Protecting our leader.

Chapter Five.

P.O.V of Dick.

I had just got off of face time with Wally, cursing for not having a spare uniform up here, when Jason entered my room. Via the window.
"You're being kidnapped." He said, "I guess it's your lucky day."
I sighed as we climbed out the window and down into the shrubby as my door opened, "This is the prank isn't it?"
"Hell yeah." He smirked, "I think it's the best one I could do."
"And when they find you are the one who kidnapped me?" I asked.
"I'll run like hell is chasing me." He smirked as Wally's head came over the window.
We began to sneak along the wall and around the corner.
"We're going to sprint into the woods okay." Jason said and I nodded, "Three, two, one. Go."
We both flat-out sprinted the short distance to the woods and just as we were in and hiding again Aqualad came out of the house. We retreated further into the woods until we were on the open plain out back.
"Where should I hide you?" He mused aloud.
"Tie me up in a tree?" I suggested.
"No, I need to make it realistic." Jason said, "I want Batman to give them an extremely stern telling off."
I rolled my eyes at his antics, then thought of the biggest flaw in his plan, "What if they go to tell you I've gone?"
His eyes widened, "Shit." He breathed, "You go hide so that they can't find you. I'm going to get into bed and pretend I was there the entire time."
"Take my sunglasses and give me your top." I said.
"What, why?" He asked, taking my sunglasses.
"The scars." I said, indicating my least favourite, the large cursive writing across my heart.
"Right." I took his top off and gave it to me.
It was slightly big, disadvantage of being small, but hey, it would do. Then Jason ran back through the woods and supposedly to his room in the manor. I continued heading away from the manor, checking everywhere for one of my teammates, but finding none. Sometimes they were so terrible I could laugh.
"What are you doing out here by yourself young Robin?"
I turned around to see Slade sitting up in a tree, sharpening one of his blades.
"Late night stroll." I lied, "Wanted to avoid anyone breaking in and finding me."
"Today is just not your day is it?" He asked as he came down onto the ground.
"Look Slade," I said, "I understand you're pissed you didn't get me earlier. But twice in a day, that just makes you look desperate."
"I'm just trying to improve your life." He said as he stalked over to me, "You are being wasted under Batman. The Court of Owls wouldn't have a clue what to do with you, but I. I would be able to make you great, let you reach your full potential."
"I'm perfectly happy with the life I have," I said, "Thanks for the offer though. I'll keep it in mind."
His eye showed rage a moment before he swung his sword at me. I dodged backwards, having it just nip my skin and draw a line of blood down my left leg and came back around at him with a punch. He caught it in his fist and twisted, breaking it. I narrowed my eyes at him then used his hold on my wrist to spin over and kick his legs out from under him, breaking my wrist a little more and pulling a muscle up in my shoulder. I then proceeded to knock him around the head a couple of times and he fell into the blackness. This could make it realistic for Jason. It could also make it real, which I didn't really want.
"Richard." That was Aqualad's voice and I had no-where to hide.
So I ran, back towards the wooded area. I was in just as he came out and his eyes scanned the area, instantly noticing Deathstroke on the floor. I went deeper into the wood as he started to use the mind link to communicate, which meant the rest of the team would be coming down this way.  I ran through the woods until I came out at the front of the manor. I quickly went into the manor and down to the Batcave, regaling my wrist and making a mental note to get it properly looked at later. As stupid as Jason's prank was it was kind of amusing. I hopped onto my motorbike and drove out the other cave entrance and onto a back road out of Gotham. I was keeping a good pace; heading towards Barbra's when my emergency communicator went off. I couldn't ignore that. I pulled over, turned off the bike and sent it to answer.
"What's happened?" I asked.
"We've lost Richard." Wally replied.
"You've what?" I asked in my angry voice.
"He was taken from his room just after I got off from talking with you." He replied.
"That was half an hour ago." I said, "He could be anywhere by now."
"Do you have any ideas?" Wally asked.
"Try the south side of Gotham, that's where most gangs and less desirables seem to set up base." I replied, that was true, just it was the other side of Gotham to me.
"Thanks dude." He said and ended the line.
I chuckled to myself and headed back off to Barbra's, arriving 10 minutes later. But maybe I shouldn't visit her, what if she was spending a night with her father or she had a boyfriend over for the night. I put my helmet back on and peeled away, maybe I should just spend the night in the street.
Yes, that was what I would do.
I drove along to the edges of Gotham until a came across a sheltered alcove, which I was glad I had ducked under as the heavens opened a moment later. I pulled my bike under with me, only just fitting in thanks to my small frame. I crouched up on the floor, the cold biting into me now that my blood wasn't pumping and I began to shiver. I debated turning my bike on to have the engine keep me warm, but it would waste too much fuel and I was not willing to walk all the way back across Gotham in the morning. So I was left with the option of ruin the prank or freeze. I mean, the prank was a bit extreme on the team, but it was kind of funny. Not for them, for Jay and I. God, what if they told Tim? I know Damian wouldn't care, but Tim would panic for me so much. That's it, this was a bad idea. But it was raining too heavily for me to be able to get back on my bike, so I was stuck here instead. Great, just fantastic.  I shifted further in on myself, Jay's top and my jeans not really helping to keep me warm. And my sneakers were now soaked through from the small stream of water that was sneaking in. I didn't have a phone or any way of contacting them bar the emergency contact that they knew was for the team, meaning I would have to play the part of Robin. I was not feeling the aster, not at all. I would have to try and sleep, if only to make the night go faster. I put my head back against the concrete wall, found the most comfortable position I could, which was still very uncomfortable, and tried to doze off.

P.O.V of Jason.

I had just got back into bed and fell into a realistic sleep breathing pattern when I was shaken 'awake' by Tim.
"What is it?" I asked, sitting up and looking at his tear ridden face.
"Dick's b-been t-taken." He got out between silent sobs.
"Shhhh." I rubbed a hand down his back, "He's fine."
"No he's not." He replied, "They found Deathstroke knocked out on the fringe of the wood. It could only have been the court of Owls."
My mind went blank. I hadn't thought that there would be any more attempts to take him after the fail in History. Had he actually been taken? It was all my fault.
"He'll be fine." I lied, "He can withstand anything that anyone throws at him. Including some evil faceless people who only have half the skill he does."
"Don't lie to me." He screamed, "You're worse than Damian would be." And he stormed out of the room.
I sat in my bed for a while longer before putting on a top and some trousers and padding to Damian's room. I knocked on the door and entered, unsurprised to see him standing ready to defend himself with Katana's in hand. He put them down when he saw it was me.
"What do you want?" He growled, "You know I don't like to be disturbed."
"It's about Dick." I said, closing the door.
"What, has he been being a Dick to everyone?"
"No Dami, this is serious." I bit back, "The Court of Owls have him."
He didn't respond, just narrowed his eyes at me, "You're lying."
"I wish I was." I muttered as the floodgates finally opened, "I really wish it was."
"What makes you say it was the Court?" He asked.
"They found Deathstroke knocked out at the edge of the forest," I explained, "If it was Dick he would have brought him back and come back instantly but he didn't. So it mustn't have been him. It must have been the Court."
"Alright." Damian said, "Go get yourself sorted out and don't tell Tim."
"Tim was the one who told me." I interrupted him.
"Right," He paused, "Well then, you get yourself sorted out. Hopefully the team will get this sorted out soon."
I nodded and did as I was told, hating him for not really caring. His older brother could be being tortured right now and he was taking over and not caring. But that wasn't what I hated the most, what I really hated was that this was my fault.

P.O.V of Damian.

As soon as that door was closed I let my emotions enter me. I broke down on the floor in sobs. Dick was the one person who would actually make time for me besides my mum; the others thought that I was too much like Bruce. And I didn't blame them, I could hide myself behind a façade of not caring so easily and so I did. There was a tentative knock at the door and I quickly wiped my face and sent a death glare at the person who had entered.
"You alright?" Megan asked,
"Fine," I replied, "What are you doing in here?"
"I could feel strong emotion coming from you." She replied, "Is it about Richard?"
"No," I bit back, "I said I'm fine, so I'm fine. Now leave me alone."
"Look Damian," She kneeled down next to me, "You barely eat anything and keep all your emotions locked up. Richard talked to me about how worried he was for your health tonight. He cares about you so much. He wouldn't want you to hide yourself away over him."
"You think you know him so well." I said, "But you don't have a clue what goes on in this family. Not a single clue."
"That doesn't matter tight now." She softly put an arm around me, and for some reason I let her, "What matter's now is finding Richard and taking care of all of you."
"Thank you Miss M." I whispered into her shoulder.
"I'll always be here for you." She said and we sat like that for the rest of the night, listening to the rain pound on my window.