WARNING: Fighting, Emotions, Crying, Anger 

"Dick, we need to talk." Bruce said.

"Yeah?" Richard asked, pausing the TV show he was watching.

Bruce sat down on the couch, in the living room, next to Dick.

"Richard, I told you that we needed to work on your future. But Dick, you can't be just a hero. You need to do something else. It's time you come work for Wayne Enterprises-" Bruce started.

"What?" Richard asked in disbelief and anger.

"What?" Bruce asked, not realizing what he was doing.

"I come work for Wayne Enterprises?" Dick asked.

"Yes. Why wouldn't you? You can come work in any department you want. I could even get you a positions in-" Bruce started.

"When was this decided?" Richard asked.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"What about college? You know, the same thing all your employees had to go through to get a job there? What about something else I wanted to do?" Dick asked.

"What do you mean? Richard, you're coming to work for Wayne Enterprises." Bruce stated.

"What if that's not what I want? What if I want to go to college for something else?" Richard asked.

"Then we could make a department for whatever you wanted to major in." Bruce said.

"What if I wanted to be a therapist...or a police officer...or a fireman?" Dick rattled off a few jobs.

"I would support you and even pay for-" Bruce started.

"NO! Bruce, I'm not a little kid anymore! I know I didn't have a great childhood, but you have to face the facts like I do. Slade stole the rest of my childhood. Bruce, I'm eighteen now! I'm an adult. I can do what I want and pay for myself. I don't need you to buy me a job!" Richard's voice was getting louder with every word.

"Dick, this isn't about paying for you. I thought you'd want a quieter job after Slade." Bruce said, "I thought you'd be safer by me, and I stand by that."

"I don't need your PROTECTION! I don't need YOUR MONEY, AND I SURE AS HELL DON'T NEED YOU TO HOLD ME BACK!" Dick screamed.

"Richard, if this is about college, you can go. I'll support you. I just thought that you'd want to have a stable place. Come work for me, you'll have a home, money, a job, anything you want." Bruce said.

"Stop it. I don't need it! I can make my own decisions! And I want to go to college!" Richard yelled.

"Dickie, why are you freaking out? What did I say?" Bruce was so confused.

"What did you say? WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Richard screamed.

"Dick, what is going on? Sit down, you're freaking out. I haven't seen you this worked up before! What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"What's wrong? I can't. This isn't. No, I'm not. I have to go." Dick grabbed his jacket off the couch arm and ran down to the Bat-cave.

He Zeta'ed to the Watch Tower.

Richard ran across the main room, not answering the calls to him.

He immediately went to the therapy room and shut the door.

Dick fell down against the door and burst out crying.

"Richard?" he heard Black Canary's voice, "Someone came running to me saying you looked distressed."

"Go away!" Dick sobbed out.

"Dickie, what happened, honey?" Black Canary asked.

"I can't! I just can't! Not again!" Richard sobbed.

"Richard, can you open the door?" Dinah sounded very worried.

No response was given.

Slowly, the door opened, blue eyes looking through the crack.

"Can I come in?" Black Canary asked.

The door opened more.

Black Canary slipped in and then shut the door.

"Wanna talk now?" Dinah asked.

Richard hugged her.

"Bruce wants me to come work at Wayne Enterprises. But he didn't ask. He just said that I had to. He's like Slade all over. I can't do this anymore. I need control. I need my life back!" Dick hugged her tighter.

"Richard, you do have control and no one can take it from you. If you don't want to work for him just say so. You know have Bruce is. Be straight forward, don't beat around the bush." Black Canary said.

"He won't understand. He doesn't get it. He doesn't know what it's like to be repressed by something you have no control over. He has no idea what it's like to have to be forced to submit to a force you can't beat. A force so strong that you just...you..." Richard was shaking so badly at that moment, he couldn't continue.

"You're out of his hold. You're out of everyone's hold. There's nothing to fear Richard. You're safe from him." Dinah said, hugging him but making sure that it was loose enough for Richard to break out of.

Richard just held her tight as he took deep breaths.

Soon, he calmed down.

"Now, we can talk this out." Black Canary smiled a comforting smile.

"No, I know what I want to do." Richard said.

"What is that?" Dinah asked.

"I'm going to be Nightwing, get a new costume, and go to college. Bruce isn't going to pay for me either. I'm my own man now. I'm Dick Grayson. Nightwing. And I'm free." Richard said, looking up with determination.

"That's a good idea, Richard. However, you can always ask for help if you need to." Black Canary said.

"I don't need any." Dick said, walking away.

Dinah sighed.

That boy did need some.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard came into the living room again.

"Richard, we need to-" Bruce started.

"No. You listen, I talk. I'm going to college and I'm going to have the job I want. You're not going to pay for me, a job for me, or anything else. Bruce, I'm my own man and I'm going to do what I need to. I'm going to college. End of discussion." Dick said, his voice with finality in it.

Bruce was quiet.

"Okay. Whatever you want, Dick. If you want to go to college, go ahead. But if you need any help with-" Bruce started.

"I don't." Richard said.

He could do this on his own.