for back up. Batman still refused to respond to their transmissions so they called Kid Flash and instructed him to meet them at Mount Justice. Despite Kid being a speedster, Nightwing and Robin beat him to the Cave and Nightwing paces back and forth raring to go back on the hunt and afraid that if he stops moving he will pass out from exhaustion. After what feels like hours to Dick, Wally steps off the zeta platform his mask still hanging on his back like the hood of a sweater.

"Put your mask on, let's go." Dick starts to walk past Wally toward the platform but Wally stops in his place and Robin doesn't follow. He turns around and throws his hands up in frustration, "C'mon, let's move!" Wally plants himself more firmly in his spot.

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain to me exactly what is going on." Dick stares at his best friend shocked and angry that he would waste what valuable time they had on this.

"We don't have time for this!" Robin flinches at Dick's aggression and takes a step back but Wally only crosses his arms and suggests that if that's the case then Dick better talk fast. Enraged, Dick considers leaving them there and going out on his own but thinks better of it and obliges to tell Wally the rationality he devised hours earlier and what they had discovered to prove his rationalities correct. When he finishes he expects Wally to throw on his mask and bolt for the platform but instead he licks his lips and considers Dick with his green eyes. Dick shakes his head at him too surprised and annoyed to speak.

"You're entire theory is based on assumptions. Dick you've got nothing concrete." Dick starts to argue but Wally won't have it and shouts back at him. "You haven't found anything Dick! None of us have! Maybe it was Joker, but you have no evidence to back it up and what if you're wrong?" Dick doesn't answer, "Then you just wasted all this time and Cassie's trail gets colder." Rage takes over. Dick isn't wrong, he can't be, and this pointless argument is wasting his precious time. Dick turns to leave, if Wally won't help then he'll find her himself. Before he makes it two feet Wally is in front of him pushing him back. "Alright fine," Dick stumbles but catches his balance, "Let's just say you are right for argument's sake. Joker has her. Are you really going to go fight the Joker like this? When's the last time you slept? Ate?" Dick insists that he his fine and tries to push past Wally but with one good shove Dick stumbles and falls on his back. Wally stands over him his face hard and covered in shadows. "I'm already going out of my mind worrying about my god-daughter and there is no way in hell I'm letting you go get yourself killed." Dick looks up at his best friend feeling only contempt, this wasn't his best friend right now - this was just someone standing in his way. "I swear I will knock you out if I have to." Dick's muscles tense to lunge just as a stern deep voice speaks from behind him.

"That won't be necessary." Propped up on his elbows Dick twists to look behind him where he finds Batman standing next to Robin his mouth set in a hard line. Dick's anger melts away at the sight of him and he finds relief knowing that of all people Batman will understand how the Joker took Cassie and be able to help Dick find them. Dick stands up quickly and covers the distance between him and his mentor quickly while detailing his suspicions. "It wasn't the Joker." Dick blinks behind his mask utterly confused, Batman was supposed to understand. He pulls off his mask as if his optic lenses are impeding his ability to comprehend the world. Behind Dick, Wally mumbles something like I told you so and Batman looks at him. "How long has she been gone?"

"Just over 24 hours." Dick answers staring up at his father who refuses to meet his gaze and continues to watch Wally. Anger again bubbles inside Dick, Bruce had always been distant and sometimes even cold but this was not the time to ignore his own son. "Where have you been?" He shifts his gaze from Wally to a spot on the wall behind Dick's head and Dick fights the urge to grab his chin and force him to meet his eye.

"It wasn't the Joker."

"How do you know?" Tim asks the question Dick is thinking. Bruce removes his cowell and finally meets Dick's eyes. They are pleading and sorry and suddenly Dick wishes he hadn't looked at him after all.

"Because I know who took her." That sorrowful tone scares Dick and he takes a step back not sure he wants to know anymore. Bruce opens his mouth to say something but comes up short, a pit forms in Dick's stomach, Bruce tries again, his voice weak and cracking as if it doesn't belong to him. "Dick, I'm so sorry. I thought…" Dick takes another step backwards shaking his head knowing whatever Bruce is about to say he doesn't want to hear. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting you." Behind him Wally demands to know what Bruce is talking about, Bruce looks at him quickly and then back to Dick his expression silently pleading for forgiveness. "Slade has Cassie." Dick shakes his head feeling his eyes brim with tears he won't let flow.

"Slade's dead. A building fell on top of him." Dick's voice comes out hoarse and pained, "You said you cremated his body…" Then something in Dick's brain clicks, some part of him must have always known because somehow it makes perfect sense. He stands up straighter and glares at Bruce through tear-blurred eyes his tone caught somewhere between pleading and screaming. "You told me he was dead." Brue looks him directly in the eye regret clear in his blue irises.

"I lied." What happens next is a blur. Dick screams and lunges at Bruce who instinctively twists out of the way but Dick keeps coming until they are on the ground and Dick is landing blow after blow. He shouts incoherently at Bruce and hits harder each time with hot angry tears, unbeknownst to Dick, slipping down his cheeks. Remarkably Bruce doesn't put up a fight. He takes the beating quietly until Wally and Tim manage to pry Dick away.

A/N: Hope you guys like that little twist. I had fun writing it!