Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from DC Comics

CH 7

The men entered the room, a weak bruised Robin tried with all his might to lunge forward and knock one of the men over but his aim was slightly off and the men got to him first.

"Lie down you little punk, we're here to make everything all better, now stand still and give me your arm" but Robin moved back when the needle appeared.

"Hold him down"

"I'm trying to but he's squirming"

Robin's wrists were still tied together by the piece of curtain cord that the henchmen had taken from the curtains in Wayne Enterprise. As he had been bound for a couple of hours now, he had tried to wriggle himself free and thanks to him tossing and turning from the cold the rope had grazed his wrists under his gloves. As soon as one of the men grabbed his arm he inhaled really deeply showing the pain he was in.

"Did that hurt Batboy, if you don't standstill I'll do it again, now this will hurt for a moment"

As the needle pierced Robin's skin his body felt like it couldn't take anymore and due to his already weak immune system and his willpower simply giving up Robin collapsed into the man's arms.

"Awwwwwwww! Sleeping like a baby" they laughed as they placed the sleeping Robin back on to the floor with the blanket over him.



Bruce woke with a start, and looked down to find the article in the paper that he was reading which had now fallen on to the floor. He remembered eating breakfast around 6am after he had come home but the Batcave was very quiet now. Where was Alfred?

As he got out of his leather chair that was infront of the Batcomputer he found a note and recognised the handwriting immediately.

"Have gone into town for a short while, didn't want to disturb you Sir. Hope you find Master Dick, Alfred"

As soon as Bruce had finished reading the note, he swore at himself for falling asleep when his ward, his partner, his life long friend, his closest family member was out there somewhere injured, dying or already dead!



After a shower and a change of clothes Bruce Wayne suited up and entered the role of Batman. While in the shower he had decided that he would return to Wayne Enterprise once more and check for any clues that he might have missed the night before.

He knew there was no staff in the building, because he had informed them (on the day the paper article went out) that he had seen a rat on one of the floors; and for health and safety reasons he was closing the building down while he brought exterminators in and removed the rat and any others that they found. All staff members would be paid a normal days pay for as long as the job needed to be done and no-one's holiday leave would be affected.

This was his company, and unfortunately his "rat" to deal with, but "I don't have a rat problem, I have a cat problem" he said as he drove out of the Batcave.