I don't own Young Justice.

Chapter 4—

Robin sat on the beach, pinching the bridge of his nose. The nose of the Zeta Beam rang loudly in his ears; everything did. The ocean was too loud, the family on a picnic with soup in flasks were shivering too loudly and the pounding of his heart was deafening. He had drunk the soup, no matter what it was laced with; it had been thick and creamy and by far M'gann's best achievement. It made him want to be sick more often. But not as sick as he was now. Sloane had made him drink it; through the torture, both physical and mental, he had no choice.

Then he went kicked him off back home to 'see what his life was worth' before Sloane came back for one last time. Robin knew he should tell someone, show someone the neat little incision Sloane had made and filled with lemon juice or vinegar, depending on what he had to hand, so that it would sting. Robin remembered the pain, the pain of him tipping it into his eyes and him screaming. He had been so hungry, so tired. When he had come back, Bruce thought he had run away and he let him think that.

It killed him, how that after he came home from that horror to a family he trusted to take care of him, Bruce glared at him. He had even refused to speak to him for a week, as if they were five-year-olds that had fallen out over a toy car or something. Robin curled up as the cold breeze bit at his cheeks. Then there was a pat on his shoulder and Artemis had come to sit next him. She looked him over and Robin guessed she had been told everything. They sat in a silence as bitter as the cold that gnawed into them.

"You're not going to get any better out here." She said and he murmured in agreement but said nothing more. "I recognise the poison. I know whoever did it, would tell you to keep quiet. It's like torture rules but you know from experience that it's better to say something."

A look passed between them, lasting only three seconds but it was worth three thousand words. Then Artemis knew, someone had threatened him with something or someone that he wasn't willing to risk; be it his family or friends. Artemis hated seeing the youngest member so helpless and distraught—maybe that was the monster's plan. Robin was the youngest, but he wasn't the weakest; and that was where people went wrong. This time, however, Robin looked as if he was…only thirteen.

"It happened when you 'ran away' didn't it?"

The boy dipped his head, "You can't tell anyone I screwed up, especially not…"

"Batman, I…" Artemis turned and began to stutter.

"Yeah." Robin murmured; then he followed her gaze to see his mentor, he wasn't scowling though, he had a look of understanding almost. "Great, that's just what I needed."

"Who is Sloane?" Batman sat on the other side of him. And let the interrogation begin.

"I don't know, I don't what he looks like, I don't know where. All I know is he will get a message to me."

"What has he said?"

Robin told him everything as Batman reached into his pocket and pulled out the note Robin had been sure he had hidden, more followed, notes he hadn't gotten. Robin took them, staring at each one in turn with hollow eyes. It was so hard to stay calm with Sloane sawing away at what little sanity he had left. Robin dropped the photos, pulling his hands over his head. That was it; he had snapped.

"No! No more." He pleaded with a weak voice.

"Let's go inside." There was the three heroes, in costume and Robin was about to cry. Not in public.

Everyone knew; there was no escaping it anymore.

They sat at the meeting table, a room where none of the sidekicks had been before. They stood behind their mentors but Robin sat in Batman's chair as the Dark Knight prowled around. Every single hero was looking at the boy with a mix of disappointment and pity. For a second, as Robin sat next to Captain Marvel, Batman thought he almost looked at place at the League—if the ten-year-old beside him could make it then Robin could too. That was if he made it to the day; if this Sloane got a hold of him then, Batman feared, Robin wouldn't make it to Christmas.

"A note said 'the bank'. I went, I found the Joker."

He looked up, eyes wide, "You didn't tell me."

"No, I didn't." Batman didn't falter under his stare.

"The Joker is in charge?" Wonder Woman assured.

"No, Sloane is, actually, and the Joker works for him; they all work for him. He gets what he wants."

"And he wants you…preferably in pain."

"It's a deal we made; he won't take apart the League. It's not like a signed it willingly, I was drugged."

"You still are intoxicated with a poison." Red Tornado reminded the room, earning him a glare for the Boy Wonder but it bounced off the robot without a graze.

"He wants to meet you again." Batman handed him a small piece of folded paper. He unfolded; there was a smudged fingerprint in blood and Sloane's scruffy writing.

It read 'Mistakes are made, the notes are intercepted. Same palace, same time. This time, we'll meet in person.' His mouth dropped open as things clicked into place for everyone else. Batman was very detailed, being the detective he was. Everyone was silent. Robin looked to Wally for a little support but got cold eyes instead, it wasn't as effective as Batman's Bat-glare but Wally was his friend and the only one to know his secret identity. They were Dick and Wally. They were Kid Flash and Robin; they were inseparable. Not any more, Robin thought.

Robin finally spoke in a voice raw and broken, "Tonight. You won't let me go, though, will you?"

"M'gann will go in your place, as you and the rest of us will be there. You won't be, though. You're right about that much." The Flash told him.

Robin sneered at the speedster, "No. Do you want to put her in danger? It's no different; me or her."

"I can levitate out anytime." She defended herself.

He barked a laugh, "He gets what he wants or he gets angry before he gets it. But he'll get it in the end."

Flash lent forwards, accepting Robin's challenge, "The Joker attacked Central City, my city. He was after Kid Flash, my nephew. He's going out of his way to stir things up and someone—this Sloane—is helping him."

"Stop you fools." Robin growled fiercely taking everyone by surprise. "You don't know what you're up against." He laughed but it wasn't his normal creepy laugh but a sinister one and he held up the note, "My fingerprint, my blood. And I'm still her. Don't you have questions?"

"We were getting to that." Green Lantern said.

"This isn't to do with you. He's doing this to show me what my life's worth. No doubt this…"—he waved the paper—"is telling me that my time's up. You send M'gann and he'll torture, not for you but for Robin." Then he turned to a stunned Martian ManHunter as if he didn't know M'gann was stood behind him, and close to tears, "If she goes, you won't see your niece again. I go and I go alone."