CHAPTER 23

Lee, curled over himself on the bed, finally caught his breath and inched over to the side table. His anger built to an inferno. He had forgiven Robin's past disobedience, but this was too much. The boy would have to be punished, brought in line and forced to obey. He hit an emergency button which soon drew dozens of guards to his room.

"Sir! What has happened?" The first guard arrived and tried to help him sit up.

"Call my doctor. I want to find out whether the brat has disabled me for life!" Lee gasped between clenched teeth. "And find the boy. Search the palace and the city! Recapture him alive and bring him to me as soon as you do! He will be punished for this!" Lee's round face was set with rage. His plans, his hold on Batman/Bruce Wayne depended on having that kid as hostage. He had to get him back.

Rufus set off for the staff dining room but saw the soldiers, dozens of them, fanning out and searching every room. He quickly scuttled back to their hiding place. When he got back to the attics, Dick was sitting on the blanket, knees to chin.

"What happened?" He asked somberly.

"Guards everywhere. I think they're looking for you," Rufus said breathlessly. "You think we'll be safe here?"

Robin picked up the flashlight and opened the panel a bit. He shone the beam along the floor, his lips tightening when he found what he was looking for. "There are scuff marks in the dust, showing that there has been foot traffic here recently. There isn't a trail to this panel, though. Just scuff marks."

"Anything we can do...? Wait..." Rufus whispered and Robin drew back, closing the panel. He'd heard it too. Robin turned off the flashlight and both boys huddled in the darkness as the soldiers climbed the stairs to the room.

The boys hid in silence as the noises grew louder. Soon they could hear individual footsteps. Robin guessed that there were at least four men searching the room. Soon the voices began to speak in Rheelasian. Rufus understood the conversation, expressions of concern and then resignation crossing his face.

"Dirty up here, isn't it?"

"The maids have been skimping again. Nothing in this room." A door slammed. "What do you think the Beloved Leader will do when we catch this one?"

"Heh. Worse than taking off a leg, I'd guess. Kid got him in the nuts, but good! Insulted his manhood, such as it is. Our Beloved President knows that the kid humiliated him."

"Flimsy walls here." They heard a loud thump on the wall next to them. "You don't think there are any secret panels or anything?"

"Up here? Nah. If there are panels, they're in the Beloved Leader's bedroom to help his little captives hide from him!" Raucous laughter.

Soon the sounds faded and both boys breathed more easily. Shifting position, Robin nudged Rufus. "What did they say?"

"Nothing important," Rufus answered.

"From the look on your face, it was something. What was it?" Robin asked doggedly.

"Just that your punishment if they catch you will be worse than what happened to me," Rufus replied. "We've gotta get you out of here."

"Yeah," Robin said after thinking for a moment. "Rufe, we gotta split up. It's too dangerous for you to be associated with me. Go to Ms. Kim and get out of the country."

'I'm not going to abandon you," Rufus whispered back. "I already betrayed you once, I can't do that again."

"Rufe, one of the things Batman insists on is that we protect non-combatants. I can't protect you and you're in danger if you're found with me; it's safer for you if we split up." Robin got up and removed the panel hiding the room. "You wait here for an hour or two, then go."

"Robin, no!" Rufus hissed as Robin went out the door. Robin just smiled and waved, then was gone.

As he crept down the stairs, Robin hoped he wasn't making a bad decision, but Batman had always insisted that the lives of others must come first. Nobody knew that Rufus was helping him and he planned to keep it that way. Hopefully, Rufe would be able to escape the palace and make it to Hana Kim's. In the meantime, Robin would be leading them in the opposite direction. Rufe had drawn a crude map of the palace and the exits. If he could get to the rooftop helipad, there was a two story outbuilding he could probably climb down to and make a run for it. He'd leave enough evidence behind that the guards would be sure to follow. It was too bad that he was in this fake Robin uniform; for the first time the bright colors bothered him. He felt like he glowed. He'd try to find new clothing if he could. Let's see...down this hallway and yes, there were the stairs, guarded by two guys with guns. He mentally assessed his weaponry. The suit was unpadded and not kevlar but he was fast and he could hit hard. He grinned. It was about time he got some payback.

Robin made a running start and got the first guard with a kick to the head, then brought the second down with a punch to the jaw before he could aim, much less fire, his weapon. He cuffed them both with their own handcuffs, then lightly stepped over them to climb the stairs. The locked door at the top was a breeze and then he was on the roof. It was very early morning, the sky was just beginning to turn gray. For the first time in days, he felt like he was in control of his fate. He saw a big, dark shadow on the rooftop. The helicopter was there. If it were fueled up...He ran to the cockpit and checked the fuel gauge and almost shouted with joy; the 'bird' was ready to fly, almost immediately. He had to go get Rufus; they could both get out. He looked at the 'copter longingly and made his way back down the stairs.

Batman and the team finished packing for the trip. Wally had been put in charge of loading the packs with sleepy-gas bombs. He worked silently but swiftly, as only a speedster could, doing his best to radiate calm and maturity. He just had to go on this mission; Rob needed him, he knew it. From Batman's case notes, he knew that his buddy was having a bad time of it and he was determined to be there to support him. He finished the last pack and looked up to find Batman watching him appraisingly. Wally stood up and raised his hands. "Batman, he's my friend. I can't just leave him. That should count for something."

Batman and the Flash exchanged glances. Flash nodded. "Okay, Wallace, you can come along on the mission provided that you obey all orders given you. No arguments if we send you to safety. Agreed?" Batman said.

Wally just nodded his head vigorously, knowing that if he said anything it would come out wrong. He had compiled an extra pack, just in case, so he shouldered it and followed the other heroes to the Batcave's zeta platform.

Superman led the way, followed by Batman, Green Arrow, the Flash and Wally last. The beam left them in a dark warehouse that smelled of tea. "This is the gathering place of the revolutionary movement." He gestured towards the door. "The Presidential Palace is two blocks that way."

Batman gave him a wolfish grin. "Good. As we discussed, gentlemen. Green Arrow and the Flashes, you take care of the guards while Superman and I go after Robin."

"Where are you gonna look?" Kid Flash asked. "I mean, you don't know where they're holding him in the palace, do you?"

"I know where he was when I found him the last time. That's where I'll go first," Batman replied coldly.

"But that was Lee's bedr...Oh," Wally gulped down the rest of what he was planning to say.

"As I said before, once we get Robin, Superman, you're to fly him to safety. The rest of us will deal with Lee and his forces, then rendezvous back here for transport. Everyone clear?" Batman ran an eye over the grim faces of his allies. "Good. Let's go."

They made a stealthy approach to the palace, to avoid giving Lee any warning that might impact on Robin. At the gates, the Flashes and Green Arrow melted into the underbrush while Superman burned out the alarms on the gates and let them in. Two different patrols met them on the way in and Batman took care of them personally, seeming to derive much personal satisfaction from beating them into unconsciousness. After the second set had been subdued, Superman pulled him to one side.

"That's awfully rough, Batman, even for you," he said.

"No more than they deserve," Batman said, eyes burning. "Come on, Lee's bedroom is this way."

Superman grabbed him again, forcing Batman to stop. "Maybe I should be the one to go in first, Bruce," he said softly. "It's been a full twenty four hours since you left Dick here. We don't know..."

Batman shook his arm from Superman's grip. "He's my son, Clark. I had to leave him here, but I promised I'd come back for him. I am going to be the one who rescues him...no matter what!"

Superman gave him a doubtful look but followed along silently. The two followed the hallway to a newly replaced set of carved double doors. Supermen frowned darkly and focused his eyes on the door locks, turning them to a puddle of molten metal on the floor. Batman kicked the right hand door open and stormed inside. The room was as opulent as it had been before but there was no immediate sign of Robin. Instead Lee, dressed in red satin pajamas, lay sitting up on the bedcover, an ice pack held on his groin. He cringed when Batman ran over to him and grabbed him by the throat. "Where is he, Lee?"

Superman's sharp eyes caught a flash of yellow on the floor, half hidden by the bed spread. He pulled it out and held up Robin's cape. "Batman..." he said tightly.

Batman glanced over, saw the cape dangling from Superman's hand and something snapped. He held Lee overhead, the man's feet dangling helplessly above the bed.

"What have you done! What have you done to him?' Batman demanded, choking with rage. He slapped Lee with the other hand. "Where is he?"

Lee's fearful expression changed to one of crafty slyness. "We've been making friends, he and I" he spat out a tooth. "He's mine." Lee's eyebrows raised and he smirked. "You don't get him back unless you keep your end of the deal. You can threaten me, Batman, all you like but I have all the power here!"

Batman gave a howl of rage and started pounding Lee until Superman was afraid he'd kill the man. "Batman. Batman!" Superman grabbed Batman's fist and held it in place. Batman turned to him, enraged and breathing hard.

"Robin isn't in this room," Superman said coaxingly. "Let's go look for him. Lee isn't going to tell you anything."

Batman growled and tossed the bloody Lee onto the bed. Lee sat up, face covered in blood but managed a smile. "Just ask yourself what happened to your little bird while you were gone, Batman..." Lee said spitefully.

Batman was about to lunge at Lee again when Superman grabbed him. "You don't even know if he's telling the truth," he said. "See that ice pack? Well, he's got one hell of a bruise underneath it, if you catch my drift. Robin probably kneed him in the groin and ran."

Batman stared at Lee and put a close rein on his emotions, locking them down tight. Clark was right. Emotions...were messy things and impeded clear thought. "You're right," he said finally, eyeing the much-battered dictator. "Let's go find Robin," he said and stalked out the door.