Disclaimer: I don't own YJ or any of its characters

~.~.~.~

"What do you mean, 'take me off the team'!"

This had been going on for thirty minutes. Bruce had never seen Dick so upset, of course, he should be. He had not only failed his mission badly, but had threatened the lives of his teammates.

"I didn't say to take you off the team, Dick" Bruce said, looming over the boy who didn't so much as flinch. "I said I'm going to give you a break, emotional breakdowns cannot happen on anymore missions."

"That is taking me off the team!" Dick yelled.

Bruce sighed. "We're done talking about this." He tried putting his hand on Dick's shoulder to comfort him, who only gave him a nasty look and ran off to his room.

He heard the faint screams of anger as Dick slammed his door shut, Bruce shook his head.

"You know, Master Bruce." Said Alfred, Bruce jumped a little inside. after all these years of training and being Batman, he still couldn't hear the tiny and quiet footsteps of his butler. And friend. "You were a bit to hard on the boy."

Bruce growled. "I was not. He had an emotional breakdown and almost cost the team their lives."

Alfred frowned. "Did you ever consider asking why?"

"Why what?"

Alfred frowned deeper, "Why he had such a breakdown."

Bruce shook his head once more, "I'm done with this. No need to argue, my decision is made up."

He started to walk off to his quarters, when he heard Alfred's voice once more.

"He sees you as a father, Sir. There is no need to-"

"He is not my son, nor will he ever be." Bruce growled, storming off to his quarters.

If he wasn't so trained in these types of things, Alfred would have jumped at the harsh remark.

Little did they both know, Dick was listening the whole time.

~.~.~

Dick was waiting for the appropriate time to apologize to Bruce, hearing their conversation from the top of the long steps.

When he heard the remark, Dick didn't feel anger.

He felt depression.

"Is this what he thinks of me? Am I really just a poor orphan boy that was taken in for the press?"

Dick felt a single tear drop onto the his leg. He wanted to make himself stop thinking about it, but..

"I've always thought of him as my second father. The one who took me and cared for me during my darkest times.."

"But I guess" Dick whispered, "He doesn't think the same way."

He quietly went back up to his room, staring at the wall of his celling as he laid the no longer comfortable bed. "I can't stay here" Dick whispered to himself. "I'm probably just a pain, someone who was only here to be a charity case."

Dick wiped the strangled tears. He knew what he had to do.

"I'm going to run away"

Dick sighed, how was he going to do that? Batman would surely find out.

"Not unless.." Dick smiled. "There is no official hero in, Blüdhaven"

With that last thought, Dick exited through his window. Jumping onto the grass of the mansion below.

~.~.~

Alfred had noticed the quietness of the young master's bedroom, which was very odd, to say the least.

"Maybe he's asleep?" Alfred thought, but quickly wiped the theory away. It was only ten on a Saturday, much to early for Master Dick to be asleep on his own free will.

Alfred considered whether or not he should check on him. He might still be angry at Master Bruce, for it was unfair. But he couldn't be mad at him, nobody could stay mad at Alfred for long.

Alfred quietly walked up the steps, finding his door in the mess of hallways and doors. Not that his wasn't simple to find, since it had a big sign that read "Dick's Room, Open if you Dare"

Alfred felt himself smile quietly as he knocked on the door, Master Dick surely did have a sense of humor.

"Master Dick?" Alfred asked, knocking again. Something wasn't right.

"Master Dick, I'm coming in" Alfred said, trying to open the door. It was locked.

"Master Dick!" Alfred said, slightly raising his voice out of worry. He fumbled with the un-opening door, it was stuck and locked.

Bruce came running up the steps, "Alfred! What's going on? Where's Dick?"

"I don't know, sir. He won't answer the door!"

Bruce knew Alfred must be worried, Alfred never raised his voice.

"Stand back, Alfred" Bruce warned. Alfred merely watched as Bruce kicked the door down with all his mite.

Only to see an empty room.

And there was no Dick.

~.~.~

Bruce was already in the bat cave, wondering all the possible things and people that would have taken Dick.

He saw thing after thing, villain after villain.

The only one that had escaped Arkam in such a short time..

No.

It couldn't be.

"Joker." Bruce whispered.

~.~.~

Bruce was there, as Barry would say, in a flash.

He was at an abandoned building on the outskirts of Gotham, which obviously held the Joker. There were face painted Joker heads everywhere.

He walked in slowly, till he came to an empty room.

"Welcome, batsy!" Said a voice in the shadows of the dark place.

Well, almost empty.

Batman easily punched the Joker in the neck, for he was standing right behind him. In fact, with just a kick he was..

knocked out?

"This is to easy for comfort" Batman remarked.

He found a light switch, hoping to see any other goons that might be hiding.

When the lights turned up, his eyes took to one place. And one place only.

The blood of Dick Grayson, painted as the Joker's symbol.

~.~.~.~

Well, What did you guys think?

I know, this doesn't really flow well. I needed to add a whole bunch of things to one single chapter. Hopefully it didn't turn out to incredibly bad..

Promise it'll make more sense next chapter!