A/N: This chapter gets gruesome. Those with gentle minds and vivid imagination are warned. Violent child abuse is yet to come. Sorry, I'm in a really depressed mood, very Gothic. Why must I take it out on Dick? I have no clue. I swear I'm not this dark; it only comes out in my writing. Something about when I write makes me think dark sometimes. It's not even just that. I think it's also because I read the Batman comic books, and they are this gory and horrendous; so when I write Batman, I write about very dark things. Again sorry, and don't read it if you don't want to. It is very similar to the real Batman comics in the graphic horror. You've been warned.

Disclaimer: Throughout this whole story, the main characters have been in reflection to what rightfully belongs to the Warner Bro's and makers of the DC Universe. Now...

Chapter 2: To Recover what is Lost

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In every loss, in every lie

In every truth that you'd deny

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*Dick's POV*

My eyes opened groggily. I heard gunshots, and my face was cold and wet. A mountain of snow surrounded me, and, like an igloo had managed to keep me alive through-out the night. The city was white and bright grey, the clouds overhead making the light turn the world into a bleak, bright grey. The clouds seemed to intensify the white light, and the sun was completely useable.

I tried to stand, finding it nearly impossible with my frozen limbs. Using the wall for support, I managed to get onto my feet, my back against the wall. I swiveled my head to the left, looking towards the source of the gunshot. I saw a man holding a gun, walking away from a man who lay on the ground, blood staining the snow. He walked closer to me, his head down, so he hadn't realized I was there. As he came near, I heard him say "What you disserved for leaven me in the middle of a fight!"

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think with the cold still paralyzing my brain. If I tried to run, I would just fall; he would catch me and ask me why I was running. I would probably get shot dead. Did I really need to try and escape? Where would I go? If Bruce didn't want me, If I was a murderer, I deserved to die here at the hands of another killer. That's how most of them die.

The guy finally looked up, and I just stared at him. We stood there for a minute, and the guy asked "Aren't you Wayne's kid?" I slowly shook my head no and looked down. "He kicked you out?! Now ain't that funny!" he said with a laugh and raised his gun. "Then he won't send a search party If I killed you," he said, but hesitated "You know something kid? I've known Bruce Wayne for a very long time, probably since he was about your age, maybe a few years older. You see kid, a long time ago; I was a crook, like I am today. Back then, I didn't have a gang, it was just me. One night, I walked into the alley near a classical theater…" My blood ran cold as the realization hit me. "Joe Chill?" I asked under my breath. "Hey, you got it," he said, his arms flying out to his sides. "I shot them down years ago, and here batman comes, calling me in the dead of night last night, tell'in me he'll kill me, throw me in jail, and that I ruined his life or what-not. Then he comes and takes my whole gang out! Well, all except for that," he pointed to the dead guy on the ground. "He ran off, so I had to make sure he paid for it."

I was scared now. This guy killed Bruce's parents. My mind was still not completely functional, but I decided. I wanted to take this guy out, a last thank you for Bruce. I would do this…

Or die trying.

I suddenly pushed away from the wall, surging forward. Joe tried to re-point the gun at me, but I was already on him. He dropped the gun and we fell to the snow. I stood and backed away, ignoring my screaming head. It was getting dark, and I noticed that I had been out all day.

I lunged at Joe again as he dove for the gun. Joe pointed it at me and shot. I moved, but I still wasn't functioning properly. My head exploded in pain as the bullet hit my leg. I still stood, wobbling from the pain. I was NOT going to pass out now! I had to do this! It was my last chance for redemption.

"Wow kid, you don't look so good." He said with a laugh. I looked down to see my blood crystallizing and the snow becoming red. I regained my focus and shifted my weight off of my leg. I resumed a fighting stance. "Ha! You got guts kid!" He pointed the gun at me again, but this time I kicked it with my bad leg, balancing on my good one.

He jumped back, and then attacked me. I tried to move away, but the pain of putting pressure on my leg made me collapse to the ground.

"You know what kid? I think you must be really dumb. How much you wana bet Wayne's look'in for you right now? Too bad he ain't goanna find you. Maybe I should leave him a message in your blood."

The last thing I saw was the butt of the gun flying towards me.

And each regret and each goodbye, was a mistake too great to hide

And your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve

*Dick's POV*

I awakened, my head throbbing painfully. I tried to stand, but my leg wouldn't move. I was freezing to death, again, on a cold concrete floor in some abandoned warehouse. I was a murderous kid who was thrown out into the dead of winter who disserved to die. And I knew exactly when my life went so wrong.

"Looks like you're up." Joe Chill said, walking out of the shadows. He held a whip that had barbed wire wrapped around it in intervals. "I'm goanna show you pain kid, and then your daddy can come wipe you up off the floors." He smiled coldly.

I couldn't stand so I turned off of my back and tried to crawl away. I heard a crack, and then it hit me. The whip shred my skin, the barbed wire making it cling. I screamed in pain, unable to hold back tears. It was a pain worse than any I'd ever felt before. The whip was stuck in my skin as the twisted metal worked as anchors. Joe pulled at the whip, but it wouldn't let me go. It clung to my back like the fangs of a snake, my blood blending with the rust and leather. As Joe pulled, my long scream intensified and I was bent backwards, the whip pulling my stomach and shoulders off the ground.

Joe stopped pulling and walked closer, holding the handle of the whip. With one end of the whip in my back and Joe standing behind me with the other, the whip resembled a long, flexible arch. I was still screaming and writhing in pain. My screams kept me from breathing, but I was unable to stop with the pain all around me. I tried to breath, but my screams continued.

My screams were suddenly cut off as Joe wrapped the other end of the whip around my neck and pulled. The center of the whip lay on the floor while the two other sides gave me torture. One side was the head of the snake that sunk its fangs into my back; the other side the tail that strangled me in a death grip. It all came from the snake it's self; the evil that stared down at me from the body of a man.

I was already Oxygen deprived, so the tight leather against my neck made me queasy. I heard a gurgling sound as I still tried to scream. I stared up at the roof, my eyes unfocused, wide with horror. The worst part, I deserved every second of the misery. I was worse than Joe. Joe had killed Bruce's parents; two very kind people; angels. But me, I had killed two angels, and they where my own parents. Bruce had said so himself, that night in the cave.

My thoughts blurred, just as something crashed through the roof. The strain around my neck loosened, and the end of my screams choked out as I lost consciousness.

So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean

Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes

^Bruce's POV^

I was out searching Gotham, the storm still raging on. As I came up to the abandoned docks, I heard a loud scream. I expected the scream to stop, to die out or be cut off, but instead it blended with the thunder, lasting for what seemed like eternity.

I followed the scream, knowing full well that it was Dick. At the very least, I knew he was alive. I panicked when the long, continuous scream intensified, still refusing to end. I came up to a warehouse, nearly driving into it in my haste. Just as I jumped out of the Bat-mobile, the scream was cut off.

I was standing on top of the warehouse in a heartbeat, and as I looked in to assess the situation, horror griped my heart. With in another heartbeat, I had taken in the site of Dick completely lying in a lake of his blood. His back was torn to shreds, a whip griping it. And the other side of the whip was being used to strangle him. There was a man looking down on Dick, and I didn't care who it was, he was going to… words can't even begin to say how much he would regret this.

I had assessed the situation in an all time new record of three seconds flat, and I was bursting through the roof by the fourth heartbeat. I landed directly on the man and caught Dick's head as his neck was released. The end of his scream finally came out in a quick grown and he fell unconscious. I turned and stood, facing the man that had been killing Dick. My eyes widened with surprise as I saw who it was. Fate had given me another chance to catch this raging lunatic, and now I had him.

I lunged, hitting him solidly in the nose. I heard a satisfying crack as he staggered back. I moved forward and hit him in the gut, then let him fall forward. Before he hit the ground I caught him on my knee and used my elbow to break his spinal cord. He fell on the ground in pain. He looked up at me, afraid, and I smiled. His eyes widened in fear. I was about to continue when Dick's ragged breaths stopped. My eyes widened as I turned. I quickly kicked Joe in the face, rendering him unconscious, and ran to Dick's side.

He was cold to the touch, and now has very white skin, the only found color in his staining blood. The blood had crystallized, and Dick was now lying in a frozen field where Icicles stood out. His back was also covered in icicles, sticking out and shimmering darkly. The worst part to see was his eyes. I looked deep into them, at first seeing only pale shadow of what used to be a lively blue. As I looked further, I could barely see a thread of life. He was holding on.

I lifted Dick, and the blood cracked, breaking away from him. He was frozen into the lake of blood, so as I pulled him out some of his skin peeled, despite my efforts to be gentile. We ran to the Bat-mobile and speed to the cave.

Alfred and I worked in a frenzy, trying to save Dick. It was morning by the time he was stable, and I sat next to him in the Batcave. He was in constant pain, despite our best efforts to give him enough sedatives without killing him. At least he was alive.

When he woke up, I would set things straight, but would things really be fixed? I had still betrayed him; let him believe that I hated him over revenge. Did I really deserve his forgiveness?

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Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between

Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies, across this new divide

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*Dick's POV*

I woke in the Batcave, my back and head set aflame. The screeching bats led my eyes to Bruce who stood over me, looking down with a scowl. I cowered, afraid of how he was going to call the police. Afraid that I would be left alone to rot in jail. Afraid that I deserved it all. Tears sprung to my eyes and I looked down.

"Does it still hurt?" Bruce asked, and I was startled by the kindness in his voice. As I looked up, he was still frowning, and I wondered if I had just imagined his concern.

"Dick?" He asked, reaching his hand to me. I flinched involuntarily, my head still throbbing. Bruce lowered his hand and his face tightened. Neither of us knew what to say.

With a gulp, I finally asked, "Are you going to call the police?" Bruce looked at me, his face growing darker.

"I already did." I nodded, lowering my gaze. This was it, I was going to jail.

"Where are we meeting them? They can't come into the cave, can they?" Bruce looked confused.

"Okay Dick, I am honestly lost now. What do you mean?"

"Where are we meeting the police, so they can take me away?" Bruce looked at me sadly.

"Do you want them to take you away?"

"Well, no, but…" I think we were both confused now. "Aren't you going to have the police arrest me for the murder of my parents? You said…" Bruce was staring at me wide eyed and tears stung me.

"Dick, I-I never thought you killed your parents, you didn't."

"But, y-you told me you had all the proof you needed. You said you would send me to jail. You said you didn't want me," my voice was trailing off and by now there were tears on my cheeks.

Bruce sat on the cot and picked me up, careful not to touch my back or hurt my leg where I was shot. "Dick, I think you overheard me when I was on the phone. You see, I was at the Bat-computer tracing a phone call to Joe Chill. I didn't know you were there." I stared at him, not quite understanding. My brain couldn't seem to wrap itself around the notion. "Dick, the biggest mistake I made was when I turned around and saw you there. I should have stayed and talked to you, but instead I put catching my parent's killer above you. I let the past be more important than the present and I didn't even catch him." Bruce was holding me tight, and I could hear the regret in his voice. "I'm so sorry Dick. Can you ever forgive me?"

I looked up at him, "I understand Bruce. My parents were killed too, and I was fairly rude to you myself when I demanded you take me with you to catch Zucco. Sorry I got in the way. Did you catch him?"

Bruce looked down at me and smiled. "Yes Dick, we caught him."

A/N: Well, there you have it. Only two chapters long and a gruesome scene. Hope you liked it, even though it was gruesome. I promise I'm not usually so cruel. PLEASE REVIEW!

P.S. This story isn't my best, but it helped me get out of my bad mood. I have another few stories planed and I think they will be interesting, and longer. Well, have a nice Summer Northern Hemisphere! Southern Hemisphere; if it's any consultation, I prefer the cold of winter.

Sorry if you didn't like the story, please review and tell me what you think.