Stupid Todd and his arm wrestling. I'll show him, I'll work out extra hard and I'll be able to kick his old man ass by the time I'm 15.
Damian turned the corner to the gym, heading straight for the weights but stopped short when he noticed Dick sitting on the side bench staring off into the distance.
Damn it Grayson, did you get yourself lost again?
Damian started to walk towards his brother, "Grayson you know you're not suppose to be in here alone."
Dick made no response and continued to look off into the distance with a small smirk on his face.
"Grayson!"
Dick jumped at the sound but didn't advert his eyes.
"Hey Dami, What's up?" Dick reached out and pulled on Damian's hand forcing him to join him. To Damian's irritation Dick didn't let go of his hand when he was seated next to his brother, but Damian knew better than to rip his had away. The contact assured Dick that Damian was a part of reality.
"I was planning on training, until I found you sitting hear with that dumb look on your face." Damian looked in the direction of Dicks stare but saw nothing but gym equipment. "What are you looking at anyway?"
"My parents."
Damian's stomach dropped, "You know they aren't real…right?"
"I know they are not really there, but it's still comforting being able to watch them fly. It's one of the few benefits of being crazy."
"Don't say that."
"Say what? That I'm crazy?"
"Yea…" Damian looked down to his feet. He hated when Dick called himself crazy. It was a constant reminder that they failed him. He was too late to save him.
"I'm sorry Damian but that's the facts, you know it, Bruce knows it, everybody knows it."
"You're not crazy Grayson, Grove and Strange are crazy." Dick visibly flinched at the names. "They convinced yourself you were, but you're not."
"Well they did a pretty good job at it."
Dick's look hardens as we continued to watch his parents.
"I don't like this part." Dick stood up and detached himself from Damian.
"Grayson…" Damian trailed after his brother but instead collided with him as Dick suddenly stopped, and turned to face his little brother.
"You don't get it Damian, Strange could have just of easily gone after you. The only reason I was targeted first was because my location was known unlike Jason and I didn't have the teen titans or Batman for protection. I was an easy target. He would have captured all of us eventually….. I'm just glad that he was stopped before he got to anyone important." Dick gently cupped Damian's face.
"You're important too." Damian hardly spoke above a whisper.
"Not as important as you." Dick pulled Damian in for a hug.
Damian stank into it taking in everything he missed when Dick disappeared. The brothers stayed like that for a moment, until Damian felt Dick's whole body stiffen.
"No."
Damian tried to pull away from his brother to see what was happening.
"GO AWAY!" Dick picked up Damian and carried him as they backed into a corner.
"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY FAMILY STRANGE!"
Damian's heart jumped up into his throat.
How is that possible? He's in Arkham Bruce checks everyday.
Damian struggled to turn around in his brother's death grip to face the family's greatest horror. As he managed to stiff to face the threat all he saw was an empty room.
Shit he's hallucinating.
"Grayson listen to me, it's just a hallucination no one is there!"
Dick placed Damian on the ground behind him, and stood in a protective stance over his little brother.
"You have to go through ME first Strange!"
He didn't hear me. "Grayson!"
"SHUT UP STRANGE!" With that final outburst Dick leaped at the imaginary man for a full frontal attack.
Dick sent out kicks and punches to the air and looked as if he received a few of his own as he stumbled and fell a few times.
"GRAYSON! STANGE ISN'T HERE!" Damian tried to step in front of his brother but got nicked in the face by one of Dick's punches sending him flying. Which resulted in Dick being even more outraged at the invisible man.
In that moment Bruce and Tim came racing into the room due to all the commotion. Bruce quickly put the pieces together from the state of the room and from the shouting that he heard.
"Dick!"
Dick turned his head to the newcomers and instead of relief horror plastered his face.
"TIM LOOK OUT!
Dick abandoned the invisible Dr. Strange, to full on tangle Bruce to the ground. Dick was throwing punches at Bruce as Bruce did his best to block them.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY GROVE!" The two men rolled on the floor. Bruce trying to get the upper hand without hurting his son.
Tim shouted trying to get through to his brother.
"Dick get off him that isn't Grove that's Bruce. Groove is in Arkham!"
Jason burst into the room with a sedative in his hand loaded and ready. Jason ran up to the pair fighting and tried to lodge the needle in but the fight was too intense.
"Help me out Tim!"
Tim ran forward, with the three of them working together they were able pull out and steady Dick's arm allowing Jason to inject Dicks arm.
"You bastards….." The sedative quickly took over and put Dick out.
Leaving Jason and Tim breathing heavy and sending each other worried glances, as Bruce went to go check on Damian.
Dick stirred in his bed, slowly waking up from the dream world. The first thing he noticed was his throbbing head and his turning stomach. Dick moaned in discomfort and he curled into himself.
Why do I hurt so much?
Dick thought back to the day's events and remembers the attack on his home.
"SHIT!"
Dick threw off his covers and started for the door despite his aching. Before he could reach the doorknob it opened on its own.
"Master Dick you really shouldn't be out of bed."
Alfred walked forward carrying a tray of soup and a small container of medication.
"Alfred! Strange and Grove were here and …."
"Clam down Master Dick everything is fine, it was all an allusion. Know back in bed with you." Alfred led Dick back to his bed, forcing him to lie down.
" You mean it wasn't real?"
Alfred hesitated before answering. "Some of it was real, but those men were never here."
"But I fought them! Ask Damian he was there!"
Alfred placed the tray across Dicks lap, "Master Damian, Master Tim, Master Jason and Master Bruce were all real but anyone else was just your imagination."
"Bruce and Jason where there?" Dick hardly paid attention as Alfred attempted to force the spoon into Dick's hand.
"Indeed, you thought Master Bruce was Dr. Grove and Master Jason was an orderly."
"Oh…. I'm sorry Alfred, I didn't mean to. Are they okay?" Dick looked down shamefully at his soup.
"Everyone is quite alright, no apology needed. Know please eat your entire meal, and since you missed your afternoon dosage you have a little extra with this meal."
That's why my head is pounding and my stomach is burning, missed some meds.
Alfred turned and left the room leaving Dick to his thoughts. Dick slowly ate his soup. Replaying what happened that afternoon in his head.
I must have looked like an idiot fighting air.
The more he thought about it the worse he felt about the whole thing.
Did I hurt Bruce?
Are my brothers scared of me now?
Will they put me in a crazy house? It's probably for the best.
Wait, if Strange didn't hit Damian then…. I must have.
Dick threw his spoon across the room in rage his headache pulsing. Dick grabbed the pills and swallowed them dry. Hoping they would bring the numbing sensation like back at the hospital. Dick waited for them to kick in but the effects never came.
I was normally given more at the hospital.
Dick threw off his covers and quietly snuck down stairs. After years of needing pain medicine due to crime fighting, Dick knew exactly when the medicine was kept. Dick made sure the coast was clear. Entering the kitchen he headed for the pantry. Dick silently slipped inside and shut the door behind him. Walking to the back of the pantry to a small glass cupboard holding his prize.
Dick opened the case and withdrew this medication. Taking a extra pill of each type and popping them into his mouth. He placed the bottles back in their exact positions and left the pantry.
A short 30 minutes later the pills kicked in. Dick relaxed in his numbing state and melted into his care free world. Finally being able to find some peace of mind.
I really need to do this more often.
Thanks for all the great reviews they make me so happy!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.