Hey! Sorry I'm late, but... Yeah, life happened, stuff even anti-social me can't avoid :( but I'm here now!
Disclaimer: I only own Renee :)
"Urr, Robin told us what you did... I'm sorry..." Kid Flash said nervously from the other side of the room.
"It's OK," I offer up a small smile from where I sat in a chair. I was unnerved, the brainwashing had become so normal that now it was gone I was struggling.
"Yeah, I mean, I've only seen Joker once and he's a psychopath! How on earth did you spend so long with him?" Miss Martian asked me.
"Daydreams," I shrug, remembering how I saved my sanity from staying so long in the clowns company.
"That bad?" Artemis asked, knowing how bad it must be to try and escape reality. I smiled slightly.
"So, Renee, how'd you get kidnapped?" Superboy asked.
"I was at the supermarket with my parents, and Joker and Harley killed my parents. They blackmailed me into coming with them... And yeah, just in the wrong place at the wrong time," I shrugged. It was all the world really worked on, time I mean, without time, we wouldn't be who we are today. Somewhere in the few seconds my mind had wandered, the mechanical voice had called BATMAN-02 and the whole team turned to face the Caped Crusader as he walked in. He walked straight up to me, ignoring the rest of the team, and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Are you OK? What did they do to you Renee?" He asked me. During the three months I had known him, he seemed to have become more concerned for my well being, like a father would. I hissed in pain, and pulled one of my shoulders away from his grip.
"Fine," I glanced over his shoulder to see the entire time minus Robin shocked at his affection towards me.
"You're not fine," Batman stood to his full, imposing, height, and turned to Black Canary and Red Tornado, who I hadn't noticed had followed him in.
"I'm taking her to the Batcave," he informed them, and I raised an eyebrow. He trusted me enough to take me to the Batcave? My gaze flickered to Robin, who gave me an encouraging smile. Batman turned to me, but as I tried to stand my knees buckled under me, forcing me to sit down again. Batman picked me up gently, and still slightly painfully, and Robin, Batman and I headed toward the tube things that they called Zeta beams.
The cave was cold and dark, the sound of bats chattering came from the shadows in the roof. An elderly man in a suit and domino mask stood there, a platter of cookies balanced on his fingertips in line with his shoulder.
"Agent A, this is Renee Hearne, Renee, Agent A," Batman introduced us. I smiled at the man, and Batman lowered me down onto a chair beside a computer.
"I need to see to some business, you two, wait here," Batman commanded.
"Yes, I'm just gonna go and run a marathon," I rolled my eyes sarcastically. Robin chuckled, and leant against the desk the computer.
"He doesn't let anyone sit on the chair," he gestured towards me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and we both laughed.
"Cookies?" A British accent asked from behind me. I craned my neck round as far as I could and saw Agent A.
"Thanks A," Robin grinned, reaching over me and taking two cookies. I stretched, reaching out as far as I could with minimal pain, which wasn't very far, but Robin placed one of his cookies in my mouth. I glared at him, but ate the cookie.
"When was the last time you ate?" Robin cocked his head to the side.
"Just now," I smiled at him, dodging the question.
"Not counting the cookie," he said sternly.
"About 5 minutes before Harley found me," I admitted, looking down to avoid eye contact. I was ashamed, and I didn't understand why. Why should I worry about what he thinks of me? He looked meaningfully at Agent A, who shuffled off towards some elevator doors.
"You should have said," he turned back to me.
"They gave me water, said it was to easy to die that way, but food... They only fed me once a day anyway, like I was some kind of dog," I spat angrily. Robin put a comforting hand of my good shoulder, and I smiled slightly, reigning in my anger for another day. I heard the doors slid open again behind me, and I looked in the reflection of the Batmobile to see Agent A with a bowl of a steaming substance. He laid the tray in my lap, and I looked down on a bowl of vegetable soup and some wholemeal bread. Not my favourite, but food all the same. Now, do I use the arm with the bad shoulder, or the one with the bad elbow?
"Neither," Robin replied. I hadn't realised I had thought aloud. He picked up a slice of my bread, and dipped it in the soup. I narrowed my eyes slightly, watching him carefully in case he stole my food. Not that I could stop him, in my state.
"Open wide," Robin grinned, bread hovering around an inch away from my lips.
"Oh no way are you fee-" I was cut off by a mouthful of bread, and to avoid choking I swallowed.
"I fell for it didn't I?" I growled.
"Hook, line and sinker," he cackled his signature cackle. During the few times I had to fight the Bird, he would always do this cackle, but freakier, and I we never really tried to injure each other, and I always let myself lose. Of course, this always resulted in a session of torture with the Joker, but what Robin didn't know couldn't hurt him.
"You thought out loud again. Did the Joker really do that?" Robin asked. Damn, it was becoming a bad habit.
"Every time, but it's OK, he gave me speedy healing too, so I'll be fine in the morning and you won't have to feed me like I'm some baby animal," I smiled, trying to convince him I would be OK. We carried in like this until the foo was gone, I hadn't realised how hungry I was.
"There's a spare bed through here," Batman stood in a doorway where dim yellow light filtered through. Limping through the doorway, with the help of Robin, I found a plain room. Normal cave walls, a plain single bed, bedside table and a door that was open to reveal a bathroom with shower, sink, toilet and mirror.
"Robin, go get her something to sleep in, and some toiletries," Batman looked down on his protégé, who quickly scurried into the shadows.
"Thank you," I said to Batman. He nodded, but the whites of his mask narrowed.
"What did Joker programme into you?" He asked. His voice held none of the growl, it seemed, tender.
"Healing abilities, extra flexibility, fight skills, to get black belts in practically everything, enough information to graduate high school top of the class, even at my age, high speed brain function, higher memory capacity, reinforced bone structure, turn down my pain receptors, hacking and faster reflexes. I think that's all of it," I listed them off on my fingers. The whites of Batman's cowl widened slightly.
"Sleep here tonight, we will talk more in the morning," Robin ran up behind his mentor, toiletries, as towel, a green t-shirt and black spandex shorts in hand. They looked slightly too big for me, but not too large so they must be Robin's. I smiled and thanked him as I took them, then waved goodnight to the Bat and Bird, before showering and going to bed. It had been an eventful day.