Chapter 9—Prisoner
Dick allowed his eyes to remain closed even after he had regained consciousness. The familiar feel of the mask that had adorned his face prior to capture was missing, as was the belt that was normally secured around his waist. His arms were stretched behind him, his wrists bound together with too-tight zip ties, and the plastic was cutting painfully into his skin due to the lack of gloves. His escrima sticks were missing from where they hung on his back, and his boots had been taken from his as well. For all intents and purposes, Dick felt naked, and he was glad he wasn't literally so.
There was no sound, hinting that Dick was alone. He opened his eyes. The room around him was complete bare save for the chair he was sitting on and an empty chair facing him. The walls were made of an old wood that would be easy to break through once Dick was able to get himself untied. The missing pieces of his costume were nowhere in sight.
Normally, Dick's mind would be racing through escape scenarios and possible motives for his capture, but his mind was sluggish, and those thoughts wouldn't come. If he tried to concentrate on one thought for an extended period of time, a headache would begin to develop and would only recede slightly if he cleared his mind. He had been drugged by whoever had captured him. He had seen his captor when before he lost consciousness, but he couldn't remember who he was.
Dick was about to try moving when a door behind him opened. Light, heeled steps walked around him, keeping to the edges of his vision before coming into view. It was Sarah, and she was alone.
"Hello, Dick," Sarah purred softly. "How's the head?"
Dick was instantly filled with an inexplicable rage, and he thrashed against his bonds. The zip ties cut into his wrists, and warm blood ran down his hands. "Untie me, you bitch!"
Sarah wagged a finger at him. "Ah-ah, that's no way to talk to a lady, even if she is your ex-girlfriend."
"I'll say whatever the hell I want!" Dick snarled, pulling harder on his bonds. A small part of his mind urged him to be rational, but whatever drug was in his system wouldn't allow that to happen.
Sarah placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Stay still, Richard. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
"What do you care?"
"I care a great deal," Sarah replied, her voice sleek and oily. She reached around him and touched his bloody wrists. "I see my new drug is taking affect."
Dick just glared at her, finally having gained control over his mouth.
"Giving me the cold shoulder is not a good way to get me back, Dickie." Sarah backed away from him. Dick still did not respond. "Very well. I won't tell you what new poison I've concocted and injected into your bloodstream." She laid her hand gently on his cheek. "I'm guessing you have about three hours to live."
Sarah removed her hand and walked around Dick and out the room. The door slammed shut.
For the first time, Dick noticed the burning in the crook of his elbow. The headaches made sense now. He had one now, and it wasn't lessening. Dick tried to clear his mind, attempting one of the meditation techniques that Batman had taught him to fight against the poison. His vision was fading, and Dick suspected that he would be comatose before he was dead. That was good. He wouldn't be in pain much longer. It would be so much easier to just give in…
No! Dick's head snapped back up, and he looked wildly around. There were thumping sounds from outside the room he was in, and then three gunshots. The door behind him opened again and seconds later a slightly burly red helmet filled his vision.
"Damn it, Dick! What the hell happened to you?"
"J—Ja—" Dick's mouth was unable to form words. His vision was fading again, and his eyelids felt heavy.
"Stay with me!" Jason shouted desperately. "What did that bitch give you?"
"Poi—poissuunnn," Dick slurred before his eyes finally closed against his will.
Soft warmth enclosed Dick as he resurfaced to consciousness. His eyes were bombarded with blinding light, and he squeezed them shut momentarily before opening them again. Dick was in his apartment, safe and alive. His head still ached, and his throat felt like sandpaper had been rubbed along inside of it, but otherwise all effects of the poison seemed to have vanished. He coughed slightly and tried to reach for the glass of water on his nightstand, but his arm felt like lead.
"Here," a voice said as a straw was pushed gently between his lips.
Dick took a few sips to soothe his scratched throat before turning his head to see Tim sitting beside him. "Thanks. What happened, exactly?"
"Jason tracked your suit and found you in the abandoned Wal-Mart on the other side of town," Tim explained. "Sarah apparently had enough of the poison she hit you with to wipe out the entire city."
"Did Jay destroy it?"
"No," Tim said. "Once you lost consciousness, he brought you back here and called me. I was able to tell him what antidote to give you, and once I arrived, Jason left to go after Sarah."
Dick's bedroom door opened and Jason stormed in, throwing his helmet in the corner of the room. "Damn bitch moved the toxin before I could get back."
Dick pushed himself up with a little help from Tim. "I'll go back to work tomorrow and see if she's there. Maybe I can get her to spill something."
"You're staying here," Jason said. "Tim and I can do a sweep of the city tonight and see what we find."
Dick slumped back. "Fine. But when you don't find anything, we'll do it my way. You don't know her like I do."
"Dick, you have to get some rest," Tim protested. "You nearly died last night!"
"And I've nearly died dozens of times before," Dick shot back. "Why the hell are you two treating me like I can't handle this case?"
"Because it's personal," Jason said.
"So are most of your cases," Dick replied. "Your war on drugs is based on your childhood experiences."
"Dick has a point," Tim replied.
"So you're on his side now?" Jason began to move his hand towards his hip but checked himself. "Fine. If our investigation doesn't yield anything, Dick can try his way tomorrow. But if we find even one tiny little clue tonight, Dick sits out the rest of the investigation."
"You won't find anything, so that sounds fair," Dick replied.
Jason scowled. "Fine. Come on, Tim. We have work to do."
Hey guys! Sorry I've been away. The end of the school year caught up with me, and I had a lot to focus on. However, now that it's summer, I plan to update this at least once every two days. And, as a bonus, I have the next chapter almost fully written, so I may have a second chapter for you guys today! Hope you guys enjoy, and as always, please leave me a review!
~Red~
