FudoTwin17: Yo, guys!
Cat: It's been a while.
FudoTwin17: Yeah . . . . Well, anyway, I figured it'd be nice to update this story.
Dog # 1: Yeah . . . .
FudoTwin17: Plus, I have SO much to do! I mean, I have to completely ruin Rob's past, mess with the team, have bonding experience, and show you what happens to our Leaguers.
Cat: So, a lot?
FudoTwin17: Yep.
Cat: She doesn't own Young Justice.
Chapter 4
When the team opened their eyes, they found themselves in a room, an office. It was large and had a bunch of police officers running around behind desks, moving papers, sipping their coffee, and sending pitying glances at the eight year old that sat on a chair away from the desks, swinging his feet back and forth.
They stared.
It was Richard, Dick. His eyes were red, but less puffy. His big midnight blue eyes were downcast, but every time he looked up and met the gaze of an officer, he'd smile weakly and they would freeze before going back to work. The small boy hadn't changed out of the bloody clothes, although he did wear a large, tan jacket over it.
Megan stared at the small boy for a moment. "So that's you."
Robin just nodded mutely.
They all lapsed into silence. It seemed as if all their throats were constricted. Suddenly, it was as if Kaldur understood. Batman didn't keep the identity a secret solely for fear that they might break or would be tortured or turn and give out their identities. Batman didn't want Robin to be treated differently. He didn't want Robin to feel out of place for what he had seen or their pity. And on another level, Robin didn't entirely want them to know his secrets. The look on his face was enough testament to that.
Right then, Wally gasped. Two police officers had just walked through him. He shivered, moving away from the desks to watch the officers begin to talk to little Dick.
"Richard." The female police officer asked.
Little Robin looked up and smiled his best smile at her. "You can call me Dick. That's what mama used to call me."
Artemis let out a choking sound.
"Okay, Dick." She said, smiling. She gave him her hand and, before she started walking again, she helped him out of his seat. "Well, we're going to find you a place to live. How would you like to live in an apartment? It's a bit bigger than your trailer."
"So I can't go back to the circus?" His big, blue eyes sparkled.
The male officer put a hand on Dick's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but the courts would never allow it." The officer looked as if he had already made his own decision. He would rather the kid get put in a home than let a bunch of literal clowns raise him. "Besides, you'd be much happier in the apartment."
Robin, the older one, scoffed. The rest of the team looked at him startled, but said nothing.
Before the poor acrobat could say anything, though, the female police officer turned into less deep waters. "Why don't we go to the police station and show you your new home."
"Okay." The little boy murmured quietly, defeat evident in his voice. It was heartbreaking. Horrible. The team could hardly believe it.
When the trio left, Robin made no movement as to follow them, even when his team started to move forward. Of course, before they continued, they realized Robin hadn't followed and remained in the room with him.
"Dick?" Artemis asked tentatively.
"Hey! What are those kids doing in here?" Someone's voice asked roughly.
Before anyone could reply, though, the group's vision began to swim, becoming like water as it rippled in front of them. In an explosion of color, the team watched everything blurred together in an explosion of a dark white. Once again, the time stream was messing with their minds.
. . .
Conner blinked, looking around. The team was standing on a sidewalk in front of a very rundown house. It had what may have been white walls once, but turned out to be tan at the present time. There was some vegetation growing up the walls and a few points where it appeared to have been cracked. The small, one-story building seemed to be smashed between two large, taken care of skyscrapers.
Conner moved forward when he noticed the police officers with little Dick standing between them at the old, wooden door. In his hands was a small bag that seemed to contain all his belongings. It was sad.
"Where are we?" Conner asked, looking at a slightly dazed Robin, who quickly snapped into focus.
Robin looked up at the house before all his color seemed to drain from his face. His eyes behind the mask snapped over to Conner. Dryly, he spoke. "You'll see."
The rest of the team stared at their little brother for a moment before returning to the scene. The thick, wooden door opened to reveal a woman. Her eyes were dark brown and her hair was a frizzy red. She wore a long sleeved, white shirt that seemed a size too big for her bony body. Her right hand remained holding and rubbing her left inner elbow. She smiled at the officers. "Hello."
"Hello." The female officer said, smiling sternly back. "You are Penny Willows?"
"Y-Yes." The woman replied, ignoring the way her fingers seemed to twitch. "How may I help you?"
"You and your husband have agreed to use your home for foster care. We were wondering if you would take in this boy." The officer stated, rubbing Dick's shoulder.
Penny smiled, nodding. She knelt down to Dick's height. "Hey, there. What's your name?"
"Richard." Little Dick said, shivering despite the tan jacket. "But you can call me Dick."
"Okay, Dick." She offered him her hand, and stared into his bright eyes. After he took her hand, she smiled a smile that didn't reach her dark, sleep deprived eyes. "How would you like to see your room?"
"That-that would be nice, ma'am. Thank you." The eight year old replied. The tall woman, standing, pulled him to her side inside the home. "Will that be all officers?"
The male nodded. "Thank you for your time."
She nodded, beginning to close the door. Somehow, the team managed to dart through the opening, although not noticing that they seemed to be able to move through solids.
Once they were inside, a dark aura seemed to fill them to the brim. The walls, tan and moldy, had cracks running down the walls. In that room that they had just entered, was a television on mute and a chair. Around the chair were empty beer bottles and a carpet. Looking around, the team could easily see areas where there were stains. Some were red.
The woman, after a twitch in her neck and shoulder, looked at Dick. "Lets be quiet now." She whispered. "We don't want to wake daddy."
At that moment, a figure in the chair caught the team's attention. He looked to be around his late thirties and seemed to need to shave his stubby face. Most of his upper head was bald, but the rest of it had somewhat dark hair. He was slightly overweight and definitely larger than both Dick and the woman, his wife. He wore a stained undershirt and jeans and-
Artemis wrinkled her nose. "Is that him?"
A strong stench of beer seemed to come off the older man.
Robin glanced at her. "Yeah."
"The-The police brought you here?" Gasped Kaldur. He had respect for the human police, so to see that Dick had been brought there by police who hadn't thought to check the environment they were bringing the small boy into was shocking to him.
Robin nodded mutely as Penny led the child Robin to a small room. It was at the very back of the rundown place. His room was very small, but useable with only a bed and a closet for storing his clothes and bags in. Penny let go of his hand and smiled at him, her hand returning to her elbow. "Okay, sweetie, why don't you-you put away your stuff? I'll be ba-back to see how you're doing."
"Okay." Dick replied, shyly drawing into himself. "Th-thank you."
She nodded, rushing off to a large room just opposite of Dick's and closing the door. A click soon followed to signify it was locked. The team watched as little Dick looked around, opening his bag and putting things away.
"She's . . . ." Wally's voice faded away as he looked at his buddy.
"She was a drug addict." Robin stated, detached. "Her drug of choice was heroine, but she would use anything she could get her hands on."
Kaldur stared at Robin in shock.
Little Dick put up a poster. It was of six people in different versions of the outfit that Dick wore. It had bright colors and in gold lettering read "The Flying Graysons" with small added effects. Sadly, little Dick looked up at it.
"Mama . . . tătic . . . Mi-e dor atat de mult . . . ." He whimpered, a single tear falling down the boy's face.
Robin turned away abruptly.
"What . . . ." Artemis let her question trail off.
"It's Romanian." Robin stated, apathetic. "My first language. I-He said he misses them. My parents."
Megan felt her heart break for both her Robin and his younger self. Before she could act upon her heated emotions, though, a dark figure appeared in the doorway. In an instant, Robin had moved two feet away from the figure and the team, confused, followed him and watched.
The figure stepped into the light of the room and smiled at Dick. "Hey, kid."
Wally let out a strangled noise of disgust. No one looked at him, though. They were all too busy staring at the man and Dick. The smell of alcohol was strong.
"You the new one they called about?" He asked.
Little Dick nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir." His voice sounded young and hurt.
The man made a face, but continued. "It's Jim. You?"
"Richard, sir." Little Dick blinked sadly. "Bu-but you can call me Dick."
The man looked down at Dick evilly. There was a glimmer of anger to his eye that the team caught that little Dick seemed unable to catch. "Well, Dick, do you know what I hate?"
The little boy seemed to finally feel uncomfortable near the man. Dick flinched at the way Jim said his name. "N-No, s-Jim."
He leaned down to Dick's height, sadly a long way down and began spitting words through his drunkard mouth. "I hate the way kids are so stupid. How they mope around in self-pity." With every word he stressed, he pointed his finger at Dick's chest. "I hate it when you try to get people to pity you, give you things."
Megan gasped at the abusive words thrown at their youngest when he was younger.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I'll try to do better!" Little Dick tried to say, backing up slightly.
A sick smile made it's way to Jim's face. "You know what it makes me want to do to you little brats?" Swiftly standing to his full height, he sent a kick at the small boy who flew back and slammed into the wall with a small, scared cry. "You know what it makes me want to do?" His smile became malicious, violent, and psychotic.
Unable to help himself, and with a fierce cry of anger, Wally threw himself at the man, only for his hand to go straight through his head with enough force that could have killed the man. However, before any of them could do anything, they were standing outside the house in their same positions.
Megan had to hold in a cry of sadness and pain when a small voice began screaming from inside. "Te rog, îmi pare rău! I-am, nu am vrut sa! Imi pare rau! PL-Te rog, opreşte! Voi fi bun! I-Voi fi bine! Vă rugăm să opriţi! Mami! Tati! Ajută-mă! Ajutor! Unchiul Rick! Matusa-AH! Johnny! Ajutor! PL-Te rog!"
She turned to Robin horrified.
They all did.
Slowly, very deliberately, Robin peeled off the mask. Of course, they knew who he was, but it seemed so . . . horrible now. Painful. Somehow, it was still a shock that he was removing the mask in front of them, even when he didn't when they first saw his younger self.
Opreste-te! Lasă-mă să plec! Te rog, tati! Mami! AJUTA-MA! Cineva! PL-vă rog!"
As the mask silently fell to the ground, blue eyes stared up at the house. Pain was too evident in his eyes. Pain, horror, and understanding. He remembered every hit. Every punch. Everything that monster did to him. Every single blow.
''Tati! Nu! Opreste-te! Te rog! Voi fi bun! Voi fi bun! Te rog! Opreste-te! Mami! Tati! Cineva!"
The most horrible part though, was that Dick's eyes, the old Dick, were the only one's that were on the house. His team's were on him. The people that walked or drove by never even looked up. No one besides the victim would even glance that way.
This was Gotham.
This was Dick's nightmare.
FudoTwin17: TT*crying* Okay, I think I died inside writing that.
Cat: It wouldn't shock me.
FudoTwin17: I was going to write more, but it would be so long that I wouldn't get to shock you next chapter with it. So, bye for now. I WANT REVIEWS! Sobs PLEASE! XD
Cat: Okay, bye.
