The Start Of The End Of The World

This fic was requested by ASL-Pirates-Lover and Robin0203. It might not be exactly what you guys had in mind but I hope you like it anyways!

I would really like to thank ASL-Pirates-Lover for everything you have done and even after I stopped writing for over a year you still liked my fics enough to ask if I would be back. It means more than you know and was extremely nice of you. I really do appreciate all of your patience you have with me.

Summary: Something is wrong with Dick but he won't tell his brothers what's up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.

Terror In The Night

When you're drowning you don't say, "I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me." You just scream.~John Lennon

Fear is a normal thing. We all have been scared of something, whether it be the dark, loneliness, or even an actual person, it's something everyone has possessed at one time or another and it's something that very is difficult to control. Fear is a normal thing. Everyone has it and everyone is afraid of something. Sometimes to find it, you just need a little shove.

Mount Justice, November 18, 17:34

Robin was hungry. He had been on edge all day and forgot to eat. Ever since yesterday night, after he'd gotten back from patrol, he had a nagging feeling that something was seriously wrong. He didn't know what could be wrong or even why he thought that but it left him feeling deeply unsettled.

The night's patrol had been relatively uneventful aside from a routine mugging and a fire that started in an apartment building on the East End. Some asshole had hidden a meth lab in his complex and it exploded. He survived, barely but he had put the lives of thirteen other civilians at risk. Robin recalled the five year old girl he had pulled from the burning building, luckily she only suffered from first degree burns and would make a full recovery. The joy in her parents eyes when he returned her to them relatively unscathed was something he would never forget.

Despite the fact that nothing major had happened in the past few days he still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Robin decided to pay the team a visit, it had been exactly a week since KF's sixteenth birthday and he hadn't seen any of them since the surprise party they'd thrown for the speedster. Besides, he decided he needed a break from the constant training Batman was putting him under so off to the mountain it was.

"Baywatch! That was my burrito! Make your own damn food and stop eating mine!" Artemis' voice came from the kitchen followed by a loud clattering bang of what Robin could only assume was a pot or pan colliding with the wall before falling to the ground.

"How was I supposed to know it was your burrito!?" Wally stood in the doorway, waving his arms around dramatically, and trying his best to appear innocent. "It was just sitting in the fridge begging to be eaten! I'd say if anyone is at fault here it would be you for leaving it unguarded and defenseless, I mean, anyone could have just walked right up and eaten it. You're lucky it was me and not some creep. Seriously, Artemis you should be more caref-" He was cut off by another pot flying his way but he was too quick and ducked under it, laughing like a maniac all the while. Wally ducking was unfortunate however because standing right behind him was an unsuspecting Robin. The pot whizzed over the speedster's head and crashed straight into the center of Rob's chest, effectively knocking all of the air out of his lungs.

Artemis' eyes bulged in surprise and Wally swung around after hearing a thud instead of a bang.

"Crap, dude, are you ok?" He asked watching as his friend doubled over, mouth open as he tried to suck air back into his lungs.

"Uh, sorry…" Artemis said sheepishly, looking just above his head, trying avoid eye contact.

Robin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before straightening his hunched form, not being able to dodge a stinking pot and getting the wind knocked out of him didn't do much to help his already sunken spirits. His anxiety grew and bubbled up, he took a step back and then another and brought his hands up to rub his eyes beneath his shades. He stood still, head down and hands covering his eyes causing Artemis to grow increasingly uncomfortable as time went by which then lead her to excuse herself.

"Um… I… Will leave you two alone, sorry about the pot, Robin…" She mumbled as she brushed past them and shot Wally a death glare to let him know that it wasn't over. Artemis wasn't stupid and she knew that something was off with Robin, he should have been able to dodge that, but she also figured trying to help might do more harm than good so she left to let the speedster work his magic.

After the archer exited the room Wally pulled his friend in and spoke up, "Dude, what gives? Look at me." He pulled Robin's hands from his eyes. "Look at me." He said a bit forcefully after a moment. Even when his friend's eyes were covered by the sunglasses Wally could always tell if he was looking him in the eye or not.

Robin raised his head and sighed in defeat. Placing his hands on the counter behind him he hoisted himself up so that he could sit upon the marble. "Ever since- It's just… I've been feeling really anxious lately and…" He stopped. He felt kind of stupid saying that he thought something bad was going to happen with no reasoning behind it.

"It's ok, Rob, you can tell me." Wally looked at his friend with concern who was pale and kept looking around as if he was making sure no one else was listening.

"Forget it, it's nothing important..." He mumbled glancing down at his hands which laid palm up in his lap.

"Rob, what happened?" Wally questioned again as his concern only grew larger. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining it but it seemed as if Robin was wary of him.

"Well…" Robin hesitated feeling more uncomfortable with each passing second. "Nothing happened… I don't know. Forget it." He tried to laugh it off but his heart wasn't in it. This wasn't like his usual paranoid self, this was something else. He knew that but he tried to convince himself otherwise.

"Did you tell Batman?" Silence followed which told Wally that he hadn't. Wally could tell it wasn't 'nothing' as the boy wonder had claimed it was but with the mood Rob was in now he also knew he wasn't going to get anything out of him anytime soon. He decided that distracting him would have to do for now. "Mm… Don't worry about it too much. It will be alright…" He paused and looked at his feet before perking up. With a triumphant shout he shoved his fist in the air, "I got it! You know what'll make you feel better?" He wiggled his eyebrows with a smug smirk on his face.

This could only mean trouble and Robin had an idea of what Wally had in mind and he didn't like it. "Wally, no. Not this again. I don't want-"

"If we went bowling." Wow. Robin was way off. "The Happy Harbor Bowl-o-Rama is only a ten minute walk from the zeta on Post Road." Wally looked thoroughly pleased with himself and Robin didn't have the heart to tell him that he didn't want to go bowling. There weren't many things the boy wonder wasn't good at but bowling was one of them. "I bet we could even get Roy to come along." And just like that Wally was dead set on bowling so even if Robin was going to protest he no longer had much say in the matter.

Wally pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and sent a quick text to Roy. "Besides, the three haven't had much time to hang out together lately, you being busy with Bats and all. Spending time with us will surely be a blast!" He gave Rob one of his cheesy grins causing the boy wonder to roll his eyes.

"I guess, but does it really have to be bowling? Out of all the fun stuff we could do in this city you really had to choose bowling?"

Wally gasped, placing his hand on his chest he gave Robin a hurt look. "I'm surprised at you! The magnificent boy wonder can't even tell that the art of bowling is one of the most noble and majestic sports of all time!?"

"How? What can you possibly consider majestic about a ball knocking down a few pins?" Robin stared at Wally incredulously.

Wally gasped again, his hand now clenching around the fabric of his shirt while his other wiped away the fake tears that weren't forming in his eyes, "That poor, poor boy. So very neglected. His own father couldn't even be parted from his work long enough to take his sad soul bowling. No wonder why he is so ignorant to the true beauty in the art of bowling and no wonder why he's never known happiness." Wally sniffled for effect before covering both of his eyes while he stifled fake sobs.

"Ok, number one, shut up." Robin started, "Number two, stop talking like I'm not here! Number three, bowling is so not an art so stop calling it that! Number four, I do know happiness! I'm happy, all the time actually!" He would have continued onto a number five if not for Wally's phone going off followed by a finger being shoved to his lips.

"Exterminate."

Wally glanced down at the text message that splayed across his screen, "Awesome! Roy will meet us there! C'mon." He said retracting his finger from an irritated Robin mouth.

"Put your finger on my mouth again and you will lose it." He snapped although he was faintly amused by the speedsters antics.

"Yeah, yeah. Now hurry up or we will be the last ones there!" The speedster whined before disappearing out the door. Begrudgingly the youngest hopped off the counter and followed. At least he would get to see Roy. Besides, maybe a little bowling would calm his nerves.

Happy Harbor, November 18, 18:34

He was wrong, he was dead wrong. Bowling was evil and it was most definitely trying to kill him. Ever since he got there a half an hour ago his mood only got worse and his paranoia grew tenfold.

Dick jumped as Wally yelled, "Turkey!" And then proceeded to throw his hands in the air in a little victory dance as he got his third strike in a row. He was creaming his brothers, they were already on the fifth frame but he hadn't missed a single pin the entire time, getting either spares or strikes.

Roy rolled his eyes at the speedsters gloating and looked over at Dick, "A little jumpy today, are you?" He asked taking a bite out of a slice of pizza.

Dick shot his eldest brother a sideways glance before shrugging, he swallowed, "I guess." He spoke halfheartedly, eyes skirting around the room. "It's your turn."

Wally plopped down next to Dick and stole a slice of his pizza. Dick ignored it, continuing to watch the people around him, his other slice falling from his hand as his eyes passed over a person who looked a lot like the Joker. It wasn't though. Just a guy in a purple jacket but it was enough to startle him. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him.

"You ok, man?" Wally asked, concern lacing his voice. Dick never let Wally take his food without at least a word of complaint. His breath hitched as his eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Wally traced his line of vision back to a man in a purple jacket who was standing at the front desk renting a pair of bowling shoes. "You know him?"

Dick's eyes stayed on him a moment longer before he cleared his throat and mumbled, "No. He just looked familiar." He took another bite out of his pizza.

"Ok… What have you been up to?" Wally asked, glancing back at the man after a moment of silence.

"Nothing really." Dick had been making it increasingly hard to hold a conversation with him ever since they had arrived. With every question his answers got shorter and shorter, it had gotten to the point where he had to be spoken to get him to say anything at all.

"Dude, come on, we haven't talked in-" Wally started but was cut off when Dick abruptly stood up to bowl.

Roy glanced at him before cocking an eyebrow at the other redhead, "What's up with him today?"

Wally shrugged and turned to watch the said 'him' bowl.

Dick picked up the ball, pulling his arm back while walking forwards, he then swung the ball in front of him and let it go. He watched it knock down four pins and then turned to go grab the next one to repeat the process but this time right after he went to swing his hand forwards to release it, unbridled terror ran through his entire body once he let the ball go. He jerked back, shook his head and brought a hand up to rub his face. What the hell was going on?

His fear was completely unjustified, nothing had happened that should scare him and yet he was standing there so frightened you'd think his life was in grave danger. He brought his shaky hand to his chest to clench around the fabric just above his rapidly beating heart.

"Dick, what's wrong?" Roy asked, catching the slight tremor in his movements and the sudden tensing in his shoulders.

Startled out of his thoughts, Dick was suddenly overwhelmed with a deep feeling of mistrust, "Nothing, mind your own damn business." He snapped at the archer.

Roy paused his chewing, completely taken aback. Even Wally stopped eating for a moment to regard the youngest of the trio, dumbfounded by his words.

"Whoa, dude, so not cool! Roy is just concerned and frankly so am I. You've been acting weird today and I don't know what's going on but you better get a handle on it or tell us what's wrong because this attitude is so not going to fly." Wally shot back.

As Wally talked his face grew red. Really red. Almost too red and his facial features distorted until they were nearly inhumane.

The fear that flooded Dick's body only moments before nearly overflowed as he watched this. Shaking his head he blinked up at his older brother but when he opened his eyes he was back to the normal old Wally that Dick knew and loved. "Did-did you see that..?" The raven haired boy asked, talking to Roy but not taking his eyes off Wally for even a second, fearful of what he might turn into next if he did.

"See what?" Roy seemed completely unfazed by the sudden shifts in Wally's appearance.

"Did he not see it? No… He had to, he had also been looking at Wally when he changed... Maybe I imagined it..? But it seemed so real…" Dick thought to himself. His head was starting to hurt.

"Dick..? Dick! What is going on!?" Wally pulled him from his thoughts making him jump once again.

Wally and Roy stared at him in concern but he just shook his head, "N-nothing, sorry." He said, taking a bite of pizza, hoping that in doing so he would no longer have to talk but the food tasted dry like sand and as he chewed it felt as if it were crawling in his mouth, leaving him feeling rather disturbed. He started to laugh. No, that couldn't be right. Why was he laughing? There wasn't even anything to laugh at but everything just seemed so funny at the moment. He stopped when he realized that his brothers were looking at him like he was crazy. He wasn't crazy. Or... Maybe he was? He didn't know but he sure was beginning to feel like it.

"You feeling alright, bud?" Roy asked, warily watching the bird for any signs of him snapping again.

Before Dick got the chance to answer he started coughing. Hard. Once the coughing subsided his hand felt wet so he pulled it away from his mouth to look at. It was covered in blood. Blood was funny, right? He let out a small giggle before stopping. Wait, no. It wasn't funny. It was terrifying.

"I-I need to use the bathroom." He said getting up quickly and bolting towards the men's room across the bowling alley.

"Dude, wait!" Wally called after him but it fell on deaf ears and the boy disappeared around a corner. He had to dodge around a family of four, an employee and then pick the lock to get there but once he was finally inside he turned the water on and went to wash his hands but the blood was already gone. Where had it gone? Had he imagined that too..? What was going on?

A weird mix of terror and amusement enveloped him and he had to fight off another fit of laughter. He decided cold water would do him some good so he splashed some on his face but all it did was make him shiver. He glanced up at himself in the mirror and what he saw made him want to vomit.

He was eight years old again, standing there in his spandex flying Grayson's costume but he wasn't the healthy, bubbly boy he used to be. His body was broken and disheveled and he had blood covering his chest, his blood. His eyes were devoid of life, his right arm was bent at a very awkward angle and red coppery liquid trickled down his chin.

Dick looked down at himself in a hurry, his eyes wracking his body for any sign of injury but he was fine, he wasn't hurt and he was still in his normal civilian clothing.

"Everything will be ok." He told himself as he worked up the courage to look back at the mirror. When he did finally raise his head the dead boy was still there but now with his parents, both of their bodies broken and bloody much like his own. Each of them were wearing their very own rictus grins and laughing cruelly at Dick.

"Ha… Haha, ha, hahahahahaha!" A laugh bubbled up from his lips, hesitant at first but it grew steadier and more certain as it went on. It was funny, it was disgusting and it made him sick but it was so very funny.

A few minutes went by and the laughter didn't cease, only pausing momentarily when a knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by, "Dick, it's me, Wally, I'm coming in- wait, why is the door locked!?" Was the door locked? He didn't remember locking it. "What's going on!? Open the door, Dick!"

Fear coiled in the pit of the boy wonder's stomach. That was not Wally's voice. He knew that voice and it sent chills down his spine, the owner of the voice was supposed to be dead but for some inexplicable reason that fact only made him laugh harder.

"Open the door!" The voice came again and the pounding on the wood increased, "I won't hurt you, all you have to do is open the door and we can be together again, apprentice. Just, open the door… Open the door!" Dick flinched as he heard Deathstroke snap, his voice crazed with anger.

Something was in the walls and in the ceiling above him. He didn't know what but he did know that it wanted to hurt him. It wanted him dead. "Funny," He thought to himself, "Seems like everything wants me dead today."

His laughter continued and the longer it went on the more insane it began to sound. "Go away!" He shouted in between laughs. Terror set his veins on fire and made him shrink into himself. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get away from Deathstroke but there was one problem, the only way out of the bathroom was through the door, the same door that Deathstroke stood waiting behind.

It being a public bathroom there weren't any windows for him to climb out of and the only vent in the room was too small for him to fit through. Maybe if he contacted Bruce he could hold Deathstroke off long enough for help to arrive.

He reached into his back pocket for his phone before realizing that it wasn't on him. Deathstroke must have gotten it off him somehow. That didn't matter. He couldn't afford to be Richard Grayson right now, he needed Robin. He tried to pull his utility belt from his sleeve before realizing that it wasn't on him either.

"Looking for this?" Dick froze, behind him stood Batman, Robin's utility belt dangling in his hand, taunting him to make a grab for it.

"Batman!" Relief should have washed over him but instead panic took root in his gut as he whipped around to face his mentor. A beeping noise went off and Robin looked around, where was it coming from? He shook his head, he needed to focus. "Batman, give me the belt, Deathstroke is just outside the door and he's after me!"

"I can't do that Robin." The dark knight replied, his voice stoic as ever. "It's like you said. He wants you. He's going to kill hundreds of civilians if I don't hand you over."

Robin paused for a moment, utterly dumbfounded, trying to make sense of what he just heard, "This doesn't sound like Batman. Since when does he joke?" And then it hit him, his insides shriveling in horror, "Batman never jokes. But it still didn't make any sense. Batman wouldn't do this to me, right? This is all a bad dream." He thought to himself, trying to deny the truth. It was getting harder and harder to breathe in between his cackles, "Any minute now I'm going to wake up and find out that all of this was just a horrible nightmare, right!?"

The door broke open and Deathstroke strode in, "This isn't a bad dream, apprentice." Had he said all that out loud? "Everything you are seeing is all real, soon we will be together again."

Robin's lips curled in disgust, turning to Batman, he begged, "Batman, please. Don't do this! We can stop it! If we just work together-"

"It's too late." Batman cut him off. "It's for the sake of the mission. I'm sure you understand." Dick searched his face for any sign of hesitation and saw none. He pulled away when Deathstroke tried to touch him.

"No! I don't get it! Please, Bruce, I'm your son! Don't do this!" He tried one last time although he already knew that reasoning with him now was futile.

"Goodbye, Robin." Batman abruptly said and turned to leave.

"This can't be happening! This. Can. Not. Be. Happening." He thought to himself and tried to go after Batman just to be tackled by Deathstroke.

"How could you!?" He shouted desperately, "Help! Please! Roy! Wally! Anyone? Please, help!" He writhed and twisted, hands were on him, trying to hold him still.

A loud, chilling laugh resonated through the room and bounced painfully around inside the boy wonder's skull, the laugh was familiar but it sounded all wrong, "Roy!? Really? You're seriously asking for Roy after all you've done?" Wally. The one holding him down was not Deathstroke but Wally.

Despair filled Robin, Wally turned on him to? "Why, Wally?" Fear had a death grip on his heart, "Why are you doing this!?" He shouted.

Wally laughed at him again, his laugh was wrong, it wasn't supposed to be cold, "Why? Coming from you that's rich... Because you killed everyone!" Wally screamed in Robin's face, spit flying everywhere, "That's why! You've turned into the one thing you didn't want to be! The League decided you were ready to lead a mission and it resulted in the death of my friends. They are dead because of you! Roy. Is dead. Because of you!" He said the last part through gritted teeth.

"No, no that's not true! You're lying!" Robin twisted desperately, Wally closed his hand around his neck and started to squeeze, cutting off his air supply.

"It is true, Dickie." Wally crooned into his ear, making him shy away, he wanted to gag. "You sacrificed them for the sake of your precious mission. How does it feel to be betrayed by the ones you trust." Wally laughed viciously when he said this, "How do you feel now?"

Robin flinched, this was wrong, how could it end up like this? He was so confused and he was so scared but for some reason he still found it sort of funny. It was ironic, really. He didn't want to be Batman because he didn't want to loose the ones he loved, yet now they were dead because he sacrificed them and in doing so he became the one thing that he didn't want to be. Now he is paying for it in the same way his friends did so, yes, it was funny. Really funny actually. The true form of poetic justice. He would have been laughing if not for the hand crushing his windpipe.

Wally grinned down at him, malice in his stare. "I wish you died along with your family." Robin's vision started to darken and blur around the edges. Wally, his grin disappearing from his face, spoke in an eerily soft voice one last time, "Knock him out." He murmured, before grinning like a madman once again.

Right before pain exploded on the side of Robin's head and consciousness completely eluded his grasp, he had time to think one last truly terrifying and disturbing thought, "I wish I did too." And the scariest thing of all was that he meant it.

Happy Harbor, November 18, 18:43

It had been just under five minutes since Dick ran off to the bathroom when Wally decided to go after him against Roy's judgement. Roy thought he needed time to cool down but Wally didn't have the patience, his friend was really starting to scare him.

He rounded the corner to the male's restroom and was met with surprise. A sign hung on the door which read in big bold letters, 'CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE'. Wally walked closer and listened, was that… laughter he heard?

Knocking on the door he said, "Dick, it's me, Wally, I'm coming in." He went to push the door open but it didn't budge, he felt a seed of panic being planted in the pit of his stomach, "Wait, why is the door locked!?" After a moment he realized that the laughing stopped only to start up again seconds later, "What's going on!? Open the door, Dick!" He waited a moment but it didn't seem like the door was opening any time soon, "Dick, please!?"

"Go away!" Was muffled by the door and Wally had to fight the urge to break it down.

"Wally, what's going on?" Roy asked in a hushed but urgent tone, materializing behind the younger redhead. He had a cellphone pressed to his ear, Dick's cellphone actually, and his eyes were wide with worry.

Wally's gut clenched, Roy wasn't that worried a minute ago, "Dick's locked the door, he won't open it and I think he's laughing at something but… Why are you on his phone?"

Roy ignored Wally and talked into Dick's cell instead, "He's conscious but he's locked the door and it looks like he's not going to open it… I can't tell but the laughing has started…"

Wally choked for a moment and then rapidly fired question after question, "Conscious? What is that supposed to mean? Why shouldn't he be awake? Who are you talking to? And what do you mean started? What is-"

"No, it's closed for maintenance, it would draw even more attention… I don't think- hold on." Roy continued to ignore the hyperactive speedster, patting down his pockets before turning to Wally, "Do you have a wire or paperclip or something we could use to pick the lock?" He asked, not looking too hopeful.

"No, why do- wait." Wally shoved his hands in his front pockets before triumphantly pulling out a bobby pin which was broken in half. "Ah-hah! Last week after the party Dick was trying to teach me how to pick a lock using a single bobby pin." He explained in answer to the questioning look on Roy's face but it only made him look more confused if not slightly grossed out.

"Why do you still have it in your pocket? Have you changed your pants since then?" Roy asked and then shook his head, "Forget it, I don't want to know, B, we have a bobby pin."

Wally thought back for a second and realized that he hadn't, he shrugged, putting it out of his mind he felt panic begin to rise again, "Roy, seriously, what is going on!?" He asked, frustrated at not knowing whether Dick was fine or not.

Roy finally turned to the speedster, "There was a fire last night in an apartment building on the East End. Bats and him went to check it out. Turns out the meth lab that had exploded wasn't just meth and somehow both Fear Toxin and Joker Venom got mixed in with the fumes. Long story short, Robin is going to die if we don't get that door open soon." He gave a small almost unnoticeable gasp, having said all that without a pause.

Wally felt the blood drain from his face and took it all in, a glint of grim determination flashed in his eyes as he set to work on picking the lock. He still had questions that he wanted answered but they would have to wait until later. Right now he had to help his little brother.

"He- I think he's talking to someone." Wally leaned in a little, pressing his ear to the door, he couldn't hear much through all the laughter and it didn't help that the door muffled most of the sound but what he could make was something about Batman, his utility belt and dying.

"The hallucinations have definitely started." Roy relayed the information to Batman. Wally's concentration waned when Roy turned to him and asked, "Where are we on the lock, we don't have much time."

"Well I'd be doing a lot better if you could be quiet!" Wally snapped but for once Roy said nothing at Wally's misdirected anger, he would probably get him back later but right now they were both worried for the little brother.

Then Wally heard the it; the most marvelous sound imaginable, the click of the lock as it finally opened. He glanced back at Roy before shoving the door open, both of them bursting in and closing the door behind them as quickly and as quietly as possible so that they didn't alert any of the employees.

"Dickie-bird it's me, Wally, whatever you're seeing, it isn't real." He spoke calmly and approached the frightened bird as quickly as he dared.

Dick looked at Wally like a deer caught in the headlights, took an unconscious step back and then sneered in disgust. He turned to the stalls, there was no one there but he started to plead, "Batman, please, don't do this! We can stop it. If we just work together we…" Wally went to touch him but Dick quickly moved out of arm's reach, "No! I don't get it! Please, Bruce, I'm your son!" He gasped out in between laughs, at this point he barely had time to gulp air in between his cackles, "Don't do this?" Dick had meant for that to come out as a demand but it sounded more like a question. Wally's heart hurt, he could see the defeated look in Dick's eye although his face was twisted into a creepy gleeful expression.

"Dick it will be ok, Batman's on his way." Roy stated and after a moment Dick tried to bolt for the door but Wally was on him in a flash, tackling him to the ground.

"How could you!?" Dick shouted, he was looking at the door as if someone was there, "Help! Roy!? Wally!? Anyone!? Please, help!" His voice cracking on the last word but with him laughing so hard he didn't really have the lung capacity to be loud enough for anyone outside of the room to hear him scream. He started squirming and elbowed Wally in the chin.

Wally winced, tightening his grip. He felt like yelling too, this was upsetting him more than he would like to admit but instead he spoke in a soft, gentle voice so that he wouldn't startle Dick anymore than he already was, "It's ok, buddy. I'm here and so is Roy. You can fight this, it isn't real. You hear me? It is not real."

Dick's gaze shifted to meet his, a brief look of recognition flashed across his face and was immediately replaced by horror. "Why, Wally?" He asked confused and then shouted, "Why are you all doing this to me!?" He looked broken in the same way that Wally felt. He struggled harder and then stopped all together.

"Dick I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Wally didn't know what hallucination-Wally was doing but whatever it was it was terrifying the small boy lying limp beneath him and that was enough to make Wally hate himself, hallucination-Wally or not. "It's going to be ok, I promise, Batman will be here soon and then you'll be fine."

"Wally, we need to get his utility belt, it has the Joker Venom antidote in one of it's pouches!" Roy called from behind him. Dick started struggling again and Roy dove for his legs as Wally was almost thrown off by his thrashing, "I'm sorry, Dickie. I swear we are doing this for you." He mumbled under his breath.

"No, no that's not true! You're lying!" For a second Wally thought he was answering Roy but didn't have much time to ponder over that. Dick got one of his hands free, he shot it up and clenched around his own throat, he let out a strangled noise.

Wally yelped, full on panic set in. "Roy! Roy, he's choking himself!" He tugged at his younger brothers hand, trying to pry his fingers off his neck but they held on like a vice.

"Shit!" The elder redhead cursed, dropping the cell phone, he went to help the speedster but with his legs now free, Dick kicked Roy in a place that shall not be named. An, 'Oof!' escaped from Roy's mouth and he doubled over, clenching his fists in pain.

"Roy!Roy!He'skillinghimself!He'sdying!Whatdowedo!? Whatdowedo!?Whattawedo!?Whattawedo!?Whattawedo!?" Wally was almost yelling at that point.

Dick flailed around and ended up punching Wally in the jaw with his other hand. It was enough to shake Wally out of his stupor and he realized that once Dick passed out his hand would go limp and he would be able to breathe again. There was one thing though, Wally didn't want him to choke himself until he passed out. Not being able to breathe for that long would only make him panic more causing an even greater risk of a heart attack. Getting a hold over himself he said through gritted teeth as he now struggled with both of Dick's hands, "Knock him out!"

A fist collided with the boy wonders temple. The body beneath Wally went limp and drew in a harsh cackling breath. After that Wally didn't remember much, just something about an antitoxin, a bat and a startlingly fast car ride.

Gotham, November 18, 23:25

The faint taste of blood and the continuous beeping of machine brought Dick around. He noticed three things and in this order; his head was pounding, he was in the Batcave infirmary and he was not alone. Now the Batcave brought him comfort on several different occasions but that time it had not.

Dick opened his eyes, his bones set rigid. He wanted to see Roy. Not Wally. Not Batman. "Roy." He rasped, his voice cracking a bit, "Roy." He called out once again not expecting the archer to pop into his line of sight suddenly but he did.

"You're awake," He said, stating the obvious which was a bit of a Wally move actually. "What do you need, Dickie?" The archer asked his voice just slightly kinder than usual. Roy noted the way his baby brother was shaking.

"What… happened?" Dick asked after a moment. Why was he in the infirmary? And why was Roy here?

Suddenly another head full of red hair appeared in his vision, "Dude, I was so worried. After you went to the bathroom and didn't show up. And-and then whatever I did-well not me but hallucination me did, I'm-I'm so sorry! I-"

Roy smacked Wally upside the head. "Shut up." Was the only explanation he gave. He turned back to Dick, "You were dosed with both Fear Toxin and Joker Venom, do you remember anything?"

What? How? He looked from Wally to Roy and then back to Wally. The younger of the two redheads was a wreck. His face was pale and his hair was askew like he had been pulling on it. His eyes were begging for forgiveness. "N-no."

Roy glanced at Wally, "Well… what's the last thing you remember then?"

"Wally-we were bowling and I went to use the bathroom and then… and then… I don't know…" Dick mumbled, staring at his hands feeling a bit crestfallen.

"Ok, well that's ok." Roy said patiently which seemed a bit out of character. "After you went to the bathroom you didn't return for a while so Wally went to go check on you and see if you were ok. When Wally was gone your phone rang and I answered it, it was Bruce. Do you remember last night's patrol?" I nodded, feeling numb, I wasn't sure if I liked where this was going. "What about giving your rebreather to the little girl? Do you remember that?"

"Roy, I remember the whole night! Just get on with it!" I didn't mean to snap at him but he wasn't acting like Roy at all. He was almost acting timid and I didn't like it. It made me nervous.

If Roy was someone who winced he would have then. "Ok… ok. So after you gave the girl your rebreather did you breathe in any of the smoke?"

Dick's eyes widened for a moment, "A portion of the ceiling collapsed near us, it singed the girl but when she jerked away she elbowed me in the stomach. It knocked the breath out of me so I… does that mean the Fear Toxin and the Joker Venom were mixed with the smoke?" I asked but why would both Scarecrow and Joker target a small apartment building in the East End? It didn't make sense.

"Batman thinks so. He said it was some sort of new mixture of the two gasses. It had a delayed reaction which explains why you only started hallucinating a few hours ago. He's still trying to figure out how it was even there in the first place." Roy continued, "Well anyways when Batman called today he told me what was going on, we got into the bathroom but we had to knock you out because…" Roy paused, "You were choking yourself." He was going to see the hand shaped bruises on his neck soon enough anyways.

Dick ignored that, not too concerned about it, something else was bothering him. "What about the civilians? Are they ok?"

Roy lowered his gaze and Wally still wouldn't look at him. Dick felt dread rise in the pit of his stomach. After a moment of silence he snapped, "One of you tell me what happened!?" He had a feeling that he already knew but he needed them to confirm it.

Roy sighed and looked at the youngest of the trio mournfully, "Seven of them didn't make it and… the little girl you rescued from the fire, she had a heart condition and passed away as well…"

Dick, despite his best efforts, flinched. A lump formed in his throat and his eyes stung a bit but the tears did not fall. "Ok." He mumbled.

Roy slowly reached out to hug him acting like if he moved too quickly the small bird would shatter into a million pieces. Wally kept apologizing but never specified what he was sorry for. And Dick, he just sat there shaking as his brothers attempted to comfort him.

The truth was was that Dick remembered the hallucinations. He remembered the fear and the darkness of the mirth that lingered in his mind. He remembered but he couldn't admit that to his brothers. Not when Wally blamed himself and Roy acted like he was walking on eggshells. So he pretended that he didn't remember and he pretended that he wasn't hurting too badly.

Richard John Grayson chose not to tell his brothers in order to save them some trouble. It caused him unnecessary excess pain but he got through all of the damage and trauma the Fear Toxin caused just fine. He was ok, really he was but sometimes when he felt dejected and no one else was around to hear him scream he would allow himself to let go. He would allow himself a moment of time to not be ok.

Thank you everyone who took the time out of their days to read this! I'm pretty proud of this one but I think I could have pulled the ending off a bit better.

Constructive criticism is always welcome and reviews are greatly appreciated! So please let me know what you think! Love you all!-BecauseImBatman108