There was her native tongue speaking to her, and a familiar voice. Uncle J'onn. She tried to gather herself enough strength to answer back. He was talking to her, asking what she remembered, keeping her calm, urging her to wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up!

M'gann's eyes snapped open and she stifled a gasp. She searched around, while her uncle whispered in her mind and keeping her consciousness a secret, showing her uncle what she was seeing and what all she knew.

There was a piercing scream. M'gann's head almost snapped towards the source of the noise if it were not for her uncle. M'gann snuck a peak at what had just happened and regretted it. She saw what the Joker had finished doing. He had just literally cut and skinned off a four inch piece of skin from Richard Grayson-Wayne's exposed thigh and was waving it in front of his face. She felt sick.

"Are you there Justice League? I have a gift for you." The Joker sing songed.

"We're here, Joker." Wonder Woman's voice sounded strained.

The Joker waved the piece of flesh in front of Bruce's face. A fire flared in the man's eyes; the Joker put it out with a well-aimed punch to the kidneys. He flopped the skin in front of Bruce's feet and straightened back up as he went to wipe the blood off on Aqualad's tux.

"I'm getting tired of waiting." He took Richard's broken hand and started moving each part and finger. Dick was too exhausted to try and contain his screaming any longer. "Two minutes and fifteen seconds."

M'gann flinched, she could feel echoes of his pain; if it were not for her uncle soothing her she surely would have given herself away.

M'gann missed the rest of the conversation as she focused on her uncle's instructions. She needed to create the mental link between the team again. She nudged into Superboy's subconscious to try and wake him. She was accustomed with his mind and urged him awake, and silent. She then began to connect the team together one by one, creeping into the familiar minds and alerting them of the reconnection and what her uncle had told her.

She stiffened when she came across an incredibly unique and familiar mind and thinking patterns.

Robin?

She fought against her natural instinct to instantaneously stare at the tortured boy who looked terrible. There was no way-but no one could imitate his mind, especially not that well.

She pushed back her uncle urging her away from Robin's mind and to focus on her task but she just couldn't.

"Robin?" She could feel him flinching. "Is that really you?"

She heard Richard curse under his breath M'gann didn't know whether to laugh at the irony of the situation or cry at its state.

Before she could say anything else Robin, Richard Grayson-Wayne, cut in. "M'gann, you can't tell anyone."

"So does that mean…" She thought of Mr. Wayne. If Robin was Richard then that would mean-

"Yes,"

"Why don't you two do something?" She just wanted them to be safe. They knew how to beat the Joker and they were the intended targets.

"We have to keep up our civilian identities. We can't risk it."

"But if this keeps up you'll die!" M'gann pleaded, and couldn't help the slight movement she made at the thought of the possibilities. Luckily, no one noticed.

"It won't come to that; you guys will think of a way out of this." He sounded so confident.

M'gann sent her agreement and Robin, Richard, Dick, she didn't know what to call him anymore-

"Still call me Robin-"

He was cut off from whatever else he had to say when M'gann heard Richard's scream shatter both of their concentration. She waited until he caught his breath. She couldn't act like nothing had happened. No one else would understand how much more pressure was on them, what would be lost if they didn't succeed-

"Wally knows." M'gann gaped. "Sorry, you were worrying really loud."

"He knows?"

"He's the only one on the team. Some of the League knows too, all the founders do, but you need to keep this a secret. You can let Kid know that you know this knowledge, but no one else can know what you two know." M'gann smiled at how…Robin and comforting his normal quirky and unique phrasing sounded.

"Don't include me in the link, obviously, but if there's anything I can do you and Kid Flash let me know individually."

M'gann calmed herself and broke that link, allowing herself to reconnect with the others. Her uncle cut through. "He is aware of the risks; he knew them when he became a hero, as did all of you." She knew, but she never thought it would come to this.

She felt her mind open back up and she focused on Kid Flash before she fully connected everyone (minus Robin).

"How ya feelin'?" Kid Flash tried to sound lighter but the weight of the situation on him was now more obvious to her.

"I-I know Robin's true identity." M'gann admitted.

The soft comfort that Wally was emitting turned defensive and sharp in less than a second. "What do you mean?"

"I accidentally found out when I was connecting the link, and he-Robin, he said to tell you and that you knew too."

"You can't tell anyone. Bats is gonna freak when he finds out." Kid Flash stopped and paused as he watched Robin get punched in the face; he accidentally portrayed it to her as well. "Sorry,"

"You can't help it." She sounded soft and regretful as well.

"He wants to know if he can help."

"I want to leave him out of this as much as possible." Kid looked over his battered best friend; he wouldn't be forgetting this sight anytime soon. He knew Rob didn't wasn't to feel helpless, he was already taking so much shit but Rob…it just…Kid internally sighed. "If I can think of anything for him to do I'll tell you." M'gann agreed. "Can you bring everyone up?"

It was less than a second but instantly the link was up; the rest of the team seemed to be able to keep their current expressions and focus..

"What's going on in there?" Zatanna asked.

"It's not pretty. The kid's tough, but I don't know how much more of this he can take." They all saw Artemis' mental images.

"Any ideas?" Rocket asked.

"What's it like out there?" Aqualad asked.

"A lot of Joker's men are guarding the place. They're also monitoring any possible activity, radio and otherwise." Zatanna answered.

"West side of the house , there's a small tool shed. Can you get there?" Kid asked.

The two girls confirmed and headed that way, masked by Zatanna's magic.

"We're here."

"Back of the shed there's an underground storage. There's a clock on the wall, turn it to 10.47 and a door will open. I've had to watch Richard before and he showed me this. There's some special protection Batman and Robin gave them in case of emergencies. I think this qualifies."

There was a pause as the girls did as Kid Flash instructed.

"This is incredible!" Zatanna admired.

"Robin told me this kid is used to threats and he and B-Mr. Wayne had that place created. I was shocked at first too." Kid flared with a determination that the whole team felt and added to. "I have a plan."

Zatanna made some comment but Kid didn't hear it. He was too focused on the Joker's shouting and nailing Dick in the gut and kidney's over and over. They had to save him. Wally needed his best friend.


"Time's up!" The Joker beamed. He grabbed Artemis and she was instantly released, the Joker's firm grip was the only thing holding her. "Now, Blondie, I'm going to give you a choice here…" "Either you break Richie Rich's nose, or I break his arm." The Joker yanked her so she was right in front of Richard. She wasn't covered, he must have recognized her from school, and when he lifted his head to meet her eyes, she could see a small glint in those fighting blue eyes, and he smiled at her.

"Are you listening, League?" The Joker shouted. The Joke must have gotten his response because he snarled and turned back to Artemis, who hadn't looked away from her schoolmate. "Do it or I will." His fists were already clinched and Artemis couldn't find it nin her to hurt this kid more than he already was. She always saw him smiling at school, he was always polite, a bit quirky but always helpful.

"Do it, Artemis." Wally was urging her. But-

"Bring it on." Artemis couldn't help her eyes widening when she heard Richard's low challenge, there was a spark in his eyes and she decided.

"Sorry," She whispered before she closed her eyes and swung her fist. She did the quickest and cleanest punch she could. The normal satisfaction she felt from breaking something with a clean punch was replaced with guilt and nausea at the crunch and snap of cartilage from his nose. She instantly took a few steps back, trying to ignore Richard's blood on her hand.

The Joker snapped his fingers and the vice grip on her arms, once again restraining her, brought her back to the outside world.

"Well?" The Joker shouted into the comm. link.

There was silence on the other end. The clown let out a growl and stormed over to Bruce and kicked him in the groin. Bruce tried to hunch over in pain but his captures wouldn't allow it until the Joker grabbed his hair and yanked his head and upper body back, perfectly exposing him to the Joker kneeing him in the gut. There was a loud cracking sound that resonated through the room. Bruce coughed in pain as Richard watched. The Joker didn't forget him though, because he locked eyes on Dick and fumed towards him with intended rage. He grabbed Dick by his neck and started choking him.

Dick had once heard that oxygen deprivation would lead to a high and almost deliria. It felt true, he couldn't really describe the feeling he was having. But that was the only excuse he could think of for what he did. Because once the Joker released his neck and he started to get precious air back into his lungs a laugh began to bubble in his throat. It soon grew into a harsh chuckle it was on the verge of becoming his signature laugh.

His head was bowed and he was shaking and his laugh was growing. The Joker's breath hitched and he was staring with an unreadable expression at the boy. His eyes were wide and his breathing was picking up, like he was gaining some sickening pleasure or fear.

"Dick!" Kid Flash shouted, hoping to snap his best friend out of it.

Dick's head snapped up and his blue eyes were dazed and wide. "Wally…"He breathed then his he completely went lax and silent against his captures.

"Richard…?" Kid's eyes were wide with fear. When he got no response he shouted louder, panic filling him. "Richard?" Nothing. Dread was searing into him; he had to be alright. But that thought didn't help the bile and fear that was tearing him. "Dick?!" Kid Flash fought as hard as he could against his captures all he could see was his best friend unconscious, unresponsive, beaten, bloody, the exclamation point on his failure as a friend and a hero. "Dick, please answer me!"

The Joker was shaking Dick, nothing, nothing, nothing! But that didn't stop the Joker from delivering a cracking punch to the boy's temple.

The Joker turned away from the son and focused on the father. "Well, Justice League, looks like you've lost the prince."

Their response was only silence.

Kid Flash focused on his friend. The Joker had to be lying; Dick had to be alive. Looking at his best friend's state it looked hard to believe.

Richard….


HoKay so...

I'm so sorry if its kinda bad I just wanted to get it posted for all of you *sob* don't hate me for my awful grammar and spelling!

I love you all so much thanks for waiting while I did school and exams and other shit that is shitty-and scuse the everything

I need reviews to know-well not need-well sort of-they would be nice

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feathers!