Batman pov

I sent the Team on a mission to an island supposedly under the control of Lex Luthor around at 1600 hours. Typically I would have received an update on their status two hours into the mission. It is now 2100 hours and still no word from the Team. I immediately altered the League to this situation, and we began our search for the missing Team. After three hours of searching, Batman received a video message from a mysterious sender. I sent Flash to find the League to bring them back to the monitor room. Five minutes passed when the rest of the League came charging into the room.

"What is it?" Superman asked.

"Watch," I order them as I start the video.

"Hello, Justice League. I have something to show you." The man taunts in a sing-song tone as he changes the camera's view to the team.

The team was unconscious, hanging by their wrist against a jagged stone wall. Their faces were slightly covered in minor cuts, minus Superboy, looking at their most vulnerable. I noticed that there was a black substance underneath Aqualad's feet. I zoomed in to see that they appeared burned.

"What did you do to my son?!" Aquaman screamed.

"He needs to learn to watch his step."Black Manta said, causing me to zoom out to see him stroking Aqualad's cheek.

"Don't you dare touch him!"

"Relax Arthur. I won't hurt the boy, much."

"Who are you," Flash asks.

"You may address me as Torture. I hold your kids lives in my hands. Let's try to soften them up a bit. Scarecrow the venom," he said as he moved the camera to Scarecrow.

Scarecrow walks to the Team and injects them with the fear gas formula. Miss Martin immediately screamed as she began to fight him, trying to get away from his injection. He instantly raised his hand to backhand her, stopping her struggle, before injecting her in her neck.

"Don't you touch her!" Superboy and Martian Manhunter shouted.

Scarecrow gave the rest of the Team their injections, each of them giving him a fight. The room became filled with their screams and cries for it to stop. Wonder Woman reached to turn the volume off; I grip her hand stopping her.

"That's what he wants," I said as I let her hand go.

We watched for felt like an eternity on the monitor. Scream after agonizing scream from the Team echoes loudly through the room. It slowly drained the life out of the League, including me.

"Torture stop this, now," I demanded.

"Sorry, can't do that."

Robin began screaming in Romanian "Mami, tati nu ma lasa te rog! Te rog, vino înapoi. Bruce, tata ma ajuta."

"Stop this! Now!" I growl at Torture.

"Look." Canary cries pointing to Aqualad.

Aqualad hanged there by his wrist, not making a sound. His eyes shut and face twisted in discomfort. It seemed as if he was fighting off a demon with his mind.

"I-is he-" Aquaman began to ask, fear lacing his voice.

"No. He's not dead," Red Arrow said as he walked into the room. "His reaction to nightmares are reserved due to his stoic personality and his training in Atlantis. If he gets pushed to the breaking point, then he will have a reaction."

"Red how did you-"

"Call it a hunch," he said, keeping his eyes on Green Arrow. "What do you want you son of a bitch?"

"This was merely a warm-up. Until next time."

The call ended as I let out a soft growl in frustration.

"I couldn't pinpoint the location of the call," I explain with my anger lacing my voice.

"How did you?" Aquaman asks looking at Red Arrow.

"He's a quiet dreamer. I should know. He spends the nights at my place. He usually just wakes me up."

"Why did they take the kids?" Superman asks.

"Most likely to hurt us. We need to find them."

"We'll find them. I promise."

"We have no idea of what he is capable of," I began my research into this Torture character.