The Jest of Robin

11: The Loss of Light

Wayne Manor, March 30, 2010, 17:55 EST

"How long?" Batman asked the team.

"We noticed he was gone at five thirty, but he had to have been gone since 3:30, maybe four." Artemis answered the Bat.

"I am coming back. Tonight. Do you know who took him? Was there any evidence in the school?"

"No sir. We checked everywhere. There was no sign that he had left. We checked the security cameras as well, and they were hacked. Everything from the time frame of three to four is gone." Wally responded. "Sir, don't you need to stay with Bruce?"

"No. Bruce is not a priority. Not any more." Batman said. "Do what you can to find anything to help Grayson. I will be there soon."

The call ended. The five teenagers sat on the couches, worry evident on their faces. If they had been looking hard, they would have been able to see the same expression on Batman's face, but they were too caught up in feeling like they failed to pay attention.

There was a solemn silence in the room. Wally suddenly got up, and started walking, pacing, trying to think. "I can't believe this. He trusted us to protect him."

"We did our best Wally. We must now focus on getting him back." Kaldur'ahm said. "Wally, you, M'gann, and Artemis go back to the school, try to find anything else that we may have missed in the initial search. Connor and I will search for any sign of him."

"Let's suit up."

Unknown Location, March 30, 2010, 18:17 EST

Dick opened his eyes, and found himself to be stuck inside the room he was originally in, his hands bound by the shackles again. The room was still dark, this time, no light shone from under the door. Dick could feel his breathing speed up. He shut his eyes tightly, and tried not to think about the lack of light in the room. His hands were bound too tightly, and his entire body was sore and he had a craving for something he knew he shouldn't want.

He still had no clue where he was, no ideas who had him, and he didn't know how long he had been where he was. It couldn't have been that long. The feeling of the ice in his system was still faintly there, knowing it couldn't have been that long since the doctor injected him. Some doctor. Didn't they have to make some oath promising they wouldn't hurt a patient? That asshole definitely broke that oath.

Dick sat up, rubbing his right arm where the needle had been injected in. He felt his stomach grumble and he realized he hadn't eaten since 11:00 that morning. He sighed softly as his mind wandered. He thought back to his friends. He wondered if they were looking for him, if they even realized he was gone. He wouldn't blame them if they hadn't. He was pretty easy to forget about. He was pretty small for his age, and he easily blended into his surroundings, when he was Robin and Dick. He would understand if they hadn't noticed he was gone yet.

He pulled his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them. He put his forehead down to his knees, and continued to let his mind wander, which in all honesty, was a bad idea. His mind wandered to the night his parents died. To his nightmares, to the reminders that his friends aren't really that, not really his friends, that Bruce doesn't love him, that he is a charity case, that he is a freak show, that he isn't a valuable member of the team.

The sound of the door opening jerked him out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw someone come in. The door shut, and then a single light in the middle of the room turned on. It didn't illuminate very well, but it gave Dick the ability to see slightly. He felt his breathing immediately slow down. The intruder walked around the light, staying in the shadows, not letting themselves be seen.