Chapter 14: Missing in Action

AN: Thank you again for all the favorites and reviews! Your feedback totally makes my day! Also, there is a surprise guest! I didn't plan on added them, but my brain at 3am one night decided that it was going to happen, and here we are! Another guest was totally planned to be added from the beginning. Can you guess which one?

Red Hood, Rook, and Red Robin arrive at the abandoned storage facility and curse, slipping back into the shadows. The Gotham City Police Department had already blocked off the area with caution tape, and several men were being taken out of the building in either handcuffs or stretchers. Red Hood turns to Red Robin, scowling.

"What the hell is this?" Hood hisses at the hacker.

"We're clearly too late." Red Robin mutters, glancing back over at the scene. "Batman's not here, so he must have already left with Robin. Unless Bats arrested Robin, but I doubt that."

"You think he's back at camp?" Hood asks, already turning around to head back. Red Robin shrugs, following him.

"It's possible we missed them. Either way, we can't go in to investigate while the police are here."

"I'll wait until they're gone." Rook declares, hunkering down against the wall of the building they were standing next to.

"He's probably back at camp, Rook." Red Hood states, rolling his eyes at the youngest of their group. "No sense in wasting time here." Rook just shakes his head, frowning.

"None of those men had injuries caused by a Batarang. Something doesn't seem right." Rook grumbles, shifting to get more comfortable. "You two head back. I'll be back after I complete my investigation." Red Hood just snorts, waving over his shoulder at the young teen.

"Whatever. See you later."

Green Arrow grunts, moving another large piece of rubble out of the way to check for any survivors stuck under the debris. He and Black Bat led the children to the secondary hideout. Most of this building had collapsed, and it was unsafe for them to try to stay there. The archer had contacted Flash earlier, and he was bringing the rest of the Outsiders to the only remaining hideout as well. They were going to have to make multiple trips, since some were injured and couldn't walk. Thankfully, Flash had already brought Leslie to help treat the numerous injuries. He was just relieved that there were no casualties so far.

The archer sighs, not finding any signs of more children, then heads back to the remaining hideout. He thinks the kids were calling it the 'Beta location'.

Upon arriving, he runs into Flash, and gestures for the speedster to follow him. Once they were out of earshot of the children, Green Arrow let's his shoulders slump, running a tired hand over his face.

"What are we going to do? This building isn't big enough for everyone. We had to set up camp outside, but it's the middle of winter! They'll freeze to death." The archer states, glancing back at the makeshift camp.

"Maybe we can get tents or something? Get some fires going?" Flash suggests, shrugging. "It figures that Bats is radio silent now. I tried to get a hold of him, but no luck. I have no idea what he wants us to do, but we can't just leave them here."

"I know. I think we should call Supes. We could use the extra pair of hands. He could probably quickly build a temporary shelter too." Green Arrow states. "We may face the wrath of the Bat later for this, but we can't do this by ourselves." Flash nods in agreement.

"I'll grab some tents and stuff to make fires. You call Supes." Flash speeds off, not waiting for a response. The archer sighs, activating his comm link. Of course the speedster didn't want to be the one to actually make the call. That way, he could claim ignorance later when the Bat found out. Asshole.

"Watchtower, this is Cyborg." A voice answers on the other line.

"Hey. It's Green Arrow. Can you connect me to Superman?"

"Sure. Anything the League needs to know about?" Cyborg asks as Green Arrow hears him typing on the computer.

"Nah. I value my life, thank you." He hears Cyborg pause in his typing. "Bats is already going to kill me for calling the Boy Scout. I'd rather not add to the list of reasons I'm maimed." He hears the man snort on the other line.

"Ah. Alright. It's probably better not to know. Here he is."

"Thanks, Vic."

"No problem. Just don't mention me helping you to the Bat. I have enough problems." The line disconnects, and there's a brief ring before a familiar voice answers the line.

"Ollie? Everything alright?" Superman asks, sounding concerned.

"Not really? We could use your help in Gotham. There's a bit of a situation."

"Is Batman alright?" Green Arrow sighs for what he feels is the hundredth time this evening. The archer hears the wind pick up in the background, so he assumes the hero is already on his way.

"Yes? I think so? He asked me and Flash to help him out but now we can't get a hold of him. Something must have happened to the kid." He hears the wind stop for a second before picking up again.

"What kid?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Cyborg probably already sent you my coordinates. It's a long story."

"I'll be there in five." The line disconnects. Green Arrow looks back out at the kids, questioning his life choices. What did Batman really expect them to do with 25 homeless kids? He couldn't in good conscious leave them to fend for themselves. There weren't any other buildings in the area big enough, and still standing, to hold them all either. Oh well. They'd figure something out. They were the Justice League!

Red Hood and Red Robin return to camp, and pause, seeing Superman hauling large chunks of concrete around to make an additional shelter next to the Beta hideout. There were several tents already set up, and several fires scattered around the area.

"What are more Leaguers doing here?" Red Hood growls crossing his arms. Stephanie walks up to them, her hood down and her ski mask removed. Red Hood's eyes narrow, but before he could open his mouth to protest, she holds a hand up.

"They already know who we are, so it doesn't matter. Apparently, they're here to help. Not arrest us." She waves a hand, gesturing for them to follow. "A majority of the injured are tended to, and Superman is helping us build another shelter since it's supposed to snow tonight." Red Hood nods absently, following her. Red Robin shrugs, following as well. "Where's Damian?"

"He hung back to check out where Dick was being held. The cops were already there by the time we arrived." Red Hood answers, taking off his domino mask and shoving it into his jacket pocket. "Any sign of Dick?" Stephanie pauses, turning around to frown at him.

"No. I was hoping you found him. We haven't seen him. The heroes seem on edge too. Cass overheard them talking. Apparently, Batman is MIA too. Something must have happened." Jason curses, clenching a fist.

"All we can do is hope the Little Demon finds something when he returns." Jason growls. She nods in agreement.

"In the meantime…" She shoves Jason, causing him to stumble back, trip on a piece of rubble, and fall onto a sleeping bag.

"You little bitch! What the hell was that for?!" She rolls her eyes, waving someone over. He growls, seeing the doctor approaching. "I told you I'm fine."

"Don't be an infant. You're going to get an infection. Let her help you." Stephanie snaps, then turns to Red Robin, who had yet to remove his mask, and smiles at him warmly. "Thank you so much for all of your help today! You and Barbara were lifesavers! Now, you should head home. I've already sent her home." Red Robin frowns, crossing his arms defensively.

"I can still help! What if Damian doesn't find anything!"

"There's nothing else that can be done tonight. Go on home before your folks start to worry. Maybe you can use your mad hacker skills and find something for us tomorrow." She waves him off before turning back to Jason. "I'll grab you something to eat." The blonde heads off towards where the rations were being kept while Jason curses under his breath. The Little Demon better have found something.

Later that evening, Damian returns to camp. He snakes through the sleeping bodies of the children, trying to find an area to rest. Damian stiffens, feeling something grab his ankle. He glances down sharply, scowling down at Jason, who was now glaring up at him from a sleeping bag, hand clamped around the younger teen's ankle. Damian sighs, sliding down to the ground, sitting across from him as the older teen releases his ankle.

"Well?" Jason snaps, keeping his voice down in order to not disturb the other children. Damian just glowers at the older teen, snatching the extra blanket on the sleeping bag for himself.

"Tt. What do you think?" The young teen hisses, wrapping the blanket around himself. Before Jason could retort, Damian continues. "From what I could tell, Dick escaped himself. Then the trail just disappears. He may have left with someone, based on the tracks outside." Damian's eyebrows knit as he into the nearby fire, as if it held the answers. "There wasn't a struggle though. He went willingly. It wasn't the Bat. The boots don't match. Father was there, however. Dick's footprints led away from him. What the hell was he thinking?"

"Probably something stupid and self-sacrificing." Jason mutters, frowning up at the younger teen. "We'll find him. Maybe we'll luck out and the stalker will find him. He seems to be good at that." Damian's gaze snaps to him sharply.

"You have Drake helping?" Jason shrugs.

"We're running out of options. The hacker will hopefully be able to find something for us to go on. He can't have just fucking vanished." Damian sighs, nodding in agreement.

"Fine. We resume the search tomorrow."

Three days later, Dick rolls out of his cot, having been woken by the banging coming from his door. He still wasn't used to having an actual room, but he would appreciate actually being able to sleep in for once. He opens the door, squinting up at the man standing outside. He appeared to be brunette with green eyes. Dick thinks the man's name was Spike?

"Time for training." The man says, shoving a padded vest at the acrobat. Dick frowns down at it in confusion.

"What's this for?" The bird asks, following him through what appeared to be an abandoned army base.

"Put it on. Boss says you're no use to him injured. You already have two cracked ribs. Don't want to add to it." Spike grumbles, leading him to the old airplane hangar. Dick shrugs, slipping on the vest. He supposed the man had a point. No reason to add insult to injury. The man leaves once Dick was standing in the center of a makeshift ring. Slade steps up in front of him, but Dick raises an eyebrow when a girl approaches the ring as well.

"We are going to be doing something different today." Slade states, gesturing to the girl. She seemed to be about fourteen with long blonde hair and blue eyes. What seemed odd was that she was wearing thick, brown gloves, and had goggles around her neck. She raises a glowing golden hand, and rocks start raising around them. Dick's eyes widen, and he takes a step back.

"Seriously? You have me fighting a Meta? Don't you think it's a bit soon?" Dick asks incredulously, eyeing her. Slade shrugs, walking out of the ring.

"I want to see what you can do on your own first. We'll adjust from there." He tosses Dick a bow staff, who catches it easily. Dick stares down at the weapon for a moment, before focusing back on his opponent. Now was not the time to be sentimental over a weapon.

"Begin." Slade announces. Dick hisses, blocking the first rock that hurdles at him. He goes to jump, but the ground from under him shifts, knocking him off balance. The acrobat grunts, feeling several medium sized rocks hit him in the chest. The girl snickers, tucking her hair behind an ear.

"Ready to get serious then?" She asks. Dick smirks up at her, crouching into a fighting stance.

"Bring it!"

Several hours later, and several new bruises later, Dick watches others spar in the ring below him from his perch in the rafters. He had a bottle of water at his side and was munching on a granola bar. He actually enjoyed watching the others fight. It was helpful to see the different fighting styles.

The acrobat sighs, suddenly seeing the girl from earlier hovering near him on a large boulder. She cocks her head to the side nodding to the empty rafter next to him. Dick shrugs, watching in mild fascination when she hops onto the rafter next to him, sitting down, then waves her hand, shooing the rock away. Metas were so cool!

"So. Hopefully you didn't take me flinging you around personally." She mutters eyeing him. Dick shrugs, pulling another granola bar out of his pocket, holding it out to her.

"No big deal. It's refreshing to learn new fighting styles. And fun fighting for something other than just survival." She nods slowly, taking the proffered snack.

"How did you get another one? The bastard in the kitchen only ever lets me have one!" Dick cackles, grinning over at her mischievously.

"I figured out where they stash them. If they think a simple locked door will keep me out, they're sorely mistaken." She snickers, opening the bar, and taking a bite.

"I'm Terra by the way."

"Dick." She snots, nearly choking on her food. He snickers, waving a hand. "No, no, no! That's my name!"

"How unfortunate for you." She deadpans, snatching his water, and taking a swig. Dick just waves her off, good-naturedly.

"I don't mind it. Better than Richard. That's way too formal." She raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

"You could have chosen Rick or something." He pouts at her, stealing his water back.

"That's boring!" He takes a sip before setting the bottle down between them. "So, what. Is Slade collecting kids now too or something?" Terra gives him a confused look.

"Too?"

"Nevermind. Just seems like adults are into that sort of thing now for some reason." She shrugs, swinging her legs absently.

"He saved me, actually. My village….wasn't exactly familiar with Metas. Thought I was a witch." They both wince. Dick nods slowly, not needing for her to elaborate. He knew all too well how some people treated people who were different. "Anyway, let's just say things escalated. Then, suddenly Slade was there. He took me away from that awful place. Made me feel like I wasn't a freak. Like I was important." Her legs stop, and she wraps her arms around herself. She frowns down at the ground, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. "I just met you. I don't know why I'm even telling you all of this." Dick sighs, glancing down at the pair that were sparing below them.

"Maybe because you know I won't judge you? I'm probably the closest around in age to you, and I'm here. Obviously, my life hasn't been sunshine and rainbows either." The blonde glances over at him, her mouth twitching up slightly. "How long have you been with them?" He nods down to the people sparing. She shrugs, taking his water again.

"I don't even remember." He nods slowly. "Why did you decide to come here? You're not like the others."

"I have some unfinished business with someone." He nearly growls, his fist clenching at the thought of the man who ruined his life. She exhales, setting the water back down after she had a sip.

"Just don't lose yourself. You actually seem to still have a soul." She mutters, causing him to frown up at her.

"And you don't?" She shakes her head solemnly.

"I lost mine a while ago." She turns to face him, her face set in determination. "Look, I just want to make sure you're aware. He's going to have you kill people. Maybe not now. But it will happen." The acrobat smiles at her sadly.

"I had a feeling about that. I'll come up with something when the time comes." He turns to face her as well, holding out his pinky to her. She stares at it, confused. "From now on, we have each other's backs. We have to pinky promise to make it an official alliance." She snorts at him, shoving his hand away.

"You're such a dork." He shrugs, not denying it.

"Want to see what other shit we can steal from the kitchen?" Terra grins at him wickedly.

"Hell yes!"

Bruce scowls up at the Batcomputer, ignoring the plate of cookies Alfred had left in an attempt to get him to eat. Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Dick had gone off with Deathstroke. He was still no closer to finding the wayward bird. The Outsiders had been getting restless without their leader. Flash, Green Arrow, and Superman had been taking shifts; watching over the camp. Last he heard; Jason destroyed one of the tents in a rage. It was only a matter of time before the gang rebelled against their protectors. He growls, slamming his fist on the keyboard, knocking over the plate of cookies.

"Is that any way to treat Alfred's cookies?" A female voice reprimands from behind him. He spins around, frowning at the familiar dark-haired Amazon.

"What are you doing here, Diana?" He growls, turning back around to face the computer dismissively. He tenses, hearing her walk up, stopping to stand next to him.

"What has ignited your temper this time?"

"None of your business." He snaps, focusing back on the files opened on his desktop. The Amazon sighs, pushing him away from the computer slightly, and steps in front of him, blocking his view. He growls about to snap at her, but she holds up a hand, placating him.

"It is my business when half of the core League members are here babysitting for you."

"I didn't ask them to stay." She crosses her arms, frowning at him.

"You didn't have to. You knew they wouldn't leave those children defenseless. Now, are you going to tell me what has you so worked up? This isn't like you, Bruce." He exhales, his shoulders deflating slightly. Bruce leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"There's this boy. He's been through hell. Watched his parents die in front of him, and his life only spiraled from there. Despite all he's been through, he still has this…this spark." She smiles softly, leaning back against the computer.

"You care for this boy." He looks away, refusing to confirm or deny the statement. Her smile grows.

"Two-Face and Black Mask blew his hideout to hell. Then, when he was vulnerable, Deathstroke got to him." She straightens instantly, her mouth opening in horror. A small gasp escapes her as she fears the worst. Bruce shakes his head, knowing where her thoughts were leading her. "He's alive. Slade didn't want to kill him. The bastard took him as his apprentice." Bruce hisses, crossing his arms. "I can't help but think; if I was faster, if I was able to gain his trust a little more, maybe he wouldn't have gone with Slade." She relaxes against the Batcomputer again, frowning in concern.

"Slade is a master strategist. He must have had his eye on this boy before you even knew of his existence. He had a plan long before you did." Bruce glowers up at her. "That doesn't mean we won't find the boy."

"Slade is next to impossible to track. I've already followed up on all of his known associates, but they've all been dead ends." She taps her chin in thought.

"If you cannot find your enemy, then find what your enemy is after." She states after a moment. His eyes widen in realization.

"Zucco! I should have known! They are targeting him in order for Dick to get revenge. Why didn't I think of that?" She steps aside, smiling softly as he scoots back up to the computer, and begins to type furiously.

"You were too close to this. It is sometimes difficult to see what's right in front of you." He grunts in response, diving back into his work. Alfred arrives with another plate of his famous chocolate chip cookies. Bruce takes one from the plate absently, shoving it in his mouth in between typing. She glances up at the butler, meeting his gaze. He nods minutely in silent thanks. Diana nods back, taking a cookie as well. At least Bruce seemed to be back to his old self. She would be interrogating the butler later about this 'boy' Bruce kept mentioning. It was rare for the man to show such interest in anyone, let alone a child.