Hey Everyone! Hope you are all doing well! First Prompt of Whumptober! I know it's a little late, but here it is. Better late than never right? Let me know what you think, reading comments makes my day! Lots of Love - Lorna:)

1. Race Against the Clock

Tim woke up with a groan, his head screeching as he pushed himself to sit up. He could feel cold stone underneath his fingers, gouges clawed out of the floor as if something rabid had been kept here. Tim forced himself to open his eyes against the nauseating feeling of his brain sloshing around in his skull. He was met with horrid white. The walls were a peeling curdled color, more marks traveling up the walls. There were stains that littered the walls that had faded into the rotten milk color. The floor, where the rough stone hadn't been exposed, was also an off white color that hurt Tim's overly sensitive brain.

Something touched his arm and Tim had to refrain from attacking. It was just Damian shifting in his sleep as he struggled to wake up. Tim could see a small, swollen puncture wound on Damian's neck, just under where the soft flesh behind his ear met his neck. Without thinking about it, Tim put his hand against his own neck, feeling the matching wound. He continued to force more information in as he looked around the room.

"Dick?" Tim whispered blearily.

Said brother hissed as he pushed himself up, blindly responding to his name. They were all in civilian clothing; Dick wasn't even in his police uniform. Dick blinked, pupils dilated to the point that it must be painful. "Tim, what's going on? Where are we?"

"We are in Arkham." A cold voice hissed out of the corner. Dick pulled a still sleeping Damian close in protection. Tim stiffened and then sagged in relief when he finally realized who it was.

"Jason."

The figure nodded, though the movement was jerky. Tim was watching the way Jason's body was defensive and tense. Arms crossed over his chest, fists clutched tight. Dick relaxed when he too realized it was his brother.

"What are we doing here?"

Jason took a sharp breath, in and out. "Like hell if I know. I just woke up, but it's something to do with Bruce."

Tim nodded, moving to stand up. He traced the gouges taken out of the wall, like an animal had been trying to dig its way free. His fingers fit into the divots and Tim recoiled. Jason gently tugged him away from the wall.

"Tim, don't think about it," Jason hissed.

He nodded again. He was starting to feel like a bobblehead, and his very sensitive brain was not appreciative of the jarring motion. What had been in that sedative?

Jason seemed to catch the glazed look in Tim's eyes, the edge of pain that he had learned to work through. "Come on, Timmy. You look like you're gonna collapse." Jason tugged Tim to the center of the room, away from the walls, and sat on the filthy mattress Tim almost didn't notice because it was the same decrepit, ratty white color as the floor and so thin that Tim was pretty sure he could feel the floor through it.

"Dami still sleeping?" Jason asked as he maneuvered Tim on the floor. Dick nodded. "D*mn. Whatever sedative they gave us was rough." Jason hissed. His hand was shaking as he maneuvered Tim's head to the side to see the injection. "Probably gave Damien the same amount they gave the rest of us, despite his size. Tim, you doing ok? You're pretty light too, so it's still burning through you."

"Head hurts," Tim replied. "Tired, can't think."

"Yeah, I believe it," Jason replied. "So who wants to bet we're being held for ransom?"

Dick smiled, if strained, as he ran his hand up and down Dami's spine. "Bad bet. It's pretty obvious."

There was the sound of metal sliding on metal as a slit in the door opened.

"Hello, boys."

Tim cringed at the sound of the voice, flinching into Jason as his brain flashed warning lights. Jason's arms came up around the vulnerable teen on instinct, his body moving to shield him from the invisible threat.

"Brucie Wayne wants to hear your voice to make sure we haven't killed you. Say hi to Daddy for me."

Jason scowled at the voice and remained silent. Dick did the same. Tim felt too out of it to really care one way or the other.

"Tt." The man tsked. "Don't make me angry, children. Daddy is on a tight schedule and I have places to be."

Nothing.

"Naughty, naughty children," the man hissed. Something was thrown into the room—a can of concentrated scarecrow toxin, unopened. The man fit a gun into the small slot, aiming it at the container as a threat. It wasn't strong; scarecrow toxin wasn't designed to go gaseous, but in this tiny room, it could make life miserable and presented a real risk of exposing their secrets somehow.

"Wait!" Dick said. "Bruce, we're fine! A little drugged, and Jason's losing his mind a bit in here. Haven't seen him this mad since he saw what you left him in the will." Dick laughed humorlessly. "But we're fine."

"Good boys," the voice rasped. "Your dad and I need to finish talking. Don't get too rowdy in here, or I may have to scare you all straight." They could only see the man's eyes as he withdrew the gun and slid the metal shut with a horrible rasping.

Tim hissed as the noise broke what little peace he had managed to accumulate. His head screamed in protest, making a brutal attempt to flee his skull, as if by sheer force. Jason covered his ears softly to try to dampen the noise, but the screams of the madhouse still broke through.

Tim buried his head even further into Jason, trying in vain to get the noise to stop. "I know, Tim. I'm sorry," Jason whispered.

Tim tried to shake off the pain and fog that was still clouding his brain. "N' m' sorry too. Are you k'?" Jason had been here before, and it had been bad. Really bad. So bad that Tim didn't know how Jason could sit here and try to comfort him while he was back in the place that tortured him endlessly. Jason took one of his hands away from Tim's ear, not that it was doing much good anyway, and ran it through Tim's unruly hair.

"Yeah kid. I'm more worried about you and Dami. B should be here pretty soon. Dick pretty much outrightly told the worlds greatest detective where we are."

Tim nodded. "S' Dami ok?"

Dick replied before Jason could. "Yeah, he's still asleep, and he might be for a while. Anything that can knock Jason down for a couple of hours is probably strong enough to wipe Damian out for the rest of the day, and you should probably still be out of it, too."

Tim yawned. "Good for me, building up a tolerance to sedatives."

Jason scowled. "Not good. How often do you get dosed?"

Tim paused for a moment to try to sift through his thoughts that were still hard to reach. "Umm, I don't know? No more than normal from the baddies and kidnappers, but I'm pretty sure Alfred and Bruce have got me once or twice too to get me to sleep, and the Titans have definitely drugged me a couple of times, when they thought I had gone too long."

Jason clutched him tighter. "Kid, you're too obsessive and self-sacrificing for your own good. Gonna have to have a word with the Titans and Bruce though."

Tim wanted to protest, but he just leaned into Jason's grasp. Jason was warm, and Tim, despite the throbbing of his head and the odd feeling that had settled in his bones, was comfortable. Jason squeezed his shoulder. "Go back to sleep, bud. Me and Dick will be fine."

Tim grabbed onto Jason's sleeve, only now realizing that Jason was not wearing his customary jacket. He wondered idly if it had been taken or if he hadn't been wearing it when he was taken. He kind of hoped it was the latter. Jason loved that jacket and he'd complain for months if it was gone.

"Sure?"

"Yeah Timmy." Dick replied. "We're sure."

Tim nodded, and it seemed the permission was all he needed for his brain to shut down.

Jason waited a moment, making sure Tim was well and truly asleep before he laid Tim down on the flimsy mattress and rearranged his jacket over him to keep him warm. Dick carried Damian and set him down as well, though he didn't move from the bed, standing guard in a silent vigil over his brothers.

Once Tim was comfortable, Jason stood up and began to pace the room. He had held it together because Tim had needed him too, but now everything was starting to get to him. He was back in Arkham. The d*mn madhouse that he tried so hard to move on from. He tried not to look at the gouges in the walls, ones Tim had eyed earlier. It had hurt watching his little brother fit his hands into the scratches, like he had made them. Jason shuddered. He knew there was a room somewhere in the building that his fingers would fit perfectly into, indents in the tile that had been worn away by pacing that would match his feet.

The curdled white color was rotting his brain. It was like just being in a room with padded walls was a trigger for underlying insanity. Jason couldn't breathe. He wanted to hit something, paint the walls any other color, didn't matter if it was red. He couldn't control his thoughts, an effect of a very strong sedative, and it was making the feeling of powerlessness increase tenfold.

"Jason." Dick was suddenly too close, invading what little space Jason had in this room. The walls were closing in, drawn inward just to smother him.

"Don't- don't touch me." Jason hissed, putting his hands out to make sure the walls stayed back.

"Okay." Dick agreed. "I won't touch you, but you've got to listen to me, alright?"

He waited for Jason to give him a shaky nod.

"Good, follow me, okay? A couple of steps this way, Jaybird." Dick's voice was calm as he took a few steps back, pushing the mattress toward the opposite wall with the back of his foot. He was making more space in the middle of the room, Jason realized vaguely. Jason forced himself to take a few steps forward, until the walls didn't seem as close.

"Alright, good work. Put your hands out. No walls, right?" Dick continued. "You have plenty of space. The room isn't as small as you think."

Jason took a breath, and another. His hands couldn't touch the walls in any direction. Dick was right, he had room. Another breath and his thoughts were clearing, as clear as smudged glass, but he'd take what he could get.

"Can I get closer?"

Jason nodded as a feeling of exhaustion rose up in him. D*mn sedative and stupid panic. Dick gently put his hand on Jason's arm, leading him to the flimsy mattress his other two brothers were currently crashing on. "It's ok Jayce, Dad is gonna be here soon."

Jason nodded numbly. "I can't stay here, Dickie. I'm gonna go crazy. I don't want to be like that again."

Dick wrapped an arm around Jason, pulling him into a tight hug, but not so tight as to make Jason feel restrained. "You're not gonna go crazy, Jaybird. Dad is coming, and nothing is going to happen. Then you'll never have to come back here if we can help it. Okay?"

Jay nodded again, feeling a little like a child seeking reassurance. There was a scream somewhere in the asylum.

"Dickie." He didn't care that he sounded like he was whining as he clutched Dick tighter.

"Shh, Jay." Dick whispered, running a hand through Jason's two toned hair. "Everything is okay. Close your eyes and we're at the manor. Sitting on Bruce's stupid, uncomfortable couch watching a movie. Damien fell asleep half an hour ago and Bruce took all of Tim's electronics away so he's dozing off on your lap, because he hasn't slept in a week and a half."

Jason snorted. This situation sounded very familiar. Dick pulled Jason close, and, though Jason would vehemently deny it if he was ever asked, Jason curled into his brother for the protection and comfort he offered. Tim, as if sensing what was going on, rolled toward Jason, resting his forehead on his older brother's thigh. Jason chuckled and put his hand on Tim's head, ruffling his hair.

"See? Now close your eyes again, Jayce." Jason could feel Dick grin. "At the manor, in front of the TV, watching some awful action movie, because it was Tim's turn to pick and he wanted to make us all suffer."

There was a cackling laugh and several loud noises, each leaving Jason tense with worry. There were more thumps and yelling. Dick could almost hear a gravelly voice and he relaxed, rubbing a small circle on Jason's shoulder blade, hoping to get the tight muscles to relax.

"Dick," he whispered, fear evident in his voice, but he was trying so hard to smother it, keep it under control.

"Shh. It's okay. It's just Dad." Dick replied, continuing to try to comfort. His other hand went to rest on Dami, pulling the kid a little closer.

There was a loud crash on the door, and Jason flinched. It was a hard thing to get Jason to flinch, and Dick hated that this place could do it, hated that something had happened here that was so traumatic that Jason recoiled when he heard something touching the door. Another bang and the entire metal door slid open with an unused creak. A black shadow stood in the doorway, a sight that would normally bring terror into anyone who saw it, but both Dick and Jason sagged in relief.

"Hey B," Dick called tiredly.

"Dick, are you okay? Is everyone alright?" The gruff voice responded, walking further into the room and kneeling beside the mattress.

"Yeah, whatever sedative they gave us was strong. Damian is still asleep, and Tim is pretty out of it. I'm pretty sure Jason and I are just dealing with the after effects, though I'm a little foggy. No one requires any medical attention."

Bruce nodded. "Alright, let's go home."

Dick nodded once, picking Damian up and carrying him like one would a sleeping toddler. Jason stood, picking Tim up with him. Jason made a note to get the kid to eat more, because it was not healthy.

They walked to the Batmobile, stepping over several kidnappers as they did so. Not dead, but Batman wasn't gentle with them. Bruce would always protect his birds.