A/N So, I kind of left you guys hanging last time. And then I promptly got writer's block, so while I had ideally wanted to post this early last week, that was not to be. Regardless, I do hope that you find this satisfactory, even though it did not come out the way I had originally hoped.

Warning: Peril, violence, possibility of some language. I actually don't remember. Oops.

XxX XxX

Stars blew up around him as the fist collided with his face. "Think you can just pull that stunt?!" Blue Eyes seethed, looming in front of him and Dick was struck for the first time how truly enormous this man was. "Do you?"

Dick grit his teeth, blinking past the pain.

Blue Eyes took a step back.

He didn't have his mask on, revealing blonde hair and a face that was currently blotched red with rage.

The fact that they were all now mask-less scared him more than anything else had so far. He'd seen their faces. They wouldn't let him go.

And if they caught Jason too…

"Go after the kid," he snarled, turning to the third man, hanging back a few steps behind. "If he puts up a fight, we still have his brother." He gestured carelessly to Dick, still held back by the other man. "He'll remember that."

The woman, who, Dick noticed, had been silently observing throughout, smiled slightly at that.

"No! Leave him alone!" Dick kicked out and the man holding him cried out when Dick's heel connected with his shin. The grip on his arms fell away and Dick ran forward.

He might not have been a costumed crimefighter at the moment, but these people were damn fools if they thought Dick Grayson was going down without a fight.

He didn't make it very far before he was tackled around his ankles and fell to the ground. Before he could scramble to his feet, the man's weight was suddenly on his back, pinning him in place. Strong hands grabbed for his wrists, twisting them behind his back.

"Go! Before he gets far!" Blue Eyes ordered to the remaining two kidnappers. So far, they had held back, waiting to see if their assistance would be needed, but now they left the room, in the pursuit of his younger brother.

Dick snarled furiously, even as the man dragged him to his feet, still keeping his arms pinned behind his back. "Leave him alone! You only need one of us! Just let him go!"

"Think we're about to let one of you rich kids go? Just like that?" the man holding his arms hissed in his ear and Dick jerked his head away quickly.

Blue Eyes narrowed his eyes in disdain, before turning his attention to the cell phone he pulled out of his jeans pocket. "Get the kid restrained, Garrett. They'll have the other one before long and then we can put the call to Wayne…"

"Names…" the one called Garrett started to protest.

"Kid's not going anywhere after he's seen our faces. Now do it!"

/

/

/

Ten minutes ago Jason had landed on the rusted fire escape with a loud thunk! that seemed to vibrate in his very bones.

He glanced upwards. Dick was supposed to be following him. Dick was supposed to be following him!

He'd promised!

"Stop!" He could hear the voice, filled with utter fury, coming from the same room he'd been in not two seconds before.

"Dick!" he shouted, panic lacing his voice.

Then Dick's voice reached him. "RUN!"

/

/

/

"And so far you've found what?" Bruce tried hard to keep any passive aggression from seeping into his voice. He wasn't so sure he'd succeeded.

The Commissioner was a good man. He knew that, both from his personal experiences with the man as Bruce Wayne and from his dealings with him as Batman.

Jim Gordon adjusted his glasses, pushing them farther up the bridge of his nose. "A lead. We found the car witnesses placed at the scene of the abduction."

It took all his self-control not to leap at the answer. "And?"

"And there's a squad checking it out as we speak." He met the other man's eyes. "Have you received any demands yet?"

Bruce's mouth dipped into an angry frown, his hand formed a fist. "No."

Gordon nodded sympathetically. "When they do," and it was a when, not an if, "we'll get a trace on them."

Bruce swallowed. "I… understand."

"Bruce…" Commissioner Gordon took off his glasses, wiping them down on his shirt before replacing them on his face, "I…I'm sorry. If it was Barbara…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "…I don't know what I would do." He looked back at Bruce. "I want you to know… I'll do everything in my power to bring your boys back home unharmed."

/

/

/

Jason ran, taking the steps down the fire escape two at a time until he crashed into the alley below.

They were somewhere in the Narrows… meaning there was likely nobody to help if he started screaming bloody murder right then and there.

He darted around a corner, pausing to catch his breath and collect his thoughts next to a Dumpster.

He couldn't stay here.

They would be coming for him. Jason wasn't naïve. He knew they wouldn't let him go if they could help it.

But Dick hadn't gotten out.

And Jason also knew he wasn't about to leave his brother.

Dick was an idiot if he'd thought Jason was just going to leave him.

He straightened, up glancing quickly around him.

He'd circle around, find a new way in, one that the kidnappers weren't paying attention to, bust in and rescue Dick.

It wasn't like there was any way he was going to find any help here.

The few people he might run into would likely be junkies or criminals themselves.

No, the traitorous little voice in the back of his mind whispered. That's not gonna work.

Shut up! he snarled back viciously.

He wasn't going to leave him. He wasn't!

He just had to find a way to…

"Hey, you! Kid!"

His heart leapt in his throat.

` They couldn't have found him already!

He didn't even look back.

Jason urged his feet into motion, breaking into a run.

"Wait!" the voice shouted after him. Harsh. Commanding.

Don't stop. Don't stop.

Jason did, turning reluctantly to face the speaker, a stocky man sporting a head-full of dark, curly hair.

"You run and your brother does not see tomorrow."

Jason tensed. "You're lying!" he accused fiercely.

"How can you be so sure?" The man's lips peeled back, revealing teeth in a predatory snarl. "We only need one of you, as your brother seems so keen on pointing out. And we still have you."

Jason took a step back. "No…"

Someone grabbed him from behind, and he cried out, thrashing against the hold and he realized it had been a distraction.

He heard a hiss behind him and the grip tightened, nails digging into the flesh of his arm.

"Your brother will be glad to have your company back," the woman's voice sneered in his ear and, damnit, her hold was strong!

Her hand found his throat, fastening below his chin, holding his head in place against her shoulder. Jason growled, the sound originating deep in his throat.

The man was suddenly there beside his companion, heavy hand clamped tight over his mouth before he could yell for help because, Narrows or not, there was always that slim chance that someone would hear him.

Jason gagged, wrinkling his nose in disgust, because, holy crap, didn't this guy ever wash his hands?

The woman released her grip, falling into step beside her partner, as Jason stumbled forward, dragged alongside the larger man.

"You run, your brother doesn't make it, you understand?" the man hissed in his ear. He removed his hand and Jason sucked in a breath.

"Understand?" the man hissed again and his grip on Jason's shoulders tightened.

"Y-yes," Jason stammered, breathlessly, and the grip slackened, but the hand never left his shoulder.

"Good." Stocky straightened. "Now move it, kid!" He shoved Jason forward with more force than necessary, nearly sending the boy sprawling on his face.

Jason stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself before he hit the asphalt. They were being careless now.

He could break away from them at this very moment, run and they'd never catch him, but that would mean taking the chance that they weren't bluffing.

And that was a risk Jason couldn't take.

"Hurry up!"

Suddenly, Jason found himself falling forward onto the asphalt. Stocky towered over him, face a mask of fury. "Get moving!" he snarled.

Jason picked himself up, heat swiftly rising to his cheeks, brushing the gravel off his stinging palms.

"You're pathetic!" he snarled, rising to face the man in all his blind rage. "You think lording it over kids makes you tough, but you're a coward!"

He hardly had time to blink before Stocky backhanded him across the face. He cried out, the force knocking him to the ground, and tried to blink past the flashing lights dancing in his vision.

Jason thought Stocky might be shouting something, but, over the ringing in his ears, he could make out nothing.

He blinked once, twice, and tried to pick himself up off the ground, before a blinding pain exploded in ribcage and he realized Stocky must have kicked him.

Jason gasped, curling into a miserable ball. Tears waited threateningly at the corners of his eyes and he furiously held them back.

In his peripheral vision, he could see Stocky's foot draw back, aiming for another kick, and he curled tighter, hating himself for being so weak.

It never came.

The woman was suddenly in Stocky's face, grasping his shirt lapels. "… the hell are you doing?" He could barely make out her words, but she was furious. "… not supposed to touch them!"

For a moment, Stocky stood there fuming and Jason was sure he was going to hit her. Instead, he simply removed her hands, taking a step back. "Kid needs to learn his place," he finally muttered. He took a step towards Jason and the boy instinctively cringed back, a hiss escaping from between clenched teeth.

Stocky glared, but quickly grasped Jason's arm, hauling the boy forcefully to his feet before he could do more than grunt in protest.

Stocky twisted his arm, much harder than was necessary, and marched him forward, no doubt fighting to conceal the anger he'd lashed out as a result of not one minute ago.

Perhaps the woman had managed to intimidate him, or at least get through to him. More than likely though, he was afraid of what Blue Eyes, seemingly the leader, would do to him when he learned that Stocky had disobeyed what apparently was an order.

Jason hissed as his arm was forced higher up his back. His cheek still stung where he'd been hit and his battered ribs protested painfully with each step. Jason bit his lip stubbornly, refusing to allow any other sign of weakness.

The woman followed close beside them, and Jason wondered what thoughts were going through her head.

Was there any part in her, in any of them, that felt a shred of remorse? Or had the desire for money silenced any unvoiced thoughts of protest they might have had?

Jason wasn't sure.

The door to the condemned building they were being held in was old and decayed, practically rotting away on its hinges. The man forced him through, muttering a curse under his breath.

The toe of his sneaker caught on an old piece of debris as Stocky thrust him forward. He felt himself stumbling forward and, when Stocky didn't release his grip, he felt a screeching pain in his shoulder as his arm was wrenched even further back.

This time, Jason did cry out and immediately hated himself for it, feeling tears beginning to leak from the corners of his eyes and angrily blinking them back, as he was dragged back to his feet.

There was an old staircase, which he was immediately thrust towards.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to take the elevator?" he gasped out and paid for it when he felt a cuff to the back of his head.

"Trying to be smart?" the man challenged, tightening his grip.

Jason winced, considered coming up with a smart response, thought the better of it and remained silent. Anger and indignation cancelled out fear at the moment and, for that, he was grateful.

Reaching the top of the stairs, the man shoved him forward. He fell to his knees with a dull thud.

His heart stuttered rapidly in his chest. Suddenly, he was reminded of an execution.

After all… they'd seen their faces now.

He wasn't an idiot.

And he was sure one of them had a gun.

His hands were almost immediately yanked behind his back. Jason fought back mainly for appearance's sake. Fingers tightened around his wrists, twisting his skin painfully in their grasp. Thick cord wound around his wrists, tightening securely and biting into his flesh.

"Jason?!" At the sound of Dick's voice, panicked and a little desperate, Jason snapped his head up, hope making his heart beat faster.

Dick was dragged forward, hands bound behind his back as well, and shoved to the floor beside him.

"Enjoy your reunion, boys." The man they'd been referring to as Blue Eyes smiled down at them. "You won't have long." And then he left the room, pulling a phone out of his side pocket.

"Dick?" Jason gasped, relief flooding him because Dick was okay.

"What happened to your face?" Dick demanded, his voice furious, and suddenly, Jason wanted more than anything to be free, to be close to his big brother. "Jason, what did they do?

"They said they were gonna kill you," Jason dropped his voice to a whisper, evading the question as the full horror finally had a chance to sink in.

"Hey, it's okay," Dick said quickly, changing his tone reassuringly and leaning in closer to his little brother. "It's okay. I'm fine. They didn't hurt me." Even as Dick said the words, Jason could see his eyes glancing back at the angry mark he was sure had already formed on his cheekbone.

Jason nodded slowly, muscles in his throat constricting. He glanced around at the remaining kidnappers in the room with them. The woman was seated, no longer paying any attention to them, having chosen to flip through several magazines she'd had with her.

Stocky, however, was watching them, a creeping smile slowly spreading across his face.

It made Jason shudder. He hated the fact that this man, this kidnapper, was standing there watching them, watching what was supposed to be a private moment between the two of them.

Heavy footfalls had Jason looking up again to see Blue Eyes marching towards them, expression determined.

"Daddy wants to speak with you," he said, crouching down in front of them. Something gleamed in his eyes, something greedy and cold that made Jason cringe back almost before he realized what he was doing.

Blue Eyes nodded to Stocky who stepped forward and dragged Jason back, stifling Jason's yelp with a hand over his mouth. "None of that now," he murmured. "Wouldn't want Daddy getting the wrong idea about our hospitality now, would we?"

"What are you…?" Dick began, outraged.

"Shhh," Blue Eyes said, placing his finger against Dick's lips. Dick quieted, but the angry spark in his eyes didn't dim in the slightest. "Tell the old man what he wants to hear and," he gestured towards Jason, "I won't be forced to take drastic action against Junior here. Understand?"
Dick said nothing, his glare increasing in its intensity, but he nodded. Blue Eyes smiled, lowering his finger.

"Good." He held out the phone. "Now say 'hello.'"

The phone was pressed against his ear and Dick immediately took a deep breath. "Bruce?" His voice wobbled slightly.

He paused, long enough to hear whatever it was that Bruce was saying.

The phone wasn't on speaker. Jason couldn't hear Bruce's voice, no matter how much he might have wanted to.

"W-we're fine," he answered, gaze sliding automatically to Jason's cheek. Almost immediately, Stocky tightened his grip on Jason's face.

A warning.

Jason winced and Dick clenched his jaw. "They didn't hurt us," he lied at a look from Blue Eyes. He managed to make it sound half-convincing and Blue Eyes nodded, satisfied.

He brought the phone away from Dick's ear. "Satisfied? The kids are fine, Wayne," he said, mouth twisted into the arrogant smile of a man who knew he had all the pieces where he wanted them. "Remember what I told you, Wayne… Three million for both of them, or they die. We'll contact you tonight with information on where to drop the cash. You'd better be ready, Wayne."

He ended the call. "Looks like Daddy's all to eager to do what I tell him to," he boasted. He reached out, stroking a hand through Dick's hair. "Too bad you guys won't be around by the time the money comes."

"You can't…!"

"Is that how it is for you rich boys? I… can't? Because you say I can't?" He laughed and, for a moment, his hand fisted in Dick's hair, before releasing him suddenly.

He turned to face Stocky, who was still holding tightly to Jason.

"Let him go," he ordered and Stocky did, shoving Jason a little harder than necessary.

Unable to use his hands to catch his fall, Jason ended up face first on the floor. "Hey!" Dick snapped. Jason rolled onto his side, managing to use his shoulder to maneuver himself enough so that he could pull himself to his knees again.

Blue Eyes stood, backing away from them. "Try to escape again," he warned, "and I'll make sure the both of you regret it."

With a sudden crash, the door was kicked open.

"FREEZE!"

"HANDS IN THE AIR!"

Jason blinked in shock at the quick flow of officers into the room.

Stocky swore violently.

"On your knees! Hands where I can see them!" Detective Renee Montoya ordered, voice firm and gun in hand.

Very slowly, Blue Eyes raised his hands in surrender, glaring bitterly as he slowly knelt on the floor.

Jason forced himself to take a breath.

They were okay now.

They were okay.

And then it was all a flurry of motion, until…

"Are you okay?" Someone was beside him, hand on his shoulder, before undoing the knots around his wrists.

Jason could only nod numbly as they fell away, snatching his hands forward and trying to rub the feeling back into them.

"Jason?" Dick entered Jason's field of vision, grabbing him by the shoulders, looking him over. His eyes once again landed on the mark on his cheek and Jason felt the urge to cover it up with his hand. "Are you okay?" Dick asked anxiously, perhaps sensing Jason's discomfort and turning his gaze away.

"Yeah." Jason swallowed and looked Dick in the eyes. "Yeah."

Dick smiled, relief evident, before they were ushered to their feet by the same cop who'd freed the two of them.

Jason caught sight of the woman in handcuffs and next to her the man with whom they'd had the least interaction. Stocky was cussing, putting up a fight even as his hands were cuffed behind him.

And Blue Eyes… Blue Eyes didn't move, didn't struggle, stood there stiff as his hands were cuffed behind his back. For just a moment, his eyes met Jason's.

The man's jaw clenched, muscles in his neck going taut, and Jason instinctively stepped to the side, even as the cop moved between them, continuing to head them in the direction of the exit.

Then, he clenched his fists tightly, lifting his chin just a little.

We won. He didn't speak the words, but he was sure the message was clear.

He felt Dick's arm slip around his shoulder, pulling him close, and Jason didn't protest. Instead, he let himself cling to his older brother as they were brought out into the open.

XxX

A/N One last chapter left to this arc... and don't worry, it's pretty much all fluff! XD

Please review and let me know what you think!