"Beat Drop" by Simon Curtis- probably want to listen to it before you read the fic, but obviously it's not required. Hope you enjoy :)

Roy woke with a pounding in his head.

He opened his eyes slowly, groaning softly as his body reacted to his awakening. He observed the all-white room, furnished with a small side table, an outdated television, the bed he was lying on of course, and two simple chairs. Everywhere counters surrounded the furnishings.

Sitting on one of those chairs was Oliver Queen, with his hands clasped and his head bent low.

As if sensing his young ward waking, he looked up with profound interest. "Roy," he greeted warmly, standing, "Welcome back to the living!"

"What is this?" Roy immediately questioned, squinting some more around the room. "Where am I? And this pounding…" he put a hand to his head.

"You don't remember?" Oliver's voice took a subtle reproach as he walked over, arms crossed.

"Remember what?" Roy groaned some as he shifted positions.

Ollie just looked at him for a second, as if trying to decide whether he should go through with what he had planned. Then, he decidedly turned on his heel and took something off the counter behind him.

Roy recognized the object as a videotape when Oliver slipped it into the VCR of the television.

The screen was black. Then, picture burst to life.

It was an abandoned office building; that much was evident. The black and white screen was unusually clear-showing every leaf of paper, every pencil, desk, chair, and computer all in their rightful organized cubicles. This was all proof that it had been recently left.

And all was quiet.

But suddenly, the audio became loud as the door to the office slammed open. Actually, someone was quite kicked through the door.

It was Robin.

Roy stiffened.

Robin rolled out of the way as a dark shape entered the room. It was taller than the younger boy and seemingly stronger too. An explosion nearly erupted the television's speakers and smoke on the picture was the result.

After it had cleared, Robin was gone.

The shadowy figured stepped in a little further. But despite the video camera's high pixel image, it could not display who the culprit was.

Suddenly though, it shot an arrow up in the air vent. Robin fell down with a sickening thud!

Roy realized at this point that his friend was badly injured and needed help. He looked at Oliver Queen but his mentor just made a signal for him to watch.

Roy snapped back to see Robin struggling to get up on his own two feet.

The figure loomed over.

"Get out of there…" Roy murmured, his eyes darting around the screen.

But suddenly, a whoosh! Went by and Robin was once again, out of sight.

Roy was relieved to realize that either The Flash or Kid Flash had come to save the day, though he still wondered why Ollie was showing him this videotape.

Robin and a now visible KF were hiding behind a desk, in clear sight of the video camera. Their audio was acute.

"Dude what do we do?" KF's voice came through loud and clear. He seemed to be panting.

"I don't know," Robin grimaced, holding his side, the arrow protruding from him. "I've never seen him this way before. He's unstoppable."

Just then a loud bang! Rang out as the figure shot an explosive arrow.

"We can't just stay here we'll get caught," KF kept his voice low. "You stay here and I'll go around behind-"

"Are you crazy?" Robin interrupted but in the same hushed whisper. "You'll be crushed!"

"But we have to do something," KF looked at his injured friend with a frown. "I'll stall as long as I can." He put his running goggles back over his eyes.

Roy watched; his mouth dry with anticipation as Kid sped out around the figure.

It let out a familiar angry yell as he did so.

Roy secretly prayed for his plan to work though little did he know he was on the brink of a stark realization.

The thing suddenly ran at KF with impossible speed, tripping him up. With a grunt it lifted him high over his head and threw him across the room at the video camera.

"Kid!" Robin's voice rang out as KF hit the floor with the camera.

The figure approached closer to the young speedster, becoming more intense and more psycho as ever. But just before the camera shut off it slowly entered into the light. Roy felt his stomach drop.

The thing was him.

"What does this mean…this can't be right, can it?" Roy demanded as Oliver retrieved the cassette. "Can it?" He repeated with more vigor.

Oliver sighed turning around. "I'm afraid so, Roy. Riddler tricked you. He tricked all of us."

"Riddler?" Roy questioned, "But he's Batman's-"

"You and Wally were caught in the crossfire." Oliver said sternly, taking up a chair.

"Now I want you to listen closely, and listen good; don't get involved this time. He took someone like you and made a monster. Whatever it was it's gone now, but the side effects are still in motion."

Roy felt ashamed. "But-"

"There won't be a next time, Roy. That's final. An overdose of that drug would have you dead in minutes." There was a note of despair in the mentor's voice as he spoke the last sentence. He sounded almost desperate.

But Roy suddenly remembered what Robin had said in the video. "I've never seen him this way before. He's unstoppable." Roy remembered the arrow sticking into the youth's side. His arrow.

"But I hurt them, Ollie, I have to try," Roy objected motioning toward the TV.

"Roy, you can't do this-"

"This is all my fault!"

"He used you as a pawn, Roy. What difference would you make this time?" Oliver stared his apprentice in the eye. Roy was forced to look away.

Ollie used a gentler voice. "Batman and Flash are already on the case. They'll find them."

Roy continued looking away. But he asked, "Were there any hints?"

"Hints?" Oliver questioned.

"Riddles. Were there any riddles," Roy bit bitterly.

Oliver thought for a second. "Yes. There've been two so far." He scratched the stubble on his chin while he tried to recall them. "And not of the usual make." He turned to find Roy's eyes intently following him.

So he began.

"The first was:

Time to round 'em up. Where we gonna go?

The Batman of the Night must be playing it too slow.

"And on the back," continued Ollie, "Was the word Let."

Roy nodded, "Go on."

Oliver seemed a little quizzical of his youth but he continued on anyway.

"The second read:

Gotta get moving. Told it to you twice, you understand?

DJ drop the beat. Tell me Flash, if you can?

"On the back of that one was the word The."

Roy waited patiently for him to finish. But then realized he already had. "Sounds like he's taunting them more than anything," He commented.

"That's what we originally thought too," Ollie said. "But it seems there's something more to them than meets the eye."

"Do they have any leads?" Roy asked. Right away, he knew he had gone too far.

Oliver stood up and sighed. "Sorry Roy, can't tell you anymore. You're starting to want to know too much."

Roy grew angry, "Too much? Ollie, my friends are in there. The Riddler never drops a false hint."

"Riddle," Oliver corrected.

"Same thing!" Roy growled.

A nurse who was passing by in the hallway stopped and looked in, startled.

"It's alright, everything fine in here," Oliver waved her off.

She was still a little shocked, but continued hesitantly on her way.

"Look, just tell me where they are," Roy kept his voice low this time, immediately drawing Ollie's attention. "Please, Ollie."

Oliver looked back again. He sighed. "Sorry, I just can't do that Roy."

Roy let out an exasperated groan and slammed back against his headboard. The pounding in his head seemed to intensify. But he was too frustrated to notice. He closed his eyes, the already ghostlike images of Kid Flash and Robin burning the back of his eyelids.

And he almost regretted the day he was born.