Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. Sorry it's a bit short, but I got stuck on this one and wanted to update so you guys had something to read while I worked things out. Hope you enjoy!

My bare toes almost touch the floor now. From days of hanging by dislocated shoulders, the skin and muscles have stretched slightly. Nothing to worry about. It'll heal like everything else. Though he should take me down shortly. He's never kept me like this for this long. He's never had to wait this long for me to break. I do my best not to think of how much longer I'll last. Staring down at my still dangling feet I finally notice the red dripping down my lips. Blood still runs from my freshly broken nose, while tears of exhaustion begin to mix with the scarlet liquid cascading down my face. The sight and scent of it is everywhere. I dry heave as my senses are over loaded by the metallic taste to the air. My breathing increases slightly. I do my best to inhale slowly and deeply, wincing as I feel the puncture to my left lung slowly but surely heal itself. He has to take me down soon. I think to myself. He needs me alive. And I can't heal if he doesn't let me rest. I lost track of the days three sessions ago. Matt had stopped talking to me two sessions before that. I assume the drugs have become more difficult and he's now truly gone and under our father's complete control. More tears come at this thought. Whether it's because of pure exhaustion or the thought of James and Abby being without a father, I'm not entirely sure. It could be the realization that my brother is gone after just discovering that he's not in fact dead. There's the betrayal I felt at the realization that he'd been alive the entire time and hadn't once come to see me. My heart aches with homesickness and misery from being away from my family this entire time. And then there's the one thought that trumps them all. One thought that has been with me from the start that I hadn't completely noticed until now. The knowledge of just how inevitable my failure to resist Deathstroke is. He's going to break me.

"Looks like it's about time to call it a night." I mumble to myself looking down at my wrist computer. Standing up straight, I stretch and readjust my spine. Staying still for an hour will do that to a guy. "Don't know how Bruce does it in his old age." I joke to myself.

"I heard that."

I startle slightly at the sound of his voice in my ear. "Oops, sorry B. Forgot you were listening in." Bruce had made it clear that we all were to keep trackers and mikes on us at all times. There was no telling who Deathstroke would take to hold against Kate. So the Batman's only logical answer was to see and hear our every move. Most were unhappy with the decision, especially Tim who had Cass hanging around every time he went to the tower. Making my way back toward the apartment I respond. "But seriously, I stayed still for an hour. You do it for much longer on some patrols and don't even crack you fingers. I had to straighten my entire spine."

"How's patrol?" He asks ignoring my rant. Most likely in an attempt to keep his usual stoic expression in check.

"Quiet, heading back to the apartment now." Half way there I hear sirens in the distance. "Or not." Changing direction I land next to an officer I know. "Officer Rhen." I acknowledge her.

She jumps slightly and looks over at me with a stern face. She never lets up her façade at work. I would know. I've been trying to get her to crack a smile since I joined the force. "Nightwing."

"What do we have?" I enquire, nodding toward the surrounded building.

"Smith is the commanding officer on this one." She gives a short retort.

"Figured." I throw a smirk her way. "But Smith doesn't like me as much."

She gives a snort and rolls her eyes. "Robbery, store owner lives in the apartment above, the grandson got to the phone before the woman pulled a gun on him."

My eyes grow wide behind my mask. "Woman?" I hastily question. Kate? Is she working for the Light? I look back to the building and search for clues. Why would they be interested in this place? Or has she escaped, but still doesn't have her right of mind? Rhen's response is the only thing that keeps my feet in place.

The officer nods in response to my enquiry. "Thin, average height, face is covered by a mask."

My heart stops for a moment before I give her a stiff nod and grapple on to the roof. What if it's her? What'll I do? Slipping through the upstairs window I silently creep down the stairs.

Before I can make my presence known, I hear a click behind me. "Turn around slowly." I deflate slightly not recognizing her voice. Raising my hands I turn slowly and eye the girl standing before me. It's not her. The girl's hand quivers slightly as she points the gun my way. I frown slightly. Her form is wrong. And she looks terrified of the weapon in her own hands. "Try… try something and you die."

I nod and respond slowly. "I won't. I just want to talk."

"I… I didn't want trouble. I just… I needed food." Her voice cracks.

My heart breaks slightly. She's not the first hungry kid in Blüdhaven that I've found taking desperate measures. "Then how about you and I get out of here and go get something to eat?" I look around for a moment. "Where are the people who live here?"

"I told them to leave out the back."

This surprises me. "Why didn't you leave?"

"The police were already here. I've seen enough of them to know they don't wait to shoot into a building with civilians." She glances down at the floor. "I know I made a mistake. I didn't want them to die for it." I nod and take a step further, causing her to tense up. "I said I'll shoot!" She shouts.

I look at her for a long moment before asking. "Do you want to?" Silence fills the air, but she doesn't break it. Rather, she just shakes her head no. "Okay then." I hop up on the kitchen counter opposite her. My feet sway as I absentmindedly kick them through the air. "What's your name?"

"Hannah." She mumbles.

I nod. "How old are you Hannah?"

Her lower lip begins to quiver before answering. "Fifteen."

I chew the inside of my lip. She's younger than Tim. "Don't you have anywhere to go? A half way home or-"

"No." She cuts me off, gritting her teeth. "And if you try to take me back there I'll…" She pauses, not entirely sure what to say.

I nod my head. "Alright, alright I get it." I raise my hands once more, motioning to drop the subject. "Yeah, I was never a fan of those either."

She relaxes slightly. "You know?"

A sad smile crawls to my face. "Yeah, I've been in a few." I mumble. "I got lucky though."

She nods. "Thought I did too. They said they'd take care of me. That the adoption was going to

make everything better." She bites her bottom lip.

"What happened Hannah?" I press her for an answer. She clenches her eyes shut as a tear streams down her face. I know I could easily disarm her at this moment and hand her over to the authorities, but that would just throw her back into the system. She's had enough pain. I continue to wait quietly for her answer.

Once she's gotten her breathing back under control her eyes open slightly as she stares intently at the ground. "They… they hurt me." She raises her head and looks me in the eyes. "They said that they'd love me, but then things went wrong and they started to get angrier and angrier, and…" She succumbs to more tears. Shaking her head she speaks with a broken voice and looks to the gun in her hands. "I don't want to go back. I can't go back." Her tear filled eyes travel back to me. "Please, don't make me go back."

I shake my head slowly. "I won't, Hannah. I promise. I won't make you go back." After a moment I hold out a hand. "Just give me the gun. I promise you'll be safe." I look her in the eyes, doing my best to express my sincerity.

Transferring the gun into my out stretched hand, my brow raises at its lightness, while she gives a shrug. "I don't like having it loaded." She continues to explain, wiping at her nose. "Too many accidents can happen."

I nod once and smile softly. There's more compassion in this one than I expected. I think to myself. Just like Kate. I keep the frown from springing to my face and nod toward the stairway. "Alright, let's go."

Her brow draws downward in question. "Shouldn't we go out the front?" She points toward the door.

I scoff slightly. "I'm not turning you over to the cops." I explain. "I made a promise."

"You only promised that I-"

I cut her off. "Where do you think they'll send you?" She doesn't respond. "Come on." I give her a nudge, causing her to follow me on to the roof.

A few minutes later she's holding tightly on to my waist as I rev the engine and speed down back roads toward Gotham. After a quick bite to eat and a very shocked drive through employee, we pull up to the back door of an old familiar building. Hannah steps off and follows me inside. "What is this place?" She asks a little uncertain as we walk down the hallway. "Smells like a hospital."

"A clinic actually." A voice answers before I can respond. The old graying woman with enough spunk to handle Batman himself makes her way down the hall toward us. "So what's this favor of yours?" Leslie questions me, eyeing the young girl to my left.

I look at her sheepishly. "Was hoping you had room for one more." I gesture to my guest. "Maybe a bed and food in exchange for some hard work." I think hopefully.

Leslie takes a good, stern look. Eyeing the girl for a few silent moments she raises her brow. "You trust this one, do you?"

I shrug. "Well, I just met her." I throw a smirk Hannah's way. "But I think so. Enough anyway."

She nods. "Well, what do you think? Can I trust you girl?"

Hannah looks down at her folded hands and nods. "I think so."

A kind smile spreads the old woman's lips. "Don't sound too sure of yourself."

Hannah looks up at her. "No one's ever given me the chance."

Leslie takes the girl's shaking hand. "Well then, we'll just have to find out I suppose."

Speeding back to my apartment building I radio to the cave. "Hey B, just checking in. I'm home." I mutter quietly, stepping through the bedroom window.

"What took you?" He enquires.

"Robbery, but every things fine." I add. "Talk to you about it in the morning." I say through a yawn. After stripping my uniform and taking a quick shower I throw on a pair of shorts. My feet trudge quietly on the cold hard wood floor. I groan slightly as I glance at the clock. Its bright green numbers shine back in a piercing neon. "2 am." I grumble, sneering slightly. "At least I have off tomorrow." Twisting my head to the side a loud crack sounds as I step into the main living area.

"Still, you're back pretty early." Her voice sounds from the kitchen.

Smiling slightly in greeting I accept the glass of water offered. "How were they?"

Jade shrugs slightly and leans against the bar top. "Fine, we had dinner, they played with Lian, then we read a book for about an hour, and they went to bed."

I nod. "No trouble?" I ask, wondering if she spotted any spies or even Watcher perhaps.

She shakes her head. "No, and I doubt you'll be receiving some anytime soon." She glares slightly. "Deathstroke won't leave until he's broken her." She continues to aimlessly pick at her fingernails and heaves a heavy sigh. "And I doubt Kate's given up yet."

I nod sadly and drag a hand down my face. "How long do you think she can last?"

She folds her hands stiffly and pauses. After a few moments her cold stare meets my own. "I love Kate like my own sister. She's one of the strongest people I know. Artemis and I couldn't have lasted as long as she did." She bites her lower lip, most likely recalling old memories. "But Sportsmaster was tolerable in comparison. It's awful to say, but I don't give her more than three weeks."

"Which means we have a week and a half left."

She nods. There's a dreaded silence until Jade breaks it once more. "Kate's strong, but she can't last. Slade's manipulative. He'll work his way in through the smallest crack. You know how he is."

Sighing, I plop down on one of the bar stools and rest my head in my hands. My fists rub my eyes intensely, doing their best to keep the tears from coming. "Yeah." I agree. "I know exactly what he's like." A shiver runs down my spine as I recall my time with the assassin. "First he tortures you. The pains unbearable. And every time you hold in a scream he tells you how strong you are, encouraging you in some sick way, making you think that he's actually proud. Once he thinks you've endured enough he switches to the mental aspect. 'They're not coming for you. It's been so long. They've forgotten. If they care so much then where are they?' Eventually the words are unbearable and you miss the physical pain." I look up at Jane who seems to be holding on to every word. "Then he couples the two. And you begin to wonder if his words hold some small amount of truth. Because they haven't shown up to rescue you. It's been so long and you think that if there was hope it would have happened by now. You begin to question yourself. Why haven't you thought of his offer yet? Maybe then you'd be able to escape the pain." I lean forward and pinch the bridge of my nose as I exhale deeply. "Then he tells you how much he cares. That you don't need to be rescued by anyone, because he's your family. And eventually you believe him. That he's the only one out there who cares. That he's the only one left. And you feel guilt for not realizing it sooner." I look back up at the woman with tears in her eyes. "You forget why you ever resisted in the first place. You wonder why you ever thought about declining. And you realize that he's the only family you have." I swallow thickly. "You see, he chooses us wisely. He picks the ones who've already lost everyone. Because then we have nothing left to go back to, and we believe that he's the only one who'll protect and love us. He brainwashes us to know without a shadow of a doubt that he's a loving father." I look up in time to see Jade release a single tear. She crosses her arms, wrapping herself up tight, using the physical act to keep her emotions in check and hold everything together. The sight of her scares me slightly. Jade's not one to show weakness, and she's never done so in front of me before. Standing quickly, I wrap my arms around her now shaking form and hold her close. Her head tucks beneath my chin as she leans against me.

"She's going to break, you know." Sniffling a bit, she composes herself and takes a step back. "She's never been able to stay away from him. No matter how hard she tries, he'll get her in the end."

Allowing my own tears to take form, my voice quivers. "I know Jade. I know."