Protecting our leader.

Chapter fifteen.

P.O.V of Megan.

It had been an interesting 3 hours, and everything Jason did had been recorded on multiple camera's to, as Damian put it, 'be used a blackmail'. But the fun was over now, "1 minute." I announced as my countdown clock began to beep the seconds as they passed, "30 seconds." We all looked at Jason who was standing emotionless in the centre of the room as we looked on, "3, 2, 1"
We all looked to Jason as his body began to shake uncontrollably, his eyes rolling back in his head and his legs collapsed.
"Jason." Bruce said as he went over, "Jason. Jason."
"Hi Bruce." He chirped, standing up and looking perfectly normal and he looked at all our shocked faces, "What?"
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, fine." He replied, confusion controting his features, "Why?"
"Do you know what happened in the past three hours?" Kladur came over.
"What's it to you?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, I think he's back." Artemis said.
"From where?" He joked, "The most amazing adventure of my life to the top of Mt. Everest?"
"Oh shut it." Artemis said and he just raised his eyebrows at her.
"We're not going to get a staright answer out of you, are we?" Damian asked and Jason shook his head.
"Jason." He turned to face Bruce, "This is important to saving Dick from the serum, you need to tell them what you know and what you're feeling."
He just stared at Bruce with a look of defiance, "How do we even know the serum's still in effect?" Conner asked, "He seem's back to himself."
"That's becuase his memories haven't been altered like Dick's have been." Tim replied, "He would have molded to his memories, instead he remembers everything correctly."
"Maybe you should give him a command Artemis." I suggested.
"I like that idea," She said, "But I'd rather see if he went to protect me if someone attacked me."
"I voulenteer as tribute." Wally said and lunged at Artemis.
Almost instantly Jason lunged at Wally and tackled him to the ground, pinning him by his neck against the floor and cutting off his windpipe.
"Get off him." Artemis squealed and he released his grip on Wally and helped him up.
"I'd say the serum is working." Conner said, "Maybe he just doesn't know it."
"Of course he doesn't." Bruce said, "He just thinks that this is what it was always like."
"So why didn't he answer our questions earlier?" I asked.
"Becuase I told him to shut it." Artemis said, "And so he has. Ummm...you can talk."
"My god, staying silent whilst leaping across like that is a feat." He instantly said, "And can you stop talking about me like I'm not here. It's kind of annoying."
We quickly asked him a few questions, and after his sarcastic retorts we got Artemis to make sure he answered them truthfully, and gathered all the information we could.
As far as Jason was concered, Artemis was his master, this was the way it had always been and always would be and Artemis knew what was best for him. And the only thing he could remeber from the past three hours was the immediate injection and nothing after until he came back into his own person.
Wally came back in with the antidote that Deathstroke had developed and we injected it into Jason's system. He collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain and writhing in agony.
"Did you make sure he made the antidote and not a poison?" Bruce asked, panic almost colouring his tone.
"I can't be sure, but I thought so." Wally replied.
Bruce was about to go down to Deathstroke and demand an answer when Jason stopped screaming and just started panting on the floor.
"Jason?" Damian asked.
"So, you injected me with the serum did you?" He asked menacingly, "Without my permission, and then made me cross-dress for your entertainment."
"But when I told you to answer honestly you said you couldn't rememeber that three hours." Artemis said.
"Well, Artemis, " He replied, "I couldn't then, but I can now becuase everything just came flooding into my brain. Hense the screaming."
"You weren't this cocky earlier?" Wally pointed out, "Why are you now?"
"Becuase for some stupid reason I wanted to impress Artemis and make her feel respected, safe and at the top of the food chain." He said, "Wait, the stupid reason was the serum."
It seemed he wasn't getting over this anytime soon. I then felt such immense sorrow that I began to sob.
"M'gann." Conner instantly came over, "What is it?"
"There's someone outside." I managed to get out, "They have such mental pain and regret."
"It could be Dick, he could be back?" Tim said in an almost questioning tone.
"I'll go investigate," Batman said, "Kaldur, with me."
And they both left as I recovered from the sudden emotion and we all waited in anticipation.

P.O.V of Dick.

I had planned my way to get in, pretend that I was still enthralled by their spell of lies. But the Owls had opened my eyes to the truth now, and I was here to get the speedster. I had explained my plan to master, and he had given me a fake name to use if they asked for his name, Niles Harkike. I made a quick, deep cut down my leg to make it look like I had to fight to get away from my savoiurs and hid my blades in a hole under the bush. Then I brought up all the feeling's of pain and regret I could and sent them to M'gann's mind. I could tell it worked as she stiffened then broke into sobs. I moved so I wasn't out the window, slowly easing on the feelings of regret. By the time I was halfway up the main path I had created a steady trail of blood that didn't give away where I had come from. And then the door opened to show Batman and Aqualad.
"Bruce." I called out as meekly as I could and his eyes instantly fixed on me, "Bruce." I added in some relief.
"Bring him inside." Bruce ordered and Aqualad came over, picked me up and brought me into the lounge where the rest of the team.
The self-control it took not to kill them all for what they had done to me there and then was immense, but Batman had taught me how to contain myself to make him stop abusing me faster. I felt the cuffs go around my ankles and wrists, but I acted like I didn't care.
"Rob." Kid Flash came over and such hatred boiled in me, but I dug a hole and put it in where no-one could find it.
"Wally." I breathed, "I'm so sorry."
"What for? He asked, "Nothing happened."
"I killed 37 innocents." I said, "He made me."
"Who did?" He asked, "Your master?"
"He is not my master." I summonded all my hatred at them into that sentence, "He is an evil and cruel man that needs to be stopped."
"We can help you there." Kaldur said, looking at my face rather then the wound on my leg.
"Tell us his name." Jason said, "You said he gave you orders not to give his name, I want to know you're back." But I could see he thought that I was under his spell again as relief was shown in his eyes.
"Niles Harkike." I said.
Tim typed something into his computer, "He's telling the truth, my search shows that Niles Harkike is the leader of the Owls. One of the most powerful men to exist."
"I told you," I said, "I'm free."
"How?" Artemis asked, the only one who seemed declined to believe me.
"My brain didn't want to believe what it thought it knew." I lied, "So it broke everything down to it's core, apart from I found no core to the memories he had made me believe, instead I found a core in the real ones. And I worked from there. When Niles found I wasn't under his influence anymore he sent an Owl after me, but we fought. He's now at the police station." And there was an Owl that had been ordered there to back up my tale, "And then I came home. Back to where I knew I'd be safe." The lie felt bitter on my tounge, but it seemed enough to convince Artemis.
"Welcome back Rob." She said, a smile on her lips.
"Why do you keep calling me Rob?" I asked, "My name's Richard, if you're shortening it, it's Dick."
"We know about you and Jason being Robin." Conner said, "We made a deal with Deathstroke, but it seems we won't have to free him if we don't have to take you to him."
"We'll take him down in the morning." Bruce said and I turned to face him, "I just want to make sure you are completey back and there's nothing else, like a secondary order."
"Sure." I faked confidence, "But if he tries to take me I have permission to beat him into next week?"
"Of course." Bruce said, "We'll leave you to heal. Come on everyone, let's get the evening meal started."
They all left me alone, perfect. I sent a remote jamming signal to the camera's that Damian set up so he could record me getting abused and find out everyone's dirty secrets. I got up and headed down to the Batcave, no doubt where Slade is being held. And my prediction was correct.
"What are you doing here?" He asked as I sashyed over.
"I'll cut you a deal." I said, "Is that okay with you?"
"What's the deal?" He asked.
"You tell the team I don't need the antidote, that I'm completely back under their spell and I will free you and keep you from the radar of these monsters." I said.
"So this is the new you?" He asked, "It's much more vicous, I don't like it."
"There is another option." I said, "I could always kill you so that they can't test it, and then throw you out where you'll never be found."
"Fine." He huffed his agreement, "I'll make you test as yourself and you'll free me."
"Nice doing business with you." I said as he reached out for a handshake.
As we shook hands I slipped a ring onto his finger, "What's this?"
"It won't come off." I told him, "But if you break the deal all I have to do is hit this button and a poison will be injected into your system, killing you slowly and painfully. But if you keep to the deal, this button releases the grip of the ring and you can remove it."
He gave me a look of death and I just turned my back and headed back to the living room. I was back into position on the sofa and the camera's were rolling again when Damian came in.
"You went to save me." He said, "Why?"
"Because I thought you were being abused as well." I said, "Even with the memories he gave me he couldn't get rid of my instinct to protect and save."
"Thank you." He said, "Even when you're not you you're the only one who makes time for me."
I brought him in for hug, trying to control the urge to break his neck, and gave him a grin, "Now, where's my food?"