AN) I'm back! After the chaos of the final week of school it was nice to be able to write for you guys again! I've been out and about, having traveled down to Chicago to see Hamilton with my family. A fantastic show! Wonderful, hilarious! Listen to the soundtrack. I should be updating more this summer, so I hope to bring you more content. Enjoy!

Time had been dragging on and on. Richard wanted to think it had been hours, maybe even a few days, but his gut instinct told him that only a few hours, maybe even minutes had slipped away while he swung his legs in the air. His back was arched up, head resting on the ground. The room was upside down, Richard watching lint balls rolling across the floor. For all their pomp and power the League had a horrible cleaning crew.

Being in a strange position always helped him think, he would tuck into a ball on whatever rooftop he was stranded on to run through all the escape plans he might need in case of emergency. Richard needed to plan. As much as he hated everything that the League stood for he needed to go along. Snakes would shed their skins when they needed to, but they were still snakes. Richard was an assassin, but he might have to shed that appearance of being a willing assassin but he was still that. He could sneak under the League's radar, they would think he was being such a good little reformed criminal they would ease up their reigns. Everyone did it, if they thought someone was under their thumb they would reward that someone because there wasn't a need to pressure them anymore. It had its problems, maybe the League would be made of crazies and they wouldn't care if he was starting to reform, but it was the only plan that saved his skin in the now. Richard's back slid across the edge of the bed, his body plopping on the floor. He wasn't a traitor, he was just playing the part. Master had taught him to do it, to act like a lost kid who needed directions to the bus station, how to play the part of a kid that belonged in whatever fancy event he was supposed to infiltrate. He was just playing a part, feeding the League and their kids lines. Hopefully Master saw it that way too.

Richard rolled onto his stomach, puffing out air as he watched the lint ball move across the floor. It blew away and drew closer to him as he breathed. He was used to having nothing to do, there was only so many vines a person could watch, but there was always something else to think on. Scott, art pieces he could improve or finish, books he could either write or read. But every train of thought looped back to 'I'm being held hostage and I have no way to get home, and when I do I'm going to be in trouble' station. Everything was looping and he felt trapped, Richard flopped over to his back, fingers running through the greasy knotts of his hair. He needed a shower, he needed more sleep, he needed to go home. At least two of those three were achievable.

"Um, you good down there?"

Richard peered up at the voice. Bart. Richard was almost relieved it was him. Bart, for whatever odd reason, thought Richard was cool...or whatever, it would be easy to put his plan into action. Friend him up, make him think that Richard was going to be his friend. The League would listen to him, to one of their own.

"Fine," He pushed himself up to his elbows. "How's your nose?"

"I'm okay. Speed healing." He tapped the side of his nose, a goofy smile on his face. Richard wanted to cringe, but he needed this kid to like him, to really like him. "Don't worry about La'gaan, he doesn't try to think clearly when he gets angry." Bart slid down beside the assassin, Richard turning to face him. "He's normally not that much of a jerk."

"I mean, I had that green kid near death so I can't really play the totally innocent victim." Richard shrugged, Bart nodded. "I'm really sorry about that by the way. I just...blanked and did what's normal I guess."

"You really know how to snap someone's neck?" Bart leaned in, Richard copied his body language, shifting from his elbows to sitting upright .

"Yeah, it's kinda like assassin 101."

"There's a class on that?" Bart looked a little pale, he didn't like this topic but he was trying to connect with Richard. So he needed to shift the topic to something Bart was more comfortable with, something he was interested in. Too bad he knew absolutely nothing about the kid.

"Not really," he chuckled, stretching his neck back, "I do have to go to like, a normal school."

Bart nodded softly. "I never went to school. Future kind of sucks."

"Do you like...not know how to read? 'Cause I can teach you man-"
"No, no! I can read and write and stuff." Bart laughed, shrugging and crossing his legs. "Formal school wasn't really a thing."

"Good, it sucks."

Bart nodded, "I've heard the horror stories, is the pacer test really a thing?"

"I've been wondering the same thing!" Richard threw his hands in the air. "It's not a thing in England. Like okay, how many standardized tests to Americans take a year?"

Bart shrugged, "Jaime says end of year exams are worse, cause they count for a grade."

"You're not going to school now?"

"Imagine that conversation." Bart screwed his face up. "Hello this is my grandson, we don't have any documents proving he never exists and his parents haven't even been born yet, but he'd like to go to your school please." Richard snickered.

"Batman hasn't made you a false ID?"

"I mean, yeah but with my excitable mouth I'd reveal everything about the future over lunch."

"Talking about flying cars, robot maids, everything out of the Jetsons?"

Bart's face flickered for half a second before he plastered a smile on again. Richard studied his eyes as he laughed, trying to go along with Richard's musings, he was lying. Richard could always tell when people were lying. Bart had looked left and had started to tug on his ear. Richard could watch for that again, see if that was a tell or a coincidence.

There was a lull, Richard wanting to leave the silence lie to make Bart feel pressured to tell him more. Instead the teen leapt to his feet and clapped his hands together.

"No one knows I'm here, and I don't think I'm supposed to be. I'm going to jet before I get caught."

"Superhero breaking the rules," Richard stood beside him, "what on Earth has the world come to?"

Bart shrugged, snickering under his breath before putting on his serious face once again. "Look, pretty soon the League is going to strike you a deal. Take it. I know you don't exactly trust us, but we're not the bad guys in this situation. Please," his hand was wrapped around Richard's wrist, "you're my hero. Please let me help you."

He was sincere. Richard could tell when people were being honest with him and when they were lying, though it was usually the latter. "Okay. Thanks for visiting, it gets pretty boring all by myself."

Bart smiled sadly, "I'll see what I can do."

Richard watched his back vanish through the almost unnoticeable door. He had planted the seeds of guilt, sparked a connection and had gotten inside the ginger's head. It had been all too easy, and a little truth had been in it. Mixing in more truth than lie helped throw people off your scent, Richard had soon learned. He was glad that Bart had stopped in, while the room wasn't white it was still all one dull, plain color that seemed to make the walls blend into the ceiling and floor. It had been a distraction from the circling...which was starting up again.

Richard began pacing, placing one foot in front of the other, placing toe to heel and counting steps. Circling was what drove him insane in the first place. It all started with his stomach getting knotted and his temperature skyrocketing. Every solution he tried to offer up was bashed down by the horrible 'what if'.

Well, I'll just ride it out. What if they don't let up? There's nothing I can do about it now. What if they kill you? They're not complete monsters! What if they've lost all morals? I can protect myself. What if they let your master have his way with you?

Richard froze. That was a 'what if' that terrified him, at made him feel guilty for being afraid of it. He had no reason to be afraid of his master. As that thought was running through his head his hand slowly traced the gash that traced his shoulder and the better part of his neck before following the faint line across his check. He knew he had every reason to fear his master, and he knew he deserved what he got. But it was still scary, he still didn't want any of it to happen to him. He had all the marks, his back was covered with scars that he couldn't remember getting. He had the lessons on his body. Don't speak too loud, don't speak too quietly, do as you're told, learn faster, don't ask for things you have to earn them, learn your place… What lesson would it be this time?

"Don't get caught by the enemy, brat." He snarled under his breath, wanting to let all chaos in his brain into the open air, maybe then it would stop the spiral. He spun, swinging his right hand through the air pretending he was slapping someone. "I'm sorry," He whispered, his hand held against his cheek, "it won't ever happen again."

Richard froze, letting his hand drop to his side and his lungs catch up to his heart. "Everything will be okay." He mumbled, dragging himself over to the cot. "Everything will be okay in the end." He tumbled down, letting his face mush against the pillow. What did it matter, what did anything matter when the only future he had could be bloody and bruised and locked in the haunt?

It really didn't matter at all, just like him.

Breakline

Bart slunk around the corner, his heart was early pounding out of his chest. While he hadn't been told to stay away from Richard he was sure that no one would be very pleased with his course of action.

So far so good. He wanted to get far away from the holding cell, and while speeding away was an option, Bart often would trip or lose focus and run into something or someone, so he was reduced to sneaking around like a normal human.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard screaming. It was muffled, but there was definitely an argument going on somewhere. Bart liked drama, or as Cassie called it, the tea. It was coming from a few halls down, so Bart did a quick about face and marched silently towards the commotion.

It was coming from his grandpa's room. It was Wally, Bart stood outside the door. He didn't even need to press his ear against it to hear what was being said. Wally was yelling about how much he loved Dick, how he wanted to hold him and make him smile and laugh again. Wally was screaming about the guilt he felt for not being able to be fast enough. How much he hated Slade for ever thinking about hurting his brother.

Oh man if Dick could hear this...Bart began fumbling with his phone, drawing up the voice memo app. He hit record as Wally said something about "I love him more than I love myself. I'd do anything to help him…"

It just got better from there.

Breakline

The lights that had been off at the Jordan house were back on. Carol held a sleeping girl in her arms, carrying her daughter to her own bed. The trip had been wonderful, Christy had loved seeing the princesses and eating ice cream and riding all the rides. Hal had been the model father, carrying her on his shoulders, letting Christy know how much he loved her.

Carol placed a kiss on her daughter's head, leaving her to dreams of magic and adventure. Things would be normal once more, her family was going to be alright. Carol trapsed down the stairs, stopping at the look on her husband's face. His phone was held to his ear, his eyes blinking slowly as he shut it off before meeting her gaze.

"Hal?"

"They found him." Hal ran a hand across his face, Carol moving towards him. "They found my boy."

AN) I hope you folks like this! Please, as I am struggling on plot and ways to advance it, leave a comment with some advice and ideas. I enjoy writing for you guys and love seeing your feedback. I hope y'all have a fantastic summer and a good week. Love you!