Silenced voice

A round of UNO

No other interferences that night, no other people to fight. At least none the police couldn't take care of alone. It was about midnight, much to early for a batfamily member to be asleep. Bruce was in the batcave or study or his room doing some research or something, while in the living room-

"YOU CANT JUST INVENT NEW RULES TO UNO!" Tim shouted at Damian. Damian said in that calm mad voice "I did not, you simply do not know the rules to the game. Maybe you should read the rule book Drake." Tim jumped up "I'm the only person in this room whose ever read the rule book to UNO!" They both turned to Jason and Tim told Jason "Please tell Damian he can't place a 2+ on a 4+!"

Jason frowned, he was really not interested in joining the discussion. But it was kinda fun watching them. So he tried to heating up the fight a bit more "You know Tim, you also broke a rule by placing a wild card at the end of a game" Jason had been sure that you weren't allowed to do that. Tim gave Jason his best Red Robin glare that wasn't nearly as intimidating as Batmans or even Damian's glare.

"I read the rule book! You are allowed to end a game on a wild card." Dick came back in having only left the room for not even five minutes but coming back to utter chaos. He walked over to them smiled, took out a pen and a piece of paper he always has with him and wrote something down. Why don't we end this round of UNO and play a video game? Like Mega Monkeys six?

Jason chuckled smiling at his older silent brother. Tim crossed his arms and nodded while Damian did the same. They were more alike than they would ever admit. This made Dick just smile brighter. While Dick build up the Game Station Jason packed the UNO cards away.

Jason handed everyone their controller, Damian and Tim both thanked Jason speaking out loud while Dick did so in sign language. Everyone in this household understood sign language and morse code because you kinda had to when one resident was mute.

—

A bit later Dick stretched himself got up and knocked on the table in morse code Good night "Good night" all his brothers immediately replied. Dick left the room.

Tim who had the remote control turned the TV's tone off. Before his brothers could protest Tim asked something "Have you ever heard Dick laugh?" Damian and Jason were a bit confused, why would Tim ask something like that. He knew that Dick was mute. Jason replied "Only on video but I've also heard his voice on video so that doesn't count I guess. But you know he's mute since that car incident. You know, the one that happened two days after the bike incident where he lost his arm." Tim sighed "Yes I know but I did some research and mute people are able to laugh or scream in pain, have you ever heard him scream in pain? No? And it's been five years since the car and bike crash." Damian narrowed his eyes "What are you trying to imply Drake?"

"That-" Tim started a sentence but quickly cut himself off when he saw Dick rushing down the stairs, pure panic in that crystal blue eyes. But Dick just rushed past them to the study where the entrance to the Batcave was.

Tim tried to start again "I'm trying to imply that-" he cut himself off mid sentence when Dick came rushed over to them. Still panic in his eyes he rushed over to his brothers, with sign language he asked his brothers Have you seen Bruce? The other batkids looked at one another and than shook their heads and got up. Jason checked on the batcave again, Damian started to threaten the person who would hurt Bruce not even knowing if anyone kidnapped Bruce or he just went out on a patrol, Tim tried calling Bruce. "He's not answering" Tim stated, Damian took out his own phone "I'll try, father always answers when I call him."

Dick went upstairs to check on Bruce's room again, no one there. But if it was a kidnapping it was a professional... no broken window not even a sign of a fight. He walked to his room and switched on the light.

He wished he didn't.

A man he had tried to forget, a man he had never wanted to see again. That man stood in the middle of his room holding a unconscious Bruce.

Dick looked at the man and than at the door like calculating how long he'd need to find one of his siblings.

"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you" the man said with that horrible voice that Dick had never wanted to see again. Dick just silently nodded came inside and closed the door behind him.

"I've heard you're still following my orders? Still not talking after all this time?" Dick silently nodded again.

Then the man's single eye went much colder than it was before. "I'm gonna leave now and if you tell anyone or well write or Morse code or somehow tell any other human being I was here then-" his eye had that shine in it Dick hated "Well you know what happens when you disobey your master, correct apprentice?" Dick silently nodded, wanting to correct him with ex-apprentice but didn't... he was to afraid of that man.

Slade left through the window with Bruce.

Mentally Dick was screaming at himself for letting it happen and he hated that he knew he wouldn't tell anyone.

After five years... after five years Slade appeared again out of nowhere.

He walked down to Morse his brothers that Bruce was probably just out on a mission or something.