Kid Flash and Aqualad watched the boy dejectedly walk along with them, wide-eyed and confused. They had no idea what just happened, the kid had poured his water on the ground (which; what?) then got sad enough to not teleport around like everything was interesting. It was like all the spirit had faded from the kid and it was rather concerning. They didn't know how to make the foreign boy feel better, they didn't even know how to react to him using his water for the dirt. Weird kid, but that didn't mean they wanted to see him sad.

"Hey, X," Kid Flash prompted, then lightly brushed the boy's shoulder to get his attention. X flinched slightly but looked up, face scrunched in confusion and Kid Flash suddenly felt a twinge of regret for interrupting whatever the kid was mourning. Instead of showing that he gave him a gentle smile, wanting to lighten the mood. "I promise we'll get out of here, you will see the sun."

Aqualad smiled briefly next to him, "And if it is night, we can promise the moon."

Then Kid Flash's smile got that quirk that screamed 'mischief', "Not sure we can promise Superman a second time but hey, who knows, maybe Batman will show up."

"Bat...man?" His voice was cautious, these boys seemed to have a lot more contact with the outside world than Dick did. How did Bossman allow that? Was Batman another experiment? Was Superman? They must be adults, they had 'man' in their names while the rest of them had 'kid' and 'boy'. Kid Flash had also mentioned Superman before. The adults must have escaped first, and now the boy's were escaping. But why did they bring Dick? He didn't even know they existed!

"He's a big Bat guy," Kid Flash explained, then his face twisted in a grimace. "Honestly he's probably the scariest dude, but I think deep down he cares a lot. He wouldn't be in the Justice League if he didn't."

Dick was confused again, this time feeling tense for some reason. "Jus...Justice League?"

Kid Flash's eyes widened and he spoke quickly. "Oh uh, just a group of people who... like to help... other people?" His explanation was more of a question and he paused at weird times. He was also glancing at Aqualad a lot but the water boy just stared at him.

Dick just shrugged and rubbed his arms with each other because his skin was itching again. Whatever the 'Justice League' was was clearly a group made of Cadmus escapees. That was a good thing, they were helping Dick escape and that was a good thing. He needed to focus on good things even if he was sad, Mami and Tati would have wanted that. Aqualad and Kid Flash promised the sun and moon, he was going to see the sky again.

Dick was so busy thinking he nearly ran into Superboy, he stumbled back and teleported to the other side of Aqualad and Kid Flash who had caught up as well. He wrapped his arms around his middle, feeling a little cold and ...empty? Oh, he was hungry. And for some reason his eyes were wet.

"What took you so long." Superboy growled, arms folded as he stood in front of the elevator. Dick flinched at his harsh tone, forgetting that was how the bigger boy expressed worry. He ducked his head and felt the super kid's eyes on him, but then he looked away and Dick saw his shoulders slump a little.

"X desired a water break." Is what Aqualad gave him as an explanation, a soft look directed at the defensive boy. Then he straightened and Kid Flash untangled their arms because apparently the water guy could stand on his own now. "Is the elevator operational?"

Superboy frowned again, this time without hostility. "No, it's completely shot."

Dick tucked his bottom lip into his mouth as he tried again to rub his arms together to make the itchy feeling go away. It never really worked when he was in his pod but this time it was also because his arms felt so light without the cuffs and the skin was tender where it had been protected.

This mess was all his fault, he made the explosion and didn't think it would... well... explode in his face. Now the elevator wasn't working and they'd all be stuck down here with Bossman until they were all dirt.

Dick's arms froze as something occurred to him. The more dangerous game the scientists played when they tried to get him to produce straight up electricity was his blood. He kinda needed that in his body, but maybe...

The small experiment inched over to Aqualad, pointing to the weird stick he used water magic with. "Pot sa vad water sword?" (Can I see water sword?) He asked eagerly, sparing a glance up at the older teen. This was probably outside his trust jurisdiction (Mami would be proud of that big word- he learned it with Tati when dangerous (but safe to Dick and good people) blue people came and took away bad angry people who were hurting others, (it meant area of 'okay')(at least thats what Dick remembered it meaning)- but Dick just needed it for a second. He could always improvise if it didn't work anyway but this was the closest tool to use.

Apparently Aqualad felt like humoring him, "You seem to have a plan X, what do you want me to do with it?" He held it up for the boy to see, letting the water out into the familiar shape of his sword. What Aqualad didn't expect was for the younger male to grab the blade and forcibly slice his palm on it.

"Whoa- Hey-! X!" Kid Flash exclaimed in surprise, just as Aqualad shouted his own protest and sheathed the blade of water. (If it was water it would be a lot easier for the sword-swallowers, but how did Aqualad do that with no sheath?!)

"X no-" Aqualad started, but the raven haired boy was busy walking towards the elevator, his cerulean blue eyes locked onto his bleeding hand. "X." He tried again to get his attention, clearly either the boy was ignoring them or was hard of hearing, though the possibility of not understanding them as they did not understand him could also be at fault. Either way, X was a bit of a loose canon.

Dick bit his cheek to keep from openly groaning in pain, his hands were always in pain, it shouldn't be too difficult to temporarily increase it. He came up to the elevator panel and pressed his wound onto the button. The soft click of the button sounded and a grimace of pain overran his features. He closed his eyes and concentrated, he wasn't sure how this would work, but he knew enough that he had SOME control over the electricity he occasionally emitted. He just needed it to work like how Kid Flash could control his electricity. He wanted to help and be useful! He wanted to see the sky!

He felt his hand begin to tingle and his arm started to burn. But it was not an uncomfortable burning, it was simply the Xenothium igniting under his skin. Technically the Xenothium was every cell in his body, but of course the liquid form was what held the electric properties best, his blood was the next best thing. Of course it was harder to use if it wasn't in its refined state, but it was possible.

Dick grimaced at the burn tingling under his skin, his slitted eyes finding the veins in his arms started to glow that poisonous red unique to the Xenothium. His glowing veins spread all throughout his arm and down to his fingertips, but in the palm of his hand where he was bleeding it glowed brightest.

Suddenly the crackle of electricity graced his ears, his own lightning sparking around his hand. Dick smiled in relief, warily looking up as the lights to the elevator flickered on and the doors slid open with a pleasant 'ding'.

"Oh..." Said Kid Flash behind him.

Dick quickly went inside, leaving a bloody handprint on the panel outside. He swiftly again pressed his blood dripping hand onto the control panel inside. The elevator shuddered as it was being powered up, the lights above flickering to red. Dick scowled as he willed the machine to still until it finally did so. He released a tense breath but sucked another one in as his eyes went up to the loitering group of boys just outside the elevator. He motioned with his head for them to come inside, internally wondering what had them all so weird. He would have spoken to them to get them out of whatever funk they were in but he was busy biting his cheek, keeping his concentration was hard.

The three boys went in quickly and the doors closed, Kid Flash even pushed the button for the ground level. To Dick, the incredibly fast travel upwards was agonizingly slow. He hesitated to touch his glowing arm but relented when he needed to add his second hand to support his arm, trying to keep himself steady. But there was a reason the scientists stopped using his blood for Xenothium harvesting, and Dick was beginning to feel it's effects again.

He started to huff, not quite panting but his body was hard at work in powering the elevator and staying conscious. His body never handled blood loss well, he wouldn't have lasted long if Bossman continued to use his blood. It began to drip, a few syrupy red drops landing below his hand with a sizzle of dying electricity. Dick grit his teeth as the edges of his vision steadily (albeit slowly) grew darker and sweat began to break out on his forehead and other places.

"X?" Kid Flash asked in curious worry, in fact all three of the other boys were watching him with both worry and confusion, "Are you alright?"

Dick only grunted, his heavy eyes closing to concentrate harder. Dick didn't want to know what would happen if his power did cut out, with how high they were... how far they would drop. No, no he couldn't think of that. He had to believe they could get out, they were getting out, they were a lot farther than any attempts Dick made by himself. Dick was going to see the sky again.

Finally the elevator slowed as they approached ground level, but Dick didn't move or even breathe until everyone else was out of the elevator. Once they were out Dick let out a gasping sigh, lifting his hand off the console and exiting as swiftly as his staggering feet could carry him. He sagged against the wall, panting fully now and wrapping his wounded hand across his side and stomach. He was very close to passing out right now, his eyes were closed but he knew that even if they were open he wouldn't be seeing anything. The only thing he could hear beyond the roar of blood in his ears was his own labored breathing and his heart pounding in his chest. He felt hot and cold, as he usually did when he passed out, but he swallowed thickly and tried to reclaim his breath.

He couldn't pass out now. The sky was so close.

A wave of nausea brought him to his knees, his legs had buckled and it was all he could do to keep his back pressed against the wall. He... he got them out though, they were on ground level now. They were free now. Dick did his part.

Dick was under no illusion though, they worked together to get out, but that didn't mean they had to stick together afterwards. If they were anything like Dick they would be relishing their new freedom, waiting for nothing and breaking all bands of captivity. He would have liked to stay together though, it would make being in the world again less scary. Although, he still wasn't sure he trusted these guys enough to stay with them willingly.

But when he finally cracked open his eyes he saw three pairs of feet. One with dark skin and no shoes, one large pair of combat boots, and those weird yellow suit boots. They stayed. All three of them.

A half-choked cry escaped his panting lips, a feeling of both anguish and love fighting for dominance. They stayed for him. They stayed. They liked him, maybe even cared! They were going to make good on their promise to see the sun and or moon (a good promise). The sky. They were just like him, he wouldn't want anyone else to be left behind in this horrible no-sun no-life place. They were demanding freedom and justice for their fellow prisoners and they weren't going to take no for an answer!

That's what he wanted, he wanted that so desperately. But the logic molded by the reality he lived though kicked in and it was tainted by Bossman's perversion of love.

Of course they stayed, he had just shown them what he could do. How useful and powerful he was as a human battery. Even though Dick was wounded now (an obvious burden) and how annoyed they already got at him, his powers were obviously worth more than his shortcomings. Even if they weren't mean about using him, if they actually wanted him-him, they wouldn't, because he was awkward company at best and his limited linguistics didn't help at all. Of course they wouldn't want him-him, they had no reason beyond his insane power. They had even already gotten mad at him! They didn't want him! They wanted his power! His stupid stupid power!

"Erm... Here, X, I have some bandages." Kid Flash said as he crouched down in front of the boy. One of his hands moved to his wrist where another little compartment popped open and he tugged out some tightly folded white fabric. He brought it up, offering it to the young experiment.

The firehead's face was scrunched in concern, those green eyes barely paid any attention to the elevator that now plummeted without its power source. Aqualad and Superboy definitely noticed though, and exchanged a glance before narrowing their own concerned and grateful looks to the wounded boy.

Dick's eyes flicked up, trying to calm his breathing and the fire that was burning behind his eyes. His eyes flicked left and right, searching for anything that could help him escape the new threat. He contemplated how far he would get if he ran, and it was laughable. He'd barely get two steps before he would pass out, and if not that; Kid Flash was literally faster than him so that was pointless. There wasn't really anywhere to teleport to, nowhere Firehead couldn't follow. Unless he wanted to go back down to his pod, but of course he didn't want that.

His eyes finally returned to the older kid in front of him, mentally berating himself for taking his eyes off the closest threat.

Then he blinked. Kid Flash was offering assistance.

Dick shouldn't trust their assistance. He didn't want to depend on Kid Flash, any 'gifts' were tools of the fakers, people who want to manipulate him. That's what Bossman did, anything he 'earned' was eventually taken away because of course it didn't belong to Dick. A battery can't own anything. Not to mention Dick would instantly become dependent on Kid Flash, that gave him power over Dick and that was scary. What if he took it away? Now that he was free he was not going to allow anyone to trap him ever again.

But it wouldn't matter, he was trapped just like how Bossman would trap him with his 'gifts', Dick thought ruefully. If he didn't stop this bleeding right now he might pass out in their mercy and he'd end up in a new pod with new handlers and really be trapped again. Okay that probably wouldn't happen, they and their weird Justice League were like him, they wouldn't like trapping people when they themselves knew how awful it was to be trapped.

Wait.

Dick felt his gut sink and all the hope he had built up left in one big sigh.

Before. A second time. Superman. Batman. Justice League.

Who ARE these people? Kid Flash didn't say they were from Cadmus and neither was the Justice League. Dick had just assumed they were on his side because they had weird names and suits like him, but they clearly had knowledge of the outside world which Bossman would never allow. And here they were trying to trap him with 'gifts'!

Bossman always said someone would try to steal him if they knew what he could do. While Dick honestly would go with anyone who wasn't Bossman he didn't want to trade Bossmans. Dick wanted to be free from all Bossmans!

He needed to be super cautious now, even if they were nice and was helping him escape who knows what will happen once they get topside. They were trying to trick him into choosing between good captivity and bad captivity. Maybe they'll give him cuffs too, but if he resists they might knock him out and do it anyway. (Knocking out in the old fashioned way— Dick was not a fan of head trauma) (He couldn't think of anyone who was except for Bossman) Dick needed to leave before stuff like that happens. However, the Romanian boy was in no position to escape them at the moment but they were pretending to be nice right now. If he played along with their good captivity until he had enough energy to teleport... he had a chance.

Dick brought out his bleeding hand and realized it was shaking hard, his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly. "N-n-no to-touch..." He stuttered between breaths, staring at the other kid. It was hard to figure out if they actually would do something bad, they were nice but also weren't telling him who they were, who they worked FOR. It was better safe than sorry, he refused to trust them until they prove themselves good people doing good things. He desperately wished it so, but then bit down on that thought because it would only hurt more if they were bad.

But, his brain pointed out gently, they did promise him the sun and or moon. That would tell him what kind of people they were.

Bossman's promises were always bad, even if he was promised good things, they ended very badly for Dick.

"It's alright my little pet," the sickly sweet voice chorused through the pods' stifling air while the gentle ministrations to his hair kept him on the brink of wakefulness, "I promise I'll make you feel good as new. Nobody touches you except me, he should have known the consequences for touching my pet." A whimper escaped his tired body, the second hand now uncomfortably brushing over the many bruises decorating his delicate body. The hand clenched down around his upper arm, encircling it entirely and squeezing. Dick barely had the energy to jerk at the new pain as the whimper in his throat cut off. "I'll protect you from them, my pet. It's all okay now that I'm here, I promise."

Dick stayed very still as he thought. Were Kid Flash's and Justice League promises bad like Bossman's good promises?

Kid Flash shifted in place while he lifted his hands in surrender. Apparently it was impossible for Kid Flash to remain still for more than five seconds. "It's okay I won't touch, I just want to stop the bleeding."

Dick warily watched him for a few seconds more while he sluggishly moved his own tired legs and grabbed the wrist of his bleeding hand. The Romanian boy finally nodded slowly, pushing out his wounded hand while his other steadied it to keep it from shaking too much. He didn't trust Kid Flash, but he needed those bandages if he was to escape later. Or, ya know, remain conscious.

Kid Flash wore a small smile of reassurance and stretched out the white fabric, approaching the wounded hand slowly. Dick was uncomfortable with how close he was, but the heat also felt nice. He wasn't actually all that close, Superboy had been closer earlier but that had been an emergency. But his closer proximity still set off the annoying war in his head, the two sides screaming at him that this was bad, but this was oh so good. He focused on the actual wrapping to distract himself, letting himself relax a little because it reminded him of wrapping his hands for trapezing before callouses could protect his young inexperienced hands. (Not that he got the chance to get those...)

Kid Flash went around his wrist first, then went up and around his thumb, going across towards his pinkie and back again down to the heel of his hand. Dick grimaced all the while, a tiny squeak of pain coming out of him once the bandages finally settled on his hand.

"Sorry," Kid Flash winced then backed away once he taped it off, "At least you're not bleeding everywhere now."

Dick tucked his hand close, a small nod agreeing with the fast kid. Kid Flash was gentle, and really did seem to want to help, and him being that close wasn't actually that bad... No. His eyes closed as his frown deepened with melancholy. No he couldn't get comfortable, Kid Flash could be a handler trying to trick him. It could all be a big trick. Dick couldn't fall for it!

"If you are all finished we must meet the rendezvous point." Aqualad said. While he had no issues with tending to the boy's wounds now they would be able to fully treat it back at the mountain. If they could get X there that is... He seemed to be cooperating with them so far, even if his definition of 'cooperation' was a little loose. Aqualad was glad however, that they didn't have to call in the Justice League to get them out of the tunnels. Though he wasn't sure he liked that it was at the expense of X's health.

Dick kept both hands close to his chest as he used the wall to push himself up off the ground. Kid Flash stood up with him, hands out as if to catch him when his head spun and his body wobbled. The others watched for a second, making sure he wouldn't actually fall before they started walking. Dick moved slowly, measuring his breathing and keeping one shoulder against the wall to keep himself upright.

He was acutely aware of Kid Flash's gaze on him and the older kid even walked next to him. Dick hated how he wanted to lean on him instead of the wall, he'd rather have a warm squishy thing to fall against instead of a cold hard wall. It was very hard to walk when blood loss made the ground tilt like he was doing a flip without actually flipping.

"M-meet?" Dick managed to ask while he focused on walking. He was confused and slightly worried as to what they were talking about. Who were they meeting? Was it the Justice League? They clearly weren't from Cadmus, they had someone on the outside, a getaway car. Like Jeremy and his clowns, their routine included a staged (and ridiculous) robbery and the getaway car was the tiny clown car that seemed bigger on the inside.

Dick's train of thought was brought to a halt as he suddenly hit the wall.

He didn't remember his eyes closing or his legs giving out, he definitely felt the wall though. He whined quietly, so tired. Though before he could hit the floor there was a hand grabbing his shoulder, accompanied by Kid Flash's exclamation, "X!"

The hand on his shoulder dug in uncomfortably and Dick whimpered as he was pulled up, another arm looping around his front to grab his other shoulder and secure him. Dick tensed at the motion, trying to pull away with eyes wide in alarm but unseeing in panic. Was this the moment they would turn bad?! Were they going to restrain him now?! But he needed to escape! Dick only managed a gasping whine as protest, heart thumping as he lethargically fought back.

"X, it's okay X," Kid Flash was speaking and he was so close and that was bad he was going to get hurt!  Dick couldn't decifer the emotions on the older kid's face, too busy trying to push him away and his vision kept swimming in and out of darkness. Suddenly his back was against the wall and there were only two hands on his shoulders (though that was all that was needed to keep him pinned). Dick's breathing stuttered anxiously as his eyes followed the arms holding him in place all the way up to Kid Flash's face. His fighting stopped, whether by choice or his limbs feeling too heavy, Dick was stopped by the solemn look on Kid Flash's face despite his thudding heart.

There was real worry in those green eyes, sorrow and even guilt lined his expression. His face was pinched in a wince, bearing no trace of lies or fake emotions. "Sorry," he said, Dick could only stare. "I know you don't like being touched, I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, but would it be alright if I helped you walk? You did kinda lose a lot of blood."

Dick wanted to shrink away, to become tiny and hide. His instincts were screaming at him, everything felt like hot boiling danger crawling all over his skin. His blood was roaring in his ears, making it difficult to know if Kid Flash had said anything more after that, the passage of time becoming null and everything else disappearing. His head dipped forward without permission, some of his muscles going lax despite the roaring danger signs his brain was firing everywhere. His weight was now being held by Kid Flash, just those two spots on his shoulders pinning him to the wall. He hated that it felt nice, that he wanted to be fully held by the human in front of him. He wanted someone to hold him, keep him close and love him, he wanted it to be real so bad!

"Te rog, nu fi un truc..."(Please, don't be a trick...) Dick whispered breathlessly as he bowed his head further (this time vaultinarily) to hide the tears crawling down his cheeks. The heat behind his eyes was familiar, the wetness on his cheeks almost reassuring. A shiver ran through his body and all his senses finally calmed down enough for him to observe his surroundings.

They had stopped for him, Aqualad and Superboy were looking at him, the same type of worry written across their faces that was on Kid Flash's. They all stopped for him, and didn't seem mad or annoyed like Bossman would have been if he delayed something because his body couldn't take it.

He couldn't tell if his tears were from fear or relief, he honestly didn't want to find out which one it was. The release felt good though, Mami and Tati always said crying was good, it let the bad feelings out and then they wouldn't bother him so much. Since coming to Bossman though, crying happened a lot because of lots of things, he usually didn't feel good after those cries because he would just have another reason to cry later. But this didn't feel as hopeless, things were changing and that was so good.

"Is that a yes?" Kid Flash's voice squeaked with undeniable uncertainty.

Dick nodded his bowed head then felt the pressure keeping him against the wall release slowly without the hands going away. His feet still didn't want to seem to hold his weight so he leaned into the older kid, letting his forehead lightly thump onto the speedsters chest in a quick act of selfishness. It wasn't a whole lot of contact, in fact he wanted more, but he couldn't deny even the smallest patch of his forehead on another human made him feel like crying again. A happy cry. He wanted a hug. He wanted a protecting warmth surrounding his small abused body because he couldn't protect himself. And finally, finally he got it. Except it wasn't a hug, just his forehead on another human. He could cry from gratefulness he was granted such contact, or from the lack of full body hug.

"Okay, I'm going to hold your shoulders so you don't fall over okay?" Dick didn't reply and Kid Flash moved anyway. Dick allowed (heh, that's a generous word) himself to be malleable, hating himself for loving the almost constant contact with the speedster. He was tucked against Kid Flash's side, one arm around his back and holding his shoulder while the other simply rested on his other shoulder. It was somewhat similar to the position Kid Flash had Aqualad in, except Kid Flash was still trying to give him somewhat of a sense of personal space. Dick almost wished he didn't. Almost.

Dick kept his bandaged hands huddled close to his neck as they started walking forwards. Again a war waged, the hands on his shoulders felt like they were burning, the contact poisonous and unwelcome. It wasn't all bad though, Dick had again noticed the itching-tingling feeling was gone. He was side to side with another human, it was kinda like a hug. Kinda hug was much much better than no hug and it was better than a full hug because Dick wouldn't be able to escape them if it was a full hug. He would never try to leave a full hug.

Despite the happy medium achieved by this weird half hug thing, Dick felt absolutely helpless. He was free now... ish, not quite yet, but still he was the farthest away from Bossman he had ever been and that counted. Of course he was semi trapped with these guys right now but that would be an easy fix if he played his cards right. But he couldn't help but feel lost, he didn't have anyone to go to, no family, no friends. The circus would have been long gone and he didn't even know where in the world he was! He needed a plan, and luckily without having to worry about his body failing on him he could actually think of one.

There had to be a way out. It's not like he wasn't grateful for them getting him out of there, he was super grateful, but the thought of a situation that he couldn't predict was terrifying.  He didn't know them. He didn't know who they were meeting up with. The Justice League people could be exactly like Bossman! He didn't want to play by someone else's rules anymore, he didn't want anyone in charge of him, he wasn't something to be owned. He refused to have another life like that and he couldn't safely predict these guys. It would take a lot of observation just to see if their good promises were actually good or bad like Bossman's. It was better safe than sorry and Dick had already made too many sorry choices.

"Almost there." Kid Flash said above him, sounding a little tense but also relieved. He was trying to comfort Dick and Dick had no idea how to respond to that. His feet still felt loose though, he stumbled along with Kid Flash until he finally brought his head up when it was clear the light was no longer artificial.

"See? The sun!" Kid Flash said, speaking loud enough it felt inside of Dick's ear. Then the speedsters head twisted and Dick got the feeling he wasn't being talked to anymore. "We're two for two now. Well, almost. If Batman actually did show up it really would be two for two." Dick couldn't make heads or tails of that comment but he didn't plan to make sense of it anyway, he was too distracted,

They were outside. It was bright. There was sun. The heat felt incredible, like a giant warm hug from no one. He barely noticed Kid Flash had stopped, his own feet planting into the broken ground as he soaked in the first rays of sunshine he had felt since that horrible day five years ago. He inhaled slowly, breathing in the fresh air that was almost too rich in... just stuff. There was so much stuff.

There was stuff in the air he couldn't identify, he's been surrounded by chemicals and radiation and his own sweat for years, then before that was the circus which had its own ecosystem of smells. He could still reminisce the smell of the elephants (unpleasant but that's hardly detrimental to his love for them) and the clowns and their makeup and the fire breathers's flammable liquids and the weird mix of peanuts and dusty sand that seemed to float around and give everyone their own unique scent. He would do anything to breathe in his family's smell again. His blue blanket from the trailer was something that came to mind, it smelled the most like him even if he himself couldn't really pinpoint his own smell. His homemade stuffed elephant Zitka that always smelled like its namesake no matter what Mami and Tati did to wash it. He remembered the smell of his Tati, he could be gross with sweat sometimes but even after he'd wash up he always smelled like the ropes and workings of the trapeze. Mami had a gentler smell, sure there was still sweat and dust because of her job, but there was also the lingering scent of the animals she helped take care of, something Dick often tagged along on. They'd both smell like trapeze sometimes, the rope and the bar, even the chalk on their hands added it's own tweak to their scent. It would cover him like a soft secure blanket when they hugged him, warm, familiar, home.

Dick opened his eyes, forgetting when he closed them.

This place... was not the circus (obviously) but it wasn't the lab either. There was dirt, unlike the grassy warm feeling from the circus or the clinical cleanliness from the lab, it was foreign dirt. There was metal in the air, gasses and oils, this air was sick, yet oh so fresh and new. There was hot things and artificial things, roads, sidewalks, metal poles and glass windows. There were cars driving around, if he looked he could see some but he mostly just heard them. There were so many new things all so far away yet seemed right in his face. Like the buildings, big square industrial-like buildings.

But all around him were broken things and rubble. The building just kind of... broke here, like an elephant came and stepped on it without ruining the rest of the building. Everything was so broken and dirty and dusty and Dick felt the need to watch his step like if one of their nice tea cups fell and broke on the trailer floor. That had been fun though, it was like real life 'the ground is lava'. This was not fun. For many, many reasons.

What had happened here?

"Feeling better already?" Kid Flash asked, taking Dick from his thoughts as the weight around his shoulders shifted.

Dick twisted his head to look up at him, realizing he was a great deal smaller than the older kid. He nodded anyway, the world wasn't swimming anymore and some of the tension in him released now that he was outside. But he felt tense again anyway because now that he was outside he really needed to step on it if he hopped for any chance of escape from these guys.

"Awesome." The firehead let go of him completely and Dick both mourned the loss of his closeness and felt himself relax with his going away. But now Aqualad was in front of him, he wasn't in his space but Dick felt a bit intimidated anyway.

"X, we will not force you to come with us, but we can provide you with a place to stay where you will be safe and can get medical treatment. But if you would rather go someplace else we understand and will not stop you." Aqualad spoke, shifting a little because he apparently knew he was intimidating.

Dick's eyebrows cinched as he started to understand what the water dude had said. They were letting him choose? Dick had thought he'd have to run away from them, but apparently they're leaving the door wide open for him. He didn't quite understand, it had to be a trick. They couldn't be just letting him go. They had seen his powers, seen his explosion, they should be dying to get him somewhere they can use him. But... they weren't going to, they were letting him choose if he stayed with them or not. He could leave.

His face scrunched even more, not understanding how this possibly could have happened.

It had to be some sort of trick. Were they tricking him into choosing them? He knew he had nowhere to go, they probably knew it too. He was being given a choice of them or nothing. Anger boiled in his gut, a burning hot desire for justice flaring in his chest.

Dick barely felt a twinge of regret as he chose nothing. He would never let anyone manipulate his choices ever again.

"Aleg libertatea."(I choose freedom) Dick spoke firmly, staring up at Aqualad in defiance. He glared at Kid Flash and Superboy, checking to see if they'd retaliate with his decision.

A tiny kernel of remorse stayed firmly in his heart, despite his distrust these people were the first to be truly kind to him in a very long time. They helped him escape Bossman! And while it was clear they wanted him they were still giving him a choice. That's why his glare faltered when his gaze lingered on the firehead. Somehow some sort of apology passed between them, like each of them accepted the terms of the other's sorry feelings. Dick was sorry he didn't trust them, Kid Flash was sorry they weren't worthy of his trust.

Then Dick saw the world blur and he teleported away.

Yeeehehehehehe were you expecting that? Hehehe I love this story, its gonna get fluffy soon my friends, we playing the long game. 

Just to be clear, this is not birdflash, Dickie needs some platonic love real bad, so when this fic is talking about love almost always assume its platonic. 

Anywho, 6537 words, lol I'm steadily getting larger and larger chapters, smh I can't help myself can I?

Next chapter however, isn't fully written, a good chunk is but its not enough for a full chapter so this is the last fully pre-written chapter. Though next chapter has quite a headstart so I wouldn't say you won't see an update rather soon.

See ya'll around!