Chapter 16:

It was 9:30 pm and Leslie had ordered Dick to go to sleep, kicking Barry and Wally out in the process, leaving Dick and Bruce alone (Alfred is asleep in a chair).

"What happened in your nightmare?"

Dick hesitated "The same one that's been haunting me since I was 8"

'From what he was saying it didn't sound like his parents were falling' "Details?"

"No" Dick turned his head away

Bruce put his hand on his shoulder causing Dick to jump suddenly. He shifted nervously.

"What was that?" Bruce's words were lined with worry

"Nothing" Dick replied quickly

"Dick?"

Dick realized Bruce wouldn't stop asking 'til he had an answer

"I was just remembering something and you broke me out of my trance"

"What were you remembering"

"The mare" Dick whispered

"What really happened in it?, it wasn't just your parents death was it?"

Dick remained silent

"Dick, you can tell me"

"I-I saw, everyone was...dead, you, the team, the justice league, everyone I ever loved was..."

Bruce didn't want to ask but he had to "How did they die?"

Dick closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing "Zucco, Joker, Deathstroke and Two-Face captured and tortured them all and then filled the room with water, drowning everyone except Aqualad and Miss.M, they were locked in a seperate room and burnt to death after they watched everyone else drown and I couldn't do anything"

"All your greatest fears"

Dick nodded his azure eyes filling with tears. Bruce pulled him into a hug, Dick hugged him straight back, ignoring the pain and letting his tears fall freely. Eventually the two pulled away,

"You should get some sleep, chum"

Dick had always wondered where he got that nickname for him from, at first he thought it was stupid then it started to grow on him.

Dick wriggled back down into the blankets "Night Bru...uh Dad"
Bruce looked up surprised "Goodnight, son" Dick smiled and was soon asleep. Bruce was about to go sleep himself when his phone vibrated on the table next to the bed. Bruce looked at the caller ID and answered,

"What is it Jim?"

"Forensics found a mind control chip in Deadshot's eye-scope, the design matches with the Mad Hatter's"

"So Deadshot wasn't in control of himself?"

"No, he doesn't remember what he did but he is genuinely sorry for it, as far as villains go, Deadshot's not so bad"

"What about the woman he worked with?" Bruce heard Jim take in a sharp breath of air "What, who is she?"

"She was Dick's history teacher"

"WHAT!" Bruce shout-whispered/growled

"Ms. Trevil though she keeps insisting we call her Scythe"

"Is she being mind-controlled?"
"No, she was the one controlling Mad Hatter"

"By threatening him?"

"Yeah"

"So will you still arrest Mad Hatter?"

"Since he made the device, yes we are bringing him in now"

"What about Deadshot?"

"We are letting him go, though he doesn't think we should"

"He doesn't?"

"No but since he wasn't in control of himself we can't arrest him, he blames himself for what happened to Dick, even though he was under mind control, he can't help but feel responsible"

"Shouldn't you still arrest him for his previous crimes?"

"We haven't got enough evidence to arrest him for any past crimes we think he commited"

"Fair enough" Bruce sighed "Thanks for telling me, Jim"

"Your welcome" Jim said ending the call.

Bruce turned to face his ''son'' who was still sleeping peacefully.