Thanks so much, I didn't expect so much enthusiasm for this story! The reviews were lovely.

~Heart

"No, no no no, this is bad, this is very bad!" Jason said, staring in horror at the screen of Roy's phone. He pushed it at his companions, revealing three pictures on the news. "They just can't get my helmet right!"

Roy snatched his phone back. "Really? Who cares?"

Jason sighed sadly as Starfire inspected the phone. "That's easy for you guys to say, you look amazing."

Starfire looked quizzically at the photos of her and Roy, both from times they had been arrested. "Perhaps we should look at the phone later, and find a way over this brick wall now."

"Cant Star just fly us over?" Jason asked.

"She got shot with something that inhibits her powers. Seriously, where have you been?"

Jason muttered something about readers needing exposition, and walked over to the wall. "Ok, give me a boost, and I'll pull you up."

Starfire and Roy looked at each other for a moment. "Give me the bag, first," Roy said.

Jason pulled the bag containing the stolen item close to his chest. "What? I just- I can't believe, after all we've been through together, that you two don't trust me."

Roy held out his hand.

"Ouch," complained Jason, passing Roy the bag. He then scrambled up his companions, stepping in way more faces than necessary, until he was sitting on top of the wall.

"Now help us up, bird boy," Roy said, arms trembling somewhat under the Starfire's weight.

"Sorry," Jason apologized, holding up a bag. "My hands are full."

Roy's eyes got wide, and he looked down at his side, now minus one bag. "JASON!"

…..

Dick narrowed his eyes, watching the debacle on the wall unfold. He glanced down at his brother Tim, who stood alert next to his motorcycle. "We have to get that bag, at any cost," Dick told him. Tim nodded, and climbed onto his bike and Dick did the same. "Get the one in red and black, the other two don't matter." And they rode off.

…..

Tim had gone to the left at the fork in the road. The asphalt here was lined with trees, and full of cracks. Tim had thought he had glimpsed a building in the nearby cliffs, but now he was pretty sure it was just strange shadows. Though maybe he should-

Wham!

Tim never saw it coming. 'It' was in fact, Jason's foot as he swung out of a tree. Jason moved Tim's body to the side of the road, and inspected Tim's bike.

"Haha, mine."

Jason mounted, and headed for the cliffs to find some place to hide out. It was a lot faster on bike than on foot. As he approached, he realized that what he (along with Tim) has assumed were shadows was actually a building carved into the face of a cliff. He was staring at it when he heard vehicles near, so he stashed his newly acquired bike in the bushes, and scaled the cliff face, climbing in an almost hidden window. He stood in the room, and pulled the bag off of his shoulder, looking at it tenderly. "Alone at last."

Crack!

Jason, like Tim, never saw it coming.

Damian dropped the escrima stick and ran to find some rope before the intruder woke up.

When he came back with some, Alfred was nosing around the man. "Alfred Pennyworth, don't you lick that thing, I have no idea where it's been!" he scolded, grabbing the man's arms and pulling him towards his closet. He pushed him at the door, but since it was a wardrobe, he couldn't just slide him in. Damian then tried using a makeshift pulley to swing him in, but the strangers legs ended up sticking out. After a lot of pushing, Damian managed to get him to stay up long enough to shut he closet door, but as he was walking away, satisfied, the door opened, and the intruder fell out, right on top of Damian. "Ow!"

Then using a broom and some high kicks he had been taught (Hopefully the man's ribs were strong, because he'd certainly feel the effects of this when he awoke) he managed to shut the door firmly this time, and shoved a chair in front of it.

Damian took a deep breath, and looked at his cat. "Alfred, I have a person in my closet. I think we can both agree that this is the kind of information that may….trouble mother. I suggest we keep silent on this subject. Can I count on your silence?"

Alfred meowed, and started licking his paw.

Damian nodded. "Thank you, Alfred. And good idea, I'd better clean up any trace of our- guest."

He put away his escrima sticks, and stashed the rope under his bed for later (what was the use of being taught interrogation techniques if you couldn't practice them?) and grabbed a bag that the intruder had dropped. Curious, Damian opened it, pulling out- a costume? It was red and green, with a yellow cape. And it looked so very… right.

"Damian! Let down the ladder!"

Damian's eyes got wide. "Its mother!" he hissed to Alfred. "What am I going to do?"

In answer, Alfred dove under the bed.

"Of course, I'll hide it. Thank you Alfred," Damian said, stuffing the costume back into the bag and hiding it in a vase.

"Damian!"

"Coming mother!" Damian called, grabbing the rope ladder.

"I have a surprise, darling!" Talia said, stepping into the room.

"Um, good, uh, surprises are good," stammered Damian, trying not to look at the closet.

"I brought beef stew for dinner!" Talia said, holding up a jar.

"Oh mother, you shouldn't have. Really. I don't eat mea-"

"Damian, I was thinking about what you said earlier," Talia interrupted.

"About the lights?" Damian asked.

"The stars yes."

"They are not stars, they-"

"I thought we have resolved this issue, pet," Talia said, sounding rather forced.

"But if you'd just-"

"Damian, we're done talking about this," Talia snapped.

"But listen, I-"

"Damian!"

"You never-"

Talia lost it. "Enough with the lights, Damian! You are not leaving this place, ever!"

Damian stood, a little shocked, as his hopes for seeing the lights, seeing anything, slipped away.

Talia dropped into a chair. "Great," she complained. "Now I'm the bad guy. Usually I'm ok with this, but…"

Damian took a step forwards. "All I wanted to say, mother, was that… I know what I want for my birthday now."

Talia sighed. "And what is that?"

"Those special colored charcoals you brought me once."

Talia stood up. "Those come all the way from Central City, Damian. That's a very long trip!"

Damian scuffed his bare foot on the floor. "I just thought it was a better idea than the- the stars."

Talia looked at her downcast son, and nodded. She took her jacket, and walked to the window. "Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can, pet. Take care of yourself. I love you."

"I love you too, mother," Damian said softly, pulling up the rope ladder.