A/N: I'm back with another update. The site's been pretty quiet lately, update people! Anyway, this chapter is really good (or so I think) so sit back and enjoy.

Warning: There's a mature scene in this fic, however, it's nothing to worry about. It's not really that graphic. Just thought you should know ahead of time anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story.

Doing the Right Thing

By: Sarah Shima

Chapter 9: Irony Before Death

Dick could feel his awareness returning as Ra's goon tossed him into a dark room and slammed the door shut. Alone in the dark, Dick rolled onto his back, clutching at his flaring wound. He knew that the stitches must have been ripped, and was once again not feeling too certain about his survival rate. And why had they separated him and Slade? What was Ra's planning?

Dick felt the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, and made sure they were still tight. Then he leaned against the wall, using it to push himself to his feet. He felt along the wall, moving about the room and checking for any openings. He could find none. Switching to the next wall, he was surprised to feel cool glass beneath his fingertips. He slammed his fist into it and was met only by a thumping sound. "Bullet-proof… great," Dick sighed. Then his ears picked up the sounds of movement on the other side of the glass. He turned to it, but all he could see was pitch black.

"So tell me, when given the choice, who would you choose, your family, or Robin?"

Slade stared at Ra's with an inscrutable expression, attempting to wrest exactly what his plan was from this whole situation. As he thought on that, one of the soldiers undid the restraints on his wrists, freeing his hands.

"What are you planning, Ra's?" Slade asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"I am not planning anything. I am simply offering you a position in my organization along with your family, rather than have you continue on your doomed path to return with Robin to your dimension."

"And why would you offer me something like this? You don't know me, not really," Slade questioned, attempting to poke holes in Ra's words and find his plan.

"I have seen your incredible skill, and I know that you would be an asset to my organization, that is all. Besides, your 'double' in this dimension has been killed, and so I clearly need a new Deathstroke."

"Killed? Impossible." Slade noticed Joey flinch at his words, and mentally chided himself for even looking in their direction. He needed to keep his full attention on Henri Ducard.

"It was an explosion, his body parts were scattered and almost completely destroyed," Ra's explained, staring intensely at Slade.

"I thought you people had a way to bring someone back to life, what is it called – the Lazarus Pit, right?" Slade asked, feeling he was not getting the full story.

"Unfortunately, not enough of Deathstroke survived to be revived," Ra's Al Ghul smiled in a diabolical sort of way that would not register in Slade's mind for quite a while as he was suddenly distracted.

"Dad… you can trust Ra's Al Ghul," Joey said, imploring Slade to turn to him. Almost against his will, Slade did just that.

Even though every suspicious alarm in his brain was going off, even though he knew there was more to this than he was being told; standing there with everything he wanted most held out for the taking; he was only a man.

But still… he had made a promise.

"And what happens to Robin is I take you up on your offer?" he asked.

"What does it matter? You and the boy are enemies, Slade. Why should you care what I do with him?" Ra's Al Ghul asked critically.

Why should he, indeed?

He must have been thinking too intently, because he did not notice someone approach from behind until he felt a delicate but strong hand on his shoulder. Siren (why had she picked that name?) was standing just behind him, leaning her body against his. "Slade, please. Join us. It's been so long since I've been near you… since I've held you…" she whispered into his ear.

"But it was not me," Slade said harshly, removing her hand with some effort as he rather liked its feel.

"You're right," Adeline sighed, stepping around so she was facing him. "That's why you are exactly what we need."

"Excuse me?" Slade asked, confused by her words.

"Slade had gone soft, the appellation 'Deathstroke' hardly applied to him anymore. But I can tell that you're different; rougher," she said, casting a glance at him. "Just give it a try," she added, stepping closer to him and putting her hands on the back of his neck. "Just try."

Without knowing why, he suddenly felt his head nod, saw himself agreeing to work for Ra's.

As Alfred made to enter the cave through the den, he immediately knew that something was wrong. The sheet had been pushed back on the grandfather clock. The clock stood slightly to the side, exposing a deep chasm into the cave. Alfred entered with some trepidation, and was not sure if he were relieved or concerned that the Cave lay empty.

"Richard? Slade?" he called out, not really expecting a reply.

With a heavy heart, he walked over to the computer console he last saw Dick working on. The transmission address for Ray Palmer had been typed in, but he never got the chance to actually contact the man. Alfred could only assume that he had been forced to leave in a hurry, and the possible reasons for that did little to ease his mind.

Returning to their own dimension lay solely in Richard and Slade's hands now. Alfred could not help but feel sad – he had had his boy back for a little while. But now, he had to do something to help them – the only thing he could do – and hope they could take care of the rest. And so he verified the number and a connection between Ray Palmer and Alfred began to appear. He would tell the Atom about Dick's problem, and hopefully he would have a solution ready if Dick ever managed to reach S.T.A.R. labs.

Joey Wilson watched uncomfortable as Slade shook Ra's hand, Adeline's hands firmly against his skin. Joey had wanted Slade to side with Ra's, if only to save his life, but not like this… His mother seemed delighted, standing affectionately with Slade, never allowing their skin to part, but Joey knew what she was really doing. Slade obviously had no idea, or else he never would have let her get that close.

Watching the interaction made him feel sick. Almost as sick as he felt one year ago when he watched his mother rip his father to pieces.

Four years earlier, Joey's father Deathstroke received an offer from Henri Ducard to join the League of Assassins. After careful consideration and some threats on Ducard's part, Deathstroke agreed. Once within the organization, Joey's brother Grant was subjected to a similar experiment as his father, turning him into an immortal assassin; the Ravager. Adeline also volunteered to receive a power, and she was granted the ability to make men do whatever she wanted. Joey did not remember the particulars, but knew it involved an increase in pheromones. And so, just as mythology told of sirens leading men to their deaths, his mother lured males into her traps, becoming a successful murderer.

Joey had been born with a unique meta-human ability, so he was spared the experiments. However, he loathed being a member of the League of Assassins, and hated killing. More often than not, he lured people into traps and then let his family do the actual killing. He was growing weary and sick of the whole business, but since Ra's Al Ghul was going to take over the world, there was little he could do to stop it.

There was someone who tried, but he had been stopped…

A year earlier Deathstroke decided he did not support Ducard anymore. The man had shown his true colors as an idealist with a view of utopia, and a monopolized utopia was not what Deathstroke wanted. He tried to convince his family to back him against Ducard, but Adeline was more practical, certain that there was no way they could stand against him. In the end, Ducard caught wind of Deathstroke's plan and he was forced to flee. Angry that he would put his family in danger, and fearful of Ducard's retaliation; Adeline tracked Deathstroke down and killed him. She was sure to cut him up into pieces to prevent his immortality from saving him.

It nearly destroyed Joey to watch his mother do that, but he was forced into silence. He did, however, take his father's body in hopes he would one day gain access to the Lazarus Pit and resurrect him.

Joey turned his attention back to Slade as he was forced into his contract with Ducard through Adeline's powers. He would realize what was happening eventually, he was too smart not to.

But Ra's was much too close to his goal, and if Joey waited any longer to act then…

He finally decided; he had to do it now. And maybe he could get Slade to help at some point. Either way, there was no time to waste. Ducard and Adeline were distracted, and that meant Joey could finally begin a plan that would hopefully make his father proud.

Adeline led Slade to her quarters… well, 'their' quarters now… filled with joy. She had killed her Slade in a fit of rage and passion. How could he have done that to their family? Slade had no loyalties.

But this Slade… she would make sure that he never left her. She would not allow it. He belonged to her.

And he would enjoy it.

She closed the door behind him, tossing her clawed gauntlets on the floor. She pulled at the release in her Kevlar-nomex body armor, but was saved from the next step when Slade savagely ripped it off of her. He stared at her hungrily through his one eye. Her silk camisole rippled against her skin as Slade threw her on the bed and climbed on top of her. She ripped his shirt off, sliding her hands across his bare chest and reveling in the feel of his warm skin. She put her arms around him and pulled him down to her level, kissing and biting his neck. He reciprocated and she slid her nails across his back, moaning. Their lips finally met and her heart beat fast with exhilaration.

"Is someone on the other side?" a voice whispered. Dick whipped his head around, searching for the source of the words, but he was still alone. "What's Ra's planning anyway?" the voice asked, and Dick crinkled his forehead in confusion – the voice sounded like his. He then realized that he had not heard the voice at all. It was in his head.

"Great! Just great! Now I'm going crazy on top of everything else!" Dick sighed. "Maybe Ra's will send me to Arkham, then I can share a cell with Bruce." Then he shook his head in annoyance. "Just great Grayson, now you're talking to yourself about going crazy, as if that isn't crazy."

"What was that? Who said that? When they said Bruce – did they mean Bruce?"

"Hey, is there someone out there listening to my private musings?" Dick asked sarcastically.

"Not so private if I can hear you."

"Okay, this is getting weird. This ever happen to you before?" Dick asked, he was too miserable and in pain to take this as seriously as he should.

"No, and I'm the one who's been locked in a box for three years. How the hell are you getting inside my head?" the other-Dick sounded angry.

"How are you getting in mine?" Dick said back. "You Vulcan or something?" Dick added with a laugh. Then immediately stopped, wondering how he could be laughing about this… whatever it was that was happening to him.

"No, and I'm no Martian Manhunter either," the voice snorted.

"Did you say you've been here for three years?" Dick then asked, suddenly beginning to figure it out, even though his explanation sounded impossible.

"Yeah I… hey, did you hear that?"

He had; the sounds of approaching footsteps.

A small panel opened in the door, allowing a shaft of light to brighten the space where Dick stood, a wary expression on his face. The evil eyes of Ra's Al Ghul appeared in the opening, and Dick could tell that if he could see Ra's mouth, it would be smiling.

"All settled in Mr. Grayson?" Ra's asked with a laugh. Dick did not respond. "I thought I should let you know that you're friend Slade betrayed you. He accepted a position in my organization, and left you in my power. So I do hope you're comfortable, because you will be here for a very long time. And to give you a view into your future, so to speak, I will turn on the light."

The fluorescent illumination blinded Dick for a moment. He blinked profusely until his eyes adjusted, and then looked back at Ra's. The egomaniac shifted his eyes ever so slightly as if to gesture to Robin to look to his left.

As Robin turned, he immediately saw that there was a room on the other side of the glass, and someone sat within it. Dick pressed his face against the glass to get a look at the person on the other side. Finally whoever it was stepped out of the shadows and walked cautiously to the glass.

Dick leaned against the glass pane, staring through at the figure behind it, who now stood directly in front of him. At the same height and stature, the pair gazed at each other through intense blue eyes, and both were equally astonished to see, rather than a stranger, a near replica of themselves. The only difference seemed to be in weight, the young man on the other side was much thinner than Dick, his hair mussed and overlong.

"It can't be…" Dick whispered. But the answer was literally staring him in the face. This world's Dick Grayson was still alive; alive and being held captive by his murderer. Suddenly the voice he had heard in his mind earlier made sense.

Dick watched as the other Dick spoke to him. He could not hear the words, but realized it was because the other Dick was not using his voice. Dick could read the lips plainly, and he clearing was saying: 'Please help me.'

'I will,' Dick mouthed back, a plan already forming in his mind.

"So, what do you think?" Ra's asked gleefully.

Dick turned to him slowly, clutching at his wound as he did so. 'Okay Grayson, you were a performer once, so now it's time for the best performance of your life,' Dick thought. "Uh… Ra's…" Dick began, falling forward to his knees and gasping in pain. "I…" He stuck his hand under his shirt, ignoring the pain, and pulled the bandages away from the wound, wringing them a little to encourage blood to trail down his chest. He pulled his hand away bloody. He fell forward and collapsed on his injury, sliding slightly as he did so to leave a blood stain on the floor.

Other-Dick watched with wide eyes through the glass.

Ra's scowled, he had almost forgotten what it was like to have a prisoner who did not utterly fear him.

Joey pushed a hand through his blonde curly hair nervously as walked down the empty hallways of the League of Assassins' headquarters. He held a hard acoustic guitar case and a small duffle bag in his shaking right hand, his ears perked for any sounds.

As he rounded a corner a black-clad guard suddenly appeared. "Hey, you're not allowed down here!" he shouted. Joey dropped the items in his hand and faced the guard. His green eyes were opened wide and the guard stared back. As soon as their eyes made contact, Joey's body seemingly disappeared. The guard watched in shock, and then suddenly his body stiffened. He tried to move but could not. Suddenly his arms began to move, his right hand reaching down for the guitar case and bag. He was incapable of speaking and was no longer in control of his body. Instead, someone was controlling him… from inside. (1)

Joey moved swiftly in the guard's body. His metahuman ability gave him the skill to take over the bodies of anyone he came in direct eye-to-eye contact with. Because of this skill and Deathstroke's lack of loyalty, Ra's Al Ghul had always been suspicious of him. Adeline kept close watch over Joey to make sure that he would not 'go the way of his father' and put himself or the family at risk. Well, luckily his mother had no idea what he was doing right now.

Still inside the guard's body, he followed a series of steep stairwells leading down towards the basement level of the headquarters, becoming increasingly nervous. He passed a row of guards who nodded at him and let him through. As he moved ever down, the stairs became steeper, and the tunnel narrower. The stairs ended and a small tunnel appeared before him. He made to walk through but was stopped by a trio of guards.

"Where do you think you're going, Dave?" the first guard asked. "No one is allowed down here."

"Oh… I must have taken the wrong stairwell," Joey said, slowly lowering the case and bag to the ground.

"Well then turn around and get out of here! If someone sees you down this far you'll get in trouble!"

Joey did not respond, but pulled a gun from his belt and shot the three guards. They did not have time to react as a person who seemed to be one of their own turned against them. Blood shot into the air in a shower of crimson and splashed across the body Joey was inhabiting.

"Sorry," Joey said.

He walked down the tunnel, and came through a curved archway to find himself inside an immense cavern. Torches on the wall illuminated the room, and tapestries and fabrics hung from the walls. Joey saw a large area set aside for torture implements on his right, while his left consisted of a large pool of bubbling liquid – the Lazarus Pit. Joey stepped up to the edge of the pool and stared down at the swirling chemicals, curious and in awe. He reached his hand towards it and then quickly changed his mind; remembering that if a healthy person entered the pit they would die instantly.

He set the guitar case down, wanting to do this in his own body. He pulled a stun gun off of the belt on the guard's body, and aimed it at the man's chest. He pushed on the trigger, and an electric bolt connected with the man's body, just as Joey released contact. The man did not have an opportunity to scream before he collapsed.

Joey picked up the case again, and held it for a moment. After saving his father's body parts he had hidden them in the case – no one would find a guitar in his room a curious thing. "All right Dad, I hope this works," Joey whispered, and then threw the case into the Lazarus Pit.

Adeline, sated in her sexual desires lay on her back, the sheet pulled up to her chest covering her nude form. Slade lay beside her, staring up at the ceiling. Slade moved his view to the rest of the room, he had been too busy earlier to get a good look at it.

Even in what he assumed was the headquarters of the League of Assassins, the room seemed perfectly normal. An oak bed with cream colored sheets, two matching dressers, and family photos and mementos scattered about. It reminded him of different times; times that would never return, no matter how much play-acting he did in this dimension.

Adeline did not know, but Slade had been in control almost the entire time. He felt what she tried to do in Main Room, but he was too strong for her to overcome entirely. He only went along with it to have time to plan. Besides which, he would be allowed more free reign now that Ra's Al Ghul thought he was Adeline's puppet. He satisfied his own lust earlier, much to Adeline's satisfaction, but now it was time to get back to work.

He pushed the sheet off and stood. "Are my uniforms here?" he asked.

"Top drawer of the tall dresser, Deathstroke." The moniker rolled off of Adeline's tongue seductively. Slade could not help but think of his own Adeline, the woman who detested his role as Deathstroke. How could things be so much different here?

Slade dressed quickly, comfortable to be back in his uniform instead of 'normal clothes.' He frowned in distaste as he saw that his mask had two eyeholes. He turned to see Adeline back in her uniform, pulling the clawed gauntlets on.

"Aren't we the fetching couple?" she laughed, noting their matching clothes. Slade could not help but smile in return. However, the moment ended when a pounding was heard on their door.

"Mom! Mom! Come quick!" Grant's voice called through the metal portal.

Adeline hit the button on the wall and the metal slid aside. "What is it Grant?"

"It's Joey! He's gone and I can't find him," Grant explained, a wild and angry look in his eyes. "If he's done something then goddamn him I'll kill him myself," Grant seethed.

"Oh come now, I'm sure everything's fine," Adeline chided, but Slade noticed how she flexed her fingers as if preparing for a fight with her own son. This woman was a savage.

The door opened with a small whine, and Ra's walked over to the seemingly unconscious boy wonder with disgust. Dick waited silently and completely still for Ra's to approach, calculating his move to the second. He knew that with all of this power Ra's had to have grown a bit cocky, he would never anticipate this; it would only hurt his ego.

Ra's kicked at Dick to roll him over, and in the same instant, Dick grabbed onto his leg, launching his body forward and knocking Ra's down. "I'll be back for you!" Dick whispered to other-Dick, knowing that he would hear it in his mind.

"Good luck!" other-Dick responded.

However, as Dick made for the door, Ra's caught his ankle and dragged him down to the floor. Dick rolled as he fell, landing on his back instead of his chest. "Let go of me!" he shouted, kicking out with his other foot. Ra's dodged it. Ra's smiled maniacally at Dick as two guards entered the room and sprang on Dick, holding him to the floor. Ra's stood, dusting his clothes off and chuckling in his throat.

Dick writhed under the guards' grip as they bound his hands behind his back and tied a blindfold over his eyes.

"He," Ra's began, tapping the glass to let Dick know he was speaking of other-Dick. "…should have warned you about what's going to happen next." The guards dragged Dick to his feet and as they did, Ra's gripped Dick's chin forcefully in his hand. The man nicknamed 'The Demon Head' spoke directly into Dick's ear, his breath tickling his face. "I have a rather unpleasant way of getting what I want from you, and making sure that you stop planning your escape," Ra's laughed. "Welcome to the rest of your life," he added, and then stepped back, enjoying the sight of Robin helplessly attempting to break free of the guards.

"Take him downstairs," Ra's laughed as he added a bit of theatrics on the last word, in the background, Dick could hear the thumping of other-Dick banging against the glass.

Joey watched with increasing excitement as the Lazarus Pit reacted to Deathstroke's body, bubbling and fizzing. He rubbed his hands together and crossed his fingers, hoping that it would work. Between his father's regenerative capabilities and the restoring power of the Pit, he should be able to be brought back.

He waited with baited breath as a figure began to appear from within the murky depths. A brilliant light shone from the Pit, and suddenly a head broke through. Joey watched with wide eyes as his long-dead father blinked, most of his body still submerged in the Pit. He seemed disoriented and confused, but Joey knew that was sometimes a side-effect, so it did not worry him.

Deathstroke climbed from the Pit, his two eyes darting around the room. "Dad!" Joey exclaimed, taking Deathstroke's face in his hand.

"Joey?" Deathstroke asked, finally gaining awareness. "What happened?" he questioned, and then saw the Pit.

"Here Dad, put these on," Joey said, handing him a Deathstroke uniform. Deathstroke complied and then father and son stood beside each other in the cavernous room. "Where are your mother and brother?" Deathstroke asked.

"I don't know, hopefully not on their way down here."

"I'm sure Adeline would love to get her claws in me again," Deathstroke said.

"Yeah… about that… something really strange has been going on and…" Deathstroke held a hand up to silence his youngest son as they heard voices and footsteps approaching. Deathstroke quickly found a hiding place behind a tapestry, and Joey followed.

"You're really in for it, kid. The Demon Head doesn't mess around. You're in for a world of pain," a guard laughed as Robin was dragged into the room.

Robin fought feebly against them. He chose not to say anything as he tried to gain any sense of his surroundings, all he knew was that he had been brought down, but that did not help. He needed to get the blindfold off, and escape.

The guards lifted him higher, and the cuffs on his wrists were locked into some piece of apparatus, resulting in Robin hanging from his hands. He had some idea of what was about to occur.

When Ra's Al Ghul entered the Cavern – as he called it, flanked by two of his employees, he was greeted by the sight of Robin hanging from a chain above the Lazarus Pit, blindfolded and bloody. Dick lifted his head at the sound of Ra's footfalls, and he could only imagine what the young man was thinking.

"Hello Robin," Ra's greeted. "By now you must realize that you are completely at my mercy." Robin snorted in response. "I have a few questions for you, answer them truthfully, and I will not harm you…"

"Oh really? Wow, awesome," Robin said sarcastically, gripping the chain with his hands to prevent his shoulders from coming out of the sockets. The chain was laced with miniature hooks that bit into his fingers and palms, but he refused to let go. "Fire away, Ra's."

"First some questions I have the answers to, just to make sure you're not planning on lying to me.

"What are the access codes to the Batcomputer?"

Robin rolled his eyes behind the blindfold, but really his heart was pounding, and he felt confused. What should he do? Answer the question, not answer the question?

"If you already know, then what's the point in me telling you?" he asked.

"Just answer the question, Robin."

"Fine. 10R38J92G72," he lied.

"That is not the correct access code," Ra's said, his voice devilishly smooth.

"Well, what can I say, I guess the access codes are different in my dimension than this one," Robin sighed.

"You are lying," Ra's sneered. He nodded at the woman on his right and she stepped forward. Clothed entirely in black, only her eyes remained visible, and those eyes were hard and cold.

Robin could not see her, but he heard her approach. Her steps were light and in perfect rhythm. He could have sworn he recognized those steps, but the woman he thought of… well, he only hoped he was wrong.

A cat-o-nine tails shot out of the woman's hand and sliced across Robin's already injured chest. He stifled a scream as the weapon ripped not only his shirt but deeply into the skin beneath it. Agony fired through him and he lost his hold on the chain, not really aware of how tightly he had been holding it. The skin was ripped and the ever-present blood made it hard to grip. The woman who wielded the weapon was no amateur, that was for sure.

"Feeling more talkative?" Ra's asked. Robin did not answer, working instead to get his breathing under control. Ra's nodded once and the whip slashed out again, ripping open the front of Dick's shirt and revealing his bloodied abdomen.

"Next question Dick. How did you arrive in this dimension?"

Silence.

A nod.

Robin screamed this time as the tips of the whip cracked against his skin, breaking the rib beneath the impact and sending a horrible snapping sound echoing throughout the Cavern. "It was a machine," he responded in between gasps as his lungs began to burn. His arms and shoulders throbbed from hanging and now blood poured freely down his chest. It didn't really matter if Ra's knew how he got there, seeing as Robin was vague on the specifics anyway.

"Where?"

"Jump City Labs. But it was destroyed!" he added quickly.

"You're right. It is destroyed, it has been destroyed for a while now. You're lying." Ra's words seemed so calm and cool; he may well have been discussing the weather. He motioned for the women to strike again, and her whip lashed out with painful consequences.

"I'm…. telling the truth!" Robin protested. This response was met by another powerful strike. A second rib broke.

Joey made to move out from behind the tapestry, unable to bear watching this boy suffer anymore. He may have killed and assisted in killing, but this… he could not stand torture. His deaths were always clean and fast, this was gruesome and disgusting.

"No," Deathstroke whispered. "We can't save him."

"Why not?" Joey hissed.

"There are more important things for us to do. Things that are more important than one man's life."

Joey hated hearing that, but knew it was the truth. He turned away as Robin screamed again, unable to watch any longer.

"Who knows you're in this dimension?"

"No one!"

This time the whip missed his chest and slashed the pale skin of his face, ripping the blindfold along with it. Dick closed his eyes as blood poured from his forehead and coated his lids. After a moment he opened them, staring down at his torturer. The woman widened her blue-green eyes a moment and then looked down in shame.

"Selina," Robin nearly spat the name in disgust. Catwoman was a trouble maker and a thief, but to become one of Ra's Al Ghul's in house torturers?

"Ah, I see you are acquainted. Then you know how powerful her strikes can be, when given the proper motivation," Ra's smiled.

"Now, one more time, who knows you are in this dimension? Batman?" Ra's pressed.

"I… told you! No… one… knows I'm… here!"

Selina's whip bit into him, causing agony as each piece sliced into his skin. He screamed despite himself as his chest flared up in white-hot pain. He writhed, attempting to free himself as perspiration and blood stung his eyes. The cuffs around his wrists scraped against his skin and did not give way.

"Tell the truth!"

"I am!"

The cat-o-nine tails soared through the air, striking him over and over. His blood streamed in crimson stains across his body, and he heard a popping sound as his shoulders were dislocated from the strain. He looked down as his blood dripped into the Lazarus Pit, watching the chemicals within bubble and fizz in response. He turned his gaze back to Ra's Al Ghul, a satisfied smirk rested on the man's face, his hands folded behind his back. Slightly in front was Catwoman, who stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. Beside him, a non-descript man stood, seemingly waiting his turn to wreak torture. Dick wondered if he would even get the chance.

His strength was fading fast, and his eyelids drooped as Catwoman's weapon ripped his chest open more. If he could look down, he was certain he would see nothing but red.

Ra's stopped asking questions, and watched the torture continue. Grayson had not been long for this world in the first place. His original injury had resulted in significant blood loss, and now he was fading quickly.

"One last question Robin, this one to save your life. I know that several of my enemies have formed a team to destroy me. Where is their home base?"

Robin could not believe the irony. For once he may have been willing to give in, and the question he was asked was one he did not have the answer to. The biggest joke of his life just might end it.

And where was Slade? That lying bastard abandoned him to die in this stinking cavern. Was he off killing someone and laughing at how foolish Robin was to trust him? Probably.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! He did not want to die!

"I…coff… don't know," Robin stammered, his breaths coming in uneasy gasps and his throat raw from screaming.

"I'm disappointed in you, Robin. Why protect them, they're not your friends? One more chance to answer, or I tell Catwoman to strike again."

Damn him, if he wanted Robin to beg he was not going to get it.

"No," he said, the word spilling out of his mouth accompanied with blood.

His eyes closed unwillingly as Catwoman released three more strikes with her whip. Dick felt another rib break and dig inward. Although he did not know it, the rib punctured his lung, opening the way for it to fill with blood.

He vaguely registered hearing Ra's laugh before consciousness left him, and his world descended into darkness.

Adeline, Grant, and Slade split up to search for Joseph, which worked just fine for Slade. Using his photographic memory to trace his steps back towards where he was held captive earlier, he wandered the halls searching for Robin. He passed various empty and occupied cells without discovering his current partner. At the end of the hall he found strong metal door with no windows. "He must be in one of these," Slade decided.

He inspected the first door and found a small piece of metal that slid to the side when pushed. It revealed an opening into a tiny room. Slade squinted his eye and spotted Robin sitting in the corner staring back at him. He went through his utility belt and eventually found a device to break the lock on the door. He pulled it open quietly so as not to alarm anyone.

"Come on Robin," he hissed. Robin seemed to paused, and then he complied.

"Hey! What are you doing!" a voice from behind called. Slade swore underneath his breath and then attacked the guard. After a few moments, he bested the man and left him dead in the hall. Without sparing a glance to Robin, he grabbed onto his arm and dragged him along behind, hoping he was going towards the exit.

The Cavern was dreary, all occupants staring up at the hanging, bloodied, and broken form of Richard Grayson. He had ceased moving long ago. And though Ra's was not entirely sure, he suspected the boy was either dead or dying. His shirt had completely come off, exposing raw angry wounds across his entire chest. Blood still flowed from the injuries, through a mere trickle now.

"We have made him feel pain, and now we will break him," Ra's announced to the torturers at his sides. "Lower him into the Pit." The man to his left instantly complied, turning a wheel on the wall that fed more chain out, steadily dropping Richard towards the Lazarus Pit that seemed to boil in anticipation.

A/N:

-(1) I altered Joey's ability slightly for the sake of the fic.

WOW! A lot happened in that chapter! And now Slade is escaping with the wrong Robin, while the other Robin is being tortured, and other-Slade and Joey are looking on. It'll only get more exciting from here! Two chapters left to go!

Let me know what you thought!

See ya,

Sarah Shima