Unbreakable (A Dick Grayson story)

CH 1: Reality doesn't seem so real anymore

It was not just a dream.

If anything, it was a nightmare; one that Dick could not seem to wake up from.

He felt numb, as if everything happening around him was occurring in a fog, the words of the police officers muffled and distorted to his ears which were still ringing with the sound of his parents' death. Yet to utter a single word, Dick did not protest when he was ushered into a police car; not even when he was dropped off at a strange house and told that it was to be his new home.

Dick did not want a new home. He did not need one, right? His parents were fine. It was just all a dream.

A terrible, terrible dream.

He barely registered the new adults speaking to him, simply stumbling after them to a small room with a mattress on the floor. It was his new room, they said. But he did not need a new room. His parents were fine, right?

Just a dream... a horrible, horrible dream.

As the door closed behind him and the lights turned out, Dick curled up on the mattress, tugging the threadbare blanket over his shoulders and hoping that everything would be well in the morning.

Things were surprisingly the same come morning, Dick awaking in the same small room, eyes blinking blearily around at his surroundings. He had not really taken in anything the night before, far too much in shock to care, but now his mind had cleared somewhat.

He still thought it was a dream – because of course his parents could not really be dead – but he was now more curious as to the details of this strange dream. After all, he could not recall ever actually being in a room like this before.

The room he was in seemed fairly devoid of personality, white walls clear of any decoration, the only piece of furniture in the room being the small mattress which he was sitting on. It was rather odd, Dick thought, to just leave a room so empty. He was used to over decoration having been raised in the circus, most rooms and people adorned with gaudy colors and frilly decorations.

Slowly, he arose from the mattress and padded over to the door, bare feet cold against the floorboards. He gripped the doorknob with both hands, slowly turning it and pushing the door open.

The hallway past the door did not seem familiar either.

This was a very strange dream.

Dick stepped out into the hallway, never one to let unfamiliarity stop him from exploring. The hallway too seemed unusually bare and undecorated, although the walls here were now a dark, rather somber, green.

As he continued along the hallway he came across more doors, all identical to the one which had led to his room. However, he ignored them, opting instead to continue on, eventually stepping out into what appeared to be a living room area. Or at least, the few couches and chairs scattered around the room would suggest that.

Adjoining the living room was a kitchen, and Dick could hear the sound of humming coming from someone just out of sight. His stomach growled as the smell of food hit his nostrils, leading him toward the kitchen and the person.

Maybe it was his mama. But why would she be in this unfamiliar house? Then again, why would Dick be here?

The dream was only growing stranger and stranger.

"Hello? Mama?" Dick asked, stepping into the kitchen, confusion swelling in the pit of his stomach as he saw a strange woman there.

Where was his mama?

The woman jolted slightly when she heard his voice, whirling around to face him. While she did not look completely unkind, she was definitely a stranger.

Why was she in his dream?

The woman began to speak, and Dick had to focus on what she was saying, scared of where his thoughts might take him.

"... dead. You were brought here last night and will be staying here until someone either wants to adopt you or you age out of the system." The woman eyed Dick with clear disgust in her eyes, as if she could tell just by looking at the boy that no one could possibly want to adopt him. "You will address me as Ms. Nyssa or Ma'am. I run this house and expect you to behave. If you have any questions, ask one of the other pests running around... they'll probably help." The woman, Nyssa, said, tone harsh and uncaring.

Dick could not help but frown, brows furrowing in further confusion. Why would he dream up such a mean lady? She was nothing like the nice people he was used to.

However, he remained silent, simply nodding and moving to the table when the lady told him to sit down. After all, there was no point in talking to characters in his own dream.

This was all just in his head.

Everything was fine.

He stayed quiet as other children began to enter the room and sit down at the table, doing his best to ignore their pointed stares and whispers.

Just a dream.

Food was served, a lumpy looking porridge, but Dick did not eat. The strangeness of everything was making him feel queasy, despite the fact that he still retained his continuous inner chant.

All just a dream.

Dick returned to his room, curling up on the mattress and squeezing his eyes shut, trying to force himself to wake up, to snap out of this strange reality.

Nothing seemed to work.

He stayed in his room until the lady came and forced him to sit at the table for dinner.

Dick did not eat.

He returned to his room as soon as he could and tried to wake up once more.

That night he could not sleep.

Just a dream.

The days went by in a numb blur as reality slowly sank in for the young boy; his parents were dead, and his life would never be the same. Gone forever where the loving embraces. Lost where the gentle words. Absent were the tender reassurances that everything would be okay.

Because it truly was not okay.

It would never be okay.

And with that final realization Richard Grayson cried.