Hello! Bodyinthegarden here with another chapter! YAY! sorry I've been in the denists office for awhile now on the funky gas and I think I'm still acting a bit goofy. Not to mention the horrible headache they gave me. Anywho enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't Own.
Chapter Four - Recurve
"ROBIN!" Kid Flash opened his bright green eyes to a metal ceiling and he bolts up from a bed he was recently laying on and looks around, noting that he was on some sort of air transportation.
"Easy kid you're alright."
Wally turns to the voice and sees his mentor smiling at him. He could tell something was off. For the smile tugging on the Flash's face seemed forced.
"Where are we?" Wally asked scratching the back of his head and noticed that his mask was missing.
"On our way to Mount Justice, you're in the infirmary, since you always take forever to wake up." His uncle says sitting down on the side of the bed where Wally was laying on, and Wally got up a little and stretched out his back.
"Wally do you remember anything of what happened on your mission?" He hears his uncle ask and he shrugs,
"I remember Batman giving us the mission and when we got there split up into pairs to cover more ground. Then Robin being stubborn like usual wanted to find Slade on his own and, I think I got hit by something. I really don't remember but it was red. Am I alright?"
He watches as the Flash nods then say, "Everything looks normal. Whatever that blast was supposed to do didn't work I wouldn't worry about that."
Wally nods and looks around the room, "Well did Robin get shot with the beam as well. I bet Batman is giving him a long lecture about it. So that's why he isn't in here." The speedster jokes and he notices his uncle smiles a little and he frowns,
"Where is the boy blunder any how?"
"Robin is… I really don't know how to say this Wally but as of now Robin is." His uncle suddenly pauses as if contemplating what he was about to say next then sighs and says loud enough for the younger speedster to hear, "dead."
Everything around Wally suddenly seemed to be struck still. He couldn't breathe, and anger flooded throughout him.
'No he can't be dead; I mean we are talking about the boy wonder here.'
"No, you're wrong. He isn't dead. He can't be." Wally mumbled to himself. 'If I would've stayed by his side, held onto to him for god's sake then maybe he would still be here by my side.'
"Kid, I'm so sor-"
"HE ISN'T DEAD!" Wally snarls out more to convince himself than his uncle whom had informed him of this horrific news. He slaps the hand away that was about to lay on his shoulder and got up, pulling the mask over his face.
"He isn't dead Uncle Barry. He is just missing, and we have to find him." The sadden look upon his uncle's face infuriates the speedster and he storms out of the infirmary. Only to halt in the threshold of the room as dozen pair of eyes snaps his way from his sudden outburst.
The room is similar to a lounge with its comfy chairs and hard steel like floor, pictures adoring the walls and a coffee table in the middle of the room. Occupied with mugs of hot coco still filled to the brim left to be cooled or merely none was interested in it. The table also held,
'Is that Robin's gloves and his cape?'
he is about to venture closer to the table when a sudden scream for his name drawls him back.
"Wally!" He looks around and almost falls backward as the teams' only archer embraces him, flinging her arms around his neck and held onto him and she begins to cry as she says,
"I'm so glad you're alright. I'm so sorry about… I know he was your best friend."
Wally holds onto to her trying not to give in, but his emotions were shot at the moment and he couldn't help the tears that rained down his face. He gently pulls Artemis off of him and walks over to the table, bending down and picked up the badge that solely told anyone that he was the boy wonder, and noticed it was scorched from the inferno.
"Robin is the smartest person I know. He cannot be dead. He is just… Missing and if none of you honestly believes that. Then I'll go search for him myself."
There is a silence that circles around the room and Wally looks down at the badge thinking, 'Where ever you are Dick. Please be safe.'
…
Robin clutched at the empty patch of his uniform where his insignia been sewn on many years ago and gets up from the older man's orders, wondering if his friends even are awake at the moment.
"Good. Now be a good boy and follow me. You reek of filth, and I am assuming that you must be starving from the sudden snarl your stomach just gave."
Robin placed a hand over his stomach, feeling tiny vibrates from the lack of nutrients in his system. He is about to nod and follow the man, when his stubbornness comes out.
"My friends will come and save me. Not only will that happen but the Justice League will be here soon as well. You might as well just let me go. It would be the smartest thing to do." Robin did not know whether what he had said was wise or truly insane. He hears Slade chuckle a little, pull him out of the empty room, and drag him down a narrow hall saying,
"My dear birdie they think you're dead."
Robin's eyes began to widen, struggling to get away from the mad man who just held tighter to his bruised wrist and he winced as he snarled out, "Why would they come to that conclusion?"
He doesn't get a reply until he is shoved into an evaluator placed at the end of the hallway, watching as Slade enters it behind him, "Not now Robin. I'd rather discuss this over breakfast."
"Can't you just tell me now?" he asks as politely as he can possibly be and Slade ignores him, pressing a button to shut the doors of the elevator and the cart ascends upward with a small jolt.
He is then dragged down another corridor when the elevator doors opened for them both, and his stomach begins to yarn for food as his head ached with every step he took. Slade leads him into a shiny white bathroom that makes him squint from the brightness until he can adjust to it.
He watches as Slade pulled out some items from the cabinets and placed them onto a counter that was connected to a sink. "Take a shower. There is shampoo and conditioners as well as a body wash. Also there is a tooth brush and toothpaste set out for you. Clean clothes as well."
Robin felt himself nod and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the mad man to leave. But the mercenary stayed put, eyeing him up and down.
"May I have some privacy?" he asks and hears a chuckle from under the man's mask,
"I will. I just need you to take off your mask apprentice."
"Sure." Robin says comically, "When you do." It was a stupid thing to say and Robin regrets even opening his mouth as he feels Slade wrap a strong hand around his slender wrist and pulls him close. He cries out as the back side of a gloved hand strikes him on the cheek and his eyes start to water from the sting.
"Do as I say boy, wouldn't want your friends to pay the unfortunate price."
Robin feels himself nod in understanding, as he reached his left hand over to his right side of his face and carefully pulled the mask off, cringing as it tugged on his tender cheek and hands over the mask.
"Now your clothes." Slade whispered close to his ear.
He feels his face start to heat up as Slade let him go and he turns from the man about to take the remaining clothing off his bruised body. When he is tugged back towards Slade as he says sternly, "Stay turned towards me." A shiver racks throughout Dick and he cannot help but ask why.
"I ordered you to apprentice. Stop asking questions and do as I say!" the older man snarls and Dick jumps a little from the way Slade had raised his voice. He looks down; taking a deep breath then pulls the top half of his uniform off, trembling at the cool air now circulating around him. 'You pervert! I cannot wait until I can personally kick your ass!' he thinks as he quickly rips off the remainder of his clothing, and it slapped to the floor in a disgusting mess.
Dick glances upward a little wrapping his arms to cover his exposed body, and was met with an empty room. He blinked then looked around himself then at the door. 'I didn't even hear him leave.' He thinks and moves over to the shower head, shutting himself in the glass like cage of the shower and pulled a dial. Cold water rained down on him and he jumped not expecting it. His mouth though watered from the feel against his skin and he leaned into the shower head, opening his mouth to quench his thirst. Once he got his fill he turned the knob to the right and the water started to turn warm. He turned so his back was hitting the spray of water and sighed, tenderly touching his cheeks with his fingers. He could feel the tears start to well up behind his eyes and he swallowed them down.
'Never show the enemy your weakness.'
This wasn't a time to cry anyhow. He was fine. He had endured more painful beating than this. He needed to focus on finding a way out.
Dick bent down to pick up the body wash and opened the cap, sniffing the fragrance within. It smelled of rosemary and different spices he was unsure, but it cleared his sinuses. He poured a abundance amount on his palm and started to lather it across his body, trying to rid the awful smell that his body had produced after however long he had been in that darkened room.
When he finished with his shower. He grabbed hold of the towel and dried himself off, wrapping the fluffy cloth around his waist and then pulled on the offered clothes. The sky black long sleeved shirt was a bit tight on him and he then pulled on the briefs then blue jeans. Slightly annoyed that he had to constantly pull it back up for they were too big. He wasn't given shoes to wear and he felt weird without them. If he at least had socks on then he supposed he wouldn't feel so awkward.
He sat the used towel on the counter next to the sink and picked up the toothbrush with one hand and with the other uncapped the toothpaste bottle, swiping it across the toothbrush and began to scrub his teeth clean.
"You took your time."
He hears Slade say as he reenters the bathroom as he is in the middle of spiting out the paste and washed off the toothbrush.
"Uh, sorry I just wasn't fond of the smell." Dick says honestly, watching as Slade picked up the used towel and felt him tug on the back of his shirt and roughly began to dry his hair with the damp towel. Dick grunted slightly it was as if he had been stuck into a washing machine.
"Come, let's get you some breakfast."
Dick nodded and followed the man down a long hallway and turned when Slade did. He watches as Slade opens a wooden door like the one he was held captive in and in the pit of his stomach feels a sudden lurch of panic, but when Slade opened the door far enough for him to see he sighed in relief, seeing the modern day kitchen.
"Did you think I was going to lock you up again?" he hears Slade ask, and he just shrugs walking through the entrance.
"Hello." A elderly old man says with a thick British accent and Dick raises an eyebrow towards the man.
"Hello?" he asks and looks up at Slade, "Are you kidnapping elderly people as well as kids?" he asked and he hears the old man snicker.
"Afraid not young man. I'm William Wintergreen, one of Slade's oldest friends." He says wiping his hands on a cloth and stretched out his arm for Dick to shake and he does, smiling at the man who somewhat reminded him of Alfred.
"Slade has friends?" He asks and William starts to snicker again. Dick feels Slade shoved pass him and he frowns letting go of the other man's hand and rubbed his shoulder as he says, "I'm Richard Grayson."
"Oh, I know son. Now why don't you seat at the table I made a special breakfast this morning."
Dick looks down at his whole wheat toast, and scrambled eggs. After Slade had explained how he had faked his death and heard his stomach growl out to him to take a bite of the food offered to him.
"I do suppose your team and your mentor will try to find you. But after a few months of no luck. They will give up, and pronounce you dead. I wonder what the funeral will be like?" Dick hears Slade ask in a nonchalant way and he rubs his uncovered face.
Dick finally takes a bite of the dry toast and rests his head on his hand, not bothering to even look at the mad man. He barely listens to the man's rants about the useless attempts his team will take and when he gets his fill. The plate is taken away by Wintergreen.
"Uh thank you for breakfast." He mumbles and the older man smiles at him as he takes the dirty plates to the kitchen to clean.
"And finally,"
Dick turns and looks over at Slade who hadn't even bothered to eat the food in front of him and propped his elbows upon the table.
"You will have at least four training sessions during the day and it will be mandatory to eat three meals. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." Dick says and he is sure that Slade was smiling under his mask.
When Dick enters the training room his eyes widen in awe. It resembles very much like a gymnasium almost like the one that he once trained in when he first became Robin. But it was slightly different. For there were different stations that the he could go to, there were wrestling ring, and obstacle courses. There were weapons everywhere stationed along in such a neat order to knives, swords, guns to different types of bows. He looks around and his blue eyes stop on the archery area there were human dummies as the target practice forty-five feet away from the start point, and his fingers started to itch to walk towards the bows and try them out.
"Don't be shy Dick. Try it out." he hears Slade say and he walks up to the display cases of bows, eyeing the reflex bows thinking of Artemis and walks on towards the straight bow and smiles knowing that was Red Arrow's bow and he stops when he looks upon a recurve. It was made of what he suspected of fiber glass or laminated carbon, and it was just stunning to look at.
He takes his hand out and touches the upper limb, feeling the cool touch and moved down to touch the grip.
"Go on boy." he hears Slade say and he tenderly grabs hold of the bow and walks over to archery station looking nervously at Slade who was just eyeing at him, seeing if he had the talent.
He selects a arrow with his right hand and snaps it onto the serving, letting the upper part of the arrow on the rest. He then positions himself in line with the figure and holds the bow up, pulling the fifty pound bowstring back easily and aligned his arrow to the target. He waited a few seconds to make absolute sure and let the string go and let it soar through the air.
Thanks for reading guys! PLease review! :D
With love and always stay asterous even though I'm not really feeling it today,
~Bodyinthegarden~