So in Dodgeball Soccer today, the yellow ball was coming my way so I had to avoid it for the dodgeball part. Ryan (Crash) came towards me, coming towards the yellow ball. I didn't see him. I was going after the blue ball. We crashed. I tripped, fell on my face. He got worried and helped me up. My legs caved in, but I shrugged it off 'cause Chris was watching. My knees were torn up, the skin all roughed up. I didn't think much of it. Now, I have two bruises on my knees. Thanks…

Matt was dead. Through his thoroughly screwed up eyes that were hiding behind the black keratin that hid him and him tears, that was all he could think about. His pale arms shivered as he uselessly wrestled the bonds that strapped him to his chair.

Matt had been in the crowd four years ago. He had always been to the circus acts to 'watch his baby bro grow up'. When the EMTs had announced Mary and John Grayson dead, Matt had left the crowd, sobbing his heart out. He had made plans to commit suicide by hanging himself, but he couldn't bring himself to do it in a sober mind, so he had gone to the bar and downed a few. On his way to drive home, wasted out of his mind, he had a head-on collision with another car. The crash didn't kill him. Worried about the safety of the other driver, Matt had broken the window on his door and had tried to climb out to help them. He ended up cutting his stomach on the glass when his arms were to weak to support his body where he bled out in seconds.

When EMTs came upon the scene, they announced Matt dead the second they arrived. They identified the other driver as a mass murderer and rapist who was on the way to his next hit. Matt had killed a bad guy, but if he hadn't been drunk, he would've actually saved the man, and the thought of his brother being an accessory to murder and/or rape scared Dick down to his core.

That meant that this whole time, he had gotten his hope up about actually having family out there that was still alive. That meant that he had been alone in the world this whole time. He supposed this was what it felt like when a blind child was promised vision and all they got to 'see' was a series of beeps that form images like he saw on some TV station. Maybe it was like when a deaf kid was given a hearing aid, but someone wired it so they heard a radio; they thought they'd have what they wanted most, but it was all just a sick trick. That's all it ever was anymore. Everything was just a trick that'd lead to disappointment, or so it seemed.

XxXxX

When Batman walked into Mount Justice, he felt all eyes suspiciously follow him. He swallowed whatever it was he was holding back and strode in front of the team. No one said anything for a while, but Batman could tell that they all had questions. He kept silent as if to silently urge them to ask what was bothering them.

"This is the sixth day that Robin's been gone. Where is he?" Wally spoke up first, his voice dunked in a nice mixture of fear and desperation.

Batman swallowed hard.

"Any other questions before I begin?" he asked, his gravelly voice a little off its normally demanding tone.

No one said anything, but they all obviously wondered the same thing that Wally did. Batman nodded curtly before turning behind him.

"You're new mission," he began slowly.

Several photos covered the screen. There was a picture, probably taken from a helicopter, of a fancy mansion from high above. Another was of Matt Grayson, but the rest of the team didn't recognize him in the slightest. A picture of the exploded dining room of the Wayne Manor was up there too. The picture that caught everyone's eyes though was the one of Robin. It obviously wasn't a picture taken willingly because he was darting along some corridor, his "You've Got a Secret, and I'm Going to Figure It Out" face clearly displayed.

"Why is Robin on the screen?" Artemis asked lightly.

Batman seemed to avert his eyes and hesitate, but he shook it off. He was Batman! He didn't get bothered. He turned away from the team, looking up at Robin.

"You're new mission," he started again, "is to find my sidekick."

Yeah, I know he'd never ask that. Just go screw off in a corner and roll with it. I have a whole scene with Bruce and Alfred meeting the team all planned out… I don't know how I'm going to roll with little Dicky boy. Sorry it's short, but tonight was NCIS night and daddy's knee was hyperextended… and I kinda made it worse. It's not my fault he tickled me! He should've known that if he tickled me, he'd get kicked. It's an involuntary twitch! I'm sorry Daddy! I didn't mean to make you mad… I just want you to love me… like Zach… Can't you tell I'm trying to be perfect in your eyes?

*Sigh* Sorry, this chapter sucked. Whatever. You don't like it? Write it yourself. Seriously. If you want it, take it. I hate schedules. Just ask. I'll give you permission to rewrite this story and steal it. I don't care.

-FrankandJoe3