Disclaimer: Still don't own YJ or BB. Although, if DC is doing what I think their doing, maybe someone should take the Bat family away from them.
ForeverNightwing has a new name and sadly is not currently working on this fic with me at the moment. I'll be continuing on my own for a while but they are welcome back at any time. This is a un-beta version of this chapter and will be replaced as soon as I get the fixed chapter. Now I know I left you hanging last time so let's get to the story.
Chapter 4:
Protocol
The words echoed in his head as Batman briefed them on the status of their missing teammate. "Robin's missing."
Nightwing was immediately at attention switching from Dick Grayson to the prodigy of Batman. "What happened?" His voice was devoid of all emotion but the twitching of his hands gave him away. He was worried about his teammate, his little brother but he knew if he wanted to help him he needed to focus on the mission.
"Last night Robin went out on patrol but after only two hours in we lost communication. He hasn't come home or reported in." Like Nightwing, Batman was also focusing on the mission but detaching his emotions was easier for him than his first partner.
"Where do you want me to start searching?"
"I don't." Nightwing looked up confused but Batman raised a hand. "I want you to stay here and coordinate the search with me and Batgirl." Nightwing was still confused for a moment but then glanced at his new roommate.
"Batman you can't be serious. I can't just sit here while my little brother is missing." But Batman didn't waver.
"We don't know if Robin is just missing or in a position where he can't contact us. Your priority is still to keep an eye on our time traveler and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Hearing this Terry jumped to his feet.
"Hey! I'm not an idiot I know I can't leave this room until you find a way to get me back home. We all know I could have broken out whenever I felt like it. I've been as patient as a saint and I'd like to think I could be trusted to stay here for a few hours while you go look for your missing kid."
Nightwing looked at Terry and then back at Batman. "Couldn't we have some other leaguer watch him?"
"As of right now the league has agreed that the fewer people involved with the time traveler the better."
"I have a name you know." But Batman didn't evening knowledge Terry's outburst.
Nightwing rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose as if trying to fight off the headache. "Could we at least call in some of the members of the team? Even if it's just the non-Metas, I know how you –"but Batman cut him off.
"This is a family matter. I don't want half a dozen superheroes in my city if this turns out to be nothing."
"But what if it's not nothing?" Nightwing shouted getting more and more frustrated. "What if Robin is in serious trouble?"
"This isn't the first time Robin has gone missing. Robin has been trained well by myself, Batgirl and you. It's highly likely he'll get himself out of trouble before we find him." The emotionless mask that Nightwing had put on earlier was starting to slip. You didn't need to be a bat to tell that Nightwing was worried.
"But I can still –" but Batman cut him off again.
"I still need someone out of the field to coordinate with the rest of the family. Right now you're of better used to me here. The time and effort it will save everybody including Robin will be invaluable." Nightwing looked like he was going to argue again than his eyes got wide as if he suddenly realized what his mentor was truly saying. He hung his head slightly but complied.
"All right, give me a moment to set up and I'll get everybody online and on the same page. Let's bring Robin home."
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Terry watched as Batman closed the door to his cell after he escorted Nightwing out. Batman gave him one last glare before he and Nightwing left the room. This time it was Terry who realized what Batman was saying without words. His whole speech about not doing anything stupid was a serious warning. In other words if Terry knew something about Robin's disappearance he wasn't to say anything especially to Nightwing. But now that he was left alone to his own thoughts he couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time Tim Drake went missing in his time. It was a nightmare beyond belief and it tore the bat family apart. No one was ever whole again after that incident.
But there was a good chance that this wasn't the same incidents. They had no way of knowing if it was the Joker who took Tim Drake with the intention of not only torturing him for information but to mold him into the Joker's twisted version of a son. He remembered Barbara Gordon telling him what happened when Batman finally came to rescue his former protégé. The fight had turned deadly and the Joker fell by Tim's hands. Tim of course, was never the same, even after his lengthy recovery.
But even the death of the Joker didn't free the poor boy from that monster. While under his "care" the Joker had implanted a device at the base of Tim's neck with his own DNA so that he may one day resurrect himself should he ever perish.
Terry couldn't even imagine what Tim had to go through all those years with the Joker literally in the back of his head whispering and manipulating him. All the while Tim probably thought it was just his mental instability.
He sincerely hoped this wasn't the same incidents. Honestly he really shouldn't get involved, after all how many times did Robin get kidnapped in the past? It was almost a Job requirement. So for now he reside himself to simply wait and watch.
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Over the next few days Terry saw very little of Nightwing. His young caretaker was busying himself with the search for his younger brother. He only stopped by to see Terry when it was time for a meal. He missed a couple of those but Terry couldn't blame him. Every time a meal came Dick Grayson only seemed more and more stressed and worried. On day three after missing both breakfast and lunch Nightwing finally came in with a tray of food that looked like it was put together rather quickly.
"Geez Terry, I'm so sorry, I brought you some extra food to make up from neglecting you today." Nightwing set the tray down on the table beside Terry. Terry could see signs of not only sleeplessness but lacking nutrition in the young man's face.
"Don't worry about it. If my little brother was missing I'd be tearing up the city trying to find him." Even though Nightwing looked exhausted it looked like he wanted to do just that. "Look I know you're worried but have you had anything to eat?" Nightwing opened his mouth to speak but Terry instantly knew what he was going to say and cut him off. "And coffee doesn't count."
Nightwing shut his mouth for a moment but forced a smile on his lips a moment later. "Don't worry I'll be fine I'll grab something later." They both knew this was a lie. "Sorry but I have to get back to work."
Terry stood up and took his arm. "You look dead on your feet. Sit down for a few minutes and have a bite with me, there's more than enough food for both of us." But Nightwing just shook his head.
"I can't I'm trying to work three or four leads and while I don't think they're going to lead anywhere there might be a chance –" but when Nightwing took a step forward his legs wobbled and Terry had to catch him before he fell to the ground.
"That's it, you're taking a break whether you like it or not." Nightwing tried to push him away but is over exhausted body wasn't letting him put up much of a fight.
"But he's still out there. No one's heard from him in days and yesterday Batman found his tunic wrapped around a flagpole near the area we usually patrol. He's not just missing he's been captured and whoever took him wants us to know. But while normally there's a clue or signature this time there's nothing. Batman's chasing down every lead and questioning every suspect in the whole city. Barbara finally convinced him the call in reinforcements but we're still no closer to finding him than when he first went missing." Terry held the exhausted Nightwing as he vented out his frustrations.
"I know. I know this is hard for you and everyone involved but you're not going to be of much use to anyone if you collapse due to lack of sleep or food. I know I'm not going to be able to convince you to sleep but at least get some food in your system to balance out all that caffeine." Nightwing sighed but didn't try to get out of Terry's hold.
"All right, I'll refuel than get back to the hunt." Terry sighed with relief as he went to get the tray of food Nightwing had brought in earlier. He accepted a sandwich and after a few bites he realizes just how hungry he was and finished off another one. While nibbling on a protein bar Dick couldn't help but look at Terry. There was a question on his mind that he knew he shouldn't ask and if Batman ever found out, and he will find out, he would be furious with his first partner. But at the moment he wasn't Nightwing the superhero he was Dick Grayson protective older brother.
"I know you're not supposed to say anything about the future or the time you come from but I have to ask; Is…Is Tim all right in your time?"
Now that was a very open-ended question but Terry knew he couldn't answer and trying to give a fake response would only cause more problems. "You know I can't answer that, I've already told you too much as it is."
"Can you at least tell me if we find him? Can you please tell me if he's alive or…" Now Terry was really torn. He knew the overall outcome of the bat family and it wasn't good. Technically they were all still alive but everyone was broken in one way or another. But again he still couldn't answer Dick's question.
"I'm sorry. I know both you and Tim were kidnapped and went missing a number of times but I don't know which incident this is." Nightwing looked slightly angry.
"That's not what I asked. I know I'm still alive in your time because of your little slipup and so is Bruce, but what about Tim or Barbara or…" Suddenly Nightwing seem to catch himself and turned away. "Sorry, I know you can't tell me one way or the other and I know why but I just feel so helpless being stuck at home while everyone else can at least vent some of their frustrations." Terry cocked his head to the side catching the new meaning to Nightwing's words.
"Is there another reason why the old man doesn't want you out on the field? I thought this was your vacation but –"
"I took myself off the field. There was a…incident. The mission was successful but… I miss something, something very important. And due to my incompetence we lost a great hero and a good friend." Nightwing didn't even seem to care that he wasn't supposed to be talking to Terry about missions. After bottling up his grief for so long and finally having somebody who wasn't involved to listen he finally let some of it out. "I screwed up and even though everyone tells me it's not my fault I know it is. I was in charge, I was responsible. That's why I took myself off the roster; I couldn't trust myself in the field or to make any important decisions." He looked over at Terry with a grim expression on his face.
"Just last week, while I was trying to do some routine patrolling around the area, I caught a burglar. Normally a simple job but I overheard him bragging to his friend that this was an easy score since most of the superheroes were mourning the loss of one of their own. I just got so angry and before I knew it I had nearly beaten the man to death." Terry's eyes widened after hearing Nightwing's confession. Suddenly Terry realized that not only did Nightwing realize he wasn't fit to be on the field but so did Batman. That was the real reason why he was stuck here behind the scenes while everyone else looked for Robin. He also realized that perhaps Nightwing wasn't just here to babysit him but maybe Terry was here to make sure Nightwing didn't drown himself in sorrows. Sometimes it was just easier to open up to a stranger then a family member.
Terry didn't know what to say and Nightwing seemed to be a little embarrassed that he had just confessed this much to someone he barely knew. "I've got to get back to work, thanks for forcing me to eat and sorry about my ranting. I just need to get Robin home."
And with that Nightwing left the room. Now Terry was even more conflicted about what he should do. All the signs were pointing to this being the incident where Tim Drake was driven insane by the Joker. And if it was, Tim Drake wasn't the only one who was going to suffer. He didn't even find out about the whole incident until over a year later when he had confronted the Dick Grayson of his time. It was there he learned that during the search for Tim, Alfred had been taken hostage by the Joker. Batman and Nightwing went to rescue him but due to a bad decision on Batman's part Nightwing was critically injured. The once strong and graceful acrobat was nearly crippled when the Joker opened fired on him with a machine gun. He might've been able to get out of the way but Batman had jumped in front of him blocking his view with his cape. That night Dick Grayson lost an eye and even after a long recovery he still had a bullet lodged in his spine. His days on the trapeze were over and he would never fly again.
But that wasn't the worst part. Terry could tell Bruce's actions after the whole incident hurt Mr. Grayson a lot worse than the bullets. Knowing all of this how could he let such a horrible even happen to this family of heroes? Would it be worth risking his entire world to save them? Was this even the right incident he so desperately wanted to change? He sighed as he lay down on his bed. Maybe a few hours of sleep would clear his mind.
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Dick watched from his surveillance cameras as the young man in the other room seemed to be struggling. Was he worried about getting home or was it something else. He didn't like the way Terry kept talking around his questions about Tim.
'He knows something.' The young hero thought to himself. 'But he knows he can't do anything about it.'
Dick had never felt so frustrated in his entire life. In the very next room was a guy supposedly from the future who could reassure him that his little brother makes it home safely or warn him if something really bad was going to happen to him. But due to their protocol Dick wasn't suppose to ask and Terry wasn't suppose to answer. Bart Allan's behavior around the Bat clan was troubling as well. Two time travelers worried about the Bat clan was definitely a red flag.
Dick was ready to pull his hair out in frustration when he got an alert for Batman. "Nightwing I have another lead." Batman was all business as he sent Nightwing an address not far from his bunker. "I was able to interrogate a possible location out of a suspect. You're the closest and everyone else is tracking other leads."
He didn't like the way Batman made it sound like he was only asking him because he had no other option but pushed that thought aside for the time being. "We're getting spread too thin, how reliable is this lead of yours?"
"It's a lead, not a very strong one, but it's still a lead." Dick glanced at the monitor where he saw that Terry was asleep.
"I'll check it out and keep you updated. Shouldn't be more than 30 minutes max." Batman paused for a moment.
"Is the…guest secure?" Dick rolled his eyes at the fact Batman still couldn't say Terry's name never mind calling him Batman the second.
"Yes Batman, he's locked up nice tight and currently sleeping. I can step out for a few minutes to check on this lead." Batman looked like he wanted to say something else but turned off the com without another word.
Dick took one last look at Terry before racing out hoping this lead wasn't another dead end.
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Terry's nap was cut short as he heard the roar of Nightwing's motorcycle as it left the building. He sat back up and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't getting any sleep, not with so much on his mind and not with the nightmare he was startled from. It wasn't a long one but it sent shivers down his spine. The cases that held the costumes of all of Batman's allies were shattered. The costumes inside were shot up or slashed bleeding red as a familiar haunting laugh echoed somewhere in the dark.
He took a deep breath and tried some of Wayne's meditation techniques to clear his head. He needed to think and he needed to make a decision. But the more he thought about it he began to realized something. When he was Batman and knew someone was in trouble he never stopped to think how this would affect him or the world years from now. He saved the lives of people some would think were better off dead. But it wasn't his place to judge or decide who should live or die…or be driven insane. If Old Bruce was in his shoes, would he try to save the time stream or his partner? Terry scoffed to himself. Batman would find a way to do both, or at least try to.
But he was Batman now and there was someone who needed saving. Hardening his resolve Terry strolled to the door to his cell. He may not be a world class hacker like Nightwing but the tech was old by his standers. Using parts of the TV and the tech from his suit he was able to disable the lock in under five minutes and Nightwing wouldn't know until he got back.
He didn't like the fact that he was betraying Dick's trust; the guy had been genuinely kind to him considering he was still considered a threat by the current Batman. But if it mean sparing Robin from a lifetime mental anguish and Nightwing from relearning how to walk again then he was OK with that. But he had to be sure. This was still a big risk and if he was going to chance not being able to go home again he had to be sure.
He knew Robin's capture happen about two years after Arkham Asylum was closed for good. He was still surprised at the level of Nightwing's tech but it made it easier to find the information he was looking for. Part of him was hoping he was too early but another part thought that maybe there was a reason he was flung back to this moment in time. And as a news article announcing the closing of Arkham dated 2 years ago popped up on the screen he knew what he had to do.
Luckily Nightwing had a spare ride.
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As Nightwing pulled into the bunker he let out a sigh. While the lead was a complete waste of time it felt good to get back into the field. The tiredness form too many nights with too little sleep was pushed down with the adrenalin he felt. He decided to report in to Batman and get back to work while he was still…
"Ah Hell!" he shouted as he noticed his spare cycle was missing. He jumped off his own ride and raced back into the living area of his base. Only to find the door to Terry's cell wide open and the future Batman missing.
"Terry you son of a-" but the curse was cut off the loud crack the resounded as he punched his fist in the wall. "First Blue and Green Beetle and now…and people wonder why Bat's have trust issues!" he shouted to himself trying to think of a way to explain this to Batman. "Looks like it's my turn for an "I told you so" lecture."
While trying to do some damage control he tried to see if the tracer he placed on Terry was still active. Surprisingly it was. He wasn't sure what to think of that, Terry was either very sloppy or…suddenly his eyes widened with realization. 'Or he left it on so we could fallow him.'
He jumped to the computers easily pulling up what Terry was looking at last. It was an old article on the closing of Arkham Asylum and there were two others. One was a report on Robin when he took down a drug ring and another on the capture of the Joker.
Nightwing felt his heart racing as he watched the tracker making a beeline right to the old building. He may as well as have painted them a picture.
"Nightwing to Batman this is an Emergency!" Barely two seconds later the Dark Knight responded. "Report!"
"Our Guest has escaped and I think he's gone after Robin." Nightwing quickly forwarded everything he had just found to his mentor. "He heading straight for Arkham Asylum and I think the Joker might be behind this."
Batman swore over the com loud enough to make Nightwing flinch. "He left the tracer on didn't he?" Nightwing nodded coming to the same conclusion. "And he didn't tell us because he thinks we would have tried to stop him." Batman concluded. They could still stop him if they wanted to. Nightwing could lock up the motorcycle or the suit and bring him back before he reached Gotham. Dick prayed he wouldn't get that order because honestly he didn't think he could go through with it.
"Get to Arkham as fast as you can! I'm calling in Batgirl she not that far either. I'm at least 45 minutes away from the nearest Zeta tube. If Robin is there get him out, if not…I'll deal with our guest." Dick didn't hesitate as he raced back to his bike. It was still quicker to Arkham with his cycle than the Zeta. There were no Zeta tubes anywhere near there. He practically flew all the way to Gotham pushing the bike as hard as he could as fast as he could. He could only pray he got there in time. Ever since Batman had announced the Robin was missing he had this sick feeling in his gut that something really bad was going to happen. He only had that feeling once before. When Jason Todd, the second Robin, had run off in search of his birth Mother. He never came home. Dick could only pray history wasn't about to repeat itself.
"Hang on Timmy; we're coming, just hang on just a little bit more."
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Terry felt like he was walking right into a horror movie. The building was old and foreboding long before it was abandon. It was a amazing that it was still standing. In his time Arkham Asylum had long been demolished and spoken about with the darker side of Gotham's history or in urban legends. It was a place that bread monsters and insanity. No one ever referred to it as a place of mental rehabilitation.
He had race here as quick as he could for fear Nightwing would cut his suit's mobility again but now that he was hear he had to move with great caution. He didn't know the layout of the building and parts of it were so damaged they could collapse at any moment. Some already had. He blended himself into the shadows as best he could wishing he could have gotten he stealth working. There had to be camera set up if the Joker was using this as he Head Quarters but he would be reduced to generators since the building was no longer on the main grid. He hoped he could keep the element of surprise since the Joker was carful this time about leaving clues for Batman to find.
Tim had only been missing a few days but that was still a long time to be in the hands of a madman. If Tim was hurt Terry would forever blame himself for not acting sooner when he knew what the boy's ultimate fate was.
As he explored the twisting darken hallways he couldn't help but wonder how anyone could stay in a place like this and come out with improved mental health. Even in the light this place just seemed to feed on madness, drawing it in and the inmates would be caught up in it. He was more than a little surprised that no one had decided to close the place down sooner.
As he crept around another corner he spotted a light flickering at the end of the hallway. Inching ever closer Terry tried to calm his pounding heart so that he could make out the voices coming from the lit room. The first voice was a woman who was giggling. He had watched a lot of old news footage from Wayne's old cases and recognized her as Harleen Quinzel AKA Harley Quinn. But her voice was drowned out but a sickening laughter as it echoed through the door and into the hallway Terry was currently creeping through.
The young man actually froze for a moment. This is the real deal. This was the Joker, arch nemesis of the old Batman. Sure Terry had faced and beat him before but his suit was still shut down and he wasn't anywhere near his peak. The Joker also wasn't occupying the body of an old man. This was both a good and a bad thing all at the same time. He wouldn't have to worry about holding back as much but he had no idea what the Joker was like in a younger more agile body. He wished he could wait for Nightwing and the rest of the Bat clan but he didn't know how long Dick would be gone and he wasn't able to contact them since their coms weren't connected.
But as he was contemplating how long he should wait he heard a third voice. One that terrified him more that the first two.
It was the voice of a young teenage boy laughing.
To be continued…
Yeah, I'm evil. See you next time! –Shiroi Misa
