Hi! I have returned! I finally finished my book! Of course, I still need to edit and everything, but I am done with the main portion of the writing, so back to Fanfiction I go.
Guest reviews:
Kim: Hahaha! don't worry, I couldn't forget this story even if I wanted to. It's took me a little while, but I managed to finish my writing, so here I am. I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter! It was a lot of fun to write. This one was much harder until the end.
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rey: Trusting Dick is half the battle, isn't it. :) Thanks for the update!
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Alright, thanks to all others who reviewed as well, including A Small Voice, who reviewed by PM and got me re inspired for my book via Fullmetal Alchemist. Apparently marathoning an anime can really help my creative process.
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Disclaimer: Somehow I think if I owned Young Justice, I wouldn't be going on hiatus to write a book . . . . . .
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Chapter 13
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Blüdhaven
May 14, 21:17 EDT
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As Artemis released her hold on the boy's hand and allowed herself to fall, she wondered if she was signing her own death warrant. The string of her bow had been cut; likely by the sword that the kid had saved her from. She couldn't fire a grappling arrow without it.
It was thirty feet to the ground, and Artemis braced herself for an impact, but instead landed safely in Wally's arms. "Hi there beautiful," he said, his voice sounding strained as he immediately took off in the direction of the bioship. "Are you alright?"
Was she? Artemis wasn't sure. Once again she was hanging from the side of the building, staring up at the boy. She removed his mask in her head, and gave him blue eyes and longer hair. It really was him. They'd found Robin, and he'd attacked them. Granted he'd also told them to leave more than once, and he'd saved her life, but he'd still attacked them. What was Talia doing to him?
"Artemis?" there was a note of concern in Wally's voice as he slowed next to the apartment building where the bioship was parked.
"I'm fine," she said shortly. "Put me down, I can walk."
"But can you dodge a sword thrown by that masked guy?" Wally asked fiercely, "because I can, and if I can help it, I'm not going to let you get knocked off a roof by the partner of the guy who tried to kill you."
Robin. Richard Grayson. He was the one who'd knocked her off the roof. Would he be punished for it later?
Artemis realized with a pang of annoyance that she was in shock. The whole thing had taken a few minutes, but so much had happened in those few minutes, and her brain was having a hard time processing it.
Before she knew it, she and Wally were in the Bioship, which started moving almost as soon as they entered, while the others gathered around them anxiously.
"Artemis!" M'gann flung her arms around the blonde archer's neck. "Are you alright? What happened?"
The bioship was speeding up, probably already set on its course to Mount Justice. Artemis found that she didn't know how to answer M'gann's question, and looked away from the Martian's eyes. Unfortunately, in doing so she found herself staring right at Jason. He had a funny look on his face, and was staring at her with an unasked question written on his face.
"The taller one is an assassin," she found herself saying. "Deathstroke. I didn't recognize him at first, but his . . . Partner, told me who he was. He said that they were working for Talia, but he seemed to think that Deathstroke has an ulterior motive."
"I've heard of Deathstroke somewhere," Jason said, his eyebrows knitting together as he flipped out his computer and began typing swiftly. He must have found something, because his eyes widened. "He's responsible for a series of murders in the last few months. All of them were violent. He must use those swords an awful lot."
"Wait, you said his partner told you that? Doesn't he have some sort of loyalty towards the guy?" Rocket asked.
Artemis shook her head. "I don't think he does," she whispered. "He saved me by pushing me off the roof and falling with me. He caught hold of a ledge, and we talked. He knew my name."
"He knew we were connected to the Justice League," Jason said suddenly. "He warned me to get away." In a moment he reached into his utility belt, pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. He pressed it against the wall and began to draw as fast as possible. "No," he muttered. "It can't be, it isn't possible."
"He said something to me," Artemis said, watching as Jason began sketching the boy they'd seen. "I asked about Robin. He said that he- he said he was trying to get traught."
Jason didn't stop drawing, but Artemis was sure she heard him gasp, "I was so close. I was so close to him." He finished the drawing. "Look," he said turning and showing it to everyone. It looked just like the boy, down to the suit he'd been wearing.
"Dude, I didn't know you could draw," Wally said in surprise, then his eyes narrowed. "Wait, what he said. Traught. That's one of Rob's words, the one that he changed to mean the opposite of distraught, and he . . . If you change the hair, take off the mask . . ."
"It was him," Artemis said faintly. "He had a voice scrambling mechanism in his suit, but once I was listening for them, I could hear his inflections. Deathstroke's partner . . . He's Robin."
Jason's face was emotionless as he left the main part of the bioship, going to the back. The rest of the Team watched him go, too shellshocked to stop him.
They'd found Robin.
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Mount Justice
May 14, 23:00 EDT
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Jason wasn't surprised to find all of the mentors of the members of the Team waiting in the hangar when they got back. Batman was at the front, leveling a glare so powerful that even Jason winced.
"What were you thinking?" Batman asked, his voice furious. "You were told not to leave the cave."
"We were looking for Robin!" Troia snapped, brushing past the dark knight. She didn't stay for the lecture, and she was followed by Zatanna and Rocket. Jason thought he could see tears on Zatanna's face, and dimly remembered that she'd been dating his brother a bit last year. Wonder Woman and Icon exchanged glances, and followed them.
The silence in the cave was heavy. "You did what?" Black Canary said, sounding shocked.
"We were looking for my brother!" Jason snapped. "We got sick of not knowing anything, so we went to search for ourselves."
"Jason," Batman said, taking a few steps forward. Immediately Jason blinked, surprised. It had been ingrained in his head over the past month never to use Bruce's name while in suit. He looked down, and then took off his mask. If Batman had used his name, then he had no reason to wear it right now. Most of the league knew who he was anyways.
He looked up, knowing his blue eyes were filled with unshed tears. He'd managed to keep them back during the ride to the cave, but he knew that once he got home there would be no use. As it was, Batman stiffened, an unnoticeable movement to anyone other than someone living in the Wayne household.
"We found him!" Jason yelled. "We went out there, and we found him! You've been looking for a month, all across the world, and all this time he was right under your nose!"
The look on Batman's face didn't stop Jason as he plowed ahead. "Talia is forcing him to work with Deathstroke! He attacked us! Dick attacked me," he choked out, unable to stop an angry tear from streaking down his face. He brushed it away quickly, noticing that his hand was trembling.
They'd been feet away from each other. Jason had noticed the boy's intense stare, the way he seemed to lean towards the Team with a sort of longing, but he'd thought it was some sadistic desire to cut them to pieces or something.
Then he'd used Batspeak. It was rough, it was hurried, but it was clearly the way their mentor had taught them to communicate.
Jason was confused when he heard it, but he acted instinctively. The other boy seemed sure that it was trouble, which meant that it probably was, and if this kid knew Batspeak, then Jason was going to listen.
Of course, since he couldn't get himself into a fight with the boy, he'd thrown a smoke bomb and moved on. He'd been a few feet away from Dick, and he hadn't even known, so he'd left his brother in the hands of assassins.
Jason walked past Batman, not bothering to wait for his mentor to speak. The man seemed too shocked to do anything anyways.
After all, he couldn't even save his son.
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Mount Justice
May 14, 23:35 EDT
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Bruce knew he should move, but he was too busy cursing himself. He should have known that Ra's wasn't like the others. He wouldn't follow the normal pattern and take Robin as far from Batman as possible. He would know Bruce would expect that.
"Blüdhaven," he growled, turning away from the Team. They didn't need to tell him where Robin was. He knew. As soon as Jason had said they'd found him . . .
He was a blind, foolish, stubborn man! He was so worried about Jason and Tim, and even the rest of the Team, that he hadn't allowed himself to let them help. If he'd just used Wally it would probably have helped, or Jason. They were the closest to Dick, and had the easiest time thinking outside of the box.
Batman pulled off his cowl, rubbing his forehead exhaustedly. "Team, report to Black Canary. If any of you are injured, go to the med bay. Good work."
The words sounded strange when he wasn't wearing the mask, Bruce noted. Then he followed Jason's frantic path through the cave.
It was easy to guess where Jason went. He wouldn't have gone to Dick's room after that, but somewhere else, somewhere quiet and safe. Or, at least, safe for a bat.
Bruce made it to the main room of the cave, and immediately shot his grappling hook, letting it pull him into the air, towards the rafters. He'd been in Robin's nest many times before when visiting the cave, although the Team was unaware of it, so he wasn't surprised to find Jason sitting on the pile of pillows, flipping through a photo album.
Bruce didn't say anything, sitting down next to his son and watching over his shoulder. There were pictures of the Team, of Robin with the Team, even pictures of Bruce, Dick, Tim, Jason, and Alfred out of costume.
"There's a camera in the back," Jason said quietly. "That one you got him for his birthday, a couple of years ago from what he told me. I think he likes to take pictures from up here."
"He does," Bruce said, sitting quietly. He stopped Jason from turning a page and pointed at a particular picture. It was of Batman and Robin standing on a wooden beam and looking downwards towards the light. It was a striking picture. "He took this one up here by setting a timer. I didn't even know he was doing it at the time."
Jason blinked. Every once in a while a tear would streak down his face, and he seemed to be getting angrier every single time one did.
"Thank you for finding him Jason," Bruce murmured. "I hadn't thought about Blüdhaven, but now it seems obvious. You say that Talia hired Deathstroke to work for her, and train Richard to become an assassin?"
"That's what Dick told Artemis. He may have been with Deathstroke, but he wasn't following his orders. He saved Artemis's life, and warned us away. He seemed exhausted," Jason said, recalling that his brother's movements had been unusually slow for him.
He handed his sketch to Bruce. "This is what he looked like."
Bruce felt his hands tremble slightly. The haircut was strange, as was the suit, but it was still clearly Richard. What worried him more were the hollow cheeks, and how thin he was. They might have been feeding him, but it was clearly not enough.
"We'll get you home Richard," he said softly, his hands clenching tightly. "I promise you that, you will come home."
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Ah yes . . . I finished writing this right before posting, so I hope y'all are happy!
Please review! This hopefully answered a couple of a questions, and caused a few more.