Inaspirical >>>(Young Justice/Dick Grayson)<<<

Chapter 14

Team: Year One
July 5th, 06:07
Unknown Location

"Kid," a commanding voice demanded. "Someone's here to see you."

Parker squinted with her adjusting eyes. When she did not allow the chemicals to knock her out, the man had simply hit her head hard. She tried to block it out.

A smaller figure stepped into the light. The familiar red and yellow were a sharp contrast against the glistening darkness.

"Robin," she muttered, awake enough to remember code names.

When Dick said nothing, she understood. "What do you want, you son of a bitch?" She asked the man in the shadows.

He cocked his head to the side, like he was weighing how long it would take to kill her. "Language, kid," he warned. "Little bird here can't talk if he wants you to live, but I've got a few words to say."

"Robin," Covert repeated. "Nu vă faceți griji despre mine. Pleacă de-aici !"

He flinched obviously, so nothing had been done to affect his hearing. She needed to determine if Robin was simple not allowed to talk, or if the man had done something to him.

"What'd she say, birdie?" The man asked.

Under the mask, she could imagine his defeated, inescapable eyes. "She told me to run." He concluded.

The man chuckled. "It's to be expected."

At least Dick was okay. Obviously the man had some sort of death threat over her, or he wouldn't have told the truth.

"As for why you're here," he began. "I've heard from numerous sources that you can type fast. And I'm in need of a new secretary."

"Like I'd do it," Parker smirked.

He grunted mercilessly. "That's the best part. Each of you took a pill upon your arrival. At the push of a button, those pills will explode. If you refuse me, the other will die. Do I make myself clear?"

Covert wanted to make a snarky reply, but she couldn't risk Robin's life over pettiness. "Crystal."

"Right now," he decided. "You're useless to me." The man in the shadows held out a handkerchief into the light. "Knock yourself out. Literally."

Parker hated the idea. But he had gathered that she could block it out, and she had no other choice. She took the napkin.

"Take care of yourself." While she was afraid of unconsciousness, she was far more afraid of losing her best friend. She brought it up to her face.

The last thing she saw before the darkness was the pained look of her comrade.

§~§~§~§~§~§

Dick woke up in the cell next to Parker's. His head throbbed like a bitch. Groaning, he forced himself up.

What had happened?

"I want to test your abilities." The man had said. "Fight until you can't."

Robots, henchmen, various weapons and skills had all pushed Robin's limits, especially since he was without his own weapons. But that man was willing to kill Parker. He couldn't allow that.

After an hour of hell, the man himself had finally stepped in.

In his weakened state, Robin fell in less than a minute.

"Who are you?" He had croaked.

The man seemed pleased under his tight mask. "You can call me Deathstroke."

That was the last thing Dick remembered.

Parker was strewn across the floor, the handkerchief in her fallen hand. She was so close, yet so far away.

Even then, seemingly alone, Dick could not risk talking. Deathstroke had been very clear about not speaking.

How had he even gotten into this situation?

He had stolen the Kord Tech without a problem, but then he had been told to follow without question. He wondered if Batman knew where he was, and if he would try to rescue them.

On one hand, the Bat could probably take down Deathstroke just like any other assassin. On the other hand, he was no less willing to risk Parker's life than Dick was. If just Robin had been taken, Batman would have already come and gone, villain in tow.

No.

Dick was on his own.

He couldn't do a lot while the threat of death loomed over them. He had to find a way to avoid that.

When he'd first arrived, Deathstroke took out a case and handed him a pill. He took it without a second thought. Any swallowable plastic wouldn't last long in a human stomach; the acids were too strong. Eventually, they would have to retake the pills.

That wouldn't take more than a day or two, and Deathstroke would be careful.

There was a clock in Deathstroke's main computer room. Parker would have taken the pill only an hour or two before him.

Before he'd gone unconscious, Dick saw that it was almost 8:00. The pills had been in their systems for less than twelve hours. They would just have to wait.

"Robin," a voice beckoned. The cell door swung open. He made his way back to the main room.

11:30, the clock read.

"Again," Deathstroke commanded.

Dick barely had time to make a fist before he was flung halfway across the room, sadly still fully awake.