{FLASHBACK}
"Dickie...Dickie, wake up. Wake up!"
Somebody was shaking him, shaking the last of his good dream right out of his head. Richard frowned in his sleep and made a frustrated noise, clutching his threadbare blanket to his thin body with his small eight year old fists. He didn't want to wake up, and he didn't want to lose his dream. He barely ever had good dreams anymore, since the Master man had taken them away.
In it, he was flying through the air high up, so high up the people on the ground looked like teeny tiny bugs. They were cheering for him, gasping as he turned and twisted like a bird-
"Dickie..."
He was reaching out his hands, and he wasn't scared, because he was flying towards the other side, and he knew that the warm blue eyes that were smiling at him would catch him. His fingers were stretching out, touching, brushing-
"DICKIE! The dogs are gone."
Richard groaned and opened his sticky eyes, blinking in the darkness. His sister was staring him in the face, wringing her nightshirt worriedly in her fists. "Whadd'ya mn?" he mumbled. "They're gone." Wyllow whispered. She pointed to the posts at the ends of their beds, where two mangled, chewed leashes dangled above the floor. Richard sat up instantly, and the last of the warm feelings from his dream vanished. "Where...huh? Where did they go? They've never left before. They know they're not supposed to..."
Gog and Magog, two huge white pit bulls, had been their faithful guard dogs for almost two years. The Master man had given them to the twins as puppies and let them raise and love them. The dogs were the only thing that made them feel safe in their new, terrifying home, and they never left their sides. "We have to go get them." Richard said, crawling out of his bed. "If he finds them alone, he'll hurt them."
He grabbed her hand and helped her push open the door, pulling her out into the chilly hallway. They started to walk, footsteps echoing in the empty hall, breath misting around their dark heads. Before they had gone five feet, a loud bark made them both skid to a stop. "Magog!" Wyllow hissed, jerking forward. Richard dug his nails into her wrist and pulled her back. "OUCH! Let go!"
"Hush..."
The bark came again, and again, and then a loud, painful howl, and something that sounded like a roar. The twins paled and whipped their heads around, breathing hard. Everything was silent for a small minute.
Then, from the end of the hall, two enormous white shapes burst out of a door and bore down on them with the scraping of wicked claws. Gog and Magog tore down the hall towards them with blazing red eyes and jowls dripping with poisonous green foam, baying and roaring like beasts. Wyllow and Richard screamed and ran for their lives. They dashed back into their room and tried to shut the door, but the mad dogs were right behind them, slamming their weight into the door and tearing at it with vicious fangs. They burst through it and threw themselves at the twins, intent on tearing them to pieces. Wyllow managed to scramble onto the bed and climb the headboard, putting herself out of the range of their vicious, meat ripping fangs.
Richard wasn't fast enough. Magog latched onto his ankle and began dragging the screaming boy from the room, shaking his leg like a chicken wing. He grabbed the bedpost as an anchor. "WYLLOW!" The rabid dog chomped down on his foot, and he howled. "WYLLOW!" The little girl grabbed the big black handgun from under her pillow and levelled it at the animals skull. She hesitated- she had never shot at anything before, other than targets in the training room.
And...and that was her baby. She loved Magog...she was the little puppy that slept in her bed, licked her nose when she had nightmares, watched over her when she slept. She couldn't kill her...
"WYLLOW, PLEASE! DO IT! HELP ME!"
She couldn't...but her brother, she had to save her brother. The dogs would tear him to pieces...
"AAAAHHHHGGG!" Sobbing loudly, tears streaming down her face, Wyllow closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. The bullet exploded through Magog's head and clipped Gog in the side. Blood and pieces of white skull fragments splayed around the room, leaving gruesome patterns on the wall and on her clothes. Magog fell back, nose streaming grey matter. Shaking with shocked horror and guilt, Wyllow sank to her knees and made little choking gasps, staring fixedly at her first dead body. Magog. Her friend...
She could feel the Master Man's cold eyes on her back.
«»«»«»«»
"Lay here right there, if you'd please."
It was cold here, wherever she was, but not colder than home. The air was clean, as opposed to the musty, moldy stench she'd been accustomed to the last few days. It smelled like antiseptic and, strangely, seawater. There was a fresh, salty breeze blowing around her head. Wren let her eyelids fall open a crack as she was laid down on what looked like a hospital stretcher by a random man. He wasn't the Joker or the Riddler...he looked perfectly ordinary. She opened her eyes all the way and started to sit up, then tensed expectantly. Surprisingly, there was no pain, though her memories begged to differ. She was numb.
And secured, by her wrists and ankles to the gurney. Her stomach leaped into her throat, followed by her heart. Was she in a hospital? Had she been rescued? Was her brother here too? Hope gave her leaden limbs strength, and she struggled against the straps, pale eyes darting around to catch a glimpse of her sibling. It died when she realized that she was once again alone, leaving her weak. Tears welled in her eyes, tears of despair and longing. She was so TIRED of this... she didn't even care if she was rescued or if she escaped anymore.
She wanted her brother. She would have given anything to be in Robin's arms right then, including her life. The tears began to fall, streaming down her face, and Wren sobbed silently, shoulders shaking. She felt like a little girl again. She wanted Robin. She didn't want to be strong anymore, she wanted him to be strong for her. She didn't know if he was dead, alive, suffering... Wren cried for her brother, for herself. For everything. She didn't try to stop the tears. She let herself be exactly what she was- a scared fifteen year old girl.
Eventually, her eyes ran dry, and she lay still miserably until she heard someone finally come in. She couldn't even find the drive to raise her head, but she didn't have to. The Scarecrow's burlap sack, horror movie mask loomed in front of her face, sending immediate shivers crawling down her spine. "Crane." Wren croaked. Scarecrow spread his arms and fluttered his hands. "In the flesh. And you are my newest patient."
"I'm not crazy."
"I disagree." Scarecrow tilted his head and inspected her like a huge, gruesome insect. "But really, your mental status doesn't matter. What matters is what you're going to tell me."
"I don't know anything."
"We'll see about that." Crane nodded once, and Wren tensed again, closing her eyes. Crane chuckled. "Now, don't worry. I'm not going to brutalize you. That's not my style. I'm not like those others who think physical pain is the best path. I value the complex beauty of the mind... specifically, your mind. And I'm not one for time wasting, so we might as well get started right away." He held up a large, glistening syringe, filled with milky white liquid, and pressed the needle into the crease of her arm. Wren flinched as he pushed down on the plunger, and a rush of numbing liquid flooded into her veins.
Someone somewhere hit a switch, and the room began to fill with a hazy white smoke. The walls and ceiling started twisting, tilting, and melting in Wren's eyes, obscuring the Scarecrow's mask. Her heart broke into a painfully fast gallop, and sweat streamed from her body as fear consumed her.
«»«»«»
Robin pushed his elbow into Artemis's back and forced her to stumble forward, out of the kitchen. He walked her into the hallway and then into the living room, stopping her a good seven feet away from the crowd. Stillness and shock fell over each of them like a wet blanket, and all sounds stopped as everyone saw the current situation. Robin tilted his head and smiled, gripping Artemis's neck with his free hand. "Did we miss the meeting?"
Superman was staring at him with a look of abject horror. Batman's expression was one of grim acceptance. Kid Flash was the first to react. He tensed, ready to dash and save his teammate, but Robin saw the tiny movement and tightened his hold on the knife handle. "Move again and I cut her a second mouth." he spat. The speedster froze, wide eyed, mirroring the rest of them. They were all trying to understand what they were seeing- Robin. Free. Artemis. In mortal danger. The look on Connor's face...if eyes could kill, Robin would be a smoldering pile of flesh and bone. "How did you get out?" he snarled.
Robin blinked and flashed him a coy grin. "That alien girl...what's her name?" Aqualad blanched. "Starfire." he whispered to himself. Robin nodded. "That's the one. She's got such a big heart..." His grin grew even more scandalous, and he wiggled his eyebrows. "And such soft lips... and a really wet-"
"YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT, CRETIN!" The Atlantean yelled thunderously. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER!?" Cyborg roared at the same time, shaking the walls. "I didn't do anything." Robin replied calmly. "She's sleeping. I guess my mad skills tired her out. I think she liked it, though." Aqualad looked ready to vomit.
Robin shifted again and turned his eyes to the elder heroes. "As for you, I'm sick and tired of your bullshit. You have ten words. Ten, to tell me where my sister is, before I kill her." Superman took a cautious step forward and held out his hand for the knife. "Robin, trust me when I say you don't want to do that." Robin's eyes flamed, and he wordlessly dug the tip of the blade into Artemis's throat, causing blood to flow slowly. She winced and choked. "That was twelve." he said. "Try again."
"Just give me the-"
Robin flicked his wrist, and everyone gasped in horror as a thin scarlet line appeared around her neck. But instead of collapsing in a pool of blood, Artemis swallowed painfully and closed her eyes. She was still alive; he had only sliced through the top layer of her skin as a warning. "Four. Last chance."
"She's with the Joker." Batman spoke up darkly. Robin glanced at him, but made no other move. Without his mask, his emotions played visibly in his blue grey eyes. Elation, exasperation, relief, suspicion. Anger. Worry. Concern. "H-how do you know that?" he asked, feeling making his words break. Batman gestured at the knife. "Drop it and I'll tell you."
"Hilarious." Robin snorted. "I'll wake up right back in that cell, chained to the wall." Conner couldn't help himself. "And that would be nothing less than what you'd deserve!" "Shut up, Kon El." Batman snapped. "Tell me right now." Robin growled. Superman bristled at his blatant lack of respect, but Batman nodded at Robin. "Very well." Superman balked and shook his head, astounded. "Batman, no! What are you-"
The Dark Knight ignored him and spoke only to Robin. "An anonymous source told us." Robin slumped a fraction, but the blade didn't move. "I knew you were lying. I knew..." he hissed, shaking his head. After a second, he snapped his eyes upwards, and they were blazing. "How do I know you're not lying now!?" he roared. Batman glowered at him and curled his lip. "You don't. But I'm not."
"If you knew where she was, why didn't you HELP HER? Some freaking heroes you are!" Robin yelled. "We got the call only a day ago! We had to make sure it was authentic!" Superman broke in. "We were also informed that Scarecrow was going to make a play for her, and-"
"Shut up! Just shut up." Robin swept the knife around to point directly into Artemis's heart and began dragging her back, towards the Grav Tubes. "I'm leaving, now. Don't try to stop me." He looked manic and distracted, less like a killer and more like a confused teenage boy. 'Finally, finally, finally, FINALLY, FINALLY-!'
"Stop." Batman moved forward, keeping pace with him. "If Crane has her already, you'll never be able to get both her and yourself out of there."
"I have to try."
"You'll fail. But not if we help you." Robin stopped short. "I don't need you or your help!"
"You do, whether you want it or not." Batman responded. "We'll help you retrieve your sister. If she's hurt, we'll heal her. In return, you tell us about Slade's plans for the Kryptonite. Everything you think you might know, even if it's insignificant." Robin paused, taking in his words. He may have been angry, but he wasn't stupid. If he faced Scarecrow and his fear gas alone, he ran a huge risk of failing. But if the Leauge helped him...
'But I'll have to break my loyalty to Slade. Then again...he hasn't sent out any search parties for me...' he thought. It was Slade or Wren. His twin sister, or his master. Slade had given him everything...but Wren WAS his everything. It went against all he'd ever been taught, but...
Robin dragged his gaze to Batman's face. "...And if I say yes?" he asked quietly. Conner exploded, loosing all sense of control. "BATMAN! ARE YOU CRAZY?! He's a CRIMINAL! A killer! We can't work with him!" The other sidekicks followed his lead, protesting as loudly as they could.
"No way in hell!"
"I'm not doing it!"
"Are you nuts?"
"Is that cowl on too tight? He'll stab us in the back!"
"Batman!"
Batman ignored them all, keeping his eyes fixed on the dark haired juvenile in front of him. "Do we have a deal?" Robin chewed roughly on his bottom lip, almost afraid to let the words escape. He could feel Slade's cold, furious gaze on him, but he had no choice. "I want a pass." he blurted quickly. "If I help you, he'll toss us out." If he didn't kill them. "I want a pass. No jail time, and we'll leave and never come back."
Batman almost smiled. His lips twitched, at least. The boy was smart, and determined to boot. He had to respect that a little. "Fine." "You swear?" Robin asked sharply. "I'll buy you the plane tickets myself." Batman assured him. "No!" Conner hissed.
Robin slowly removed the point of the knife away from Artemis's chest. She yanked away from him and ran to her teammates, and had an arrow strung and aimed at his head in a heartbeat. Everyone tensed, but Robin let the knife fall to his side and smiled a sad, resigned grin. "Deal." he said simply. He looked right into Conner's lava colored face, and the two teens exchanged a look that lasted centuries. "When do we start?" Batman crossed his arms and turned around with a swish of his cape. "Right now."
"Wait..." He half turned, and Robin jerked his head towards the hall. "Who's gonna get Starglow? I think she's gonna be pretty pissed when she wakes up..."
Batman turned away from him again with a shake of his head, but this time, when his face was fully hidden, he allowed himself a brief smile.
«»«»
Furious didn't even begin to explain the emotion raging inside of the super clone as he stared at Robin's smug face. He couldn't BELIEVE that this was happening...they were just going to go along with this insanity?! It was his worst nightmare come true. After everything that Robin had done, they were blindly trusting him to keep his word. Murderous, bubbling rage swept through him, so much that he couldn't speak.
An image of Erin's spasming, terrified face swam to the front of his mind, and her surprised jerk as the bullet entered her side and shattered her spine. His friend...her killer. His new teammate. Erin's face changed, morphing in his brain to resemble Meghan. 'Not this time.'He thought fiercely, pinning Robin's pale eyes with his own. 'Not ever again.'
«»«»«»«»«»
{NOT A FLASHBACK}
She was flying. Flying, up high, higher than she'd ever been before. Higher than a bird, higher than a plane, higher than the superhero man from Metropolis. So, so high...the eyes, the eyes, they were right there, warm and bright and blue line the sky. They called to her, they urged her on, they reached for her...
And then they changed. They shrank. They narrowed. They darkened. One of them closed. And they were HIS EYES...the eyes of the DEVIL. And she was falling, falling, down, down, to a crunching, crushing death...
«»
The dogs were back. The dogs were chasing her, blood and venom and green froth flying from their mouths. The hallway went on forever, no matter how long or how fast they ran. The dogs were faster. "WYLLOW! HELP ME!" Her brother. He was on the floor. The dogs had caught him. But there was no gun, no bullet. She couldn't find it. The gun was in the room- they were in the hallway. An endless hallway with no doors, no escape. Fear closed her throat, stopped her heart.
"WYLLOW!" And the little girl screamed and screamed as she watched the dogs tear Robin into literal pieces, ripping away fingers first, then toes, the still wiggling digits swallowed down gaping maws. Then arms, leaving spouting stumps, and legs, filleting muscle and tendon, cracking bones, shredding organs, spreading his life fluids on the walls, on her...
"NOOOOOOOO!"
«»
Wren shuddered and licked a spot of blood from her lip as she felt Robin finally empty himself inside of her, revelling in the warm sensation. She rested her chin on his damp shoulder, smelling him, smelling them, together. He moved, and she moaned, tracing the planes of the body she knew so well with trembling fingers. He stayed in, jerking as he rode out the last of his ecstasy, making her gasp. Her head swam, but the last of the painful, burning agony from the earlier violation was gone, leaving the gentle, pleasurable ache that only Robin could leave behind. All of it was gone. She only saw Robin in her mind, only felt him, only heard him. He had replaced Slade yet again, cleaned him from her body, and made the world right again.
"How dissapointing..."
Pain. Pain...the cold swept back in as something dragged Robin away from her, and she was pulled out of their bed by her hair, screeching. It was HIM. HE had found them, and now all she knew was fear.
Wren was forced to kneel, forced to watch as the large dark hands grabbed Robin's hair and neck and head and TWISTED, twisted so slowly, undeniably. She howled when his neck splintered and broke, white spikes of his vertebrae popping through his skin and gleaming in the light.
«»
Robin was gone. She couldn't find him. He wasn't here, and it terrified her. It scared her so much. There was no measure for her fear. She didn't see him, didn't know anything but her fear.
"Uhhhmmm...Ohhhhh...Yessss...Mmmm..."
Wren spun around, and there he was, but he wasn't alone. Robin was suspended in the dark, surrounded by a mane of glistening blonde hair, pale legs twined around his body like snakes as he thrust and grunted and huffed. The face of the other girl was turned towards Wren, but it wasn't a girl...it was a skeleton, a grinning death skull with a crater in the middle of its back. Fear washed over her like a putrid wave. "ROBIN!"
«»«»
"NOOOOO! IT'S NOT REAL! IT'S NOT! IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!"
But it did. Oh, but it did. It happened, it's real, it's happening now...The words were the drug, and the drug was undeniable. The drug was fear. There was nothing but fear and pain, pain and fear.
"NOOOOOOO! NAAAAAAAGH!"
«»«»
-the gun backfired, her gun, blowing Robin's brains out-
-Robin was falling, falling, landing and bursting like a bag of pudding on the sidewalk-
-Conner's heat beams burst through Robin's chest, creating a smoking, oozing hole-
-slipped from her fingers, watching Robin sink down into the dark, frigid depths-
Yes, Yes, Yes, the drug hissed. Show me your fears, your deepest, darkest fears...
«»
"NOOOOOO! ROBIIIIIIN!"