Protecting our leader.

Chapter Seventeen

P.O.V of Dick.

I exited the building, removing all my makeshift fire safety equipment, and went over to the place where we were meant to converge in the chance of a fire, such as now.
"Dick."
I turned around to be tackled to the ground by a relieved Jason.
"Get off me." I growled.
"Not a chance." He grinned.
I brought a penknife out of my pocket and put it to his throat, "Get off."
He instantly got off of me and I stood up, brushing the dirt from my uniform, "What was that for?" He asked.
"Not doing as you're told." I said, "But you never really had to, did you? You just spent your time picking on the weak and giving the orders, because the almighty Jason Todd was above the rules."
He gave me a shocked and betrayed look before turning on his heel and making his way to leave.
He didn't make it any further than two steps before the penknife went into his ankle and he collapsed to the ground. I felt the students around me tense and begin to whisper, but I didn't care about them. They mainly left me alone, but my fists would be having words with a few of them. I crouched down next to Jason, who had pulled the weapon from his tendon, and grabbed his face so that he would be looking at me.
"How's it feel?" I asked, "To be on the other side of the abuse?"
I plucked the penknife from his hand and shoved it back into his wound as he let out a cry of pain.
"Stop this now."
I turned my head to see Bruce standing a few feet behind me, a needle in hand. And I think I knew what it was, the serum that would make me their puppet rather than the free person I am now. And behind him was Wallace and Artemis, both covered in soot and wearing bandages to try and stop the blood loss from their arms. I growled at them, I should have put the blades through their throats when I had the chance.
"This is not you." Bruce said, "This is the Owl's influence, if you'd just let me take it from you-"
"The Owl's influence?" I cackled, "No Bruce, the Owls set me free, broke through the barrier Miss M had put around my mind. I will not become your complacent puppet again."
"You speak of freedom." Wallace said, "But whatever your master say's you do without a second thought. That is not what I'd call freedom. That is slavery."
"Well it's much nicer then you sending me to the trafficking ring." I retorted, but it had given him the distaction that Bruce needed to advance and start the fight.
I brought up my arms to block him, unsheating the hidden blades that were part of the braclets I had been ordered to wear. Then I went on the offence, punching followed by a nick of the blade, I just needed to get him to drop the damn needle. But my focus on that target was so strong that I didn't notice Tim coming up behind me and taking out my legs until I was restarined on the floor by the entire team and him.
"I'm sorry Dick." Bruce said as I struggled, my eyes widening in panic as the contents of the needle were injected into my bloodstream.

P.O.V of Bruce.

I had got to the school as soon as possible. Right after they had all left Deathstroke had come up to me, handed me a ring and explained what was happening. How he escpaed the cell was still a mystery, but he had made me an antidote and I had let him leave. But as Dick was screaming in pain and thrashing around under the restraint of the team as the serum worked through whatever the Owls had placed in his mind, I wasn't sure that this was the right idea. The students had cleared the area once they had seen what was happening, and Wally, Artemis and Jason had been colleced by the amblulance service that I called in earlier. I kept thinking back to how I had found them, so close to death from the smoke, and to think it was Dick who put them in that situation. I had told Wally not to touch anything in case it had been poisened, and I hoped he kept to his word. After about five minutes the screaming and thrashing stopped and I looked over to Dick who was now curled in a ball on the floor.
"Dick." I went to crouch next to him but he scuttled away so fast he could have been the Flash.
"Stay away from me." He croaked, his voice raw from the screaming.
"Dick. You're safe now." I assured him, but we stayed back and he didn't move any closer.
"I killed innocents." He was speaking more to himself then us, "I treid to kill my best freind. I treid to kill all of you."
"Rob, you're forgiven." Megan said, "It wasn't your actions."
"But I wanted to." He looked over to us, his eye's rimmed red and tears moving down his cheeks, "I wanted you all dead so much. I would have done. I would have done it." The sobs hit harder and I instincivly moved over to him, putting an arm around his shoulders and he leaned into me, "I would have killed you."
We stayed like that for a while, the firefighters came over but we declined to speak. It began to snow, the white pure and forgiving.

P.O.V of Dick.

I knew everything I had done, and I knew the truth now. I was safe around these guys. I stayed in Bruce's embrace for god knows how long. Eventually it began to snow, the once childlike innocent flakes like ashes of the fire I treid to kill Wally and Artemis in. We then walked home, and settled on the sofa, the fire lit and behind the grate and warming the room. But all I could think of was the pokers that were warmed in them and I turtoured people with, and the fire I tried to kill my best freind and his girlfreind in. I refused the food they gave me and they didn't push. Damian had pushed the team out of the way to snuggle into the spot next to me, not saying anything but his silent comfort was enough. This was the family that I belonged in, not the Owls. This family would never make me harm myself, they would heal me instead. This was my family and nothing would ever take them away from me. Not like I almost did. I went up to bed by myself but I couldn't sleep, I lay in bed staring at the celing all night as the shadows creeped over the wall and the sun began to rise again. Wally, Artemis and Jason came back and spoke with me, but I couldn't hear them over the numbness that had spread throughout me. I refused the food again, taking it to my room and dumping it in the bin. I didn't feel hungry, I didn't feel anything. I went through the day mostly on instinct and routine. I spoke when I needed to speak, reacted when I needed to and went through the day like a robot. My routine never changed, and I began to sink further and further into myself. The team left and the teachers that were ill came back into work. And life continued as if nothing had happened to me and my family. But so much had changed, and I feared I may never return to who I was before.