Disclaimer: No character ownership or profits here! move along lawyer man!

Sequel to 'Dead Inside'. Takes place directly after it so you better have read it first! s/8770276/1/Dead-Inside This is not for the faint of heart and it'll have some action, but the truth is this is all about recovery. So it's full of fluff. This is also still in the process of being written and edited, so it'll take longer between updates. But I did promise people who asked that I'd start posting around Christmas. So... Merry Christmas! This will be the only A/N until the end. Catch ya later! *goes back to marathon and projects*

From Ashes

It wasn't the usual bedding. That was what he first noticed. It was far too comfortable and yet practical. The place he was sleeping in was cool and mildly humid. He could hear a familiar screeching along with many humming machines. The place echoed as well. It smelled of stones and mud. A cave.

His cave.

Instantly his eyes shot open, looking straight to the covered ceiling of the cave's medical bay. His favorite butler had insisted this part be sanitary at all times to prevent infections, yet he didn't mind the flaw in the cover he put there when the three of them put it up. It was still there.

He was home. Why? How?

For a minute he reviewed what had happened before he passed out in his mind. They were at the opening of a new courthouse. He was supposed to kill Mayor Krol, but Two-Face had attacked that evening as well. He and Master had jumped into the chaos to get their target at long last, taking down most of the thugs before those two appeared. He personally took down Two-Face, letting him live out of habit while his teachers fought. He was going to kill Krol, ready to end the job and disappear again like the nothing he was, but Master told him he was going to take the new Robin as well.

And he snapped.

He couldn't remember exactly how he fought the man, but he had, leaving him a bloody mess. His ultimate successor had stopped him, and then he told him it was over. It was over. Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator, was done, gone from his life. He beat him, defeated him almost perfectly. He had the trigger and the man was going to prison. They were safe. They were all safe. At last.

'How long has it been?' Idly, the former boy wonder tried to recall exactly how much time had passed since he was free to make his own choices. He had said a number before, but he couldn't recall it. His memory was shaky these days, entirely on purpose. He had to protect a lot of people's identities and secrets over the years. 'Am I really free?'

A thought struck him and he jerked upright. 'The Titans!' He had the trigger! He could free them now! He had to—

"Dick!" His sudden movements had attracted the attention of three males of varying ages. Dick made a point not to look at any of them as the older two swamped him, the boy looking anxious to join in but holding back for some reason. Questions and orders immediately spilled from their lips.

"Are you okay?"

"What are you doing up young man?!"

"You passed out so suddenly… Are there any injuries we don't know about?"

"Lay back down and get some rest! You're in no condition to be running around!"

"Is there anything you need?"

"What did that beast do to you?"

"I need to get to Jump." He tried to push past the two who had raised him, but stumbled as he put his feet on the ground. His head was swimming at the sudden movement. When did his legs lose all their strength? Instantly, two sets of arms wrapped around him, supported him, gently forcing him back to the medical bed.

"I don't think so young man!"

"They're in danger. They don't know—"

"If it's about those probes," he started, "they were taken care of years ago."

Dick jerked his head around, gaping at him in shock. "What?"

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he started to explain. "Four years ago, when you broke into Wayne Enterprises in Jump, you had a fight on the roof. I saw the footage and went there two days after. You weren't picking up your cell or com. The Titans did full workups on their own and found out about the probes in their blood twelve hours after your fight. They tried to find you by backtracking the signal that day, but when they arrived at the haunt, you were gone. We exchanged information and I introduced them to Ray Palmer, the Atom. He was the one Wilson stole the nanoprobe technology from. Ray removed it that week.

"They've been safe for four years. Slade just made you believe they were in danger this entire time."

The words hit him like a ton of bricks. All these years…taking every blow… committing every crime… learning how to kill…and all in the name of saving lives already saved… useless. He willingly suffered for nothing.

All at once he crumbled, nearly falling to the floor if the two men next to him hadn't caught him immediately. Head in his hands, he didn't hear them trying to calm him down, trying to reassure him. He didn't see the worry on their faces or the boy shrink away in fear and concern, not knowing what to do. Part of him knew they were trying to help him, to care for him, but he couldn't take it. Everything he went through was for nothing. He truly was nothing. All his efforts aiming for a positive end were nothing. He did bad things for a long time because Master told him to. And even though he was defeated, in the end, Master still won. He was nothing but a broken bird, formed into the perfect criminal.

"Don't look at me..."

"Dick?" The concern in his voice only drove more needles into what was left of his heart. This man shouldn't care for him so much. He was evil, a bad boy, nothing. "What are you—"

"Don't look at me!" In a movement so fast it would make a Flash jealous, Dick pulled away from both men, leapt back onto the bed, and scurried away from them. It was hard to breathe. They gaped at him. He knew it and he couldn't take it. Quickly he pulled the covers over his entire body, hiding himself away from them. Curling up into himself, he kept his back to them, shaking under the blankets. All for nothing… All for nothing…

"Dick…"

Quickly he covered his ears. He couldn't bear to hear his voice. He didn't deserve his compassion. He did so much wrong… He should be rotting in prison for what he did. For everything he did. Claiming it was for them… All for nothing…