Hey! Sorry that this took longer to post then normal, but I had to figure out what I was doing with this chapter and I had to make a lot of decisions.
I hope you like this regardless! Enjoy!
I don't own Young Justice.
It was all a painful haze.
Dick could feel his arms pressing painfully against his back, and his lips sealed shut by duct tape. He breathed deeply in through his nose, trying not to panic for fear of suffocating.
He began to open his heavy eyelids, feeling the skin peeling apart from being closed so long, the first thing he saw was a black ceiling above him. Of course, that's when he realized that it wasn't a ceiling at all; but the underpart of a car's trunk door.
Panic rising in his throat, Dick let his training kick in. He pushed his arms through and under his feet and legs, getting them to the front of his body. There was just enough light to see that his hands were tied together with plastic wire, along with his feet. But with his hands in front of him now, he began feeling around the small space for something he could use to pry open the door. But evidently the only things he could find in the space was a gray blanket, and a piece of lint.
Dick had to stop himself from thinking about every scenario that could happen if he couldn't get out of here. All the things that the man who took him could want. Everything.
Dick breathed in and out deeply, then began peeling the tape off his mouth so he could breath better; no matter what the man would do about it. Feeling the tape's sticky adhesive peel off his lips, he sucked in a deep breath through his mouth. Taking in, and letting out as much air as he could he let the stars fade from his eyes and focused on whatever else he could gather from being here.
He still smelled the chloroform burning in his nose and throat, while he could hear the engine of a car underneath him. He could feel it too, the warmth radiating up from the floor, yet everywhere else cold to the touch. While he could also feel the shaking of the running engine, and the inertia of being in a moving vehicle.
Dick peered around once more, looking for something identifiable about the car he was in. He could see nothing that would help him, but he could tell that the car he was in was still fairly new. It had more space in the truck than normal, which obviously wasn't by accident for this man. Judging from this, Dick could infer that this was the man's car, not something that he stole.
Dick then decided that the best thing to be now was ready for the man to come and get him, because he knew he would, and because he knew that he wouldn't be getting out of this trunk at the moment.
So Dick pulled his legs forward, glad that he was so flexible, and he began working his fingers to untie his ankles. The knots were expertly tied, and Dick could tell that whoever took him had done this before; that was a disturbing thought.
Prying his fingers into every space he could to untie himself, he finally managed to get one loop big enough to jam his thin fingers into and pull open the knot. Thrusting the rope aside, Dick stretched his legs as much as he could, and then began trying to untie his wrists. Which was proving to be a lot harder.
But he was interrupted in his efforts by feeling the car come to a stop. He could hear the car idling, along with other cars around him. He could also hear people, walking and talking farther away though. That was when a stupid thought struck him.
Maybe if he banged loud enough, someone would hear him? Send help? Tell the police whatever the license plate on the car is? Of course, doing this would mean that the man driving the car he was in would hear him too. He'd probably end up stopping somewhere no one could hear them and knock him out again. He wouldn't want that, but this may be his only shot of getting himself known.
Dick had been in crazier situations before, and this couldn't be the craziest thing he'd done. He knew he had to, and that he would face the consequences if he didn't at least try.
He went for it and began banging on the trunk door, knowing that for the man driving the car it wouldn't be a surprise if he'd done this kind of thing before.
Screaming for help, and kicking hard against all walls of trunk, he could hear the engine being revved in anticipation to get out of here as fast as possible.
That was when Dick heard someone trying to open the trunk door.
5 minutes earlier...
It was a rather normal day for Allen Canten. He was just walking down the street coming home from the supermarket as usual. Allen's 22, and he lives with his friend Eric in their apartment. Eric's 23 though, so he makes Allen do the groceries and cooking while Eric does the cleaning and laundry. An even trade off in both their books considering Allen's the only one who knows what you're even supposed to do with food, while Eric doesn't mind cleaning like Allen.
So now Allen was going down the street, one bag in hand that had just what they needed for the rest of the week to add on to what they already have. Considering the supermarket is a short walk from their apartment, and the fact they don't need too much Allen decided to walk this time. Sometimes he'd drive, other times he wouldn't. But he liked walking, so it was never a problem.
But as Allen reached the intersection, waiting to walk, he heard something coming from a car that was waiting to go.
Usually Allen would ignore the sounds coming from people's cars, because usually the noises were either music, or arguing from the people in the car. But this sound, sounded like neither of the two.
There was thumping and banging, mixed with cries for help. And the worst part? The sounds were coming from the trunk of some guy's car.
The trunk.
And if Allen had seen any cop shows, or any crime movies (which he most certainly had, methodically actually) then he should know that noises coming from the trunks of cars was never good. Especially when it was obvious that there was someone in there calling for help.
Allen turned and faced the car. It was a black honda camry, not the latest version but it couldn't be more than a few years old. And he could see the man driving it, and he did not look happy. He looked very very nervous.
Allen saw that other people were noticing the pleas too, but most were ignoring it. Allen could only assume it was because the sounds were very muffled and could be anything from their cars, but from where Allen was standing it was very distinct.
Nobody else was on the street at the moment because of the cold. So Allen was alone, and he knew that he had to do something. He wasn't that heartless.
So, he pulled out his reasonably cruddy phone and called 911.
"Nine-one-one what's your emergency?" Allen heard a female voice come over the line.
"Uh, yeah, I'm on the corner of nine and sixth ave, and I'm hearing some really strange noises coming from this guys trunk," Allen explained. He was just glad that the light the guy in the car was currently stuck at was broken, always has been, so it skips your turn a couple times before letting you go. So most people are sitting at this light for a good five minutes. Most people try to get out of the line and either do something illegal, or just go a different way instead, but because of the road positioning it's impossible to do so.
"Can you describe 'strange noises', sir?" the woman asked, and Allen nodded despite himself.
"Uh, yeah. There's, like, banging and I think I hear someone shouting 'help'," Allen explained.
"I understand sir, can you tell me the car's license plate number?" the woman asked. Allen leaned his head over to look at the number, when he noticed that the man driving the car was looking at him intensely. Allen swallowed, and quickly glanced at the numbers, trying not to look like he was getting his plate numbers.
"It said, 1-M-6-6-7-U."
"Alright sir, I'm running that plate as we speak and am sending a squad out," the woman said after a moment of key clicking.
"'Kay." Allen looked around nervously as he stayed on the line. He saw that the man was looking at him again, blue eyes piercing into his very soul it seemed.
"What's your name?" the woman asked.
"Allen, uh, Allen Canten," Allen said, then he looked back over at the car again. "Uh..." Allen stuttered out, and he heard the woman over the line shift at the tension in his voice.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, obviously concerned something was happening.
"Uh, not really. It's just that the guy driving the car with the banging in the trunk, which is still going on by the way, he's staring at me all weird like," Allen said, trying to not make eye contact with the man who was obviously staring at him.
"Sir, I'd like you to walk in any direction to where you will not stand out and so the man in the car can't see you anymore, okay?" the woman instructed him.
"Okay," Allen said, and he began walking back in the direction to where the supermarket was, trying to act like he doesn't notice the man. Allen kept walking until the man driving the car definitely couldn't see him.
"I don't think he can see me now," Allen said.
"Good, stay right there, the police should be there soon," the woman said. Allen nodded and mumbled a 'yeah' before feeling the need to ask a question.
"Hey, if it's cool, what came up on that plate?" Allen asked, he didn't exactly get the opportunity to be apart of something as scary or semi-exciting as this everyday. So he kind of wanted to be in on someone what's going on.
"I'm not permitted to release that information," the woman said sternly, and Allen expected as much.
Then Allen looked back over to the car, and he could hear the banging becoming more faint and less driven. Despite how long it may seem, the banging has only been going on for about a minute or two.
Allen stood watching the car, seeing how the man driving it became more and more tense as the sounds persisted. Especially because more and more people in there cars were looking as time went on.
"That's fine," Allen finally said back to the woman.
"Sorry I don't make the rules, but I do want you to stay on this line and tell me if anything else happens or if the banging stops," the woman said.
"'Kay, oh and the banging hasn't stopped but it's getting fainter. Also the guy driving the car looks pretty pissed," Allen said, giving her the play by play. "When are the police gonna be here? 'Cause, this light won't hold out for that long and it's been, like, three minutes," Allen asked.
"Only a few minutes now, the nearest squad car was a good six minutes away when you called," the woman explained. Allen sighed and looked nervously at the red light, almost expecting it to turn green despite his will. He was on the verge of praying for the light not to change, urging it to stay red with his eyes.
"Tell them to hurry up or something!" Allen almost yelled, frantically, taking another glance up at the light.
"They are going as fast as possible. I need you to calm down," the woman said in a clear, soft, yet stern, voice. Allen took a breath, watching as the cold condensed around it.
"I'm fine..." Allen said after a moment, looking back up at the light. He then looked down at the man in the car, he was drumming his fingers against the wheel; becoming agitated because of the slow light. Allen then looked to the trunk, noticing that the banging stopped.
"Uh, the banging stopped, in the trunk, the banging stopped," Allen said in a rushed voice.
"Alright," the woman said, and Allen heard her typing something. Allen gripped his phone tight, and the hand that was holding his groceries was turning white mixed with red. The blood was trying to flow harder into his hands and ears, in attempt to keep them warm.
"What does that mean?!" Allen yelled into his phone, tired of the woman's short and calm answers.
"Sir, I need you to calm down-" the woman began, but Allen wasn't having any of it.
"I know! I know! You keep saying that! But while you're sitting there sending your non existent police, I'm standing here where there's probably someone in the trunk of this guy's car!" Allen shouted. He was never one to not say anything, or do anything in times of other's needs. Not even in school, he always stood up for the little guy; and he's proud of that. But now he's just standing there, knowing that someone was in life threatening danger.
"The police will be there any second, there's no reason to-" the woman tried to say something again, but Allen just ended the call. He was tired of standing here, and he was tired of holding his phone to his ear when all this was useless at the moment. That light was going to change, and Allen couldn't wait anymore.
Allen got into a crouched position, and walked over to the car. Keeping his himself invisible to the car that the sounds were coming from. He made his way up, and got to his knees, pressing his hands to the cold black metal. He let his hands sweep over the license plate, and he began trying the trunk door. It was locked tight, and so he thought of the next best thing.
"Hey, anyone in there?"
Dick tilted his head to face the door. He could of sworn he heard someone ask if he anyone was in here, but it couldn't be that. But then again...
"Is someone there?" Dick asked, hope flying up in his stomach to his heart like monarch butterflies.
"Yeah, why are you in there? Were you the one yelling for help, banging the door?" the voice came again, this time more clearly.
"Yes! Help me, help me get out of here!" Dick practically shouted, banging his hands lightly on the door again.
"Why are you in there!?" the voice questioned, and Dick could hear whoever this was was prying at the door again; this time with more force.
"I was kidnapped by who the hell ever is driving this fucking car!" Dick couldn't restrain himself from getting angry. He had been kidnapped enough times already, and this time he wasn't even sure that who took him even knows who he is. Dick Grayson or otherwise. He'd never woken up in a trunk before like this, and the man didn't say anything to him when he grabbed him, so Dick could only assume that the man took him for some other reason. And now he was listening to someone on the outside, asking him questions like that while he's the one locked in the trunk?
"Sorry, stupid question," the voice said, the voice obviously being a young man, a young nervous man. Dick sighed, and tried prying at the door from his end. "I've just never been in a situation quite like this one," the man said.
"Well that makes two of us, sort of," Dick said despite himself.
"Sort of?" the man asked, and Dick could hear as the man took something metal to try and get the trunk open.
"This isn't the first time I've been kidnapped," Dick said, deciding that he was okay with the conversation. For he's spent enough time alone in this trunk.
"Really? Wait, what's your name?" the man asked, and Dick could see why he'd ask that.
"Dick Grayson," Dick said, and he heard the man hesitate in his lock picking for a moment.
"Wait, the Dick Grayson? Like, Dick Grayson-Wayne?" the man asked, stunned, and Dick couldn't say he was surprised.
"The one and only," Dick said, someone glad that Bruce was so well known in Gotham along with himself. It made identifying himself a whole lot easier.
"Oh god," the man muttered. Dick stopped for a moment.
"What?" Dick asked, wondering what the man was thinking.
"It's just, the guy who's kidnapped you, yeah, he's kind of seen my face, and I think that he suspects something of me. Plus, we're kind of in the middle of the road, and the light's not going to stay red forever," the man explained, panic lacing his voice. Dick sighed in fear, and started working more frantically trying to get the trunk open.
"Well then, let's not waste any time!" Dick shouted. The man outside began picking even harder, not caring too much about the noise anymore. "What's your name?" Dick asked after a moment for some reason.
"Uh, Allen Canten," Allen said. Dick filed that name away in his head for later.
"Did you call the police?" Dick asked, and he could hear Allen nodding.
"Yeah, I called them, like, five minutes ago. The lady said they should be here in, like, one more minute," Allen said.
"Did you tell them my name?" Dick asked, hoping that this meant Bruce knew.
"Uh..." Allen stuttered, and Dick felt his eyes widen in almost anger.
"Why not!?" Dick practically shouted.
"I hung up on the police just before I came over here to help!" Allen shouted in his defense.
"Well call them back!" Dick shouted back, wanting Bruce to know he what happened as soon as possible.
"Alright, alright!" Allen shouted, and Dick could hear him flip out his phone.
Of course right at that moment the light turned green, and the car jolted forward with vigor. Dick flung forward and hit his head on the side, while Allen stood in the middle of the street, blocking everyone elses path. He was getting both drove around and beeped at.
He could hardly believe it. Then the ringing in his phone stopped.
"Nine-one-one what's your emergency?"
Oh god! I can't believe I just did that right there! I literally deleted, like, five scenes and rewrote them or completely replaced them in this chapter!
I hope you liked this chapter regardless though! And as always...
REVIEW!
