CHAPTER 35

''The girl calmed down when Superman took the handcuffs off, J'onn put her to sleep shortly after that and she was taken to the watchtower.'' Dinah sighed as she explained. ''Hopefully she's fine and can help us.''

''We'll ask Tim and Stephanie to talk to her when we get there. Maybe she really is the hero of their world and that helps her too.'' Batman turns to turn the ship towards the nearest transporter when Wonder Woman's voice is heard.

''Batman! The batcave alarms have been triggered, I can't access the cameras or the place, something is wrong!

''Superman...'' Bruce looked out the window.

''Here.'' He appeared outside and Bruce ran to the ship's hatch.

Dinah took over the controls when Bruce left and in the next second Batman and Superman were gone towards Gotham.

xxXXXxx

''Dick! Alfred!'' Bruce yelled as they entered the cave minutes later.

Clark ran towards the infirmary, finding only Kara there, passed out. Feeling suddenly weak, he looked around the cave. ''Bruce, Kryptonite.''

The bat picked up the stone and threw it to the far side of the cave, then he would worry about it. He looked at his friend, who left the ward. ''Helena is missing.''

Bruce didn't hear anything else as he ran upstairs, not caring that he was in the Batsuit.

''Dick! Alfred!'' He yelled as he reached the first floor, Clark ran after him, his powers returning and he scanned the house.

''Rochelle, Tim, Damian, Jason!''

''Here!'' Clark pointed and ran towards the room. There was food on the floor, some lamps too, and books, as if they'd fallen when someone tried to hold them up.

Bruce bent down and picked up one of the now empty balls.

''R'as.'' He stood up as Clark walked in front of him towards the hallway.

Alfred was standing against a wall.

' ' Alfred! Are you all right?" The Kryptonian asked.

''What happened?'' Bruce asked right away.

''I… I'm not sure myself sir. The young...''

''Gone.''

Alfred lowered his face. ''I'm sorry I couldn't save them.''

' ' If it really is Ra's, there wasn't much you could do Al. I just appreciate that you're okay.'' Bruce looked at the messy room again and was about to go back to it when Clark put a hand on the bat's shoulder.

''There's someone else here.''

Bruce took a batarang from his belt. ''Show up!'' he ordered around. Perhaps a ninja was left behind or Ra's himself or Thalia.

''Just promise me you won't attack me.'' A strange voice rang down the hall.

Clark stepped in front of Alfred as Bruce approached the end of the hall.

Bruce was frowning under his hood. The Ras ninjas didn't respond, they were literally human shadows. Who was there?

''Show up.'' He repeated.

He stopped before reaching the end and waited a while, until he heard the answer. ''Okay, but I want you to know that I saved Grandpa Alfred, so I'm not evil.''

Wait, what did he say? Bruce thought as the small figure appeared.

Of all the things Bruce thought he'd see, a twelve-inch starfish dressed as Robin was last on the list.

He could hear Clark mumbling about what that was while Alfred was saying 'oh dear'.

''My name is Jarro. I'm Robin. I... I saw the attack, but I only managed to save Alfred. I've seen the other boys dressed as Robin and I'm assuming I'm not in my world... so... where am I?

xxXXXxx

''All right, we're on high alert, Batman and Superman have just confirmed that the Robins have been kidnapped.'' Dinah entered the room where some members of the League and the team were, she entered talking, going directly to the central computer. '' I'm contacting the scientists, we need the contents of the flash drive now. We're sending a team to Ra's hideout in a few hours."

"What about us?" Kaldur asked.

''You stay here.''

''No.'' Wally took a step forward. ''It's my friend who got caught. I'm not going to stand by while he's in that nutcase's hands!

''Neither do we.'' Artemis stood beside the redhead. ''This time the league will not stop us.''

Roy raised an eyebrow at that. Did they finally understand that they needed to go head-to-head with the league to get out?

Dinah glanced at a few other league members, but Carrie's voice echoed in her head. ''Don't forbid the team to leave. It's common for heroes to die on the job and this Robin died because of a betrayal he didn't expect. And if you forbid them to leave, then they will sneak out and that will increase the chances of what happened to Jason happening!

John must have read his thoughts because the alien shook his head and looked at the team again.

She sighed. ''Okay.'' She mumbled. ''You can participate.''

''What?'' The room exclaimed in surprise.

''Dinah, you can't be serious.'' Hal Jordan responded indignantly. ''They are children!''

''Children who defeated various members of the League of Shadows.''

''A small number, this is literally going to be an entire fortress!'' Green Arrow took a step forward. ''This is different...''

''I'm not sending them to Ra's stronghold.'' Black Canary cut him off, turning back to the prefects. '' I'm sending them to the labs, the contents of the pendrive are being decoded and we need reliable people to take these results to Batman in Gotham. The team will do it.''

"Are you sure about this Canary?" Green Arrow still looked esistant.

Roy snorted at that.

Dinah nodded and turned her attention to the team. "From now on you are temporary members of the League. I will give you permission to move between the zeta tubes and the tower." She then looks back at the League members. "It's not permanent, but we'll see how they do."

"Roy too?" Kid Flash points at Arrow, who raises a surprised eyebrow.

"Yes, so is he. I know you're not going to mention Roy, but I know you're worried about Dick. Come on, I'll register you on the system."

Roy feels a little awkward about this but ignores it.

xxXXXxx

"There's no one here Bruce, not even in the adjacent caves." Superman landed next to his cousin half an hour after a long check of the mansion and smaller caverns. "I think I'd better close some entrances, they used one I don't think even you knew existed. How long has Ras known your identity?"

They were all in the cave. Bruce making sure Alfred was okay while Jarro was up somewhere, exploring. Kara had woken up at some point, and only common sense held her in the cave. (Good sense named Clark Kent, who convinced her it wouldn't do her any good to go to Ra's hideout alone.)

Yeah, you could tell she wasn't very happy about it.

A small snort was heard coming from above the batcomputer. Jarro came down and landed on the side of the keyboard.

''Please, he always knew. After all Dad trained with him for a long time."

Kara nodded. ''That is true.''

''Bruce?'' Clark asked.

''I see that hasn't changed from world to world.'' Bruce muttered as he turned to the computer, where an analysis of Ra's bases was already loading. Satellite image and thermal reading.

''I don't know why I even ask.'' Clark sits down next to his cousin.

Jarro jumps onto Bruce's shoulder. ''Any clue dad?''

''No.'' was the simple answer, but the alien starfish seemed satisfied with it. Serious? Alien starfish? Is this what his life has become?

A notification on the computer arrives catching his attention the next moment.

''Dinah will send the team here, the USB stick has been decoded, but they don't want to risk the file on the tower's systems.''

''Are you sure the Batcave is the best place for this?'' Clark asks sincerely, only to throw his hands up when both Bruce and the alien starfish look at him. ''Okay, okay.''

Alfred sighs to the side. When did his life become so crazy?

xxXXXxx

Dick wakes up with voices in the back of his mind, some sounding angry, some threatening. Something was wrong.

But it wasn't those voices that made him wake up. It was an eerily calm.

''Time to wake up little bird.''

The voices in the background grew even louder as he reached for consciousness.

His consciousness returns in time for him to hear an angry "Slade you son of a bitch if you touch him I'll kill you!"

It was Jason... what was he up to?

Memories of the previous days came back like a freight train, the robins, the mission with the team, the machine and flash drive, the ninjas attacking the cave... and the mansion! Dick opened his eyes and forced himself to stand.

"Ah finally." The voice again.

Dick looked around, his training taking over before he even realized it.

Very well, what can he see?

Bars, the exterminator...okay now he understood the desperation, and behind the man were the other Robins in other cells that had a familiar layout. Damian was noticeably missing.

He knew where he was.

Nanda Parbat. The base of the league of shadows.

They were the ones who entered the mansion.

''You must be wondering why you're alone there.'' Slade commented. His posture was relaxed even though he had his arms crossed.

It sounded a lot like Bruce's posture when he was about to make some deal at Wayne Enterprises.

It was strange to make that comparison.

''What do you want Deathstroke?'' He asked as he stood up, noticing that he was dressed in his uniform, just like the others.

''Robin, don't talk to him.'' Wayne's voice came from behind the man. The rejuvenated version of his mentor looked ready to commit murder as he glared at the mercenary. Some of the other Robins looked exactly the same as Bruce.

Dick had just noticed that everyone was in uniform.

''Many things Robin, but right now I want to end this service, it's gotten too messy. But that doesn't mean I don't have further plans.

''Slade he has nothing to do with your plans.'' Stephanie tried to draw attention to herself, but it looked like this idiot was a self-centered idiot in all worlds.

''If you really believe that then you are a fool dear. I think it comes with the paternal gene."

The heroes froze.

''Yes, I know who most of you are. Ra's too, but we have no intention of telling anyone, no, that would spoil everything for everyone from heroes to villains, it's information that shouldn't be divulged. No other villains know, that's not advantageous either.

''What do you want?'' Dick asked again, he, against his strongest instincts, approaching the bars and the older man.

''Robin.'' Wayne tries again.

''To do my work without interruptions, interruptions that the league and its little band of helpers represent.''

''And bringing us here was really the solution?'' B.J asked angrily. He hated Slade, his father hated man, everyone hated man on his Earth, though few knew exactly why.

' ' Bringing you was not the goal, the plan was another. Our buyer was dumb enough not to act quicker and our... colleague who did the auction was dumb enough to fire the gun, although I don't know why he thought it would be a good idea given that he had been warned about what she did, but that's ok, he was taken care of and the plan goes on.''

Tim frowned, the Terminator wasn't used to talking this much. ''Where are you going with this?'' the young hacker asked just before he felt Wayne's hand on his arm.

''Now, that's my business.'' He paused as everyone looked at each other. ''Mine and of course, my future apprentice.''

Dick's eyes widened and he backed up a few steps.

''Shit no!'' Jason growled.

Tim and Wayne clung to the railings, trying to get as close as possible to the duo across the hall, but it was no use. Wayne feared that, he couldn't let another Richard go through what his went through, he couldn't. Tim wanted to kick himself, he read some reports about the time when Dick was Renegade. It looked like this one would become one too. No, he wouldn't let it.

Helena looked scared from the small bench she was placed on hours before, why would Slade want Dick as an apprentice?

Rochelle was completely confused, without the alien's translation she didn't understand anything, but it didn't take words to realize that something was wrong, her nephew was in danger, she knew that, and would fight for him.

The others looked around for a way out. Carrie desperately wanted her batarangs or her slingshot, but something made her stand still and just watch.

''What?'' Dick asked. Hoping I hadn't heard correctly.

' 'You have talent boy, and a lot of potential to be a great warrior, you already are, but you can be more with more rigorous training. My training. You will be my apprentice and maybe you can succeed me someday.

''Never.''

''There is no choice Richard.'' The name only confirmed how dangerous the situation was. ''And it's a win-win, the Light commands the world, I get a partner, not a helper, partner, of course, you'll earn the title of partner after going through the apprentice phase. You should feel honored, after all if your little team hadn't interfered I wouldn't have noticed your potential.

''Slade Wilson get away from him.'' Wayne snarled.

''Sorry Bruce Wayne, I'm not going to let a talent like that go.'' He stopped and seemed to think for a moment before turning to the other robins with a satisfied smile. ''I guess I'm not the first Slade Wilson to want Richard Grayson to be his partner after all. My counterparts succeeded in that, didn't they?

Wayne didn't answer. Neither do the others.

''That answers my question.'' He turned to Dick.

''Batman won't let it.'' Dick growled.

''Batman won't know. You won't tell.'' was the calm reply.

Tim, Jason, and Stephanie looked at each other. Slade was right, Dick had never spoken about his time with Deathstroke, they only knew, in their respective worlds, because of a strange mission where Slade seemed both an archenemy and an overprotective father to Nightwing. After that they read old reports from the Titans and accidentally found the report about Renegade.

''You already have my answer.''

''Brave, good, very good. But I think I'll offer you a deal.'' He paused before calling out. ''Robot.''

The robot was missing, how did they not notice that?

Robot Robin approached Slade. ''Yes Master.''

Everyone's eyes widened.

''Oh, I see you guys enjoyed our little surprise. Controller microchips. They're very good, and perfected by our dear friend Komander to penetrate even steel and circuitry and alien skin. It was tested on her sister and it was a success."

''If Starfire is hurt...'' Wayne threatened, he might not know much about her, but he knew that his Richard loved her. Before he could finish, Slade cut him off.

''We'll make a deal Robin. You will become Renegade, my apprentice. And your team won't go through this, or worse. Just like your beloved butler."

Alfred, he was threatening Alfred. That was new all things considered.

''What if I don't accept?'' Dick tries.

Slade smiles.

' ' I'll take care of them myself. Just like your friends here."

Dick stares at him wordlessly.

''You will have two hours to decide Richard. And to make sure you make the right decision...'' He stops and looks at the other Robins. ''Robin Redhead. What is your name?''

Carrie's eyes widened, but her mouth responded before she could control it. '' Carrie. ''

''What are you doing? Stephanie asked.

''Great Carrie. Do you want to come closer?''

''Carrie no!'' B.J tried to grab her arm but was knocked down by a blow. She couldn't control herself and it showed in her eyes.

''Stay where you are.'' Slade exclaimed quietly.

Everyone obeyed, but reluctantly as Carrie approached. Slade walked to the other cell, opened and closed it as the young woman emerged.

''What did you do with her? With them?" Dick yelled.

''Something I won't do with your team, or with you. And they will be safe, as long as you choose wisely.'' He turned away. ''Two hours. Come on, you two."

Before they can take many steps, Dick grabs the bars.

''Wait!''