Argh on so many levels.

First of all, thank you to all who have reviewed, and to the person who apparently reccomended this fic to others :O Very pleasant surprise and quite unexpected. Though I always have doubts about my writing (this chapter is no exception;;) , it is gratifying to know that this story has been received well by readers out there.

Second, I do admit this story is going rather slowly, and I don't know if I'm doing that on purpose or not. I may be subconsciously trying to weed out casual "superficial" readers from committed readers. Or I just don't know how to edit at all XP

Third, I've been preoccupied by personal matters, and I sparsely written this chapter. So expect some irregularities since I kept writing without reading back whenever I got the chance to write. It hasn't been revised very well or checked for fluidity much. I'm too distracted right now to do it right and I didn't realize that this turned out much too long. Writing sporatically can make you forget those details.

Note: Whole paragraphs in italics are events occuring in the psychological plane.

Not beta-read.

5: And So Will I Have Mine

The shortcuts worked perfectly and Robin arrived to a secluded mansion away from the dirt and grime of Bludhaven streets within an hour on his R-cycle. With one movable iron gate as the opening, it was lying in the open with a concrete fence and a grove of pine trees growing a good distance away behind the building where he parked his transport. Within the stone walls, exotic plants lined the pathway to the front door. Statues of marble capturing the image of angels enhanced the home's external look of wealth.

However, besides the sound of nocturnal birds and buzzing of insects, it was very quiet. And empty. Robin surveyed the landscape and the mansion's surroundings. Save for one dull light barely glowing out a window, there was not a stir of human life. He swept thought the area with his night vision binoculars and couldn't identify a single guard posted for security. If the guards were hiding, at least a couple of henchmen should be standing visible to deter anyone to cause trouble.

Not wanting to spurn this opportunity, Robin cautiously made his way to the wall using any trees and shrubs as cover. He climbed up the trunk of a tree nearest to the wall. Balancing across a high, sturdy branch, the teen leapt over the barrier and landed soundlessly on the other side. Remaining crouched from absorbing the shock of the landing, the Titan held still in the shadows while observing once more for possible security. Once his scanning of his surroundings was satiated, he swiftly reached the window with faint light seeping through on the ground floor of the mansion.

The teen was about to begin to test the window for security rigs when a soft, grinding sound caught his attention. It was like air itself was being gently sandpapered. Actually, the more Robin listened to it, the more it sounded like Beast Boy in one of those nights when the gang would fall asleep on the living room couch after an all night movie marathon. He pushed that thought away; now was not the time to bring up amusing memories of what pranks they would pull with a deeply asleep Changeling. Hugging his body to the building's wall, Robin crept towards the sound of the snore until he reached an indentation in the building. The closed surroundings amplified the sound louder than it actually was. Despite the amplification, Boy Wonder could decipher another sound of a snore, this time right around the corner only three metres away.

Thinking it was safer to take things step by step, Robin peered around the corner of the indentation. There lying against a wall leaving a door partially obstructed was one of the Duke's goons fast asleep. From the posture the man was in, the teen deducted someone dragged him into the little niche. He narrowed his eyes and decided to see if the other source of the snore was encased in deep sleep as well.

Sure enough, around the corner of the mansion to its front, there were two more men sprawled on the lawn. Though only one of the two was snoring, Robin could tell from the rising of their chests that both were indeed asleep. It was clear now that another unexpected guest has visited the crime lord. Refusing the temptation to walk in straight through the front doors, he decided to use the window as he first intended.

He headed back to the one he approached and inspected it for wires and sensors. Once satisfied that it was safe, Robin cracked open the lock and steadily pulled the glass pane out.

Robin landed in what looked like a hallway, and only a single lamp on a small, side table lit the environment. The lack of decent lighting didn't deter the Titan's vision as he was adept to working in the dark. However, the silence itself seemed alive, like the building had just swallowed him whole. A shiver grazed his neck and he resisted the urge to shake in response.

One by one he passed by doors. Some had more snores behind them while others were quiet whenever he leaned against their wooden surface. More than one occasion, Robin met with more sleeping thugs and many of them looked as if they just dropped to slumber land right where they stood. The teen told him self to take more precaution in case whoever it was that did this was still in the house.

Finally reaching a staircase, Robin worked his way up, opting the Duke's office was on the higher floor. It was a winding flight of steps, blanketed by a red carpet with gold trimmings, spiralled around a giant chandelier dangling in silent beauty. Obviously the Duke liked to live by his name of royalty.

From the top of stairs Robin looked down, noticing an interesting detail. The carpet, lying on hardwood and marble floor, was strategically placed in certain areas. To be precise, it covered from the main front entrance, sharply turning in the middle of the grand hallway to up the stairs. Looking down to his feet, he noticed how the carpet continued on one direction while the other way had bare marble floors. Even the Boy Wonder raised an eyebrow of such narcissist display. Follow the proverbial yellow brick road, he thought to himself.

At the end of the road was a double door of pure white with elaborate Roman carvings decorating the panels. It left no doubt this was the Duke's room, either office or bedroom. Right now, he didn't care which it was at the moment as the door was left open. A generous amount of opening revealed the room on the other side lacked lighting as well, except moonlight forcing its way through a window.

A gloved hand slowly pushed the door further, just enough to slide his body through. From what he could gather, it was the main office. A book shelf near a large window lined the back, a fairly large desk in front of it, and renaissance-style furniture in garnet red were accompanied with plants beside each.

Robin approached the desk devoid of any papers but pens and a miniature grandfather clock set in their places. The cushioned chair that should be behind the desk was parked almost chaotically against the bookcase. And the closer he got, the Titan had the oddest notion that the desk was… sniffing?

Yes, something was definitely sniffing, a sound of someone upset. Tilting his head to the side, Robin walked around the desk to look at the opening where the chair and legs would neatly fall into place. In spite of the lighting, he saw a ghost of a movement from the opening.

Then a voice accompanied the movement, "Wh, who are you…?"

There was no malice or defiance in that tone. It was clear from the male voice that he had been crying and was doing a pitiful job at calming himself down. Even so, that didn't prohibit the boy from using a bit of force to extract information.

Robin reached in with his uninjured hand, grabbed the stranger's collar and dragged him out. The outline of the scrawny figure created by the moonlight enhanced the fear in the voice, "L, let go!" He tried to pull off the grip but his strength was used up in his tears.

Obviously not needing too excessive force, Robin opted to just let the individual stay sitting on the floor and lowered himself to his knees. The man's crumpled attire told a story of a person who was a worrier, and at this particular time, a flustered individual as well. Despite the meek exterior, the teen had immediately connected the voice he heard from the recording to the lithe man before him. Distraught or not, this was a criminal associated with a sick crime and leeway was the last thing on his mind for a scumbag. "I'll be asking the questions, Leonard," Robin growled. Eyes what he could make out to be brown widened, affirmed that his conjecture was correct.

Leonard let himself relax—but only just enough to settle his tremors. It came to him that the figure in front of him was not someone he was cowering from before. He could tell the one gripping his collar was a kid, but a kid with an amazingly strong grasp for someone his size. Either way, he was smart enough to know he was still in trouble and kept silent.

Receiving no resistance, Robin relaxed his grip to let air flow more freely in the man's throat. A suspect passing out in hyperventilation didn't go well with interrogation, "First, where's your boss? And second… why were you hiding under the desk?"

Brown eyes shifted left and right frantically, searching around the room for man or ghost. He took his time it seems as he felt his collar tightening around his further, "Ugh—I, I was—I… Th, the boss is away, on—on business!"

Boy Wonder drew the other's face closer, "What kind of business?"

At that range, Leonard found himself realizing the white's of the vigilante's mask was like diving into oblivion, "He didn't say much to me… If, if you're here for what I think you're here for," he took a gulp, "the boss may be swaying the cops right now…" His whole body tensed in case that was an answer the boy did not want to hear.

Robin made a mental note: apparently the Duke had ears in Jump City as well. The recording was given to Jump police only a day ago and they would have kept it quiet until they were ready to move in with a warrant. And, of course, obtaining additional papers to dodge the Bludhaven police's jurisdiction took time. Shelving that note away, he turned his full attention to the man, "And you?"

"…hiding…" was all Leonard managed to squeak out.

The Titan raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, I got that hint. From what?" Somehow, Robin felt he knew part of the answer, "From whoever's made everyone asleep?" In his grip, he could feel the man tightening his every muscle.

Leonard didn't know whether to say anything more in fear of retaliation from his boss, but mostly, from those that scared him out of his mind. But now his collar enclosed around his neck even further, to the point that just a flick of a wrist would cause him to choke. Instead of words, he frantically nodded.

"How many?" Judging from the way the man looked, Robin added, "Are they still here?" As if the lithe adult couldn't shake more than he already was, he set a new record and the Teen felt it like an earthquake.

"I…I don't know…" To Leonard, that was the thought that scared him the most.

Robin got the impression the subordinate was not going to be of much help, "Don't know how many? Or don't know if they're still around?"

"…B, both…" and sniffles followed telling he was unable to talk much longer.

That gesture was enough to tell the teen he was not a party to whoever invaded the mansion. If there was no more information from that route he could retrieve, he would take a detour, "You know why I'm here, right?" Robin received a nod, "Good. I want information on those your boss hired to kidnap the child.

"I…I can't…" Leonard whimpered.

Robin shoved the man against the drawers beside the hollow of the desk, "Not what I wanted to hear."

Jarred into focus, thin ringers wrapped around green-gloved wrists but there was no strength behind the clasp, "I mean I don't know! The boss… he… he made the deal on his own… He said that's how they want it, one on one transaction…"

"Transaction?" The young teen felt his stomach tighten, and solidified his hand to the collar lest he punched the man out cold, "Is that how you all see these kids? Merchandise!"

Leonard froze, watching the kid grow twice as large. The vigilante weaved the darkness around him, to be part of its omniscient presence. Like the accused before the judge, Leonard tried to plead his case, "I swear! I swear I hated what the boss was doing! It's repulsive! I just couldn't stand it… his hands on her like…. but, what can I do! Look at me! I can't fight off a kid like you let alone the boss' guards!" Seeing the sneer grow even more on the young face told him that was not the best description to persuade the other. "I mean…. I'm just a follower," he continued in a defeated tone, "Following orders is what I do best, even if I don't like it. He would've had me killed if I didn't keep my mouth shut and do as he says—"

"Don't give me that crap," Robin spurned the man to the side, knocking him down to the hardwood floor, "that excuse doesn't work for war criminals and it certainly won't work for you. If you genuinely abhorred what he was doing, you would have done something, anything to save that kid…"

It was guilt's turn that shackled the man and he couldn't help but stare at the floor as that accusation weighed on him. He did try to pacify her, give as much comfort as possible but the silence he received from the little girl was deafening. What went on in his boss' bedroom was not exactly known to him, but just imagining the unspeakable acts that probably went on in there made his heart skip.

Calming himself out of the cloud of anger, Robin realized he neglected to ask a critical question, "Is the child still here?" His voice was softer this time to coax an answer.

Eyes still unable to look at the boy before him, Leonard feebly nodded, "Down the hall… doors are like this room…" His defeated voice seemed to have hushed his own tremors, accepting what role he had in all this. "She's probably sleeping right now…"

Sympathy was tugging Robin's cape, and as much as he urged himself to lock that away for now, it managed to take root. Despite the wrong choices the man has made, in the end, he understood that decency dwelled within him. It just wasn't strong enough to overtake fear. Releasing a sigh the teen didn't realize he held, he removed a pair of handcuffs from his utility belt. He enclosed one end to Leonard's wrist, the other wrapped around one of the legs of the heavy oak desk. In this way, the poor flunky had access to hide under the desk again.

Leonard stared at the silver glistening off the metal accessory, "Don't worry, I ain't going no where…"

Robin stood up, looking down on the man one last time before letting out the same soft tone, "Just procedure." Then he made his way out the room to follow the uncarpeted side of the hallway.

Hanging on the long, white walls were paintings, and it exemplified that the Duke had a fondness for the Renaissance. Here and there were more tables with trinkets of statues or potted plants and an occasional lamp. Those were the only ones lighting the room as it was downstairs.

Except, those details seem miniscule compared to the mental brace he had to make for himself. Before long, the young leader stood before the same designed doors as the office. Standing before the doors, he didn't stop to think what he would see behind those doors. Was he prepared for an image that could certainly be burned in his mind for life? And was it a stupid idea to face this alone? Does he want the answer to these questions at this point of no return?

He muzzled those self-inquiries; now was no the time for second thoughts. The doors gave way as green gloved-hands pushed them opened. Stepping into the dark where even moonlight had a hard time seeping through the curtains, the more sounds of sniffles fogged the air. It was soft and delicate, belonging to a child crying for who knows how long. Robin's hands balled into fists, his heart breaking at the sound that. Despite its cooing qualities, he felt daggers stabbing his chest with every catch of breath.

Using what little light the hallway offered seeping into the room, he guided himself to the nearest lamp and begrudgingly pulled on the ball-chain.

Once the room placidly illuminated, the sound of crying stopped but the catching of breath and sucking in nasal mucus still continued. Still uncertain of what he would see, Robin turned to meet the girl face to face.

And he found himself deprived of words.

Not from the sight of bruised lips, nor how her tears stained her delicate cheeks. In fact, on the outside, she looked relatively unharmed under the frills of an elaborate pink, princess dress. Sitting on her knees on top the canopied bed with silk drapes added to the storybook scene, she looked very much like a Victorian porcelain doll. Robin was sure that was exactly the look the monster that touched her intended.

But that's not what made his breathing stop with a loud gasp.

He remembered holding her as she jumped into his arms after he cracked open the glass cage of the bizarre heart monster named Cardiac. He remembered calming her, and how Starfire doted on her to relieve the girl of the stress. He remembered the team giving her a ride home as Beast Boy distracted her from the experience she went through with his animal counterparts. He remembered Cyborg playfully teasing her that her Robin swooped in to rescue the fair Maid Marion. He remembered meeting her mother and the look on her face seeing her dearest daughter back safe.

The little girl had a name, a fact that made this second chance meeting all the more tragic.

She stared at the figure standing in the middle of the room, not quite sure what to make of things. So many things happened, so many things that can never be changed and never return. In spite of it all, the fear she had whenever someone entered the room didn't touch her this time. The red, green and black of the boy very much familiar to her and he could tell she remembered.

Robin forced himself to focus on the now and the now demanded him to get her out fast. In laggard steps he reached the large bed while the girl still fixated on him like she was watching a dream approach. Her sniffles were gone but the traces of tears still drenched her face. The teen had the urge to let her know she was safe now and that he was real. "Hey...," he cooed to her, "you remember me right?"

Taking a moment to absorb who it actually was speaking to her, she nodded twice, blinking away her tears. Even though it was plastered with a mask, it was a familiar face and one associated with good people.

The Titan smiled just a little at the acknowledgement, a show of some happy expression to let her know she was being saved was needed. "Are you hurt, Mary?" He felt like an idiot as soon as those words left his mouth. The scars were embedded deeper than flesh and running rampant in mind. But she shook her head, though it was obvious her lips had been… used. It was much too painful to look at.

Seeing how calm she was to his presence, Robin lifted himself onto the mattress and stood on his knees. He shifted to her side, reaching out a hand for her to hold or maybe inspect to show there was nothing devious afoot. The boy could only imagine what she must have gone through.

Mary gazed from the hand to its owner's face and back. Maybe it was because their first chance meeting played out like a knight galloping to answer his lady's call, but she gingerly reached out and her small hand clasped his fingers with little hesitation. She felt warmth through the fabric of the gloves, the good kind of warmth she felt when her mother rubbed her hands in the wintertime. But that memory was all too bittersweet.

"It's ok. You won't stay here any longer…" Robin said, glad to know that there was strength behind that simple gesture, and heartened that despite what she went through, she held onto sanity. Except, he observed not hearing anything beyond a whimper from her and that worried him, "Come on, I'll take you back home..." He reached out his other hand, still gauzed within the glove to brush away the watery stains on her cheeks from chilling her skin in the cool room.

Her puffy eyelids batted once, a sudden saddened expression highlighting her features. It wasn't the reaction the teen expected. "What's wrong? Your mother must be sick with worry—" She didn't let him finish as she reached out and plunged into his chest. The gesture urged him to sink his arms around her while she hanged hers around his neck. He realized the talk of going home was troubling her, and he could only guess the worse as to why—a horrible, cruel why. Anger rose but blanketed by sympathy and heart ache. The road ahead for the girl was going to be long and hard.

And to add to the perversity of it all, Robin had yet to hear her sweet, charming voice he remembered from their time together before. The fear that trauma has taken a casualty after all weighed on his soul.

They let the silence talk in their stead, their arms still wrapped around the other for that once elusive comfort. But unfortunately, the moment of mourning was short lived with the flick of a switch of the main bedroom lights in the ceiling.

"I don't believe it…"

Robin felt Mary turn into a statue from that foreign voice and he couldn't help stop his own body to react the same. It couldn't be…

"This must be a sign." The sound of an enormous grin on Thomas' face was loud and clear, "Lady Luck is smiling upon us after all."

He couldn't accept it. The sound of the voice turned his legs to lead and his bandaged fingers growing numb. He wasn't supposed to meet them here or ever again if he had a choice. And it would seem fate was cruel enough to deny him that.

Robin didn't turn around, too occupied with a girl starting to weep again, and the struggling battle to keep his own tremors in check. Now was not the time to remember those slithering touches. The bundle in his arms became the anchor to his rationality.

"Just what are you babbling abou—" Jack stopped mid-sentence once he entered the room and followed his brother's line of vision, "Well I'll be damned more than I already am..." Seeing their little bird huddled with a chick in a nest made of silk was a very beautiful sight.

Tom just laughed seeing his older sibling's reaction, "And you said I was drunk when I felt Redbreast's smell again." He lightly slapped the taller man's arm with the back of his hand, clearly enjoying this unexpected bonus in their work.

Clutching a folder full of documentation, Jack tried to remain professional despite his obvious joy, "Talk about two birds with one stone..." Both took several steps forward to cover half the distance between them and their victims.

Robin clenched his teeth while Mary stared at them with fear. If he was to get out of this in one piece, he had to do this right. He turned his head slightly towards Mary's ear while she still clutched his neck. With a whisper so quiet only she could hear, he instructed her, "Mary, I want you to close your eyes and face down. Hold on to me tight. Whatever you do, don't open your eyes until I tell you to…" There was no response of any kind acknowledging his instructions. Mistakes were not allowed in his critical situation and the Boy Wonder had to be sure she understood, "If you understand what I've asked, squeeze your hand on my shoulder twice." Moments passed and he received the signal.

The brother's praising and prodding at their stroke of luck on their findings was distracting enough for him to move his right arm to his belt while the other gripped the child. From the belt he retracted a small metal sphere no more the size of a gumball.

Red-gloves tilted his head as a question he asked was unanswered by the boy, "What's wrong, precious? Cat got your tongue?"

Ignoring that grating voice, Robin started his move. "Close your eyes," he instructed in the same whisper and Mary complied. The Titan twirled his upper body halfway and threw the sphere before the feet of the two brothers but turned back before it impacted on the floor.

"What the—" was all Jack could say before the room turned white.

An incredibly blinding flash of light saturated the room. The light was so powerful not even sunglasses protected against its blinding effect. But turned away the light had less of an impact, and Robin's specialized mask further blocked the flash.

It wouldn't cause serious retinal damage, but potent enough to cause a successful distraction. Robin heard the brothers yelling from the initial burst of light, causing obvious temporary pain from the unsuspecting stimulus. Clutching Mary in his arms, Robin jumped off the bed and zigzagged his way around the two men and swiftly made it outside into the hallway. The effects of the blast would not last long, so his focus centered in getting out of the house fast and at all costs.

He made it to the top of the winding stairway and accessed it would waste precious seconds to manually go down each step. Clutching the girl with one hand, the other propelled his and her entire weight over the banister. As the air whooshed around the two as gravity pulled them down, Mary's grip around Robin's neck tightened. Her eyes were still closed and the sudden feeling of falling was made worse by it.

A loud clank resounded off the walls once the Boy Wonder landed on the first floor. Without a moments rest he continued to run down to the main entrance, skipping over any legs of sleeping bodies clogging the way. At the doorway, the massive marble doors decorated with steel sat imposing, but he promptly twisted their weakness of the knob and pulled. But the door would not budge. He checked the locks, using both positions of the lock handle to try and open the door but nothing worked. Regardless of what the door was made of, there was no reason he would have difficulty moving it.

Taking the drastic route, the Titan stepped back and removed an explosive disc. He let it fly and the disc immediately exploded upon contact. The smoke settled away revealing the doors still intact. Not even a scratched marred the surface. Though he opted for another attempt, with the sound of footsteps beginning on the second floor, he didn't have time to find the solution to his puzzle and ran for the window he came through.

Down the corridor Robin saw the window had remained open and opted to just leap through it. Just a few more strides and he'd be in open air. But just as he reached the windows, they slammed in on themselves sealing the exit. The teen skidded to a halt, just barely stopping before he collided with the glass. There was no wind that would have been like a vacuum to shut the windows.

He let Mary down gently on the floor, telling her it was alright to open her eyes now. Like the doors, he checked the locks and pushed on the glass pane. And like the doors it didn't move a budge. Something had shut them, sealing them inside. His fist smashed into the glass leaving a wide crack. The rhythm of footsteps was only getting louder and the smallest flutter of panic stirred in the pit of his stomach. Looking down at his young friend, Robin could see she was afraid of what would come down the opposite side of the hallway.

Wasting no time, he eyed the small table holding the single lamp. Striding over, the Titan swiped the lamp off and with its loud crash the artificial light went with it too. With only the moonlight supporting his sight, Robin ushered the girl away from the window while carrying the table by the legs. Drawing back the furniture, he let out a cry of expended power and smashed the window into a shower of crystal blades. Mary cringed at the sound, huddling herself to the wall where she stood. Her bare feet exposed to the cold floor only fuelled her shivers from all that was happening.

The cool night air seeped in again. "Hang on," Robin told the child bringing her back into his arms and wrapped her in his protective cape. Stepping back for more room, he sprinted and jumped up through the window landing safely on his feet again. Shards of glass cracked and crushed under his metal boots.

The bundle in his arms peered out of his cape feeling the movements of running again. She looked up at her rescuer and winced at the red cuts lining his right cheek and forehead. Looking over to his limbs, few places here and there on his legs unprotected by the titanium cape sported cuts as well. There were no profuse bleedings, but even superficial wounds must sting by the sharp touch of cold air.

Reaching the wall, Robin took out his grapple and aimed for a limb of the tree he used to trespass. Upon the hook's contact with wood, he pushed a switch to pull the two up towards the plant. Using the momentum and angle, when the Boy Wonder reached the right peak he swung over the wall, landed and sprinted again in one continuous motion.

Only about half way to his R-cycle did Robin let a bit of himself feel relieved. It was also when he realized just how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. It was the drum of adrenaline and only that, not fear, and for the girl's sake he had to convince himself.

Looking over his shoulder, Mary saw something that made her hazel eyes widen. The almost painful grip by her tore Robin away from calming his heart to turn his head to her line of sight. He gasped, his own eyes widening as what looked like a whole tree was flying at them like an arrow.

Robin ducked and rolled to the side away from the tree's flight path. The young pine tree hurled pass in a blurry rustle of leaves and branches. It slid down the rest of the way leaving a trail of ploughed dirt. Pushing up to a sitting position, he turned around to see a man in black approaching them. There was no denying who one of two identities walking towards their way was. How did he manage to catch up so fast? With that much of a head start, Boy Wonder would have made it out to the outskirts of Bludhaven with no problem. But he didn't have time to ponder that now; he had someone to protect.

The teen cooed Mary to calm down as he took one more look at the approaching man—only to find that no one was there. He furled his brow at the oddity, and the urging in the back of his mind told him not to think: just move. Quickly he stood up to his knees then to his feet, ready to swiftly dashed forward, making sure no one was behind him. But he only got in two steps before he crashed into something tall and large.

The velocity of his speed and the abrupt impact sent him and the girl to the cold grass again, the dew moistening his uniform. Shaking his head he looked up, all too surprised by the more muscled man of the two suited men.

"That wasn't very nice of you, boy," Jack forced a smile. Set backs in his line of business were not tolerable. "You're holding something we'd like back."

Robin held the girl closer and propelled himself to his knees again to make another jump start in the opposite side only to be facing another human wall—if he could call them human.

Thomas had his hands in his pockets with a look of a child in a candy store, "Though you're more than welcome to join her."

"And I do hope you do," Tom whispered into the ear of the caped Titan leaning against the wall between doors.

His back tensed, realizing that the one who put him in this position was back.

The place was almost as Tom left it, making his fingers tingle at the thought of his new toy in perpetual edge since their encounter. His cravings only grew the longer they were apart; the more he felt it and devoured it, but it wasn't enough to satiate him. There were some doors opened, some doors closed from the last time. Most notably was the wave of heat clashing with the wave of cold resulting in a brewing storm. Taking a better look under the dim lighting, the grit of the boy's teeth and a hand clenched to a fist told signs of defiance. And a swing of that fist—

Tom barely dodged the punch aimed at his stomach but failed to see the twist of the teen's body to propel a consecutive kick to the same area. The impact caused him to skid across the slippery surface of wet grass, wincing while rubbing his stomach. The bird had grown an extra set of claws.

Robin did not dare let his back face the duo and walked backwards to keep both in sight. Whatever it was they were capable of, he realized running now would be futile unless at least one of them was incapacitated. "Stay behind me," he ordered as he let Mary to the ground, the moisture soaking her delicate feet. With the option of fighting as the only alternative, he needed both hands to be effective in combat. He extended his staff and took his battle stance. At this moment, his own fate seemed unimportant to the fate that might befall on the little girl if he did not allow her escape. Come what may, a child should never live the fate these monsters would enforce and his belief in that fanned his fire.

Jack approached the two children, eyeing his brother with the corner of his eye to make sure he was fine. He wasn't in the mood for "play" right now though he knew that could easily change, but the job at hand took precedent over recreation. Assuming the young crime fighter understood the sibling's connection to the child kidnappings, the older brother concluded letting him go this time would be most detrimental. "You're making this harder then it has to be, boy."

"You're not taking her again," Robin hissed, "Are you both so pathetic you pick on the most defenceless?"

A quick shuffle of feet and the red-gloved man was by his brother's side, "Spare us the moral outrage," Tom smirked. "Morals make for bad business."

His older brother nodded in agreement, "And I don't think she's quite defenceless with you around. So all's fair game then now, isn't it Redbreast?"

Just as the smile on Jack's face grew, Robin felt something pulling on his arms—or to be precise, on his staff. He increased his grip on the metal but it was soon proving that whatever force was working on the weapon was increasing its strength. Feeling the staff starting to slip, the teen seized it with his other hand, hoping the strength of both his arms was enough. But as strong as he was, he wasn't meta-strong.

"What the hell—" Robin looked up to glare at the man whom he suspected of the curious act. Jack casually shrugged with a grin and raising his hand, making a movement to the Titan to "come along." With that simple gesture, the staff almost yanked out of his grip but fast reflexes prevented it from slipping from his fingertips. He gritted his teeth and set his boots to the ground but, with the slippery surface and the burst of invisible energy slowly dragged him towards the men.

Though unsure of what was happening, little Mary could only see that her rescuer was struggling with something. She wrapped her small arms around Robin's right leg and with all her might she pulled as hard as she could.

Robin looked down while straining to hold onto the bo staff. His grimace turned into concern while watching her help in her own way. But he knew it wouldn't help. If this was a form of telekinesis, it seemed different from Raven's powers. As suspected, psychokinesis was probably the better term. Whatever it was that Tom did to him in the factory; his mind was affected more than body. Either way, he knew he was disadvantaged. Looking back at his options, they were much closer to his R-cycle than the mansion. "Mary," Robin remained his voice soft despite straining to hold onto his weapon, "over there, just within those trees, my motorcycle's there. When I give the signal, I want you to run over there as fast as you can."

Mary peered up with concern in her eyes. Was he going to leave her alone? Or asking to abandon him?

Boy Wonder caught the look, "I'm going to need help, Mary. I want you to get on it. There's a panel in front of the seat with buttons. Press the yellow button then the green. It'll call the good people for help." He waited for a sign of understanding but she just stared with concern. The worry in her large eyes told of her anxiety, for both of them. "You have to go Mary while I distract them here," Robin huffed while his arms were being strained. He could feel her hair slapping against his leg as she shook her head against the idea. As much as he appreciated her spirit, he did not want this debated. If it meant using harsh words against her, he would, "I can't fight properly if I have to look after you! Do as I say!"

Jack narrowed his eyes. He couldn't make out what was said, but he could tell a plan was setting into motion. The toying would have to stop sooner than he and his Tom hoped.

Startled out of holding onto the teen, Mary jumped back in surprise with her eyes wide. If he had the time, Robin would have felt regret for sounding so, for the lack of a better word, mean. But she finally reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Robin smiled at her for her understanding and faced his opponents again. Steadily the force grew in strength to the point his arms felt like they would pop from their sockets. But he didn't plan to fight against it anymore. He took the chance and warned the girl, "Now!"

The Titan leaned forward and leapt into the direction the force was pulling him. With that extra burst of speed he let himself sucked towards the brothers. Using the full force of his momentum, Robin slammed a kick at Jack. Because of the speed, White-gloves was barely being able to react to the attack and managed to avoid getting his neck snapped to the side with his forearms. The impact, however, sent him to the ground and the distraction ceased the pull on the staff.

Feeling the invisible chain lifted from his weapon, Robin landed and swung his staff at a startled Tom. Metal impacted chest and he collapsed to the earth once more. The teen readied again as the two men recovered. Any normal human being would have been hindered with broken bones by the sheer aggression of that kick, but Jack didn't even seem to have a scratch as he already got to one knee. The younger sibling, to his relief, was having a more trouble recovering. But in the corner of his eye, blonde hair distracted him, "Mary! I told you to go!"

The little girl felt her knees shaking under her dress, hands clasping to each other. Robin's yell managed to get her to move two steps but stopped again. Her eyes widened and mouth opened though no sound came out. She pointed behind the Titan, and he figured too late that it was a warning.

"That actually hurt," Jack growled. He seized the boy's shoulder and threw him face first into the ground. "If you want rough play then I sure as hell will give it to you, boy."

The Titan skidded across the ground protecting his head with his arms, a hand still holding onto his bo. Groggily, he recovered to his feet but the stars in his sight didn't stop quite as fast. Absently he massaged his shoulder, wincing as he felt the temporary depression in his skin where fingertips bit into. Again he saw Mary standing where she was before, and he felt frustration starting to intrude. But he can't lose his cool now if he had it to begin with.

Jack caught the line of sight, "Tom! Get the girl. The little bird is mine."

"Stay away from her!" Robin yelled with a pair of birdarangs as his stingers. He let them fly towards the red-gloved man already approaching her from his recovery. However, like before, they twisted against the laws of physics, instead stabbed the earth causing them to barely miss Tom's legs. Thomas narrowed his red eyes to connect with his brother's in thanks, but only found himself reacting the same way as Mary did to warn Robin.

Jack turned around just in time to have the side of his face slammed by the staff and fall hard to the ground. Robin landed and immediately followed by throwing his explosive discs around the other lone brother. Explosions flared but he stared at Mary and made sure to get his voice across, "Get out of here NOW!"

This time the message was received loud and clear. He watched Mary run past him and the two brothers and head for the trees nearby yet so far for her short legs. He only hoped she remembered which buttons to push in what order. Robin wanted her secured to the R-cycle before she pressed the green button for auto-piloting back to the Tower. Returning to his part of the plan, he brought his attention back to the taller man in time to see a punch heading for his head.

Tom fanned his hands around his face but didn't bother to move himself out of the smoke. It would be a waste of time and more importantly, he didn't need to. He searched the surroundings with his mind, sensing his brother and the little bird having a little rumble. Creeping further and further, he caught up to a small light and the desperation that light was emitting already lifted his vigour. But the Red-gloves preferred the taste of adrenaline-induced panic than any other—the type saturated with the knowledge of hopelessness from the victim.

Robin kept on the defensive against Jack's strikes. The speed of the man did not match the bulky build especially when his fighting style didn't speak of formal training. But the Titan had given up on thinking these people were "human." No matter how many hits landed, Jack seemed to only get stronger and a little more resilient. Without the sunglasses blocking their eyes, Robin could have sworn his irises seemed to glow brighter overtime of their fight.

Their spar was silent except for his own grunts while the older man seemed to find this fight nothing but a warm up. Thrusting with his staff, Robin parried an uppercut to his chin but he barely managed to stop it time to avoid getting hit by his own weapon from the force behind the momentum. If the man's strength was actually increasing, the Titan didn't know if he could last much longer. Wanting to end this as soon as possible, he reached around with his gloved hand to the back of his belt for another disc. But much to his chagrin, he couldn't open the slot they were in.

"No no, dear Redbreast," Jack shook a finger like he was berating a toddler, "none of that now." Smiling, eyes illuminated red underneath the moonlight. He approached the boy who looked frantic trying to open anything on his belt.

Clawing green-gloved fingers failed to open a single one and Robin realized he couldn't access his own weapons or his communicator. No one but himself in present company would know of the locking code of his belt. He looked up at the man, and around his surroundings. Things were not looking good.

Out of the corner of his eye, his heart almost skipped a beat of little Mary, crouched and clutching her head. The teen shouted after her, but did not receive a reply. As if he knew who caused her to shrivel into a shaking ball, his masked eyes trailed back to the fleeting pile of smoke. Tom was making his way towards the girl without obstruction and Boy Wonder hoped he wasn't doing to her whatever he did to him before.

The distraction earned his stalker an upper hand and quickly too advantage of it. Robin turned to race to her but a large hand grabbed the end of his cape and propelled him to the ground on his side.

Boy Wonder got hold of his bearings in time to watch his bo staff slip from his fingers and fly into the red-gloved hand. Angered, though he didn't acknowledge it, he pushed himself shakily off the ground. Anxiety worked its way into his voice, "How are you doing this!"

"What?" Feeling a bit of fun, Jack snapped his fingers, "This?"

Robin heard a click and something brush against his thigh before the sound of crushed grass took over the sense of touch. He looked down to see his utility belt, unbuckled, lying like a snake around his feet. His mask widened and almost at a loss for words.

"It's nothing really. Can't you're lady friend with that unhealthy skin complexion do something similar?" The taller man couldn't help but tease the bewildered boy. And what seemed like teasing in his point of view must seem entirely different from his victim's—and he always crafted for that illusion.

"Don't you dare talk about comparing yourself to her or any of my friends! Especially from that depraved, sick tongue of yours!" Robin snapped back letting his frustration get the better of him. Though he had his skills, he was being quickly overpowered by brute strength and now, practically naked without his weapons. Now with his only means of communications with his team lying parked in the edge of the tree patch, it looked like he was on his own.

And he knew it was his own damned fault for putting himself in that predicament.

Reading the body language of a cornered animal, Jack twirled the staff in front of him to taunt the baby bird, "I don't think I'd want to be likened to your friends, little one. Pretty bird like you and they never hold an orgy every night?" His own slip of "depraved" tongue licked the bottom of his own lip, "Although, I must admit, I'm glad they don't. Much more satisfying to tear open something new than something used."

He had his mouth opened, but silence voiced his outrage. Robin tried to interpret that as innocently as possible. The more he heard these two speak the more he wished he was deaf. But there was no time for condemning them for their acts. A little girl needed his help and he couldn't let her down. No smoke grenades or blinding lights were at his disposable to serve as distraction. He was on his own, and he hoped to whoever sits high up in the heavens that everything will turn out all right.

Jack didn't really do anything except tap the staff on his shoulder, letting the bird decide the next move. Judging from the teen angered by the sight of his brother holding the voiceless girl's head up by her hair, the little bird wanted to fly. Those large masked eyes pierced back at his own red ones, daring a challenge to stop him from his pathetic rescue attempt. Nothing gave way to the Titan except a shrug, and not being able to endure any longer, turned to go off and pry those gloves off of blonde hair. It would be fun to watch him and his brother wrestle about with hands going to certain places and minds cracked here and there.

But then he couldn't let Tom have all the fun when he already had his fair share the night before.

With his mental hand, he pointed at the curled, yellow belt. With a flick of his wrist it slithered through the grass with a momentum to make a cheetah green with envy. Like the snake it imitated, the belt sprung from the ground and wrapped around one thin ankle, then another, and Robin came crashing down. Taking this chance, the belt wrapped around both ankles twice and buckled together.

Robin tried to regain balance to run again but discovered he couldn't move his feet apart. He glared down and gasped as his own utility belt immobilized him. Quickly sitting up, he struggled to unfasten and unravel the makeshift coil but despite all his strength, the belt refused to let go.

Suddenly, the oddest feeling suffocated him, pulling him down onto the cold earth. His futile resistance had no direction, only urging his body to stay upright. It felt as if his uniform itself was pushing down on him, tightening around his torso and constricting his ribs. His back and hair became saturated with moisture of grass and he couldn't bring to control his posture. Emphasising the loss of bodily control, Robin felt his gloves constricting every one of his fingers and his palms. Deliberately the hands rose over him and then landed on the ground above his head connected at the wrists, his legs forced down straight.

In essence, he was pinned to the ground like a butterfly specimen on a plaque—exposing him.

Above, the sky was clear with diamond stars shimmering along as it always had for numerous millennia, not caring of what was happening underneath them. On any other night, perhaps observing the higher plane with Starfire or running through the air with wind bathing his body, the night looked fundamentally tranquil. Except now, the darkness above was like staring into an abyss; the stars were glittering a chuckle at the fate befallen on two lone children. The Titan refused to accept their mockery. Even though his position didn't change, he continued to struggle as his costume became tighter, holding him down. Looking up again, his view of the sky was obstructed by three figures: one leaning on his staff like a cane, the other, holding a girl by the back of her dress as if she was a rag doll, and Mary herself was looking down on him with wide eyes.

And fear, the natural one not infected with sudden crazed terror, traced its claws against his skin.

Tom dropped the girl to the side, not caring for her sobs after the impact of flesh to dirt. He crouched down, grinning with glee while smelling the aroma. Enjoying the sight of a squirming body too much, he brushed a finger against a cheek flushed from the cold and breathing much too hard. The teen immediately turned his head away from the touch, preferring the cold dew over leather. But the fear only grew a more.

The younger brother closed his eyes, savouring the taste, "Nothing beats fear brought about the victim himself… and I think," he leaned down closer and brushed the same cheek again, "you rarely show it, don't you little one?" His fingers ran though the coal-black hair, brushing away any strands stuck to the brow by sweat.

"Don't touch me!" Robin snapped, the feeling of being petted like a dog was not to his liking. "Whatever the hell it is you want," he continued while his voice held a trace of trembling, "leave the girl out of it!"

"Ah, noble even under flirtation," Jack said with content, the tip of the staff stroking up and down the side of the boy's thigh. This was all too delicious a situation, and he had to admit, it had been a long time since drinking such succulent emotion. It really is different when the fear is brought about on its own. Of course, the way his younger brother induces them in their toys was very satisfactory as well.

Robin tried to twist his leg, "Stop that! What do you both want!" He really didn't know what to say, or ask and absolutely refused to stoop to asking for mercy—unless if it meant helping Mary. Pride had to take second place of something.

"Want?" Tom repeated, "What we want is right here…" He watched as the little girl crawled up to her fallen knight, and grip onto his tunic as she held his head close. Her way of protecting him from the big, bad men, he supposed. But she failed to realised the mind was left unguarded.

"Stand up for me, Redbreast." Elder brother motioned his hand upwards, and on cue, Robin's hands pulled up first and then his entire body up, leaving behind Mary reaching out for him. Gloved hands stretched high above his head, Robin stood against his will standing eye level with the man's chest. Jack cupped the small chin, forcing the Boy Wonder to look up to him, "You really are a piece of work, you know? Never in my years have I seen a body so perfect," he emphasized with the hand on chin tracing down to the taught chest where his brother enjoyed touching before.

Any restrains on his anger dissipated, "Get your hands off me you psychotic pervert!" He tried to repel the touch, but all his resistance did was encouraging fingers to expand in their exploration. This was getting to be too much, and the thought that this was only the beginning chilled the teen's blood.

Thomas got up, ignoring the girl tugging at the legs of his pants. Standing right beside Robin, he passed an arm through the space between Robin's arm and head, settling his elbow on the boy's shoulder. The hand hanged low enough that he too started to make circles on the red-covered chest, "You should relax, precious. Try to enjoy it."

"Try to be more affectionate and we'll return in kind," Jack purred.

Obeying that suggestion, Robin found his hands leading his arms to fill in the gap between himself and White-gloves. The unwilled act made his stomach turn as his arms wrapped around the man's neck, pulling him closer to the other's face. It could have been a scene between lovers, but all the set ups to the image were perversely wrong. He tried to turn his face as far away as possible, but it only helped the exhale of breath ripple along his neck.

Tom walked up beside his brother, ready to permeate the young mind he had grown to need. He knew he'd greatly enjoy his new pet. The moment he breaks all defences and all harmonies, he knew he'd be on the ultimate high. Only, he'd have to control himself for a while to get as much from the young hero as possible. And he wanted him to last very long, "Don't you have anything to say to my bro? You should thank him for being as kind as to not leaving you hanging naked there… as usual." His lips curled to snigger at his own thoughts.

At this point, Robin didn't have the words flowing through him smoothly. The position he was in, the mocking and the girl crouched down below him, looking up to him pleading, he just couldn't form lasting remarks. But his emotion did the provoking, "You're twisted, forcing yourself on…" he seethed though clenched teeth, "You're not a man; you're just pitiful."

The large hand that was stroking his back stopped, instead becoming violent and seizing the back of the wild black hair. Robin emitted a short cry, his head forced painfully back.

"You, dear boy," despite his man-handling, Jack's voice was calm as the eye of a storm, "must love S&M." Not giving a chance to let that sentence sink in to the teen dangling off him, he pulled back hair forcing the entire body hanging off of him back. To finish it off, he sent a punch piercing into cheek.

Robin dove into the ground, landing after bouncing off it once or twice. He couldn't stop from involuntarily grimacing as something warm trickled down the side of his face. His whole head felt dislocated by the impact and his brain still vibrating in his skull. Struggling up, and noticing that the tightness from before had lifted from his body, he got up to his elbows before he lifted a hand to the warmth on his cheek. It was the cut from jumping through the jagged window that was bleeding more, exactly where the punch landed. The cut opened deeper and further, the cold air now stabbing delicate flesh.

Almost instantly he felt smaller, trembling hands hanging on to him. Mary rushed up to him, asking with concerned eyes if he was alright. Tears made the eyes more beautiful than the unforgiving stars floating above, but those orbs glittered under the wrong circumstances. Ignoring his own pain throbbing in his head, he turned to her, "A, are you all, right…? Hurt?" The words slurred out, but he refused to black out now.

Jack and Tom casually walked over, with the shorter man shaking his head at his sibling, "Can't you be a teensy bit more delicate? You could have snapped his neck with that sucker punch."

"I was being 'delicate.' He's the one who wanted it rough," Jack shrugged, once again twirling the staff. He was almost disappointed that there was no fighting back; things would certainly be more interesting if there was a backlash—it offered more reason to retaliate in kind. But as his dear brother implied, a dead robin couldn't hate, fear, or tremble beneath his hand.

"Let's try a more, subtly direct approach," mused Tom, and let himself sink into the bird's world. He nudged for Jack to do his thing, and lead himself over to the fallen teen, and extended a hand.

Robin felt his gloves and belt constricting again, forcing his limbs to the ground as the approaching man extended a hand over to him. All he could do was shout in protest…

Robin leaned against the wall opposite from the single window visible in the hallway, panting while clutching his rib. The punch he forced on Tom was counted by inhuman speed and a swift jab on the side of his torso already bruised from a previous blow. He reacted with more offence but each time the man caught or countered each blow. Now, Red-gloves just stood there next to the window, seemingly quite pleased he was able to open it. Whatever it was he wanted, Robin just wished it was over with and left him alone, "This is my Home… you're not supposed to be here…"

"Ah but little one," a voice so gentle cradled the air, "nothing is off limits to someone who has the master key." Strutting over to the slouched teen, Tom extended a hand to smaller chin like his brother had before. Repulsed by the touch, Robin tried to push it away but the other red-gloved hand gripped his wrist and slammed it against the wall. Amused crimson eyes glowed happily while shaking his head, "You still don't get it do you? Out there and in here, two different places. You're acrobatics mean nothing Here." He emphasized the point by tightening his hold on the wrist eliciting a deep throated whimper, the kind one makes when futilely uphold their pride.

"This is MY Home! You have no jurisdiction here! No one should— You shouldn't be here!" Robin swung his free arm to punch, claw, slap, whatever it took to get the man away from him but again, that limb was restrained. His reflexes retarded and his eyelids gained weight. The sweet, aromatic night air flowing in from the window was tantalizing. It was a perfume of comfort, and the sight of the moon and stars grouped together outside gave the image of a warm mound of pillows urging to be lied on.

"C'mon, you swing like a girl," the man mocked. "You're not the type who's hard on the outside and soft on the inside, are ya?" As much as he was enjoying this, Tom felt a pang of disappointment. The left over bruises, the drooping shoulders as if the weight of the world was his shoulders, Thomas wondered just what made the boy tired than he truly was. Perhaps the burden of being a hero had caught up on such a young life, maybe there was something more. He didn't expect such a fiery blaze would be so easily subdued into a candle flame in Here.

Maybe he was burning smaller than usual, maybe for too long. But a candle light was still fire, and fire burns no matter the size, never extinguished. Despite the setbacks and hardships of recent times, Robin refused to ultimately give in. By friends and team mates, by those he wished to forget, he was taught he wasn't Alone. It was a half truth where there was a difference in being Alone by choice or nature. Being surrounded by others, to know one was being watched over by others, was both a blessing and damning. He wasn't Alone as long as he had them, and in here, he wasn't Alone as long as They lurked in the darkness of his mind.

Always lurking…

The scent of night was becoming too tantalizing to resist, weakening his resolve to fight. It would be nice if he had the rest that he missed during his research. At least in sleep, the burden he was on now was forgotten for a little while, and perhaps this was all a dream within a dream. Or perhaps he wanted escape if only for a small precious time.

When physical resistance started to wane, Robin stopped his struggles but straightened his back. He lowered his head and voice, but not the fury instilled in his words before Sleep would claim him, "Get out."

Thomas narrowed his eyes, the smile starting to fade with his fingers feeling the boy's body turn stiff. Something in the air was stirring. Off in the distance, he could have sworn he heard tiny, inhuman cries in the dark hallway. Erring on the side of caution, he upped his defences, preparing his strength. So quiet and still the Titan stood, the younger sibling would have thought he had already passed out into the realm of Dreams even he can't enter.

Again, Robin repeated but more slurred as he slowly gave in to the addictive aroma, "Get out…"

As if those two words were an incantation, a horrible screech slashed through the air. So loud it was it forced Red-gloves to let go of the teenager and cover his ears in an attempt to block out the shriek. But for the Boy Wonder, he simply closed his eyes behind the mask, slid down against the wall until he hit the floor. The screech did not bother him at all as his weight shifted to the side, knocking his whole frame to the floor in accepted slumber.

Tom however was not blessed with such immunity. Gritting his teeth, he turned towards the sound of the banshee cry and regretted that move.

"Sunova—!" A bat, at least the size of his head, crashed into his face, clawing and shrieking the same horrible cry continuously. If this was the Outside, his ears would have popped blood from such decimals of sound. "Mangy little—" Tom grabbed a fistful of fur, "GET OFF!" He pulled the large bat away from his clawed face and threw it on the ground.

The bat chirped and screeched with each bounce off the cold floor, flapping its wide leather wings to balance it self, until it finally stopped against Robin's arm. A snout long and pointed, with tufts of skin decorated the snout. The body discounting the wings was long and lithe for its size, a warm reddish brown with an unusually silver ring around its neck. Eyes large and brown speaking of excellent sight, but the strength of that screech and the enormous size of its ears gave a hint that it didn't rely on sight alone. It wasn't anything Tom had seen in books or zoos. Though he was no expert, it almost seemed… like a hybrid.

He watched it stare back with its prying eyes and fangs bared as it pulled itself over the arm and into the niche between the appendage and ribs. Able to take a better look at it with a comparison, it was too large and small at the same time—large enough to maul a face, yet small enough to be crushed by hand. Wings parted open, revealing its true intimidation with their sheer length. Spread out wide, they flexed over Robin's torso to almost cover him from head to toe, as if using itself as a barrier between the teen and the intruder.

Thomas wiped the blood from his face and the cuts he touched suddenly healed on its own. "So little Redbreast," he half sneered, half smiled at the flying fox bare its set of teeth, "you do have a bag of tricks after all." He took a step back, straightening his tie and evening out his sleeves, "At least you won't disappoint me of a challenge like you've been leading on." And he was truly grateful for that. It was the process, the hunt of finding that limit and shattering it that was when emotions were at its most ripe.

For now, he would let this still-young bird rest as that was all he supposedly came to provoke. There was also the matter of returning the girl back to their home Nest. Time to make an exit for now; plenty of time to explore this mind later.

Taking one last look at the boy he would thoroughly like to enjoy, he enacted a mock salute, "Wait for me sleeping beauty." The Bat flapped its wings once while continuing guarding the fallen Titan. "And next time we play, let's keep your pet out of our quality time."

That earned him a shriek, but only chuckled at it of despite the sonic sound leaving his ears dully ringing, "Right, right back at you, ya filthy Bat. A little possessive for a disease-ridden winged rodent," he muttered to himself. It was a thought that made a very interesting image in his imagination. Though honestly, he doubted the boy got off on such fetish. But he did find it peculiar to find a chiroptera instead of the boy's namesake. Perhaps that little tidbit of the boy's connection to Gotham was not far off after all. "I guess the difference between feather and fur holds no bounds for you Redbreast, unlike that saying:

"Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;"

Tom licked the blood from the cut on Robin's cheek, tasting the pink skin as saliva met with open flesh. Resting in deep sleep, the act elicited no reaction from the slumbering form.

"Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine."

He straightened feeling a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he saw his brother looming over with a curious smirk, but the posture of a business man. "Not right now, Thomas." It was getting late and the girl was expected to be back within the night. "You can have a taste later."

"Yeah yeah," the younger responded with a wave of a hand, "got all the time in the world."

The two watched as Mary returned to Robin's side, pulling on the sleeve of his arm to arouse him from unconsciousness. But there was no response, no movement besides the rise and fall of his chest in the rhythm of sleep. If there was sound in her voice or if her tears hadn't dried up from previous cries she would have bawled her self to sleep herself. But the lack of either expression made her a sitting statue, looking and continuing her nagging for him to wake.

Lifting the edge of his white glove, Jack peered at his watch, "It's time to go."

With those words, Mary lowered her head to the young Titan's warm chest over the sound of his beating heart. She tried to shut her eyes to the future as two pairs of hands reached out for her and Robin.

oooooo

Four AM and she still could not sleep.

Raven sat on her bed, legs crossed, willing herself to calm for a thorough meditation. But tides of restlessness, fear, anxiety and confusion crashed onto her without rest from the ocean that was the city. For the sake of her sanity, she wished Beast Boy's comment of her recent crankier than usual behaviour was due to the simple idea of "that time of the month" was true. Except, one, it wasn't "that time of the month" and two, she would have a black soul-claw slapped the Changeling through the walls for that comment if she actually experienced such hormonal storms.

A gift, but always a curse.

The description she gave herself concerning her powers: handy when stopping villains, and maybe when anticipating a lie or two, but ultimately a slave to her powers. Often she wondered if it was her controlling her powers, or the powers controlling her with all the preparation and concentration forced on her to not rip everything in sight, but came to the conclusion it had a profound constraint on her life. There was no simple way to flip a switch to shut down her powers as easily as the others could. But for now, she was confident in the fact she had managed to remain in control most of her life aside from the slip ups now and then. Malchior reminded her she needed to guard her natural abilities more efficiently.

Raven sighed. The regrets of the past and the rage of others in the present wasn't what she hoped to think of to lull her to sleep. Leaving her cloak lying beside her on the bed, she slid off the covers and exited her room. Herbal tea always did help soothe the soul.

Silent as a shadow, she made her way to the living room kitchen, but in the process, there was a certain door that had to be passed.

The "conversation" earlier that night tiptoed to the front of her memories when she halted her step as the door to the research room came into her line of vision. An odd idea of apology floated in her brain, but soon deflated. Harsh as her words were, it was truth and if the others were too "timid" to tell him to his face, then that role was unofficially placed on her. Though the mistress didn't want to actively feel another's presence right now, absently her mind did try to tread pass the metal door. Unlike the trickle of frustration and nostalgia she felt before she told Robin off, it was strangely absent. Not those specified or other feelings permeated the door when the Boy Wonder was in one of his moods.

But it wasn't something Raven thought was unexpected. Over the course of being a Titan, she learned that the young leader had a very good skill of hiding himself away from everyone, even to her empathic mind. Quite good in fact that, looking back, ninety percent of the time it was when he allowed her to enter his mind that she was able to "feel" him. Except, on the rare occasion he actively allowed it, he seemed absolutely reluctant to "let" her in during the hallucinations.

Perhaps he had finally fallen asleep, or once again, gave himself into his work that always built that wall. Whichever it was, it was probably best that he was left alone for the rest of the early morning. It may be a bad idea that she would bother him after what she told him.

Moreover, that tea was too tempting to delay any longer.

oooooo

Taking his time after deciding to take a quick tour, Tom was shuffling his way to the other end of the hallway. The surrounding had darkened to the minimal amount needed to see, basically everything illuminated by moonlight without a moon. He walked towards the single, intense light bulb hanging over head in the middle of the hallway again, acting much like a stationary spotlight.

The one end he had explored first was interesting to say the least.

Only a single door was present, separated from the others lining the hallway. Isolated and kept in the dark, almost pitch black. However, he could clearly make out a symbol on the door instead of a mask. A stylized motif of a bat hanged on the wooden door with chains scattered about the floor in front of it. Scratches decorated the surface obviously made by an animal… or animals. There was an undeniable whisper of chirps coming from behind the wooden gate. At least Tom knew now where that giant Bat from before was came from. He didn't dare open it yet, not wanting to risk releasing reinforcements behind the closed door.

Reaching the halfway point of the light fixture, he one again passed another singled out door but not as isolated. It stood in front of the light, and where a few doors should have been beside it were left blank. The strange characteristic of this one, as Tom thought, was the fact that no mask hanged on the nail tacked onto the wood except a crude carving. In fact, it looked fairly new except being marred where a mask should with an "X" etched into it.

Ignoring that one for now, Thomas finally arrived to the opposite end of the hallway. Again it was dark, much darker than the bat end. Another singled out door rested in the middle of the darkness. This too was unique as the same type of chains on the Bat's floor, large and small, bound the door shut. To add to its foreboding visual, the door was made of metal than wood. And the mask hanging from the door was shaped much different from the theatrical masks on the other doors. Instead of white porcelain, it shined—glowed, just enough on its own despite the lack of lighting to show that it too was made of metal. Half obsidian black, half bronze-orange, only a single hole for the eye with a black outline ending in a wisp on one corner adorned it. The slits cut into the bottom of the mask where obviously one would breathe through.

And something was pulsating behind that iron entrance, something very much alive, powerful but unreadable.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Tom raised a red-gloved hand, cautiously stepping forward to the door. Maybe he could sense what was behind the door with a touch, but a prick in his ear stopped him.

The sound of his brother's voice called for him, explaining there was another job to do. Tom cursed under his breath, but a job was a job and dared not being caught by the big boss again for slacking off. Taking one last look at the fortified door, he turned and walked, disappearing before he reached outside of the door's dark vicinity.

It was too bad he had left so soon. A second later, he would have heard the sound of a chain landing on the floor with a musical clank.

I hope it wasn't too long winded. I've laid down enough clues I think (well, baltantly stating it at one point) on the identity of the little girl. All names of the OC characters (or those characters in the show who weren't assigned names as in the case with the girl) are named in their way for a reason. Half a reason for "Mary" was to play on the Maid Marion idea.

Pointless fact: Chiroptera is the name of the Order that bats are under. The Indian flying fox (fruit bat) is one of the largest bat species (sounds like it anyways), with a wingspan as usually long as 4 feet wide. Anyways, there are bats with wingspans that are big enough to reach or exceed a meter (or around 5 feet). Though the imaginary one in this fic is a hybrid of different species that I haven't explained well, I used the flying fox as a template :)

Art of Silence