Cypher wants revenge against Batman and his former third Robin. What better way to get revenge than to use the Wayne Family to lure everyone to their doom.

Subliminal Death

By

AJ

Part 18: Hurtful Revelations

Tim's face was looking down at the ground. He had to tell Dick the truth, but it was hard to look into his face. "The Cypher brought out of you a long-buried hatred."

"What are you talking about?" Dick questioned. "Who the heck could I hate?"

"Jason, for replacing you."

Dick cocked an eyebrow. "You really believe that I still hate Jason?"

"It's not what I believe, it's what Cypher got out you. He's able to use subliminal messages to hypnotize then get you to reveal a deep seeded need, wish, or truth."

Dick looked at Tim, outraged. "You can't be serious. You really think I hate my brother? Well, let me tell you something, I DO NOT hate Jason. I remember the deep seeded hatred I HAD for Jason. It helped me realize the love I have for him. When he died, I realized it was nothing but jealousy, and that I wish I had time to get to know him before out-right disliking him."

Tears welled up in Tim's eyes with Dick yelling at him. It was like the first time when Tim tried to persuade Dick to become Robin, again. He yelled at Tim then, too. Yelling at him about the hell that Bruce had put him through and that he couldn't go back to being Robin. This time, it was Cypher's doing, bringing out a truth that Dick could be denying, and Tim was getting the brunt of that anger, once again. "Cypher used that jealousy. You went to Black Mask. You used me to lure Jason to get him killed."

Tim raced off, heading back to the Manor. He felt devasted that Dick believed that it was him that was accusing Dick of hating Jason when he tried to explain that it was all Cypher's doing, that Cypher pulled that out of him and used it to his advantage. Tim needed to be alone. He couldn't even go to Samantha with this. And he wasn't going to be good company for his children. The Manor was large and had spaces that weren't used. He would choose one of those and decide what to do.

Out in the cemetery, Dick stood looking at the ground, astonished at his reaction. He should have gone after Tim, but he didn't. "I can't believe that stupid man used that to get me to try and kill Jason. I need to take a walk, a long walk, a very long one." Dick headed for the gates of the manor and slipped out of them. As Dick walked, he checked his pockets. 'Good thing I put my jeans back on before heading out to find Tim.' Dick felt his heart drop. 'I have about three hundred on me. I wonder If I could use it to get away from Gotham for a bit. I need to go back to Bludhaven. I could take the train.' It was two more miles before he got to the out skirts of the city. 'I got this.'

In Dick's room, Haley started crying.

Kori tried to comfort the wee one, but she would not be comforted. Kori looked up to see Bruce enter.

"Hey, little one," Bruce said as he entered. "What's the matter?" He stopped when he saw Kori holding Haley.

Tim must have been in his chosen hiding spot for a few hours. No one looked for him or called out his name. Negative thoughts entered his mind. 'Maybe they don't even miss me or care anymore.' It reminded him when his parents would leave him with the housekeeper. 'They would be gone on my birthday . . . Because it was the right time of year . . . Alone . . . I was always left alone to deal with the hurt . . . Maybe that was why I have a hard time talking to someone. There was always no one there to talk to. Looks like I'm going to have to deal with Cypher myself, like last time.'

Tim climbed out of his hiding spot and went down to the cave. No one was around. Tim pulled out his old Robin uniform. Tim was compelled to put it on. It still fit him. Tim grabbed another collapsible bow staff. 'I will find him and make him pay.'

Samantha woke up and felt confusion...hurt...and anger. . It didn't come from her. Part of the problem was getting farther and farther away from the manor while the other was still down in the cave. Tim and Dick? What happened now? Samantha tried to reach out to Tim, but he didn't acknowledge her aura. 'He must be so upset.'

Tim didn't care if it was daylight. He was determined to find Cypher. He downloaded the folder on Cypher to his gauntlet's device. If no one was going to help, he was going to do it on his own. 'I did it before, I could do it again.'

The former third Robin went to Gotham and parked his motorcycle at Wayne Tower in his private garage. He took the elevator down to his old nest and uploaded the files and started to read through them. 'Cypher liked using music or any other form of electronics. His hide out last time had been an old music factory. Maybe I should be looking into those areas.'

Samantha went over to Bruce's room and knocked on the door. He didn't answer. She checked his aura and discovered he was in the nursery. She also sensed Dick's daughter was with him. Usually, she was in Dick's room. She entered the nursery as quietly as possible. The other children were fast asleep and would be stirring soon.

"I didn't expect to find you here."

"She was crying," Bruce stated. "I brought her in here to rock her. She just fell asleep."

Samantha went over to Bruce's side as he continued to rock Haley. "Tim left, and I think something happened between him and Dick."

Bruce sighed heavily. "Do you know what happened?"

"No, but one of them felt betrayed while the other was hurt. Both were angered as well, but it seemed not at each other."

"Betrayed? Who felt betrayed?"

"Tim did, but I don't know where that feeling came from. I can sense his feelings, but not his thoughts. The link is still there, but at the same time, he's keeping his thoughts private."

"You said both of them left?" Bruce asked. "Where?"

Samantha touched the floor and reached down to where she could touch the ground. "Tim is at Wayne Tower and Dick is at the train station."

"Dick is probably going to Bludhaven and by the time I got there, he'll be gone," Bruce pointed out. "Tim . . . I might be able to deal with him, but he'd be gone from that location as well, and both are hard to find if they don't want to be found. They need to work out their differences on their own. Give them some distance and if neither come back in a reasonable amount of time, we'll go look for them. Dick won't desert Haley. He might be going to Bludhaven to give himself time to think. As for Tim, I hope he's doing the same. Cypher is still out there. We need to deal with him on a united front." Bruce didn't tell Samantha about Koriand'ra. It was best she didn't need to know that detail. She told Bruce what happened, how Dick and Tim had left to talk privately, but that was all she knew. Bruce took Haley at that point sensing she wanted her grandfather. He at least was grateful that Haley had not been alone.

Samantha nodded her head. She was still worried for them. She left the nursery and silently shut the door.

A voice was whispering in Red Robin's head. "Music . . . Store . . . No, factory . . . He's got to be there. Back to his old haunt.' He took his bat rope and made his way across town to the old manufacturing district. A lot of the factories were either abandoned or being converted to other forms of commerce. The music factory was still untouched. He made my way to the roof to check it out.

Dick boarded the train and waited for it to leave the station. 'I should stay away for a while. I can't believe i did that,' he thought. 'He made me do it. I don't even want to show my face anymore. Haley's better off with the family right now.' Dick felt the train move and he was off in the direction of Bludhaven.

Continues with 19: Cypher Springs the Trap