Where Does Your Loyalty Stand?

Part 4

There was a loud knock on the door, sending nightwing out of his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and groaned quietly as he sighed, pressing the back of his head agaisnt the bathroom door.

"I'll unlock the door and you'll fall. Open up"

Dick let out a whine before standing up and turned, unlocking the door and glancing at the man on the other side. He yawned and covered his mouth as he did so, quietly muttering a 'Slade' in an angryish tone

Slade nodded "That lock will be taken off at some point. I don't even know why I bothered having it put in" he turned around, making a small hand gesture for Dick to follow him as he began to walk.

The younger followed him somewhat obediently. It gave him more of a time to look around at where they were going. They left the bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen mix dining room...one of dicks worst enemies. Food.

The male gulped quietly, his hands bawling info fists as he wasn't actually going to punch anyone or anything, he just decided stabbing his nails into the palm of his hands would be more satisfying than the smell of food that was burning on the stove.

A male stood by it, cooking...no burning pancakes like an amateur. He was in a deep blue suit and grey was littered on it. His hood was up and mask on top of it. It was silver with a red X across it.

Obviously stating that male was Red-X

"I'm aware of your medical records and aware of your habits...eating is not one of them I see. So weather you like it or not you'll eventually learn eating is important and doesn't cause you to get pudgy or fat. If it did then I'm sure you'd probably be dead" he chuckled but upon hearing silence from Dick he paused and turned to look at him, giving him a glance up and down. "Dr Crane will be here shortly and give you tips on how to help that. Evil or not... phycology was one of his big things and he learnt a few things about mental disorders so could get you sorted"

Dick growled under his breath, looking at the floor. He hated crane with a passion and wanted him dead and now he had to listen to the man about his own issues. No way in hell

"Fuck that" He hissed, crossing his arms and flipping his hair to the side. Slade chuckled and turned back around before going over to the kitchen counter

"Sit and I'll get a plate. You're gonna eat the whole plate weather you like it or not"

Dicks face pailed as he didn't move. He didn't want to sit and eat, he didn't want to talk to Slade, he didn't want to talk at all. He wanted to go back home-Go to Arkham even. Anywhere but here yet that seemed to be difficult.

Slade left the room as his phone began to ping. "Well you heard boss man. Take a seat, I have food made" X spun around with a plate of pancakes. About 7 of them on them. He put them down on the table and grabbed the syrup before pouring nearly half the bottle over them.

The look of it made Grayson feel sick. His face pailed even more as he put one step back. "I-I'm...not hungry" he mumbled but as he took another step back he felt a hand on his shoulder

"Eat on pancake and we'll call I a day" The voice was soft yet unsettling. It was horse and broken. It was Cranes. Speaking of him meant he would show up sooner rather than later.

Dick spun around, glaring at him as he went to grab something but said something wasn't actually there. "When did-You were-I already said I'm not hungry-Why do you guys keep showing up!? Fuck off" he gave a small glance before he ran. He wasn't sure where but he just ran.

Crane and X shared an amused glance before Crane sighed "This will be an irritation. Of course Slade goes for the most fucked Robin. Even Jason Todd is easier to manipulate than him. Slade always did have a thing for the messy"

X laughed, jumping into the counter as he grabbed a pack of crisps from next to him and opened them, sticking his hand into it before eating them.

"You're always hungry" he chuckled and X just stuck his tongue out.

"Go find bird boy-Slade will have our arses if we don't" He barked but Crane just rolled his eyes before walking off to find the boy. Crane was much older than most of their put together team and didn't take orders often. He listened to Slade and that was about it. He found it pathetic anyone other than Slade.
_______

Dick had found himself outside and his eyes glazed over to a small type rope hovering over a pool. Obviously memories clouded over his mind but he shoved them to one side as he stepped closer to it. He looked at type rope and a small smile grew on his face as he remembered the tricks he used to do.

He was still extremely flexible and eventhough it had been years since he last did any proper acrobatics, being nightwing meant he had to do them daily so he wasn't too rusty.

As he went to the rope, he hadn't stopped to notice the cameras pointing at him. He was too focused on the rope to realize. He crouched down, taking his shoes off and placing them besides the pool. He stood back up and placed a foot on the type rope, signing quietly as he felt the rope agaisnt his socks. He eventually placed the second and started to walk to the middle.

As he did so, light as ever, he stopped when he reached the mid point and bent down, placing two hands on the rope and pushing his legs off into a simple handstand.

He bent his legs backwards, bending them so they were either side of his stomach and his feet placed firmly against his back. He moved one hand from the rope and put it out to the side. He wobbled slightly but gained his balance back quickly.

The smile on his face only grew as let his eyes close. This was freedom. He liked it here. He liked the type rope. It was better than being in that car, in that bathroom, that bedroom, that kitchen, that dining room that house...it was just better.

"Having fun?"

The sudden voice snapped him out if his daze and he looked over, unlocking his legs from the position they were in and back to the rope where he moved his hands and he was now stood up straight.

"I was..."

The bearded male stepped forward, pulling out a protein bar from his pocket "Slade may want you to eat all the 7 pancakes but I don't mind if you eat one singular bar...you remember I was a physiologist right? I also did therapy for a month before I got bored and went back into my old job. So I'm fully aware of what your minds doing to you and how you're responding to it"

The man was smart for being a mad man. Scarecrow always was an odd man but never a dumb one.

"How do I know it's not drugged?"

Crane chuckled and shook his head "Because I'm not in the mood to be 'Lectured' by the killing machine today. And to prove its not I'll take a bite. I'll cut a bit off and eat it if you really want me to"

Dick nodded before making his way off the rope and over to Crane. "And anyway, I'd rather eat this than the pancakes. The pancakes would make you hungrier and so you'd finish the entire plate and then hate yourself because you've eaten more than you wanted. Then there you go, if you eat a protein bar it will fill you up while also eating as little as you want"

Dick looked down and scoffed slightly "For a crazy man who wanted me dead for longer than 6 years...you're pretty smart" he chuckled, glancing back up and taking the bar. He looked down at it and fiddled with the wrapper

"Come on. You eat it and I'll take to deathy about getting you a type rope in your room...y'know...so you don't get punished for running off. As much as I love hearing you scream, I'm not fond of Slade's pet being beaten when I could happily experiment on you and hear you scream that way"

"How...charming" he murmured, ripping open the bar and hesitating before taking a bite. He felt like puking when he tasted the textured exploded in his mouth.

He moved the rest of the bar from his mouth as he felt himself grow sick. He shook his head, handing it back to Crane.

He eat so rarely that the meer bite of food made him physical sick. His body wasn't used to eating so it made him ill. He swollowed it and shivered

Crane sighed, nodding slightly "I see...uh well I believe I know understand a little more than before. Come along-I have a meeting to discuss with Slade"

He grabbed Dicks wrist and started to walk "Don't throw up-You need food in your system"