"I dont need anymore help." he snapped coldly at Talia`s nrse maid who had, moments ago, just asked to see how his wounds were healing. the woman called him an unsufferable child in german and walked out of the room the moment Talia entered, frowning and shaking her head as he pulled his legs to the side of the bed. the hard wooden floors cold to the touch.

"Richard," Talia said cooly blinking slowly, "We need to talk."

He looked up at her and nodded his expression hard, "I know, Talia, I-I have to go back, to Gotham."

She took a deep breath, her eyes boring into his, "Richard, I apologize for this, but you are not returning to Gotham."

"What?" he blinked, "Talia, I have no choice"

"exactly," Talia nodded, "You have no choice my child, all this time, I have given you, to make your mistakes and yet you refuse to see reason, to be taught the lesson, I have let you do what you thought best, but even now, even in your greatest failure yet you still think you have to return that you have to go back, that these people care for what was lost."

She stepped forward and grabbed his chin and he couldnt help but glare into her eyes as she continued, "No more, I took you in because i saw something to shouldnt, couldnt be wasted and to keep my families League pure and strong with those willing to fight, you taint that line with your foolishness and your willing ness to protect those who hold you so low, your friend will go unavenged if you think you have to return, but then again you will not be going back, this game is over Richard, time to grow up."

"No." he growled pushing himself up, the bandages pressing hard against the healing gashes making him bite his tought till he tasted blood just to keep from wincing, "I`m not your toy Talia, and you, your are not m mother, like it or not, I dont have to listen to you any more."

Talia chuckled darkly making a shiver run down his spine, "Oh my son havent you been listening, you have no choice, i dont care how long it takes...but we`ll get that slime they filled your head with out, the easy way or the hard way."

he narrowed his eyes, backing up to grab the vase behind him, he was in no condition to fight, hell, standing up hurt him, if Talia was forcing him to stay how the hell could he get free? How could he get home?

Talia sighed, "So, it`s the hard way it."

"Always, your not taking another step towards me." he growled. she pressed her lips into a thin line, "fine, if you want to fight, then lets make it fair shall we? lets give those wounds a nice...cleansing shall we?"

At first it took him a second to understand what she meant, but as more of Talia`s men entered the room, it finally hit him. "No." he shook his head stepping back to the wall till he felt it against his back, Talia nodded once, "I`m sorry Richard, you alway knew that I disliked the way my father to use the Lazarus pit, yet i have a duty and one day i will have to use it, alone with similar leaders of the League of assassins, seems fitting that this should be the first step to your cleansing." She looked to her men, "Take him."

"You`ll have to kill me before i go in that damn pit Talia!" He hissed punching the first man that came at him, clearing underestimating him becasue of his wounds, but he wasnt going anywhere without a fight!

"That wont be Necessary." she stated. she left the room as he struggled to hold off Talia`s men, and failing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Dont worry Zee," Artemis stated sitting down beside her on the green sofa, placing a comforting hand on her back while she stared down to Dick`s mask in her hands, this one was the only thing linking Dick to the scene, where the building blew, where Batgirl had been stated dead and where Dick had been last seen. last heard from. it had been two weeks, two unbearable weeks since she found out what happened, Batman and pulled her and Robin aside and told them first, that batgirl was gone and that Dick`s body wasnt found.

The last few weeks everyone had searched, there was no stone unturned. The wreckage had already been cleared away but it didn't matter, they would`ve found his body before hand, during the search. only this was found.

"We`ll find him, it`ll be okay."

She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath before looking up at Artemis, her own face slightly drained of color, and if she looked hard enough she coud see pink against her eyes showing she`d cried for her team-mates.

Right now, she wanted to tell her no, nothing was going to be okay, Dick was gone, if he was alive he could be dying somewhere, could be held against is will by gang lord waiting for the right time to place a price over the vignettes head, or he was dead...either way, what were the chances of Dick being alive? of actually being okay?

But she couldnt, Robin was here, Robin was always here. After Batman had told them what had happened to Dick and Batgirl, They both had decided to lean on one another, Robin was a smart kid and a sweet boy who was feeling the same thing, the same loss for his older brother and his friend. having him around was a blessing. he was really the only person that made her actually belive Dick was coming back, some how.

she hoped that when he had started to get down, slowly kicking around evidence or letting his anger out in the gyms punching bag that she had been some help to him when she tried to comfort the younger boy. letting him hear that she was breaking inside of this wasnt going to help, either of them. so she tried her best to nodded and ran a hand through her black hair before wiping her eyes, "It`s been to long Artemis, Where is he?" she asked quickly wiping another tear from her eye and looking over to Robin who had fallen asleep on the arm chair just beside them, using his cape as a blanket.

Artemis nodded, "I know, but Zee we have to keep hoping, untill we know for sure, that is still a chance and that good enough for me, we wont stop looking for him, i swear."

She nodded sallowing before wrapping her arms around her friend, "I miss him Artemis, I just want him to come home, I just want him here."

"I know Zee, I know." Artemis nodded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He woke up looking up at Talia, his wounds hurting with a vengeance again, he was being carried on a medical cot, the walls as blurry as they were, were stone, dark, and held a slightly greenish glow.

"T-Talia." he breathed, tasting blood, his voice barely a whisper, "dont do this."

Talia closed her eyes as they continued to walk, "I`m sorry Richard, one day you will see reason, and you will understand what i`m trying to do."

"Please." he breathed blinking slowly, his voice catching and his vision becoming more clouded. He felt the men lower him to the floor and Talia stood over him, "Remember Richard, you are an alGhul before you are anything else."

with that the men pushed the cot into the green water, there her floated for a moment before the green liquid seemed to disolve the bed, and pull him under, this time, there was no great escape, this time Bruce was not coming, no one was coming for him, and while he drowned, his lungs screaming for air as the liquid filled them all, he realized it.

Images flashed threw his head, first of the curcis, of his parents, of their death, Talia, Batman, Bruce, Tony Zocco, Ra`s al Ghul, death, blood, training, young justice, Barbara, batgirl. the tower, Zatanna, so many images of her behind his eye, his new suit, Jason, Alfred, Slade, the man`s death on his hands, the explosion, Talia, then nothing. he felt like he was just floating, mid-air, like in water but his breath was even controled, untill he woke up.