Chapter Three
"DAD!" cried Marik as he arrived via Boom Tube.
"Marik, what's wrong?"
"Dad, Mom's in trouble!" Marik took his dad's hand and was pulling him. "We have to hurry! Mordred's there with the diamond lady! HURRY!"
"Damn it!" Dick said and he was ready to fight in a moment's time.
"I'm going back with you." Marik stated.
"No. Marik, stay here."
Tears came to Marik's eyes. "I CAN help."
"Marik..."
"The lady won't hurt me...and I can so take Mordred."
Dick sighed.
It was then that the original Robin realized something his son said. "How do you know Dymond won't hurt you?"
"She didn't want Mordred to bother me."
"She was the same way with the twins..." Dick said out loud.
"I don't think she wants us kids involved in this." Marik remarked.
"Ok then. Let's go."
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Manta's Sub, Ten Minutes Later
Robecca had her untraceable phone with her as she entered her private quarters. She needed advice. Something else was going on with The Light and Ebon was in on it. But it looked like no one else within the LOD was.
She speed-dialed a familiar number and it was picked up on the second ring. "Hallo?" came the deep voice on the other end.
"Grandpa. It's me."
"Ro! It's so good to hear you!"
"Grandpa, I need to talk something over, and you're the only one that I could think of." Robecca sat down on her bed. "David and I got hooked up with Ebon-"
"Oh, Ro...I warned you he was trouble."
"I know..."
"What mess with Static has he gotten you into?"
"He got recruited by the Light. But they've got a different agenda going on and I think David's going to be sacrificed."
"What makes you think that?"
"They're after magic and trying to get it by extracting it from magic wielders. And David-well he's…"
"Half-Atlantean..."
"You knew?"
"I caught a glimpse of gills once. It's not that hard to figure out."
"You always were observant." She said with a smile.
"I learned from Puff. She was a bad influence but I learned so much from her..."
"Grandma always did have that about her."
"If you truly love David you must protect him by any means necessary, even from himself."
Robecca took a sharp breath. "Grandpa..."
"I didn't have a choice, I was a messed up guy back in my day, but you have a good heart."
"And Ebon?"
"If he fucks with you, you tell me. I'll nail him."
"Thanks grandpa, I needed this talk."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Grandpa...I think...I think I could be pregnant."
"What?"
"I'm not positive, but if so, I don't want my child to grow up without its father."
"Thank goodness your grandmother and I got that through to you. Robecca, look after yourself. If things get too nuts, come home."
"Yes sir."
It was then that a knock came on her door.
"I gotta go. Love you." Robecca hung up.
The door then opened to revealed David Jr.
"Lady Merline and Red Bird are ready."
"Really...? Ok then."
"Are you okay, Ro? You came into your room awfully fast."
Robecca stood up and changed her skin. "Yeah. I needed to clear my head."
"Well, how about a swim, that always helps before you do something evil." David said with a small smile.
"Sure." Robecca changed back to her normal skin. "I'll meet you there."
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Watchtower, Same Time
Dick and Marik returned to Watchtower and the anger could be seen in Dick's eyes. When they got back to the house, Dick saw the splinters everywhere….diamond and wooden alike. The older hero ran the wooden splinters through the computer and they came back with blood on them…..Serenity's blood.
Marik started to cry, and Dick heard his son sniffling. "There's nothing you could have done. I know you're a powerful earth wizard, but Mordred has centuries over you."
"I should have done more than just make the earth move in a wave." Marik said as the tears continued to fall.
"We'll get her back, I KNOW we will." Dick said as he bent down and hugged his son.
Just then a boom tube opened and Kaldur appeared. As he walked over to the computer, he looked up and saw the results on the screen. "Serenity was captured as well?"
"What do you mean as well?" Dick asked as he released Marik and stood up to face Kaldur.
"Manta II attacked us in Atlantis, Areina was separated from us and forced to fight him, but a trooper was able to fire off a blast and she was rendered unconscious. Myself, Garth, Orin'ahm and even Queen Mera could not get away from our fights, and Manta took her." Kaldur told his friend.
"Daddy, we have to find Mordred….then we'll find mommy and Ari." Marik said.
"We will, but right now we need to let the others know what's going on and plan from there."
"I should have stayed and fought….then only Ari would be captured."
"You are a brave young man, but your father is right. We WILL find them." Kaldur said and Marik smiled a bit.
With Marik satisfied, Dick and Kaldur went to work on contacting the family of heroes to get them together to look for Serenity and Areina.
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Undisclosed Location
The room was dimly lit, but the two occupants could be seen. The taller of them (not by much) awoke first, and immediately went to check on the other.
"Areina..."
Areina did not move for a moment, but then started to moan and her eyes opened. "Owww…wait…Aunt Serenity? They got you too?"
"I'm afraid so, dear."
Areina's eyes started to show fear…for the first time in a long time she was actually scared.
"Areina, are you alright?"
"If the LOD is behind this, then we're in deep trouble." Areina informed her aunt.
"That may be true, but with us in this cell, I don't get why they chained my wrists together and not yours."
Areina was really worried now. She saw the black collar around her aunt's neck and reached up to her own neck. "Damn it. The collar is why, if this stay on for a long time, then I'll get really weak and can't fight back."
Just then the door opened and someone walked through that Areina could have sworn was her father and someone else came into the room with him.
"Lord Ra's, what is the meaning of this, I thought you said I could get revenge on the archers."
"But Merlyn my dear boy, Red Bird here IS an archer by blood."
"Impossible."
"Her father is Red Arrow, I'm sure you wish to speak to her."
"Oh, he is…..is he, well this will be better than I could have thought." Merlyn said.
"I shall leave you to talk to these two, but we have other plans so do not kill them…..yet." Ra's said and with that he left the room.
"You're not the original Merlyn." Areina said.
"Maybe not, but I trained under the original Merlyn the Magnificent." The villain said.
"How DARE you and he use my grandfather's name for evil." Serenity said and her anger could be heard.
"Oh please….like either of you can do anything; but this will be a fun time for me, getting back at Red Arrow through his daughter and I'm sure Nightwing would want to get his wife back." Merlyn said with a wicked grin. "I'm a little disappointed, Red Bird; I've heard that you were fearless, not as much as your cousin though…yet I can see the fear in your eyes."
Areina snapped out of the fear and she ran for Merlyn. "I'll show you how…..AHHHHHHHH."
Serenity ran to Areina as electricity covered her body. Once the sorceress looked at Merlyn she saw a control in his hand and an evil smirk on his face.
"There's the Harper temper." Merlyn said as he released the button on the control and the electricity stopped.
Serenity's anger could be seen in their eyes as Areina fought to regain her facilties and they wanted to attack him, but his hand twitched to his hip and it was then that they saw a crossbow…ready to be used on them in needed.
"Be lucky that Lord Ra's has other plans, or I would make Red Arrow suffer DEARLY." Merlyn said, and with that he left out of the cell, locking the door behind him.
"If Ra's is really behind this, then you're right, Areina, we're in trouble."
"Oh how I'd LOVE to ring his neck right now." Areina said.
"You know that Dick and Roy….along with Orin will find a way to save us."
"I know, Aunt Serenity…and that's what worries me; is he after dad, Uncle Dick or Orin? That's the REAL question."
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Same Undisclosed Location; Different Part
"I am surprised you are doing this, Ra's." A beautiful woman said.
"We can take care of the Light's needs of magic and I can have a fresh, young body that would not need a pit for at least 90 years, the meta power is just a bonus to me."
"Who are you planning to send after the boys?"
"Oh someone very special; and I shall accompany him."
"You always have been a hands-on kind of person." The woman said.
"That I have, Queen Bee; but you should head back to your country, as you are still a public figure."
"Very well, Ra's; good luck with your secondary plan." Queen Bee said and with that she left out to return to Bialya.
Just then the darkness behind Ra's seemed to move as if it had a life of its own.
"Are you ready for this, Carter?"
"Oh…you have NO idea how ready I am." 'Carter' said. "But when you address me, please….call me Drow."