I am sorry for taking so long to update. Between school and my new job, life has been hectic. However, I have updated - finally. My thanks to Thaliag.2 and Elyograg for giving me feedback on this.
Disclaimer: "Not mine," said the cat. "Not mine," said the dog. "Not mine," said Jedi Ani Unduli.
Blue eyes opened to close again in sudden pain. A weak groan forced itself past his lips.
Why do the lights have to be so bright? And why are my hands and feet still tied up? With all the drugs they pumped into me, I am definitely not going anywhere. Totally not whelmed.
The door opened. Even though the footsteps were muffled, Robin could guess to the number of people. Four had walked in, at least two of them guards. He cracked open one eye – and smirked.
"Bring the prisoner to attention," Ubu ordered curtly. The two guards behind him stalked over to where Robin lay on the cot. They each grabbed an arm and hauled the child up to face him. The main man nodded in curt approval.
"Show some respect." He glared to prove he wasn't kidding. The boy continued to smirk up at him.
"Make me." Ubu's temper flared, and he raised his hand. Just as he was about to strike, a small hand alighted on his shoulder.
"That's enough." The man drew his brows together in a moment of anger before nodding and stepping back.
"As you wish, my lady." Robin's eyes widened. From the shadows stepped out a young, tanned woman. She was smaller than Ubu by a couple inches, body lithe and graceful, and her clothing reflected it. Tan and loose fitting, it showed enough to make any man blush with embarrassment. Being the protégé of Batman, however, taught Robin to focus in on the face. Right now, he really wished the face would change.
"Talia," he growled.
"Greetings, Robin. Or should I call you Richard?" His glare grew stronger; she laughed. "You realize that, knowing your mentor's name, it was too easy to find out your own." She gestured to the guards. "Don't worry about them. They may be able to hear, but they cannot say anything. Their mouths have been silent since they were born."
"What do you want with me?" Robin asked, wanting to get to the point already. The al Ghul family didn't kidnap you on a whim, after all. Instead of answering right away, she leaned down and snatched his face with one of her hands. Her grip was surprisingly strong. Still, he refused to look down, or show any emotion at all, choosing to continue his eye contact and his glaring. Instead of growing angry, as other villains did when he refused to look away or even look intimidated, Ra's daughter sighed.
"Please stop looking at me like that. I prepared some rooms especially for you. After all, even a cell as nice as this one can't compete to a real room, and I'm sure you'd like the extra space." He continued to glare at her. "Your stay here will be comfortable and maybe even enjoyable."
"Why am I here?" Robin asked, voice lowering even more. Talia tilted his head to one side, then to the other.
"You're undamaged. Good. I was worried the elites we sent after you might have roughed you up to the point of you needing to spend your stay here in the medical bay."
"Why am I here?" Robin repeated. Talia ignored him again.
"I believe that it is time you were taken up to your official accommodations." She turned to Ubu. "Take the boy and send the guards to the storerooms. Richard here will need some supplies." Ubu respectfully bowed.
"Yes, my lady." He turned to the guards and spoke to them in Arabic. Robin could make out a few words here and there, but for the most part it was fast and hurried. He hadn't been able to complete the next level of his Arabic studies yet, which sucked in this case. He felt himself being released by the guards and put in an arm-lock by Ubu. After the guards left, Talia nodded in satisfaction.
"Well done, Ubu." She turned to Robin. "Now, let's go see your rooms."
The walk there felt extremely long, but that was due in part to the long corridors and the lifts. Everyone seemed to need to get somewhere. Robin reluctantly walked alongside Ubu (it was either that or choke while being dragged behind the servant), noting something unique for each corridor in case he had to make a quick exit. Even the occasional signs helped. Just because he wasn't fluent in Arabic yet didn't mean he couldn't read or write in it.
12 corridor junctions, 7 lifts, and 5 sets of stairs later, they were standing in front of his rooms. Talia placed her palm on the reader screen in front of the door. The scanner flashed green, and the doors opened. Robin's mouth hung open.
To say the rooms were nice would be an understatement. Floor-length windows surrounded him. At a glance, he found himself to be about midway up a mountain that overlooked a cove and small town below. A beautiful sunset streamed into the room, the view at this height astounding. The tables and chairs were made with a fine dark wood, polished to perfection. The walls were painted a pure white, as were the lights. In the next room, he saw his bed. The headboard and frame looked like they were made from teak, the sheets looked smooth enough to be silk, and the end table looked to be glass with gold specks in it.
Even the splendor of the room did not take Robin's mind off of possible ways to escape. The glass in the windows looked to be too thick and durable for him to break through, and he bet the same went for the end table. The walls were bare except for a few shelves, which were securely set into the walls instead of being nailed on like usual. That was so he couldn't take them apart and use the nails to pick apart the lock or use the boards to knock anyone out. The tables and chairs were bolted to the floor, so he couldn't use them to bust through the window or the door. He knew he'd have to check the bed frame.
As if sensing his thoughts, Talia caught his gaze, smiled and shook her head. Ubu's grip on his arms tightened.
"There is no escape from this place, little bird." She paused as the two guards arrived, gesturing for Ubu to move so they could come in. They deposited the bulky packages on the table, bowed, and left the room.
"Go ahead," she said, seeing curiosity spark in his eyes. "Open them." In the first one was a bundle of civilian clothes, his mask on top. He quickly put it on, feeling almost naked without it this whole time. The civvies he left on the table. The next one was books, language, classical, and historical. He glanced at the Arabic book, heat flushing his cheeks. Of course they would know what language he was currently studying. The third one contained a basket of food. Sandwiches, fruit, a jug of lemonade and cups filled the interior. His good intentions wavered as the smell filled his nostrils. I haven't eaten since lunch, and getting kidnapped makes a guy pretty hungry.
As if knowing what was running through his head, Talia smiled down at him. In response, his stomach grumbled. He silently cursed himself.
"Go ahead." She waved at the food. "Eat. It is not poisoned. Plus it may provide you some distraction while you concentrate on your learning." She nodded to Ubu and together they headed towards the door. "If you need anything, push this button." She gestured to the panel on the wall. "The guards outside will be notified of it, and if they feel even a little suspicious they will reinforce themselves. Do you understand?" Robin nodded.
"Good." Before she could turn around again, Robin cleared his throat. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"
"I would like my previous question answered." He was hoping that she would give him what he wanted.
"What question?" Then again, maybe not. Still…
"Why. Am. I. Here?" Robin knew that she would get irritated with him before long, and decided to speed up the process. He gave her his own version of the Bat-glare. To her credit, she appeared unfazed. A look of sadness crossed her face before she composed herself.
"I would rather you wait until my father returns. Only he can answer that question."
"Then when is he coming back?"
"This evening." Finally! "Once he returns he will come up to see you." She glanced meaningfully around the small suite. "Please be ready to receive him."
The door slid shut behind her.
Out of curiosity – the kind that only people who have been kidnapped so many times before have – Robin looked over every square inch of the walls, the furniture, and even inside the packages. Nothing had been left behind for him to use to escape. Not that he was necessarily going to escape this evening.
If I find out what Ra's wants, then I'll be able to get free and warn Batman, Robin thought. His trademark smirk came back and he leaned into one of the chairs. Why not prepare for Ra's al Ghul's visit a little early? He scrapped that idea. As fun as trashing the suite would be, he had encountered the Demon's Head too many times not to recognize that the man had a temper.
No need to get him riled up right away, he reasoned. Besides, he'll probably expect that I'd do something like that, and I might be able to learn more if I surprise him. After a second thought, he took the Arabic textbook and started to read.
Didn't hurt to do some extra studying either.
Batman ignored the team's babbling as he concentrated on the piece of fabric. The microscope had helped him find several fibers and soil traces so far. Unfortunately, all the ones he had tested so far were found native to the area and offered no help to the Dark Knight. Superman was so far distracting them by having a Q-&-A session.
"So, Robin's, like, gone?" Wally asked. "As in, vanished?"
"That would be the definition of 'gone.'" Artemis snarked at him.
"Was he taken against his will?" Kaldur asked.
"We believe so," Superman replied. "His bike was left behind with the computer slashed to bits."
"Do we know who kidnapped Robin?" Conner asked.
"Not yet."
Batman closed his eyes and massaged them. Staring into a microscope for three hours straight after combing every inch of the clearing for clues was a strain for the forensic science guys. He could go on for two more hours. What good would that do, though?
I need to look over all the evidence again, he thought. Maybe when combined they will give me the answers I seek. He typed on the keyboard, bringing up the photos he took, creating a 3-D hologram of the scene in the middle of the room. He took the scrap of fabric and strode over to the projector. Using his portable UV light, he looked at the way the impression was placed.
"Computer," he said. "Insert eleven human males into the scene, ten adult, one early adolescent." The figures popped into the hologram. He typed some commands into the computer, using the footprints and how deeply they were set to determine position, pose, and speed. Next, he used the soil placement on the cloth to determine Robin's approximate position, and the stages of drying to determine how many times he switched positions. As he typed the final commands into the computer terminal, he remembered some discrepancies between the indentation and time difference between some of the splotches. He also remembered certain oddities at the scene itself.
Suddenly, it clicked.
"Batman to Team, get to the briefing room. Now."
I know what happened.
Ra's al Ghul studied the camera as it honed in on Batman's protégé. He took in the continued wear of the costume plus mask, the half-eaten basket of food, and the open Arabic textbook. He allowed himself a small smile. Even when captured, if allowed he never falls behind in his studies. Wouldn't hurt to give him a little test. He allowed the scanner to read his palm, then stepped through the doorway.
"مساء الخير، روبن," he said.* Good evening, Robin.
"مساء الخير، رأس بن غول," Robin replied, slightly startled but quickly resumed his neutral expression. Good evening, Ra's al Ghul.
"لا تشوبه شائبة تقريبا العربية الخاص بك." Your Arabic is almost flawless. Robin inclined his head.
"شكرا لك. لقد تم ممارسة. أنا لست تقريبا بطلاقة كما كنت، ولكن."Thank you. I've been practicing. I'm not nearly as fluent as you, however.
"Excellent!" Ra's al Ghul smiled with satisfaction. "You are not only gaining fluency, but you are a good flatterer as well. Makes me think you should practice while you're here." Robin set down the book and crossed his arms.
"While I'm here?" He repeated, looking at the Demon's Head. "While I'm here, maybe you could answer the question I'm not getting the answer to."
"Oh?" Ra's lifted one eyebrow. "May I ask which one?"
"I think you know which one." Silence stretched thick between them. Robin remained in his seated position with arms crossed, glaring. Ra's al Ghul sat at the chair directly across from the acrobat, returning the glare with an amused look.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"May I remind you, Robin, that we leave more captives dead than alive? You should be grateful that you remain breathing as of yet." The boy groaned.
"Why am I here, Ra's?" The Demon's Head sighed.
"Vino acum. Desigur, până acum aţi ghicit raţionamentul meu. Sunteţi ca logic ca mentor, Robin. Sau ar fi mai adecvat Dick?" Come now. Surely by now you have guessed my reasoning. You are as logical as your mentor, Robin. Or would Dick be more appropriate?**Robin jerked in his seat, looking like a cornered animal.
"What did you say?" he hissed.
"Este că nu numele tău? Sau ar fi mai puţin pasăre adecvată?"Is that not your name? Or would little bird be more appropriate?
"You have no right!" Ra's pretended to be confused.
"Nici un drept? Dragul meu băiat, acesta este un termen de alint folosit de către cei mai aproape de tine. Chiar dacă eu sunt tâlhar ta, am fost aproape de mentor pentru zeci de ani. Desigur, am mutat dincolo de tipic tâlhar / captiv relaţie."No right? My dear lad, it is a term of endearment used by those closest to you. Even though I am your captor, I have been close to your mentor for decades. Surely we've moved beyond the typical captor/captive relationship.
"That's not the same and you know it!" The Boy Wonder seethed. "You think you can speak my language? Only a few people know how to speak it, and you shouldn't be one of them!" The eyebrow went up again.
"Încă obtinerea peste stresul de a fi capturat. Desigur."Still getting over the stress of being captured. Of course. Ra's rose and palmed open the door. "I shall visit you again tomorrow, when you are in the mood to cooperate with me."
"Cooperate with you?" Robin got up and stormed over to the Demon's Head. "Tell me why I should even consider cooperating with murdering scum –" Ra's open hand slapped the acrobat's face, temporarily blinding him. The momentum carried him back against the table, effectively stunning him.
"Because, my dear boy, it's simple." Ra's stepped into the hallway, his manservant hovering just outside the door. "You can help me with adding a certain someone to my collection. Either you cooperate, or you watch him die. You don't want another unfortunate accident to happen to your family, now do you?"
The door slid shut.
*My computer switched this around so it reads left to right instead of right to left.
**I could not find a suitable translator of Romany on the Internet, so I used Romanian. Yes, there is a difference. Romanian is based off of Vulgar Latin while Romany is based off of ancient Sanskrit. If I'm really ambitious, I might take a class on how to read and write it. ;)