WHAAAT?! Twilight's updating THIS story?! After so long?! Yes. I just got so many amazing reviews (and Private Messages) that I couldn't help but continue this...

ENJOY!


IV.- The Friendship (Or The One I Choose To Be Family)

The group of friends was sickened.

They just witnessed their friend being abused at Juvie in the worst way possible. Even if it happened years back, even if it was just a memory, none of them knew. None of them had any idea that Dick went through that. He was just a child, one who was forced to trade his loving family and friends for Darkness. He didn't deserve that. He was just a kid.

Tim was torn. He had always thought Dick was this strong person. Better than Batman. He hadn't even imagined his strength came from such pain. He knew he had tragedies, but this was worse than he thought. Tim felt like he should have know. He was his brother, he should have.

Suddenly, the panorama changed and they were in the mental void again. Watching a flash of memories.

"M'gann?" asked Conner a little bit concerned. "What's going on?"

M'gann closed her eyes as she tried to focus. "I don't know. Dick's mind is strong, it's as if he's trying to lead us through this journey. His memories. He's leading the way, in a manner of speaking."

Then, in front of them, the small child appeared again. Dick's manifestation. A small boy that sucked his thumb. He didn't look older than eight or nine years old.

"Dick?" asked Barbara as she stepped towards the kid. "Is that you?"

Little Dickie continued sucking his thumb. Barbara and Tim carefully stepped forward, trying to understand what he was trying to tell them. Tim knelt before the little kid and touched his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us, Dick?"

The little kid plopped his thumb out of his mouth and spoke. "I was consumed by darkness, every day since I was taken… no hope. Just darkness…"

Suddenly, the panorama shifted and they were standing on a circus tent, and Tony Zucco was dangling from the abyss. "Help me, please!"

Batman was tied to the wall, and was trying to break free.

A small boy, Robin when he was just starting, was looking at the man who killed his family. Tears were falling down his face, but he took Tony Zucco's hand and prevented him from falling to his death at the top of the trapeze platform.

Zatanna frowned as she saw Robin collapsing to sobs into Batman's arms as Commissioner Gordon handcuffed Zucco. She was enraged. "He should have let him die!"

Roy looked away. "Dick is much more compassionate and emotional than we think."

Artemis nodded and turned away. "If I had been Dick, I would have let Zucco fall to his death. I would have surrendered to the darkness. He is so much stronger than we give him credit for."

Suddenly they shifted, and there were bits and pieces in front of them. They were witnessing Dick Grayson growing up as Robin, taking out villain and becoming a full-fledged hero alongside the Dark Knight. So many enemies, so many battles waged over the years.

"Guys…" said M'Gann, as she tried to control the mind. "I'm senses he's pulling us towards a new memory."

Suddenly, Little Dick rushed away and they could see him gleeful running to a new image in front of them. "Big bwother!"

They all shook their heads and they looked up to see a new figure in the Void. It was a tall redhead young man.

Artemis' heart flipped. It was just as he remembered him. "Wally…"

Wally-Not-Wally looked to be twenty-something. Just like when he "ceased". He picked Little Dick up and carried him on his arms. "Alright, Dickie. Just relax. I'm here…"

Little Dick put his thumb in his mouth again and then dove into Wally-Not-Wally's arms. Then they faded away and the group of friends entered a new memory.

Suddenly they were all in the rooftop of Gotham's Police Department. Batman and Robin were there. They were waiting for something.

And then, with a flash of lightning, The Flash and Kid Flash appeared in front of them with the zap of lightning.

Robin was the first one to jump in ecstasy. "Uncle Barry!"

The Flash smiled as he looked down at the small Boy Wonder. His adoptive nephew. "Hey there, Robin. How are you doing, today?"

"Awesome, Batman and I took down a couple of Riddler's goons and put him in Belle Reve again… no biggie!" said Robin gleefully.

The Flash ruffled the kid's hair, "You are great, kiddo. You really are."

"Thanks, Uncle Barry!" said Robin with a blush.

That's when Kid Flash interjected. "Don't call him Uncle Barry! He is MY uncle! Isn't that right, Uncle Barry?"

Robin for the first time looked at the young speedster with a frown. "Um… who are you?"

The redhead speedster, barley two years older than Robin, smiled proudly. "I am the Flash's protégé! Kid Flash!"

Robin chuckled. "Kid Flash? That's a dopey name!"

Kid Flash frowned. "At least it has something to do with my mentor! Not like a bird name that had nothing to do with the Big Bad Bat…"

Artemis smiled as she saw the scene unfold. "This is when they first met, isn't it?"

Roy nodded. "It appears to be so."

Kaldur was silent, he just watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He smiled, he remember when he met those two. They were already best friends back then, but seeing how it happened made it all better.

Robin eyed Kid Flash. "So, Flash is your uncle?"

Kid Flash nodded. "That's right, Robin. I'm the only one who gets to call him that, bird pipsqueak!"

The Flash looked amused as he turned to Batman, who was ever so serious as their protégés met.

"Are you done?" asked Batman as he raised an eyebrow. "We have a crime to stop."

Robin nodded and turned to his mentor with his smirk, then he turned to Kid Flash once more. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Kid Flash! You look really aster!"

"Aster?" asked Kid Flash confused.

The Boy Wonder nodded. "Yeah, you know. Disaster without the Dis. Opposite to it. But maybe I could teach you some things!"

Kid Flash smiled warmly at the boy with the red leotard. "Ha! Yeah, thanks, Rob! Can I call you Rob? Anyway, you're pretty awesome too!"

Robin and Kid Flash grinned at each other.

Suddenly they were thrown again into the Void. They were all feeling something akin to warmness and happiness. Their emotions were deep.

"Guys, do you feel that?" asked Zatanna as she closed her eyes and let the feeling shower her.

"It feels like…" began Conner, overwhelmed by the emotion.

"Love," finished Tim as he looked down, his hands turned into fists. "Dick loved Wally. More than we would ever realize. I don't… I don't know…"

Artemis was at a loss of words. She turned to her best friend. "So, what's next M'gann? Are you okay? Do you think we can keep going?"

M'gann nodded. "It's getting tiring but… guys… we're just scratching the surface. There is much darkness ahead of us. So much pain."

"What?" asked Tim fearfully. "You says there's something worse than the abuse he was subjected at Juvie? Losing his family?"

M´gann nodded. She closed her eyes as she tightened the psychic link. "Okay guys, I'm making sense of it now. We're going to be pulled far into the future. By this point, we've all have already met him… fought by his side and save the world together. This next memory takes place shortly after the Failsafe simulation…"

"Because Robin wasn't traumatic enough," said Barbara with a frown.

And then they were transported into a new scenario.