Hey guys. I've had a super super super super long week. Not only has my ear infection not totally gone away by my mom went to California to visit my uncle who was dying (we live in TX) and I was taking care of my younger siblings all week long, and then he died last night and ugh . . . . . .

Hope you all had a happier Halloween than that.

Guest reviews:

Guest: here's more.

Kim: hahaha! I'm really glad you're enjoying it so much. Fangirl ranting is totally allowed. I do it pretty much on a daily basis.

Thank you to anyone else who reviewed, favorited, followed, or read behind the scenes. I don't know that there will be a chapter next week so if I don't update, I did warn you.

Disclaimer: If I owned Young Justice, I would pretty much not be writing this fanfiction. Yeah.

Chapter 4

Unknown place

Unknown date, unknown time

Dick gasped for breath, wincing. His ribs were aching from the last time Talia's goons had come after him. They'd set him loose in a huge building that didn't seem to have any exits, and then spent the last who knew how long chasing him and beating him up whenever they caught him.

Or at least, they'd been trying. Even without his belt and weapons, Dick knew how to take care of himself. He'd defeated at least half of the forces set against him, but that didn't stop him from being injured. It didn't stop him from tiring. He was slowing, and as he slowed he was more likely to get caught. He'd gotten snatches of sleep, but still . . . It wasn't enough.

The only thing that kept him moving, kept him fighting, was the constant thought that ran through his head. Batman is coming, Batman is coming.

There was no way that Bruce would leave him in the hands of Talia al Ghul for much longer, or anyone for that matter. This was probably the longest time they'd ever been separated because of a kidnapping, and Dick wasn't really sure how much time had passed. He faintly remembered the day that Talia had sent a video message to Bruce, but he'd been pretty dazed, and hadn't really been able to send Bruce a message in any of their usual ways.

Not only that, but he had absolutely no idea where he was. It might have been reassuring for Bruce to see him say he was alright, but Dick couldn't have told him anything about where Talia was keeping him. Every time he was moved they knocked him out, and did it well. Talia was proving beyond a doubt that her father had taught her well. She really was no simple crook.

He wished that she would have made more mistakes. Then he might have been able to attempt something.

Of course, he was Robin, partner to the Batman. He could figure something out. It would have been easier if he was actually wearing his Robin outfit, but instead he was in his civilian clothes, a pair of worn out jeans and a torn and singed shirt. He was getting fed one meal in what he assumed was the middle of the day, which was also the only time he was given water.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but he figured it had been at the very least a week.

Dick slowed as he rounded a corner, looking around carefully. His eyes had adjusted to the nearly nonexistent light in the maze-like building long ago, but it was still dark enough that someone could easily hide in the shadows. He was just relieved that he was not only used to the dark, but could also fade into the shadows quite easily.

He felt wary. It had been hours since he'd last been caught, and for some reason that made him feel uncomfortable. Before now he hadn't even gone half an hour without at least hearing them.

"Richard?" a soft voice spoke from behind him, and he immediately dove forward, performing a painful somersault and rolling back to his feet. He turned to see Talia al Ghul, standing right behind where he'd just been.

Her green eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dim light. She was wearing a black jumpsuit, and her long brown hair fell in waves down her back. "Hello there Richard," she said softly. "You're becoming quite a night bird aren't you?"

"What do you want Talia?" he asked coldly, backing away carefully.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I want to get back at your dear father for leaving me, and I think that you are the perfect way to do so. I told him he wouldn't get you back."

Dick frowned. Batman never believed anyone when they said that, and for good reason.

Talia laughed at his obvious confusion. "At least not in one piece. But don't worry, he'll be getting enough of you to torture him." with those words Talia pulled out a knife. Instinctively Dick began to back away, only to have his arms seized from behind.

Immediately he started thrashing, ignoring the growing pain in his shoulder and from the burns along his sides, not to mention his head injury. He managed to elbow the man holding him in the side hard enough that he let him go, and he'd almost gotten away when Talia tackled him, knocking him to the ground and flipping him over so that he was lying on his back as she straddled him.

He bucked and kicked, trying to get her off him, but he was weakened from his injuries and his time in captivity, and she held him down easily. Dick finally stopped moving, giving in to what seemed inevitable.

Talia cooed at him, which was fairly insulting, and pressed her knife against his cheek, leaning forward. "Oh little bird, you're so small. It's a pity your father had to leave me. I always thought you would make a wonderful son."

"Mother's don't treat their children like this," Dick gasped, struggling for breath.

The woman flicked her knife, leaving a shallow cut right beneath Dick's eye. "As I said," she murmured. "Quite a pity."

He closed his eyes, ready for the worst. Instead all he felt was a sharp tug as Talia cut off a lock of his hair. He opened his eyes as Talia slit the palm of his hand and dripped his blood onto the hair. Dick felt a cold claw grip his heart as Talia sat up. "I'm sure Bruce will love this present," she murmured. Then a cold smile crept over her face. "But I think I'll send it to your little team first."

And with that, she pressed a little jar beneath his nose, and Dick blacked out.

Mount Justice

April 25, 10:36 EDT

Jason had spent the last few days sleeping in Dick's bedroom at the cave. At first it had seemed weird to fall to sleep every night staring at the poster for the Flying Grayson's act from Haly's Circus, but soon it became comforting. Besides that, the entire room smelled of him. Jason had never thought about it before, but it was a comforting scent, like the way Bruce smelled every day before he left on patrol, but a little softer.

Great, Jason thought moodily. He was thinking about how his older brother smelled. He was probably going insane.

He was currently the only one in the cave. The rest of the Team had left to spend some time with their mentors and family. It was kind of eery to be alone after three days of constantly hearing the Team in the background, but at the same time it was incredibly relaxing.

He sighed, rolling off of Dick's bed, and left the room, heading towards the Mission Room. It was the first time he'd actually emerged from the room since he'd entered it. He'd opened the door and received meals, but that was all. He didn't see the point of becoming friends with the Team when it was only temporary. Besides, if he needed to, he could count on Wally and Artemis to back him up.

As he entered the Mission Room, he slowed, frowning. Something didn't seem right.

He whipped a Batarang out of his utility belt, and turned slowly, surveying his surroundings. There didn't seem to be anyone there, and he couldn't hear anything other than his own breathing, but still.

Suddenly a screen flickered to life, and he was staring into the green eyes of Talia al Ghul.

"YOU!" he yelled, running forward until he was immediately in front of the screen. "Where is he? Where is Dick?"

Talia laughed. "Oh Richard's fine dear. I think he's quite enjoying his stay here, see?" the camera turned so that it fell on an unconscious boy, lying on the floor. Dick had a cut on his cheek, and blood stained his shirt in numerous places, including right around his injured shoulder.

"You monster," Jason hissed, almost tempted to say something worse, but he could almost hear Dick's chiding voice. He wondered inwardly if his brother was even alive. He couldn't tell.

The camera zoomed back to Talia. "Oh no dear, you're mistaken. I'm not a monster at all. I'm afraid that title goes to your dear father. But besides that, it looks as though poor Richard has been replaced already. What a pity! I thought Bruce at least cared for him a little bit. Oh well. I hope you enjoy your present Jason. You'll have a while to enjoy it before your friends get back."

"What presen-" Jason started, but just then, the power went out.

The darkness was startling, but Jason just growled in annoyance and pulled a flashlight out of his belt, turning it on. Of course the screen had gone black, and as Jason looked around, he realized that even the lights of the zeta tube were out.

That couldn't be good.

He hurried over to the zeta tubes, and tried to leave. Nothing happened. No mechanized voice, no glowing light, nothing. "Crap," he muttered, and a cold feeling washed over him. Immediately he took off running through the cave, checking each and every entrance and exit there was in and out of the cave. Every single one was locked, and knowing the Justice League, they hadn't made the place easy to break out of, or get in to.

Jason was trapped.

He reached to his ear and activated his com. "Robin 2 to Batman," he said quickly. "Come in Batman."

Silence.

"Kid Flash, this is Jay-bird, respond!"

Still nothing.

Jason cursed. He was trapped in the cave with communications down. Talia al Ghul really had a vendetta against Batman if she was trapping Jason in here when she already had Dick. He flipped open his wrist computer, which both Bruce and Richard had insisted was necessary, and began typing a message as quickly as possible. It was still up for now, but he had no doubt that as soon as Talia noticed it, she would shut it down as well.

So all he said was this: "Locked in the cave, no com. Talia sends her love. Come over please." Or, translated from an annoyed Jason using rough Batspeak: GET ME OUT.

He pressed send, and quickly did a couple more things as precautions before his computer went black. He cursed once more and sighed, but felt a smile creep over his face. This was the most exciting thing that had happened since Dick's kidnapping.

Jason was having fun.

Gotham City

April 25, 10:58 EDT

Bruce Wayne sighed with relief as he finally slid into the back of a black car and shut the door, cutting off the flash of a camera. He'd just been interviewed by several detectives who wanted to know if he had any idea who Dick's kidnapper was or what other reasons they would want to kidnap him besides Bruce's money.

He'd told them as much as possible without actually telling them anything, but the experience had been draining in many ways. He hadn't slept more than three hours in a row since Dick's disappearance, and since finding out that it was Talia al Ghul who had him, it had come down to one. That, combined with his night patrols and relentless search for Dick was wearing him down.

There was a beep from his phone, and he pulled it out. "A new email," he read with a sigh, and resignedly opened it, expecting it to be yet another sympathy letter, or a request for an interview, or some other type of spam.

Instead the message was from Jason, the subject titled URGENT. Bruce groaned and opened it, reading it in seconds, his hand already flying to his ear. "Jason. Jason come in. Jason are you there?"

Nothing.

"Alfred, take us to the nearest Zeta tube," he said. "Now."

His butler did as he asked, turning at the next light and pressing down a little harder on the gas, expertly weaving through the other vehicles on the road. "May I ask what has happened Master Bruce?" he asked calmly.

"Hopefully nothing," Bruce replied softly. "Hopefully nothing."

"Kid Flash, respond," he said, reaching back up to his com. "I have a mission for you."

"Woah Batman, I thought today was our off day, what happened?" Relief rushed through Bruce when the speedster responded immediately. "Is Dick ok?"

"Still no word, however, I received an email from Jason. He's trapped in the cave with no communications, and the Zeta tubes down. His computer died one minute ago, so I'm guessing he barely managed to get the message to me before it shut down. Get as many of the Team there as you can, try to get him out. I'll work on getting there as well, but first I need to make a stop at the Watchtower."

"Copy that," Wally said, and Bruce sighed in relief as Alfred pulled up next to the zeta tube.

"I'll be back as soon as I can Alfred. Tell Tim everything's fine, Jason's just got himself stuck in the mountain."

I don't particularly love the end of this chapter but ah well. Batman is still awesome.

Hope you liked it, please REVIEW