The Blind Bird [FINISHED]

Chapter 7

A/N: yes this is a story update. And the picture above is all the merch I got at comic con! It was such a blast!!! Anyway! Onward to the story!!!

*A few hours later*

Dick Grayson: Dead son of Bruce Wayne has returned. No one knows the full story, but he has returned, shocking the Media. More news will be sent out later.

Nightwing was sitting on the couch, his knees scrunched up to his chest as he was in his mind. He was oblivious to the teams Aura as they entered into the mountain from the Beach. Wally's eyes landed on the youngest member who was cowered into the couch.

Nightwing was in his mind, wondering why he felt that presence. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or was Deathstroke really there to make sure he doesn't actually move on with his life? Was Deathstroke taunting him or was he just tied to the labs and his body is playing tricks on him? Whatever the outcome is, he was scared to find out. He didn't want to go back. He didn't want to have these vicious taunts and nightmares following him around. He just wanted to act like he used to but he can't because Deathstroke robbed him of that joy long ago.

"Nightwing?" Kauldur asked but Dick was just staring at the floor, his hands crossed over his ears once he heard the words echo through the room. To him, it sounded like Deathstroke's menacing laughter and Dick was too afraid to hear it.

"No... He's not here..." Dick murmured, earning shocked eyes on the young member.

"Nightwing, hey snap out of it." Wally says, now getting concerned when Dick closed his hazed over eyes.

"It's not real... Its not real... The laughter is not real. He's not here." Dick repeated, tightening his little ball he was in.

Wally, finally having enough of this, marched over and pulled Dicks hands off his ears. "Robin! It's us! It hurts to se-"

Dick lowered his head, a startle cry escaping his mouth. "I didn't do it! Please don't electrocute me!" Dick screamed.

"What? I'm not gonna electrocute you! Rob- I mean Nightwing snap out of it! You are at the Mountain! Not the labs, please snap out of it!" Wally shouted, earning sad, but agreeable nods and words.

Dick finally heard the words and his mind finally jolted back to reality. He could feel the presence of his friends and not Deathstroke's. He could hear their voices instead if Deathstroke's laughter.

Knowing this, made the gates flood and Dick flung himself into Wally's arms. Awkwardly, Wally returned the favor. "I thought he was there... His presence..." Dick sobbed, earning sad glances from his friends.

"He's not here. Your safe. I promise. Batman is here to protect you and so are we. We won't let anything happen to you." Wally reassured to the sobbing teen.

"I don't want to go back... It hurts.." He says and before they could react, Dick fell asleep in Wally's arms.

Wally picks him up as much as he can, but he eventually hands him off to Connor who puts him in his own room in the Mountain.

"This just about confirmed my suspicion about what the Joker said." Artemis brings up, after Connor comes back.

"It's obvious he sometimes doesn't know what's reality and what's not. I mean he is the same boy we knew back then, just a broken and bruised one." Wally explains.

"No," Artemis says. "He's in the same body, but the boy that came back is not the old Robin. This one is far to gone to be him." And with that, they all stared after the door that he was behind, sighing sadly.

*a lab in Gotham*

"Seems I've crippled my pet for the time being. He is so easy to manipulate." A sly voice says, propping his gun in his hand.

"Seems you are having fun, Slade." Sportsmaster says, looking down at some papers from the lab.

"I am. You should've seen his hesitant steps towards my Aura. His face looked so haunted it was great." Deathstroke explains.

"Seems you will be psychologically messing with the boy for the next few weeks?" Sportsmaster asks, smiling through his mask.

"I'm leaning towards that. Watch. His team will call him crazy and then with no one to turn to, he will go to the darkest part of his brain and seek me out. He will be at my mercy and killing for me again. You'll see. Even if I have to emotionally ruin him even more than he really is." Slade explains, looking down at his gun with a giant smirk appearing on his face.

"I like the sound of that. My daughter chose the hero's over me. It'd be a shame if Renegade did the same." Sportsmaster says.

"He can play hero all he wants. The darkness will soon consume him, and I'll have front row seats to watch him go down. It will all play out with time and luckily for me, I have plenty." Deathstroke says before getting up and walking out of the room, leaving an evil smirk on both Sportsmaster's and his face.