Chapter 12:

Batman looked to his left when he heard the quiet thud of something colliding with the ground. He was shocked to see Dick crumpled on his right side in the grass, his eyes closed and a trickle of blood sliding down his cheek.

"Dick," Batman shouted as he crouched down next to his ward, "can you hear me?!"

Bronte and Serina, their eyes full of fear, had dropped to their knees beside the motionless form of their friend. The rest of the kids began crowding around, talking anxiously, and Batman lost his composure.

"MIKE!" he roared and all the teens stopped talking as Mike pushed through the group. "Get them out of here, now!" Batman demanded. "I don't care if you put them on the bus, herd them back into the cafeteria or take them swimming. Just get them out of here. NOW!" he thundered. Mike and the other counselors started grabbing arms and shoulders, pulling the kids toward the bus and practically shoving them on board.

Batman stared for a moment at Bronte and Serina then lowered his voice and commanded them to leave, also.

"But, Dick…" they both started to talk at once and Batman gave them a mild glare.

"I know he's a friend but he needs space and so do I," Batman's voice was quiet but firm. The two teenagers looked at each other and then down at Dick. With tears shining in their eyes, they gazed up at Batman and pleaded with him to let them stay.

"We'll stay out of your way. We'll go back there," Bronte pointed behind himself. "Please, he's one of my best friends!"

"Please," Serina added in a whisper and Batman nodded while impatiently waving them away with his right hand. They sighed in relief and backed away from Dick's unconscious figure, their eyes continuously watching the slow but steady rise and fall of his chest.

False Face grinned as he watched the irritating Grayson boy fall limply to the dirt. Perhaps there was a delayed after-effect to his formula, or maybe the boy had just lost too much blood. The teens started to crowd around the small body and False Face chuckled when he heard Batman shouting at them. It was obvious that the hero was attempting to contain the urge to shove them all away. The camp director finally had everyone loaded onto the bus and False Face stared at the prone form of the boy who had discovered his plan but would, hopefully, never be able to tell anyone. He started moving his body around, trying to loosen the ropes, and felt a slight give on his right side. One of the knots opened up and False Face was surprised that Batman hadn't used a Bat-knot. That thought fled from his mind as he continued to struggle with the rest of the rope.

"Come on, Dick, open your eyes," Batman had the first-aid kit now, had already cleaned and wrapped his ward's hands and was now working on the boy's pale cheek. He was a little confused; Dick hadn't lost a lot of blood and Batman was frustrated that he didn't understand why the boy was unconscious. There was a snapping sound from the flagpole behind him but right now Batman didn't care if False Face escaped.

Serina was trembling in distress while Bronte was shaking with anger. He had seen the villain laughing and was now watching the man try to escape from his bonds. Bronte growled, jumped to his feet and raced around Batman's right side. Batman wouldn't have reacted even if he had seen the kid and Bronte did what Serina had been prevented from doing: he punched John as hard as he could, snapping the man's head over his right shoulder and into the metal of the flagpole. The villain's body went limp and Bronte wanted to hit him again but sprinted back toward Serina when he heard her gasp.

"We don't need Batman, Bruce," Dick was mumbling, "so tell him to go home." His eyes were squeezed shut, trying to block out the intense pain in his head. That wasn't working so he abruptly threw his hands up and grasped it tightly while fiercely shaking it from side to side. Serina gasped at the sudden movement as Bronte slid to a stop beside her.

Batman was startled but he quickly pulled Dick's hands away, placing them gently on the ground before grabbing the boy's head with his own gloved hands. The shift in control effectively stopped the violent action of Dick's head and his breathing evened out.

"Dick, wake up!" Batman commanded and wondered what False Face had done to the boy. The sentence was very similar to the one Bruce had heard during that strange, early-morning phone call. He was startled again when Dick's eyes flew open, the blue orbs tainted with fog. His ward continued to mumble and Batman leaned closer to hear the words:

"Don't send him, rich lab rats, I hate Bruce Wayne, help, we don't need Batman, send Batman." Dick abruptly stopped and his eyes cleared slightly.

Batman narrowed his eyes as he processed Dick's rambling phrases. False Face had some kind of drug and was testing it on the kids. A mind-control drug, from the sound of Dick's contradicting statements. Now he knew why his ward had been pausing and gasping during that call. The boy had been fighting the drug, just as he seemed to be doing now. Batman pulled a Universal Drug Antidote pill from his utility belt and slipped it into Dick's mouth. The color returned to the young face, the clouds in the blue eyes melted away and Batman dropped his head in relief.

Suddenly Dick was yelling and his widening eyes were filled with anxiety. "NO! No, I don't hate Bruce Wayne! He made me say it…" he trailed off when he saw the look of understanding on Batman's face.

It was a good plan, Batman had to admit that. If Dick hadn't come to the camp then False Face might have been able to perfect and use the drug. Glancing over his left shoulder in order to glare at the villain, Batman was shocked to see the man unconscious.

"It was, um, me," Bronte confessed softly when he saw the look of disbelief on Batman's face. He was relieved and surprised when Batman looked at him and gave him a slight grin.

"Can we go home?" Dick asked as he carefully sat up, exhaustion masking the pain in his voice. Bronte and Serina stared at Batman as they waited for the answer. The bus was ready to depart and Mike was walking over to see how many other passengers were going to be leaving with them. The director was carrying a small pack of ice in his right hand. He gave it to Batman who placed it on Dick's left shoulder and secured it with the rest of the medical tape from the first-aid kit.

Batman knew he couldn't take Dick home in the Batmobile but he didn't want him to ride the bus, either. He scowled as he remembered the things the other young teens had said and done, although he knew their words and actions were probably not intended to harm or embarrass his ward. But, he also knew that the same thing would happen if he allowed Dick to ride the bus. Then again…he looked over at the two kids who had pleaded to stay by their friend's side. They were staring at him and he unintentionally glared back thoughtfully.

Bronte flinched when he saw the Bat-glare and dropped his eyes to the ground. He shouldn't have hit the villain; he was about to get in trouble with Batman! Serina began watching some ants that were crawling around in the dirt; Batman was mad at them!

"Can I trust you," Batman addressed the two teens, "to take care of this young man on the ride home?"

Bronte and Serina stared up at Batman in surprise. Dick was going on the bus? Batman was asking if he could trust them?! Dick looked at Batman in amazement and then grinned slightly when he glanced at the faces of his best friends: they were in shock.

Batman waited impatiently for an answer and wasn't surprised when both kids slowly began nodding their heads.

"Here are the rules," Batman stated. "Nobody is allowed to touch him, nobody is allowed to ask him any questions and everyone needs to give him space. You, for now, are his bodyguards. Do not let me, let him, down. Do you understand?" he demanded.

Bronte and Serina nodded again and Batman saw the determination that was settling into their eyes. They would keep his ward safe, he had no doubts about that now.

Dick had managed to get on his knees and three pairs of hands were suddenly stumbling over each other to help him stand up. Batman, although it was extremely difficult for him to do, pulled his hands away and allowed the kids to help Dick onto his feet.

"Thank you," Batman growled but the three teens knew he wasn't angry. He strode over to the flagpole where one of the more formidable counselors was keeping a careful eye on False Face. Donovan was there, too, sitting cross-legged on the ground and drawing pictures in the dirt. The man looked up when he heard Batman approach then sighed and extended his wrists, waiting for the distinctive 'click' of Bat-cuffs being attached to them.

Batman glared down at Donovan and, for only the fourth time in his crime-fighting career, didn't quite know what to do. The man had just become a criminal but Mike had described the words and actions that occurred in the cafeteria right before they were all put to sleep. There was more to this man than met the eye but Batman didn't have the time to question him. It was imperative that Bruce Wayne be at the bus depot before the kids arrived and, in order for that to happen, Batman needed to leave immediately.

The one pair of Bat-cuffs in the hero's utility belt were on the wrists of False Face, who was unconscious and tightly secured to the pole. Batman took a step to his right, crouched down and used his Bat-cuff key to unlock them. Removing them from around the wrists of the villain, Batman stood and shifted back to Donovan. After fastening them around the man's wrists, he stared into the sorrowful eyes of the former counselor.

"That was not a smart idea," Batman began. "You have kids and you decided to help a villain?" The hero shook his head then turned his gaze to the sky when he heard the 'thump thump' of the police helicopter. Batman was surprised at himself; he hadn't even thought about calling Commissioner Gordon. Mike must have called him. Striding over to the landing aircraft, he began talking to the commissioner as soon as the man emerged from its belly.

"He was desperate," Batman flicked his head toward Donovan, "because he needed money for some reason. You might want to find out his story before sending him to prison." He turned and strode to the Batmobile, which was parked in front of the idling bus.

Commissioner Gordon watched Batman walk away then motioned to Chief O'Hara. "We'll take them both to headquarters, Chief, but put them in separate holding cells." Chief O'Hara nodded and, along with the officer they had brought with them, went over to escort the villain and the now-crying man on the ground to the helicopter.

Bronte, Serina and Dick had been watching the minor drama unfold. As the men were being led away, the teens turned around and began the short trek to the bus. "Stay here," Bronte instructed upon their arrival and climbed up the three steps into the vehicle.

Dick and Serina heard Bronte yelling out the rules that Batman had given them and Dick shook his head, laughter flashing through his eyes. Bronte was one of the leaders and most of the other kids looked up to him. Everyone was going to obey instructions from Batman and Dick was grateful that his guardian was allowing him to ride home on the bus like all the other normal kids.

Once everyone was loaded and situated, the bus began its six hour drive back to the depot where parents would be anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Randy – the chatterbox that False Face had tested two days ago – suddenly asked loudly, "So is anybody actually thinking about coming back here next summer?" Everyone was quiet, no hands were raised in the air and Mike – who was sitting all the way in the back – was disappointed. It had only taken one villain to shut down his beloved camp.

Dick was thinking about everything that had happened. He had enjoyed himself most of the time, although nearly drowning had been horrific, but he didn't want to lose Robin for six weeks every summer. Maybe he could get Bruce to talk to Mike about making some changes, like cutting the length in half. Robin could take a three-week break. On second thought, maybe a two-week break would be better. He slowly raised his hand and heard some quiet gasps throughout the bus.

Mike's eyes widened in surprise when the small, gauze-wrapped hand of Dick Grayson gradually rose toward the roof. Suddenly, there were thirteen other hands up in the air and excited chatter began drifting around the confines of the bus. The camp director smiled, both in relief for his camp and amazement at the young teenager. Dick was brave, smart and strong – both mentally and physically. First, he had weathered the "circus brat charity case" storm. Later, he had called Bruce Wayne and asked him to send Batman to the camp after somehow discovering that "John" was not who he seemed to be. Last, but certainly not least, he had survived a near-death experience that Mike only knew about because Batman had told him.

"Go to sleep, Dick," Bronte whispered as he watched the younger teen struggling to keep his eyes open. "We're not going to let anything happen to you, just like Batman said."

Robin wanted to stay awake and hear all about how Batman had captured False Face but Dick was exhausted. "Thanks," he said softly and closed his eyes.

Bronte and Serina situated themselves more comfortably and watched Dick carefully, glancing at him every few minutes to reassure themselves that everything was fine. The bus quieted down as many of the kids began falling asleep. Mike walked up the aisle, checking on everyone as he passed. He stopped next to the row where two of the close friends were keeping a silent vigil on the third and smiled when they looked up at him.

"Thanks," he, too, whispered and they grinned back. "I'll take a turn so you guys can sleep if you want," Mike continued but Bronte and Serina both immediately refused the offer.

"Batman gave us strict instructions and we don't intend to disobey," Bronte said quietly and Mike nodded in understanding.

The director studied Dick one last time before sitting down in the seat by the driver. The villain was in custody, along with Donovan, Grayson was going to be okay and his camp was probably going to be safe. There was only one loose end and Mike was not looking forward to speaking with Walter's parents.

Dick sighed one last time. If everything worked out the way he wanted it to then he might be coming back next year. He had been an idiot and regretted arguing with Bruce about the camp. His guardian had been right: he had made two really good friends and had fun, most of the time. He hadn't exactly been fine but that didn't matter anymore. Bruce is going to love holding this over my head was his last thought as he relaxed completely and fell asleep.

Several hours later:

Batman, in the Batmobile and close to arriving at the Batcave, was sighing in relief. False Face was going back to prison and Dick was alive. He grinned when he thought about the fact that he could tease his ward about being correct: the kid had two new friends and Mike had told Batman that everyone had been happy and having fun, most of the time. Dick hadn't exactly been fine but everything was okay now. Frowning, he began to anticipate a new storm that he might have to weather when his ward found out that he was never going to another summer camp. EVER.

Who should break the news: Bruce or Batman? Bruce was the guardian but Batman was more intimidating. Dick, of course, had Robin to fall back on and the young crime-fighter was intimidating in his own way. Batman nodded as he came to a decision – it would be Bruce and Dick who would argue about camps and breaks. Maybe it was a moot point. Maybe the teenager would agree with Bruce and not want to go anywhere. Maybe Bruce could keep him safe at home, away from lakes and abandoned shacks and untested drugs. Maybe….

THE END