Well, the ending to this chapter was rather unexpected to me. I was just writing along, and then went: "Wait, what if THAT character was in this fanfiction?" and so, there they are.
An update! On time! woohoo!
Guest review:
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Kim: thank you! Your reviews always make me happy. I'm glad you are enjoying it so much. :) Someday they will get their little bird back. And it's true, he does have a bit more hope now.
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Thank you to everyone else who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story! Your support is greatly appreciated. :)
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Disclaimer: When it rains cats and dogs, I still won't own Young Justice.
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Chapter 14
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Blüdhaven
May 17, 12:47 EDT
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The cool metal of the box against his cheek almost felt good, especially compared to the blinding pain he'd felt when he'd last been conscious.
Talia knew that Dick had somehow leaked his identity and whereabouts to the Team, and in doing so, the League, and she was not happy. She'd turned his punishment over to Deathstroke. Dick had only been able to defend himself for about twenty minutes before Deathstroke hit him with the first round of electricity. After that he had continued to fight a losing battle, finally giving in to the pain, exhaustion, and lingering weakness from his earlier wounds.
He'd woken up in this small metal box. It was barely big enough for him to move at all, and Dick could feel his heart start to pound. He wasn't terribly fond of enclosed spaces, especially considering all of the times he'd been kidnapped or tortured, then left in them.
One particularly terrifying experience had involved a near death experience when a kidnapper left him in the box for too long without giving him fresh air. Batman had only just gotten there in time to save him, and even then, he'd needed the oxygen tank to get enough air.
Dick estimated that he'd been awake for about three hours, but he'd probably been in the box far longer than that, perhaps a day, judging by the stiffness of his injuries.
His shoulder was aching again, his muscles and the old bullet wound sore from his extended stay hanging from the side of a building. He was pretty sure a couple of his ribs were broken. There were probably some burns from the amount of electricity he'd been subjected to, and he knew without a doubt that he had a few nicks from Deathstroke's swords.
All in all, it wasn't too bad. He'd gotten worse during good nights in Gotham.
Dick shifted, wincing as his ribs throbbed. It had probably been almost two days since the Team had come to Blüdhaven, which meant that Batman had known where he was for more than a day now.
The thought brought him a huge amount of comfort. Maybe Bruce wouldn't be able to get him out, but he knew where Dick was, and that was just what he needed.
In fact, now that Bruce knew where he was, Dick felt even less sure that he would be able to get him out of here. Talia's defenses would tighten, and she would be sure never to let Dick out on his own. The Team, while dedicated, would never be able to defeat Talia's band of assassins. These people worked for the League of Shadows, and it wasn't likely that a bunch of teenagers could beat them, even if the fight was fair, which it wasn't.
In any case, it all bottled down to the fact that Dick couldn't rely on the League or the Team to get him out.
Which meant that he needed to start thinking of a way for himself to escape. Of course, that was kind of hard when he was currently stuck in a metal box and in need of a doctor. He didn't even know what measures were being taken on the outside.
Then again, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
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Blüdhaven
May 17, 13:06 EDT
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Talia was not happy.
She had no doubt that everything that had happened was Deathstroke's fault. He'd sent Richard to fight his own Teammates, including his younger brother. Of course Batman's partner had gotten word to his friends. The boy wasn't a fool.
It was quite clear to Talia that Deathstroke had no intention of working with her. She'd had her doubts from the beginning, and she was being proved right. She wouldn't give up though. She had several backup plans in place to make sure that Deathstroke did not get what he wanted. Besides, her anger with Bruce was waning, as she'd known it would. It was time to watch as the situation spiraled out of control, and then pull a few strings to fix what she wanted fixed.
Talia was still furious. There was no way she would let Deathstroke get away with ruining her original plans so easily.
He didn't have to know that she was angry with him though. In fact, she would let him believe she was entirely oblivious to further her desires. She'd already allowed him to punish Richard for his failure to actually fight any of his friends. Besides, for now he would serve his purpose in training Bruce's son. Talia doubted that he would ever get Richard to kill anyone, but it would be interesting to see how far he got before the boy escaped or was rescued.
Or before Talia let him loose herself.
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Gotham City
May 17, 17:44 EDT
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Bruce Wayne stepped into Wayne Manor through the Batcave entrance, looking around with a sigh. He hadn't been back here in weeks, and a thin layer of dust had settled over everything, something that rarely happened with Alfred around.
Richard Grayson had officially been announced as presumed dead, despite Bruce's constant petition for more time to find him, and Commissioner Gordon's agreement to continue searching. That meant that the family was going to be sent back to the Manor in the next few days, and Bruce had decided to check and make sure that everything was safe before Tim and Alfred officially moved back.
Bruce himself had been mostly staying up in the Watchtower, while Jason spent most nights at Mount Justice. Whether either of them slept was a secret known only to themselves.
In a way, it would be a relief to have Tim and Alfred back at the Manor. The small safe house that they'd been staying at was driving both of them up the wall. Alfred didn't know what to do with himself, and all Tim was allowed to do was the schoolwork that Bruce picked up for him every day. Now he would be returning to school, although that was worrisome to Bruce. He was not the one who had decreed it safe for his family to return to normal life, because it was by no means safe. The government was trying to hush up the disappearance of the billionaires ward, and he knew it.
He doubted that Talia would continue targeting him, but he was concerned about the rest of the city. It was a well known fact that Richard Grayson, Bruce Wayne's eldest ward, had gone missing, likely kidnapped or killed, and now, with the official proclamation of death, there were some who would take the opportunity to hit them while they were down.
Of course, that would be foolish on their part, as there was no member of the Wayne family who would be easy to take out.
All the same, Bruce wouldn't feel comfortable sending them home until he'd checked to make sure it was completely safe.
The Manor was silent as Bruce walked through the halls. They'd left it in a hurry, so he wasn't surprised to find that some things were left out of place. Alfred's favorite coat, which he'd left when hurrying Tim out the door, was sitting on the back of a chair.
Bruce picked it up, know that Alfred would be glad to have it back for the next few days before they came home.
There was a sound from upstairs, and Bruce paused, a frown crossing over his face. No one should be here. The Manor's defenses were not minor, and very few people could get past them with any amount of ease. Slowly he ascended the steps, spreading out his senses carefully. Then he heard something again, stepping to the side just in time to avoid being hit by a long black whip.
Immediately he relaxed. "Selina," he said quietly. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," Selina said angrily, stepping out of the shadows at the top of the stairs. "I leave Gotham City for a couple of months, and I come back to find that Richard is missing, although Robin's still in business, so I suppose you're putting Jason to good use. What happened?"
Bruce sighed. "Talia al Ghul happened. She's currently holding Richard in Blüdhaven. It's a revenge ploy."
"Oh," Selina's voice was disdainful. "So she is involved. Of course you're having problems. At least you know where Richard is. Are you going to go rescue him?"
Bruce frowned. "We're trying to figure out the best approach," he said quietly. "Talia is aware that we know Richard's whereabouts. She won't let us take him easily."
Selina sniffed. "Of course not," she hissed. "That woman's petty revenge has clouded her mind like nothing else."
Bruce once again felt slightly bewildered at the animosity between Selina and Talia. They'd only met once or twice, if he was remembering correctly, yet they hated each other with a burning passion. He knew it had something to do with his affection towards both of them, as tentative as it was. Usually he shoved them both away, and his words to Talia were what had brought this situation upon him in the first place, but both women still seemed to think that the other was in their way.
"Well, while you and your League figure out what you're doing, I think I'll pay a visit to Blüdhaven," Selina said, sauntering down the stairs until she was standing next to him. Anything you want me to tell Richard if I see him?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm.
Bruce looked away. "Tell him I'm coming for him," he said gruffly.
"Of course," Selina whispered. "See you Bruce."
Within seconds she was gone, and Bruce stood on the stairs for several minutes, thinking. Finally he decided to finish checking the Manor. It was probably a good idea to make sure there were no more thieves in the house.
Even friendly ones.
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Yep. So, random entrance of Catwoman! Yay! XD
Anyways. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. REVIEW!