AUTHOR NOTE: Hey there guys, here's another chapter! Thank you so much to all of you who've reviewed, favorited, and followed—it really makes me happy to know that people spent some their time reading this story and want more. It motivated me to write this chapter fairly quickly—I hope you enjoy! Next chapter should be up sometime next week.
DISCLAIMER: The characters aren't mine.
Chapter Two: No Gains from Chains
Kid Flash had never been so fast in his life as he was now. Panting, the speedster zipped around the tattered remains of the Arkenson and Industries building, as well as the ruins of Johnson and Company. With each step he took, Wally desperately hoped to see his best friend laying on the ground, dazed but unhurt. He realized it was a stretch, seeing as nothing alive was left in the piles of rubble, but the speedster didn't think about that now. In fact, he could hardly focus his mind at all. Memories of Robin came flooding in—every time they had laughed, fought, talked, and most importantly, stayed together. Never once had Robin left him to face anything alone; he was always there, offering all the help he could give. But not now. After a turn of events, Kid Flash was running all alone, feeling as though his stomach was plummeting. It just like when he and Robin had jumped out of the bio-ship just thirty minutes before—except this time, he didn't have his best friend to hold onto.
Flash's protégé swept around the building's remains five more times before he was finally forced to admit that Robin wasn't there. In a second, he was standing a few paces behind Batman, watching as the older hero shifted through piles of concrete. Despite how intimidating and downright scary the Caped Crusader could be, Wally knew that he must be feeling as bad, or probably worse, than he himself did.
The speedster stood there for a few seconds, almost too afraid to approach the man bearing the signature dark cape and cowl. It had been a very scary sight when the Justice League arrived, although Wally had been too caught up in his own grief to give much notice to anyone else. When the two teams met, Batman had stormed up and immediately pounced on the younger group with questions. Wally had never seen him so angry before—it was terrifying, but the teen had been too shaken up to be truly scared. The thought that Robin was either dead or with Scarecrow was enough to petrify the hero and he knew Batman was the same way. He had never seen such a strong bond between father and son like Batman and Robin. The thought that Robin brought out the warmth in the Caped Crusader made Wally smile—but now that his little bird was taken, it was clear to Kid Flash that the Bat wouldn't rest until he was found and the captor was personally beaten to a pulp.
Wally snapped out of his thoughts as Batman noticed his presence and snapped around. The sight of his bared teeth and clenched jaw made KF spill his news very quickly.
"There are absolutely zero signs of Robin.," he said glumly.
Batman's brow furrowed together and he tightened his fists. But before he could respond, Flash ran up to them in a blur of red. Wally could tell from the frown on his uncle's face that his news wasn't good either.
"No signs of Robin," Barry sighed. "There is too much rubble to even begin to search thoroughly…but I don't think he's here."
At once, Batman swung his gaze to Wally. "Repeat exactly what you said happened before the bomb exploded," he growled.
The protégé's stomach twisted as he recalled the memories, but he forced the words to rush from his mouth. "Well, me and Robin had separated—he went down and I went up. I helped loads of people to the windows where Miss M got them safely to the ground. It was all going fine and we realized that the building wasn't going to tip, but suddenly Robin wasn't answering on our private mental link. I was going to run after him, but the fires had grown so tall that it was impossible. Then Aqualad said something on the groups' psychic link and Robin said something—"
"What did he say?" Batman's voice held the utmost urgency.
"I-I really can't remember...well Aqualad told us to meet down with him and Robin said something like 'Don't!' or 'No!' And then I heard him over the mental link—we all did, although we didn't know it was him for about a minute. But, like I said earlier, he didn't say words…his mind just…started screaming."
Wally swallowed hard and could almost hear the echoes of Robin's internal wail ringing in his head. The thought of the dark-haired teen in so much pain made him want to puke. Barry put a hand of comfort on his protégé's shoulder, but Batman stepped forwards impatiently.
"And then? When you ran to find Robin, what exactly did you see?"
Wally knew he must be shaken-up when he realized he was looking at Batman's face while the Bat-glare was upon him with more force then ever before. "Well, then Miss M snapped off his part of the link and I decided to jump over the flames. I was able to twist in the air so that it only burned by back, but then I ran down the stairs and found a trail of blood running down the steps. I…I heard the bomb ticking at this point, but ran down anyways until Miss M flung me out and caught me…"
Batman narrowed his eyes, taking in this information for the second time. "With the security tapes destroyed, we are going to have more problems trying to find out what happened. Let's—"
The older hero was cut off by a shout from Superman. Turning, the three of them him standing in the destroyed fourth floor of Arkenson Industries. With the basement floors collapsed, the fourth floor was now where the first should have been. Exchanging a glance with his former mentor, Wally and the two League members ran over to where the Kryptonian stood alongside Superboy.
"I think I found something," the clone said, although not smiling. "I mean, I think I heard something. If you walk along here," he stepped over a giant crack in the floor, "I can hear tiny pieces of rubble slipping between the collapsed basement floors. After about five minutes observing, me and Superman have agreed on a theory."
All eyes turned to the hero wearing the signature red cape. "Me and Superboy have confirmed that there is indeed a tunnel in the lowest basement room. It leads north, but that's all we can tell. There is no way we can reach it with all the caved-in underground floors but—"
"We're reaching it," Batman said, not leaving any room for argument. "If this is like you say, then Scarecrow most likely jumped Robin and took him down there before the bomb went off. I'm guessing that tunnel stretches a long distance before exiting somewhere in Gotham, or just outside it. We. Are. Getting. There."
"What do you think made Robin's mind yell like that?" Wally asked, suddenly blurting out the question that had been troubling him the most. "Robin…he sounded in so much pain…"
Batman's jaw clenched. "I think Scarecrow must have injected some kind of his fear gas into him. It most likely enabled him from communicating with you in his mind."
Even with his cowl on, Wally could tell that Batman's eyes were burning with rage. The sight filled the speedster with a newfound hope—there was no way that Batman would let Scarecrow get away with this. They were going to find Robin…they had to. And Kid Flashed refused to even consider what would happen if they didn't.
"Batman…" Superman's face held a pained expression. "It is going to take hours, maybe a day or two to clear out a path down to the basement floor. It would be a waste of time when we could be searching in better ways. And besides, what if we find nothing?"
Batman's lips drew back in a snarl. "And what if we find a clue to my son's location?" he barked. "We are going down there, no questions about it. I don't care how long it takes. There isn't an easier way to find him—with his communicator crushed, there isn't anything to track."
The glowering man turned to Flash and Wally. "Go and get everyone here," he said in a somewhat soft but stern voice. "Both the Justice League and Young Justice team. Tell Hawkman and Aquaman to check all street security cameras—instruct Black Canary and Green Arrow to interview some of the victims and anyone who might know details about what happened. Everyone else meets here. We are going to dig a path to the basement and I don't care how long it takes."
Batman wordlessly turned his gaze to the object resting in the palm of his hand. Wally blinked as he saw a glint of red metal against the dark glove. It was Robin's smashed communicator. "I will tear up the entire United States if that's what it takes to find my son."
.
.
.
.
When Robin awoke, he was aware of only two things: the throbbing burn on his right hand and the frantic pulsing of his heart. The two seemed to beat in unison, sending streams of pain throughout his body. Then, suddenly remembering his situation, the teen tried to snap open his eyes, only to find out that he couldn't. Or rather, he wouldn't.
There was something holding him back…maybe a blindfold? For some reason, he couldn't see anything no matter how hard he tried. Robin urged himself to think, attempting to remember where he was. He had been rushing through flames to reach a voice…but then what? He could almost remember, the truth was so close, yet his thoughts were clouded. Must…be a drug, Robin thought, wishing he could have the use of his eyes. A drug…or something like that.
And then ensued a stretch of time that consisted of Robin sitting in dull pain and darkness. He couldn't really think, could hardly focus on anything besides the pain lacing his hands, his right one especially. The Boy Wonder sat there for what could have been five minutes or five hours. But, slowly, he was able to think clearer and the fog surrounding his mind seeped away.
Robin suddenly became aware of the iron grip of chains around his wrists. His hands seemed to be bound behind him, against a wall that was cold against his ripped suit. The chains, which must have been attached to the wall, forced Robin to sit with his hands twisted behind him in a very uncomfortable position. The teen also addressed the pain around his mouth: he was gagged with what felt and tasted like bands of cloth. The sides of his lips ached; he could feel the gag winding tightly around the back of his head. And, finally, the young hero also dawned on a new realization—he wasn't blindfolded. In fact, there was nothing whatsoever stopping him from opening his eyes except himself.
My eyes would be rather helpful right about now, Robin thought sourly, trying to distract himself from the obvious pain in his hand. If only I could open them…
You can, a little voice inside him happened to answer back. But of course, you really don't want to.
Why not? Robin questioned himself.
Because of all the terrifying things that can be seen. Here, let me remind you.
And then, memories flashed across the boy's mind. He saw his parents falling to their deaths, their broken bodies blurred by the tears that gushed from his eyes; Batman and himself inspecting victims they weren't able to save, blood trailing across the ground; the Caped Crusader yelling at him for putting himself in danger to try and save his mentor from the Joker's bullets; failing to save victims; failing to save his parents; falling; burning; bleeding; broken; falling; screaming; helpless; desperate; dead; dead; dead; dead; murdered!
And then, as if the door to his past had abruptly been closed, they stopped.
Oh…Robin grimaced, suddenly aware of his rising heartbeat. A cold sweat now coated his body and fear made his stomach twist. Robin shakily unclamped his teeth from his lower lip as the young hero recognized the sour taste of blood dripping onto his tongue. I hate those memories…
And you should, his other voice answered encouragingly. Fear shuts down the body. So, it's altogether better to keep those little blue eyes of yours closed.
Robin breathed out heavily through his nose and let his head fall backwards, slamming it against the freezing wall. He tried in vain to process the situation.
This must be a very powerful drug, Robin thought with an inward groan. Or else I need some serious help.
When Robin came to his senses again, he was aware that he had only been asleep for a short period of time. In fact, he was now aware of a whole handful of things; his mind had almost entirely cleared. The Boy Wonder took a breath and opened his eyes.
The scene looked almost like what he had pictured in his mind: he was gagged, hands chained to a wall from behind, and indeed in a very awkward position with one of his legs bent underneath him. But now, looking around, Batman's protégé was able to realize a big difference: he wasn't in a dark room, but rather in the back of a van.
Robin's body jostled slightly as the car went over some bumps. The chains behind him rattle; the teen would have thought it a musical sound if the situation had been different. Robin shifted slightly and surveyed the space around him. The inside of the van was dark, with duck-tape covering the windows on the back doors.
Great, Robin thought with a sigh. It's the classic kidnapping situation: young boy jammed into the back of a white van by group of thugs.
This time, the tiny voice didn't answer him. Definitely a good sign.
And as Robin sat there, he began to remember. He remembered everything from the moment he heard the voice calling to him, the echo from the hallway in a tower of flames. He had run back there, leaping over rubble and charcoal, only to have a knife slashed into his upper arm and knocked backwards down the stair. The man yelling for help had turned out to be none other than Scarecrow.
Robin had lunged at the masked man, but even though his bird-a-rang ripped a gash on Scarecrow's arm, the villain had managed to shove a collar around Robin's neck. As it snapped into place, the teen had instantly realized there was no easy way of removing it.
Even now, Robin could feel the band of metal tight around his throat. There was a tiny spike on the inside of it that was poking into the bare skin of neck. Every time the Boy Wonder swallowed, he felt a sting of pain. Batman's protégé thought back to the memory, trying to distract himself.
After the collar had been thrust on him, Robin could no longer speak on the psychic link. He could feel its presence in his mind, and even heard Wally calling out for him, but was no longer able to communicate his thoughts. After that, he had desperately lunged Scarecrow, trying to land a sufficient blow, but the former professor had only pushed him farther and farther down the bending staircase, wielding his favorite weapon: a sickle.
After a short period of time, he had been shoved so awkwardly that the collar slammed against the railing, causing the band to spark. The teen had heard Aqualad say something on the mental link, something about meeting somewhere, but Robin had managed to gasp out something in his mind before Scarecrow shoved a vile-smelling can into his face. The Boy Wonder barely had enough time to see a skull and crossbones on the reflective silver before the villain jerked his hand, causing it to cough out green smoke.
The boy had tried to hold his breath, but a quick jab to his stomach made him inhale.
And that's when the fear started.
It was then that his heart began racing faster and faster.
He had seen images, not even his own memories, flash across his mind—things that he feared above all else. The very thought made the teen shiver.
After that, he had been so mortified that he vaguely remembered sprinting down the stairs, attempting to get as far away from Scarecrow as possible. He had been in full flight, leaping down three steps at a time, when suddenly he'd felt something large smack into the back of his skull.
And then darkness ensued.
Suddenly, as he sat in the back of the van, worry clouded the Boy Wonder's mind. So it had all been a ruse. But what had Scarecrow really wanted? To kidnap him? It seemed unlikely…but all the same, he frantically wondered if his team was alright. And the League…what if something terrible had happened to Batman? What if his capturing somehow resulted in his former mentor being killed? Robin shook his head, trying desperately not to think dark thoughts. If Batman or his team were dead…he would never be the same. He didn't even know how he could continue to live. But the bomb…it must have caused the building to tip.
Robin let out a growl of frustration, but the minute the sound formed in his throat, an electric shock rippled throughout his body. The teen let out a howl and struggled violently against the chains to no avail. Upon realizing the electricity was linked to his vibrating vocal cords by his collar, the Boy Wonder forced himself to remain silent. The sudden electric attack had yanked tears to his eyes, but Batman's protégé furiously blinked them down. After a few more seconds, the violent zap ceased.
So much for calling for help, Robin thought glumly.
The teen let out a sigh, careful to keep the sound quiet as not to use his vocal cords, and tried to calm his mind. He sat there, listening for any voices, but the only sounds he heard were tires rolling over smooth pavement and chains behind him rattling.
After about ten minutes, Robin noticed a slow in the pace. He immediately perked up as the van came to a stop. Several low voices sounded outside followed by the slamming of doors. The young teen braced himself, ready to attempt an escape as soon as the time was right.
But, as the back doors were thrust open, sunlight rushed into the space. Robin, temporarily blinded, let out a grunt and squinted.
Framed against light was a dark and menacing silhouette. Boy Wonder could suddenly feel the cold sweat on his back and his eyes widened.
The figure wasn't a henchman.
It wasn't even Scarecrow.
"Sportsmaster," Robin breathed.