Batman was known for withholding information from the Justice League. Secrets were how he functioned, whether his teammates liked it or not. When it really counted though, he knew which information he should share with them. That being said, he didn't want to share the video with them. Not because he wanted to keep secrets from them, this time, but because it was a terrible thing to watch. He rubbed his eyes as if the motion could wipe the images from his mind.

'Get it together Wayne,' he growled at himself silently. 'You think this is bad? You're only watching it. Roy is living it.' He heard the familiar sounds of hurrying footsteps and quickly made the video disappear. He stowed it away in a file where he could get it later and pulled his cowl down over his face. It was easier to be unemotional and focused as the Dark Knight.

"Are we leaving?" Robin asked, pulling his cape over his shoulders. "Batman?"

Batman wasn't sure why, but Robin looked really small. The boy was small for his age. but to the Dark Knight, tonight he looked even smaller. More vulnerable than usual. "Yes." Robin whooped and did a back-handspring to the Bat mobile.

"To the Bat mobile!"

Batman followed at an even pace. Robin jumped in and Batman followed. The bird looked at him as they drove towards the zeta tube. "What're you going to tell the League?"

Batman considered his answer carefully. "The League and I will review the footage from the hidden camera. Hopefully, it'll provide us with the information we need to keep Green Arrow in line after Speedy's removed from his care."

"What'll you do with Speedy once he leaves Star?"

"To be determined. For now we have to focus all our energy on getting him to safety."

"Ok. Am I going back to Star tomorrow?"

Batman nodded. He parked in an alley and activated the Bat mobile's cloaking device. He got out, following Robin to the zeta tube. He authorized rain to get through and followed him.

"Robin, B01."

"Batman, 02."

Batman grabbed Robin by his cape, stopping him from running to the League meeting room. "I want you to wait out here."

"Why?"

"The things the League will be discussing isn't for you to be a part of."

"I've seen bad stuff."

Batman didn't need the reminder. "I want you to stay out here."

"What about Aqualad and Kid Flash?"

"They'll be staying out here with you."

"What're we doing?" Aquaman asked. He stopped next to Batman and Aqualad stopped behind his mentor.

"Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad will be staying outside during the meeting. What we're discussing isn't for them."

Aquaman looked at his protege. "Wait out here with Robin and Kid Flash."

Aqualad bowed his head and put his fist over his chest. "Yes, my king." Aquaman followed Batman into the meeting room. "Do you know what it is they are discussing?"

Robin shook his head. "Probably something about Speedy."

"Kid Flash, B03."

"Flash, 05."

Wally suddenly appeared next to Aqualand. "Hey guys!" the young speedster yelled.

"Kid Flash please speak quieter."

"Indoor voice Kid," Flash reminded him.

"Batman has requested that Robin, Kid Flash, and I stay outside the meeting room," Aqualad told Flash.

"Awww! Why?!" Kid Flash demanded.

"I'm sure Bats has his reasons," Flash assured his nephew. "Wait out here and…try not to get into trouble." The scarlet speedster ran off and Kid Flash frowned.

"Why don't they want us to hear?"

"I am positive the League is acting within our best interest."

Kid Flash scoffed. "Whatever. What're we supposed to do? Sit here and do nothing?"

Robin smiled mischievously. "We could go exploring."

"I do not think the League would approve if we did," Aqualad argued.

"We won't get into trouble. I think the Watchtower has a gym somewhere." He went to the nearest control console and connected it to his wrist computer. After a few key strokes, he found a layout of the Watchtower. "Jackpot."

"How'd you do that?!" Kid Flash asked excitedly.

"They don't call me Boy Wonder for nothing." He copied the layout into his wrist computer. "Ok, let's go!"

"Alright!" Kid Flash owned Robin, who stopped and looked back at Aqualad. "

"You coming or what?"

Aqualad sighed but still nodded. "Yes." He followed the two boys as Robin mapped their way to the gym.

— —

Once everyone was seated Batman started connecting to the Bat Computer from the Watchtower computer. "Our mission to infiltrate Queen's house and bug it was a success." He didn't mention how filthy it'd made him feel to have to pretend to be friends with that waste of oxygen. "I have acquired unquestionable proof against Green Arrow."

"Let's see it then!" Green Lantern said.

Batman looked around at all of them. "I don't say that lightly. I'll remind you all," he looked at Superman. "we're in space." He brought up the video so the League was watching on their screens and pressed play. It started off fine. The could see Oliver standing in a room, seemingly distracted by something. He stopped and looked off camera somewhere.

"Come in," he said, voice a little distorted. Everyone held their breath as Roy walked on camera. He was slightly hunched over and looked scared. "Shirt off."

"What-" Superman began but Batman silenced him with a look.

"Oliver please, I didn't mean-" Roy sounded terrified.

"Shirt off."

"Oliver-"

Barry shook his head. "Poor kid," he breathed.

"Shirt. Off." Roy did as he was told. "Kneel." Batman could feel the confusion and apprehension coming off everyone as Roy knelt on the ground. His shirt was balled up in his hands.

"Son of a bitch," Barry hissed as Oliver took his belt off. Everyone was too shocked to notice their resident speedster swearing.

"This is for your own good," Oliver said on the screen.

"I'll give him something for his own good," Wonder Woman muttered darkly.

Oliver folded his belt and raised it above his head. No one moved when it came down on Roy's back. It seemed as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. They could hear the crack loud and clear. Batman tried to ingrain every flinch and cry of pain from Roy. Martian Manhunter noticed Green Lantern's ring glowing out of the corner of his eye. The League sat like statues as they watched Oliver beat Roy with his belt. Superman felt his heart break at every cry of pain from the boy. It was almost as strong as his anger at Oliver. He clenched his fists. Barry was just barely keeping himself from vibrating. Then Roy started begging and his blood went cold.

"Oliver please! Please- ah! Please stop! I'm sorry!"

Flash couldn't really see Roy. He could only see a quivering boy with red hair. A boy who was scared and alone and being beaten by someone he should be able to trust. He didn't just vibrate, he had lightning jumping off him in small arcs. Oliver finally stopped, but no one relaxed. Roy stood up and as he turned around they got a glimpse of his back; covered in cuts, wells, and blood. Wonder Woman and Aquaman both hissed in their respective languages, but everyone could guess what they were saying.

"Do not talk back to me Roy," Oliver growled on the screen. "I won't take attitude from an ungrateful bastard like you. Understood?"

Batman felt his blood boil. 'What right does he have to call Roy ungrateful?!'

Roy nodded. "Yes Oliver."

"And for the record, you will never tell anyone what happens here. If you do, then I might kill you." Roy wanted to hide. "Or, maybe I'll throw you out on the street, and tell every piece of scum in Star who Speedy really is."

"He wouldn't!" Green Lantern gasped. Batman turned the video off. Before anyone could move or speak, Flash dashed out of the room. Superman heard the zeta tube announcing his departure back to the planet. "Oliver wouldn't really turn Roy loose and let the criminals in Star tear him apart, right?"

"After what we just saw I don't think anything is beneath him," Superman replied.

"Should someone go after Flash?" Martian Manhunter asked. Everyone looked at Green Lantern.

He sighed and stood up. "I'll make sure he doesn't do something stupid." He let the light from his ring surrounded him and flew out of the room.

Superman sighed. "Meeting…dismissed."

"We're not going to discuss anything?" Aquaman asked.

"There's nothing to discuss," Wonder Woman said. "We just watched a grown man beat a child until he bled. What more is there to say?"

Superman saw Batman tense. He got the impression there was something the Dark Knight wasn't telling them. "We have our proof. Everyone go home." Everyone stood up and started leaving slowly. Superman watched Batman go stand in front of a window. He made sure everyone left before approaching the vigilante. "What aren't you telling us?"

"I was there," Batman growled. "I was there and I did nothing."

"Batman you can't blame yourself."

"I was there! I could've stopped this!"

"You of all people remind us how delicate this situation is. You couldn't-"

"I should've!" He looked away from the alien. "What if it was something I did?"

"How-"

"What if it was something I did to upset Queen that caused him to go off on Roy?"

"You can't think like that. We both know that it sounded like Roy had done something make him angry earlier."

Batman sighed deeply. "We have to save him."

"We will."

"No! You don't understand."

Superman frowned. "What'd you mean?"

"Think about it Superman. Why would Oliver Queen, a man who has everything, including practical protection from the Justice League, risk it all to bring a child into the mix?" Superman frowned. That was….actually a good question. "What reason could he have? Why would he train Roy and force him to fight like him?Think about it."

When he did, Superman was horrified by what Batman was implying. "You mean…he….he wants Roy to become….him?"

Batman nodded. "He wants Roy to kill."

Superman thought about it. They'd never seen Roy kill. They had footage of Green Arrow killing sure, but never Roy. Batman even pointed out when Roy looked away when Green Arrow killed someone. "Roy wouldn't do it."

"You say that like he has a choice."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Oliver Queen threatened to kill him he so much as whispered about what was going on in there. Roy's in no position to tell Oliver no."

Superman rubbed this face. "Why would he do this?"

"Maybe he got lonely. The more likely answer is that he wants a successor. Someone to continue his work in the event of his death."

"That would make sense. Why Roy though?"

"He got lucky. He managed to find a 12-year-old archer with amazing talent who looked up to him. Someone who trusted him completely. I don't think Roy knew the full extent of what the Green Arrow did beyond stopping bad guys with a bow and arrows. He fell right into the trap."

"And Oliver's been using abuse and manipulation to keep Roy in his place without question."

Batman nodded. "All so he could get the boy to kill."

"We have to get him out of there. Who knows when Oliver will start trying to make Roy cross that line."

"It'll be soon. Roy's 14. He's been with Oliver for almost two years. Oliver's worn him down enough that he won't fight back."

"We don't have a lot of time."

Batman shook his head as he gazed into the cold, unforgiving darkness of space. "No. we don't."

— —

The three young heroes made it to the gym and Robin's face split into a fanatical grin. He turned off his wrist computer off and took off running. There was a large climbing apparatus in the center that was several stories tall. He jumped up and launched himself into the air. He wrapped his legs around one of the bars and hung upside, smirking at an astonished Kid Flash. "Impressed?"

"Whoa! Thatwastotallyawesome! Aqualaddidyouseethat?!"

Aqualad blinked. He didn't speak speedster, so he turned his attention to the young vigilante. "Your acrobatics were quite impressive Robin."

"Thanks." He slipped his legs out and caught himself on his hands. He pushed off and scaled to the top. "You two coming or what?"

Kid Flash looked up at him apprehensively. "I don't climb dude. I run."

"And you fall."

"Hey!" Kid Flash stopped when he saw that Aqualad was suddenly climbing. Robin smiled and did a summersault down the side, getting a scared gasp out of Kid Flash, before hooking his legs around a bar again. He smiled at Aqualad, who he was now inches from. "Dude! Don't do that!"

"What?" Robin let out a cackle and it sent shivers down Kid Flash's spine.

"Jeez! Why do you do that?!"

"Sorry. Probably a side-effect of too many encounters with joker venom."

Aqualad frowned from where he had settled just below Robin. "Joker venom?"

"The gas Joker uses to try and asphyxiate all of Gotham."

"Who is Joker?"

Kid Flash blinked. "You don't know who the Joker is?!"

"I have only just met all of you."

Robin had to admit that was true. He suddenly became very serious and looked Aqualad in the eye. "The Joker is a crazy clown who kills people in Gotham on a monthly basis."

"Oh."

Kid Flash shivered. "The only person scarier than the Green Arrow. Joker."

"I could give you a list," Robin said. He did a roll over a bar and flipped down onto another bar. "Speaking of Green Arrow, you're coming with me tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Good. Meet me at the old paper mill on the edge of the city. After Superman drops me off I'll slip away and come get you."

"Ok. You promise Green Arrow won't catch us?"

"If he does you'll be the first to know."

Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

"You have super speed genius. If he does catch us you can be back in Central City before he has time to draw his bow."

Kid Flash shuffled his feet. "I guess you're right."

"11:30. Be there."

"I will."

Robin flipped up to another bar, then froze. "Someone's coming." The three young heroes looked at the door just as Aquaman and Wonder Woman came in.

"Found them," Wonder Woman smiled. Robin jumped off and flipped through the air. He landed next to Kid Flash.

"Aquaman," Aqualad began as he jumped down, but stopped when his mentor put his hand up.

"It's fine Aqualad. I'm glad you're getting to know Kid Flash and Robin better. We must return home now."

"Good-bye Robin. Good-bye Kid Flash."

"Bye Aqualad!" Kid Flash yelled.

"Kid he's a foot from you!" Robin snapped.

"Sorry. Hey! If the meeting's over I should go find Flash!"

Wonder Woman and Aquaman shared a look. They needed to buy time until Green Lantern found Flash and calmed him down. "Kid Flash, why don't you come with me?" Wonder Woman suggested. "I'll get you a snack."

"Snack?! I'm there!"

"Excellent. While you eat I'll tell you about my greatest conquests."

"Sweet!" He followed the Amazonian out of the room, practically vibrating with excitement.

Robin smirked. "Food. The fastest way to distract a speedster."

"Let the information never fall into the hands of our enemies," Aquaman said solemnly.

"I should find Batman." Robin ran back towards the meeting room to find his mentor. He stopped outside the room and quietly opened the door. It was only open half an inch when he froze.

"-he wants Roy to become….him?"

Robin froze. The 'he' had to be Green Arrow. Who else would it be? But what did Superman mean by Green Arrow wanted Roy to become him? He heard Batman and got his answer.

"He wants Roy to kill."

Denial flooded through him. No. No Roy wouldn't. He would never. Robin ran away from the door and back down the hall. He stopped by the zeta tube. He couldn't get back to Gotham without Batman. He started pacing while he waited for his mentor. 'Roy would never. He wouldn't. Never.' He was so busy panicking that he didn't notice Superman until he walked straight into the Man of Steel. "Oh. Hi."

"Robin, is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Fine."

"Are you sure?" Superman knelt down to look him in the eye. "I could've sworn I heard a little bird opening the door earlier."

"You heard that?"

Superman nodded. "Super hearing kid."

"Oh." Robin fiddled with the edge of his cape.

"How much did you hear?"

"Just….just how Green Arrow wants Speedy to-to kill. He'd never do it though! I swear he wouldn't! You have to believe me-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there kid."

"Superman I swear he would never-"

"Robin breathe. We all know Roy wouldn't kill." He put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Is that why you're so upset? Did you think that we would blame Roy if he did?" Robin nodded. "Robin we would never do that!"

"Even Batman?"

Superman paused. "Robin we would never do that." He looked the young boy in the mask. "I need you to understand that none of what is happening is Roy's fault. He is being manipulated and intimidated by someone twice his size and with three times his strength and skill. No matter what happens, we will never blame Roy."

"You promise?"

"Promise." He heard Batman approaching and quickly stood up.

The Bat came around the corner and his eyes narrowed when he saw Superman. "What're you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just saying good-bye."

"You've said goodbye now leave."

"Fine, fine. I'll see you two tomorrow night." He smiled at Robin, trying to convey his promise again, then flew up into the air.

"Ready?"

Robin nodded. "To the Bat mobile!" Batman authorized him to get through and Robin disappeared through the zeta. Batman smiled and followed him.