Winging Death

Bargaining

Dick hadn't slept properly in what felt like forever, so that week of heavy sleeping is the only explanation he has for why on Monday evening he didn't wake up at the sound of familiar footsteps. Why he didn't even start to stir until the Dark Knight had injected his veins with sedative and was carrying him away. 

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Bruce was getting fed up with having no leads, nothing was working. The public hadn't heard head nor tail, the Justice League couldn't find anything, the Teen Titans and Young Justice had nothing and none of the BatClan had anything new. He was starting to lose hope completely, but there was still one more avenue that he had to explore. One last hope he had left. That was how he found himself waiting on the rooftop of Wayne Enterprises, one of the most sought after diamonds tucked away in his belt. The night was quite chill, the wind whipping his cape behind him and he was glad for the thermal control in his suit. It wasn't long before his guest arrived.

As usual, Selina didn't disappoint. Dressed in a low zipped catsuit that hugged her in all the right places, a whip at her side that she knew how to use all too well, her emerald eyes uncovered, her goggles perched atop her head whilst she didn't need them.

"You said you had a gift for me? Hand over," She said as she sauntered over.

"I said I had an exchange," Bruce corrected her, "You get the reward when you get me my half of the exchange."

"You know I'll need more detail than that," Selina said, "I'm not your normal stupid hook-up."

Bruce fished the diamond out of his pocket and saw her eyes light up. It was rare, one only found in the Wayne collection that people had been trying to take since back before the Wayne's were a well-known name to normal civilisation. Not even shaped, just pure.

"You must want something very badly," Selina chuckled as she took a hold of the diamond and weighed it up.

"I need to know the last known whereabouts of Dick," Bruce explained, "You've heard the news. You've seen the rise in crime in Blüdhaven. And we're getting nowhere."

"Four whole weeks you wait?" Selina asked as she chucked the diamond back, "Could be difficult."

"You like a challenge," Bruce replied.

"You would know," She purred, suddenly up in his face, "Maybe I should up the price of finding him. A night with you. I like seeing you under me."

"No," Bruce said, keeping his voice as flat as he could as his heart raced, "I'll allow you to steal the diamond and get it in the paper. Make you more famous than you already are. I can't do... the other stuff... until Dick is back."

"Not even to take it off your mind," She lifted her clawed gloves to his mask and began to remove it.

"Selina-" He started but she cut him off, sealing her lips to his.

Maybe he did need a distraction for a while.

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Dick was filled with complete and utter horror when he awoke to find himself strapped back down on the metal table, still stained with his old blood and piss. He didn't know how long he had been back at the table, but he did know it wouldn't be long until someone came in and continued where they'd left off last week. Until that point, he had thinking time. Another tactic, make him dread them coming in. Make it worse for him. At least this time he had had some sleep and nourishment beforehand.

Thanks to Slade. The last person he had ever expected to be thanking. The one that had been trying to save him from the plot his family had against him. No, he couldn't think of them like that, they weren't his family. They were never his family in the first place. He had a new family now.