A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to, read, reviewed and favorited this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the DC characters.
Tim age 12
Dick age 16
4 Babybird
My quiet brooding is interrupted by more wailing alarms and flashing red lights. It's starting to get a little annoying.
Looking around I force myself to stay still, and wait. I can't hack my way out of the cage this time, so I just have to hope that the Avengers can handle this threat better than the last one.
If it's Batman then I hope he doesn't beat anyone up to badly. Well except for Hawkeye I wouldn't mind if he beat Hawkeye up a little bit. I think grimacing as my leg aches.
Suddenly the door to the room my cage is in, opens letting Captain America and Hawkeye rush into the room. Their eyes land on me Captain America smiles a little looking relived to see me. Hawkeye glances at me then quickly looks away.
I narrow my eyes into slits letting him know I'm not happy to see him.
"What do you want?" I growl letting my irritation show in my tone.
I'm not really expecting Hawkeye to answer but I do hope Captain America will try to calm me down by talking. If he does than maybe I can find out what's going on.
"We've got intruders," Captain America starts to explain but then he hesitates,
Hoping to provoke him into talking, I channel my inner Dick, "Really the flashing lights and screaming siren weren't signaling the shift change. I never would have guessed."
He looks at me funny, but it's Hawkeye who answers, "It's some crazy dude in a black and blue costume," He turns to glower at me, "You wouldn't happen to know why he's so interested in you, I suppose?"
I couldn't stop the smirk that spreads across my face even if I wanted to.
"You should probably let me out and hide while you still have a chance." I tell them getting to my feet. The spike of pain that spears through my leg nearly sends me back to the cot.
Biting my cheek I push the pain into a little box and shove it to the back of my mind. My leg wobbles but holds my weight.
Barely a second after my words have faded a cackling laugh echo's off the walls.
My smirk turns into a grin as a familiar voice bounces around the room, "I'm afraid that it is far too late for them to escape Robin."
"Nightwing," my eyes bounce around the shadows trying to spot him, warmth flooding my veins. It is just so good to hear his voice.
The sound of feet thumping on glass reaches my ears, my head snaps up to see Nightwing grinning down at me from on top of the cage.
He waves his hand at me his eyes sweeping over me, a frown wrinkles his forehead when he notices my bandaged leg.
"Your hurt, Babybird," His voice deepens into a growl as his gaze moves to the two Avengers staring at him warily, "What did you do to Robin?"
Uh-oh I can already see this is going to end badly, and as unhappy as I am about getting shot I can understand Hawkeye's reasoning for it.
"Nightwing, he was just trying to protect his friend. I had escaped from this cage and found his teammate hurt, I was trying to help him but when he came up he thought I was trying to hurt his friend, and when I tried to get away he shot my leg to stop me. I'm fine though."
His lips pull back in a smile that is anything but comforting, his gaze still on Captain America and Hawkeye he says in a dangerously calm voice, "Who exactly is He, Babybird?"
My jaw snaps shut and I look away I may not like Hawkeye but it's more important that we get out of here than that Nightwing get revenge for me.
"Hmm. Lower leg a painful wound but not deadly. Shot but by your reaction the guy who did it is in the room with us, so not a gun. The only weapon I see present that could cause that injury is the bow and arrow. Since only one person has that weapon in the room that means it was the archer with the terrible taste in costumes." His voice is the one he uses when dealing with someone who really annoys him, "So Babybird how about you tell me the nice archer's name before I teach him why it's not a good idea to hurt kids?"
I know he is mainly doing this to freak the Avengers out but I can still hear the truth beneath his words. He really does want to beat up Hawkeye. I can't say I'm against the idea but he is wasting time.
I feel my forehead crinkle as a thought occurs to me. Unless he's buying time drawing their attention away from someone else. Batman, of course no way would he let Nightwing come by himself to find me. So that means I need to help with the distraction.
Looking back up at him, I see his mask shift in that way that means he is raising an eyebrow at me.
"Hawkeye," I let out a sigh and turn to look at Hawkeye, "I really did try to warn you. The last guy who hurt me spent six months in the hospital and he only gave me a bruised rib."
Nightwing disguises his chuckle with a sniff, "Robin don't exaggerate it was only four months and he cracked two of you ribs."
Watching the Avengers stunned expression's out of the corner of my eye I shake my head saying, "No the ribs was a different guy and you put him in a body cast."
Smirking down at me Nightwing crosses his arms, "No, body cast guy was the one who broke your leg then shot you in the shoulder."
I tap my chin thoughtfully, then in a completely innocent voice I ask, "Is he the one you go visit every time he gets out of the hospital?"
Nightwing's smirk turns wicked, as he nods, "It's such a shame he is so clumsy, he always seems to end up back in the hospital with broken bones a few days after getting out."
Hawkeye goes pale, at our words and Captain America's grip tightens on his shield.
Gesturing at where the door is I ask, "You mind opening the door for me. They took my hologram computer after I hacked my way out the first time."
Nightwing raises an arm, chirping out a happy, "Sure," as his hologram computer in his glove activates casting a blue glow on his face.
"Hey stop that!" Hawkeye yells releasing an arrow at Nightwing.
Nightwing easily cartwheels to the side without taking his hands from his task.
"Aw Babybird you left me a path in, thanks." He says smiling at me as the door hisses open.
Running out the door onto the walkway, I grin as he lands beside me.
"No problem, wasn't sure which one of you guys was coming so I figured I'd make it easy for you to enter the system."
Ruffling my hair he laughs, "That's my smart Robin."
Suddenly his arms wrap around me, then we're flying through the air the shriek of metal grinding against metal reaches my ears.
Looking back I see another arrow embedded in the walkway and Captain America catching his shield.
Nightwing fires his grapple a second later we're up on top of the cage I was in.
"All right Robin, what do I need to know?" Nightwing asks all playfulness gone from his attitude.
"Hawkeye an archer with skills on par with Green Arrow, not a meta. Captain America a WWII vet, with super solider enhancements, abilities increased speed, strength, stamina, reflexes, as well as sight, hearing, smell, and touch. Though those are less enhanced than his physical abilities. They are a part of a group call the Avengers a small group of superheroes. They work with S.H.I.E.L.D, this world's equivalent of the Justice League, with a more military connection to the government."
Nightwing tap's his ear, "Did you get all that?"
I don't hear what Batman says but Nightwing nods and says, "All right we'll wait."
Turning to me Nightwing pulls a small metal disk out of his belt, "This is a tracker that will allow our teleport to pick you up." He explains while carefully attaching it to my costume over the R symbol. He studies his handy work for a minute before nodding his head looking very satisfied with himself.
Without warning Nightwing flops down on top of the glass cage looking for all the world like he's fixing to go to sleep, as he reaches up and tugs me down to sit beside him.
"Batman said to stay here while he is talking with the Boss man around here." Nightwing says loud enough for the two Avengers to hear him.
I nod and lean against Nightwings side, my body suddenly just too tired to hold myself up anymore. Nightwing and Batman are here that means everything will be ok.
Nightwings arm instantly wraps around my shoulders, tugging me closer to him as his voice whispers, "Where's your gear?"
"I don't know, I assume S.H.E.I.L.D took it. I didn't have it on me when I woke up in the cage." I tell him as his hand gently begins rubbing circles between my shoulder blades.
"When was the last time you ate?"
It's a strange question to be asking right now but it makes my stomach growl, reminding me that it's been awhile. I shrug instead of answering him.
"That long huh?" His tone is joking but there is a grimness underneath it.
I shrug my shoulders, hoping to distract him from the blood reddening my cheeks.
"It's not completely their faults, I was unconscious most of the time."
"Because of what they did to you." His voice has definitely taken on a dangerous tone.
Letting out a sigh I give up on trying to convince him not to be mad. It's pretty much pointless while he is in protective big brother mode.
"What are you doing here?" Captain America demands, stepping forward a little his shield at the ready.
Nightwing blinks at him and cocks his head to the side, "I'm rescuing my baby brother from a group of idiots who use him as a pin cushion.
The part of Captain America's face that I can see, goes red at those words.
Hawkeye tries to hide the guilt that flashes across his face by snapping, "Says the guy who is training his little brother to be a soldier."
At the same time Captain America says, "That was a misunderstanding."
Nightwing stiffens up beside me, but offers an icy smile to Hawkeye, before Nightwing can say anything I growl out in a low voice. "I already told you this was my choice. Batman and Nightwing both tried to talk me out of it. At least they have never hurt me or tried to take away my right to choose this fight, and the only misunderstanding that happened was I misunderstood that you shoot the people who are helping you're friends."
"You're a child, you shouldn't be risking your life." Captain America says, his voice so sincere that I find it hard to be mad at him.
Hawkeye can't even look at me instead he keeps his focus solely on Nightwing.
I'm spared having to answer by the door opening and Fury walking in. Nightwing makes a show of barely even glancing at him, but I know that Nightwing is cataloging every move that Fury makes.
The shadows around the edge of the room are not any brighter than before but the familiar feel of Batman's assessing gaze on me sends a shiver racing up and down my spine.
He's here. Everything will be ok now nothing bad can happen so long as Batman is here. Nightwing relaxes a little beside me, his smile loses that hard edge the watchfulness of only a moment ago eases just a little.
"Avengers, stand down." Fury orders in that crisp authoritative voice.
Captain America and Hawkeye glance over at Fury but they do stop pointing dangerously sharp pointy objects at us.
Then my view is blocked by a black Kevlar cape attached to strong muscular shoulders, Batman's back is to me effectively cutting off the Avengers view of me and shielding me from them.
The fist, clenching around my heart lets go, as I curl my fingers in the thick dark material, and allow myself to bury my face in his back, breathing in that comforting smell of Kevlar and sweat. Relaxing just for a minuet in the knowledge that Batman is here he'll make everything ok.
"Fury, you can't be serious!" Hawkeye's angry voice shouts, "You're just going to let this unknown guy walk out of here with a kid capable of hacking the Ironman armor?"
Batman tenses almost imperceptibly beneath my hands, his body shifts not much just enough to be ready in case he needs to attack.
Reluctantly I let go of him and start to step out from behind him so that I can help, but a black gauntleted arm wraps around my waist, tucking me up against his warm side as his black cape closes around me like a black curtain, warm and safe, it promises to protect me from any threat.
Smiling, I don't try to move away from his side, instead I enjoy the safety he's offering me.
"They don't belong in this dimension, Hawkeye. Robin fell through by accident, Batman and Nightwing came through to bring him home." Fury sounds oddly agreeable, he wasn't that nice when he was talking to me, Batman probably scared the snot out of him. The thought almost makes me laugh but I hold it in. Laughing right now would not be a good idea.
"We are leaving," Batman growls, "Come Nightwing."
His cape stirs as he reaches for his belt with the hand not holding onto me. Briefly I see a slender black device, with a blue glowing button.
Nightwing steps closer to batman, I see his thumb press down on the button, and then there is a blinding flash of light. The next thing I know, I'm being crushed against a strong chest that smells so familiar, hard body armor pressing into my cheek as Batman holds me tightly.
"You found me." I don't mean to whisper the words, but they come out anyway.
I feel his arms tighten just a little as he rests his chin on my head, one word rumbles out of his chest but that one word is a promise that means everything to me.
"Always."
5
