Dick's POV

I sat on the floor. Half on the mattress, half off. Just laying there, staring at the ceiling, thinking. I've been doing that a lot lately, just thinking.

I have good reason to think though. There was so much to think about. There was how I'm temporarily staying in this five-star hotel!

How the Young Justice brats are no longer cowering in fear near me. And how they're actually being nice.

And you can't forget the most awful revelation in the whole dang on world! How, how I kill for Slade and Ra's. And how I . . . how I do it without remorse or hesitation.

All just to make them proud.

I've killed children, and mothers, even whole families. Without even a second thought. I've given painful deaths. Slow, agonizing, torturous deaths to people who haven't even reached their late twenties.

And I saw no wrong in it. I saw absolutely no evil. All because I believed Slade and Ra's would finally love me. If I did what they wanted, and if I did it how they wanted me too. They'd finally hug me, laugh with me, want me . . .

Love me

Team's POV - Mountain Living Room

"R's been unusually . . . quiet." Wally said, somewhat quizzically.

It was true. After Batman had left R in the med-bay, he was silent. He barely even moved, he just laid motionless and silently on the bed.

In all honesty it was completely unnerving. The boy wasn't abnormally loud, but he was silent often. He was either making some sly comment, or creeping everyone out with his insanity. The quietness was new, and no one liked it.

After maybe an hour later, Batman had went back into the med-bay, and he and the assassin came out. They walked all the way back to his room, and R held his head down the whole way. Not even a glare as he passed us.

"Should we go and check on him?"M'gann asked. The group looked among each other, all eyes eventually falling on their leader.

Kaldur looked up at them and thought about it for a minute. "I do not see any harm in it." He shrugged.

The team got up and walked to the assassin's room. A tingle of hesitation and fear in the back of their minds. They were walking to an assassin's room, who wouldn't be scared?

They got to the room and stood there, staring at the closed door.

"Should we really do this?" Wally asked as M'gann made a mind-link.

"Yah," Artemis sighed. "Lets do this."

With that sliver of reassurance, Wally put in the code to open the door. They each peered in slowly, worried about what they may see. But they were pleasantly surprised to see the boy simply laying on the ground. Half-on and half-off the small mattress that sat in the corner.

He just stared at the ceiling, barely even acknowledging the heroes who had just stepped through the door.

The teenage heroes stepped in, finally getting a better look at the kid. And upon further inspection they saw that the boy had been, had been. . . crying?

Yah, crying. His eyes were red, matching his pink tinted cheeks. Tear streaks ran down the sides of his face too. No noise came from him, he just stared at the ceiling as tears rolled down his face.

M'gann approached him slowly, he didn't even look her way. "Hey, are you ok?" she asked softly as she sat down besides him. R visibly jumped, being startled by the new voice. His hand went down to where a knife would be, but awkwardly missed because there was no knife there.

The team was genuinely surprised. Was he so wrapped up in his own little world that he didn't notice them?

R quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, placing a scowl on his face. "What do you want?" He spat, his menacing tone being killed by the sniffled that followed. He angrily sighed at himself and wiped his face again.

"We just came to see if you were alright?" Kaldur answered. R glared at them.

"Well I'm fine. Now, if you could ever so kindly leave the premise." He smiled sarcastically. Acting as if they hadn't just seen him crying. The team didn't question it, then left the room.

Dick's POV

The group of super brats left the room. I spun around on my heel and sent a punch to the wall.

I didn't scream with rage like I normally do when I use the wall as a punching bag. I just hit it, over and over and over again. Not a sound leaving my mouth.

'Why am I even crying!' I thought as I hit the wall.

'Why won't I STOP crying!' I hit the wall again.

'Why did they come here!' And I hit the wall again

'Why am I staying here!' and again.

'Crying like a little baby!' and again.

'I'm such a wimp!' And again, and again.

I crumpled to the ground and set my head on the broken wall. I sniffled, stupid eyes, I wish I was emotionless. Then things would be simpler.

I lightly hit my head against the wall. Whispering a strained, "why?" I hit my head against the wall again and again, muttering the word "why why why why" over and over again with each tap.

I finally stopped after what felt to be my 70th 'why' and I flopped down on the mattress. I am tired, and drained, and whatever other words that can describe emotional and physical exhaustion.

Just as I'm about to finally sleep. Tall, dark, and broody walked through my door.

Normal POV

"Why do you people keep coming in here!" R screamed. Arms flying in the air as he laid on the mattress.

"I came in here to check on you." Batman said monotone as ever. R glared at the bat, a stream of a steam (hehe that rhymed) coming from his nose.

Batman was, surprisingly, a little fazed by the glare. But walked towards the hitman either way. R continued to glare at him.

R sat up on the mattress and cross-crossed his legs. Batman decided to copy him and sat cross-legged into front of him.

"What do you want." R said through clenched teeth. Obviously tired of social interaction for the day.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright." Batman said, intertwining his fingers and setting them
in his lap.

"Well as I've just told your group of sidekicks. I am very much so ok. Now if you'd be a dear and-,"

"Don't lie." Batman said, interrupting R telling him to get out.

R cocked his eyebrow up and but an amused smile on his lips. "Excuse me?"

"Your not ok." Batman said clarifying why he had interrupted him.

R sighed. "Well great job Sherlock. Would you like a medal? I think I've got one that says world's greatest detective on it!" R said with sarcastic enthusiasm. "Now if you'd just-,"

Batman sighed. "Here's goes nothing." He thought.

R was surprised, Batman was surprised, pretty much everyone was surprised when the Bat pulled R into a hug.

R froze, completely dumbstruck by the sudden contact. And when he finally realized what was happening he melted into it.

He didn't wrap his arms around the older, he just leaned into the contact he so desperately missed.

R spoke, still in a sort of trance the much needed contact had put him in. "What are you doing?" He said, his tone less sharp.

Batman didn't respond, he just pulled the boy tighter. R neither rejected or accepted it. Batman felt how the boy leaned into him. And just from that he deducted something that made his blood boil.

That the league of assassin's, Ra's ah Ghul, Slade, they had deprived this child of things such as 'hugs' maybe even physical contact in general.

Batman held R until he felt his breathes start to even out. Going into a slow rhythm that told the Bat that R had fallen asleep. Batman began to let go, but R subconsciously (messily) wrapped his arms around the Caped Crusader. Pulling on him lightly to make sure he wouldn't let go.

Shocked by this, Batman froze. What was he supposed to do? Just hugging the boy in general was a difficult task for the Dark Knight.

So Batman decided to pull the boy up and onto his lap, making sure they were both comfortable. Then scooted himself over to the wall and pressed his back up against it.

Batman sat against the wall in a comfortable silence. Listening to the boy's even breathes. He looked down at the assassin, a small smile gracing his usually cold face.

"You a weird one aren't you?" He whispered.

DID IT! WHOOP! I keep realizing these chapters are all being spent in one room 😅 but whatever the room is serving it's purpose!

See you guys soon! And have a Star Stellar Day Week Month and Year!