-thank you to @JRyszarda for the request. I'm finally starting to get around to my requests. I'm also very sleepy cause it's 2:30am, and I spend all night vandalizing park benches-

-side note: are yall wanting updates on "The Man I Saw on The Stairs"? Or should I leave that for later?-

"He, just.." Tim sighed so heavily the very ground beneath them shuddered. "He just followed me down here. He saw the clock move, and... this one's my fault. Sorry."

"No, it's not your fault, this was going to happen eventually." Bruce sighed, pinching between his eyes, thinking carefully through his next moves. He lowered himself closer to the height of the little boy who cowered behind Tin's leg. "Hey Dick. you found something, didn't you?"

Dick looked around the huge dark cavern nervously, then looked back at Bruce. "Batman?" He asked. Jason told him about Gotham's hero, and he was largely the focus of Terry's bedtime stories. Dick had wanted to see Batman one day, but this wasn't how he expected it to happen.

"Yeah that's right, Batman." Bruce smiled as calmly as he could. it was always hard to explain the whole Bruce Wayne/Batman thing to a kid. 

A part of him wished they could have gone on the way they did forever. with Dick not knowing, but he knew that part was stupid. Dick was going to find out eventually, but three months living at the manor felt too soon. He was only five! He was already traumatized and didn't need to worry about his new family at night. Then, there was always the possibility he could tell....

"I'll go get the others, maybe it'll be easier if we explain together." Tim shook Dick from his leg, and hurried back upstairs.

Dick glanced around the dark, dank, empty space. Even with Bruce feet from him, Dick felt so alone in here.

Bruce reached out and for once the boy didn't try to escape, he let Bruce hold him gently by the shoulder. "This is a big secret. Okay, Dick? You can't tell anyone the secret."

Dick's brain was working overtime, trying to process everything. "Why...?"

shoot, Bruce thought, that's a good question: How do I explain this to a five year old? Bruce never had to explain this to a child so young. Usually by eight or nine they understand wat he means by 'If everyone knows, the people I love will be in danger', but Dick was so young, and barely understood half of what he says in English.

"Because if everyone knows, it won't be fun anymore." 

Dick seemed to see this as a valid explanation, nodding understandingly. Meanwhile, Bruce patted himself on the back for what must have been some of his best improvised parenting to date.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a week or so, and Dick had actually started to enjoy hanging around the batcave. When the others were in there, he wasn't even scared of the monsters in the dark. Tim showed him how to do cool things on the computer, Terry and Jason showed him the padded weapons he could play with (though Jason himself liked the real ones), and overall, Dick was starting to like the place.

One Friday night, Dick had been told he could play in the cave until they headed out at his bedtime. 

Count on them to forget he was napping in the batcomputer chair. 

Dick awoke when he heard the batmobile roar from the cave. He couldn't get up and go to bed, it was all dark now, the monsters would get him. Dick looked around the dark, dark, cave, He was not taking his feet off this chair. He would try to go back to sleep, and hope that Alfred would notice he hadn't been put to bed, and come looking for him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick was startled in his sleep by the sounds of skidding tires and shouting.

"Todd, Prepare the gurney!"

"okay, everyone, calm down!"

"FUckfuckfuckfuckfuck-"

"Guys! I need some more stuff to stay the bleeding!"

Dick was mostly angry to be torn from his lovely nap than anything. He tried covering his ears, but the shouting continued. It was so loud he wanted to scream and cry out in protest.

"Stay still for a second! The more he moves the more, uh..."

"The closer his guts are to pouring out."

"Jason!"

"what? It's the truth!"

"it's called tact!"

Dick finally gave up on sleeping through it, and sat up, still covering his ears. He kicked his legs around until he was facing the others a bit. "Shh! I'm quiet!" Dick got his English mixed up when he was tired.

Instantly the room fell silent. Dick opened his eyes a little. "I thought you put him to bed!" Damian's voice hissed. 

Tim gaped. "Since when was that my job? Terry's the oldest!"

"I thought dad did it!" Terry replied. He stepped forwards, trying to block Dick's view. "Dickie, you have to go upstairs to bed. Now."

But Dick was frozen in fear and confusion. Terry had blood on him. All his big brothers had blood on them. But who's blood was it? and why could he just see Bruce on top of that table thing?

"Bruse?"

"Dick, you need to go upstairs-"

"Bruse?" Dick shot past his brother and got a better look: Bruce was practically flat on his back on the table, hands over his stomach. That's where all the blood was coming from, and it was coming. practically the entire torso of Bruce's suit was soaked in red. And he wasn't moving. "Bruse? Bruse! Daddy?" Dick tried to run to his new father's body, tears springing to his eyes.

"Dick, no! go upstairs!" Terry barely caught his brother's pyjama shirt. " Go upst-"

Dick's vision was blurred to the point of being a indecipherable. Not again. this couldn't happen again. He just finished Hugging his father's corpse and now... no. not again. please god not again. Bruce had to stay alive. he had to. 

But if he had to, why was he lying there bleeding, and refusing to move when Dick called.

He tore away from Terry and sprinted blindly to the stairs. He sprinted up them, nearly on all fours, and staggered into the foyer. he didn't know where he was going, just that he couldn't be here.

He didn't realize he was outside until he felt the sheets of rain lashing at his back as he ran. He had to go... somewhere, he had to do... something. He just couldn't be there!

He ran until he tripped something and his stomach gave out, regurgitating its contents onto the ground next to him. Still, Dick tried to shove himself off the forest floor, and crawled deeper. 

He thought his eyes were just closed, but no. it really was that dark. dark, and raining, and cold. it was freezing. He couldn't see the manor in any direction, just trees and icy rain. It's like he fell into another dimension. 

Dick collapsed in the driest spot he could find and cried. He bawled his eyes out into his sleeve. He was haunted by  images of bodies, soaked in blood, lying motionless. But even those felt like far off memories from where he now sat shivering in the very cold, very real forest. He hugged his knees, pleading for his thoughts to go away.

He wasn't there anymore. But where was he? He felt almost a relief to escape that nightmare, but now where was he?

He became aware of a cautious padding on the forest floor, meters from him. it took his brain a second to realize what it was: Monsters.

He hugged his knees tightly and prayed they'd go away. He heard them getting closer. what could he do? run? They'd catch up too fast! They were going to eat him. the steps were feet from him now, and there was a sniffling sound traversing around his body. He knew the monsters were about to eat him, he tried not to imagine what they looked like. There was a wet prod at his arm and he tensed with fear. there was assort of half-sigh, half-snort, and the thing was apon him. he was going to be eaten.

However, jaws didn't close around him. Instead, Dick felt something huge and furry lie down at his side, pressing into him. Maybe this was... a friendly monster? After another five minutes or so, Dick had the courage to open his eyes.

A huge, black dog was curled up against him, putting off the body heat Dick needed so desperately. Doggies were good, right? Dami liked them. 

Dick carefully reached out a hand and touched the creature's fur. it was short, and a bit course and damp, but to Dick, it felt like the fuzziest blanket ever. over the course of five minutes, Dick went from sitting besides the dog, and curled up against it.

Dog protects me like batman, Dick thought, starting to drift into unconsciousness, Batman-dog.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dick! Dick!" Tim's flashlight beam danced through the trees, making mere shadows and bushes look like his lost little brother. "Dickie, please come out! everything's going to be okay, I promise, dad-uh-Bruce is going to be okay."

Damian didn't seem to be having much luck either. it would be a miracle if they found Dick before morning...if at all. 

Tim shook out his head and ordered that he stop thinking like that. he continued his search.

"Timothy!" a voice hissed through the trees, making him jump. "Here! and be quiet!"

Tim crept through the trees to Damian's side. "Where-whoa." Tim saw it. "...hell of a dog." was all he could think to say. and it was. the beast looked like a Great Dane, and was astoundingly large, and astoundingly wrapped around their baby brother protectively. "You get the dog and I'll get Dick." 

Damian nodded and the two of them snuck forwards. The dog became aware of their presence, and stood, non threateningly, in front of Dick.

It was time for Damian to work his animal-charming magic, as Tim tried to wake Dick. both tasks proved to be incredibly easy. "Dickie, I'm taking you back home, to bed." Tim warned, lifting his brother off the ground, and holding him protectively. 

Dick's eyes lolled open, as he leaned on Damian's shoulder, and he saw his protector being (very loosely) restrained by Damian. Freezing, and sleepy, Dick lifted his finger, pointing to the creature. 

"Bat-dog."