Sick Bird.

77. Busted.

_=_

Dick tried not to seem out of place as his gaze wandered around the study. While his mind was a million miles away, he made sure to keep a tight grip on Sebastian's hand.

The time they had spent together had taught him that Sebastian didn't lie at least not to him. So if he asked Dick to hold hands with him and not let go, the boy wonder knew that there was a serious reason for it.

"Mr Wayne," Sebastian held out his hand to Bruce who stood in front of his desk.

Dick tried to avert his gaze and not look suspicious. He didn't know what would happen if his identity was revealed at this moment. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to leap into Bruce's arms and cry. The past few days has been disorienting, and despite Sebastian's kindness Dick felt better in a familiar environment with people he knew cared for him.

He missed Wally and the Team. He wondered if they knew that he had been kidnapped or if Bruce had kept them in the dark. He wondered if Roy knew.

Bruce shook Sebastian's hand firmly. "Mr Treadwell," he said, "imagine my surprise when I got a call from your secretary scheduling an appointment. I didn't think we would be able to meet outside of diner parties."

Bruce walked back to his chair and sat down. "Please take a sit."

Sebastian smiled. It was a strained smile. "This visit will be a brief one, so I'll prefer to remain standing."

There was a knock on the door and Alfred waltzed in with a tray. Dick raised his gaze to see what was on top of it and saw two cups of either coffee or tea and a large plate of cookies.

It was the cookies that got his attention.

"No sugar, no cream, just as you like it," Alfred told Bruce the turned to the visitors. "In all honesty, I brought the cookies for the boy but you may help yourselves to as many as you like."

With that he left, bringing a smile to Dick's lips. Alfred was still as sassy as ever.

"Who is he?" Bruce asked, levelling his gaze on Dick.

"Definitely not a mole that will leak the contents of our meeting to the press, I assure you," Sebastian's smile widened as he pulled Dick closer to him. "He's the son of an old friend... Speaking of which, I heard that you have a ward his age... Where is he?"

Dick stiffened at Sebastian's choice of words but remained silent and watched for what Bruce would say. It was like his kidnapper was purposely dangling a carrot in front of his mentor, just to get a reaction.

Dick didn't understand why.

"He is on vacation."

"Without his guardian and in the middle of a school week?" Sebastian asked despite Dick tugging hard on his hand to stop him.

"He needed a change of scenery."

Silently, Dick begged Sebastian not to test Bruce any further. As much as he wanted to be rescued, he didn't know if he wanted to confront his father so soon.

With Sebastian he wasn't locked in a room all day with nothing to do and no one to talk to. And unlike Bruce, Sebastian had been straight with him from the beginning even if the man spoke in riddles more times than not.

Sebastian had ulterior motives but was forthcoming with information while Bruce only wanted what was best for him and kept him in the dark.

Dick felt torn between the two, knowing that if they worked together his chances of survival would increase. But they were the opposite sides of the same coin and at the moment preventing his death was the only thing tying them together.

Sebastian was a murderer and the leader of some crime syndicate while Bruce was Batman and commanded the Justice League.

They didn't fit together, even in an alternate universe.

Suddenly Sebastian laughed, his grip on Dick's hand tightening as though to tell him to play along. "I only brought this kid along because I was put on babysitting duty and I thought he'd have company."

"Does 'this kid' have a name?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The family calls him Gray."

"The family?"

Sebastian nodded slowly. "That brings us back to our discussion. I am sure you know that the Treadwell family owns a chain of pharmacies under the brand name: TWell Pharmacy. We produce our own medicine and distribute it at prices that are next to nothing."

"I am aware," Bruce said, while Dick was awed by the fact that his kidnapper was so philanthropic. "Your name is synonymous with generosity and the papers and magazines know how to market it."

"I am sure you wondered more than once what the CEO of a drug company wanted to discuss with the CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

"We don't exactly run in the same circles," Bruce said as a way of agreeing with the statement.

"But we run with some of the same people," Sebastian reached for a cookie and handed it to Dick.

"What do you want Mr Treadwell?" Bruce asked carefully while Dick stared at the cookie and wondered how to manr his scarft to eat it. "My company doesn't have anything to do with medicine."

"Yes, well," Sebastian said, "word on the street is that you need medicine, one that isn't easily made with ingredients aren't readily sourced."

"Oh," Bruce clasped his hands and stared right into Sebastian's eyes. "And which street might that be?"

Sebastian smiled a wicked grin. "Just a lonely street in Africa."

-

....SOOO. GUYS DON'T MURDER ME FOR GOING MIA!