Hello everyone. I'm so sorry about the wait, my brain's been fried for most of this semester. I appreciate all of you who are still keeping up with it, new readers and reviewers. Thank you so much for your support. I apologize because I don't think this chapter is as good as it could have been. I really wanted to give the team a sense that maybe Owlman isn't all that bad like the League portrays to lead the story towards the conclusion I'm hoping for at the moment. I'll be on winter break soon so I should be able to spend some time maybe finishing up writing this story and When the World Turned Against it's Heroes. I don't own the DCU but all the same I hope you'll enjoy, favor, follow and review. Oh, depending on how this ends I might do one shots based on this story line in the future, let me know if that's something you'd like to see.

Chapter 5

React

/rēˈakt/

verb

1.

respond or behave in a particular way in response to something.

It'd been two days since Dick had disappeared from Mount Justice. And since then, Bruce had been working tirelessly to find his ward. He'd hunted down every Gothamite to ever be associated with the Light, from the Joker to a few Lex Corp remote employees. Yet, he'd found nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Even Ra's was doing his best to assist, trying to call together a meeting of the Light to find out where Klarion was at with Dick. But Klarion had skipped all meetings thus far. Even the other members of the Light were giving Ra's the cold shoulder due to his involvement with Owlman.

Bruce was getting nowhere fast. And he could only blame himself. It was his fault for involving Dick with the Light. It was his fault for letting Dick go to that meeting without any backup. It was his fault that he had left Dick in the hands of Klarion for these past few days. He could have done more for his ward.

"Master Bruce, I do believe you should get some rest."

Bruce jumped at the sudden presence of his butler and honorary grandfather in the Batcave. He'd been busy scanning the cameras he'd planted around Gotham for any sign of Dick to hear Alfred come up. Not that he usually heard Alfred approach.

"Not now, Alfred, Dick's still out there," Bruce protested, already knowing he was fighting a loosing battle. Even without Dick to team up against him, it proved useless to not listen to Alfred.

"Yes, but you'll be of no use to him if you aren't in your top condition, Master Bruce. Should you have to fight against the Light by yourself, a rest now will do you good. Perhaps there will be news of Master Richard upon your awakening."

Bruce sighed, searching the screens before him before he nodded. "If you think it's for the best Alfred."

Dick paced angrily around the room Klarion had confined him to. It had been two days since the member of the Light had freed him from the Justice League, and Dick had been hoping Klarion would let him return to Owlman, only to find the Lord of Chaos had no such intention, and when Dick had brought up returning to Owlman he had been locked in his current room.

With a huff, Dick sat down on the gold and black bed positioned in the center of the room, laying back and staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. He could only assume Klarion was keeping him in a sort of pocket dimension. For one, the witch boy and the servants who brought Dick food and drink a few times a day only appeared through Klarion's portals, the room was, in fact, without a door at all. After his first few hours trapped in the room, Dick had furiously argued with the villain before he'd added a window to the room. Yet, when Dick had opened the window in his search for an escape route, the woodland visage was dropped, opening to an expanse of black and reds.

After realizing there was no escape from the room besides through Klarion's portals, Dick had tired his best to convince the other that he wanted to go outside and wouldn't run back to Owlman. But like the other options, this too seemed futile. It wasn't him that Klarion didn't trust, no, he was worried about Owlman forcing Talon back to his side where he "clearly did not belong." The Lord of Chaos promised Dick repeatedly that once he made sure Owlman was no longer a threat, Dick would have freedom once more.

Whatever he had done to get on Klarion's good side, Dick regretted it wholeheartedly.

The whole situation from almost getting killed by Savage to being held up in Mountain Justice to now was endlessly aggravating him. He couldn't wait to get back home, to see Bruce, Alfred, Barbara, Selina, the Commissioner and everyone else once more. He'd let Bruce put as many trackers in his suit as he wanted, and not dispose of them. He'd show the Drake's kid his acrobat routine until the younger was sick of it.

Are you sure this is a good idea, Wally? Artemis hissed, following the speedster along with the rest of the team, all wearing civilian disguises as they crept through the Gotham night. She was grateful for the mind link, especially as they walked past the numerous thugs roaming the city at the late hour.

We all decided Talon required our assistance, Kaldur replied, bringing up the rear as he watched over the group. And if the League will not help us, Owlman may be able to.

Artemis sighed, she knew this already. But when she had worked with her father and seen Owlman, she had been utterly terrified. The villain had been on a completely different level from all the others she had met with her father. And she had no doubt that he would hesitate for even a moment if he decided to kill them. How are we supposed to find him? It's not like we can ask around.

It'd be so much easier if we had a sign or like a signal, Megan sighed.

Wait, Megan, you're a genius, Wally exclaimed, The Bat signal. When Batman was still um here, the police department was supposed to have a signal they used to call him. Maybe we can use that to get Owlman's attention.

Do you think it will still be there? Batman has been gone for years, Connor interjected.

It is our only plan for now. If it is not, we will decide our next move from there, Kaldur calmly replied.

"Hey, you there. You kids." The group stopped, surrounded by a group of thugs. "What do you kids think you're doing out here?"

What are we supposed to say? Artemis said over the mind link.

"I, uh, drugs! We're here to buy drugs," Wally blurted out. He instantly felt ashamed, it was the first thing that came to his mind.

What the hell, Wally! Artemis shouted

The gangsters looked at each other before laughing. "Good one kid, you know it's illegal to sell minors drugs in Gotham. We can't afford to get back on Owlman's bad side again. You kids better head back to your homes now before you run into Owlman himself. He'd probably personally escort you home, and that'd be an unpleasant ride in his car. Now get going, I don't wanna see you kids around here again."

"Of course, sir, thank you," Kaldur moved forward, pushing the others along, all of them stunned into silence.

I can't believe you told them we wanted to buy drugs! Artemis snapped, punching Wally's shoulder.

Ow! Are we just going to gloss over the fact that Owlman told the gangs here they can't sell drugs to kids? Wally asked. He'd expected to be beaten up, or even be charged a fortune for drugs. But to be told that Owlman had created some sort of law in the chaotic city?

We can't think about that right now, finding Owlman is our top priority. Let's go find this Bat Signal.

"Master Bruce, I think there is something you should see," Alfred muttered in awe from his place by the window looking out over Gotham.

"What is it Alfred?" Bruce asked, leaving his desk in his desperate search for Dick. What he saw surprised him more than anything he had ever seen in his time as Owlman. The Bat signal shone among the clouded sky, dimming and flickering out completely for a few seconds before the light was back on full force. "Alfred, tell me if anyone has news on Dick."

"Master Bruce, please, do you not do anything rash. It is possible that whoever is there may be able to help you find Master Dick. Try to keep an open mind."

Bruce nodded, disappearing into the Batcave. The only thing he knew was that if any member of the light besides Ra's was there, he was going to break his one vow and kill them. Whatever it took to get Dick back safely.

What he hadn't expected was to find the group of sidekicks loitering on the roof of the GCPD in their civilian identities. He watched them from the roof opposite of the GCPD, standing in the shadows as they surveyed the skyline for any sign of him. Coming out here was a fruitless effort which only distracted him from his search for Dick. He couldn't leave him in Klarion's hands forever.

But he couldn't help to remember Alfred's words. At the very least he'd hear them out. He shot his grappling hook, landing quietly in the center of their formation, and turning the Bat Signal off.

Artemis, Green Arrow's sidekick, specializing in archery and hand to hand, daughter of Sportsmaster and Huntress, huffed in annoyance. "Hey, Baywatch, the lights….out," she had turned around in the middle of speaking, her eyes widening as she saw Owlman, the villain fully cloaked in darkness. "He's here," she whispered.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, watching them take him in. They were obviously speaking telepathically, judging from the looks they shot each other and their hand movements. He narrowed his eyes, "Speak now or get out of my city, I'm busy."

"You're looking for Talon, right?" the speedster stepped forward. Kid Flash, also known as Wallace West, good at science but not a strategist. "We want to help. Klarion is dangerous, we can't just leave Talon with him. And you, well you at least care for him."

Owlman stared at them, he doubted that, even if he refused their help, they would stop acting on their own. And, according to his records they had encounter Klarion before and did not lose. Bruce sighed, at the very least, he'd take them with him, he couldn't have their deaths on his hands, not like his parents or Dick's. "Fine."

West's face lit up, while Superman's clone—DNA of Lex Luthor and Clark Kent, strongest member physically, weak to kryptonite and lack of emotion control—looked pleased. The other members of the team relaxed instantly, if Bruce had been teaching them, they would never relax their guard. Kaldur'ahm, Aqualad, son of Black Manta, leader of the team but impaired by the burden of being the team leader, stepped forward, "Thank you Owlman."

"The moment you fall behind or make a mistake, you're out, all of you," Bruce growled. He waited for them to nod, M'gann Morse, Martian Manhunter's daughter, hiding her identity as a white Martian, gulped nervously. His communicator beeped, and he turned away from the Team as he opened up the frequency.

"Owlman, Harley gave me some info regarding Klarion," Selina began, "It's about the next meeting for the Light. I have the info for it, but it's too high tech for me to crack into."

"I see. We'll meet at our usual place in ten minutes, I'll be bringing…guests as well," Bruce replied. As soon as he closed the frequency, he turned back to the team to find them looking at them. It was a struggle for him to remember that he had to vocalize his thoughts instead of being with Dick who understood him without speaking. "We're meeting an informant soon, after that we'll see what we can do about uniforms for you."

"Of course, Owlman, sir. Whatever you need us to do," West mock saluted. Artemis whacked him over the head without missing a beat and before he knew it, the two were squabbling.

Bruce was already regretting letting these teenagers work with him.