A/N: Thanks for the review Phone Guy - you always make my day. :)

Chapter 10:

Batman saw the intended conclusion and raced over to catch Robin – no, Dick – as Specter crashed to the ground. He barely made it in time; his partner almost got pinned beneath the giant legs.

"Holy backfire!" Dick cried out as he fell, gasping in relief when he was snatched from the air by Batman. "That almost didn't work out the way I was hoping it would."

"You mean you didn't intend to get flattened like a pancake?" Batman inquired with a quick grin. "Let me have a look at those arms, kiddo," he said softly as he slipped his Bat-knife from his utility belt again.

Specter groaned and both Batman and Dick looked over in disbelief. The huge eyes began to open, although they were unable to focus on anything.

"Oh, come on!" Dick unknowingly applied the same tone Joker had used earlier. "Can't he just let us have a little peace?!"

Snap. Batman's left leg flew back, hitting the man in the chin and sending the back of his head into the wall again. "That should help," he stated, grabbing his Bat-communicator from his utility belt. "Batman to Batcave, come…"

He was cut off as Alfred demanded, "Tell me you have him, Master Batman, and he better be alive or you will be in serious trouble, young man!"

Dick started to laugh but it turned into a grunt of distress. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain began flowing over his body in waves. "You're bleeding," he muttered as Batman began working on the ropes around his arms.

"He's alive, Alfred, and we're about to start for home." Looking to Dick he said, "You're not bleeding and that's a pleasant surprise."

"Thank heavens, Master Batman. Master Dick, you do exactly as he says or you will be in big trouble, young man," Alfred's voice was strict.

"Yes, sir," Dick called out.

At the same time Batman said, "Please use the Batphone and put the receiver next to the Bat-communicator. I have some news for the commissioner."

"Very well, sir," Alfred replied and did as he was asked.

"Batman?" the commissioner's voice sounded tiny as it came through the speaker. "Have you found Dick Grayson? Can you explain anything to me now?"

"Ow," yelped Dick as the ropes fell away from his arms; Batman had to drop the Bat-communicator in order to keep them from hitting the log floor.

"Dick?" the commissioner questioned, "Dick Grayson? Are you okay?"

Picking up the Bat-communicator again, Batman spoke quickly, "No, Commissioner, he is not okay and I need to get him home to Bruce Wayne. We are at the old cabin on the south side of Edge Lake and there are several criminals for you to take care of: Joker, four henchmen and a colossal human being known as Specter. You might want to get here as soon as possible. I don't know how long the ropes will hold the big man." He turned off the Bat-communicator and went to work on Specter's body, tying his arms together, followed by his legs and ending by hooking them all together with one tight Bat-knot. Dick was sitting up now and wiggling his fingers and toes.

"Can you still feel everything?" Batman asked with concern.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure. But, you're still bleeding and you look a little dizzy. Maybe you should sit down for a minute; get your bearings and all that?"

Batman touched his face with one black-gloved hand and was surprised to feel the stickiness of blood when he pulled it away. "No time. Police are on their way and I don't want to be here when he," he tilted his head toward Specter, "wakes up. I've had enough of him for one day."

"I've had enough of him for the rest of my life," Dick muttered as he watched Batman gently probe his own ribs. "So, how's your headache and what's the damage to your ribs?"

"I'm fine; everything's fine," Batman dismissed Dick's question. He took off his cape and fashioned a make-shift sling to support Dick's arms then gently lifted them up and positioned them inside.

"Okay, okay. You're a big, tough man who doesn't ever need any help," Dick said, his jaw clenched tight against the pain. "Except…didn't you get knocked out?" he smirked.

Batman semi-glared at his partner with a slight grin. "Let's go," he commanded and helped Dick to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"Can a Robin swing around on a person's arm?" Dick retorted.

"Apparently one can and," Batman lowered his voice, "he should not have been here."

"If Robin hadn't been here, you and I both might not be here," Dick whispered back.

"I had him, I was just resting!" Batman exclaimed, acting offended.

"Yeah, I know. I was just entertaining him while you took a break," Dick replied. "Funny story," he grunted as he started to walk painfully toward the door, "Joker wanted to know who my favorite kidnapper was and got upset when I called him boring."

"I heard," Batman said stoically, his left arm around Dick's waist to support him. "Please explain to me why on earth you were taunting a villain as crazy as Joker while as a civilian. And it better be a good explanation."

"I only had two choices: allow myself to be hit by him or let him throw me to Specter! I would much rather be hit by Joker! Insulting him kind of made him forget about his also-crazy ally and I wanted to keep it that way. I did sound, I guess, a little bit like…" there was a quick pause, "…like Robin," he admitted softly.

"You sounded exactly like him and you need to remember who you are at all times!" Batman was annoyed with his partner. "If Joker had recognized…oh, yes, and you aren't going on any missions that involve Joker; he really has it in for Robin."

"It was the only way to keep myself from being squashed like a bug!" Dick exclaimed. "Wait, he has it in for Robin? Why?"

"Robin, apparently, has stolen my attention away from him," Batman declared, calming down a little.

"Because, of course, all of your attention is always focused completely on him at all times, even when he is in Arkham."

"Of course it is," Batman chuckled. They were outside now. "The Batmobile is all the way on the other side of the lake. Do you want to wait here while I go get it?"

They heard a noise and looked to their right. Joker was awake and working to get free. Batman quietly growled and Dick shouldered him away from the villain.

"Pfft, ats! No go, I still wah pfay," Joker had bitten through a corner of the Bat-tape and was trying to get Batman's attention.

"I have to," Batman whispered to Dick.

"No, you don't," Dick whispered back.

"But look what he did to you!"

"That wasn't Joker; remember my awesome dismount from the trapeze?"

"He made it worse."

"Who cares? The police are coming and you need to get Dick Grayson to Bruce Wayne."

"But he…"

"Who cares?!" Dick shouted out the last phrase.

Batman frowned in frustration, "But he…"

"Batman," Dick was whispering again, "I am going to talk to Alfred when we get home and he…"

"He told you to do what I tell you to do!" Batman knew he had won.

Dick looked down at the dirt, trying to find a way around that. "Fine," he ground out, "but I'm going over there with you."

"Absolutely not. You look like Robin and he hates Robin. Sit down." He waited for Dick to obey and, when he didn't, gave his ward's knee a gentle push that buckled his leg. Batman sat him down carefully and stood up. "Stay. Here."

Dick sat up on his knees and pushed himself to stand up while Batman stalked toward Joker. As if I'm going to sit here and let you beat him to a pulp.

Batman crouched in front of Joker and ripped the piece of Bat-tape off his mouth.

"Batsy, you made it! I was hoping you would find me well not yet because I wanted you to chase me all over Gotham but you made it anyway did you meet my new friend he's really big and the kid made me realize that I would be scared of him if he wasn't on my side so I'm glad he's with me and…how are you still alive?!" Joker's crazy rambling stopped as he screamed the last five words, directing them over the left shoulder of Batman where Dick Grayson had taken up residence.

Batman looked over his shoulder and frowned at his partner, communicating his irritation with his eyes. You look like Robin.

Dick returned the glare with one of his own. I AM Robin.

Batman's eyes narrowed. Not right now you're not; back off!

"Stop, Batman, just…stop," Dick spoke calmly as he wiped some sweat off the side of his face with his shoulder.

"Aw, Bats, listen to the poor wittle Dickie-bird. He must be in sooooo much pain and he probably wants to go home to his Brucey…oh wait, I forgot, he's probably scared to go home!"

"You know, you are really annoying," Dick's frustration came out in his voice. So much for staying calm. "You kidnap me – oh, wait I forgot that you let your goons do your work – you try to scare me – oh, wait again, that was the big goon – you…I guess you didn't really do anything except insult Bruce Wayne and THAT…"

"DICK!" Batman's voice stopped Dick's building fury. Batman stood up and looked straight into his partner's eyes. "Stop," he commanded and a look of warning flew through his eyes, or he WILL figure out that you are Robin. "Time to go." He tore off a new piece of Bat-tape and planted it firmly over Joker's mouth and then checked the security of the Bat-cuffs. "Enjoy your time in Arkham, Joker."

Sirens rang out in the distance and Batman put his arm around Dick's waist again. "It's a pretty long trek to the Batmobile with a bad ankle. You want a ride?" he asked quietly as they started walking away from Joker.

"Batman, no, that's embarrassing! Joker will think I'm just some wimpy kid!"

"Right now you ARE 'just some wimpy kid'."

"But would Batman allow a random kidnap victim to just hop on his back? And how, exactly, am I supposed to hang on with my arms like this?" he said, attempting to lift them.

"You make some good points. I guess we're walking, then." After a few minutes Batman said, "Tell me, what was the plan? Why did you have the rope between your teeth?"

Dick grinned and grimaced at the same time. "I was trying to figure out how to stabilize my arms so they wouldn't be flopping all around when I attacked." He paused then, with a small smirk, said, "It was nice of him to help me like that."

"I doubt he thought he was 'helping' you, kiddo," Batman replied, a tinge of pain lacing his voice.

"Come on, Batman. Sit down for a minute," Dick sighed as he stopped, frustrated with his partner's apparent inability to accept help from Dick Grayson. "I said, sit down!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "Alfred will not be happy if I have to be the one driving the Batmobile home because Batman passed out from fatigue due to blood loss or immense pain."

Batman sat on a nearby log. "You are not driving the Batmobile, Dick."

Dick grinned. "You sat down, didn't you? So, you wanted to hear the plan?"

"Yes, please continue," Batman replied tiredly.

"Well, when you yelled at him I knew he was going to turn around so I decided to dislocate his knee and then, um, I didn't really have a plan after that," he admitted sheepishly.

"You didn't have one?!" Batman exploded. "You risked yourself with no plan?!"

"Well, yeah, I just figured something would come to me and then when he picked me up I thought maybe I could work in a kick to the face or something. That's why I was wiggling around; I needed to turn towards him. When he loosened his grip, well, it was easy to get my legs through and then I just went with whatever was happening."

"Get your legs through what?" Batman hadn't been close enough to see that part.

"Oh, well, his thumb moved out a little bit so there was a small gap between it and the rest of my body."

"A little bit…a small gap." Batman was shaking his head as he prepared to stand up.

Dick grinned, "I told you that being small has its advantages!"

THE END

P.S. "Silent Retribution" is next. It is written but still needs polishing so give me a few days to work on it. Also, I'm fresh out of plot ideas so feel free to send some my way, if you feel like it. :) I can't promise anything will come of it so I apologize in advance if you send me something that I don't use. Thanks!