"Who says I've ever worked with Batman?"
"You didn't think I'd figure it out Robin?" His smile was clear, even behind his mask. "The way you move the way you speak."
"I doubt Batman himself could've figured that out. There had to be another piece of evidence."
"Adept a detective skills." I paused, behind him, in his blind spot. "But you are correct young man. My dimensional traverser let me know someone else had disputed the field. About... two or three months ago."
I tried to continue breathing properly. Had it really been that long? Had it been the same amount of time in my dimension? I had to goad more information out of him. And there was only one way to do that...
I stopped a moment as he turned, and caught me in the side.
My hand flew to my side. The blade hadn't gotten past the upper skin and it was hardly bleeding. But Deathstroke paused while I milked it for all it was worth.
"I'm still confused," I huffed.
"At what?" he pressed forward sooner than I thought and managed to snag my cape.
"How long have we been away? You don't seem to be worried about being missed at your job."
"You suffer the delusion that all think," he growled. "Time in all dimensions is equal. Down to the last second."
I hid my sigh of relief. I had still been gone a long time but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought.
"Fine," I leapt over his tripping move. "You answer all this and yet I'm still left in the dark about why I'm even here."
"Simple," Slade's voice spoke above me, starling me. "You are my new project. You've proved yourself worthy of my attention. I wish to see if you are worthy of my time."
"Is that the reason you cut me open?"
"Oh no," Slade laughed softly. "That was simply... extra measures. You see Deathstroke has told me all about your true origins and, apart from making sure they were true, I couldn't have such an adept hacker simply wandering around."
"Yes," Deathstroke's sword slid along the concrete wall. "How did you friend kid flash put it. 'The little ninja?'"
My face turned white. "How'd you know that?"
"I asked him," Deathstroke ran two fingers across his blade. "I asked where you were before I ran him through."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"I didn't tell you?" He feigned innocence. "I returned to your home once discovering your location. Without their most experienced member the team crumbled."
"Shut up," I tried to speak but my voice wouldn't pass my lips.
"My favorite was the little Martian girl. She squealed like a pig as my blades cut her apart. It was even more fun when she tried to defend the super boy."
"Shut up," I shook, gripping the scythe in my hand.
"He was a bit more trouble you see. Kryptonite blades are very hard to get your hands on. But I managed it, in the end." He advanced slowly. "Aqualad put up a decent fight until I broke his hands, can't wield a weapon without fingers."
"Shut up," my thumb inspected the first button again.
"With blonde wasn't much of a fight. Once her bow broke she took no effort to cut in half. And once she was gone, well, Kid Flash was simple."
I couldn't even speak. My shaking no longer with unshed tears.
"He talked for a while. Said you were going to save them. Said the league would save them. They didn't. Security lapsed since Batman left the league. He's been looking for you." His laugh was spine chilling. "Isn't that sweet? Was he your father? No point in hiding his identity now. You won't last long enough."
"Shut up!" I screamed.
For a second his steps faltered, but only for a second. "Have I struck a nerve?" He lifted his blade to me. "If you feel so strongly, attack. Come on."
"I won't kill." I said it more to myself than him.
"Batman taught you very well. I wonder what he'll say when I murder is precious bird. Or maybe I won't tell him and let him suffer in eternal–!"
He stopped talking.
I hadn't even noticed I was moving until it was over. The scythe pierced the center of his chest, a fatal blow no matter what powers he had.
With no compassion left in me I ripped it out, leaving a long red slice through what little could be seen of his upper body.
It came out clean and I felt no mercy or even guilt for what I had done when I turned away from the corpse.
"Well done Grim Reaper," Slade crooned. "You are indeed master of death."
Kid Flash knew how long it had been. He knew down to the last minute. Three months, two days, eight hours fourty minutes and five seconds, six seconds, seven seconds...
He sighed. How had it been so long? Surely Batman had done something by now. He still gave them missons but only Wally seemed to notice the tired way he spoke, up all hours to find the little bird.
Rubbing his sore head he turned to the team. They'd settled back into a normalcy, with a few new members.
Artemis came up behind him, putting her arms around his neck.
"What's wrong Baywatch?" she teased.
"You have to ask?" he looked to the floor.
"Oh," her mouth curved downward. But she pulled herself together quickly. "Come on Wally, you still owe me dinner."
"Dinner?" He looked up to her.
She sighed sadly. "You forgot didn't you? My birthday? My seventeenth birthday?"
"Oh!" He smacked his forehead. "Artemis I'm so sorry. I didn't forget. I mean, I did but–"
"It's fine," she kissed his cheek gently. "You've got a lot on your mind lately."
"I'll make it up to you," he grabbed her arm. "We'll go now."
Artemis smiled with love at her boyfriend.
"Team," Batman stalked into the mountain, somehow his zeta tube entrance had remained unnoticed. "Report to the mission room." And with that he turned on his heels.
"Looks like we'll have to make up that dinner later." Artemis sighed.
"Looks like."
She chuckled. "You don't even have money for dinner do you?"
"Nope." He sped to the mission room.
Artemis shook her head and followed her boyfriend to the mission room. On closer inspection she saw the details only kid flash had seen. He was obviously exhausted, his shoulder slumped forward in his Kevlar.
"What is wrong Batman?" Kaldur asked respectively.
"You have a mission," he brought up the halo screen. "The rouge known as Deathstroke–"
Artemis felt her heart skip a beat.
"Has been missing for three and a half months. I have two locations which I want you to scout out and return to me."
"Yes sir."
Everything after that last day of training was a blur. I felt numb for the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Emotions didn't seem to matter. I tore up everything in my path whether training dummy or wall.
Slade never put me in my cage again. I sliced the door to bits that last day.
I couldn't calm down, sleep became less and less important.
I didn't feel human anymore. Some days I didn't even speak.
Food didn't even seem like a concern anymore. I knew I was getting thinner but my suit hid this.
After another bout of training robots which I sliced to bits I looked up to my captor who stood in the corner, watching.
"How long have I been here?" I asked.
"In my facility or from your dimension?"
"Both."
"You have been with me for near four months which makes your time in this dimension a little over five months."
I should've felt something, some stab of regret to know it had been so long since my teams murderer had been murdered himself. But I couldn't feel. My numbness increased, like when you have pins and needles and press on it.
What was it like to feel? Would I ever feel again?
"What's wrong Grim Reaper?" Slade looked to me.
"I'm bored," I decided.
"I see," Slade's hidden smile was clear. "What kind of entertainment would you like?"
"I want to go out," my fingers tightened on my scythe.
"Do you have anything in mind?"
I smiled, my numb heart beginning to pound with excitement. "I do have a small idea."
yay horrible cliffhangers! Sorry this one is a bit short. I haven't had much time to write. School is insane.
Reviews make me avoid homework and do this instead