They'd both thought long and hard about the moment that they finally met face to face, and when it actually happened neither of them was prepared.

It was late, later than Terry was usually out and earlier than Jason usually started to head back to the house.

He had a bike, a cool motorcycle that Dick himself that designed. It was black with a yellow R on the side, very simple and exactly to both of their tastes. Strangely it didn't bother him that Robin was not his alone.

Sharing the name with Dick meant something, and it made him feel connected to the other man on a whole other level. He knew Dick lived through him at times, but he'd actually drawn the line at a video system through his mask.

There was living through him and then there was living through him.

Jason had just finished fighting off a gang of Jokers at the pier trying to smuggle in some drugs with a name longer than he'd ever heard but Dick's voice through his earpiece made him go.

"I'm heading back, it's dead out here."

I'll leave the light on.

He smiled. The warm, teasing tone in Dick Grayson's voice gave his stomach a little jolt.

Then he thought about McGinnis and he sighed, smile melting away.

He put his hand over the top of the bike and it started up. Just as he was about to take off someone grabbed him from behind, throwing him off and hitting him in the face with something metal. His vision blurred and he blinked, just as someone hit him in the mouth and cursed, "Happy landings, little birdie."

Everything else faded when he passed out from the pain.

Jason came to staring into the face of a man he did not recognize and he knew at once that his mask was gone. So was his earpiece. His arms were tied and he was hanging from the ceiling of some large room. Warehouse?

The man smiled at him. "Wakey, wakey."

He glared.

"None of us recognize you, and your face doesn't come up in the digital archives. Just who the fuck are you, little birdie?"

Jason was silent.

The man had no hair and had to be almost forty, he was dirty and the room smelled like sweat. Also blood, but Jason pushed that thought down.

He didn't struggle when he was hit in the face again, though he did wince when he felt the metal on his spine.

That was gonna bruise. Or cripple him permanently, by the feel of it settling in his legs.

There were two of them he saw now; the one talking was not the one who had attacked him outside. That man was at his side, with what looked to be a metal pipe.

His left eye was swelling and he felt blood in his mouth.

"He's not talkin' Jerry. The birdie is scared. Pretty birdie though."

The man at his side touched his cheek and he flinched. The man laughed and continued to touch, moving his fingers to Jason's mouth. He went to put his finger inside when Jason bit him. Hard.

"FUCK!"

He punched Jason in the face, making him black out for a moment.

"You okay, Henny?"

Henny glared at Jason and then his glare turned into a smile. "I'm fine. I think he needs to be taught a lesson, Jerry."

Jerry smiled and reached into his pocket, taking out something and holding it up for Jason to see.

His earpiece.

"Guess what we did, Robin? We traced the signal from your little earring and we know where you live. Want us to go see what we can find there? The guy who keeps talking sounds awfully upset."

Jason's eyes widened a moment and he swallowed the blood in his mouth. "No."

He struggled at his bonds, nearly breaking them. Henny punched him in the stomach and then Jerry picked up the pipe. "You gonna talk, birdie?"

Just as he was about to speak there was a crash and the lights went out.

Jason struggled at his bonds, there was rope and there were chains. He sucked at it, he knew that, but it was worth a try.

Sounds of struggling were reaching his ears and he hoped it was who he thought it was. Even if that was the last person he wanted to see.

After a beat the sounds stopped and someone touched his face. He flinched and a voice said, "It's okay. It's me."

"Batman," was the last thing Jason said before he passed out officially, the pain in his back and the blood running down his face finally catching up to him.