A/N: In this story, I'm working off the premise that Batman doesn't know Robin has told Wally his real name. Just an FYI!

Oh, and thanks again to all you awesome people who commented on chapter two. You rock! :)

oOo

Robin was wheezing slightly as he raced out of the alley and turned down onto another dingy little street. His ribs felt like they were on fire and it was agony to take a breath. He passed several abandoned buildings that he could have hidden in, but they were all too obvious; Batman might check them after dealing with the three thugs.

Because Robin knew he would come after him. Whatever the demented British guy had put in that virus was forcing Batman to track Robin across the city. When the man had told Batman that he wouldn't rest until he'd ripped him apart, he'd meant it literally.

As he ran, Robin tried very hard to ignore the shrill whine of panic going off in his head, screaming at him that there was no way he could outrun Batman, that his own mentor was going to kill him.

No, you can do this! Robin insisted harshly. He'd been trained by Batman and he was smart in his own right, he could do this.

But it was hard not to give into the desperation when he passed an old, burnt-out movie theatre that he recognised and which told him where he was; the Narrows. The mad dash across the rooftops had driven him into the worst part of Gotham…and several miles from the nearest zeta-tube. He needed to get off the streets. He was a sitting duck if he ran into anyone else – Batman and Robin weren't the most popular of people in the Narrows.

Deciding to change tactics, Robin ignored the host of abandoned buildings that surrounded him and stopped outside a small, rundown café instead. Whatever semblance of rational thought Batman was using to track him, he would never suspect him of breaking and entering. Robin swiftly disabled the alarm and picked the lock on the back door, before slipping quietly into the little kitchen and closing the door behind him.

Alone in the dark, Robin leaned back against the wall. Gasping and shaking, he slid slowly to the ground. Blood was pounding in his head while his heart hammered so hard against his ribs he thought it might explode in his chest.

It took several minutes before his breathing returned to normal and he was able to think clearly. Cold, harsh reality hit him hard; he wasn't making it to the zeta-tube. Not with Batman tracking him and not in his current state. He would have to find another way to contact the League.

Robin glanced at the gauntlet that held his holographic computer. It was linked to the Batcave and Mount Justice, but Batman had flat out refused to sync it with the Watchtower systems because he knew only too well that Robin would be tempted to try and hack the system, just to see if he could.

Robin couldn't disagree with his mentor on that; he'd already planned to attempt hacking the Watchtower from Mount Justice just as soon as he had the chance.

But knowing Batman was right didn't make his predicament any easier. He couldn't contact the Watchtower and Alfred would have left the Batcave by now, leaving Mount Justice as his only option. Robin just hoped that despite being Friday night, there would be someone at the cave. Leaning his throbbing arms on his knees, he activated the computer.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, Robin tried again. Still nothing. Fingers shaking, he peeled back the small strips to reveal a mass of mangled circuits. At some point during the night's events, they had obviously gotten damaged.

With a groan of despair, Robin dropped his head against the wall with a dull thunk. He couldn't do this. He'd been driven to his physical, mental and emotional limit, all within the last two hours. He was exhausted, he was injured, and running for his life from the closest thing he had to a father. Robin couldn't do this; it was too much.

Yes, you can! a little voice in his head rallied furiously. Batman didn't train you so that you could give up when things get hard! He's depending on you. You're supposed to be his partner so BE one!

Robin sighed. Batman was counting on him. The virus would kill him unless Robin got help – and help wasn't going to just magically arrive while he sat here on his ass. Not to mention that he didn't have time. Batman didn't have time.

So what are my options? Robin knew he needed help, that much was obvious. There was no way he was bringing Batman in by himself, and the police certainly wouldn't be able to do it, not without hurting Batman. And Robin refused to put the only parent he had in the line of fire. The League were the only way to do this. But how was he going to contact them?

The answer when it came to him was so simple that Robin could have smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. Wally! He could call Wally and get him to contact Barry. Forcing down the miserable din of protest from his ribs, Robin clambered to his feet. There had to be a phone around here somewhere.

He found one behind the counter in the café, but when he picked up the receiver there was no dial tone. The phone was dead; either it had been cut off or it wasn't working. Robin chewed anxiously on his bruised lip, staring at the closed shutters on the window. He would have to go out into the streets again to find a phone.

The thought filled him with dread. Leaving the relative safety of the café meant risking another run-in with Batman, or some thug who would love nothing more than to beat his brains in. And what if Robin had been seen while he was running away from Batman and the three men? The word might already be out on the streets that he was in the Narrows, and that he was defenceless.

Robin knew he would be in big trouble if that happened, because then the gangs would be out in force looking for him.

But you're in trouble already, he reminded himself. And leaving here is the only way out of it.

Resigned, Robin slipped out the back door of the café and used the shadows to steal quietly down the street. The few minutes of rest in the café had bought him enough time to get his breathing under control, and he was silent as he moved through the streets, searching for a payphone.

Four blocks from the café and for the first time since this whole nightmare had started, Robin finally got lucky. There was a payphone just outside an empty parking lot. Hurrying towards it, he picked it up and was relieved to hear the hum of a dial tone. Quickly, he placed a call collect to Wally in Central City.

Two minutes later, the welcome sound of Wally's voice reverberated down the phone. "Dude, you're placing a call collect to me?"

He sounded annoyed. "I'm not at home," Robin explained quickly, "this is a public phone booth."

Wally took the hidden warning not to say too much on an open line. "What's up?"

"I need you to get a grownup, really fast," Robin replied, scanning his surroundings for any signs of a threat.

"Oh, am I not good enough?"

Robin was taken aback at the hostility in Wally's voice. "This is something I need an adult for, Wally, so can you please just get one?"

"I'm the errand boy now, is that it?"

Robin was bewildered. He had no idea where this was coming from. "What's your problem, Dude?"

"If you don't know then I'm not going to tell you!"

Robin almost grabbed his hair in frustration. "Wally, quit being an idiot!

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

"You think I'm acting like one?" Wally's voice was angry. "Fine! I'll show you idiot–"

"Wally, please!" Robin interjected quickly, realizing that his friend was about to hang up. "I'm in really big trouble!"

There was silence for a moment before Wally responded. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the Narrows, but I need to get out of sight." Robin darted his eyes around the area once more. His gaze fell on the old Clock Tower rising above the dilapidated buildings several blocks away. Perfect. "Send him to the old Clock Tower in the heart of the Narrows. I'll be hiding in there."

"Okay. But why do you have to hide? Are you alright?"

Robin could hear concern in Wally's voice now. "Wally, I promise I'll explain later, but can you just get that grownup? Really fast?"

"Okay, Rob, just hang tight."

And then Wally was gone. Robin cast a last glance around the street before heading for the Clock Tower. He hoped he could make it there without running into anymore trouble.

oOo

Wally was torn between worry and anger when he arrived in Gotham City. He hadn't been able to contact his uncle like Robin had wanted, so he had set out for Gotham instead.

His anger at Robin had made him wonder if the younger boy was pulling some sort of prank on him – it wouldn't be the first time they had done such a thing to one another – until his rational side had argued that Robin wouldn't have looked for Flash's help if this was just a prank. Besides, Robin had sounded scared, and that more than anything was what had Wally worried.

Robin was never scared. Ever. Batman had long ago trained that out of him. It was something that Wally was both a little in awe of and freaked out by; how was it possible for Robin to do this job and not get scared from time to time? Wally had superpowers and he still had the occasional freak-out! It bothered him sometimes that Robin never seemed to get scared. Wally was two and a half years older and he still had a whole mesh of insecurities. Robin was only thirteen, yet he never seemed to doubt himself. Not to mention that he was way more respected by the League than Wally was.

Wally frowned. It wasn't that he was jealous of Robin, but sometimes he wished that he could be viewed with the same respect. It was his biggest insecurity that no one ever took him seriously – which was why he was so mad at Robin right now.

Robin was his best friend. He knew all of his fears and insecurities, but that hadn't stopped him from picking at them in front of everyone on Santa Prisca. Wally had been hurt by Robin's comments, especially the snide 'yeah, you're the thinker' crack, but had shrugged it off because they were on a mission. However, it was now two days later and the comment still stung, made all the worse by the fact that Robin still hadn't apologized. The younger boy could admit that he wasn't ready to lead in front of the rest of their teammates, yet he couldn't apologize to his best friend for hurting his feelings? It frustrated Wally. So when Robin had called him looking for Flash's help instead of his, Wally had felt annoyed, rejected and hurt.

He knew he hadn't been the most mature person in the world on the phone, but if the younger boy could be so immature when it suited him, why couldn't Wally?

He heard the skewed logic even as the thought occurred to him.

Sighing, Wally paused to evaluate his surroundings as he arrived in the Narrows – he'd heard stories from Robin about how dangerous it was. Spying the Clock Tower rising up in the distance, Wally zoomed in that direction. Entering the dilapidated structure, he ran upstairs but found no sign of Robin. He tried him on his communicator and frowned when he got nothing but static.

"Rob, this had better not be some joke!" he yelled, glancing around the dark belfry.

No response.

Wally circled the room a few times to make sure he hadn't missed the other boy hiding in a corner somewhere, but found nothing. He could feel apprehension tickle at the back of his neck. Where was he?

"ROBIN!" he bellowed.

"Shhhhh!" came the answering response, and a small shadow dropped on him from above, making Wally cry out in surprise.

"KF, quiet!" Robin hissed, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet?" repeated Wally in annoyance, yanking Robin's hand off his mouth. "Why didn't you answer me the first time?"

"I didn't hear you," Robin admitted. "I think I fell asleep."

Fell asleep? Wally frowned. That didn't sound like Robin. He squinted at the small shape in the darkness, but could see nothing other than a vague outline. "Dude, you okay?"

"Fine. Where's Flash?"

"Don't know. I can't get him on his communicator."

"What about the rest of the League?" There was a tinge of desperation to Robin's voice.

"Uh, no. You never said anything about them."

Robin groaned. "Please tell me you at least brought your communicator?"

"Duh." Wally was starting to get a little annoyed. He'd run all this way and he still wasn't good enough? "Sorry I'm not who you were expecting."

He cringed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. They sounded petty and childish, and whatever was going on here, now clearly wasn't the time for it. Wally really wished he had an off button for his mouth sometimes.

Robin was silent for a moment before responding. "KF, what's going on?"

"Nothing, it's fine."

Robin's hand landed on his arm. "It's not. Walls, are you…upset with me about something?"

"Doesn't matter," Wally muttered, feeling his face go warm in the dark. How could he explain without sounding like a total girl? Even thinking it made him feel like a sissy!

"Wally–"

Suddenly, an owl hooted somewhere to their left and glided out from the shadows, making them both jump.

Wally gave a sheepish chuckle, watching it exit through the broken clock face before turning back to Robin. He was startled to realize that the younger boy had backed away and had his fists up in a fighting stance; Wally could just discern the outline of his defensive posture in the darkness. He raised an eyebrow. "Dude, chill. It's just an owl."

"Shhhhh!" Robin hissed, head frantically swivelling left and right as he scanned the shadows. His body was rigid and he didn't lower his fists.

Wally was completely bewildered. If he didn't know better, he would have said Robin was scared. "Dude, what–"

"KF, DUCK!" Robin screamed.

Something solid connected with Wally's head and lights exploded behind his eyes. He stumbled and fell against the wall just as a dark shadow swept past him. Shaking his head to clear it, Wally looked up and saw Robin struggling with the dark shape. There was a sickening crack as a fist collided with the younger boy's jaw.

"Get off him!" Wally yelled, springing forward.

The dark shape whirled faster than Wally had anticipated and smashed a fist into his jaw, sending him reeling. Another fist cracked off the side of his head making him see stars. But before the shadow could hit him again, it dropped with a grunt.

Wally looked up and could just see Robin backing into the shadows, fists up once more. The dark shadow on the floor gave a chillingly familiar growl and leapt at him, drawing a small gasp from Robin as hands closed around his neck.

Wally didn't waste any time. Backing up to give himself a running start, he raced forward and jumped at the dark shape, landing a vicious kick to the back of its knee that caused it to buckle, before using the momentum to vault over its head and land beside Robin. Before he could ask what was going on, the shape on the floor snarled and lunged at them, forcing them to jump apart. A sliver of moonlight illuminated its face briefly and Wally was stunned when he recognised an all too familiar cowl.

"Dude! Why the hell is Batman attacking us?!"

The man in question whirled on him and Wally ducked the enormous fist coming at him, wincing at the sound it made as it collided with the wall behind him. Before the man could strike again, Wally zoomed to the other side of the belfry where he snapped on his goggles and switched them to night vision mode. Throwing his gaze around, Wally spotted Batman swinging at Robin on the other side of the tower. Robin ducked the first fist, but the second one smacked into his chest and sent him crashing to the ground.

Wally was there in a second, using his speed to smash into Batman and propel him away from Robin. Twisting, Wally ran and launched himself at the wall, bouncing off of it and using the momentum to send the charging Batman flying into the far wall.

"KF, we need to get out of here!" Robin wheezed, as Wally landed beside him.

Wally didn't need to be told twice. He seized Robin and ran for the stairs, zooming past an angry Batman who grabbed at them. The furious roar that echoed after them as Wally zipped down the stairs made his blood run cold.

"Keep going!" Robin yelled as they exited the Clock Tower. "Put some distance between us!"

Wally was only too happy to obey. Batman on a good day had the potential to scare the crap out of him, Batman tonight freaking terrified him!

As he ran, he could feel Robin's head pressed firmly against his chest, face turned inwards, while one hand had a death grip on Wally's shoulder. He gave a slight grin knowing that travelling by speedster was not exactly Robin's favourite way to travel.

They reached the far side of the city where Wally judged it to be a safe enough distance to stop and get some answers. Coming to a halt on a quiet street, he put Robin down and immediately began to babble at high speed. "Dude, what the hell was that?! Batman freaking attacked us! He…"

Wally's voice trailed off and his eyes widened as Robin turned to face him. The younger boy's face was a mass of bruises, his left cheekbone and eye swollen to twice their usual size. A large, jagged cut scissored across his left cheekbone while patches of dried blood had crusted beneath it. Enormous black bruises were blossoming across his arms, and Wally was nearly positive he could see similar bruising peeking beneath the collar of his cape. He let out a high-pitched screech of horror and grabbed Robin's shoulders.

"Rob! Ohmygodareyouokay? Dude, what happened? What's going on? Crap, are you okay? Did Batman do this? Ohmygodohmygod!"

Wally was flipping out. What the heck had happened tonight?!

"KF, breathe." Robin gave him his patented Wally-calm-thy-tits look and carefully removed his hands from his shoulders.

"Breathe?! Are you freaking kidding me? Dude. What. Happened?" Wally had no intention of relaxing anytime soon. He was freaked and he planned to stay that way.

"Batman's been infected with rage," Robin replied, studying their surroundings with a thoughtful frown.

"Rage?! What the heck does that– wait! You mean Batman really did do this to you?! SERIOUSLY?!"

Robin winced. "Dude, lower the volume, you're approaching sonar."

Wally complied, his nerves making him vibrate on the spot instead. "Rob, what's going on?"

"I'll explain when we're somewhere safe. Batman keeps finding me so we need to get off the streets." Robin rubbed at his ribs, his expression exhausted. "I know where we can go, but can you contact the League first? We need help."

"Yeah, we do," Wally muttered fervently, raising a hand to his ear. He groaned aloud when he realized his communicator was gone.

"What's wrong?" asked Robin.

"Comm's gone. It must have fallen out when Batman hit me."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Robin made a sharp little noise and closed his eyes. Wally could see him clench his fists tightly.

"Uh, Rob?" he ventured, uncertain. "What's wrong?"

The younger boy sighed and opened his eyes. "Nothing. Let's just get off the streets. I don't think I can take another run-in with Batman."

Wally had a feeling Robin wasn't just talking about a physical encounter, but knew better than to push it. "So where are we going?"

"The Bluebird Hotel. It's not far from here. Alfred should be there."

"Alfred?"

"Our butler."

Wally raised an eyebrow. Butler? Oh right, Batman was freakishly rich in his civilian persona. "Rob, you bring me and he's gonna know that you revealed your secret ID."

Robin looked grim. "Right now that's the least of our worries."

"Your call. But once Batman is back to normal, don't blame me if he kills you."

Robin smacked Wally upside the head for his choice of words.