The Joker had left.

He had left.

Wally knew that he wouldn't be gone for long, but he would take his miracles where he could get them.

Robin groaned from his spot on the floor. He tensed as he moved to sit up. He brought his hand to his ribs as he winced, and his breath caught in his throat. "So not asterous."

"Rob." Wally didn't recognize his own voice. It was scratchy and rough, and an octave or two higher than normal.

Robin turned to look at Wally and grimaced. He lifted his hand to the side of his head, gingerly probing the area that was sticky with blood. "Ow."

"Rob."

"Don't worry, KF," said Robin as he slowly sat up, unsteady and cradling his left arm to his chest. "I'll get us out of here."

"God, Rob, can you even walk?"

Robin froze as his breathing hitched. He shut his eyes and took several deep breaths.

"Robin?"

"Just... gimme a sec."

Wally glanced in the direction that Joker had left. "Sure, buddy," he said, trying to muster up something that sounded like encouragement. The seconds stretched, and still Robin didn't move. "Rob?"

"Hm?"

Wally tried not to think about how tight his friend's voice was. "You okay?"

"I'm always okay, Wally."

Wally's heart dropped. Robin never screwed up with identities in the field. "Yeah, I know," said Wally, his mouth dry. "I know you are."

Robin maneuvered his feet under him and slowly stood. He listed to the side, and Wally was sure that he would fall over, but he caught his balance at the last second and allowed himself a small, triumphant grin. He looked to Wally, as if expecting praise, and his grin faded. "You look... KF, you look awful."

Wally couldn't bring himself to speak. He felt numb. He felt sick.

"Don't you go into shock on me, Walls," said Robin, limping forward. "I need you mobile."

"I'm a little tied up at the moment," he snapped, some fire returning to his voice.

"Touchy."

"I'm so far from mobile, Rob!"

Robin laughed.

"Okay, that's it," said Wally. "We're no longer friends."

"Cool it, KF. I'm gonna get you free."

"How? You're not exactly running on all cylinders! And you can't tell me you are, not after..."

Robin finally made it to his destination. With astounding effort, he bent down and retrieved his utility belt from the floor. "By making the Joker emotionally compromised."

"By making him what?"

"He didn't take my belt. Oh, he is gonna be pissed."

There was a sinking in Wally's gut. "Did you know this would happen?"

"Self-control isn't one of his strong suits," he said, rummaging in one of the belt's pockets. "Plus, at the rate he was going, he would've killed me before Batman ever got here, and he doesn't want that."

Wally sagged in his bindings and hit his head on the pillar behind him. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

Robin pulled a small, black box from his belt. "And we have liftoff," he muttered. Seeing Wally's look of confusion, he held it up. "EMP emitter. Batman gave it to me after the Red's attacked, remember?"

As if that wasn't one of their missions that still gave Wally nightmares.

Wally shoved the image of his best friend drowning out of his head, but the reality in front of him wasn't much better. Robin looked like he was about to keel over. Bruises were starting to darken, and the purple tones paired with Robin's pale pallor made him look ghostly. His fingers shook as he fiddled with the device.

"That won't shut down the bombs," said Wally.

"It'll shut down the detonator. Then all I have to do is get you free."

"All you have to–? We still have to escape!"

"I'm not walking out of here, KF," and there, there was the tremor that confirmed how shitty Rob was feeling. "Which is why it'll be up to you."

"What? But I'm not–"

And then Rob got that smile on his face that always made Wally feel just a little bit uncomfortable, because it was so open and so caring, and it made Rob look so very young. "I trust you, KF."

Wally felt his face grow hot. It always threw him for a loop when Robin looked at him like he was some kind of hero. And yeah, he was a hero, but he wasn't supposed to be a hero to Robin. They were friends. Teammates. It was a dynamic that Wally had struggled with, at first, because Robin had been his hero.

Robin had been the first. He had been who inspired Wally to become a hero in the first place–other than the Flash, of course. And then Wally had met him, and he'd held him in even higher regard because watching Rob fight up close put anything Wally had heard about to shame. Robin had been in the gig for years before Wally joined.

And now, in a situation where Wally had done absolutely nothing even remotely helpful, Robin was looking to him. Wally had been useless since the whole debacle had started. He'd been useless in Arkham. He'd been useless in his attempts at handling the situation before Robin woke up. He'd been useless as he watched his friend get beaten. And he was useless now.

Even beaten half to hell, Robin was still getting them out. Robin was doing all the work. Robin was the one fighting.

Wally would be the one running.

But if he could get both him and Robin out of there by running, it would be worth it, wouldn't it? Or would it be the coward's way out? But who cared about that when it was weighed against survival?

Wally sure as hell didn't.

If running made him a coward, whoopdi-fucking-do, he'd take it.

And if it made him a hero...

He wasn't sure what he thought about that.

xXxYoungJusticexXx

"You're right on time, B-Man," said Harley from her handstand as she smiled up at Batman with the tips of her colored hair touching the floor.

"Where are they?"

"Somebody's grumpy."

"I know you know, Harley," said Batman. "Skip the denial."

Harley rolled her legs forward until her feet touched the ground by her hands and she was looking at Batman through her legs. Handstand turned to standing as she lifted her upper body until her back faced him. "Sure thing," she said, fixing her hair before looking at him over her shoulder. "Let's also skip the part where I say I'm not tellin you where Jay is. Wow, that made things a lot faster. Thanks for visiting, come back soon." She turned away and stretched her arms and waist by leaning to one side and then the other.

Batman clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath. "Harley."

She bent forward to touch her toes and he was left with a very prominent view of her backside.

He didn't have time for this. "You owe me."

She righted herself and stormed to the glass, shaking a finger at him. "Owe you? I don't owe you nothin! "

"Fine, not me," said Batman. "Robin."

"Don't make me laugh."

"He saved your life."

"Did not!"

"You would have been crushed."

"So?" said Harley. "You think that means I got some dept to repay? News flash, Batman," a grin stretched across her face, and her eyes darkened, "I'm not a nice person." She sat down and spread her legs wide apart. She leaned to her left and touched her nose to her knee. "You ain't gonna guilt me inta tellin you nothin."

Batman took a gamble. "Joker didn't just take Robin. He took Kid Flash."

"The flunky red-head?" She shrugged. "So, he wavered from the plan. What should I care? If it makes Jay happy."

"And is he?"

Harley narrowed her eyes. "Is he what?"

"Happy?"

She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I wouldn't know, would I? I'm locked up in here, all by my lonesome." She tilted her head and smirked. "Although, I have to admit, seven visitors in one day? I feel like the pretty girl at the dance."

Batman clenched his hands into fists.

Harley looked unimpressed. "Don't get the wrong idea, Batsy, you are so not my date. Jay is busy so I'm goin stag. You shoulda seen how excited he was for his date with Robin! He spent hours pickin out the outfit. I ain't seen him this excited in ages."

"So he's... happy."

"Again with that?" said Harley, glaring. "I said, how would I know? Sheesh! Fer bein a detective, yer sure not a good listener."

"If you were to guess."

"Fine! Sure, he's happy! He's Mista Jolly and he's got rainbows comin outta his ass! Screw you, Batman! You think it's fun, goin to a dance stag? I bet Jay is havin the time of his life while I'm in here, stuck with you, yeh big jerk!" Harley stood and sniffed. She wiped her eyes.

"You helped him plan, even though you couldn't be there?"

"O' course I did," she snapped. "All I care about is makin him happy! And then you had ta go and ruin it!"

"Harley, you're going to tell me where they are."

"Like hell I am!"

"You'll do it to protect him."

Harley froze. She bit her lip. "He don't need protectin."

"You know what Joker is doing to Robin?"

She pursed her lips.

"Then you know that if I don't find them, Robin will die."

"Killin Robbie ain't part o' the plan."

"Neither was taking Kid Flash."

Harley faltered.

"You know him, Harley. You know him better than anyone. So,you know that if there's no one there to stop him, he won't be able to stop himself."

Harley averted her eyes. "Why should I care if the kid dies?"

"Two reasons," said Batman. "Because you don't hate Robin. And because, if Robin dies... this happiness is gone forever. Even though you'd get to go to the dance with Joker, you won't let it happen because you care more about his happiness than yourself. That is why you will tell me."

Harley drooped. "If I tell you, he ain't gonna be happy with me, though. Why can't I be the one ta make him happy? Just once, I want him ta ask me to the dance. Not you... and not Robbie. Is that too much ta ask?"

"You tell me."

She huffed and wiped her eyes. "Gotham Pier. Shipping containment building fourteen on the edge of the Narrows."

xXxYoungJusticexXx

"That seemed too easy."

"Are you really complaining about things not being difficult enough, KF?" asked Robin as he returned the EMP emitter to his belt, which he reattached around his waist.

"The detonator is kaput?"

Robin pulled out a small knife and limped towards Wally. "Time to get you free. Ready to stretch your legs?"

"Dude, I've been ready since we got here."

And man did Rob look a hell of a lot worse up close. He lifted the knife to the ropes just to the side of Wally's left arm. His trembling hand hovered over the rope, his grip tight. He blinked hard and swallowed. His face went white.

"What's wrong? Rob? Don't you pass out on me now, Buddy."

"'M not gonna pass out..."

"Oh... good."

"M' gonna be sick..."

And Robin threw up on the floor in front of Wally. He choked and wretched as his shoulders were wracked with tremors. The smell of it mixed with the smell of metal and death and salt.

Then they heard the door bang open.

He was back.

And Robin hadn't cut the ropes.

Robin hadn't cut the ropes.

"Rob," Wally whispered. "Rob you have to cut me free. The ropes, Rob! Now!"

Robin let out a small whine. "KF, I'm not feeling so good."

Footsteps.

"I know, Buddy," said Wally, "I know you aren't, but you're gonna feel a lot worse if you don't cut me free right now."

Getting louder.

Robin tightened his grip on the knife. He began sawing but his hand slipped, and he cut himself. Blood stained the rope. Robin stared at it, mesmerized. He started sawing again, but the blood made the knife slippery–

A bleach-white hand snatched Robin's wrist.

Robin froze, his eyes wide.

Joker slowly pulled Robin's hand away from the ropes.

The knife dropped to the ground, clattering in the puddle of sick.

The rope hadn't been cut.

Robin hadn't been able to do it.

And there was a fury in Joker's eyes that told Wally he wouldn't be able to stop himself again.

"I told you what would happen," said Joker as he dragged Robin away by the wrist. Robin stumbled. "I warned you. Reap what you sow, and all that. I'll give you a moment to say goodbye–Too late!" Joker triggered the detonator–

And nothing happened.

He pressed the button again. His brow furrowed as he lifted it up to eyelevel to examine it. He pressed it again. Again–again–again–again– "Blast it all!" He threw the device across the room where it smashed on the cement floor. His eyes flicked to Robin's belt in understanding. "You think you can deter me with your little tricks?"

Robin frowned. "You do seem awfully terred."

"So I can't explode your friend," said Joker, sounding only mildly disappointed. "But let me tell you, Boy-o, you aren't going to win a fight against me in your state."

"Don't sound so sure."

But all three of them knew Joker was right.

There was a flash of movement from Robin, a burst of smoke, and Robin and Joker disappeared.

Wally could hear the fight, and Robin was not winning.

A grunt of pain.

High laughter.

A gasp.

A thud.

A shout.

And it was over.

When the smoke cleared, Joker stood, and Robin did not.

And then Joker picked up the crowbar.

And it all happened again.

And this time, Robin went limp.

"You're killing him," Wally screamed through his raw throat.

Another hit with the crowbar.

Then everything slowed down. Wally's entire body vibrated at a frequency he'd never been able to hit before. He was screaming and restrained and then he wasn't. He was tied to the pillar and then he wasn't. They were in the shipping containment building and then they weren't.

Wally clutched Robin tight to his chest as he ran. Please don't be dead, please don't be dead. Wally didn't know where he was or where he was going–Gotham was unfamiliar territory to him, but all that mattered was putting as much space between Robin and that madman as he could with what little energy he had left. Phasing through the ropes had severely depleted his reserves, and he could feel himself slowing down. Only when it became dangerous to continue running did he stop.

A dark, filth-ridden street. A drooping bridge. Old buildings with peeling plaster and boarded windows. A sky of black clouds.

Wally carried Robin under the bridge and laid him down with shaking hands. He placed his fingers on Rob's neck and let out a breath of relief when he felt the thrumming of a pulse.

He stood and looked around.

They'd gotten away from Joker.

But he had no idea where they'd ended up, and his reserves were empty.

It looked like they were stuck there.