If You Could Turn Back Time

Ch 14

Dick hung limply from a pair of chains set into the wall, something he would've been annoyed about if he could think coherently. Seeing as he had a broken arm as well as a wounded leg, he didn't really see the point of the chains, but obviously someone had.

The slamming of a door was what brought Dick back from his blissful unconsciousness and into a land swirling with pain. He groaned and tried to lift his head.

Dick only managed to catch a glimpse of a red helmet before his head fell back to rest on his chest.

Distorted laughter echoed through the warehouse, and Dick's head was tugged up for his gaze to meet Red Hood's.

"So... the little birdie's finally awake," Hood drawled.

Dick couldn't help but notice how familiar the voice seemed... He felt as if he should recognize it...

Hood paced around Dick in a wide circle. "Not lookin' too hot are we Nightwing," he said mockingly.

Dick bit back his nausea and muttered a quiet, "why?"

"Why?" Hood echoed. "Let's just say that you have quite a bounty on your head, and I intend to turn you in to collect that. It's not like you'll be there for long, I know you hero types. You always manage to get out of a pinch in some way or another."

Dick let his head fall forward to rest against his chest again.

"It's not often that I deal with someone like the Justice League, but after I told them I had you captive they were more than willing to negotiate," Hood said with a chuckle.

Dick's brow furrowed. He recognized that laugh... but there was no way it could be... Jason was dead.

Jason didn't seem to notice Dick's recognition, and instead continued talking.

Much to his dismay, Dick's hearing began to fuzz out as his vision spun. He let out a groan and vomited on the ground in front of him.

"Eww," Jason said hopping back. "That was disgusting!" He took in the mess in front of him for a moment before yanking his helmet off. "Ugh, now the smell's all up in my helmet."

Dick froze when he saw Hood's face. It was Jason. Sure he was older, most definitely taller and more well muscled, but Dick could never forget the face of his little brother. "Jay?" He mumbled.

Jason's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Dick. "How do you know that name?" He growled.

Dick fought to keep his eyes open as black spots danced in his vision. "Jay," he said once more before he was claimed by unconsciousness again.

—

Dick awoke to the sound of multiple sets of footsteps. He tensed as he saw members of the JLA approaching him with Jason leading them, his helmet secured on his head again.

One of the heroes handed Jason a thick envelope, and Superman stepped forward and ripped the cuffs that were enclosing Dick's wrists open.

Dick cried out softly as he crumpled to the ground, red hot pain spiking through his body when he landed on his injured arm. His breathing was ragged, and his eyesight was rapidly dimming again.

One of the heroes scooped Dick up in their arms, but he couldn't muster enough energy to stop whoever it was from grabbing him, so he simply slumped in their arms, finally giving in to unconsciousness.

—

When Dick finally opened his eyes again he was nearly blinded by the bright lights and white walls of the watchtower's infirmary. He tried to lift an arm to block out the bright lights, and that was when he noticed that his left arm was wrapped to the armpit in a hard blue cast. He groaned in slight annoyance at not having the use of the limb, especially after realizing that there was a chain hooked around the wrist of his right hand, giving him no way to block out the harshness of the room's lights.

Dick shifted each of his legs, confirming that they were both chained at the ankle. He could feel a tightness around his right calf which he assumed to be bandages covering his bullet wound from Jason.

Jason...

Dick thought back on his recent experience with his previously dead brother, where he had first shot him in the leg, and then proceeded to chain him to the wall of his secret lair or whatever when he had a broken arm.

It was clear that whatever Jason had gone through after his death had changed him from the innocent boy he'd once been into someone much darker...

The sound of a door opening startled Dick out of his thoughts, and he looked up as best he could to see Superman standing over him with his arms folded over his chest.

"So... Nightwing is it?" Clark asked as he unlocked the shackles from Dick's ankles and wrist.

"Ya," Dick said sitting up and scooting away from the kryptonian.

Clark sighed and massaged his temples. "Look, I don't approve of the method used to get you here, but now that you're here we'd like to ask you some questions," he said.

"I honestly don't feel like I really have a choice, so I guess let's go," Dick mumbled, slowly standing and following Clark through the watchtower.

When they finally arrived in the council room Clark led Dick to a seat before walking around the table and sitting in his own.

Dick was glad they didn't bother with any restraints, assuming that being in a room with other highly trained/super powered people would discourage any attempts at escaping he might try to come up with.

"So," Bruce said in his deep Batman voice. "Nightwing... what do you hope to accomplish through your vigilanteism?" He asked.

Dick rolled his eyes under his mask. "Keeping the city safe, protecting the innocent, putting criminals behind bars..." Dick said with a no duh tone of voice.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "If you have similar goals to the Justice League why did you refuse our offer to join us?" He asked.

"First of all," Dick said with a sigh. "It never really felt like an invitation, just more of a we'd like to interrogate you please come peacefully sort of thing, and second, I don't need help with my city, and frankly I don't care much about working together to save the world and all that nonsense."

Bruce sat in silence for a moment before Barry snorted out a laugh.

A sigh escaped Dick's ex-mentor's lips. "Look Nightwing. We could really use someone like you on the League," he said, running a gloved hand down his face.

"I'm really into the whole global super hero thing," Dick said.

"We did pay quite a bit of money to get Hood to release you to us," Barry added, not very subtly implying that Dick owed them for that.

"Well I wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place if your little teen archer hadn't shot my grapple line leading to me break my arm and get a concussion," Dick countered.

"We're not trying to say that you owe us anything... if you want, we'll send you back to Blüdhaven right now... but we all became heroes for a reason, we have things we fight for... I want you to think of that reason and ask yourself if you really want to pass up this opportunity," Clark said.

Dick let out a long sigh, despite his earlier resolve he'd let what Clark said get to him. "Fine," he ground out. "On one condition... I decide who gets to know my identity... and if that's no one then it's no one. Got it?"

The members of the league nodded their understanding, everyone other than Bruce smiling broadly.

"Welcome to the Justice League."