Secrets hurt

Ch 11

I slaved over this chapter until it was done so I figured I might as well release it now :)

"You're not going anywhere," Jason said.

Dick winced as he noticed his brother.

Jason was leaning against the med bay's door frame, arms crossed over his chest. "B might not be able to stop you from going and doing something stupid, but I sure as heck can."

Dick's face fell, "Jason," he pleaded, "you have to understand... I want to keep you all safe."

Jason stood and walked toward his brother. "Our safety isn't worth your life Dick... don't pretend you weren't going to go turn yourself in to them..." he said softly.

Tears spilled down Dick's cheeks. "My life isn't worth anything anymore," he mumbled. "It hasn't been for more than 7 years."

"That's not true," Jason insisted.

The look on Dick's face made it clear he didn't believe a word Jason had said.

He took another step forward, sweat beading up on his forehead as his skin paled a shade. "I-I'm leaving," he said firmly.

"Beat me in a sparring match and I'll let you leave," Jason said.

"Jason!" Bruce called drunkenly from his bed. "Y-you can't let him leave."

Jason ignored Bruce's drunken comments.

Dick took a steadying breath and nodded, following Jason out of the med bay and into the cave's training area.

He shivered from the cold air as he sized Jason up. He knew the man's fighting style inside and out. He'd learned the same methods after all.

Jason watched Dick warily. He looked like he might just fall over on his own.

The two circled each other.

Jason knew Dick would wait for him to make the first move... but he didn't attack. He couldn't bring himself to knowingly hurt his brother... not after Dick had opened up about some of the things he'd gone through during those past 7 years.

Dick's vision was spinning. He cradled his head in his hands, taking quick panicked breaths as he tried to get it to stop.

"Dick?" Jason called uncertainly, stepping toward the acrobat.

"No!" Dick shouted, lashing out as Jason got close, his mind once again confusing reality with memory.

Jason's back slammed into the ground, an animated voice calling out, "Red Hood, fail."

Dick stood, taking a stumbling step toward the motorcycle Bruce had loaned him.

Pain shot through his skull. His vision blurred, a man in a bone white mask flickering in and out of his vision. "Your next target," he said, holding out an open file.

Bruce's picture filled the page, details on his life scrawling their way over pages and pages of white copy paper.

Dick flinched away. It was the first time he'd felt that he'd known one of the faces... he couldn't... he couldn't possibly kill Bruce...

He stumbled to a halt, heart jumping to his throat when he found himself on the edge of a building, file in one hand... knife in the other...

Bruce was in front of him...

Was he going to kill him?

No... no he hadn't... wouldn't...

This was when he'd stopped himself... when he'd remembered... right?