Look. I tried okay?

I tried for four chapters.

Four chapters.

But apparently, it's just not meant to be.

Have at it you heathens, all 12,747 words of it, cuz I apparently can't friggin control myself. I PROMISED MY WORD COUNTS WOULD BE CONSISTENT BUT THE ONLY THING THEY'RE CONSISTENT AT IS BEING TOO MUCH.

*sigh* ya know it would be easier if I didn't like stories so much, but alas.

Enjoy my overactive imagination.

"The Green Lantern Corps has some experience with Xenothium and were able to contain the explosion without much damage to the earth's crust," Batman spoke as he debriefed the young team in the newly repurposed Mt. Justice. The staged attempt of escape went about as well as any of them had hoped, luckily without any world-ending explosions. But it also ended with a small traumatized child on the loose, an almost literal powerhouse that could be exploited if taken by anyone with nefarious agendas.

"Wait, hold on, time out," Kid Flash paused, hands making the T shape like he could pause the Caped Crusader as he frowned. He looked to his fellow teammates, trying to understand how no one else was freaking out over this. "So these Xenothium explosions can destabilize the earth's crust?!" (He swore he was joking when he mentioned the earth's crust opening up 2012 style.)

Batman didn't outwardly react beyond shifting his attention to the young speedster. Inwardly, he sighed. Working with the younger speedster was not unlike working with the older one. Quick on their feet, slow on the uptake. "In large quantities, the concentrated Xenothium can, yes. In its more raw form, while unpredictable, is less likely to cause world-ending catastrophes. The small explosion Richard detonated in the tunnels caused a chain reaction with the other containers of concentrated Xenothium. The Lantern Corps was able to stop the explosion from reaching the main storage of Xenothium, or else we'd be looking at an explosion so large and devastating it has the potential to wipe the entire west coast off the planet."

Aqualad looked uncomfortable with that information, "Why did we not bring Richard here if he is so volatile? He would be a great liability wherever he is."

"A sound argument Aqualad," Batman admitted, deciding to be glad that was the Atlantans knee jerk reaction to that kind of news instead of tired because it was the wrong conclusion. The team simply needed a bit of information and context. "As I mentioned earlier, the raw form of Xenothium is what Richard Grayson now shares his DNA with. He is unable to make explosions of that magnitude on his own and we now know he cannot access more than his teleporting abilities without using his blood or the radiation Cadmus used to harvest his Xenothium. Which is why we can afford to let Richard be on his own for now. And while we do not know if his mutated DNA reacts to his emotions, he is in a fragile state that needs to be approached with caution. He does not need to be hunted like a dog."

Batman noticeably paused, that last sentence coming out with a bit too much force. He wasn't sure why the outburst escaped him when these kids were not the people that that outburst was for.

He quickly moved on, decisively uncaring if the kids noticed his slip up. He pressed a few keys on the holo-keyboard, bringing up a large tactical map of Washington D.C. with coordinates of a red blinking dot that occasionally disappeared and reappeared in different areas on the screen. "I was able to create a device that can track Richard's location using the unique signature Xenothium radiates. The radiation level is low enough that it isn't harmful, not even for long periods of time, but it's traceable. We have an eye on him so if something goes wrong we can contain him with the help of the Lantern Corps. I am not unaware of the dangers of letting him loose, but it is imperative he comes to us on his own terms, not ours."

Kid Flash was nodding along, something Batman found odd, but didn't complain. Letting Richard be out on his own wasn't exactly a good idea, nor was it technically necessary. While it risked Richard's physical health (Batman was sure the boy had a sense of self-preservation at least) it was really his mental health that Batman pushed this tactic. It was risking a lot actually, letting Richard out onto the streets was probably the hardest decision of this whole operation. The boy was only 13 years old, 8 when he was kidnapped from his murdered parents side, he was not going to last long on the streets alone.

Like Hell he was going to let that happen.

But Batman has to hold himself back, he needs to play the long game or else Richard might not recover at all. The second he knew the boy was Richard Grayson he devoted all his "spare" time (aka he ignored everything else but this) into the case of The Graysons. From all his research the first time around he knew their boy was friendly in nature, physically affectionate in the most platonic and nurturing way. The person he was now was not that boy, he was practically the opposite. When searching for him the first time, Batman held no illusions that the boy would be the same after his parents murder (Bruce sure hadn't been). But this, this was a different level, it didn't matter how kind the boy was before, he learned the hard way that not everyone was to be trusted and now he was jaded. If Batman hoped to bring any bit of the younger, brighter, happier boy back then his situation needed to be dealt with very carefully. Luckily Batman knows a thing or two about trust, having been on the receiving end of people who were determined to become his friends when he didn't want any. His fellow Justice leaguers saw to that. Flipping it around and cohorcing trust from a small jadded little boy who didn't want to give it shouldn't be impossible. Difficult, but not impossible.

"So what now?" Superboy asked, arms crossed and not scowling for once.

Batman sighed inaudibly, mentally talking down the fire of justice that flared in his gut. "Now this is a League mission, the Lantern Corps wants to keep an eye on Richard until they are able to take him in." He felt his own rage simmer under his skin but kept up a passive unfeeling mask as he watched the three boys tense up. They displayed all the anger Batman felt at the very unfair situation the Lantern Corps was pressing on this case. They probably weren't angry for the same reasons, not yet anyway, but their anger stirred some hope in his heart.

"Hey!" Kid Flash was now predictably arguing, "Richard is OUR mission! You said it yourself during the briefing! Richard won't trust adults, that's the whole reason it's our mission! He knows us now! If anyone is bringing Richard in it's us."

Batman just stared, looking towards Aqualad and Superboy. "And you two feel the same? If you're really going to be a team you are all going to need to agree for decisions like this."

"Richard is a loose canon, but I do not believe he has ill intentions or is volatile enough to warrant a manhunt." Aqualad stated, then tilted his head in question. "What would be his fate should the Lantern Corps acquire him?"

"They refused to disclose that information to me." Batman replied gravely.

Kid Flash threw his hands up and turned on his teammate. "That can't not be sketchy! Aqualad, didn't we just work to get him OUT of a bad situation? Like no offense to Green Lantern or any of them, but what do they know about kids?! I mean Hal Jordan practically is one so they must have some experience, but Guy Guardener isn't exactly a picnic. Aqualad we KNOW how Richard acts around people, we've seen it, He asked for water just to give it to dirt! Dirt! He would NOT do well with sticks-up-their-butts space police. He was our mission first!"

The atlantiean's eyes lowered in thought but they didn't have to wait long. He looked up, first at Kid Flash, then to Superboy, and finally back to Batman. "Yes, I agree. He is our mission you assigned to us and we are to follow through. He needs guidance, if he will not take it from adults then he will take it from us."

Batman grunted, accepting Aqualad's reasoning as he turned towards the clone. "Superboy?"

The young hero's scowl was back, instead staring at the ground, fists tight. He said nothing for a few seconds before his head shot up and glared at the Dark Knight almost in challenge. "He needs friends, freedom, not handlers." He snarled out the last word.

Simple, but Batman agreed. He didn't like the uncertainty the Lantern Corps gave him when he asked about what they were going to do with Richard once they had him. Hal admitted they had never come across a being imbued with its properties, it would be a learning curve for all of them. But he had let it slip from the way he talked about Richard that they were more interested in the power output of the human battery rather than the (understandably traumatized) boy himself. Batman hated the idea of the boy being tested on and surrounded by aliens instead of the normal life he deserved. Justice was helping Richard gain back the life that was stolen from him, not putting him into another lab.

Patience, he unclenched his fist, Bruce was determined to get him before the Lantern Corps. Richard is going to get his life back, or at least some semblance of one. Bruce would make sure of it.

He was glad the team felt so passionately about Richard's case, because Batman had their next assignment and it wasn't exactly Justice League approved. Since it was the Justice League's case now (soon to be handed over to the Lantern Corps) they were to be briefed about it almost presently. This wouldn't be much of a problem since Batman was one of the leading members but unfortunately with the Green Lantern Corps involved he couldn't just sweep this under the rug and deal with it himself. The League was an annoying middle man, lacking the proper lenses to view the case in a way that would solve it properly.

Superman would call him emotionally compromised, too close to the case because of Richard's origins in Gotham. Batman liked to call it he had his priorities in check. The League would feel sorry for Richard, then promptly hand him over to the Lantern Corps who gave them the idea they knew what they were doing. But as Kid Flash had eloquently said, the Lantern Corps had no idea what to do with a child, especially one as truamazied and flighty as this one. They would mess this up royally, and perhaps the agitation would spark something in Richard that wasn't previously there and then they'd all be sorry. As sorry as an entire coast being blasted off the face of the earth. It was a risk for sure, it was an argument he had on hand, but it wasn't the one Batman's heart was leading with. But the Justice League and the Corps didn't need to know that.

"If I were to send you on another mission for this case how would you go about it?" Batman prompted, "So far he is staying in the Washington D.C. area but it is clear he has no place to go."

"Send us anyway?" Kid Flash instantly questioned like Batman had just said the most confusing thing on the planet, "Like, against whatever the Lanterns are planning?"

"You could call it a challenge, a race if you will, whoever gains Richard's trust gets to bring him in." Batman said.

He would apologize later, but he doubted the team would be that mad. There, of course, was no challenge. Nor was the Lantern Corps attempting to 'gain Richard's trust' as the team would be, leaving them at a disadvantage. It would be a challenging race indeed. But neither the Lantern Corps or the Justice League knew Batman was sending the team out for Richards' case again. Giving them the element of surprise if they could snatch Richard right from under the Lantern's noses. He could get away with calling this mission 'training' because of the serious amount of stealth that is required. Letting Richard loose on the streets was a terrible idea, this however, was a lot easier to mess up with just as dire consequences. If the Lanterns caught wind of someone else attempting to 'take' Richard they would immediately swoop in regardless of Batman's advice to give the kid some space and then it would be game over. Batman wouldn't be able to do anything for Richard if he was caught by the Lanterns. His only contact through would be the Justice League and they wouldn't see things the way he would. Although Superman might, but Superman might also just look in the other direction if the team was found looking for Richard. Friends are nice like that. Super friends were even better.

"Okay, gain his trust, that should be easy enough." Kid Flash frowned, "What counts as gaining his trust?"

"Complete the original mission." Batman replied, "Have him decide to come here with you as he would have done if he decided right when you escaped Cadmus."

"Hmm..." Kid Flash nodded and folded one arm as he held his chin in the other, clearly thinking. It was quiet for .2 seconds before he snapped his fingers and pointed to Aqualad. "What if we let him see us in civies?" The speedster said, turning to his other teammate to see how his idea would bounce. "Richard is obviously not one for physical touch or anything and then there's the whole language thing, so what if we warm him up to that idea with just visuals?"

"We would need to initiate contact at some point in a way that surpasses the language barrier." Aqualad pointed out, "We would also have be extremely cautious, at the moment he is a flight risk."

"How long would that take?" Superboy huffed with a low tremor of worry. It wasn't entirely obvious with his gruff exterior but to Batman he might as well be waving a flag that said he was concerned about the 'competition' with the Corps. Superboy wanted Richard with them as soon as possible. It made sense, out of all of them, Superboy and Richard had the most similar experiences, being created and exploited by people who claimed it was for the greater good. Again Batman found himself grateful the team felt the same way he did about the situation. They were taking the risks seriously and exploring all the options in a rather delicate operation. Attempting speed would end with a runaway and other much more dangerous events, but being too slow would result in him getting into the wrong hands. A delicate operation indeed.

"A few days maybe?" Kid Flash ventured with a grimace, then shook his head. "Actually I have no idea."

Aqualad interjected but nodded along to his teammates' train of thought, "We should be making ourselves available to him at all times, that way when he does trust us he will know where to find us."

"Where is he staying if it's not with us?" Superboy asked another question, and if Batman recalled correctly the clone had stayed at Wally's house last night. But now that they were a team with a base, Superboy would have a home here in the mountain. And hopefully he would be getting some company soon.

"Shoot, good point..." The speedster frowned again, this time tapping his foot in anticipation. "He's not going to accept our help at first, especially not big things like a house or anything, so what if we give him little things first? Things he can take to wherever he decides is his safe space so he can be more comfortable?"

Kid Flash had the right idea, Batman, however, desired to be even less direct with Richard. By bringing the team in, it would be obvious to the League that Batman had no intentions of allowing the Lantern Corps to get their hands on Richard. The team was going to be his foothold against the League when they noticed things were not going according to their plans. That much was clear, but when it comes to Richard, Batman would have to be very careful. The team would be his buffer between himself and Richard, giving the boy the space he needs since Bruce was going to try to mend the boy's trust in adults. Because the boy was first and foremost one of Batman's unsolved cases long before the team busted into Cadmus the first time. Because Batman finally had a chance to help the boy he failed so long ago. But Batman would not be able to get as close to Richard as the team could, their part in healing Richard's trust was going to be integral if Batman were to have any chance of success. Luckily the team was glad to play on his side, or more accurately, the side of Richard Grayson.

"I agree with Kid Flash's method," That stopped all conversation between the teen heroes. They all paused to register the words they never thought would come out of Batman's mouth. Batman agreed with a speedster?! "Though it could use some tweaking."

"Wait- what?" Kid Flash nearly spluttered like his uncle did on the occasion, "Batman said I have a good idea?!"

Batman ignored that. "He will be wary of you at first, but I can buy you some time before the Lantern's start their plan. You will have time to let him get used to you. He will feel like he is being hunted, your job is to make it look like an accident." He stared at each teen, stressing how important this was to their success. "Once he realizes you're not out to get him he will associate your help as something he can have without strings attached. That is when he will start trusting you enough to accept gifts or invitations to the mountain."

He paused here, waiting for just a moment to make sure his next words were not taken lightly. "It will take time though. Are you all prepared for the amount of time and effort it takes for very little progress? For hours of stakeouts and planning on the fly because of wild variables? Thinking on your feet as a team needs to become second nature, your actions and decisions will have lasting consequences on more people than just yourself. Needless to say, this won't be easy."

The trio was quiet for a moment, but they looked to each other and Aqualad spoke with a smirk. "We didn't come here for a play date."

"Wait," Kid Flash broke the mood, "did we settle on how we were supposed to fix the language barrier?"

Batman internally sighed, but jumped on the excellent segue set up for him. "I believe your new teammate could help in that department."

The teens were confused, Kid Flash even muttering, "New teammate?" And as if Batman's words had summoned them, the Zeta Tube's automated voice called out Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian— at the latter of which the teen's confusion grew.

The Justice Leaguer and his niece walked over, the girl a minature version of Manhunter complete with the green skin, blue cape and red X sash across her outfit. However, she had aburn hair unlike her uncle's hair-free head and looked rather shy.

"This is Martian Manhunter's niece." Batman introduced as the duo stopped next to him and he getsured to the girl who waved at the teens. "Her abilities, while not as developed as Martian Manhunter's, can provide translations for the language barrier.

"Cool!" Kid Flash smiled wide, looking a little too excited for a female teammate. Then he frowned, "Wait so he's in on it too?" He jabbed a thumb at Martian Manhunter as he looked to Batman for answers.

The Martian dipped his head in acknowledgment and answered him instead. "As someone who is often singled out because of my differences, weather it be my species or abilities, I do not appreciate The Lantern Corps becoming what you three saved Richard from. I know it is not their intention to do so, but it is clear to those who see it. Most of the Justice Leauge do not see it. I wish only freedom and peace for Richard. As does my niece."

"I really like helping people." Miss Martian clasped her hands together and smiled big, speaking rather quickly and excitedly, like she had to make an excuse to be here.

Not that anyone really noticed, they were all here for that reason, that is why they were heroes after all. But the awkward silence after was a bit weird.

"I want to help Richard," Miss Martian continued, having relaxed a bit and her smile faded to something more somber. "My uncle said he's not comfortable with adults so we figured I could help. He's alone in a new environment he doesn't understand, coming to earth feels a lot like that. I want to help him know it's not so scary." Martian Manhunter put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him.

"You can show Miss Martian around the mountain today, you leave for Washington D.C. tomorrow," Batman grunted. The team took it as their cue to leave, Miss Martian being somehow nervous and excited at the same time as she followed them.

She would integrate well, while the team was new the bonds they were building were some of the strongest Batman had seen. These teens weren't quitters, they can, and HAVE, defied orders for the sake of doing the right thing and Batman couldn't be mad about that. He wished it was safer, but he wasn't all that upset these kids wanted to help people no matter what.

But Batman had one more item of business to do before he left.

"Superboy," he called out. The team paused and looked back at him, "a word?"

The clone nodded and left the group, Miss Martian being quick to promise that they would wait to start the tour until he got back.

"What?" He folded his arms when he was close enough, what Batman assumed to be his resting face was slightly drawn into a scowl.

Batman internally sighed. "I know this might be uncomfortable to talk about, especially so soon, but while you were in Cadmus did they tell you anything about Richard? Even just mentioning him in passing?" Because Batman needed information and Superboy was the only one who could give it to him. He knew what the files said, he knew everything about Richard from a scientific standpoint. But it only made him uncomfortable. In Batman's experience, when a crazed scientist has a victim they usually have some 'fun' with them outside of the experiments. He was worried about what more went on besides what was scientifically recorded. Superboy, even as young as he is and 'programmed' with knowledge, might know something.

Superboy actually scowled, but aimed it at the floor instead of at Batman. "I was waiting for you to ask something like this," he mumbled. the clone sighed and looked up, "They didn't teach me anything about him, only that the place was run by a very powerful source."

Batman felt his gut sink. He knew it was going to be a long shot but he was still disappointed. Besides Superboy, there was no one to go to for this information besides the sources themselves. But Richard was on the run, in no position to be approached. Blockbuster was in prison, still recovering from his transformation and subsequent butt-kicking. Both sources weren't available and his last option turned up dry.

Well, Batman would just have to hope the team is able to get to Richard before the Lanterns, because he knew they wouldn't think of the extra emotional and physical turmoil that comes with being an unwilling lab rat at the age of 8 onwards.

"But I can tell you, he's not going to like you." The words seemed to come out by themselves, evident in the fact Superboy shifted uncomfortably afterward like he hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Not because you're Batman or anything, but because of what position you represent." he reasoned slowly.

Despite his nerves it was clear Superboy believed what he was saying, and honestly, Batman did too. He wasn't expecting Richard nor Superboy not to have issues with authority when both had been so badly abused by people in charge.

"He- Dr. Desmond doesn't treat his projects like people," Superboy then looked away, his scowl turning dark as his fists clenched in his folded arms, "he treats them like weapons or pets."

"I understand." Batman said, "part of all of this is to separate us from Dr. Desmond. Neither of you are weapons, or pets."

Superboy's face scrunched at that like he tasted something sour. The clone's anger dissipated though, and now he looked uncertain. "That's... good, but I don't think Richard even knows what heroes are." Before Batman could respond, Superboy continued in a thoughtful ramble. "I followed the others becuase Cadmus had taught me what heroes are. I knew when I met Aqualad and Kid Flash that they were the good guys and Cadmus were the bad guys. Heroes don't hide their illegally made clones in an underground lab and raise them to defeat other heroes just to replace them. Heroes don't experiment on kids until they become human batteries and isolate them from everyone. He grew up in a circus, right? He was also young when he was kidnapped, I don't think he knows about the Justice Leauge or any heroes. He just... doesn't have that knowledge to measure that we're the good guys. He afraid of trading one Dr. Desmond for the next."

Batman was impressed. Batman had taken a lot into account when it comes to Richard, the trauma of his parent's death, the experiments, the isolation, but it never occurred to him that Richard wouldn't know they were heroes. Being a hero in a place like Gotham (or anywhere really) gave a beacon of hope to children in bad situations because they still could hope. Richard was a child in a bad position and he didn't know he had that pillar of support.

Bruce was suddenly hit by a sab of guilt. Richard was out there on the streets alone because he didn't know there were heroes that would help him. Because Batman hadn't gotten there in time to save his parents, hadn't found him when he went missing. Richard didn't know heroes existed. Richard thought they were just another organization trying to get him to abuse him.

"Well," Batman pushed away his guilt for later contemplation, "it won't change the plan much, but I think you're right. He needs someone to teach him about heroes and I think you're the only one he'll listen to."

Superboy blinked in shock. He pointed to himself, "Me? Why would he listen to me?"

"Because," Batman almost smiled, "If you hadn't known about heroes you would be in the same position as him right now. He needs that. He needs someone who knows."

Superboy looked a bit overwhelmed, looking down sheepishly before spluttering self consciously, "I- uh, well- okay."

"Now go finish your tour, you can't advertise a safe space without knowing what's in it."

With that Superboy nodded oddly and wandered off in a confused daze, probably because of the strangeness of the encounter.

Batman stared after him for a few seconds before turning around to leave. He had some discussing to do with Alfred. He had a good idea on what to gift the boy first (without actually 'gifting' anything) but he would need the old butler's expertise on the fabric.

Also the pair of gauntlets he was drawing blueprints for, those hopefully gifted much later when Richard was safe and sound in the Mountain. Which he would be. Richard would be found by the team first. They would get Richard back. Bruce just had to believe.

-0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0-

Okay, maybe Dick made a mistake by living out here by himself...

He had no train trailer or big top tent, no shelter from the elements that all seemed so brand-new. It was amazing to feel the sun again and stare up into the blue blue sky with all the cotton candy clouds that drifted by. It was so big and it felt like it was pressing down on him as he laid there on a roof, but he couldn't help but feel like the sky was giving him a hug, welcoming him back to the surface. He felt a breeze for the first time that wasn't from a vent or smelled like dirt and metal, it was fresh and full of stuff. It felt amazing.

After leaving the weird teenagers, Dick was in need of immediate energy restoration and he found it on the roof he was currently on, staring up at the sky. He'd been laying there flat on his back for who knows how long. He actually might have fallen asleep a few times, the shadows jumped longer and longer every time he opened his eyes. But it was there on the rooftop where he was basking in the sunlight that he fully realized his predicament.

The empty pang of hunger gnawed at his stomach. He hadn't eaten since the cycle before the weird new handler (a handler he'd never see again- the thought made him smile). The attention to his stomach made him aware of his skin. He was quite hot now, the gray of his suit was soaking up the sun's heat like a sponge to water.

The Romanian boy sat up, cradling his grumbly stomach with wounded hands as he looked around the barren roof. He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for that would be on this roof but he isolated his first problem, he was hot. He needed shade, shadows, or maybe even inside a building. Buildings had vents for cold air and while this outside breeze was nice it wasn't dependably cold. But buildings also had people in them and Dick needed to stay far away from people. Strangers could become bossmans if they knew what he could do, Bossman always said so, and Dick wasn't about to take that risk. Not to mention he knew he was a bit weird and people liked to poke weird things.

Dick sneezed. His whole body jerked with the motion, eyes squeezing shut and body tensing. The sensation sacred him for a second before he realized what it was and relaxed, then he laughed. It was a quiet thing, more like a giggle, filled with an almost frantic relief. It was such a simple thing, a sneeze, but he hardly ever sneezed underground, there was never enough of anything in the air to make him sneeze. It was just another reminder that he was out, he could sneeze, like a normal person.

Dick was looking forward to doing more normal person things, even if his powers and his wounded hands took a few of those away. He had hope, because he was out, after dreaming for so long about an unreachable goal it was here. He was there. He was out.

Sitting there on the roof, Dick breathed in, feeling the tingle in his nose that warned him he was going to sneeze again. And he did, body jerking once more but this time he simply swiped at his nose with the back of his hand with a smile. He was hungry, he was wounded, he was alone and without shelter, but he was out and that made this the best day ever.

For the first time in years, his fate was in his own hands, his own gnarled, bloody, and bandaged hands. Nothing could give him more hope than that.

Despite his fatigue, Dick teleported to the edge of the roof with a spring in his step. He surveyed the ground people, hopping from one roof to another to get better angles. Though he knew not all people are bad, he saw a few moms (they were moms because they had kids with them), he was wary of meeting someone so blatantly... nice. Moms would be nice to him, they'd be worried about his hands and where his family was. It would be nice to be worried about, but moms would bring him to doctors and doctors would find out he had power and then he'd get a new Bossman. So moms, even if they were nice, were out of the question too.

Dick kept to teleporting around, he liked seeing everything from above. It was so much easier to see threats from above, to see where exactly the people were concentrated and where they weren't. Though he wasn't really sure why he kept moving around, something in his gut told him he had to keep moving. After laying on that roof for so long basking in the sun, his neck began to creep and he chastised himself on indulging in the sunlight. Well, he actually wasn't that sorry, he really liked feeling the sun again, but he couldn't help but feel like it was a trap. Bossman would try to find him, he might even know Dick would stay out in one spot because of his need for sunbathing after years and years underground without its warm rays. Bossman could be right around the corner with his white beasts and lock him up again. Or worse, other Bossman-people would try to find him (even if he didn't know they existed) because he was vulnerable out there in the open. He didn't like the looks of those big moving pod machines either. He knew they were called 'cars' but to him, they just looked like his pod tipped on its side with wheels that moved people places. He couldn't imagine how scary it would be strapped into a pod that moved. It would move him and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

It was scary, since leaving the sunbathing roof everything was scary. Every time Dick paused in one spot he had to check his surroundings first. His gut was writhing and his skin prickled with unease all the time like constant warning bells ringing in his head. Dick was tired of being scared, he couldn't stop though, it was what was keeping him alive and out of Bossman's hands. He kept to the high places because there weren't many places to hide from him if he could see everything.

It wasn't exactly effective for finding food though, his stomach complained. He found a few shadows to hang out in, but as he predicted, the shadows weren't much cooler and they didn't have the right feel. They were either too open (under a giant tower thing full of something, it was weird, like a metal barrel on stilts) or too closed off, too easily cornered.

So he found himself looking around for alleyways that stayed in the shade for the rest of the day, and he knew if the alley was like that if the ground and walls were cool to the touch. He found many of them, but as many as he found he also found a lot of people. So he focused his search on the places where there weren't a lot of people. It wasn't until sunset when he found the right part of town that had the rundown places with no people.

He got distracted while scoping out the abandoned area, the sky turned a brilliant shade of red and everything was all yellowy and almost foggy. Dick (having already found this spot) teleported to the highest point in the abandoned area where he was instantly enamored by the sunset.

He couldn't stare at it directly of course, Dick never had anything that bright to stare at before. His eyes winced of their own accord every time he tried to look at the sinking sun so he took to basking in the evening glow. It was beautiful, Dick decided. The sun and the sky and everything about outside was awesome.

When the sun finally disappeared below the horizon Dick waved at it gently, bidding it goodbye until morning.

With the sun gone Dick was able to focus back on his mission, which he realized he had even less time for now because it was getting increasingly dark. Dark was bad, he remembered that from before Bossman. Things were harder to see and recognize at night, and while most shows did end up late into the night, in the circus (especially in the center ring) it was all bright and you could always see. But before and after shows, when everyone is so tall and adult conversations were so boring Dick never cared for faces unless it was a circus member.

Dark made him think of that night. It was always difficult to think about that night but his nightmares (when not plagued by Bossman sticking him with needles), were of the man in the shadows with bad liquid, always hidden, always dark. The man in the shadows wasn't supposed to be there backstage that night, he wasn't supposed to be so close to his parent's ropes. Dick had seen him, but the dark made it impossible to actually get a good look at him. The idea of not being able to see who any person was... it was terrifying. Shadow man could be anyone, and anyone could be a shadow man, looking for someone else to hurt.

Looking around the abandoned area now... it was very lonely, full of shadows. Full of unseen dangers. Panic thrummed under his skin, suddenly feeling in more danger here than he was in the bright busy city. In the dark the broken buildings and rotting wood transformed into terrified faces, telling him this was a bad place to stay. The smells were terrible, smells Dick couldn't even recognize. It was so dirty too, he realized, hugging his hands to his chest. Dick was afraid even being in the air something fowl would leach into his hands and they'd get infected. Dick really wanted to avoid that. He couldn't take care of his hands by himself if they were infected.

Dick jumped when something fell, a loud clattering of cans and squeaks of what must have been rats. All Dick saw were shadows, shadows lunging and falling and screaming and screaming— the crowd was screaming—Dick was screaming. His mother whispered his name, eyes wide and hand outstretched (so far- so far away he couldn't catch her) as the screams drowned her out.

Dick teleported away from the scary dark abandoned place like the devil himself was after him, leaving Dick to pant heavily on top of a bright vertical board like he had actually ran there. He sat, letting his legs dangle and propping himself up with his hands on his thighs, focusing on breathing in and out. In, and out.

His blurry vision came back to him, finding a few drops of tears on his pants where he was bent over. His stomach growled at him again, empty and upset. Dick curled over, hugging himself as he let himself sob. He was so tired. Tired of everything. He wanted his parents back.

He cried himself out, wiping away his tears with the heel of his bandaged hand because hey, with bandages, he could DO that. He felt numb afterward, settling his hands on his lap one cupping the other. He looked beyond his perch, into the glowing city where he was surrounded by people. He felt lonely.

Dick took a deep shuddering breath and stood up. He had things to do.

Dick had never been more grateful for overflowing trash. Picking through it was a pain, but it yielded food. Old, soggy, it was definitely where it should be, but Dick swallowed it anyway. His parents would have been affronted. They would have smacked the trash out of his hands and led him to the table and put a nice big bowl of steaming homemade chicken noodle soup in front of him.

His not-quite-as-empty stomach told him to stop dreaming, because something else was wrong. Dick looked down at his stomach, eyebrow raised inquiringly. He imagined it pointed to his bladder, which instantly informed him it was time to relieve itself.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but... Dick couldn't take off his suit without Bossman.

He knew how to use the bathroom of course, but finding one away from all the humans AND not super shadowy was difficult. He finally found one at a building place, where everything was dusty and new-smelling. Like a freshly made blanket for the elephants, it wasn't clean, but it was new. By this time it was real dark out but there were giant buzzing lights illuminating the area, he watched the last of the helmet people leave and Dick focused his attention on the blue boxes that smelled horrible.

That's definitely where poop goes.

Unable to teleport directly inside, Dick made a hasty search of his surroundings before teleporting down and quickly shutting himself in the blue rancid smelling box. Then he nearly gagged because if it smelled bad on the outside it smelled absolutely horrific on the inside. Had something died in here?! Though he didn't actually know what that smelled like, his only interaction with dead things was... his parents.

Dick shook his head to get rid of that train of thought and held one hand over his nose like that would help. Then he looked down at the toilet seat. The hand that wasn't over his nose clenched anxiously in the air.

Dick actually was capable of taking his suit off to the extent of using the bathroom, but there had been a tool that had helped. Because according to Bossman even the power of being able to dress himself was too much for a battery like him. But he supposed that was his own fault. On the more desperate days where he fought tooth and nail, he would use the 'privilege' of being able to take off his suit to escape. It was a clever idea, to use his empty suit as a rope to choke (to incapacitate of course) whatever handler was there, apparently too clever. (Yeah it left Dick naked too but when you're that desperate for freedom any options with even a slight chance of success are worth attempting.)

After that incident, Bossman monitored every time he used the bathroom, which was very uncomfortable for Dick. But it didn't last forever and Dick had been rewarded his privacy privileges back for good behavior. Mostly. Bossman still accompanied him to the shower to 'help'. Bossman decided he didn't like the way Dick showered either and that freedom was stripped from him too. Dick learned to live with it, as he did everything Bossman took control over.

A fresh stab of hatred festered in his mind, hating Bossman for the millionth time because he almost liked the way Bossman would wash his hair because Dick couldn't do it himself with his hands ruined. He hated him for ruining his hands, but that was nothing new, he hated him for turning most gestures of love and compassion into something sick and twisted. Just like how Bossman would twist and yank on the same hair he'd been gently scrubbing if Dick did anything Bossman thought was wrong in the shower. To remind him who was in charge. To remind him that no matter how nice or loving this man was, he did not love him.

Dick shooed those thoughts away, feeling his anger build inside his chest into something hot and hard. His face scrunched as he scowled and shook his head in disdain. These were not progress thoughts, he was trying to be productive and getting lost in thought and making himself angry over something he couldn't control (which was everything) was not making progress on his current problem. Dick was good at controlling his emotions, or at least he thought he was good at it. His thoughts were the only thing Bossman couldn't tie down and Dick reveled in it. So of course he let his emotions run free, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to conceal it.

So, I'm cool with wetting your pants if you are, his bladder throbbed at him. Dick sucked in a tight breath.

Now wetting the suit was a whole different ball game, that was something Dick did on purpose when he was angry and Bossman did not like it one bit. Bossman was also good at making Dick not like it either. But now he was alone and he couldn't get the suit off himself. Bossman wasn't here to punish him if he wet the suit but Dick really didn't want to wet the suit anyway because he still couldn't take it off and that would lead to him wearing it after he wet it too and that would not be fun.

Taking the suit off entirely was impossible without Bossman, or maybe some other human. Usually, if he had his tool, he could get it off enough to relieve himself and put it back on. The suit was made to tear in half on purpose, but there was some sort of latch keeping Dick from doing it himself. The latch was at the base of his neck and it hurt very much to try to unlatch it without the tool. The tool he was given was a plastic flat stick with a little blunt hook. It was still a bit difficult to make the latch rip away with the tool, he had to push really hard at an awkward angle to make it rip off. And then there was the problem of actually holding the tool, his ruined hands made everything that much more difficult. But even if he got the ripping latch open there was the tear and there was no way to make it without the hook make the 'zzzzip' sound as it was pulled down. Then Dick could move the suit out of the way and use whatever facilities he needed to. Un-tearing the suit was a different problem altogether though. Dick could try with the tool but un-tearing was not the same as tearing so it didn't work much at all. Dick always had to wait for the handlers before his suit was zipped up again unless Bossman made a visit.

For a second he wished for Bossman to appear, if only to relieve his aching bladder. Then he hoped the wish wasn't granted, because Bossman teleporting like him would be really scary. The closest thing he could think of was the firehead... he didn't teleport, he was just fast, but it was almost like teleporting. Would he even know how to tear the suit in half though? From Dick's understanding, he knew Kid Flash had his own suit and it had to come off somehow too, it was even a similar material. But Kid Flash wasn't a Bossman, that much was clear. Also, Dick had no idea how to find Kid Flash or get his help. Nor did he even know if he wanted Kid Flash's help.

No, he thought decisively, this was something he was going to do on his own. No Bossmans, no handlers, no dependency on anyone other than himself.

His bladder thought that the sentiment was nice, but it was warning him to hurry it up.

Dick reached back with one gnarled hand, uncoordinated fingers probing around his neck where the suit met his skin. He found the latch and picked at it, trying to get his fingers under the lip. But then it hurt. Like little teeth, tiny poking things stabbed into his already wounded hands and Dick hissed in pain. But he didn't let go, he had to keep going. He pulled and pulled and grunted and tried until the pain was too much and he whimpered. He shook his hand out, wishing for the stinging to go away and brought his bleeding fingers to his mouth. His nose scrunched at the blood but somehow it helped ease the pain a little.

Disheartened by his failure but not daring to give up, Dick moved his hand back again, determined to try once more. It hurt. The little teeth hurt so much. He remembered why he never did this before, but this time he didn't have any other option. So he kept trying. It seemed like ages, his bladder momentarily forgotten because if the pain, but progress was made in that time. And finally, finally, the latch ripped away and Dick almost whined in relief, bringing his stinging fingertips to his mouth again.

Then he realized what he just did.

He did it.

Well, half of it. The latch was open, he could get to the tearing part now! And he did it! All on his own! It hurt a lot, like a lot a lot, but he did it!

Now that the pain was over his bladder reminded him the goal of this mission. Dick hurriedly swapped hands, giving his stinging hand a break as he reached back with the other to the crease where he knew the suit tore. It went down in a line just like how he knew it did, but it didn't budge when he picked at it. It was metal, he realized, under the tiny tiny folds of fabric that hid it was a metal string. He traced it as far as he could go, up and down. He went back up though, because something was different up there. That made sense, that's where it began to tear when he had the tool anyway.

There was another metal piece, and Dick could only finger it with his wounded hand. He huffed in irritation, shifting his feet because he really had to go. He was finally able to grab the tiny thing, and with such victory he yanked. It fell out of his fingers (big surprise) but he felt the fabric around his neck shift ever so slightly. It felt like it was loosening, breaking apart. His heart leapt into his throat in pure elation. He was doing it.

He scrambled for the little metal lip, tugging and tugging and hurting his fingers but he kept digging and dragging and pulling. His arm felt super weird, his tendons being used for the first time in a long time. It made his arm and hand ache but he pressed on anyway. He made the tear halfway down his back before his other hand joined the first and he yanked the two much bigger halves of suit apart. The metal string was actually on both sides of the fabric, both dig into his hands but he grimaced through the pain. There was the riiiipppp sound that actually sounded more like a 'zzzzzziiiip' but he waited to celebrate until after he did his business.

After relieving himself, he marveled at his own power. He actually did it. He could take off the suit now! Well, not all the way, he would definitely need another human for that, but if he could do this maybe he could do that too! He loved the idea of being able to take the suit off and never have to wear it again— and wear what? Dick didn't have anything else to wear. Where does one get new clothes? Mami had always just given them to him, he didn't know where she got it unless it was one of Mr. Kenny's knitted sweaters. Mr. Kenny was the lion tamer, he knew how to fix all types of clothing problems, usually made it fun too. But Dick didn't have Mr. Kenny or Mami, he only had himself (and that was okay).

When he teleported out of the bathroom he realized a new problem. He couldn't make the suit go back together on his own, even if he tired he had no idea how to make the two torn sides mush together again. He did try for a few minutes on a roof, reaching back and holding the sides together but it never stuck. He didn't like it, it made him feel exposed and vulnerable to more than just the cold. He needed to fix it fast, but to do that would require moving around in a very loose suit. But today, as Dick was figuring out, was full of doing things he didn't like.

Going back to the hustle and bustle of the city now that he didn't have stupid emotions making him sad or scared nor his body demanding things, he could actually pay attention to things. Frankly, it was a bit overwhelming. During the day he could see everything clearly, at night it was so much more distracting. There were lights everywhere. It was like it was still day! But there were still shadows, the sky was dark with clouds, but the lights. The lights were all around and there were so many colors! The cars had lights and over the car roads there were lights and buildings had lights from windows and big giant signs with pictures Dick didn't really understand. Some of the picture signs looked like food and their buildings smelled like food too. Some of the more vibrant colors like red also led to food-type places, but that also meant people so Dick had to stay away.

His shrinking stomach was not happy with him for deciding to nap when he should have been looking for food and shelter. Both of which he still didn't have. That one dumpster had been a lucky find but now it was covered in shadows and he couldn't see anything. The amount of dumpsters he could go through had just narrowed a whole lot. Now he had to find food in light places but with no humans, but if there weren't any humans it was dark. He was stuck.

Without the sun it was colder now too. The frosty air struck through him like a knife in the back, quite literally since his suit was still torn open. He hugged himself as he teleported around to little avail. Dick really should have gone with the teenagers, at least then he would know all his survival needs were met.

He despised that thought though, he kicked it out and left it in the gutters. It would mean he would be under a new Bossman who controlled him. Though he didn't know who would be the Bossman for the teens, they hadn't had an adult with them when he met them. And while they knew more about the outside than him, he did know they were like him to the degree they had powers and therefore a Bossman would want to control them. But who? Kid Fast said something about a Batman, which sounded like Bossman, and a 'Justice Leauge', that sounded kinda cool. But he also said Batman (and this 'Justice Leauge') helped people. Well, Bossman 'helped' him plenty of times, that didn't mean he was good.

No, it was better that he stay out here, out of the hands of any Bossmans. But he had to admit it was difficult on his own.

He kept looking for somewhere to sleep but the alleys that he had previously vetted were now undesirable because other hiding people with no homes wanted the ally too. Dick had decided to be brave and tried to share an alley but now he was too scared after one of them started yelling at him. The man smelled funny, a bad funny, and he didn't walk or talk very well, but the unpredictability made Dick more scared so he stayed far far away from the smelly no-house-man.

He supposed Dick was a no-house-man too, except boy, not man, he was small. As he watched the dark allyes from his perch above, his stomach grumbled and he felt like crying again.

Tati would hold him when he was scared, so would Mami, they'd feed him too, and he'd have his soft bed and warm clothes and good safe things. He missed his parents, he missed his old life. This new one was so strange and dangerous and scary.

He was all alone with wounded hands and a dangerous power.

Dick shook his head, shaking the tears away and setting his face into a look of determination. No. He was going to survive. Dick wasn't going to be pushed around anymore.

He did find something cool. One dumpster he found that had decent light and the only humans around were far away, sadly it didn't have any food, but it had clothes. Dick went through it as quick as he could, looking for anything that might fit or help him. Nothing really fit persay, he found a red shirt that was kinda tight, and a black sweatshirt that was a little big. The sweatshirt had holes though, well they were more like jagged slashes like the fabric was becoming undone. He wore both. The red shirt kept his suit from feeling weird, it trapped it to his body and made him feel more protected even if the shirt was small. The sweatshirt made up for it, it's holes were up near his chest where the red shirt covered him, the rest of the sweatshirt hung over his body almost like a dress. It wasn't the softest thing he'd ever worn but it was the softest thing he'd worn since his own clothes in the circus.

Looking down at himself Dick could see the red shirt from underneath through the slash holes. He gently picked and traced the exposed parts, realizing it was a sloppy misshapen (red) X.

He smiled. That was him. He was X.

He had no home. No family. No friends. No food. Nothing but himself. Doomed to wander around aimlessly until a Bossman picked him up or he decided to go back to his Bossman, whichever one comes first.

His smile strained. He clenched his bloody bandaged hands over his X, shoulders slightly shaking.

No. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet. Not when he could do something about it.

Dick gathered up some other clothes, softer ones that didn't smell too bad or have suspicious stains. He hadn't found any pants that would even remotely fit him and he decided those were the ones that needed to fit. Sure he could teleport, but he felt a sense of panic at the idea of being unable to run and move properly. The sweatshirt was nice becuase it covered him, it's sleeves were long and he could use it to cover his hands. And now Dick had a pile of soft clothes he could use for a surface to sleep on, but he still had no where to put his clothing bed. So he kept searching.

Just when Dick was about to lose hope of ever finding a good place to stay he found it. It was perfect. It was high, technically a roof, but in between two buildings with higher roofs. He didn't much like the looming higher ground above him but everything else was perfect. It was sheltered a bit from the harshest weather (that Dick could tell) and he found a bunch of discarded newspapers. He actually didn't know what they were at first but after looking through them he found the funny drawings page and recognized it. Tati would tell jokes from this page and Mami would scoff but she loved him, Dick would laugh if he understood the joke but sometimes he didn't. He kept the newspaper, because getting his English back was pretty high on his priority list. It would make a lot of things easier, like finding genuine help and figuring out who bad guys were.

He was still wary of this new alley, it was almost too perfect. His eyes were on the look out for every movement and that meant cars and people and even birds (he loved watching them fly, almost envious). He stayed in high alert, but after scoping the place out for a bit too long he decided it was enough.

He deposited his pile of bed clothes in the corner of the roof lip. Loft, the word came to mind, it was like a loft. Like a platform between jumps, with the trapeze swinging enticingly inbetween. Dick decided he liked this loft, and his little nest he made in the corner. It wasn't the best, but it was safe and (somewhat) clean. He would have to look for food tomorrow because he was much too tired. Teleporting all day on an empty stomach was not doing him any favors.

The city came alive around him, but here in his little corner of the world the loud honking and noises made him feel proud. He could hear the real world. He wasn't underground. It was constantly proving that he did it, he escaped, he was free from Bossman.

He fell asleep to the nightlife of the city, the sounds of victory over isolation lulling him to a safe contented sleep in his nest of makeshift bedding.

-0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0-

"You BRAT!"

Dick was jolted awake like he was electrocuted, but when his eyes opened he found himself alone. He freaked out for a moment, going up from all fours to press his back to the corner of his loft. The weight of the sweatshirt on his body reminded him where he was, because he couldn't possibly be anywhere else. He blinked into the darkness, trying to figure out what was going on. Obviously, it was still night. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but the city was still bright and loud but his corner was nice and (not scary) dark. Dick checked his immediate surroundings for the disruptive noise but he was still by himself. Well no, not really alone. He peaked over the edge of his ledge to a scene that made him frown.

There were muffled sounds coming from down there, and a man who had been the one who shouted. A big long car with only a few windows was at the mouth of the alley and it was open to reveal an empty hollowed out inside. The man was obviously leaving that car, but what alarmed Dick was the little girl in the man's hands. He didn't even see her at first, it was too dark to get a good look at much of anything until the man shoved her. She was making the muffled sounds because there was something in her mouth stopping her from crying out. She couldn't seem to move very well either, her hands tied behind her back. But apparently she had still done something to upset the man because he shouted at her and was now dragging her by her hair.

Dick instantly bristled in both fear and anger, wanting to both run away and get down there and save her. This girl was in danger, there was a badman and he was going to do badman things. The acrobat tucked his bottom lip into his mouth, letting out his own anxious whine because he felt the need to do something.

This girl needed help, and it didn't seem like anyone was going to notice, no one except Dick who just so happened take residence in the alley the man dragged the girl into.

He couldn't call the blue people who were supposed to take care of danger stuff like this, he didn't remember the number, nor did he spy any phone to call with. Should he just shout and hope they heard? If he screamed loud enough someone was bound to hear, that's why the girl was gagged after all. But that wouldn't work either, badman would notice him and maybe try to catch him if he tried that. He might even hurt the girl more!

Dick had to do something, he couldn't not do something. He knew how terrible it was to be in the hands of a badman, but now he was free and this man decided he was going to be bad right in front of Dick. He had to do something to help that little girl.

But he was tiny, he was just a boy and he never won fights against Bossman or the handlers. He could be slippery, hard to catch, but they always had some form of control over him, like the cuffs. But now those restraints were gone, and there they were on the girl, she couldn't fight back. For the first time since Dick could remember he could fight back against a badman, but how?

He needed a plan. Dick couldn't fight the man in a physical hand to hand combat situation, that would not end well, but he had other tricks. He was small, he could teleport, he could actually just grab the girl and leave. But... he had never done that before. He had only ever teleported with objects, never with living things, and never as big as another human. Was he even able to do it? Well, he already tried and succeeded with his suit, something he thought he could never do without Bossman. He could try this, to rub it in his face, to show he could do things without Bossman. But also for the girl, because she really needed his help right now.

Dick just by himself wasn't enough though, he needed some type of weapon. He did a quick search of the alley, trying not to waste any time because the girl and the badman situation was only getting worse as time went on. Badman was walking down the alley, heading for the heavy back door of one of the buildings.

A new sense of urgency fired through his veins. If the badman got inside with the girl it would be a whole lot harder to help. Dick kept out of sight, quickly visiting other allies he knew to be empty to check for something, anything, that could help him help the girl. That's when Dick spotted a trash can, an actual can made of some thin metal. It wasn't huge, Dick could lift it if he emptied it.

It was a perfect distraction.

Dick shoved the can over and it crashed to the ground, the lid clattering off and trash spilling out. Dick leveraged the can upside down, further emptying the now lighter trashcan. He huffed as he grabbed the can and lifted, grimacing as he had to latch onto the sharp edges of the can and it bit horribly into his hands. He ignored the pain though, trying to convince himself the sudden wetness wasn't blood, that this dirty grimey trashcan wasn't in direct contact with his bloodstream. He ignored the fact his bandages that were gifted to him were all bloody and disgusting, they might as well not even be there for how much they stopped the (now fresh) bleeding.

He hefted the can up regardless of the consequences for his hands and teleported easily back to the badman alley, finding the man had made it to the door but was now fumbling for the keys to said door. The girl was at his feet, pinned by a foot on her legs. Dick felt his anger swell in his chest and the pain in his hands became much easier to ignore.

"HEY BADMAN!" Dick yelled fiercely, rage coiling in his stomach and made his face hot.

The man startled with a curse word, dropping his keys and looking up and around for the sudden voice. When the badman's eyes made contact with Dick's he grinned viciously and promptly jumped off the loft with the trashcan. The scene in front of him blurred until he was right behind the badman, still a few feet in the air. The momentum of the fall carried with him and Dick dunked the man into the trashcan with as much force as he could, grinning even more when the badman's head hit the bottom of the can with a resounding 'THUNK'.

He teleported out of hitting the ground too harshly, landing awkwardly next to the girl. The badman was struggling inside the can, stumbling away stupidly like a giant thimble and shouting profanities. Dick gave a kick to the can but he must have done it wrong because he was the one who fell and the man did not. The man certainly felt it though and started cursing up a storm and threats. Dick felt his cheeks flush with red as he hit the dirty ally ground. He popped back up quickly enough, but his kick, despite failing to be as effective as he liked, had a new and very welcome product. The man was now wobbling in the wrong direction, somehow still stuck, but it wouldn't be long before the man got the can off. Dick would have to work quickly.

Remembering where the girl was, Dick teleported into a crouch in front of the girl. She startled at his sudden appearance with a weak muffled cry and Dick smiled apologetically.

"It's okay," he said with his mutilated hands outstretched with palms out. He then kept his hands to his sides, as his mutilated and bloody hands probably weren't all that calming.

To his surprise, the girl did actually calm down. She slumped against the wall she was propped against and they made eye contact. Suddenly Dick couldn't look away.

Her eyes were pooling with tears that had been falling for some time considering the tear tracks down her cheeks, but that wasn't what got Dick distracted. Her chocolate brown eyes were filling with hope. He was giving this girl hope. Objectively, Dick knew that he was helping her, but he never anticipated actually seeing how much this meant to the girl. It was amazing. Dick gathered his courage, giving the girl what he hoped to be a reassuring smile before gesturing to her tied up hands.

"I'm help." He knew he missed a word or something in there but it got his point across plainly enough. She looked down to her hands as if realizing his intentions and nodded quickly, raising them for him to grab.

Dick hesitated only a second before letting his mutilated hands touch hers. He inspected the rope all around, after finding the knot he realized he was out of his depth. His fingers weren't cooperating, he tried picking and tugging but he couldn't get a good hold on anything loose. He couldn't even make anything become loose. He was wasting time. He looked over his shoulder at the badman, trying to figure out how much time he had. The man almost had the can off, he had seconds at most.

Dick growled under his breath and grabbed the rope, being sure not to touch the girl. Dick couldn't get the girl out of the ropes, but he could get the ropes off from around the girl. He teleported away, rope still in hand. When he looked down the rope dangled in his hands and the girl gasped at her now free hands. Dick smiled in victory, a relief filling his chest, but then Dick was being grabbed.

Cold hard fear settled in his gut as every instinct screamed danger. He screamed in fear, eyes closed and too frightened to move. The badman had him, he was going to hurt him! A hand made its way around his throat and Dick's eyes snapped open at the same time he was slammed against the wall, leaving him breathless. The hand around Dick's throat closed tighter and Dick's feet kicked uselessly in the air. Dick choked as the man cursed in his face, one fist drawn back and aimed for Dick's head. His eyes widened impossibly wider and then everything became a blur. The familiar crawl along his skin gave him the barest hints of relief. The badman dissolved in front of him, everything fading out before fading back in.

Behind the man but still facing him, Dick reappeared still raised from the ground. He fell to his hands and knees, sucking in lungfuls of air. He tried keeping his eyes on the badman but he started to cough and his eyes watered.

A hand grabbed his arm.

Dick jerked back, yelling a protest, but when he looked up it was the girl. She was free now, having freed the rest of herself when Dick freed her hands.

"It's okay!" She said as she pulled him up, urgently trying to get him to move. Dick was glad for her help, they were on their feet now but they were still trapped, the man was blocking the only exit to the alley.

"GET BACK HERE YOU SH*TS!" The man roared as he lunged for them. Dick stumbled back, pulling the girl with him and trying to shield her with his body. They were practically hugging each other now, and Dick would be super self-conscious about that if they weren't being chased by a badman.

The Badman missed them, but only by a little and Dick continued lurching backward out of the way. The man staggered to his feet but didn't lunge again, probably realizing they couldn't escape without getting past him. Dick breathed heavily and hugged the girl closer, something hot thrumming in his blood.

The man slowly approached, looming over the scared children. Dick's heart skipped a beat when his back hit a wall. The badman smiled.

"Nowhere to run now boy." He sneered, hands out and fingers wriggling, ready to grab.

Dick wasn't used to things like walls stopping him, he could actually get away quite easily, but the girl... He couldn't leave her behind. He took in a shaky breath and tightened his hold on the girl. He had to find a way out of this. He exhaled. He felt warm for some reason, not warm like hot warm like danger. Warm like explosion. Looking past the badman, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes landed on the abandoned trashcan. His blood.

He could see his blood on the trashcan. He could see it glowing.

The man was reaching for them.

Away. Dick needed to get away. Away with someone. Her body needed to fade away too, he had to reconstruct it somewhere else. He had never teleported with another living thing before. Could he even do it? Was it even possible? Well, Dick had already done a few 'impossible' things today, there was no way he was going to know unless he tried.

Despite his own fear, Dick glared at the man with as much rage as he could muster. The girl was clinging to him, crying into his sweatshirt. He held onto her too, he wasn't going to let the badman get her. She was going to teleport with him. She was going to escape the badman. Dick was going to save her.

Dick closed his eyes and concentrated. He breathed in through his nose, focusing on himself and the girl. He couldn't focus on how close the man was, how soon they were going to be grabbed. He had to teleport them both and he had to do it NOW.

Every nerve in his body felt on fire. He had no idea if that was a good thing or not, but it soon became unbearable. Something twinged inside him, something sharp and dangerous.

His eyes opened.

The trashcan exploded.

Dick's eyes widened as the brilliant red flame expanded violently outwards. The badman must have noticed the heat too because he turned around to face the explosion. Dick only stared, holding his breath, watching the flames lunge towards them.

Then it all blurred away.