Sorry for the late update. I'll try better to get the next chapter out in a week's time.

CHAPTER 4

The voices of men fighting woke Robin up….again. He had lost track of time. He wandered the small cage of his room and alternated his time with trying to find an escape and sleeping. The normally methodical pre-teen was being very random in his ways of trying to escape. To an observer he looked more like a wild dog chewing at the bars of his enclosure than a vigilante trained my one of the greatest escape artist in recent history.

He had clawed at the floor. Tried to squeeze through the too small window, multiple times. Slammed himself against the door when he was certain he was alone. Tried once pouncing on his kidnappers when they came into the room to give him food, but that ended horribly. He was beaten than starved for a whole day. His attack was easily fended off. Robin didn't use any of his training, instead jumping and hitting widely in a way that made it easy to kick him away. He felt like something was wrong. Something was off. He didn't feel right in the way he was trying to escape but he couldn't think of anything else or any other way to try.

While looking for a new place at the floor boards to dig at with his broken finger nails in a hope of making a hole, he ruminated on the past days of his capture.

After the "training session" he had passed out and didn't awake till someone came into his room and dropped a tray of food on the floor along with a bottle of water. The round man then roughly untied him from the bed and showing him a bucket in the corner where he could do his business, cuffed him roughly around the ears and stomped out. Robin immediately went to relieved himself, not caring about the indignity of it since he was alone.

He was alone a lot. And it was hard, and he hated it. He did hear Johnny and round man, who after one particularly loud fight he learned was named Vincent, talk and argue a lot. He started to pretend that it was sitcom that was left on so he wouldn't think he was alone. Just like how people leave on the TV or radio for their pets when they leave for work.

He thought he was going to be set free but from what snatches of conversation he could gather through the thin walls and loud voices they were waiting for something. Some kind of job. And he was supposed to help them get away. He had no idea how that was gonna work because he would never help them.

While trying to pry a nail loose with his hands and feeling his fingers start to bleed, Robin stopped. Vincent had walked in and was staring at him. He had a rope in his hands and Robin could feel himself start to fear. The hairs on his arms and back of his neck raised up and he felt his lips curl into a toothy snarl.

"Okay birdy boy, time to go. It's a few days longer than I wanted but this works out so much better in my favor."

Robin growled and crouched into the corner. Vincent approached and made to grab him but he was too late. Robin leapt between his feet and flew to the door, which had been left wide open. He passed right through the entry way and felt his head split open. Falling down he jarred is knees and hit his elbow. All he could see were boots walking toward him and hear Johnny laughing as he dropped the now broken 2x4. He slowly closed his eyes and his world faded to black.

Oh god I'm gonna hurl. My head hurts and I can't breathe well. I just want to curl up and sleep.

Robin slowly opened his eyes. He had a slight panic at first thinking he had gone blind, but after a few moments he realized it was just night out. I can't remember. Was it night out when I passed out? What's happened. This isn't my prison.

He was laying on dirt and scratchy dead grass. He could feel the rope around his neck and his hands were tied behind his back. Trying to sit up he got dizzy and waited for his throbbing head pain to recede some before continuing. I have to figure out what is happening. What is going on?

Concentrating again he slowly raised himself up to his feet and took one step. Then sharply stop as his neck suddenly constricted. Gasping he backed up and looked around then down and he understood. The rope around his neck was a leash. Someone had tied it into a collar and staked the leash to the ground. He had enough slack to stand and take a half step in any direction.

His new prison was an empty lot, behind what looked to be an office building. Brick wall fenced one side while chain link surrounded the other three. The lot was bare door with dead grass sparsely thrown in. A street lamp illuminated the corner of the yard and there were store fronts with bars on the windows across the street. NO, I need to escape. I can't be out here like this. I want to go home. I want to eat and sleep in safety. No more acting like a coward.

Bracing himself he started pulling the rope with all his might. But try as he might he couldn't loosen the stake and almost made himself pass out. Giving up in frustration he started crying till a sound made him stop.

Sirens wailed in the background and gun fire was heard super close by. Suddenly two guys were running toward him, guys he recognized as his kidnappers. Right before they hit the fence they turned sharply to the right and stopped right under the light. Then Robin saw why they were running. A dark shadow quickly approached and stopped right outside the radius of the street lamp that illuminated the two criminals.

A growling voice said, "Drop it and maybe I won't put you in the hospitable." The voice made Robin's heart leap for joy. He knew that voice. It was his protector. He wanted to go home so badly the urge was unbearable.

Vincent had a smirk on his face and was just about to say something when Robin beat him to it. "BATMAN, help. Please, help."

Batman jerked up at hearing that voiced and looked like he immediately forgot what he was doing. He made a step toward Robin then looked back at Vincent with a glare that made the lessor man cringe.

Vincent straitening his posture snarked, "I found your boy. You should take better care of him. Now it's your choice. Go save your son or capture me and my brother. Oh, and there is a bomb set to go off under Robin's feet anytime now."

Robin looked down and saw nothing. Maybe it's buried. I could help. If I dig and find it Batman can save me faster.

Robin started to kick dirt with his feet frantically when he felt large hands grasp him suddenly. Looking up he cried with happiness and leapt up to get closer to his protector. But the rope around his neck suddenly yanked him back down and he fell. He fell right on a box he didn't see before near the stake. Hitting his already sensitive head he passed out. But right before he was fully unconscious he felt the rope around his hands and neck cut away quickly and the sensation of being picked up carried swiftly. Then the explosion happened and all was still.

Next chapter should be part of Robin and Batman having some uniting time. And Alfred noticing something is slightly off with his young ward. Stay tuned.