Author's Note: I just wanted to bring up the title of this chapter. I was going to just make it Unqualified, but that felt wrong 'cause you know … Batman isn't really unqualified, and neither is Dick. So then I was like: Inadequately Unqualified! So yes, I meant to write that – and it's not supposed to be Inadequately Qualified. Just so we all are clear.
"And I know it aches, how your heart, it breaks. You can only take so much. Walk on. Oh no, be strong. What you got they can't steal it. No, they can't even feel it. Walk on, and stay safe tonight. What you got they can't deny it, can't sell it or buy it. Home, you can't know where it is if you've never had one. Home, that's where I'm going. And I know it aches, how your heart, it breaks. Leave it behind, you gotta' leave it behind."
U2 Walk On
By: The BatThing
Chapter Five: InadequatelyUnqualified
Bruce Wayne had sped home once he had received the news. It took long enough to get across the city, and he cursed the nuisance it truly was. Dick was in trouble, and he had to deal with the simple and worthless problem of traffic. Yet another moment in the loner's life where he had the inkling of a wish to have some sort of great speed…
Like Clark.
Damn.
Picking up his cell phone, he felt everything reject the object. Yet, with all that was in him, he dialed the number. Biting down on his tongue as the ring sounded off in his ear, each second an hour of torture. It was a paradox that made perfect sense, and it was wrong at the wrong time.
But he had to do this. He had to. This wasn't just any little thing, this was Dick. The kid he promised to protect. He had promised the graves of Mary and John Grayson. No matter how weak the promise had been, no matter how silent and how unspoken – he had made it. Not because he had wanted to, no not at the time … he had made it because he had taken their child and put him into a life of danger.
So, he had made the promise.
Keep him safe.
And now it was more than just that. Now he actually … he actually cared. He didn't have friends. He didn't have a soul mate. No, all he had was a butler that gave him the unjustified and unconditional love of any parent, and a little orphaned gypsy boy that was looking for that same love from him.
And Dickhadit. An unexpected revelation uncovered between the scattered rings.
The phone gave a click. "Bruce?" The voice was surprised, utter disbelief that Bruce Wayne was calling. "Is everything all right?"
"I have a … a favor to ask."
Dick stood before the janitor's closet, Felix and Darcy at his side. He stared at the ugly purpled colored door and wished to hell that it was a portal out of this place. He hadn't a clue what was going on, but he figured that it wasn't anything good. Mr. Ganthers had moved them out of the classroom, and then told them to stop at this door. So here the three stood, looking anywhere but at their deranged teacher.
"Mr. Grayson and Mr. Harding …get on inside." The man gave his gun a little jolt, signaling that he was more than ready to use it.
"Wh-wh-what about m-me?" Darcy stuttered awkwardly, looking at Dick with big blue eyes. He suddenly latched his hand to the raven-haired boy's and held it tight. "I'll go with them."
"No, not you, Mr. Kent." Ganthers hissed. "Get inside Grayson!"
Dick didn't move, watching Felix in the corner of his eyes open the door and walk on in without any hesitation, relieved to be getting away from their teacher. "Darcy's c-come-coming with us."
A smile of pure ill-will came from their captor. "You'd rather it be you?"
"I'd rather you let us go, sir. If you'd just talk with the people outside, maybe-."
"Maybe I should put a bullet in Felix. How does that sound? You like that idea?"
"N-no. I just think that -."
"SHUT-UP!" Henry Ganthers took Darcy's upper arm and tried to pull him away from Dick, but he was met with resistance. "Let him go, Grayson."
Darcy's free hand went to Dick's other, and held it tight. He gave a small shriek of fear and began to sob in the same way Haden had just a few minutes ago.
Just a few minutes ago Haden was alive. Haden and Felix both were alive. Dick stood a bit taller and felt his chin buckle. Say the words, tell him that he can take you, that he can take you if he leaves Darcy alone. If he lets Darcy and Felix go free, he can do whatever he wants to you. Say it! Tell him! Do it! Where's the courage? Where's the stuff Bruce taught you?
COWARD!
Felix was starting to whimper now too.
"Shut up, Harding, unless you want to join your two other friends in the classroom!" The tall and disoriented teacher slashed his hand out and knocked Dick upside the head with the gun. "I TOLD YOU TO LET HIM GO, GRAYSON!"
Stumbling back, Dick felt his grip on Darcy loosen a bit, though the blonde was quick to keep a firm hold.
Another hit with the gun and Dick was on the floor, Darcy's hands moved away from his as the boy was jerked away. "Don't move, Kent, unless you want your two friends here dead, understand? If you do as you're told I'll let you live."
Dick felt a clammy hand snake its way around his upper arm and he was pulled into the closet with little effort. "Darc … I …" He started to sit up, feeling his world spin, but as soon as he could see Darcy the door was slammed shut, and he and Felix were locked in the small room, in complete darkness.
The sound of footsteps walking away could be heard from outside.
"What is he going to do to Darcy?!" Felix cried, as if Dick might know more then he did on the matter. "He-he said he'd let him live, th-that's good, right?"
Getting to his feet, Dick put a shaky hand against the wall and fumbled towards the door. He jerked and rattled the doorknob, but it proved to be a fruitless effort. "We have to save him. We have to … we have to get out of here."
"You think he's going to kill Darcy?"
"I don't know, I DON'T KNOW! But looking at his record, I'd say yes … that or worse." Dick looked around the room and felt his stomach give a lurch. "Help me look for something – anything."
"Y-you're bleeding, Dick. Are you ok?"
"Just look!"
As the two pattered around, moving boxes and going through various objects, they were interrupted by an unwanted familiar noise that rang through the hall; a gun blast once, twice … and a third time. The two boys froze, and slowly moved away from the door as the sound of footsteps came down the hall.
Dick felt his body begin to shutter as the door gave a clink and was pushed open. Their teacher stood, looking in at them and shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't want to live I suppose. How about you Grayson? You want to live?"
Felix began sniffling again.
Don't cry, Felix, he'll hurt you. That was one of the last thoughts Dick Grayson remembered thinking there in that closet.
Useless. Worthless. Helpless. Incapable. Unable. Inept. Powerless.
Unqualified. He was unqualified in every sense of the word, unqualified to take care of the people closest to him, his parents, Dick. Unqualified to save them.
Unqualified to love them.
Bruce stood outside the school, ignoring the consoling and comforting words showering down upon him. Everybody cared about him, everybody worried about him, everybody touched him with small bits of kindness, looked at him as if they wanted to do more for him. Even a few parents of the other boys in the school were telling him kind things, supporting words. They didn't realize though.
They didn't realize that Clark was going to save Dick. Not him.
Unqualified.
I don't care. Clark can get in and out, Clark can do this right – he can do this fast. He can make it happen. I can't do what he can do. Not like that. Not like that
"LOOK!" A woman screamed suddenly from somewhere behind the billionaire. "Oh, LOOK!"
Clark.
The tall and seemingly unbreakable figure of the Man of Steel came into view, fluttering down, holding in his arms the figure of an overweight boy, making sounds of pain. Bruce easily recognized him as one of the other boys who would wait outside with Dick after the study sessions. The boy was bleeding as was laid down on a stretched with the utmost ease.
Where's Dick! Bruce wanted to force his way through the crowd and demand an answer from his rival. Where was DICK!
There was a flash, and the Superman was back in the school.
At this, Bruce did push his way forward, cutting through the crowd with a few other people – parents of the others inside. He watched as a woman and man were brought to the ambulance, crying over their child on the stretcher - crying with relief.
"Should we -." A cop whispered to his partner.
"I dunno."
The billionaire disregarded them as there was movement from the school doors. He expected to see Clark carrying somebody out – expected to see the red, yellow and blue once more.
But it wasn't Clark this time.
Dick appeared to be limping down the stairs, coming toward the crowd. A few police went to the boy, helping him down, bringing him to the medics that were more than ready to lend a helping hand.
Bruce felt frozen, watching – like he didn't want to go over and talk to his ward. For some unknown reason he was scared to go see Dick. Something was horribly wrong, he could feel it – he could see it.
Move, you coward.
Taking the first step, Bruce fell into a pattern of heavy strides, till he came to where Dick was standing, surrounded by a variety of people, all of which let him through with ease.
Dick looked up, and once he saw who it was, once the connection was made, he broke into the most horrible sound of sobbing.
To be continued …
Steelelf: Yeah, Supes always has something of interest to bring into a Batman fanfiction. It helps that Batman hates him so much, lol. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I don't know why, but your name seems like I know it. I'm trying to figure it out. One day, I will ... maybe, lol. Are you from TZ by chance?
State of Matter: I'm happy you found time too, lol. It's always nice to hear what people think. It's true, it's true. Haha. Anyhow, thanks so much for reading, and thanks also for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter, even with the cop out of me using Supes to save the day. I do that.
Trunksblue: I never messaged you back, gah. I know, I totally killed our plan for the other fanfiction. I'll just use Superman again and again till people catch on and shut me down, lolirl. They'll be like: "There's a limit to how many times Superman can come in and save the day in a Batman fanfiction, you've overpassed yours by a lot." In honor of my useage (is that a word) of Superman, I made him the wallpaper of my computer. Haha. And I did figure out the cell phone thing, I think ... I wrote it into another chappie, we'll see if it even works or makes sense.
loopylouise123: It's over! Well, almost ... Dick still has to get passed it, but at least he's out of the school, right? Right? Hmm, lol. The next chapter is more, well, interesting. This is one of those were it's like: "Thanks for nothing." Anyhow, thanks for the review!!
johanna: Yeah, Ganthers is actually a character from a book I wrote a few months ago. I hated him so much I decided to use him in this fiction, it works. His name is just one of those names where you're like: Yuck. Well, it is for me, lol. That's probably 'cause I've always made him evil. Oh well. Thanks for the review.
JLAfan: You're really too nice, if there was a nice and considerate award at you'd get it. You review all the chapters, even if they've already been posted, and then you make me too big for my pants ... britches? Whatever, lol. Thanks so much - and YOU should write more too. Your fanfictions with Dick, Tim, and Bruce are awesome. You should post more, write more ... anything. Even just a one-shot would be good. Hint, hint? Hint, hint.
Simone1: Just be careful not to fall out. I've done that before. Sitting on my computer chair and then BAM! Though, it's not because I was reading an interesting story, it's just because I'm stupid and sit on the edge of my seat. Anyhow, I'm sure you didn't literally mean you were on the edge of your seat, but warnings are nice. Stay in school, don't do drugs, and thanks for the review! Thanks, thanks, thanks, lol.
Panamint: My sister watches that show (I think) is it the one with that guy from Little House on the Prairie? She watches that every now and then, I've yet to really see an episode or anything. LOL, you weren't supposed to read the comment about Superman, lolirl. That's cool though, I thought it'd be invisible and only Trunksblue would see it. Yes, yes, Superman saves the day. I'm a cop out when it comes to bad situations, do it in almost all my fictions. Superman gets it done fast - Batman makes it interesting. Thanks for updating Broken Glass, hope more is on the way, huh? Huh? Huh.
Kanny: Thanks so much! Yeah, Batman during the day isn't really something that works in Gotham (at least I don't think so). I sort of cheated on this fiction, used Clark instead. I hope that's all good, 'cause I seem to do it a lot. And, well, I don't know about Bruce and Dick moments, but I think I have one in the next chapter. I think? We'll see. You can judge me on it.
kokomocalifornia: I write such long comments in reply to reviews, it makes the fanfiction look twice as long. I suck, and infact, I'll update faster just because this chapter was so short. Hopefully then people won't hate me as much, right? Thanks for the review! Thanks, thanks, thanks for all the reviews!