Chapter 22: Fear

After their first date, they had a few more impromptu ones, but as always, most of their time together was spent training. While it would still be a few more months until Bruce would let her out on the streets, that didn't stop Tim from sneaking her out now and again. He knew that if Bruce caught him he'd be in big trouble. But he made sure that they only ever went out for short periods and when Bruce was out doing business meetings or fancy parties. It was also thrilling to be doing something he wasn't supposed to, though he would never admit it.

Tonight was another night that Bruce was attending a stockholder's gala at Wayne Tower, so he figured it would be a good opportunity to spend an hour or two wandering the streets. Dick was planning on coming over tomorrow for the weekend and this would probably be the last time they'd be able to do some sneaking around for another couple of weeks.

So, once Bruce was gone for the night, he told Alfred they would be heading out for ice cream. Then they whisked away on his bike to the city, stopping by an abandoned building on the way to change into costume. Hers had gotten some slight upgrades that allowed for more flexibility and, admittedly, just seemed to hug her skin a little tighter.

He parked the bike and then got them situated on a rooftop to look around, though if he was being honest with himself he was looking a lot more at her than anything else.

"You know we're supposed to be looking for, oh I don't know, criminal activity and not my new suit?" Willow said, breaking her gaze from the streets to give him a look.

Tim grinned, a flush rising to his cheeks. "S'not my fault you look so good."

She rolled her eyes, though he saw the smallest of smiles tug at her lips.

"Okay, if I give you a kiss, can you stop looking at me and focus?"

"Yes ma'am."

With a chuckle, she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. But he wasn't satisfied with something so short, and he pressed a palm against her waist to draw her back in for another one, a little bit longer this time. Despite her huff, she gave in, and leaned against him, gliding her lips across his for a moment longer before pulling away. His eyelids fluttered open and he leaned to bump his shoulder with hers.

"Alright, now focus," she quipped.

Finally, he drew his eyes away from her and tried to redirect his attention. It was a Thursday night, so the activity would be picking up slightly, but not nearly as much as the weekend. So far, there wasn't much action, but given that it was Gotham, he knew it wouldn't be too long before something happened.

They had been sitting and observing the streets for almost fifteen minutes when he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. His stomach lurched and he quickly turned, scanning the rooftops to see if there was anyone there. With just a glance, he wasn't able to see anything, but the feeling on his neck only intensified and he reached up to flick on his detective mode to scan for heat signatures.

"...Robin….?"

Willow's weak voice caused his throat to tighten, and he spun toward her. With her legs still dangling over the edge, she pressed a hand to her neck, fingers encircling what could only be a drugged dart sticking from her flesh. Her eyes unfocused and glazed over as her body wavered, and he lunged forward to catch her before she fell back and hit her head. With a sense of urgency, his neck swiveled as he looked for the source, but he didn't get a chance to look before he was also feeling a sharp prick in his neck.

Hastily, he pulled the dart out, but even only being in his skin for less than a second, he could already feel the effects beginning to take over. He braced his arms out in front of him to make sure that he didn't hurt himself on his way down and before he could blink, everything went black.

Tim's eyes shot open, vision sluggish and blurred. He blinked rapidly, willing away the vision impairment so he could get a good look at his surroundings. Every muscle in his body ached and it felt like his arms were twisted behind his back. With a few deep, shuddering breaths he looked over his shoulder, noting that he indeed was tied together with a thick rope to a metal pipe. The room he was in looked like some sort of storage room, with empty lockers and storage shelves across from him. He spotted some more rope ends, chains, and various pieces of garbage and cardboard strewn around. It took him a moment to realize that Willow wasn't there, and when he finally noticed, deep dread pooled in the pit of his stomach.

He gently tugged against his restraints, trying to clear his head so he could think and figure out what he was going to do to get out of this. First of all, who had even done this? He and Batman were on a lot of villain's revenge lists, so he couldn't be sure by just a glance around. He noted that his utility belt was across the room, so he had no access to anything that might help him get free more easily.

Shit.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long for the door to swing open. A man clad in burlap sauntered inside, a low chuckle escaping his lips as he stopped right in front of him.

"Look at the little bird boy, all tied up with no Batman to save him," he sneered.

Tim knew he was just trying to goad him, and on a normal day he might not have fallen for it, but he was anxious about where they had taken Willow, so his temper was short.

"You won't be laughing when you're bleeding into the cement," he growled. "Let me go and I might let you off the hook."

The man snickered, slowly lowering himself to a crouch. "I'm the one with the upper hand here, kid. You and your little girlfriend aren't going anywhere."

He stiffened at the mention of Willow, his eyes narrowing. "Where did you take her?"

"Why would I tell you that? Let's just say that the boss is havin' a little fun with her. Wouldn't want to ruin it."

Tim could only strongly assume that by the boss, he meant Scarecrow. It would be the only thing that made sense with the way this thug was clothed. Panic started to flood his body. Crane having hold of her was the furthest thing from good. Fighting and hurting people physically was one thing, but mental manipulation was a different thing entirely. He'd been drugged once or twice with the fear toxin, and it was very unpleasant, to say the least. She had no experience or any sort of way to prepare herself for the horrors she would be put through. His fists tightened and he began to struggle against his binds.

"You let her go right now," he snarled.

"No can do, bird boy. The boss wanted me to make sure you heard her scream."

As if on cue, a piercing, terrified scream split through the silence. The blood iced in his veins and bile crept up his throat. The only thought he had was getting to her, saving her, making sure she was okay. Blood began to seep from his wrists as the rope rubbed harshly against his skin. The cronie reached forward and slapped him across the face, but the adrenaline washed away any of the pain he could have felt. Images of blood and her screaming face flashed through his mind and he tugged against the binds harder, ignoring the annoyed words tumbling from his captor's lips.

"Enough!" he snarled, reaching into his pocket.

Tim barely had a chance to register that this man had pulled out a syringe and jabbed it into his neck. Within seconds, his limbs grew heavy and his struggling slowed. His vision blurred as the toxin began to take effect, and the last thing he saw before his world changed was the cackling of the thug.

When he blinked, he was in a crumbling version of the room he had just been in, the air whipping furiously around him. He wasn't bound anymore, but he was still coated in sweat and anxiety.

Think, think, think….

His mind was still fuzzy and he tried hard to focus. It had been a while since he had gotten a taste of Crane's toxin, but the feeling wasn't much different than the last time he'd had it. Just stronger. What had he done last time to escape? What had Bruce told him that he did?

He got to his feet, legs shaking with the effort it took, and took a stumbling step forward. From the cracks of the window, he could see a large spotlight circling, and the memories started to flood back to him. He had to keep away from Scarecrow's gaze and get to the big spotlight up top to destroy the illusion.

Okay, Tim. You have to hurry. Willow needs you.

Shaking his hands a few times, he walked forward to try and figure out the best path to get to where he needed to be. Right now, he was safe from Scarecrow's prying eyes, but it would only get more difficult from here. Moving quickly and quietly was his best option. So he started forward, leaping to the next crumbling platform and ducking down behind a low wall to creep along. Every time the light flashed over his spot, his stomach clenched, but he was hidden enough that he wasn't spotted.

He came to a stretch of multiple columns. Scarecrow was still circling in his patrol, so he would have to time this carefully. Just as he passed by the first column, Tim jumped and used it for cover. He fell into a rhythm of darting and hiding until he got to the last one where he needed to jump to a gap and then climb across the ledge to get around the corner. When it was clear, he took a running start and leaped off the edge, the floor crumbling loudly beneath him as he reached for the ledge.

His hands grabbed onto it and he turned out of sight just as Scarecrow swooped in to investigate the noise. While he was distracted, he got a good chunk of time to continue quickly. Even though the path was straightforward, there were a few close calls. He was so anxious that it was hard to keep quiet, but his training was so automatic that it just barely kept him from getting caught.

Finally, he got to the last platform, where the bat-signal spotlight gleamed. With all his strength, he pushed it forward, the light honing in on Scarecrow's form as he turned to look.

"Robin!" he shouted in a gargled scream. "Robin!"

He kept repeating as the light seared through his form, but as he faded away, the voice morphed into one that was more familiar. And he could feel his shoulders being shaken.

"Robin!"

Tim blinked, the fear world fading away and his eyes focusing in on Nightwing crouched in front of him, shaking his shoulders roughly.

"Good, you're back with me," he murmured, his mouth tilted in a frown.

"Where is she? Is she safe?" Tim slurred, looking down to realize he had been cut free.

"I don't know. You're the first one I found."

"How did you find me?"

Dick gave a small shrug. "Came to the manor early to surprise you. Noticed your stuff was missing. Tracked your belt."

Right. Each of their belts and suits had tracking devices implanted in them. Now that he was free, he needed to get to Willow.

"We need to find her. They took her to torture," he rasped, scrambling to his feet.

His world started to spin, and Dick reached out to steady him. "Just focus on following me and staying upright, yeah?"

All he could do was nod. He was still a bit woozy from the toxin and he knew it would take some time to get back to full lucidity. He would need to let his brother take the lead and hope that there wasn't anything too grueling in their path.

Before they started, he got his belt attached back to his waist. Dick went in front, slowly creeping through the door and peering around the corner. He moved much more nimbly than Tim, especially at this moment with the world spinning furiously.

The hall was empty, but multiple doors were lining the walls, and when he heard Willow scream it sounded close so she had to be in one of them. With each door they passed, his eyes snapped through each window, trying to find her. After about five doors, footsteps echoed at the end of the hall and they both froze as a Scarecrow thug turned the corner. There was a moment where they stared at each other before Dick sprang into action, taking him out easily. But who knew how many more of them there were?

Becoming a bit more frantic, Tim shouldered in front of Dick and started to open doors. With each empty room, the panic began to turn to acid in his stomach, but finally, finally, they reached the right room.

There were two thugs on either side of her, and he immediately wobbled forward and struck the first so hard across the temple that he passed out immediately and dropped like a rock. Dick took care of the other one as he leaned over Willow, reaching to check for a pulse and letting out a breath when he found it, strong and steady.

"You're okay," he murmured, gently shaking her shoulders.

Though her chest rose and fell, she didn't wake. He checked her for any injuries and saw there were a few minor cuts and pinkened skin around her wrists. They needed to get her out of here right now.

Leaning forward, he attempted to scoop her in his arms, but he was weak and unsteady. Dick took it upon himself to take her in his arms. Her head lolled against his chest, limbs limp in her state of unconsciousness. It made him anxious to see her so vulnerable.

"I need you to make sure we get out safe. I can't fight while I'm holding her," he said, adjusting her in his grip.

Tim nodded, swallowing thickly and moving back to the door. The hall was clear and he hurried to the end, gaining more steadiness and lucidity with each step. All of the doors led to other rooms except one, which was locked, but he could see the stairs through the glass window. He fumbled with his utility belt, pulling out the explosive gel gun and spraying a strip along the edge and the handle. After backing away, he detonated, and the door flung open, pieces of the metal mangled and bent from the explosion. Now they really needed to hurry, since they just made so much noise.

They had to go down five flights of stairs before they reached the bottom. Right before they got to the exit door, they ran into two more thugs, but Tim was so angry and jittery that they were on the floor in seconds.

Just outside around the corner, they came to Dick's bike. It would be a tight fit for the three of them, but with Willow's unconscious state, squeezing her between the two of them would probably be the safest and easiest way to go about it. His brother seemed to have read his mind because he placed her upright on the center of the seat and slid to the front, holding her steady until Tim could slide on the back.

He pressed himself tightly against her back, grabbing onto Dick's utility belt and caging her in as securely as he could. They didn't wait, the engine roaring to life and then taking off, carrying them at light speed through the streets of Gotham. Bruce would be furious and rightfully so. If he hadn't liked her so much and wanted to make her happy, he wouldn't have brought her out on the streets too early and gotten them into this mess. Everything about this was all his fault, from the moment he met her. It just seemed like he was going to be the death of her, and that was the last thing he wanted. Seeing her hurt and in danger cut through him so deep he could barely breathe.

Maybe she was safer without him in her life.

A/N: Well thank you all for sticking with me while I continue to try and get my life together lol. I've finally gotten into a good writing rhythm and am hoping to keep it this way so I can get chapters out much more quickly! Anyway, a lot of fun stuff happened in this chapter and it's only gonna get rockier from here so strap in tight! Thank you so much for reading and commenting, every bit of feedback or engagement I get is really encouraging and keeps me motivated! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :)