~.: Jason's POV :.~
I regained consciousness in some sort of darkened room, my head was spinning and my ears were ringing irritably as I regained my bearings. My eyesight was still blurry from being out cold for however long I was out, but as my vision focused once more, I caught sight of the man who must've been responsible for me winding up in this place. He stood just a little ways away from me, his masked gaze sizing me up as though I were prey.
The atmosphere and this man's presence brought back painful memories of how I'd been kidnapped when I was younger. Flashing images of a darkened cellar, a swinging crowbar, the leering face of the Joker, and then an explosion long gone battered my mind like bullets as I regretfully flinched away from the mysterious man.
"Come now, surely the Batman trained you to stand up and properly defend yourself from a potential threat," the man darkly chuckled, attempting to get a rouse out of me so that I'd lash out at him. I would've if I had the strength to do so, but my muscles felt as though they were worn to the bone. I bared my teeth at the man, glaring as best I could at him.
"Fuck you," I spat threateningly, despite my trembling posture as I managed to clumsily sit up right on the ground I must've been thrown upon during my unconscious arrival, "I don't fuckin work for the Bat, dumbass-" The man merely nodded uninterestedly at my comment.
"No more excuses, Nightwing, get up and show me the skills your mentor showed you. Face me like a man now!" He snapped angrily, dangerously looming over me. Smirking with amusement despite how intimidating he tried to come across as, I spat in his face with a husky chuckle.
"Wow, you ain't too bright. In case you haven't noticed," I began in a light wheezing tone, "I ain't no fuckin Nightwing. I'm Red Hood," as I corrected his mistake, he seemed to grow even angrier, his frustration clear in the sound of how his boots paced the wooden floors.
"I see," He murmured softly, almost to himself before returning to me once more, "All isn't lost, thankfully. You'll help me find who I'm looking for." I narrowed my eyes at him with hostility, "You're out of your goddamn mind if you think I'm going to willingly lead your ass to my own teammates," I snarled aggressively, straining to stand up to face this strange man.
"Oh, I don't expect that of you at all, Todd," the man remarks, his back to me as he begins to leave the room, "I don't expect you to do so because your tracking device is already doing that for you." Alarm coursed through my veins and my heart jumped into my throat as the man began to chuckle darkly once more.
Dammit, Grayson! This is exactly why I didn't want in on your stupid team. Your tracking devices are a goddamn nuisance. I thought irritatedly as I frantically began patting my body in search of said tracking device.
"Don't think of searching for the device either, because I've removed it already. It's safe with me at this moment," He spoke before disappearing from the room and leaving me in complete darkness.
***
~.: De's POV :.~
Everyone who had overheard Octavia's shrill scream was still crowded in the hallway, trying to make sense of what happened and how Jason had mysteriously disappeared. I trembled against Dick's side as Riley and Addison recalled witnessing outside the hideout prior to Jason's disappearance. This was just too much to handle. Every nerve in my body was shocked, and my blood felt ice cold as I listened to their recalled experience.
Their story sounds like it was ripped from a horror movie, I thought to myself, rubbing my arms as I cuddled closer to Dick who wrapped an arm around my wait in a form of reassurance while he continued conversing with Addy and Riley, trying to gather as much information as possible before planning anything. Half listening to their conversation now, I recalled that Acacia and Jared weren't in the halls and rushed for the infirmary, thinking that Dick could handle things from there.
My heart was already pounding in my ears as I raced inside the infirmary to see Acacia wide awake and propped up confusedly on her infirmary bed, Bella snuggled amongst her siblings on either side of their mother while Jared was miraculously snoozing in the chair nearest to the window.
"What's going on? You look like you saw a ghost-" Acacia inquired curiously as I stood in the doorway, momentarily happy to see that nobody was missing from this room. At the sound of her question, I swallowed fearfully, the overwhelming anxiety hit me like a freight train from the news of Jason's mysterious disappearance following the creepy figure in the field outside the hideout once again.
"Addy and Riley spotted a strange figure racing away from the hideout shortly before Jason went missing," I hurriedly explained wringing my hands worriedly, "We're not sure who the stranger was but we think they had something to do with Jason's disappearance..." Bella raised her head sleepily from Acacia's chest, her blue eyes bleary with exhaustion.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Bells murmured tiredly, only to be shushed by Acacia as she hugged her and the twins closer to her.
"Nothing, sweetie, go back to sleep, it's okay," she reassured Bella, despite her wide and distressed gaze meeting my own. We were both thinking the same thing. What if the stranger comes back to take the kids?? Or worse??? A brief loud snore cut off by a startled grunt threw our thoughts off as Jared stirred from his seat and spotted me in the infirmary room.
"Ghhh, what's going on?" He blearily inquired before I dragged him out into the hallway so that the little ones wouldn't hear. After I'd explained the issue at hand, Jared's hazel eyes narrowed in fury.
"Oh, fuck no, if that person comes back I'll tear 'em limb from limb," he snarled at not particularly anyone.
"Just stay in here with Acacia and the little ones, shut the windows, and turn the lights out so whoever it was won't try to come back in while you guys are asleep," I sighed, trying to come down from my anxious high.
"I'll do more than tha-"
"I don't think anything more will be necessary. At least not for tonight. It's too late. All we can do is just keep a watch out for this person. We'll come up with a plan tomorrow morning once everyone has had a night's rest." Dick spoke up from behind me, startling the life out of me as he put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" I gasped out, shaking again in terror against Dick as Jared scowled at him.
"Sorry for the scare," Dick briefly apologized, kissing my cheek lovingly, "But like I said, everyone needs to be vigilant. Report anything that looks suspicious ASAP, I don't want another person going missing before sunrise." He murmured, running a hand stressfully through his raven colored unruly bangs. Jared nodded in understanding then shut the infirmary door, as though signifying that he would be taking up a guarding post over Acacia and the children at that very moment. I exchanged a glance with Dick who smirked at me tiredly.
"I'm bushed," he groans softly as we made our way to our shared bedroom once again.
"I know exactly how you feel," I replied absent mindedly, following him into our room before throwing myself back into bed once mores. Dick strips himself of his clothes which he hurriedly threw into the wastebasket nearby. As he comes back to the bed, he smirks gently and I return his goofy grin, wrapping my arms around him and snuggling deep into his bare chest.
"I'm so scared, Dick," I confessed, trembling once more against him as I thought once more of the mysterious figure that could still be lurking somewhere waiting for another victim to strike. Dick nodded quietly for a moment, holding me close as he rubbed my back comfortingly.
"I won't let anyone hurt you, De," he murmured in my ear before kissing my forehead, "I'm here and I'll always protect you," I blushed as he said this and I pressed a kiss to his lips. His tongue slipped past my lips and met with mine before he pulled away, glancing about the room confusedly.
"You're scared too, fearless leader?" I giggled slightly, placing my hands on his chest teasingly. He smirked amusedly at me, laying down beside me on the mattress once more.
"Nah," he chuckled, though he glanced at our window before nodding in approval as he saw that our window was successfully closed and locked, "Just making sure nothing else happened before we fall asleep."
I smiled warmly at Dick before cuddling up to him underneath the covers once more. At least I knew he'd keep me safe for the night and for whatever we'd be facing tomorrow morning if everything goes accordingly.
~.: TBC :.~
(Short as fuck, but I'm going off of 2 hours of sleep and I'm tired as fuck)
