Ayyyyy.

----

Bruce walked down the bright corridor, lost within his own thoughts. He could barely process what he had learnt. Robin had broke down in front of him, sobbing over the fact he had killed someone.  Bruce thought back to Damian and Jason; they had killed people before. They had been considered "villains" at one point. But Robin...

Robin was only 14! Actually, he was 15 now. He had missed his own birthday. He had missed Christmas, even. He had missed such amazing events and that was time he couldn't get back. Batman was enraged with the assassin that took him but he was also infuriated with himself.

If he had managed to protect Robin before hand, Robin wouldn't have missed such important times of his life. Six months, nearly seven. He had been with the mercenary for so long. If Batman had managed to protect him, none of this would have happened. Robin wouldn't have had to go through with so much. If only he had tried harder, worked hard, searched harder... Robin wouldn't be in such a position. Robin needed him and he had failed him. The guilt that had grown ever so slowly through each passing day, slowly consuming and eating him up; day by day which only served to multiply by ten today. 

The emotions that he had pushed away in order to focus on his task, the emotions he had bottled up for so long; only came back to haunt him this day. He was so happy having found Robin that he forgot to put the lid back on the ever growing emotions of guilt and sorrow. Those emotions grew and only seemed to grow some more by each passing moment, until they finally consumed him. They finally consumed his heart and left him empty inside. Much like Robin's supreme guilt had done to him.

Why hadn't he saved Robin earlier? Why did it take him so long to do something so simple? Why, just why? Batman felt pathetic; useless. He couldn't even save his own ward. Batman shook his head. The second he could, he was going to fully adopt Richard. He never really liked calling Dick the term "ward," after all; 'son' sounded much better.

~Eh..~

Jason walked through the illuminated corridors, a broad smile on his face - something unusual for him. Not that he cared, he was in a great mood.

He opened the door, waltzing straight in with a grin to see the object of his current happiness.

"What's up, little birdy?" Jason chirped. (ACKNOWLEDGE MY SHITTY PUN) Said person lifted their head to stare at him. Almost instantly, a small smile appeared on Dick's face.

"Hey Jason." Dick muttered, sitting up straight. Jason sat down on the small stool next to the bed, holding up a bag.

"I bare gifts!" Jason bellowed, trying to excite Dick. Dick merely smiled. Jason felt his grin waver and he inwardly frowned. "How does chocolate sound?" He offered, trying to keep up his enthusiasm.

"Sounds great." Robin's smile widened slightly. Curiously, he leaned down to see what was in the bag. For a split second, Jason frowned.

"Hey Dick, wanna go get something in the city? I'm thinking of chocolate." Jason asked. Dick immediately snapped up, all earlier signs of tiredness and boredom fading away instantly.

"YES! Did you even need to ask?" Dick shot up from his seat, shoving his phone into his pocket.

"I don't even know why I bothered to ask myself, actually. Flanders or McFist?" He questioned, grabbing his keys. (Who gets the reference?)

"Mcfist is more aster. Let's go there."  Dick offered, putting thought into his choice.

"Why is Mcfist more 'aster?'"

"Because he has a fist for a hand, duh!"  Robin stated like it was obvious. Jason blinked.

"That... Doesn't make any sense... All our hands can make fists?" Jason mumbled, confused. Dick stopped in his excitement, slowly rethinking his choices of words.

"Good point. Man, that was so not aster of me. What I meant, was, that McFist has a giant hunk of steel as a hand and it's a giant fist." Dick explained. Silence followed.

"...That does make more sense, right?"  Dick muttered unsurely. Suddenly, Jason grinned and burst out into laughter.

"Man! You're so...bad at this!"  Jason said between laughs. Dick scowled.

"There wasn't even anything funny about that!" Dick accused, glaring at Jason. Jason stood up straighter, wiping away a tear from his eye. "Now you're just being over dramatic." Dick huffed.

"It was how stupid you sounded saying it, you loser."

"Hey!"

"Come on, let's just go get some chocolate. I heard McFist has a new brand." Jason grinned, walking towards the door before suddenly stopped. Dick stopped, blanching.

"...A new brand?" Dick questioned lowly, his hair falling into his eyes and blocking his eyes from sight. Jason silently cursed himself for just signing his death warrant.

"FIRST ONE THERE HAS TO PAY!" Dick screamed, sprinting toward the door at top speed and pushing past Jason in the process. Jason ran after him, shaking his head in amusement.

"First of, I was already gonna pay. Secondly, don't you mean 'last one there' has to pay?" Jason asked as Dick jumped down the stairs. Dick haulted, his sneakers screeching against the shiny marble.

"Uh. Yes." Dick mumbled dumbly before grinning once more. "LAST ONE THERE HAS TO CLEAN THE BATMOBILE!" Dick screeched, a crazed look in his eyes as he closed the distance from the stairs to the door. He yanked the grand doors to the mansion open and all but chucked himself out. Jason cursed again, sprinting down the stairs in a rush to stop his idiotic younger brother from getting himself killed. Perhaps mentioning chocolate wasn't the best thing to do around an easily hyperactive 11 year old. Jason cursed his entire life as he jumped from the grand doors, slamming them shut behind him as he did so, and desperately searching the large garden before him for Dick, who... Was gone.

"fUCK!" Jason screamed. Bruce was going to kill him!

Jason cleared his throat, holding the bag up so Dick could see its content more clearly. He placed the small bag on the bed before grabbing a table that was across the room. He placed the table next to Dick's head and emptied the contents of the bag. Dick watched on in slight awe as several different types of chocolate fell from the bag, spilling over the wooden surface. A few bars dropped to the floor and Jason hastily picked them up, placing them on the surface.

Jason rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "They made quite a few brands while you were... Away, so, I didn't really know which one to get you. So... I just brought several of everything, new and old." Jason mumbled, looking away from Dick. After a couple of seconds, Jason forced himself to look at Dick who was, quite frankly, drooling. Jason blinked.

"Well, okay then." Jason suddenly grinned, his spirits lifting. "There's this new flavor that..." Jason started, excited to see part of his younger brother once more.

Perhaps hope wasn't completed lost after all.

----Ayyy, enjoy the fluff? Yes? Good. Because I'm about to destroy it.---- [How much will you hate me for it?]

Batman walked down the corridor with Damian in tow. Both had a solem expression on their face. It was time. They had put it off up until now as Dick didn't have any major injuries to note. When they found him, he was merely drugged and there was no damage to his lungs at first glance. He was breathing normal. Deathstroke had merely been restraining him until the drugs took their effect and so, the League had no need to check for major injuries. However, that was the problem. Every single Leaguer had put it off until now, desperate to not know what the poor boy had gone through. He had made Tim stay behind, knowing that the boy was already anxious as it was. He protested but his fight died down relatively quick. He was scared, Batman knew it. He didn't blame him. He was just as scared and wanted to put it off as well but he had to do this.

They had expected him to be covered in bruises, various visible scars due to chains or deep wounds. But when they found him with not many visible injuries to note, they relaxed. Albeit, they were not fools. His clothes were hiding all his injuries and no one had dared to give him an examination.

Until now.

Batman took a calming breath. He knew Jason was already ahead, already in Dick's room. Hopefully, they had been getting along well and they were in good spirits. Batman frowned. Even if that was the case, then he'd have to break up a happy moment. It was contradicting.

But he had to do this.

He was going to find out everything that happened. He was going to know of every injury. He may not like it but he'd bare with it. He'd endure it, just like his son had done. There was no running from this, no escaping. From this point forward, the only path left was forward.

And Batman had every intention of going forward. They had to move forward from now on.

~~

Thanks for sticking with me for all this time. I'm so glad you guys are liking this story. Thanks for all the comments and votes, it's really appreciated. I love you guys. <3

That being said, without a doubt or question, the next chapter shall be nothing but feels and emotional torture. To you guys, I mean.

...Also to Batman, Robin, Jason, and Damian. :"D

NO REGRETS. Adios.