Dick stared at the phone for several long, tense seconds. When the screen went dark, he finally leaned down and picked it up, clicking the home button to light the screen back up. The background proved it was Regan's phone, it being a picture of the two of them, Dick kissing Regan's cheek while she laughed in joy.
There were a few notifications on the phone, from the couple times he'd called, and what looked like a drunk text from Sasha. But if her phone, bag, and car were all here… then where was Regan? Even her glasses were left behind, on the ground a few feet from the phone. She was nearly blind without her glasses.
It was that thought that finally drove him into action. His grip tightening around Regan's phone, he turned, grabbed her bag, made sure her car was locked, and got back into his own. He needed to get to the Manor. But first, he needed to get Gracie, not wanting to leave her alone all night.
He was quick to call Barbara, knowing that she'd probably be able to hack into the cameras at the Dairy Queen, catch a glimpse of whoever might have taken her.
"This is Barbara," the redhead answered. Even though she and Dick had dated, they remained good friends. It helped that they had to work together for this whole Batman thing. Besides, it had been a high school relationship that broke down after Jason came into the picture, and they'd sense made up, agreeing that they made better friends than they did boyfriend and girlfriend.
"Oracle," Dick said, letting her know in one word that he meant business. "Can you hack into the parking lot cameras of the Dairy Queen on 24th and King?"
"Can I hack into the cameras," Oracle said. "Don't make me laugh. Of course I can. What am I looking for?"
Dick took a deep breath. "Regan and I got into a fight, and when I finally realized how wrong I was, I went back to her apartment, to find her gone, and her dog hungry."
"First off, good for you, admitting that you were wrong! And secondly, what does this have to do with the Dairy Queen?" Oracle asked, although she didn't stop typing.
"She likes to get a blizzard when she's upset," Dick said. "So I went over there, and found her car. Her purse was on the hood, and her phone was several feet away on the ground."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound great. Okay, I'm in," Oracle said. "What time stamp am I looking for?"
"Receipt in her bag shows she purchased a blizzard at 9:08. I got there at around 10:22, so somewhere between those two times."
"Solid times," Oracle said. There was a few moments of silence, as she combed through the footage. "Alright, there's Regan. Went inside… there she is. Sitting on her car eating a blizzard."
As Oracle continued to narrate what Regan was doing in the video, Dick pulled back up to his girlfriend's apartment. He got Gracie into her harness and leashed up, grabbed her bowls, bed, favorite toy, and enough food for a few days, and got her into his car.
"Okay, she's finished the blizzard. She's throwing away her cup, walking back to her car…. Oh my god!"
"What?!" Dick exclaimed, nearly slamming the door in his haste to get to the Manor. "Oracle?"
"Someone just grabbed her. Bear hug, it looks like. She's fighting, but he's holding her pretty well, arms pinned to her side, and making sure she can't kick him." Dick felt the blood drain from his face.
"Needle to the neck… and she's out. She's been stuffed into a car. Looks like a Nissan Altima, but the plates were taken off, no stickers, can't even tell color because the video is in black and white."
"Is there any audio?" Dick managed to choke out, gripping his steering wheel so tightly that he was slightly surprised he hadn't crushed it.
"Hang on…" Oracle said, and he could hear her typing. "Okay, yeah. Looks like your general thug kidnapping. She was taken because apparently Batman can't resist saving a beautiful woman."
"Whoever it is, isn't getting Batman tonight," Dick growled. "Did he say who he's working for?"
"Two-Face."
Dick's eyes narrowed. "I'm almost at the Manor. Find where Two-Face is hiding out."
"Be careful, Dick," Oracle warned.
"I'll be fine," Dick said. "Just find her. Please."
"You know I will."
With that, the line went dead as Oracle hung up, determined to find Regan.
Dick dropped his phone into Regan's bag, gripping his steering wheel with both hands. His mind was racing; if he hadn't blown up on her, if he'd just agreed to give her some self-defense, then they'd be cuddled up in her bed by now. He wasn't supposed to have patrol that night, but his girlfriend had been taken by Two-Face, and he was determined to get her back.
…
Once Dick arrived at the Manor, he parked in his normal spot, and sat back in his seat. Gracie was staring at him with big brown eyes, seemingly knowing that something was wrong.
"I'll get her back, Gracie," Dick promised, petting the top of her head for a moment. Then he sighed and buried his face into the fur of her neck. He gasped, finally letting his tears flow. He cried for several moments, but he couldn't cry all night. No, he had a job to do.
So, sniffing, he pulled back from the dog, wiped at his eyes and nose, and finally got out of his car.
"Oracle told me what happened," Bruce said, opening the front door for his oldest son. "We'll get her back."
"I know," Dick shouldered his way past, dropping Gracie's stuff by the door, but he took her with him to the Batcave.
"Dick, you can't just rush into this," Bruce called, following him down into the cave. "We're going to get her back, but if we rush into it, then we risk her getting hurt, or worse."
"She's gone because of me, Bruce!" Dick exclaimed, turning around to finally face his adoptive father. He dropped Gracie's leash, but she sat at his feet, ever the loyal dog. "We got into a stupid fight, I stormed out, and then she went to get her comfort food, and was taken. If I hadn't left, then she would be safe and sound in her apartment! It's my fault!"
Dick was breathing heavily by the time he finished, and was well aware that his brothers, who were gathered around the Batcomputer, were staring at him.
"I need to get her back, Bruce. I have to." He sounded utterly heartbroken, and Bruce's heart broke for his oldest son.
"You will," a voice said behind him, and Dick turned. It was Tim who had spoken, already dressed in his Red Robin uniform. "But Bruce is right. We need to make a plan. Oracle's working on tracking down Two-Face, and once we have him, we can go in and get Regan."
"And you aren't going in alone," Jason added, fully dressed as well minus his helmet. He had the domino mask he habitually wore under it in his hand, and was applying the adhesive to make it stick to his face. "We're helping you with this, whether you like it or not." He stuck the mask into place over his eyes, but didn't drop the lenses.
"Hey, guys?" Damian called, also dressed, minus his mask. "You might wanna see this."
Everyone turned to the computer, and Bruce and Dick hurried over.
"What's happening?" Bruce asked.
"This video was just posted, already going viral," Damian hit the space bar, and a video started to play.
"Oh, Batman," a deep, male voice said. "I have something I think you might want." The darkness covering the camera lens suddenly vanished, and Dick felt his breath catch in his throat. Right there, barefoot and with her hands chained above her head, was Regan. She was hanging over a vat of something that didn't look pleasant, the glowing purple liquid bubbling below her chained feet. Her blond hair was hanging down her back, and she was dressed in a dark green tank-top and shorts. She was still unconscious, although Dick didn't know if he was glad for that or not, her head lolling on one shoulder. Her glasses were gone, currently in Dick's bag upstairs.
"Everyone knows that Batman can't resist rescuing pretty little things like her," Two-Face's voice continued, and Dick's hands clenched into fists. "You have three hours to get here, Batman. Or the girl goes into the vat. And trust me, you won't like what comes out. You're lucky; the coin flip demanded that she live. Of course, what the acid will do…" Two-Face laughed, a sinister laugh that sent chills down Dick's spine. The video cut out, then, leaving the cave silent.
Turning away, Dick stalked over to the punching bag he'd abused earlier, and punched it with a scream. His brothers and father watched this, all silent. Finally, though, after several long moments of him standing there, he took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He turned to face them, and they could see the redness in his eyes.
"Okay," he said. "Send Oracle that video. She'll be able to do her magic, and find where Two-Face is hiding out. Bruce, you and I will take on Two-Face. Jason, Damian, and Tim, you three take on the thugs. Once everyone is taken out, whoever is closest will get Regan. Got it?"
Had Dick actually been Batman for a year? Yes, he had. But was he good at plans? Eh. But this one, this one was actually good. So, everyone nodded, Bruce and Dick both got dressed, and then they waited for Oracle to get back to them.
Luckily, she didn't take very long.
"Okay, guys, looks like Two-Face is hiding out at a warehouse at the docks," she said, filtering her voice into the cave. None of them had left for an actual patrol, deeming that rescuing Regan more important in that moment. Besides, Batgirl was out patrolling, and if she needed help, she'd call. And, unknown to everyone except Jason, another vigilante was running around, a girl who called herself Dahlia. Jason didn't know her real name, but he'd been observing her for months, and knew she could handle herself.
"Do you know which one?" Nightwing asked, staring at the map on the computer through his mask.
"Looks like…" Oracle trailed off, and they could all hear her typing. "Eighth and Lex," she finally said.
"Alright, we'll call you if we need you," Nightwing said. Hanging up on the call, he turned to his brothers and adoptive father. "Let's go."
The others agreed.
Twenty minutes later, the five pulled up to the warehouse, in two Batmobiles. Splitting up, they entered through several different holes in the roof, and Damian snuck in through the door, his small frame allowing him to only have to open the door a tiny amount.
Nightwing looked around as he entered, spotting Regan almost instantly. She was awake now, her eyes filled with fear. He could see dried tear tracks on her cheeks, and blood was trailing down her arms from her wrists, which had been rubbed raw.
Around the vat she was hanging over was a walkway, and several armed guards posted along it. Two-Face himself was sitting in a large chair, a large machine gun in his lap, and several more guards around him.
"Your time is running out, girlie," Two-Face said, a grin plastered on his scarred face as he rolled his coin over his knuckles. Harvey Dent had once been a very handsome man, until an explosion had melted off half of his face. His work as a lawyer came to a stop, and Two-Face the super villain was born, wreaking havoc and constantly kidnapping young girls because he thought Batman couldn't resist saving them. But he chose the wrong girl, tonight.
"You really need a new hobby," Regan said, her voice breaking as she tried to stare him down.
"You're just lucky the coin demanded you live," Two-Face said. "I wanted a painful death, but can't argue with fate! And it'll still be painful," he grinned again.
"Leaving fate up to a coin flip seems really irresponsible," Regan responded. She yelped as the chains lowered her, but they stopped with about a foot and a half between the acid and her feet. She took a deep, raged breath. "Just get it over with!"
"Damn it, Regan, stop back talking super villains," Nightwing whispered.
"I kinda like the spunk," Red Robin added.
"Hey Two-Face!" Red Hood called. "Ever think that you might be in the wrong business?"
"Red Hood!" Two-Face exclaimed angrily. "You're not the Bat I wanted!"
"Too bad, buddy," Red Hood said. "I'm the Bat you got!" Running forward, the helmeted vigilante took out a gun, and shot the first of many rubber bullets into the knee of one of thugs. Even though it was rubber, it would still take out a knee-cap. The thug's scream of pain seemed to be the signal, as suddenly, four other Bats were in the room, taking out thugs. Batman and Nightwing headed straight for Two-Face himself, although Batman held back, allowing his enraged oldest son to get the first hit.
On the walk-way, Red Robin and Robin were taking out thugs as well. One had the misfortune of falling into the vat, and Regan couldn't keep the shriek of fear as she saw him float back to the top. He was alive, but Regan was essentially blind without her glasses, and could only see that he wasn't moving.
"Don't worry, we'll get you down!" Red Robin called up to her. "Just stay focused on us!" Luckily the blurs of red and green allowed her to tell who was Robin and Red Robin, and who the thugs were.
"Easy for you to say!" Regan exclaimed, only to scream when the chains lowered her down a foot, closer to the vat of bubbling liquid. She was a mere few inches from it, if it lowered one more time, then her feet would be in it. She could feel the heat radiating up, and tried to tuck her feet up, to see if she could swing herself up and hook her feet to the chain above her head, but the chains around her feet were too heavy, causing them to drop back down.
With Nightwing and Batman both punching him down, Two-Face was easy enough to take down. Red Hood took out the thugs just fine by himself, as did Red Robin and Robin on the walkway. They started tying up all the thugs, making sure to use extra strong cuffs on Two-Face himself.
"Alright, Rae, I'm coming!" Nightwing exclaimed, finally able to run over to the vat. She was inches from the liquid, and her ankles looked burned from the heat raising up around her. "I'll get you down."
"Dick," Regan said, tears flowing down her cheeks again. He was a blur of black and blue, but she'd recognize his voice anywhere. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"Hey, Regan, it was my fault, alright?" he asked, slowly climbing up to stand on the railing separating him from the liquid. "I shouldn't have stormed out. But I'm here now, and I'm going to get you out of here."
He held onto a pole with one hand, reaching for the chains holding Regan. But just as he went to grab her, they started moving again. Regan screamed.
"REGAN!" he shouted and, without thinking, he jumped.
Grabbing her, her practically flew to the other side of the vat. She was still very much chained up, but none of her had touched the liquid, as he had practically tackled her. Rolling to take the impact of the ground, he only let her go once he was certain that the chains wouldn't drag her back over and into the pool of liquid.
"Are you alright?" Nightwing asked, sitting up and grabbing at the chains still holding her hands up over her head. Neither arm looked broken, but the blood streaking down her arms showed that her wrists had been damaged. Her ankles looked burned, streaks of redness going up her legs. Other than that, she looked unharmed, although she was shaking pretty violently.
"'I'm okay," Regan said; Nightwing didn't believe her one bit. She continued to shake as he pulled a mini-saw out of his utility belt and used it to saw through the chains. Within a few minutes, her arms and legs were free, and Nightwing pulled her into his arms.
"Oh my god, you scared me, baby," he whispered, burying his face into her hair. "I went to your apartment to apologize, and you were gone."
"I never should have brought up learning how to fight, I-" Regan started, but Nightwing was quick to shush her.
"No, Rae, it was my fault. Maybe if I had taught you some moves, you would have been able to escape that man who grabbed you. I promise, I'm gonna teach you how to fight. For self-defense only, alright?"
"Alright," Regan sagged in his grip, suddenly, exhausted.
"Hey, Regan, you gotta stay awake," Nightwing said, shaking her shoulder. "Rae." She didn't respond, eyes closing as she sagged further into his grip. "B!" he called, holding her up as best he could.
"She's in shock," Batman said, approaching his son. "We need to get her back to the cave, get some antibiotics in her. She'll be okay, son. You did good."
Nightwing didn't say anything, refusing to take his eyes off her face. Instead, he nodded, and pulled her more into his arms.
…
Dick sighed as he sat in the cave. He'd taken Regan back to the cave while the others used the rest of the night to patrol. She was unconscious, still, her wrists both wrapped, and a needle in her arm, pumping an antibiotic into her system. Her feet and ankles had suffered some minor burns; even though she hadn't touched the liquid, it was still burning hot, and her being so close to it had caused some minor blistering on her skin, raising up her legs in streaks. They had been slathered in a burn ointment, and wrapped as well. She had a blanket covering her from her mid-chest down, keeping her warm in the chilly cave. Finally, he'd placed her glasses on a side-table for when she woke up.
"She alright?" Tim asked, coming over after he showered and changed.
"She'll be okay," Dick nodded, leaning back into his chair.
Tim nodded. "I think Alfred has some tea upstairs, if you want some."
"Thanks, Tim," Dick answered. "I'm gonna stay with her."
"I'll bring you some." After a minute or two of silence, in which Dick thought that Tim had gone, he spoke again. "You know it wasn't your fault, right? That she was taken?"
"Yeah it was," Dick said. "If I hadn't dismissed her when she asked for self-defense lessons, then she wouldn't have gone out, and she wouldn't have gotten grabbed."
"But if she hadn't gone out and gotten grabbed, then the thug who got her would have taken a different girl," Tim said.
"At least it wouldn't have been Regan," Dick said. "I wouldn't have been so emotionally compromised…"
"Dick, you called the plan, you got her back. Minus some cuts on her wrists, and burns on her legs, she's okay. It wasn't your fault."
Dick just nodded. He'd left her just long enough to shower and put on a gray t-shirt and black sweats, but refused to leave her side again, even to get tea.
Tim sighed, but didn't push his oldest brother, instead going back upstairs. He returned only to give Dick a mug of tea, and then left him alone.
After several hours, the rest of his family had returned and gone upstairs. Bruce had stood with him for a few minutes, his hand on Dick's shoulder, before he too left his son alone.
"Man, now I know how you felt two months ago," Dick said, running a hand through his hair. "God, I'm so sorry." He buried his face into his hands.
"It wasn't your fault," Regan's voice, quiet and strained, said.
"You're awake?" Dick asked, looking up sharply.
"Hi," Regan said, looking up at him tiredly. "As fun as all of that was, can we maybe never do it again?" she asked.
Dick chuckled quietly. "Yeah, we can never do that again," he agreed. He picked up her hand gently, careful of her bandages, with one hand, and handed her, her glasses with the other. She gratefully took them, sliding the lenses over her eyes, and then started to try and sit up, hissing when she put weight on her left arm, where the needle was. "Hey, careful."
"Yeah, got it," Regan said. She finally got herself pushed up so she was sitting. The blanket pooled at her waist. "How'd you know I was gone?"
Dick shrugged, his grip on her hand tightening. "You always go to Dairy Queen when you're upset, so when you weren't at your apartment, I went there. Found your car, bag, glasses, and phone, but not you. So I called Oracle, and she combed through the security footage and found video of you being taken. Then Two-Face released a video of you, demanding Batman, and we were able to track down where he, and therefore you, were."
"Guess it's good I'm so predictable, then," Regan said quietly.
"The fact that you're so predictable was probably what saved your life," Dick said. "I had Oracle looking for you before Two-Face even released that video, it probably gave us a lot more time than we originally would have had."
Regan met his eyes, then, blue into blue. Leaning over, she wrapped her good arm around him as best she could in a hug. He hugged her back tightly.
"Thank you for saving me," she whispered.
"You know I'd never let anything happen to you," he responded, leaning back. Leaning forward again, he cupped a hand over her cheek and kissed her soundly, lips moving against hers, warm and soft. "Move in with me," he said when they pulled apart. "I can move into your place, or, or you can move into mine, or we can even buy a new place all of our own. I just want you to live with me."
"You sure?" Regan asked. "I move in with you, you'll never get rid of me." She was clearly exhausted, but she had a small, teasing grin on her lips, and that sparkle he loved so much was returning to her eyes.
"I don't want to get rid of you," Dick responded.
Regan's grin grew, and she nodded. "I'd love to move in with you," she responded.
Now it was Dick's turn to grin, and he leaned in again, kissing her. Regan tried to move her left hand to his cheek, but the needle pulled, so she pulled away with a small hiss.
"Can we do something about this needle?" She asked, looking at it in distaste.
Dick laughed, getting up to walk around to the other side of her bed. "Yeah, I think we can take it out. It was just to get some fluids and antibiotics in you, but now that you're awake, I think we can trust you to take some pills and drink some water."
"Anything to not have needles involved," Regan agreed. Dick chuckled again, pulling the needle from her skin gently and taping a small cotton ball into the crook of her arm. "What time is it, anyways?"
Checking his phone, Dick shrugged. "Almost 6 in the morning," he answered.
"Oh, Gracie!" she exclaimed. "I hadn't fed her yet when I went to get my blizzard, poor girl's probably starving!" she started to rush getting up, which Dick was barely able to stop.
"Hey, hey, I fed her when I first went back to your apartment," he said. "She's in Jason's room upstairs, okay? She's fine."
"She's fine?" Regan asked, her eyes big, blue, and worried.
"She's fine," Dick repeated. "I'm more worried about you, at the moment, honestly."
"I'll be okay," Regan assured. After another moment of silence where they stared at each other, she said, "I love you."
"I love you, too," he responded instantly. "Now come on, I'm not sure if you can walk."
"Why wouldn't I?" Regan asked, having not noticed the bandaging that covered her feet and legs, all the way up to her knees.
"You were hanging so close to that liquid, even though you didn't touch it, the heat still went up. It's just some minor burns, but walking might hurt for a few days," Dick explained.
Regan's eyes widened, and she took the blanket that been covering her body off. They widened even more at the bandaging, and she poked at it.
"Oh," she said. "Yeah, that might complicate things."
Dick laughed and stooped down, easily picking her up, bridal style. Her arms wrapped around his neck instinctively. "I think I can get you upstairs," he said.
"Works for me," Regan agreed, meeting his gaze again. He grinned at her.
"By the way, the grab that guy used in the parking lot? That's the first grab I'm teaching you to get out of," Dick said.
"Can't wait," she said. Dick simply kissed the top of her head, and carried her upstairs to his bedroom. They both needed sleep.