Into the Depths – Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve
All About Trust

May 14th, 2009. Thursday, 9:01 am.

Everything seemed better after Slade, in all sense of the word, scolded the Teen Titans for their behavior. There was less tension and even Raven was making a visible effort to remain calm. She did spend a number of extra hours meditating, but whatever worked, Dick wasn’t about to complain. He was thankful for the less stress on himself. He had another pressing matter on his hands and that was his nightly nightmares.

There had been one day of training after that with the Titans. Dick had fallen over with laughter after one session between Slade and Terra. The poor girl had been terrified by what she had done, but significantly lightened by Dick’s mirth from the event.

As for Slade, well… He’d been less than happy about the five stones that had made contact with his body – including his head – due to Terra’s inability to control her powers. After the tenth rock, he announced that they were done for the day and he dragged the laughing Dick away to yell at him.

Of course, he did so without any real venom.

And Dick loved having Slade at the Tower.

That single one moment Dick had had with Terra also seemed to work wonders on the girl’s attitude about things. Everything just seemed better for Terra. Dick was extremely thankful that she had believed in his words enough to try to trust in them. Unfortunately, she was like a baby chick. She followed Dick everywhere. In fact, Starfire and Cyborg repeatedly mentioned that the girl always seemed uneasy, unhappy, and just downright moody when Dick wasn’t around.

Wasn’t that a lovely turn of events?

Did that mean… that Terra had a crush on him? Oh, good grief! Heaven forbid. Just what the Tower needed, a four way love triangle or square or whatever one wanted to label it. Raven liked Beast Boy, who liked Terra, who liked Dick, who liked Starfire – could it get any worse than that!?

Dick sighed as he sat at the table with Slade. Someone just shoot him now. Please.

He pushed his food around with another sigh, not having much appetite as he did most days recently. Eating made him feel sick now, after a night of viewing those images. Wintergreen made such hearty breakfasts, Dick was definitely unable to eat that much. He loved the old man’s cooking, it was just too much for his unsettled stomach.

“Hey, Dad,” began Dick, frowning at his mostly full breakfast plate. A bit of morbid wit was rising up inside his chest and he would be insane not to let it out. Might as well get a good laugh at this nonsense.

There was a rustle of a newspaper as the man turned the page. There was a noncommittal, “Hm?” before there was another rustle of pages.

“What’s a good gun to use when you wanna kill somebody?”

There was sharp intake of breath from the old man and he whirled around, crying out, “Richard!” he admonished, absolutely flabbergasted and appalled.

Slade, on the other hand, was slowly lowering his newspaper; his face appearing from behind its contents a moment later. The man looked like he had been hit by a bus. The old man turned back around to continue his work, still looking disturbed. Dick withheld the smirk that was threatening to expand his face.

“What?” breathed Slade, looking absolutely floored. When no answer came, he shook himself briefly and continued, still in that overwhelmingly shocked tone, “W–why do you want to know?”

Dick gave it a moment before he deadpanned with a perfectly straight face, “So, I can shoot myself with it.”

There was the sound of shattering glass as Wintergreen dropped the cup he was holding into the sink. Slade’s hands tensed; crinkling the newspaper in his hands. The man still had that ‘been hit by a bus’ look on his face. Dick winced at the glass – he hadn’t meant to shock the old man. Oops. The old man whirled around furiously.

“Richard Jonathan Grayson!” cried Wintergreen, aghast. “You do not say things like that!”

“Uh… But—”

“You do not joke about shooting yourself!”

Dick cringed, seeing that this whole thing had totally dipped down in a completely different direction than he had intended. True, he probably shouldn’t have joked in such a morbid manner, but he didn’t think the old man would flip a lid.

“I’m sorry, Will, I—”

“Unacceptable!” continued Wintergreen, apparently not noticing Dick’s apology. The old man turned around, ranting under his breath, and began to rummage through a drawer. “This is serious and I cannot allow it.”

Dick’s heart about stopped when he saw what the old man pulled out of a drawer. He quickly stood up, his chair scraping against the floor, and backed away out of reach. He nearly ran down the hallway to barricade himself in his bedroom. One thing he had to be thankful for was when Slade dished out his discipline, it had only ever been with his hand and over a clothed behind – not exactly a ‘huge’ relief, but it was something. But when Wintergreen pulled out a wooden spoon, Dick couldn’t help but wonder if he was about have a new experience with something very unpleasant. Fleeing to his bedroom was looking to be a viable option at that moment.

There was a sharp snap.

“Richard, I will not allow you to say such horrifying things about yourself. Now, come here.”

Yeah, Dick was pretty sure that spoon was more horrifying than anything.

Then, suddenly, Slade broke into deep laughter, causing the other two to look over at him. Slade’s low, smooth laughter filled the kitchen and it lifted Dick’s mood. That had to mean Slade wasn’t that unhappy with him. Although, a small chill went down his spine when, after fifteen seconds of this good laughter, it instantly cut off and a dark look entered the man’s features.

“Don’t ever joke like that again. Do you understand me? You’re not suited to it, Dick.”

Dick let out a short, weak laugh, his eyes glancing nervously between the two men. He’d never seen the old man look so angry before. One thing was for sure: he was never going to make Wintergreen angry ever again. Especially with the way he was gripping that spoon! He was more scary than Slade. Well, that’s what Dick thought at that very moment. Nothing was ever set in stone.

“Richard, get over here immediately,” said Wintergreen sharply, his hazel green eyes flashing with controlled anger and displeasure. Another chill went down Dick’s neck to slide all the way down his back. He gulped nervously. Well, wasn’t this fun? What had only been meant for a stupid joke was now turning into a right nightmare – and the old man wasn’t budging there.

It would seem that this wooden spoon’s destiny included a whack or two against Dick’s hide.

“Will, there’s no need for that. Let him go. The boy didn’t mean anything by it,” said Slade finally, after a long moment of Dick hesitating. He looked at Slade, surprised that the man was defending him. Wintergreen seemed displeased by this, however.

“Slade, this is serious. Richard should not be making such flippant jokes about his life!” cried Wintergreen, dangerously waving his frightening implement in Dick’s direction. “His life is precious!”

Dick sucked in his breath, glancing over at the indignant old man with new wonder in his eyes. That phrase always had special meaning for Dick. His mother had been the one to teach him this concept. She always wanted him to feel how special he was to her and John Grayson, his first father. There had only been two people in Dick’s life that had outright said, ‘Your life is precious.’

Now there were three.

He’d only meant to tease and joke around. He definitely hadn’t meant to cause this reaction. He hadn’t meant it, of course. Dick had only been joking. Seriously! Why did everything have to get blown out of proportion?

“Will, I was honestly joking. Really and honestly joking,” insisted Dick, his eyes flicking nervously to that spoon. He’d take Slade any day over that. That did not look like a pleasant experience waiting to happen. Unless, of course, it wasn’t to be used as a deadly weapon, but used only for scooping out chocolate ice cream. Yeah, the way that old man was holding that spoon, ice cream definitely wasn’t on his mind. “Really, I’m sorry, Will. I won’t say that again. I didn’t mean it. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Do not joke like that again!” snapped Wintergreen, putting his hands onto his hips. “It isn’t funny. Gave me a right start, you did! Why on earth would you even say that?”

“I–I was just thinking about Terra and how I think she has developed a crush on me,” stammered Dick hurriedly, anxious to get out of trouble. “I mean, that has got to be a nightmare, right? A four way triangle!”

“A four way?” questioned Slade, raising an eyebrow. Dick instantly went pink.

“Uh–uhm–ah—”

There was a deep, exasperated sigh as Wintergreen, cutting off Dick’s nervous stammers. There was an understanding glance from him and that once extremely stern look faded into softness. Slade was still eyeing Dick oddly, but the man didn’t get a chance to push the matter. Wintergreen rapped the spoon onto the countertop – leaving it there, much to Dick’s utter relief – and opened his arms wide for a hug.

“Come over here, you silly, exasperating child.”

Dick smiled and immediately came over to the old man; wrapping his arms around him. Wintergreen responded in kind, his arms tightly squeezing Dick in a warm hug.

“Don’t you scare me like that, you hear?” murmured Wintergreen in a low voice. “You’re not to be lost, understand?”

“I’m sorry, I was just teasing.”

“Hmph!”

There was a swat to Dick’s seat, not exactly a sharp one, but not necessarily a soft one either – a perfect blend of a love swat and a light reprimand. Then, there was a light giggle as Dick squirmed in the old man’s hold. Somehow, a playful, wrinkled hand had tickled his side briefly. As the hug ended, Wintergreen merely shook his head at Dick with a low sigh.

“I’m too old for such things. You’re going to give me heart failure, child.”

“Oh? You’re finally admitting that you’re going senile?” drawled Slade playfully. “This is an event. Let me get the camera.”

“Very funny, Slade.”

“I do try.”

There was another giggle. As Dick turned around, he saw that Slade was giving him a small smile. Dick could tell that there was something else on the man’s mind.

“I’ll be picking you up tomorrow,” said Slade, his eye softening slightly. “I’ll be there around five, so be ready.”

“How come you’re picking me up?” asked Dick, walking to the man and leaning against his side comfortably. He felt an arm wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. Slade’s eye slid to the side in its gaze. Dick felt warmth rise inside his chest as he recognized this action – this action of slight vulnerability.

“Well… I was thinking we could pick up a movie and some ice cream. Have a little fun night, you, me, and the senile old man, hm?” said Slade, his voice low and soft; though, there was some mischief glittering there as well.

“Oi! Who are you calling an old man?”

Dick slowly inhaled, wonder filling his chest. He grinned excitedly and wrapped his arms around Slade’s neck. The man startled somewhat from the sudden gesture, but there was a low chuckle as he patted Dick’s lower back. “I would assume that you approve, then?”

Dick withdrew from the hug and nodded happily.

“Mhm!”

ooOOOOOoo

May 15th, 2009. Friday, 3:21 am.

Dick bolted upward, his back erect as he took deep, gasping breaths. His head ducked downward as he gulped another breath; his hand clutching the fabric at his chest. There was a soft mewl of protest before sleepy purring continued. Dick pushed the covers off, ignoring the further protests from the small kitten at being disturbed from her sleep. He had to place a hand over his mouth, willing the nausea back down. He did not want to throw up tonight.

Quickly, he stood up, leaving his sleeping area and going straight to the door. The sliding door opened, as it wasn’t locked, and he slipped into the hallway; the shadows engulfing him.

With every control he possessed, Dick tried to block out the images from his nightmare. He tried to block out those renewed words. He hated his doppelganger. Newly added in the list of taunts and cruelty, now his doppelganger told him lies about what would happen when Slade found out that Dick was lying to him.

“Really, Dickie, no one wants a liar for a son.”

“I knew you were weak, but I guess I never realize just how weak you are.”

“You can’t even tell Slade about me. You don’t even treat him like he’s your father.”

“Pathetic, Robin. Truly pathetic. You’ve definitely reached an all new low.”

Dick sagged against the wall in the hallway; squeezing his eyes shut against the onslaught of tears that were threatening to burst forth. He needed that voice to shut up. Go away, go away, go away! When would it end? When would it stop saying such horrible things? When would Dick have a night where he no longer had to deal with this any more? Would talking to Slade truly fix it all? Was he being punished for lying to Slade?

A small, tearless sob broke Dick’s lips at that moment and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to quiet it, in case there were any further vocal cries. He continued to rest his weight against the wall, twisting to rub his forehead against its cool surface.

What was he going to do?

Finally, Dick pushed himself off the wall and started walking forward; his hand on the wall to steady his weight occasionally. A few minutes passed before he reached the main room of the Tower. The automatic doors slid open and Dick stepped through.

There was no one here. It wasn’t like Dick expected anyone to be there. He honestly didn’t want anyone to see him like this. He was thankful for the stillness that emanated through the room. However, at the same time, he never felt so alone.

Dick walked into the room and went to a window. He couldn’t breathe. He felt as if something were trying to suffocate him; hands trying to crush his throat in an ironclad grip. He needed some fresh air. In a moment, he had opened the window wide to let in the chilly night air. He sat down on the couch and took a deep breath, drawing his legs up beneath himself; his arms wrapped tightly around his knees.

Dick shivered as a gentle, cool sea breeze blew into the room through the open window; the salty air filling his nose. He stared out the large, darkened window of the Tower and watched the glittering, glimmering lights of the city. The lights twinkled their colors and radiance against the peaceful sea water; the gentle waves making the reflections dance brightly.

Tonight, he just couldn’t stay inside his room, even with Kuroi’s soft, comforting presence. There was no way he would be going back to sleep. He felt bad for leaving the kitten behind, but he needed to get out of that room – out of the room where the nightmare lived and breathed in the very air; suffocating him so much that he could actually feel its presence inside his room.

Though the glimmering lights against the ocean water danced in his eyes, all he could see was death – death of his friends and family. All he could hear were those taunting words; each one chipping away at his self esteem with never ending persistence. When would the chips become so deep that he would crumble away?

He shivered again as a breeze blew over him; the cool air stinging his tired eyes. They watered. A tear broke through and slipped down his cheek.

More soon followed, the flow never stopping from their descent down his cheeks. He didn’t bother to wipe them away. He just stared out into the ocean, wondering if he could see the warehouse that held his home. He was just so tired now. He hadn’t had a good night sleep in weeks now – save for that one night – the nightmare held too much power over him. He never could fall back asleep after viewing those images.

He wanted Slade. He wanted his father. He wanted Dad.

But at the same time, he couldn’t turn to Slade at that moment. If Slade found out that he’d been hiding the nightmares from him, had lied about them, Dick would be over that man’s knees for a long session of ‘firm parenting’ – and Dick had no doubt that he’d deserve it, too. Heck, the man might even borrow that frightening wooden spoon from Wintergreen – oh, gosh, Dick prayed not. In the end, Dick was just making himself sick, but he didn’t know how to escape the trap he had fallen into; the very trap that he had created for himself.

He just wasn’t sure what to do any more. Confessing seemed too frightening to be a viable option. But if he did, then their fun night tomorrow would be ruined. Yet, the alternative also seemed just as painful. He felt paralyzed, like he couldn’t move either way. Why couldn’t he just go to Slade about this? Was getting in trouble with the man that bad?

Old and most certainly unpleasant memories of Slade’s preferred measure of discipline entered the forefront of Dick’s mind. He closed his eyes in a pained grimace, sending further tears down his cheeks. Okay, it was bad. It was really bad, especially since Slade had been so lenient that last time Dick had done something stupid. If Slade found out that he had screwed up this bad again, then there would be no more lenience. Dick would be in big trouble and he knew it. Lying was something Slade just didn’t tolerate.

But there was something more – oh, so very much more.

Dick wasn’t scared of getting in trouble with Slade. He wanted to avoid it at all costs, yes. But afraid? Not at all. But he was afraid of himself. He was afraid of that horrible part of the dream. He could get over seeing his friends and family dying every night. Traumatic, yes, but he could get over it. After all, he was no stranger to it. But the doppelganger who looked like him, spoke like him – and in all sense of the word, was him – was far more frightening beyond anything Dick had ever imagined in his life.

He didn’t want Slade to see that part of himself. He didn’t want it to be real. And yet, every time he spoke, the lies seeped into Dick’s mind like a terrible venom; poisoning all his common sense. That was why he was being foolish. He knew it, but somehow, the poison of those words wouldn’t let him try to change. They clung to him like tar, with no hope of ever removing the black gunk from his mind.

Dick never realized that he could fall so low at that moment.

He sniffled a small sob; dropping his head into his knees. He let himself cry there. The others were asleep and they wouldn’t know. This was his secret, his burden, his stupidity, his foolishness, his heartache, his fear – all his to bear, all his to endure, all alone without help.

Or so he thought.

“Dick?”

The owner of that name bolted his head up in shock and dismay. He knew that voice. No, she could not see him like this. He couldn’t even allow his father to know. How could he tell Starfire anything if he couldn’t even unburden his heart to Slade?

His arms tightened around his knees. His heart tensed and began to beat harder against his chest. There were a few shuddering breaths that overtook his breathing. Unable to handle it any more, Dick dropped his face back into the safety of his knees; the childish thought entering his mind that maybe if he did that, she wouldn’t be able to see him.

But, of course, that wasn’t possible.

A gentle hand touched his thin shoulder. His body tensed at the touch, but it quickly faded away as he felt Starfire’s small, yet powerful arms drawn him toward her body in a comforting embrace. Somehow, she pulled him out of his curled up position and into her arms; his chin resting on her shoulder. He buried his face there.

“You shouldn’t be awake,” murmured Dick, his voice surprisingly unwavering through his tears.

“Neither should you,” whispered Starfire in response.

“I’m always awake at this time of night.”

“Sleeping is healthy, is it not? You should not stay up.”

He didn’t want to stay up. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to tell someone, even if it weren’t the more horrific part of his dream, he needed someone – and Starfire was the only one here. Would he tell her? Would he tell her what he was even hiding from Slade? Hadn’t Slade become important in his life? Hadn’t Slade become someone in Dick’s life who was just as important as his friends?

Perhaps… even beyond that?

“Dick… Why were you crying?”

That voice was so gentle; those arms were so warm; the weight of her body against his felt so alive – Dick found himself wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her shoulder even more. He was tired. He had been content to endure it on his own, but with this softness surrounding him, it was too easy to become unraveled.

Thus, words that should’ve been spoken to his father now slipped out for Starfire’s ears.

“I had… I had a nightmare,” whispered Dick so softly that he wasn’t sure if she heard him. There was a gentle stroke against his back. It continued in a soothing motion.

“A nightmare?”

“Y–yeah… I get… I get them every night now,” said Dick, his tone still painfully soft; his hesitation all throughout his voice. “I can’t sleep afterwards.”

“Oh, Dick,” murmured Starfire, her arms tightening around him more. But it wasn’t unpleasant, nor was it her usual bone crushing hug. It was merely a squeeze of comforting love. “Why have you suffered alone? Why have you not told us?”

A wave of fresh tears flooded into Dick’s eyes at that simple question. His hold on Starfire trembled. Why had he chosen to suffer alone? He could’ve easily spoken to Slade about this. He hadn’t needed to lie. It was foolish and stupid, and Slade would probably find out – he always did. Dick was only causing more trouble for himself.

So, why hadn’t he learned from before?

The second his mind tried to battle the logic of why being a loner, why acting like Robin, why pushing away everyone he held dear was not a good thing, the darker side of his soul rose up and countered perfectly with sly words. It would tell him that this wasn’t like Red X. It would tell him that everyone would think him crazy if he told about the secret parts of his nightmare.

There was no reason for that to happen.

There was no reason to tell anyone, much less Slade, about the darkest part of his heart.

Everyone would abandon him if they knew.

The logical part of Dick’s brain was fading more and more with every lie that was fed to his mind. There was a tiny part that told him that this was ridiculous. Of course, Slade wouldn’t abandon him. The man had adopted him, had even retired for him – the man would never abandon him. That tiny part told him that, even now, he should go to Slade for repentance and for release. The man would understand. He wouldn’t be pleased, not at all, and there would probably be a sharp consequence for going so long without saying anything, but it would be far less worse than if he found out by chance.

Slade loved him, after all.

And there was a tiny part of Dick that knew this was true.

But somehow, he was being poisoned by the silky, cruel words of the doppelganger. It felt as if it were attacking his very body and soul; beating his heart apart until it bled profusely. Of course, that was what it felt like. There was nothing truly destroying his body from the inside. It was meant metaphorically.

But not all things were metaphors.

“You are doing it again,” whispered Starfire as she continued to kindly stroke Dick’s back; her actions gentle and mothering.

“Doing what?” asked Dick, matching her tone.

“You do not trust us. You are once again forgetting that you can rely on your friends,” said Starfire, almost chiding like – well, as much as Starfire could ‘chide’ in her gentle voice.

Dick blushed, knowing that Starfire was fully correct. He had fallen back into old habits. He knew it and yet he didn’t listen to that little voice in his head. He regretted it, but he didn’t know how to escape the trap that he had built for himself.

“I don’t mean to…”

As Dick trailed off, a small intake of breath sucked through his mouth as Starfire pulled back from the hug. Dick was extremely lucky that it was very dark in the main room; though, he wouldn’t have been surprised if his cheeks somehow became luminescent from all the blushing they were doing. He could make out her form in the night as they were sitting on the couch; the glimmering light of the city creating glitters against her body. The one thing Dick could truly see, even in the darkness, were her powerful, beautiful eyes.

“I admire Dick more than I admired Robin.”

If Dick had been blushing before, he was really blushing now. He tried to respond, but only embarrassing, stuttering noises came out of his mouth. Yeah, that was impressive. Very attractive, Grayson. Dick could nearly feel the heat fry his brain. But it quickly faded as the girl continued.

“Robin did not trust us,” said Starfire, her voice soft; the glittering light of the city reflecting in her eyes. “He kept things close to his heart and never shared with us the things that burdened him. He was my best friend, yet never have I felt such distance. In the end… He was separated from us because of a single poor choice.”

Dick winced, feeling a prick at his heart at that. It was very painful to hear Starfire, of all people, tell him that. She was the one he loved, the one he wanted to impress – he couldn’t do that if he was screwing up so much like he was currently.

“But because of that choice, I got to meet Dick,” whispered Starfire. The glimmer in her eyes couldn’t have been solely from the city lights. “While it was hard being without Robin, our dear friend, Dick is someone far greater than that old leader. You, Dick, are stronger than Robin and you were the one who told me that it was okay to rely on others. Please do not forget this. We are here for you. I am here for you.”

Well, however much Dick didn’t want it to happen, it did. Further tears filled his eyes at her touching words, his face scrunching up with emotion. He wasn’t sure if she was right about him being greater than Robin. Here he was, crying his eyes out. But somehow, he knew that it was okay and that Starfire wouldn’t judge him for his emotions. His feelings were confirmed when she pulled him back into her arms.

The two of them curled against the back of the couch, arms around the other, as Dick slowly quieted his tears. He felt supported by her. She accepted his need for this softness. She had said so herself that she liked Dick better than Robin. She liked the more sensitive boy that Dick was and it was okay. She was wonderful; there were little other words to describe just how wonderful Starfire truly was.

And while being held by Starfire felt different than being held by Slade, it would do at that moment. It wasn’t the right replacement, though. It wasn’t as if Dick didn’t want to hug Starfire – oh, he most certainly did – but there was something special about a father’s embrace.

Starfire couldn’t compare to that.

Of course, Slade couldn’t compare to her hug, either.

How strange was that?

The next morning would reveal two blushing, stuttering teens who had fallen asleep in each other’s arms; the morning sun shining to clothed them in the amber gold rays of the sunrise. It was quite awkward for the both of them and they were extremely lucky no one else had caught the two of them in such a ‘questionable’ place – oh, yes, since both Dick and Starfire were capable of ‘questionable’ things at such young and tender ages. Sarcasm much? Indeed.

While apologies filled the air, neither party was truly remorseful for its occurrence; both relishing in the soft, gentle moment of innocent comfort. Of course, as such things went, neither Dick nor Starfire let the other know.

Perhaps, another time.

ooOOOOOoo

May 15th, 2009. Friday, 5:03 pm.

Currently, there were four Titans having far too much fun playing a competitive video game to notice when Slade entered the main room of the Tower. Dick had been expecting him – had been super excited, in fact – but at that moment, he was a bit in the moment of trying to crush Cyborg at Mario Party in a mini game – both Terra and Beast Boy had already failed at this part in the game.

Raven was reading a book as Starfire sat next to her, watching the game with a bright smile on her face. She was the first one to notice the man’s arrival. She happily lifted into the air and came to his side, greeting him with a delighted smile. When there was a lull in the game, Dick was able to notice his father’s presence. With an excited wave that rivaled Starfire’s enthusiasm, he smiled happily.

“Hi, Dad! We’re in the middle of a game right now. Can you wait?”

Slade nodded, but was unable to say anything in return, due to Starfire chatting with him – or really, at him. Dick smiled to himself as he looked back at the game. It was nice to see Starfire connecting with Slade. He was sure Slade didn’t mind the girl. While she was a bit much at times, there was definitely something special about her and Dick was thankful for the moment they shared last night when she comforted him.

No matter what, he would always love her.

It was a good thing he felt that way, because sometimes even the strongest love was tested – and that was exactly what was to happen at that moment.

As the group of four teens continued their game, various phrases entered Dick’s ears as Starfire spoke animatedly to Slade. The man indulged her, it seemed; listening to her talk. Her main topic was about Dick, so it seemed that it was tolerable for Slade to listen. She talked about many things and if Dick had been paying the best of attention, he’d have blushed furiously. The conversation took a different turn, however.

“And I do hope you will be able to help Dick get over them,” said Starfire, her voice turning serious.

Beast Boy was complaining loudly that Cyborg wasn’t doing her part in watering the Piranha – who was trying to chase Dick’s character down at that moment. Dick was winning.

“Hm? Help him get over what?”

Dick was only vaguely aware of what was being said. But there was something inside his head that was screaming at him to pay better attention to what was going on. Unfortunately, he didn’t listen. But the next sentences that Starfire spoke rang in his ears far more loudly than she had spoken them.

“Oh, help him get over his nightmares. I fear that he is not getting enough sleep at night because of them. I am sure that you will know what to do to help Dick.”

Dick froze from his position from the couch, his insides going cold. The controller shook in his hands as they began to tremble – his game playing stopped. A Piranha just happened to capture and shake his character at that moment. But his attention was no longer on the game – the game was completely forgotten. His breathing intensified. He slowly turned his head backwards. He saw Slade take a deep breath, his countenance turning neutral – but Dick could see the beginnings of a darkened expression there.

“What… did you say?” asked Slade, pausing a moment as he took another breath. “What about Dick having nightmares?”

“He is experiencing them at night,” repeated Starfire with a tilt of her head, as if this was supposed to be common knowledge to the man. Slade turned his gaze to lock eye contact with Dick, who found that he couldn’t break it. He held his breath in pure fright. It was as if the man had the power to hold him there. Without looking at Starfire, the man continued.

“Every night? Is he experiencing them every night?”

Grey blue never wavered in its gaze into crystal blue.

“Yes, every night. Did you not know?” said Starfire, now appearing confused as she glanced between father and son. It was obvious, this tension that had suddenly risen between the two of them. Everyone in the room was feeling it, their silence ever noticeable; the game paused.

Ratted out by the girl he loved. Wasn’t that a way to go down?

Of course, he didn’t fault Starfire for it. This certainly wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know he’d been keeping secrets from his father. She didn’t know he’d been lying to his father. She was the most comfortable with Slade. It was only natural that she would speak about their only common ground – him. She would’ve assumed that Dick had told the man everything.

It wasn’t her fault – it was his.

Dick swallowed once, nearly petrified in his seat. He watched as the man had a visible reaction to this information. Slade’s jaw locked briefly as he inhaled calmly. The muscles in the man’s neck clenched. It took the man a full minute to regain his voice.

“I… see.”

There was another inhale, before an exhale.

“Dick, get up. We’re leaving, now.”

Dick swallowed nervously once more. Yup, he was dead. His father was going to kill him in no uncertain terms. Deceased, expired, extinct, perished, pushing up daisies, but certainly not resting in ‘peace’ – all those beautiful terms were going to be the perfect description for Dick’s unfortunate hide. He was pretty sure they weren’t going to stop on the way home for a movie now. With the dread growing inside his chest, he slowly began to rise out of his seat. He saw the man’s grey blue eye flare in anger.

“Move!” snapped Slade so harshly that it made everyone in the room flinch.

Dick quickly jolted into action. He handed the controller to Cyborg without another word; doing his utmost best not to look at the older teen in the eye. However, he accidently did and saw the shocked expression, mixed with a little worry within Cyborg’s face. Somehow, that made the whole situation just a little worse. Dick looked back down at the ground as he tried to step away from the couch and closer to his very angry father.

His throat was terribly dry, yet he kept finding the need to swallow every few seconds. Finally, Dick got to the man’s side. He felt small next to the tall, large man. The top of his head barely came up to Slade’s shoulders. Since he was slouching at that very moment, it made Slade’s height feel even more towering over him.

“What is wrong?” asked Starfire, looking between the two of them. “Did I say something wrong? Did I do something wrong? If so, then—”

“No, Star,” whispered Dick, stopping her midsentence. He looked up into her worried monochromatic eyes and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he only managed to give her a weak one. “I did.”

She sucked in her breath as he said that. He glanced away, unable to look her in the eye any longer. Slade took another inhale of breath. He nodded to the other Titans.

“Dick, say goodbye to your friends. You’ll not be seeing them for a week.”

“What?” cried Beast Boy in shock, bolting to his feet. Dick glanced over at the changeling. “But why?”

“Because he will be grounded,” snapped Slade, clamping his hand down on the back of Dick’s neck and making him jump in surprise. The man took another visible inhale of breath – an obvious effort to keep himself calm.

“But what for?” demanded Beast Boy, looking unhappy. Dick could see the worry in his green eyes. Terra looked uneasy at the thought of Dick not being at the Tower for a whole week. Dick tried to give the two of them the same reassuring smile that he had attempted to give to Starfire, but like before, he failed at it.

“In a week, should Dick be inclined to regale you with his infraction—” Dick winced as the man emphasized the word. “—you will find out then. But not before, as I will not be the one to speak of it.”

“Dad, do we really have to leave right now?” asked Dick quietly, before he could stop himself. “I mean, we…” He quickly trailed off at the look in Slade’s eye. Oh, crap. Of course, he shouldn’t have said that. What was he thinking? He really did have terrible timing sometimes. He could’ve sworn someone had once mentioned that to him. The hand on his neck tightened briefly. Then, Slade leaned down to his ear, the man’s whisper sending a frightening chill down Dick’s spine.

“If you don’t want me to lose it here, I suggest you obey me immediately. I am about to blow at any moment.”

Dick gulped and nodded instantly at those words. He glanced back at his friends and tried his failing, reassuring smile again.

“I’ll–I’ll see you guys in a week. I’m sorry,” whispered Dick, swallowing for what felt like the hundredth time since Slade’s arrival. His last word came out even softer. “Bye.”

His last vision of the room was Starfire’s glimmering eyes. They looked so worriedly at him, imprinting their fearful gaze into his mind. It made him feel even worse about it. He felt Slade forcibly turn him towards the sliding doors of the main room. The fear that had been inside Starfire’s eyes now entered Dick’s chest.

This was going to be a very miserable night.

As a smoldering father led an anxious and guilty son out of the room, the remaining Titans were left in stunned silence. It took a moment for them to recover and it was Starfire who was the first – although, her ‘recovering’ was more like pure panic.

“I have gotten Dick in trouble with his father,” whispered Starfire, glancing over at the others who were sitting on the couch. “Oh, I have said something that made Slade very angry. I—”

“Starfire, it wasn’t your fault,” said Raven, though, she too looked unsettled by the development. “Robin obviously did something. If you saw the look on his face, it was obvious he knew he’d done something wrong.”

“But what could’ve gotten Slade so angry like that?” asked Terra, looking uneasy by Dick’s absence. The older Titans had noticed this change in the young girl, though they never mentioned it. “I’ve never seen the guy so furious before. I mean, sure, he’s normally a little scary, but now he looked like he was gonna explode.”

“And I’ve never seen Rob look so guilty in my life,” said Cyborg, rubbing the back of his neck. “Whatever it is, he must’ve done something really bad.”

“But Dick would never do something bad!” cried Starfire, worriedly twisting her hands together. “What could possibly have been so bad that Slade would be that furious?”

“We may never find out,” said Raven, lifting her book back up. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“Doubt it,” muttered Beast Boy.

“What d’you mean?” asked Terra with a raised eyebrow.

Beast Boy looked back at the closed doors of the main room. He knew full well what was gonna happen to the older boy. He wasn’t sure what he’d done, but the way Slade had been trying not to blow his top in front of the Titans gave Beast Boy a pretty good idea what was going to happen. He was worried about Dick, there was no doubt about it. Slade looked like he could control himself, but that might not be the case when they got alone.

Just seeing the man so angry reminded him of his days with Mento. His old foster parent had always been quick to get angry and when angry that only meant things were worse. But Dick had told him that Slade was fair. Beast Boy would have to trust in his older friend. Of course, the second Dick got off his grounding, Beast Boy was so gonna corner him for the details.

“Rob’s just in so much trouble,” said Beast Boy with a shrug.

“What? You make it sound like something bad is gonna happen to him,” said Terra, sounding both worried and nonchalant at the same time. “What could Slade possibly do to him that would be so bad? So, he’s grounded. Not a big deal, you know.”

You don’t know the half of it…

“Uh, well…”

Beast Boy faltered, trying to think of a good explanation without embarrassing Dick. After that talk the older boy had with him, he knew Dick wouldn’t want Terra to know anything. It was bad the rest of the Titans knew exactly what was going to happen to their poor leader. Or at least they assumed. Beast Boy was pretty sure that if Slade was that mad, Dick would probably get his butt handed to him.

“I’m sure he’s gonna be in for a really… really long, uh… discussion.”

ooOOOOOoo

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