Two hours later, Dick was still elbow deep in electronics while Danny lounged inside the force field explaining unusual pieces of tech as needed. It was slow going, both because the circuitry was a mess and because they didn't want to just cut random wires or, as Danny put it, "things might go boom". Apparently the power source for this technology was somewhat unstable, although Dick had yet to get his head around the fact that is was supposedly "ectoplasm" powered. He was also keeping in mind that they might want to be able to turn their only source of oxygen back on if they couldn't get out of the room right away, so they were trying to leave it as intact as possible. According to Danny, Plasmius had some sort of remote for the force field, but they didn't have anything like that to work with at the moment.
Dick wiped a hand across his face tiredly. He hadn't eaten or slept (if you don't count being unconscious) in… what had it been? Hard to tell inside this metal box. At least a day, maybe two? He was definitely not operating at his best, but he'd been on missions where he'd gone longer without either.
As Dick carefully picked apart another nest of wires (seriously, who put this thing together, chimpanzees?) he tried to discuss strategy with Danny for when they were topside. According to Danny, they were in the middle of a series of state parks – basically the middle of nowhere. The nearest thing that could be even remotely described as a town was over 20 miles away.
"But, there is a small ranger cabin about 2 miles east of here," Danny described. "There isn't usually anyone there, but there's most likely a radio or something."
"If I can get a call out, I can probably get us help and fast," Dick said, already trying to mentally calculate how long it would take the Flash or Superman to get to them. A few well chosen words to any form of law enforcement, including park rangers, should quickly gain the attention of Batman or the Justice League without necessarily giving away Dick's alternate identity.
"Even two miles is going to be a rough walk without shoes though." Danny morosely glanced down at his own shoeless feet. "Just another thoughtful hindrance from Plasmius," he mumbled under his breath.
"Well," Dick drawled slowly, hesitant to broach the subject again. "I don't suppose you are super-fast or able to fly or anything to get us away from here once we are out?"
Danny looked at him warily before shaking his head. "If I use my powers out there, Plasmius will know, and he can track me if I use them."
Dick gave an unhappy hum of acknowledgment as he worked on a particularly difficult connection, noting Danny's continued avoidance of the topic of exactly what he could do.
"So, what's Batman like?" Dick was startled by the abrupt question, momentarily wondering if he had somehow given himself away already, but Danny hastily went on, "I mean, you said he rescued you when you were kidnapped before. You got to meet him, right? What was he like?"
Dick's tensed form relaxed as he thought about how to answer, absently untwisting two wires. "He was everything you'd think he'd be: dark, mysterious, terrifying. It's hard to get a look at him since he stays in the shadows. He didn't really say much except to ask if I was all right and he vanished as soon as the police showed up," he finished with an uncertain shrug.
Danny was hanging on his every word and seemed disappointed when he didn't say more. "I heard the police have a way of contacting him when they need to?"
"Yep. The Bat Signal." Dick smiled. Not everyone believed such a thing existed until they saw it for themselves. "It's a giant bat-shaped light Commissioner Gordon can shine into the sky when he wants Batman's attention."
Danny nodded and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Dick," he finally said in such a way that it made Dick look up from the parts he was currently disconnecting. Danny took a quick breath, his face earnest. "When you get out, do you think you could convince the police to talk to Batman and ask him to make sure my family and friends are safe?" Danny babbled in a rush. "They're not in Gotham, but I know he sometimes works elsewhere too and with the Justice League, so they might be able to help somehow. I just don't want anything happening to them and the police aren't going to be able to do anything to stop Plasmius or… or Phantom, when Plasmius finds out I've helped you escape."
Dick blinked at the rapid fire prattle, but working with Kid Flash for as long as he had had given him the skill to grasp the quick words. "Um, sure. Definitely. I can make sure the message gets to Batman. What are their names?"
"Fenton. That's my family – uh, my last name is Fenton. And the friends who need protecting are Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley. They're all in Amity Park." The anxiety in Danny's eyes seemed to ease a tiny bit as Dick agreed and repeated the names back to him to make sure he had them.
Two minutes later, the low buzzing hum that had been constantly in the background since Dick got there slowly died and with it the force field. The two boys' eyes met and Dick grinned. "I can't believe that actually worked," Danny said in shock.
"Of course it worked. I told you I could get you out," Dick said with mock offense.
Danny walked forward slowly, as if he still expected the shield to be there even though he couldn't see it, and finally gave a tentative smile once he reached Dick. "So, you think you can do the collar too?" Danny asked as he reached up toward the metal band around his neck but didn't quite touch it.
"That should be a piece of cake, relatively speaking," Dick said confidently. This was technology he was more familiar with. He turned and retrieved some of the wires he had torn from the light fixture earlier. Danny looked at him incredulously, but didn't say anything. "Hold still," Dick instructed as he stripped the insulation off a couple of the wires and set to work.
Smoking slightly, the collar clicked open and dropped to the floor, followed a moment later by Danny who fell to his hands and knees with a gasp. Dick involuntarily stepped back as Danny groaned and his eyes seemed to flare bright green for a split second before he clenched them shut. Danny's breaths came in short pants as he mumbled, "No, no, no…" There was a brief glow of white light around him, but with a final shudder Danny collapsed completely to the floor and it was gone.
Dick looked on anxiously, unsure what was going on. He took half a step forward uncertainly, before asking, "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," Danny mumbled in a strained voice. He rolled to his side, pressing his hands to his still tightly closed eyes. "My… my powers just really want to rebound after being suppressed for so long." He took several deep breaths then slowly sat up. "I'm ok now," he reassured.
Dick felt his Kryptonian theory slipping away and gave a sigh. "Danny, I really need you to trust me – to tell me everything. The more I know, the better chance we have out there."
The other boy stared at the floor, contemplating his answer, before looking up at Dick with a pained expression. "I can't tell you everything. Right now, if this goes bad, Plasmius might still let you live. There are certain things, if you knew them, he would kill you no matter what. Even though he can erase your memories of everything that happened here, he won't take the chance of you somehow remembering later."
"I'm willing to take that risk if it means a better chance of getting both of us out of here," Dick insisted.
"I'm not," Danny replied vehemently. Dick took a shaky breath at the intensity of Danny's expression and the green flash in his normally blue eyes.
"Fine," Dick ground out, frustration evident in his stiff posture.
Danny slowly got to his feet, his face softening into something more apologetic. "Look, if Plasmius shows up, you need to run. I'll try to hold him off as long as I can, but you just have to get out of there."
Something about the way Danny had been talking about their escape had been bugging Dick for awhile now, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it until Danny had stated it so bluntly. Danny never said "when we escape", it was always "when you get away" or "when you escape". Danny wasn't planning to get away – or at least, he didn't believe he would. He was solely focused on Dick escaping. "But what about you?" Dick protested.
"He won't kill me. He wants to break me, control me." Danny turned to the nearest wall so Dick couldn't see his face. "The only thing he hasn't done yet is turn me in a murderer," Danny murmured so quietly Dick almost didn't catch it. A little louder, Danny said, "You need to get help and make sure my family and friends are safe. Plasmius will send Phantom after them. You have to warn them." Danny's voice was thick with desperation.
Dick came up behind Danny and put a hand on his shoulder. Danny flinched at the touch, but didn't pull away. "I will, I promise," Dick swore. "But you have to promise you are going to try your best to get away with me. We both need to get out of here." Danny nodded his agreement half-heartedly. Dick decided it would have to be good enough for now.
He took a couple of steps back from Danny. "Right, well our priority right now is just getting out of this box. So, get punching." Dick motioned to the metal wall, waiting for Danny to start tearing it down. Bewildered blue eyes turned to him, then to the wall, and back to Dick.
"Um, that's not exactly what I was going to do." Danny said, rubbing his neck and wincing at the rawness of it where the collar had chafed.
It was Dick's turn to be confused. "What then?"
Danny waved him over to stand in front of the wall with him again. As Dick walked closer, Danny hesitantly held out a hand, which Dick took. "Take a deep breath and stay calm," Danny instructed.
Dick inhaled, and then a cold tingly sensation crept through his hand and up his arm until it enveloped his whole body. He instinctively stopped breathing. Ok, definitely not a Kryptonian. As Danny pulled him through the wall, he realized he recognized this feeling.
AN: Well, I had thought I'd get this out the next day, but well... eh, sorry. Hopefully it's worth the wait as they are finally escaping. I have to say THANK YOU for all the awesome reviews on the last chapter. When I first saw how many there were only a few hours after I posted, I thought I had been spammed, but no - every one was an actual review. So, Thank You great reviewers!