FOUR BOYS: The Path We Seek
Chapter 17: Teammates
"This fight can't be won if we pull our punches"
The stirring two hours later made Batman alert. The past two hours had passed maybe in which the boy would just mumble incoherently, or take a deep breathe, but this time around he appeared to be waking up.
Batman found himself staring at shinny unfocused blue orbs.
A beat passed.
Two beats.
Three... deep blue eyes assessed his surroundings, the dark cave walls, the sound of bats up in the ceiling, the sound of running water. He focused on the hero on again and a soft sigh followed.
"Guess I did manage to catch attention" the boy said weakly.
Batman raised an eyebrow and nodded as he handed the boy a glass of water.
"Slowly" he reprimanded, "and yes, at least as much attention as a plummeting army helicopter could catch."
R stared at the man and smirked softly, "Was that a joke?" Batman's lips twitched upward.
Another beat of silence followed as the boy drank the water starring at it for a second.
His calm expression turned into a shock one as he remebered the past event, "Oh no! Lightning!"
He sat up quickly wincing slightly for his injuries, Batman was quick to grab unto his shoulders to stop him.
"Renegade, he is fine-"
"You don't understand I shot him I shot L, he he fell to the ground and I killed Dr. Sterling too."
"No Renegade, Lightning is fine, and i'm sure your aim for non lethal organs was not by accident. He and Artemis are in good condition and resting on the Mount's med bay." Was it the relief after hearing those words or the soft manner in which they were delivered, that R found himself battling the tears that gathered in his eyes.
"I did kill her" he said. Meaning Dr. Serling. Batman sat on the side of the bed.
"It's something you could've he-"
"BUT IT IS!" he shouted back, "I sho-should hav- have d d done something. I should have been able to do something, but I couldn't. I couldn't bec-because..." R finished sniffing sadly.
The sudden one sided hug was what had done it. He couldn't contain it anymore, trying to be a weapon, trying to be what they had trained him to be, trying to be strong enough to shoulder his and his friends future.
He couldn't but find himself scare everytime.
R sobbed uncontrollably turning close to Batman's chest. The dark knight did not utter a single word, supporting the sobbing boy and running a glove hand on soft black locks for what felt like an hour. The tears were nonstopping, the pain was never ending, the feelings were there as he felt more human than he had ever felt before.
...
After the hour the hero heard it, the small voice coming from his chest. "Why would you help us, why would you trust us?"
Batman sighed, 'why indeed, the question he had asked himself so many times already.'
"I probably wanted to believe. I probably saw myself in you four."
R scoffed, "The Batman looking being an abandoned boy who's parents are probably dead. One who was trained to be a killer, a machine, and it to help the bad guys rule and bring who knows what over Earth." He turned to the hero, "Yes believable. Exactly tha- what are you doing?"
He stop rambling as the hero started to raise his hands to his cowl.
Renegade's eyes widened as he found himself staring at the dark navy eyes of...
"Bruce Wayne." He uttered in surprise.
'Of course he knew who Bruce Wayne was; they were taught each and every important influential of powerful person on the globe... and their back story. Obviously that did not include Bruce Wayne, philanthropist, billionaire playboy, being The Batman.'
It suddenly hit R, he covered his eyes.
"No! Why would you do that! What if I turn again, what if I divulge your identity to The Light-"
"You won't."
"NOO HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO IRRESPONSI-"
"Because I trust you, Richard!"
The name had cause the startled boy to pause. Confusion, familiarity...
"Richard..." he tested.
Bruce nodded, "That is your name according to the files we've discovered."
"Where, how?" R muttered.
"Lightning." They both said.
"Yes." Bruce affirmed. "He remebered some details concerning his past." R shivered.
"Lightning's name is Wallace Rudolph West and yours is Richard Grayson."
...
Tears filled his eyes once again, "I'm sorry I didn't mean it-" R began, "It was the only way... they will hate me so much." He sniffed
The man was silent as he let the other continue, he wasn't sure as to what R was referring at that moment but he kept silent.
"It's all right." Bruce assured.
"I must look like a wimpy spoiled kid." He said rubbing his eyes free of tears.
...
"-I assure you young lad, that a wimpy spoiled kid is last on what you may look like." They heard the voice say, R or Richard now tensed.
"It's alright, this is Alfred. He won't hurt you." Bruce said.
"Indeed not, I am a peacemaker." Alfred appeared placing three mugs and cookies onto a close table. "Now how about some hot chocolate and cookies."
Bruce smiled picking his cup, Richard grabbed onto the other, he eyed the cookies. Alfred smiled, as he picked one and handed it to him, "I am not bluffing but my chocolate chip cookies have traveled miles." The butler winked, Richard flushed taking the treat.
'Definitely the most delicious thing he had ever had to as far as he could remember, for the Light eating was just fuel no need for flavor or care in it.'
Bruce stood up taking another cookie on the go, the butler raised an eyebrow. Richard stared at the exchange wondering if they were not allowed more than one, as if reading his mind the butler turned to him, "I assure you master Richard, cookies and chocolate is a rare occasion in this manor, it is alright to take another."
The boy flinched, looking away for a bit, "Would you please not call me that" Alfred raised his eyebrows, Richard elaborated, "Mas-master. Please don't call me that."
In other cases Alfred would have denied the petition but judging by what his other charge had been telling him about the boy, the word 'master' was not one of care and respect but oppression and control. Alfred nodded understandingly, "Young Richard then." The butler said, the boy nodded seemingly relieved with the new term.
Now that all the previous adrenaline had wear off and the calm once again permeated the atmosphere the boy could feel the energy living his body making him almost fall over when he went to place the empty mug onto the table.
Bruce caught him.
"Perhaps it is best to rest in a proper bed" Alfred said, Bruce nodded and helped the boy.
"I'm fine." Richard insisted.
Bruce insisted otherwise as he was guided through a flight of stairs.
Despite Bruce's reassurance, he kept his eyes close along the way. He was led to one of the guest rooms within the cave, a fairly spacious room, the walls were dark as they were from stone, it also had a big comfy bed and cozy lighting. As soon as his body hit the matress he was fast asleep.
Bruce headed back to the main computer despite Alfred's claims to take some rest as well.
The butler shook his head, hopefully if Master Richa- Young Richard stayed he would make the man more human.
._._._._._._
...Mount Justice...
The constant beep of the heart monitor led a sense of grounding. L had just gotten out of surgery, thankfully there was no damage to any important organ, with the super healing he would be fine in a weeks or so.
S sat at the corner on the sofa, his elbows on his knees as he stare at the floor. He had been training with Black Canary or having therapy which at first he wasn't so fond of, but found it to be helpful and much needed to arrange all the thoughts he had in his mind.
He turned to look at the now sleeping face of the speedster, L had always been the most trustworthy and friendly of them four. If he was like L maybe he could easily forgive what had happened, what R did, what W did... But he wasn't L. He couldn't help but feel a slight anger and hate burning inside of him with the mention of the 2 missing teammates. He was still worried for them though, it was just complicated. He hadn't been able to tell that to Canary.
._._._._._._._.
...The Batcave...
Being in the manor this past 4 days had been like a dream, one in which he had people who cared for him, a place where he was allowed to feel emotions, were he was allowed to try and achieve normalicy until some point. He was even given a room in the manor a beautiful navy blue scene with an even comfier bed he never wanted to leave.
'Was it wrong wishing it to never end?'
Renegade apeared by the main computer at the Batcave, having been escolted by Alfred. He was grateful to the old man and loved his cooking more than anything in the world.
"Br-Bruce." The man had dedicated his time on the investigation of the Starro Tech. The diary he had found on the helicopter was in fact Dr. Sterlings diary.
R was in shock as he heard about the fact. That was Cheshires doing.
Flashback
"Ra's told me to leave a prsent for you. Be sure to check afterwards." Cheshire whispered.
He just nodded grimly befor kicking the desktop the scientist had been working on, partly out of anger at having been easily influenced by the man.
End of Flashback.
Renegade turned to see the screen, the detective had already managed to access and unlock the files left behind at that time, as well as adding new information.
Bruce had deducted based on the information, that whatever the starro tech was, it surely was a combination of an nanotech, magic and posible alien bioengineering capable of enthralling a host and controlling him, which had them thinking on a head start on a possible contingency measure to take if it were that.
He smiled thankful to the man as he continued to decode Dr. Luke Evan's research and hypothesis, before his death as well as Dr. Sterlings research. Even if the information he had manage to disclose without his Maste- the Light finding out, was not complete as it was missing very important information, there was hope, Bruce and Alfred had assured him and he wanted to believe there was.
The philantropist and the butler had been none other than good with him, they treated him not just as a human, but as the thirteen year old he was. He felt human, he did not feel alone. He didn't want it to end.
Yes. He could only hope.
...
Bruce thought it would be good to pay a visit to the mountain. R knew he needed to face S and L, but after what he had done, after he had failed them and Water, he couldn´t find himself wanting to go.
The next day, Batman had said, "Lets go to the mountain I'm sure you want to see L and S." The boy nodded hesitantly. If the Dark Knight noticed, he did not comment.
He felt a touch on his shoulder stopping his thoughts, Alfred held a black garment out for him. "Young Richard, this was once a training uniform Master Bruce used to wear when he was much younger, I did some modifications to make sure it would fit to your size, for now I hope it comes in handy."
R stared at the butler wide-eyed, Bruce walked passed them to suit up, patting his head on the go and bringing the kid out of is trance. R realized tears had filled his vision, he hugged the butler making the other stiffen and laugh before returning the hug.
"Thankyou." He muttered and really hoped this was not a dream and people like Alfred and Bruce were not an illusion.
...Mount Justice...
He took and black and blue suit, heading to change.
"Got an 8?"
"Go fish."
L groaned, he looked at The Flash suspiciously, "That's the 16th time you've won already are you sure super speed is all you have?"
The Flash laughed, "I swear kiddo."
The ginger gave a snicker and then winced.
"Are you still feeling pain, Wally?"
"Wally..." he was still getting used to his new- well old name. 'Wallace what a name. Rudolph? Please who had name him!' As soon as he had heard the name he decided Wally fitted better.
"Oh, I'm fine sorry, yes. It's just... have you known something about, Ren?"
Of course Flash got the word from Batman about the last events but the same man had asked him to keep it a secret from everybody and that sadly included S and L for now.
"I promise you he is alright."
Wally stared for a while and nodded understandingly, "What about Water?" He tried not to show the anger and frustration in his voice, he tried to reason with himself that indeed Water was not in control of his actions. The atlantean they had encountered 2 days before was not the friend they knew.
He sighed 'At least he had taken it better than S did.' The clone hadn't wanted to hear anything about W or R, even Wally had tried to talk to him, reason with him. He didn't want to hear it. Hopefully once they got back together no hard feelings or resentment would linger as everything got cleared up.
...
After some time, Flash left to work on something after giving him some painkillers. The doors opened once again, this time it was Superboy who had entered and sat quietly at the sofa on the corner. Wally shuffled the cards quietly, 'It was not as if they didn't talk at all after their small quarrel, they started avoiding the topic of W and R. Now things were just awkward.'
Superboy had started sparring trying to control his anger and learning knew moves from Canary. Artemis had come often to visit them she was as good as new, Roy had neither distanced from them or made an attempt to bond with them either. He had left on thing clear though, 'He had no intention of getting along with Water after what he had done to Artemis.'
Wally sighed, painkillers always managed to get him into a sleepy daze. He couldn't help but think about his friends, before drifting to unconsciousness.
...
It was the angered growl that had Wally come back to the conscious world.
Superboy had moved and was now standing in between the door and his bed, his back turned to the speedster as if shielding him? but why?
Wally's eyes widened when he leaned a bit to his side to see what was happening.
"Ren..."
Renegade stood by the door, wearing a new type of suit, black and blue. He stared at his teammates with a straight his face, though by the slightly shaking fists clenched by his side, Wally doubted he was anything but calm.
"H-hey, L, S."