Chapter 3: Free

.o.o.o.

"We could get J'onn," Barbara suggested.

"I called," Bruce said. "He wants to wait until Dick wakes up. Good job with the scrapbook, Stephanie."

"Thanks," she said. "How's Damian?" Barbara and Bruce both winced.

"He's clearly traumatized, on some level," Barbara said. "It's hard to gauge. I mean, he gave his reasons for staying willingly but…he stayed willingly. Kid could have slipped that chain at any time."

"He was trying to protect us," Bruce admonished. "It's one of the bravest things I've seen him do. I don't like that he felt he had to, but it was still very brave of him."

Over by the displays for cameras watching Dick and Damian's hospital rooms, two people who rarely talked were having a different conversation.

"I thought you'd be mad he didn't remember you," Tim admitted. "Or, you know, said he didn't."

"Didn't remember you at all though, did he?" Jason shot back. "Besides, he's been around the runt more than either of us for over a year now. Had to leave an impact. I'm more concerned about the kid."

"To Damian…Dick's the only one who loves him. Unconditionally," Tim said. "He gets that his parents do in their own way but he knows the only one he would really have to work to lose their love is Dick, not one of them."

"Then that situation must have fucked him up but good," Jason said. "So, Detective Junior, what do you think they did to Dick?"

"Looks like they activated the electrum in his system; that's chemical that gives the Talons their healing factors," Tim said. "Been dormant for so long it probably didn't work quite right, so his eyes look the same and his healing's only a bit better than it was. There were some signs of mind-altering chemicals and electroshock, and I'd guess some psychological stuff too. Covered their bases, as it were."

"…Think he'll come out of it?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," Tim said. "On some level, some part of him remembers, so I can hope so…"

"Kid won't recover much if Dick doesn't," Jason noted.

"He already isn't recovering," Tim said as Damian slipped his IV and started pacing his room. Tim picked up his com, "Cavalier, this is Red Robin, tell Dr. Thompkins the kid's out of bed again."

"Again? Will do," came the reply.

"I vote he gets grounded for pulling that shit," Jason said.

"In his mind, he already is," Tim pointed out. "Oh, shit."

"Bruce!" Jason yelped as the on-screen Damian ducked the orderly sent to get him back in bed and went down the hall.

.o.o.o.

"Let me go!"

"Let him sleep, you little rapscallion!"

"I will, just let me see him!"

Blue eyes opened at the commotion.

Dick Grayson winced. Oh his head…it was like it'd been hit with a wrecking ball. What had happened? He'd been patrolling, normal night…

"I want to see my brother!"

"Kid, I do not want to use my rapier!"

"Yeah, cause I'll use it on you!"

Dick had just identified the arguers as Damian and Mortimer Drake (no relation to Tim, as he usually laughed over) when suddenly it came back to him.

Torture-electricity-drugs and things just slipping, slipping, he'd wanted to hold onto them but kept losing them as it went on and on and wrong replaced right and-

"Oh god," Dick muttered. "I hurt Dami."

There was a sharp intake of breath to his right. Turned out what he had thought were just shadows by the dark window was actually Cass with her head down.

"Remember?" she asked tentatively.

Dick nodded, "I…what did I…"

"Todd, put me down!"

"Stop using names around Morty here!"

"Don't call me that, you hooded ruffian!"

"I said put me down!"

"Jason?" Dick asked worriedly, moving to get up.

"Okay!" Cass said quickly. "Okay, he's on our side! Damian needs to get in bed."

"…What did I do to him?" Dick asked, almost too horrified to wonder.

"He's mostly okay," Tim said, appearing in the doorway. "Just malnourished. Bit…of...um Post Traumatic Stress-"

"I gave Damian Post Traumatic Stress? I traumatized Damian?" Dick asked. His throat went tight. What the hell had he done? How…what did you even have to do to traumatize Damian?

Tim pulled out his com, "Jason, get the kid in here. Dick's awake and thinks he broke the him or something."

Cassandra smacked him, "Not so clinical. Have a heart."

"I do. The kid just hit it really, really hard a minute ago so it's not functioning well yet," Tim snarked.

Damian appeared in the doorway with Jason, only to rush over to the bed with a cry of "Grayson!" and bury himself in Dick's side.

"Hey Dami," Dick breathed. Physically he looked okay…Dick hadn't gotten too good a look at the front of him, though, and Damian didn't seem willing to move right now. "You…um…"

"Not. Going. Anywhere," Damian said sternly, likely more to their siblings than to Dick. Jason threw up his hands and headed for the door.

"Hey, Jason?" Dick asked.

"I didn't do it for you, Dick," Jason huffed, storming out.

Tim waited until Jason's footsteps faded before adding, "Yes he did."

"He and Bruce…they better?" Dick could only hope…

"Who knows?" Cass admitted. "Damian, Dr. Thompkins said…"

"I'm not leaving," Damian reiterated. "You can't make me."

"We'll have to see about that," Tim said. "Come on, Cass, let's give them some time to talk it out. Dick, J'onn's going to stop by tomorrow in case you need any telepathic help, okay?"

"Got it," Dick said, patting Damian's head.

.o.o.o.

Even after Drake and Cassandra left, Damian didn't move for a long time. Finally he found it in himself to ask, "You're really back, right?"

He hated how small his voice sounded.

"I'm back kiddo," Dick sighed. "I'm…back."

Damian lifted his head at the hesitation, only for Dick's eyes to go wide and his hand to grab Damian's chin.

"Did I do that?"

Right. The scratch. It was stitched right now. "Um…yes…"

Dick rested his forehead on Damian's. "God, I'm so sorry, Dami…"

"It's fine," Damian shrugged. Frankly if it had been what'd gotten his brother back he wouldn't mind broken bones at this point.

"It's not," Dick insisted. "I hurt you."

"You weren't…you," Damian said. "You didn't remember…well, not all of you…and…and anyway, I forgive you, so there!"

"So there," Dick chuckled. "If the apocalypse can't argue with you, how can I, huh?"

"Exactly," Damian said smugly. He frowned. "Are you…going to be okay?"

Dick smiled sadly and didn't answer.

.o.o.o.

"Damian, what are you doing?" Dick demanded.

They had been released from the hospital a week ago and for some reason now Damian was stealing Dick's luggage. Sure, why not, they were still banned from patrolling, kid was probably going stir crazy…but why luggage?

"Preemptive maneuver," Damian said simply, not releasing the bags.

"Excuse me?" Being around Damian lately had not made understanding the kid easier. Dick couldn't remember how he'd done it as Batman.

"Todd and Drake said you might consider leaving for another city again," Damian said. "I am removing the option before you do."

"…By stealing my ability to pack?"

"Yes. I am glad you have retained your mental faculties since returning home."

"You know, when you start using more big words you're trying not to be emotional," Dick said. "What's wrong?"

"I have every right to be emotional," Damian replied sharply. "You have avoided me ever since getting home despite my trying to seek you out. Hence I am making you stay until you stop such foolishness."

"Damian, I'm sorry if you feel I'm avoiding you-"

"No, you are avoiding me."

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, "Damian…"

"No. Admit it. Or I will not only take, but destroy your luggage."

"Damian, I'm capable of getting more suitcases. They're not hard to buy."

"Then I will steal and possibly destroy those too."

"…Is this really about luggage?"

Damian huffed, "Well, in a way, yes."

"Damian, are you really that scared of me leaving?"

"I am not scared of anything!" Damian protested. "I am merely…concerned. For your mental health."

"And I'm starting to be concerned about yours," Dick replied.

"Frankly I'm concerned about you both holding a drawn out argument supposedly about luggage in the hallway."

"Oh, hey Alfred," Dick said. "Damian, don't you dare walk off with my bags."

"No. I have stated my intention to take them and I will do so."

"Master Damian put down the suitcases," Alfred said.

Damian gave Alfred a sad-puppy look that could put Titus to shame but let go of the bags.

"Thank you," Alfred said. "I shall put these away, so why don't you two find Master Damian's dog and bond over bathing him?"

"…What did he roll in now?" Damian asked.

"Sugar," Alfred said.

.o.o.o.

"So…let me get this straight," Dick said as Damian tried to soap up Titus' head. "I'm not allowed to leave?"

"Not until I am certain of your mental stability, no, you are not."

"This despite the fact that I'm the adult and you're the bratty ten year old."

"Yet sadly I am the one trying to actually deal with the problem."

"Problem?" Dick asked, looking up.

"Right there. You did it again."

"Did what?" Dick asked.

Damian sighed, petting Titus' ears. "You wince when you look at me. Especially my face."

"Damian…I…" Had he really been that obvious? It hurt whenever Damian looked at him happily, especially when that scar by his ear was visible. It hurt knowing that he'd hurt Damian and the kid didn't seem to mind.

"You're doing it again," Damian sulked. "At least I can still look you in the eye, can't I?"

"Damian, I hurt you."

"I recall. I was on the receiving end." Damian was glaring at the suds as if was their fault. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to talk about it but instead you avoid me and run away."

"Damian. When you…when you hurt someone you're supposed to protect…you go through hell," Dick said. "You…you were my responsibility for a long time and just the thought of being the one who hurt you…"

It was worse than that though, because Damian had let him. He'd looked over the files. Damian was probably the best trained Robin ever when it came to escaping, that chain never would have held him. But he let Dick keep him there and that…that was just terrifying.

"It was a scratch," Damian huffed. "Honestly."

"Damian, I never should have even scratched you!" Dick argued, pouring water of Titus' head and getting a dirty look from the Great Dane for his trouble. "What if I…oh god what if I…"

"You didn't."

"Damian, look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't have taken it if I'd done worse," Dick said firmly.

"If I had seriously feared for my life I would have left," Damian hedged. "But I did not and so had no need to."

"Damian, that's not what I'm asking you," Dick said, grabbing his brother's shoulder. "I'm asking-"

"I don't know," Damian said. "I don't know what hypothetic injury would have been enough of a threat to make me leave. I got a cut, Grayson, that's nothing!"

"Not from me!" Dick shouted. "It should not be 'nothing' if you got it from me, Damian!"

"I'm not saying I wasn't scared," Damian said, helping Tidus onto the bath mat. "Far from it. But I wasn't scared you'd seriously hurt me or kill me. I was scared for you Grayson. I was pretty sure you were going to wake up eventually, I knew it. And I…I knew you'd be upset by what you did. I wanted to be there when it happened because you would need me."

"Damian, you're the-"

"Yes, I'm the kid!" Damian snapped. "Yes, I'm the little brother and yes you're the older brother, the adult who under normal circumstances would be the one caring for me! Even in the abnormal circumstances of our everyday lives you are most often the adult caring for me! But those were extenuating circumstances, not an everyday thing and…I just wanted my brother back, how is that wrong?"

"It's not, Dami," Dick said, pulling him into a hug. "And I was trying to say you're the sweetest kid sometimes, and I wanted you to know that."

Damian sniffed as a damp Titus nuzzled them both, "Why can't things be the way they were, then?"

"I guess I have been an idiot, huh?" Dick asked. "Don't worry, Dami, I'll stop avoiding you. And I won't go running off to another city again, at least not for a long while, okay?"

"…Can Nightwing and Robin be like Batman and Robin used to?"

"I'll do you one better, kid," Dick said, kissing Damian's head. "Nightwing doesn't have to pretend to be an insufferable grump like Batman does."

"Sounds good, Richard," Damian said. "But if you do run off to another city, please, take me with you. Father and I might not survive each other much longer and not focusing on me might give him time to fix things with Todd anyway and-"

"Jeez, Dami, I say we can be partners again and you're already plotting to leave?" Dick laughed. "What about stealing my luggage?"

"Leaving Gotham is fine when you don't leave me behind," Damian sniffed haughtily. "Honestly, Richard." He started to towel Titus off, the massive dog thumping his tail at the attention.

Dick leaned back on his hands and smiled, "You know, Damian, I always hated my name. So formal and stuff. But when you say it…it kind of grows on a guy."

Damian smirked, "It should. It's a much worthier name than your nickname, which is also slang for a jerk or shorthand for-"

"Okay, okay you little pain, enough!" Dick said. "I am still sorry, though." He ran a finger down the scar.

"If you'd like to make it up to me, I haven't worked with Abuse in a while, since Father will not chaperone such things and Brown has been busy…"

"Okay, I'll take you and your sidekick out for ice cream, how's that?"

"Ice cream? I'm taking drug busts! Or hunting down serial killers! Or supervillains!" Damian said.

"Okay, so tomorrow night how about we nab Colin, bust some dealers, and then ice cream?"

Damian considered it with all the gravity his Wayne and al Ghul genes could muster before nodding magnanimously, "Milkshakes. Much more satisfying after patrol."

"Oh, I know a great new place for those, actually," Dick said, grinning. "You'll love it, Dami, I swear!"

"I'm sure I will, Richard. I'm sure I will."

.o.o.o.

"So, you okay?"

Dick finished zipping up the Nightwing suit before turning to face Jason, "I think I can handle Damian now, thanks, Jay."

His younger brother's face scrunched at the nickname, "I mean being out patrolling again. That sort of thing."

"What?" Dick asked.

"I'm glad you're more…you're handling what happened with Damian. I'm talking about the other stuff you did when you weren't you," Jason said awkwardly.

Dick closed his eyes. He could recall it in flashes, and it sickened him. Especially every time he'd gone for the throat. "I can handle it. I'll still need to track down-"

"Who you killed? Tim did. Attributed it to a Talon that got out of control for the cops. True, really," Jason shrugged.

"So he's 'Tim' now?" Dick couldn't resist asking. Jason was usually so insistent on saying "replacement" or "Restaurant Boy" after all.

"Look, we're saying that end's covered, we just want you to be okay," Jason said, ignoring the question. "I know how you feel about killing."

"It's going to haunt me for a long time, Jay," Dick said. "But I think I'll be fine."

"Well, good, then," Jason said.

"So…you in a better place now? I know you're hanging with Roy and Kori…"

"She's keeping an eye on us," Jason said, shrugging. "Roy's been clean since we started and the new arm I got him is better than the old one. She makes both of us talk, even if we don't want to."

"That's Kori for you," Dick laughed. "You will share your feelings and you will like it!"

"I wouldn't say I like it," Jason said. "But…I guess…you were right that maybe I needed to think through some things."

Dick hugged him, "Glad we're starting to get you back, Jay."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Jason huffed. "We've got a mission coming up on the west coast soon, might be gone by morning."

"Grayson, are you ready yet? Abuse is probably already there!"

"Brat Wonder's calling," Jason said.

"Only because Gotham's calling. Can't you hear it?" Dick asked, picking up his escrima sticks. "See you, Jay!"

Jason smiled as Dick began to argue with Damian over who was driving, the loud, emotional older brother he'd grown up erasing the images of a guarded, vicious, confused Talon with laughter and confidence. "You know what, Dick? I think I really do hear it..."

.o.o.o.

END

A/N: Wow. This one really spoke to me, so i hope everyone enjoyed it! Dick's recovering, we've seen his bond with Damian survive hell, and even Jason's healing in his own way because of it. Also, Mortimer Drake. Because the Cavalier is cool and more should have been done with him at Thompson's clinic before the reboot.