CHAPTER 3:

Robin woke up on the cold, tiled ground, painted like a chess board. He lifted himself up and saw a lifeless looking yellow heap.

'Wally!' He ran over to him and shook his shoulders "Hey, buddy, wake up"

Wally groaned and his eyes flickered open slowly "Rob, leave me alone, I want to sleep"

"Yeah? Well too bad! Because in case you haven't noticed, we've been kidnapped and my guess is that whoever it is, isn't going to be a nice little criminal, do you?"

"Well if we're lucky, we probably just got taken by Killer Moth or Two-Face" Wally moved from lying down to sitting up.

"Two-Face is not nice, you do not want to mess with him, trust me" Dick subconsciously rubbed his right arm, that Two-Face smashed with a bat.

That was the first broken arm Dick ever got and he could never forget the pain it had caused, of course that beating also broke a few ribs but their pain was dulled.

Wally noticed how pained Robin looked "Ok, I'll take your word for it"

Robin shot him a look that said "Thanks for not asking the story behind it"

"So, any criminals with some sort of weird chess obsession?"

"Not that I know of, but it wouldn't surprise me"

The door swung open and a horrifying figure entered the room, cackling.

The two young heroes shared a single thought 'Oh no'

"The little kiddies are awake! Oh you are both so adorable. Unfortunately you weren't supposed to wake until you had been securely tied, I guess I'll have to punish you for being such naughty children"

"But we haven't done anything!" Kid Flash argued.

"Not yet, but you hero types always do" Joker whistled and two large hyenas ran into the room and each jumped on one of the boys, effectively pinning them down. Harley pranced in after them carrying rope.

"Tie flash boy up first" Joker instructed.

Harley happily skipped over to Wally and tied him to the random metal pole in the centre of the room, the eyes of her pet hyena, Lou, watching hungrily with his tail flicking about.

Robin tried to say something, but Harley's other furry friend, Bud, had his paw placed on Robin's larynx, successfully preventing speech.

"What about birdboy?" Harley asked after she completed the final knot in Kid Flash's bind.

"I'll tie him up myself, soon"

Wally really didn't like Joker's tone as he said that.

Harley left the room, her two 'babies' following her out. Robin rolled to the side, coughed and took in some more air, Bud had gotten close to suffocating him. Suddenly a loud 'crack' echoed around the room as a bat collided with his side. Robin winced in pain and gently touched his rib.

'Yep, definitely broken. Thank you Joker that's like the thirdtime you've broken that specific bone'

The bat struck down again against the rib just above the recently re-broken one.

"Leave him alone!" Wally shouted, horrified at the treatment of his 'little brother'

"Oh, does flash boy want a turn?" Joker stood up and walked toward Wally.

Robin glanced up, horror hidden behind his mask. Joker leant down and stared into the jade green eyes gleaming with anger and fear, a slow smile crept across his pale face. He walked back over to Robin and resumed beating him. Wally watched in terror, his protests being completely ignored by the insane, murderous clown. After striking Robin about eighteen more times with the bat, Joker got bored and threw it away.

'It's over, well for now at least, thank god, I don't know how much longer I could've held on through that' Dick silently thanked the fact that Joker had a short attention span.

Joker grabbed the rope off the ground and tied Robin's hands to the pole. His shoulder hurt the most and he almost yelped when Joker forced it above his head. Wally heard the little whimper noise that Robin made and he had known him long enough to know exactly what it meant, he was biting back a scream. Wally scowled menacingly at Joker as the madman turned a large computer on.

'Why does everyone think that their computer needs to be as large as a cinema?' He wondered.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked Joker.

"Don't you want to see how all your goody-two-shoe hero friends are doing?"

"Well, not particularly, no"

"Well too bad, junior, because your going to anyway!"

Joker grabbed two white cloths and after a short struggle managed to gag both the young heroes (more so with Wally). Smiling, he turned the camera on with Wally harshly staring him down and Robin trying to force his pain away.

"Hello, Bats and kiddies, that includes you speedster" Joker stepped in the camera view, beside Robin.

Wally grew even angrier as Joker stood near Robin, he was afraid he was going to hurt him again.

"So, Batman up for another one of our oh-so-lovely games?"

"You hurt those kids and I'll-"

"Oh, blah, blah, blah, enough with the threats! I mean, when have they ever stopped me before? Besides it's already a little late now"

Wally felt even more anger churn inside him and they all saw Batman's look of absolute fury.

"What are you going to do to them!?"Artemis stepped toward the screen, holding her bow as if she was preparing to shoot Joker.

"Oh, archer girl! A pleasure to finally meet you, even if it's only through a camera"

"I can assure you, the pleasure is yours alone"

"Hm, feisty little one"

"I'll show you feisty-" Artemis threatened, clenching her fists.

Both Wally and Dick admired Artemis' courage to stand up to the Joker, even if it was only through a video.

"How do you intend to do that if you don't even know where I am?" Joker questioned and laughed as Artemis gazed down at the floor and the silence responded "I think I'll just let that question hang around. Have fun trying to find me. Well times up, see ya round" Joker laughed darkly and returned his attention back to his two captives.

He removed their gags and then strolled to the door "I'll be back later" his hideous laughter bounced around the room.

"You okay, Rob?"

"Not really. How's your mental state?"

"Hasn't been broken yet"

"You know, something similar happened to Batman and Flash"

"When?"

"A few years ago. Joker got them and tied Batman to a wall with chains while beating your uncle" Robin stated as if he were conversing casually, but at the same time he sounded like he was reminiscing.

"I never knew about that"

"He nearly died and was off duty for two months"

"So, which one of us do you think he'll pay more attention to?"

"He loves seeing me in pain, physically, he likes trying to break Batman's mind which is why he beat Flash, but with me around, I doubt you'll need to worry about getting hurt"

"I'd rather myself hurt than you"

"He wouldn't hurt you, he'd kill you. Please don't say anything that will draw him to you" Robin pleaded.

"But Rob, I can't just let him torture you!"

"Just promise" Dick begged.

Wally sighed defeatedly "Fine, I promise"

"Thanks Wal"

Wally felt guilt flood through him, leaving a wreck inside and tried to forget that he may have just signed his best friends death wish, assuming that it was Robin, Joker wanted to hurt.