Present Time - Happy Harbor

Megan Morse sighed gloomily as she browsed the blouses on sale. Conner was to her right, arms folded and looking as depressed as she felt.

It had been 48 hours since they had practically crashed the bioship into the mountain. Batman had been running down the halls, Robin cradled in his arms, before M'gann had even brought her ship to a full stop. Her fingers tightened around the purple fabric of a shirt as she remembered the shouting, the rushed movements, and all the tubes and equipment in Robin's chest.

Doctor Mid-nite and a lovely lady named Doctor Thompkins had been rushed in to help with the surgery. Artemis's bed had been wheeled out by Red Tornado as the doctors had worked to save Robin's life. They were in there for hours.

Robin was still in critical condition.

It had been Batman's brooding that sent Megan out into the city today. His emotions, usually so carefully hidden, had been all over the place. It had gotten to be too much for the empath. Which is why she was here with her boyfriend on a 'date'. Everyone else-Batman, Superman, the Flashes, Wonder Woman, pretty much the entire Justice League-was sitting in the living room in the mountain, waiting for Robin's condition to change. Whether it would be for better or for worse was still up in the air.

"Like that one, deary?" An elderly hispanic woman with a kind smile asked. Megan dropped the shirt like it was on fire.

She blushed and almost fell over trying to pick up the fallen article of clothing. "It's cute." She agreed. Why was she even looking at clothes? She could morph into anything she wanted. Still, the color would compliment Artemis's eyes nicely. With another smile at the watching woman, Megan moved to buy the shirt.

Present Time - Mount Justice

Beep.

Hands clasped around his ward's tiny, limp fingers, Bruce Wayne stared at the wall, eyes seeing nothing.

Beep.

The heart monitor was the only thing that mattered right now. So long as it kept beeping, Bruce would be fine. Too many times he had seen Dick flatline. Once was enough to guarantee him nightmares for months. Twice nearly sent him into a full-blown panic attack. Three times had found him being pushed gently back by Dinah Lance as his entire world crumbled.

Beep.

Brain had been starved of oxygen, they had told him. Copious blood loss. Shock. Trauma to limbs and internal organs. Knife had nicked a lung. Next 24 hours were critical. 30 hours had rolled around and there had been no change. There was a chance he may never wake up, they had told him.

Beep.

Bullshit.

Beep.

They didn't know Dick, if they thought there was any chance in hell that his ward wouldn't come back to them. Wouldn't come back to Bruce.

Beep.

Dick's foot was wrapped tightly in clean, white gauze. Leslie had been the one to notice that there was an injury there, and had proceeded to pull shards of broken bones from the sole of Dick's foot. Bones that Barry had identified as belonging to a Robin. Bruce's hands tightened around Dick's. Take a deep breath. Listen to the steady pulse of the heart monitor. He relaxed and watched the color return to his ward's fingers. Did Leslie ever watch in awe at something that was supposed to be so normal? Like there being enough blood in a person's body that fingers regained their pinkish hue a moment after they had been squeezed?

Beep.

He thought of the small boy that had come to the manor nearly five years ago. The small boy, though still in shock over his parents' death, had tried to make Bruce laugh. Who had filled his house with life and emotions after years of vacancy.

Beep.

He was alone in the room with Dick. Dr. Thompkins was hovering outside, no doubt, as she has been since the Flash had rushed her to the mountain. Waiting, like all of them, for something to change.

Beep.

Hot anger still churned whenever Bruce thought of the maniac who did this. Nobody had expected the infamous assassin Lao She to be a goddamn child. He had barely kept it together when Artemis had recalled how Lao She had laughed as they pinned Dick down and driven a knife through his shoulder. When Superboy admitted he knew Dick had been seriously injured by the assassin because he watched the child lick Dick's blood off the blade, Bruce's vision had gone red.

The assassin had disappeared, leaving not a single trace. Half a day later, Green Arrow had called the mountain to inform them that O'Malley and his men had been found. Brutally slaughtered.

Bruce was still deep in thought when the rhythm of the heart monitor began to change.

He was cold.

"Dick? That's it son, open your eyes."

A black snake was curled around his feet, freezing him in place. Each tiny scale against his bare feet felt like razors, grating against his skin until there was nothing but blood. He blinked. He was alone, and stone walls were pressing against his chest until he felt his bones snap. He blinked. Flames danced on his arms, eating him alive. He felt no pain, no warmth, only cold. He blinked again. Sharp stones dug into his back as he laid on a forest floor, looking up at the moon.

"Shh, chum. You're okay now, you're safe. Please open your eyes."

No, please no. He didn't want to wake up in a place he didn't know. All alone, or with people he didn't recognize. Let him go home, please let him wake up at home. The moon above him turned glassy and clear, and a slitted pupil warped into the middle. Lao She stood above him and grinned.

Bruce. He wanted Bruce.

"That's right Dickie, I'm right here. You're safe now, I promise."

There was a weight on his forehead. It was hot and comforting, and so much better than the cold that held him down. He pressed into it and let out a soft whine. The heavy hand stroked his hair and murmured soft things that he didn't understand. Bruce, it had to be Bruce. He was safe now, he had to be, if Bruce was here. Bruce meant safety.

With a sigh, Dick let go and fell asleep.

"Wally, you are wrong, so wrong."

"Look Artemis, I have nothing against you, but you would definitely be the first to die in zombie apocalypse."

"You're just saying that because I'm a girl!"

"What? No! Argh! Shit, quit throwing things at me! M'gann! Not you too!"

"I have to agree with Artemis on this one, KF."

"Kaldur! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"There are no sides to this argument, Wally. Though I am afraid if you're pitching the argument in the direction that Artemis would be the first one to die because she has no powers, then you would have to agree that Robin would be quick to follow."

"No! I would protect him!"

"So you wouldn't protect me? Thanks a bunch, jackass."

"That is so not what I meant. Conner, back me up here!"

"Nah, it's much more fun watching you dig yourself further into a hole."

Dick had to stifle a snort. He had pushed himself into consciousness only moments before because of the raised tones of his teammates. Really? They were doing the classic 'zombie apocalypse' argument? And it sounded like they were all really into it too. Oh well, at least it wasn't 'pirates versus ninjas'.

It took a second for him to remember how to move his body, and Dick opened his eyes into slits. The brightness of the room around him stung, but he quickly adjusted.

His team was circled around Artemis's bed, just to the right of his own. Wally was sitting in a chair right next to her bed. Even though they were glaring heatedly at each other, Dick noted that Wally was still sitting closer than he would any other day. His lips twitched up at that. The archer was looking good for someone who was still confined to bed-rest. Dick's eyes flitted over her injuries with a small pang of sorrow.

If only he had been faster, had been more aware of his surroundings during that fight. . . He could have prevented so many of her injuries.

Kaldur'ahm was sitting at the foot of Artemis's bed, arms crossed over his torso as he looked deep in thought. "If I chose to stay on land with all of you, there is a high chance that I would be the first to die. However, I highly doubt that zombies would be able to survive in Atlantis."

"But what if you got infected and then went back to Atlantis?" M'gann pointed out. "Then you would infect all of your people."

"How is the virus spread?" Conner interrupted. "Is it like the flu? Or do you have to be bitten to be infected?"

Dick's mind wandered off as Artemis started to tell them they were putting too much thought into it. ("Guys, there's not going to be an actual apocalypse. It's all hypothetical." "You never know, Artie, you never know. Discussions like this could be what saves our lives one day.") His eyes drifted upwards to several bags connected to the IV in his arm. Liquids and pain meds probably.

His lips parted slightly, a breath escaping with a barely audible squeak. All he could feel was the thin piece of metal, and how it parted his muscles like butter. Lao She's arm held him in place, like the child was giving him a warm hug. There was hot breath on his ear as the assassin muttered something with loving tones. He couldn't hear the words, but the affectionate way the assassin said them made his chest thud weakly in terror.

He tried to breathe around the knife, but his body refused to listen. Lao She's dark eyes vanished as they blinked, and the cold eyes of a snake peered at him. They held him like they loved him, but there was indifference in those eyes.

His body moved slightly with the knife, as if his chest didn't want it to leave. The metal, so cold, was gone and Dick was on fire.

The sudden memory left Dick gasping for air, agony brewing in his chest. Someone was holding his hand, and he felt M'gann in his mind, urging him to take deep breaths. He was at the mountain, not with Lao She.

Not in a cave.

Not in a burning forest.

The mountain. With his team; his friends. Safe.

. . .

Holy fuck, he had been stabbed. Twice.

"Robin, how are you feeling?" M'gann asked once he had calmed down. Dick raised his eyebrows at her and groaned. "Right, dumb question. Sorry."

"Bro, it's so sweet to see you awake." Wally was up on a pair of crutches, hobbling towards his bed. "It only took you like a week."

Conner had risen from his chair and was now standing with his arms crossed. He sent Dick a pointed look, but there was no heat in it. "Don't you dare even think of doing that to us again, shortstack."

Shortstack? "N't planning on it." Dick slurred. Wow, it was hard to speak. He cleared his throat and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back by M'gann's gentle hands. Right, he'd been stabbed; not the best idea.

"I felt you start to panic," The Martian informed him. "Kaldur went to fetch Batman, he should be here soon."

Bruce. Good. God, he wanted to see Bruce.

"It's about time you woke up!" Artemis waved her hands like she was frustrated, but Dick could hear the relief in her voice. "Do you know how boring it is to be on bed rest and have the only other person in the room unconscious? Felt like you were ignoring me."

Dick cracked a smile, but didn't dare try to laugh. Everything was starting to hurt again and his head was swimming. He was tired and his eyelids felt heavy.

Had to stay awake until he saw Bruce. With difficulty, Dick opened his eyes again and found himself staring into anxious green eyes.

"Too close, Wally." Dick yawned.

"Just checking that everything is okay in that bruised noggin of yours." Dude-speak for 'You scared me and I want to make sure everything is okay'.

"Still, probably don't want to be that close. Probably haven't brushed my teeth in a while."

Wally let out a breezy chuckle that sounded like a suppressed sob. The speedster laid a hand on his uninjured shoulder and gave it a squeeze before backing off a foot.

Dick heard the quiet squish of a cape before he saw Batman enter the room, Kaldur close behind him. He felt tension he didn't even know he was holding leave his body at the imposing sight of his father-figure. Lense-covered eyes zeroed in on him and Dick gave Bruce a reassuring smirk. He could tell his guardian wanted to rush to his side, but held back.

Batman looked over at Artemis. "A moment, please."

Dick's eyes widened. Woah, Batman never said please, like ever.

The archer shrugged. "Sure. Wheel me away, boys."

Conner and Kaldur rolled their eyes, but went to either side of Artemis's hospital bed and began rolling it out of the medbay. M'gann floated out after them, but not before saying goodbye to Robin. Wally looked even more hesitant, but one glare from Batman was enough to send him swinging towards the exit with his crutches.

"Wait," Dick called out just as Kaldur and Conner were halfway through the doorway with Artemis's bed. "In the event of a zombie apocalypse, Wally would be the first to die. His metabolism wouldn't be able to handle not having enough food."

Wally gave him a scandalized look. "Bro," He layered the word with betrayal.

Artemis threw her head back and laughed.

Seconds later, it was only Dick and Batman in the room. His mentor did not move.

"Alfred came and visited while you were asleep." Batman said after a beat. "We're moving you back to the manor tomorrow. Leslie was hoping that the presence of your friends nearby would encourage you to wake up faster."

Dick eyed his mentor and the space between them. Space that was quickly starting to feel like football fields away, instead of a couple of yards. Was Batman. . . nervous? Exhaustion was starting to set into his bones again and his chest ached. He had a headache and simply had no more patience for Batman's bullshit right now. He wanted Bruce.

"Bruce," He cut off whatever his guardian was going to say next. "I wanna hug."

In an instant, Bruce was by his side and the cowl was gone from his head. "Oh, Dickie," Strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. "I'm so sorry, chum."

Even though it hurt, Dick slid his arms around Bruce's back. This is what complete safety felt like. This is what home felt like. He sighed against Bruce's chest and let the warmth of the embrace lull him back into slumber.

Six Months Later - Mount Justice

The tension in the living room had a life of its own as Dick stared M'gann down with his most gruesome glare. The green alien in front of him did not waver, but jutted her chin out and met his glare with confidence. Dick's eyes narrowed as he ran calculations in the back of his mind.

"Got any threes?" He asked.

M'gann's bold facade broke. "How, on any planet. . .?"

Dick crowed triumphantly as a card was passed to him and he threw down four threes. "I win! Again!" He added just to spite the remaining players.

"I don't think I like Go Fish." Conner said bitterly.

"Indeed," Kaldur'ahm inputted. "I did not think this game would be that hard."

"Don't let it get to you guys." Wally sighed. "This little turd is insanely good at reading people."

"All for not letting Robin play next round say aye." Artemis grumbled.

"Aye." Five people spoke up.

"I'm hurt guys."

"I'm sure you'll get over it." Artemis ribbed.

"Recognized: Batman, 02"

With a grunt, Dick stood up and stretched. It felt so good to be able to move all of his muscles without pain. "Aaaand that's my cue. Try not to have too much fun without me."

"Go do your Dynamic Duo thing and leave us losers to wallow in peace." Wally grumbled and rearranged his cards.

Dick laughed and left his team to argue with Wally about who the losers really were. Batman was standing by the zeta-tubes looking solemn, though Robin could see he was hiding a slight smile. "Afternoon," He greeted. "You're like an hour late."

"Got held up at the office. Agent A packed you a lunch."

Robin smiled in delight. "Oh thank god, M'gann is a great cook, but she has nothing on good ole Agent A."

"He'd be pleased to hear you say that."

"C'mon, I tell Agent A pretty much every day that he is a god in the kitchen."

"Still makes him smile every time."

"Compliments tend to do that to people, Batman." Robin quipped. "Maybe you should try it sometime."

". . .Get in the zeta-tube."

Raising his eyebrows knowingly at his mentor, Robin stepped into the transporter. Moments later, he was smelling the smoky air of Gotham. Home sweet home, where people screaming was like white noise.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder as Batman stepped out into the dark night. "I'm proud to have you as a partner, Robin."

Robin looked up at the man who was much more to him than just his mentor. "See?" He said with a pleased smile. "It's a good feeling, isn't it?"

Batman glanced down at his healthy, full of life son. "It is."

And really, there was no sight better than seeing Dick alive and home.

Six Months Later - Somewhere in Mainland China

BaiLi took a deep drag of the cigar and held it in for a pause before blowing the smoke out of their lungs. Behind the door, the assassin heard angry, heavy stomps and felt satisfaction well up in their belly. There was a bang, and the door to the bedroom was flung open. BaiLi took another drag of the cigar and gave Dajie a grin that was all teeth and no humor.

Dajie, an slim Chinese woman in her early fifties, thundered into Lao She's chamber and threw down a newspaper at their feet.

"My my, boss, you're looking well." Lao She let the cigar dangle from their fingers.

If it was possible, Dajie's face would have contorted even more into anger. "Robin has been spotted in Gotham city. Alive."

Lao She shrugged. "Maybe the Bat picked up a different kid to take his place."

Dajie clenched her hands at Lao She's drawn out, bored tone. "You didn't kill him. I ordered you to kill him!"

Lao She took another puff, enjoying the way Dajie's face grew progressively more red with every second they didn't respond. "And Luthor promised you a place with the Light."

It was a pity that Dajie's head didn't explode. Lao She would have paid good money to see that. The boss of the Heishe triad clenched her fists tight and took a deep breath in. Lao She watched in amusement as their leader had to forcefully make herself calm down. Anger issues had always been her weakness. "Stop smoking that thing. It isn't right to see one so small smoke."

Lao She pinched their eyes shut and their body rippled under their loose clothes. Skin expanded, and a young adult sat where the child had once been. "Better?"

Dajie growled in frustration. "You will make this failure up to me."

Lao She placed their cigar in a special tray and leaned forward. "Oh?" They said in a quiet, dangerous voice.

Dajie bristled at the warning. "We're going after Luthor. Nobody makes a fool of the Heishe and gets away with it."

Narrowed eyes blinked, and Dajie found herself looking into the crystal clear eyes of a snake. She was frozen in place, her very soul pierced by those chilling eyes. Lao She blinked again, and their eyes went back to their normal dark brown hue. "Sounds like fun."

Dajie shuddered and gave her assassin one last nasty glare. With another irked stomp, she stormed out of the chamber.

Lao She bent down and picked up the paper that their boss had so callously thrown at them. A glossy picture of Robin graced the front page along with an article about how the boy had defeated Poison Ivy while Batman had taken down Two-Face.

"Good boy, xiao niao," They crooned and stroked the picture. "It looks like we'll be able to play another day."

Looks like I'll always be stuck between 'add! all! the! fluff!' and 'No, make it Darker.' I hope you guys enjoyed the final installment of Xiao Hong Niao. Be on the watch for more of my stories! I'm currently in the process of writing something set in season two, but look out for a one-shot I have planned about some brotherly bonding between Dick and Tim. (Of course with Dick h/c because I cannot be stopped.) I also have a sequel planned for this story, in case you couldn't tell by the little bit added at the end.

Many thanks to my wonderful reviewers! I greatly appreciate every review I get. Writing this story has been fun, but I'm happy I'm finally done.