A/N Surprisingly, the Team didn't end up making an appearance in this chapter; they will in the next one though, I promise. We do have Iris and Alfred though. ^^

Disclaimer The only characters I semi-own are dead...

~Aiva


Wally would've been content to stay like that for hours, Barry's arms tight around him. He knew he would have to leave eventually…but he hated the thought of ruining this moment. Barry managed to give him the motivation to do so, however. "C'mon, Kid," he said, pulling gently away. "Iris has been worried sick."

Wally's emerald eyes widened comically at the mention of his aunt, and a wide grin spread across his face. Aunt Iris would probably kill him later for being gone so long (some protective motherly instincts stayed no matter what the situation was), but it was totally worth it to see her again. Barry chuckled at his nephew's expression, though a similar grin was on his own face.

Wally paused suddenly, turning to shoot a concerned glance at Dick. Tears were still fresh on the younger boy's face, and he was clinging to Bruce like his life depended on it. Physical contact, like hugging, was often a source of comfort for him; the fact that he hadn't seen his adoptive father in what felt like months only made that even more obvious. Wally frowned; as much as the speedster wanted to go home, it felt wrong just to walk away from his best friend without so much as a word passing between them. They had been through a lot, supporting each other through it all, and Wally was still fully in his over-protective big brother mode. That meant he was at Dick's side in an instance. "Dick, I have to go-" he began.

Dick offered him a small smile that was surprisingly sincere. "I'm fine, Wally," he assured, though his voice was still hoarse.

"Are you sure?" Wally checked. "Because I'm not going anywhere if you aren't."

"I'm sure," Dick answered. "Tell Aunt Iris I said hi."

Wally grinned. "I will. Hey…call me, okay?"

Dick nodded, the corner of his lips quirking upward to form a slightly bigger smile. "You got it," he agreed, leaning his head back against Bruce's chest; it wasn't surprising the boy was tired. He hadn't gotten near enough sleep on the park bench, and was still recovering physically from the torture he had been put through. The mental trauma only served to heighten his exhaustion by putting him in a nearly constant state of at least slight paranoia.

Wally gave his best friend one last look, green eyes meeting blue; there was a whole conversation in that one look, not unlike the communication between Batman and Robin. They had been close before, but had bonded further due to trauma; they didn't need words to express their concern for each other. Wally finally nodded, taking a step backwards, closer to his uncle. "See ya, Dick," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. The two speedsters then walked towards the zeta tubes and were soon enveloped in the familiar beams of yellow light.

They were in Central City a few moments later, not too far from their house. Barry glanced down at Wally, relief and concern still obvious in his blue eyes. "Wally…" he started, hesitating for a brief moment before continuing. "What did Cadmus do?"

Wally froze, seeming to take sudden interest in the crack in the pavement. "Uh, it's…a long story…" he explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Barry's expression hardened at the obvious attempt to avoid answering the question; Wally would usually rant about how dangerous it was, then mention it was cool and ask for something to eat. Even when he ended up in the hospital after a particularly dangerous mission, the kid had the ability to bounce back almost immediately. Whatever Cadmus had done to his boy had left a pretty big impact. "You know you can tell me," he reminded, voice gentle and reassuring.

Wally blinked, ignoring the sudden tears in his eyes again; he was determined not to cry again…once was enough, thank you. "I know," he said, voice taking on that quiet sound again. "It's just…not something I like to remember."

Barry stiffened at that response, anger swelling up inside of him again; Cadmus would pay dearly for this. He pushed it back for the moment, ruffling his nephew's fiery hair. A small grin formed on Wally's face at the familiar action, and he instinctively leaned into the affectionate touch. He took a deep breath, steadying himself; "I'll tell you when we see Aunt Iris, okay? She'll probably ask too, and I…I don't really want to say it more than once."

Barry nodded in understanding and placed a reassuring hand on Wally's shoulder, steering the teenager up to the door. Wally opened it without hesitation, rushing inside immediately.

Iris was just about finished cleaning the living room when she heard the front door open. She frowned; Barry shouldn't be home yet… Slightly confused and curiosity piqued, she glanced up. Her eyes widened as she saw the two figures standing near the door; Barry and Wally. There was a rush of wind, and Wally had soon wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Iris hugged him back just as tightly, pressing her lips against his head as all the stress from the past…over a week faded away. She started looking him over for injuries immediately, frowning when she noticed the faint bruises and the fact that he seemed thinner than before. And was it just her imagination, or had he grown during the time when he was gone?

Iris hugged her nephew even tighter, not caring that she was probably strangling him at this point. "Wally," she breathed, relief evident in her voice. "Are you hurt?" Despite her quick glance, she wanted to hear him say it himself.

"I'm okay, Aunt Iris," Wally assured, voice muffled; his face was partially buried in her shirt as he blinked back tears for the third time.

Iris squeezed him tighter in response until she pulled away to give him a slightly scolding look, protective motherly instincts appeased for the moment. "Wallace West, you had us worried sick," she chastised, though her green eyes were practically sparkling with the joy that came from seeing her boy again.

"Sorry," Wally mumbled as he sheepishly met her gaze. "It won't happen again, Aunt Iris, I promise."

Iris knew that he would probably break that promise as soon as he went out on patrol again, but that was just one of the consequences of being a hero; she was content with the fact that he was finally home for now.

The oven then beeped, and that's when Wally finally registered the familiar scent of cookies in the air. He beamed at his aunt, excitement clear on his freckled face. "You made cookies?" he checked happily.

Iris nodded, a smile spreading across her face at her nephew's exuberance. "Save some room for dinner!" she called out as he dashed over to the kitchen.

Barry followed, indignant. "Wally! Don't eat them all!" he ordered, attempting to pass the teenager in order to reach the cookies first. This soon turned into light, playful bickering that made Iris shake her head slowly as her smile grew.

That was more like it. The house finally felt like a home again; her boys were back.


Bruce could easily tell how exhausted his little bird was; the drooping eyes were a dead give-away. Completely ignoring the few League members there (it had been a slow day to begin with, and no one had wanted to interrupt the moment between the Dynamic Duo) he headed towards the zeta tubes, Dick held securely in his arms.

The acrobat managed to give a few of the Leaguers a small smile before they were gone, zeta'd down to the Batcave. Dick became a bit more alert as the familiar sight; the sounds of bats overhead, the steady hum of the computers…all of it was a sure sign that he was actually home. He was back, he was safe…Bruce wouldn't let anything happen to him again. That didn't mean he was willing to let go, though; right now, Bruce was almost like a security blanket. For a while, Dick had been convinced he would never see his adoptive father again, and that he would die in Cadmus. Having Bruce here now was an immense source of comfort, giving him a warm feeling he couldn't quite put words to.

Alfred, having impeccable timing as always, stepped into the Batcave at that moment. If he wasn't…well, Alfred, he surely would've dropped the silver tray he was carrying as he noticed Dick. As it was, his eyes widened slightly and the butler smiled. "My goodness," he said as he inhaled sharply in what was obvious surprise, "Master Dick!"

Dick decided he could let go of Bruce for a little bit (Bruce took the opportunity to quickly change into some civilian clothes). He dropped to the floor lightly, wincing a little as the movement tugged at his stitches. He ignored the flare of pain, hugging the British gentleman tightly. Alfred's arms were placed around him in return. "Alfred!" Dick said, voice quiet but full of deep emotion. "I missed you…" He was sure he was about to cry again; this was what he had been working for. Being here, reunited with his family.

"And I you, Master Dick," Alfred replied, accent familiar and reassuring to the small boy. There was an unmistakable note of relief and pleasure in his voice, and he found himself looking over Dick carefully, feeling very much like a protective grandfather. A disapproving frown entered his eyes when he noticed the thick black stitches, the pale hue of Dick's skin, the ribs sticking out more than usual. The stitches, though rushed, seemed well-done and weren't infected at least. All the boy really needed was a few big meals and a good night's rest.

Dick pulled away after a moment, moving back to Bruce's side. "I daresay this moment calls for some hot chocolate," Alfred said, noting how Dick's eyes lit up at the thought. A slight smile tugging at his lips, he exited the Batcave to go prepare that and dinner; Dick needed the food.

Bruce glanced down at Dick, placing a reassuring hand on his head. "Why don't you get cleaned up before dinner, chum," he suggested.

Dick glanced up at him before slowly nodding, though his hands tightened their grip on the fabric of Bruce's shirt. Bruce, sensing Dick's reluctance to leave him, picked him up easily, noting how much lighter he was now. Dick snuggled into the embrace immediately and found himself drifting off to sleep as they walked upstairs and towards his room. Dick jerked back awake when the door shut, and hesitantly slipped out of Bruce's arms again. He paused, unwilling to leave the man's side for more than a few seconds. A quick shower would last much longer than that…honestly, Dick was scared to walk away; he had a sudden, irrational fear that if he did, he might not see Bruce again. He knew that that wasn't true, but it didn't stop his heart from racing at the thought.

Bruce let out a small sigh, tossing Dick a shirt and some jeans. He could practically feel the boy's apprehension, and kneeled down in order to look him in the eye. "I'll be waiting right out here, Dick," he promised.

Dick stared at him for a moment, blue eyes studying his face intensely before he slowly nodded. He stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water. The icy cold spray struck the exposed skin on his forearms and he shivered, from more than just the cold. The sensation of cold water against his skin brought back unpleasant memories of nearly drowning multiple times in Cadmus; Dick could help but stumbling backwards, struggling to shove the memories away.

He was fine, he could handle this; it was just a shower, for pete's sake! The thought of getting under the water though actually scared him; the liquid smothering him, leaving him gasping for breath…his mind seemed determined to make everything once normal another painful reminder. Dick turned the shower off with shaking fingers, elbow accidentally hitting the wall and producing a rather loud thump! Dick actually jumped a little at the unexpected noise, breath catching in his throat.

Bruce frowned as he heard the noise, followed by silence. Worry started coursing through him immediately, and he knocked on the door, silently praying that Dick was okay. The boy opened the door, pale-faced and trembling slightly. Bruce wasted no time in gathering him up into another hug, offering silent comfort. Dick took in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself. "Sorry," he whispered. "I guess I freaked out…the water reminded me…of…" he broke off, not entirely ready to continue.

Bruce's frown deepened into a near scowl. "Dick, what happened at Cadmus?" he asked, having to consciously remind himself to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

Dick froze, blue eyes widening slightly as his hands clenched into tight fists, his fingernails actually threatening to leave imprints in his palm. If he didn't talk about it now, he would just have to talk about it later; Bruce wasn't one to give up on an answer. It wasn't that Dick didn't want to tell him; he just didn't want to have to relive it again. Telling Wally was painful enough, and the boy knew telling a second person wouldn't be much better. Then again, maybe talking with Bruce would help some; he had helped Dick get over his parents' deaths, after all.

Dick took in a shaky break, mouth suddenly dry. Bruce arm's tightened around him in response. "You don't have to tell me now," he reminded.

Dick shook his head. "No…I need to do this. You have to know eventually…" There was a heavy silence before Dick started. "I guess…I guess you know how I got kidnapped from the mission reports. Wally tried to rescue me…managed to get Conner out anyway." Dick looked up at his father, already having to blink back tears. "Bruce, he knows who I am…he knows who you are. I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't be," Bruce interrupted. "Dick, this isn't your fault. None of this is."

Dick nodded, though he still looked unconvinced and shaky. Mustering the courage to continue, he spoke again. "Wally was stuck down there with me…Cadmus wanted to turn us into their own personal soldiers. Remember those needle-tipped tasers I mentioned from when we first met Superboy? They…they used those a lot. They injected chemicals into our bloodstream, while electrically stimulating our muscles. It was…designed to enhance strength."

Bruce tensed. They had done what?! The one responsible for this was going to wish he had never been born; no one hurt his son and got away with it. It was then he noticed Dick was shaking again, the trembling somehow making him seem so much younger than he really was. He was only thirteen! He didn't deserve to go through all of this pain.

"They did some other stuff too," Dick whispered, blue eyes haunted. "We w-were about to escape when y-you showed up. W-we were so close to going home…" he struggled to stop the unmistakable quiver in his voice. "He said he would kill you if we tried to see you again. I-I couldn't risk letting that happen. I can't lose another dad."

Tears were really threatening to spill over then, and Dick swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. "Who is 'he'?" Bruce asked, eyes narrowing. Dick had yet to mention a name, and Bruce needed to know exactly who to put in a body cast.

Dick's voice was quiet as he answered. "Dr. Anthony Lawrence." As if sensing Bruce's thoughts, he forced himself to continue. "He's dead now, Bruce."

Bruce didn't miss the flare of guilt in Dick's eyes as he said this, and the billionaire's blood ran cold. He…hadn't killed him, had he? Had Cadmus pushed him that far?

"I-I'll get to that part in a minute," Dick said, voice continuing to drop in volume. "We got out, but we couldn't…well, you know why we ran. We were on the run for a while; Cadmus tried to get us back a couple of times. We needed to know how he planned on…killing…everyone. So we broke into an undercover branch of Cadmus. The information we needed was in another lab…in Florida. That's when things started to go bad. Wally was a d-distraction." By this point, his voice was shaking again, the nervous stutter a clear sign of how scared he had been. He struggled to stop it, but only managed to make it less noticeable.

"He found a Cadmus experiment, a little girl named Hope. Wally couldn't get all of us out, and we couldn't leave her behind…so I t-told him to go without me. He didn't really have a choice. I was knocked out, and woke up alone on an examination table."

Dick's face paled until it was almost literally as white as a sheet. The barely contained tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Bruce tightened his grip, and Dick sank into the comforting embrace. "Dr. A-Anthony Lawrence c-came in. H-he convinced me that Wally had…d-died. I wanted t-to just g-give up; you weren't g-going to f-find me, and W-Wally wasn't c-coming either. I just…I c-couldn't see why I should f-fight anymore."

Bruce's face now had a full out DaddyBats glare etched onto it as his hear ached for his son. Frankly, Dr. Anthony Lawrence was lucky he was already dead. He rubbed comforting circles on Dick's back, noticing how he was shaking much more than before. Judging by the stitches on his arms and chest, it hadn't been very long ago. Bruce honestly wished he could go back in time and stop Dick from ever leaving.

"The o-only thing that k-kept me g-going was that I knew Wally w-wouldn't want to g-give up. It w-was hard though…especially when he came back. First it was knives." Dick's fingers unconsciously moved towards his other arm as he spoke, running over the stitches lightly. "Then…it was w-water torture. I-I really th-thought I was going to d-die, Bruce. I w-was so scared…I didn't w-want to die, n-not down there."

Dick couldn't go on for a moment, overwhelmed by the painful memories. He took a shaky breath, burying his face in Bruce's shoulder. At that moment, Bruce didn't care if this Dr. Anthony Lawrence was dead. He would bring the man back, just to kill him again…this time slowly and painfully.

"I n-nearly froze to d-death after that. A-and then…he made me w-watch them d-die. Wally and m-my parents, o-over and over again. I w-wanted…to give up again." A small sob slipped out, and his fingers clutched the fabric of Bruce's shirt tighter. "W-when Wally came, I d-didn't think it was real. I…I thought it w-was just something e-else to t-torture me. He convinced m-me it was really h-him, and we tried t-to get out. We were surrounded… Hope s-sacrificed herself t-to get us o-out."

Dick hadn't really known her, but those few seconds he had been with her was enough to make his heart ache. The worst part was having to watch Wally's eyes widened in desperate horror, forced to run as she burned…Dick was sure it resembled the expression he had when he had watched his parents fall; lost and heartbroken, unsure of how you could ever go on with your shattered life.

"W-we got o-out, but…" he trailed off for a moment. "There a-are nano-bots inside you, by the way," he whispered, voice muffled. "I deactivated them, but you should probably get them out."

Bruce's eyes widened fractionally before he pulled his son closer; Dr. Anthony Lawrence was smart, no doubt. "It's alright, Dickie," he soothed, rocking back and forth subtly in an effort to calm the broken child. "You're safe now, I promise. It's over, chum."

Dick didn't respond other than to tighten his grip; Bruce was wrong. It wasn't over. Dick wondered if it ever would be…these scars weren't exactly ones that would disappear, and as long as they hurt, it would never be truly over. Sure, he had been through torture before, and had pretty much recovered each time. But Dick had gone through those knowing Bruce would be coming for him. He hadn't known that this time; actually, he was sure he'd never be found. That made every cut, every bruise, much more painful, to the point it was almost unbearable. It was no wonder Dick felt broken.

Alfred cleared his throat, and Dick actually flinched at the unexpected noise. His tense muscles relaxed fractionally when he recognized the butler. Judging by the look in his eyes, he had probably heard most of that. Dick accepted the proffered cup of hot chocolate, the rich scent helping to comfort him some. "Thanks, Alfred," he whispered, voice even more hoarse than before.

"You are quite welcome, Master Dick," Alfred responded. Dick offered him a small smile, which looked rather amusing because of the chocolate mustache now on his upper lip. Alfred chuckled and handed him a napkin. "I suggest getting clean before dinner," he added lightly. Dick tensed, glancing up at Bruce before relaxing again. He could do this…right? He felt like some of the weight had been lifted off of his shoulders after talking to Bruce, anyway. He pulled himself away from his adoptive father; he would be okay. Maybe he wouldn't ever heal completely, but he wouldn't let these memories control him.

He would be okay.


A/N I was reading about water torture...apparently, this is actually one of the psychological after-effects that can happen. I wanted to incorporate some of that, so...there you go. ^^

Oh, and I didn't come up with the nano-bot idea. I just got it from Teen Titans (you know, the episodes with Slade making Robin his apprentice? Yeah, those.) I just thought I should mention that, lol.

I...I think the next chapter might be the last one, guys. I can't believe this has gotten as far as it has; I even reached 500 reviews! (Thank you so much, guys!) I'm sad that it's almost over...at least we have the sequel, right? I don't know when exactly that will be up, but it shouldn't be too long (under six months, probably). I'll let you know, though.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Mailbag

please update g: Don't worry, it's not the end. ^^ Even after this is technically over, you should still have the sequel to look forward too; that should include a lot of the psychological things.

Boltreader: Thanks! :D

Guest that reads: I think Bruce just enjoys putting criminals in 6 month body casts, lol. ;) Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you liked it; and you will see their reactions next chapter, I promise. ^^

fanficfantasies: Yeah, I didn't think it was the best one either...-sigh- I didn't think writing those scenes would be so hard, lol. Thanks for the review!

Brightpath: Wow, done that quickly? Impressive; I'm glad you liked it enough to read it for that long, lol. ;) Thanks for the review!