Dick wasn't afraid of heights. He never flinched, never trembled, never blinked when it came to jumping off buildings or throwing himself so he was plummeting to the ground. So he didn't understand why he could move.

He was at the edge of a building, the Gotham nightlife buzzing below him, with a tightrope stretched across the gap between his building and the one across the street. His muscles were frozen, palms covered in sweat, and his breath kept catching in his throat.

On the ground below him, he could see two bodies surrounded by an ominous circle of red. He realized he was shaking, and he tried to stop it, but he couldn't. His body was beyond his control, under the spell of some strange emotion.

Perched precariously on the tightrope stood Bruce, texting on his phone. Every movement he made caused the rope to sway and Bruce's chances of falling increase. Dick wanted to scream out to him, to beg him to come back to the building, back to safety, but the words wouldn't leave his throat.

Dick wanted to go out and get him, but he couldn't convince his body to move and the thought caused the tremors to increase and the strange emotion to take further control of his body.

Dick had never been afraid, but now his fear was preventing him from saving the one paternal figure left in his life.

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

Batman put his hand to his com "Canary. What are Robin and Kid Flash's status?

There was a moment of silence before her response, "No change. Have you found Dr. Destiny?"

Batman didn't respond, instead choosing to shove Dr. Destiny against the wall with a batarang at his throat. "This is your last chance. Let them go."

Batman could feel the Flash vibrating in rage behind him, and knew that if the boys weren't released soon then Dr. Destiny wouldn't live long enough to pay for his crimes.

"I did!" Dr. Destiny wheezed, "I let them go!"

"Liar!" The Flash yelled, and Batman wasn't fast enough to prevent Dr. Destiny from being ripped from his grasp. Dr. Destiny was thrown across the room and crashed into the wall, not having time to hit the floor before the Flash was on him again.

"Flash!" Batman yelled, "Don't kill him!"

"I won't," The Flash growled, "But he'll soon wish I would."

Batman knew it was time to call in backup. Batman couldn't, without extensive preplanning, take down the Flash by himself. There was only one League member who could stop the Flash, and it was time for Batman to call him down. Pushing a button on his utility belt, Batman watched as the Flash chucked Dr. Destiny across the warehouse.

As much as he loved seeing Dr. Destiny being punished for daring to harm their partners, killing him would not help them free them. Luckily it wasn't long till backup arrived and imposed itself between the Flash and Dr. Destiny.

"Enough, Flash," Superman stated.

Lightning flew around the Flash's form, his body sliding in and out of focus and he faced Superman, "It won't be enough until he lets them go!"

"And if you kill him he can't do that," Superman pointed out logically.

The Flash growled, the floor under his feet cracking as his vibrations increased, "How will we convince him to let them go then?"

Superman was saved from answering by Black Canary, "Batman, Flash. They're calling for you."

With that the Flash took off, grabbing Batman as he ran, and leaving Superman alone with Dr. Destiny. Superman sighed, glanced at Dr. Destiny who was staring at him with a mixture of awe and fear, and cracked his knuckles.

"Now, let's talk about you letting Robin and Kid Flash go."

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

As much as Batman usually hated traveling with the Flash, in this moment he was grateful. Dick was tossing and turning in his hospital bed muttering softly, begging for someone to move. The Flash was already with Wally, trying in vain to soothe him.

Batman made his way over to Dick, sitting next to him on the bed and slid his hand through his hair. When that failed to soothe him, he took Dick hand in his own, trying to ignore how small it was. Dick was so capable and brave that sometimes Batman forgot how young he was, how small he was.

Neither boy was settling, still trapped in the hell created by their own minds.

"What are we going to do?" The Flash asked softly.

Batman didn't answer, and eventually Black Canary filled the silence, "If all else fails we will wait until J'ohn arrives."

"We can't just wait!" The Flash snapped, unmoving from Wally's side, "We can't just leave them!"

"We won't." Batman interjected, holding Dick's hand tighter in his own, "We will get them out of this and Dr. Destiny will pay for even thinking of harming our partners."

The Flash attempted to smile at him, but it never quite fully formed. Once again they fell into a silence only broken by their partners cries of fear.

It was killing Bruce to have to sit and watch his partner, his son, suffer like this.

"Bruce...Bruce…" Dick kept muttering pleadingly and all Bruce could do was wipe his tears they fell down his face.

He felt powerless, the most he had felt since he first put on the mask. He became Batman, so he wouldn't have to watch people he loved suffer, and now it was all he could do. He held Dick's hand tightly and muttered reassurances that Dick didn't seem to hear.

Batman couldn't tell how long he had been trying to soothe Dick when Superman entered.

"He's in a holding cell,"

"Is he talking?" Batman demanded.

Superman shook his head, "He keeps claiming that he let them go."

Batman growled and stormed out of the room, his cape swishing dramatically behind him. He could hear Superman trailing after him, but the Flash remained with Wally and Dick. He was pleased, he needed someone to stay with Dick so he could do what he needed to do.

He was going to get Dr. Destiny to let the boys go. While the Flash could be intimidating, no one was more terrifying than Batman.

YJYJYJ YJYJYJ

The interview room was dark. Normally they were brightly lit, blinding even, but that didn't fit Batman's style. He worked best in the dark.

Dr. Destiny was nervous, and Batman could see the sheen of sweat covering his face. He had been sweating since he entered, and Batman was sure the abnormally low temperature was beginning to get to him now. It was only when he began to shiver that Batman spoke.

"Let them go."

Dr. Destiny jumped, his eyes whirling to race on Batman, and Batman could practically hear his heart rate increase.

"I did!" Dr. Destiny was quick to say, "I let them go back at the warehouse!"

"There no use in lying to me-"

"I'm not lying!" Dr. Destiny pleaded, and inwardly Batman paused.

Dr. Destiny was a coward. The fact he had resisted the Flash for so long was unusual, but not beyond his usual amount of bravado. This was different, he showed no signs of lying and only signs of fear.

"Why aren't they waking up then?" He eventually asked coldly.

"I don't know!" Dr. Destiny cried, his hands coming to grip his hair. "I let them go! They should have woken up almost immediately!"

"Why wouldn't they have?"

"I don't know! But the only thing that could be trapping them now is their own minds!" Dr. Destiny yelled, trying to appease Batman.

Batman stood, staring at Dr. Destiny for a moment, before gliding out the door, his cape flowing behind him.

Trapped in their own minds Batman thought as he began to head back to the Dick and Wally. If that was true, Batman hated to admit that they might have to wait for J'ohn to return.

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Once with the boys, Batman quickly explained the situation to the Flash.

"We have to wait for J'ohn to get us into their minds to let them go," Batman concluded watching the Flash's face darken, then brighten almost immediately.

"Me'gan!" He explained happily, "She can link us to Wally and Dick so we can lead them out!"

"She's not ready-"

"She's our only choice!" The Flash protested.

"The simulation." Batman stated, a further explanation unneeded.

Batman could see the conflict on Flash's face before it settled, "We don't have a choice. We either use Me'gan or leave the boys in their own personal Hells."

"Go get her." With a rush of wind, the Flash was gone, off to get their only hope.

YJYJYJYJYJYJYJ

Bruce hadn't moved, and neither had Dick. His throat was raw from trying and failing to call out to Bruce, and his muscled ached for endlessly trying to overcome his fear and go get Bruce. The wind was picking up and Bruce's position only grew more precarious.

He wanted to move, wanted to save him but he was too afraid and bound by his fear.

He had always tried to be brave, but now his fear was going to kill Bruce.