Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[41] The Rescue

Alexander was surprised to see Jason and Stephanie waiting for him as he stepped out of the back gate of the Iceberg Lounge. His shift had ended and he was supposed to go back home but stopped on seeing Jay's car.

"Hop in," Jay remarked.

"It's fine, just a few blocks..."

But he interrupted him, "Alexander... Get. In. The. Car."

He was a little taken aback at the firmness of his tone but opened the door and got in the backseat. Stephanie had turned to face him immediately, "look, you have to promise us that you will remain calm."

"What happened?" Jay had driven over to the Manor instead and seeing that, Alex spoke up, "hey, Dora is alone at home and I can't leave her for so long. She'll be worried."

"Dora is not at home."

"What..." His eyes were flickering with a mixture of worry and surprise, "where is she?"

"Alex, we will explain everything but after we go in. You're already very tired and..."

But he cut Steph short, his voice rising in alarm, "where is Dora?"

"She was at Selina's place," she mumbled but did not resume further.

"Oh," Alex paused then spoke up, "but what do you mean she was at her place? Where is she now?"

"With Selina," Jay remarked vaguely as he opened the door for him to get out of the car and took him in through the gates to the Wayne Manor. Alexander had no idea what was going on but he had an equally bad feeling about it. They had made him sit down on the couch in the living room. 

"Alex... Dora and Selina were abducted by the Scarecrow," Jay initiated the conversation, pausing to let the words sink in, "the Bat vigilantes had been dispatched immediately to retrieve them and they will hopefully be back anytime now."

He observed as Alex's face paled to a deathly pallor and his mouth parted as if to say something but no words escaped his lips. It was almost as if he had been shocked too much to speak even. "How... How do you know?"

Stephanie spoke up noticing that Jay did not have an excuse ready for that, "Tim went to your place but couldn't find her and when he checked Selina's, the whole apartment was wrecked and he found Dora's phone there. We alerted Commissioner Gordon and he connected with the Bat vigilantes."

Jay had given her a slight look of gratitude for she had tackled the situation without letting their cover blow up. Turning to Alex, he spoke in a soft comforting tone, "they will both be back anytime now. I know it's futile to tell you not to worry but please, stay calm."

Alexander was lost on words and his mind had blacked out from worry. Dora was his responsibility and he could not bear it something awful happened to her. She was the only family he had. And he knew he would never be able to live with the guilt if she got hurt.

He had dropped his head in his hands, an intense conflict raging within himself. Stephanie gently placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him but both her and Jay knew anything to console him would go in vain.

"Helena has gone with the Bat vigilantes too," Jay added in hopes that it might relieve a little of his worries, "they will all make sure to bring them back safely."

He did not look up but mumbled, "I hope so... If anything happened to Dora, I... I won't be able to bear it."

***

The doors burst open and so did the windows as the vigilantes crashed inside Scarecrow's current hideout. His cronies had tried to fight them off but soon enough were defeated. Scarecrow was in his makeshift lab with Isadora still unconscious and tied to the stretcher while different tubes were connected to her head.

But he stopped upon hearing the crashing sounds and picked up his Tommy gun and the scythe in order to defend himself against the intruders. The door of his lab was torn apart and though he fired bullets at the entrants, they dodged and he was only able to make out a flash of red and black. 

An arrow came whizzing at him out of nowhere and pierced through his arm. Helena was standing in front with her crossbow aimed at him as she sent two more arrows in his direction before he could raise his gun at her and those arrows pinned him to the wall.

Red Robin had torn off the tubes connected to Dora and was quickly untying her bonds. He checked his pulse which had gone alarmingly faint and though the cowl disguised his face, concern dripped from each feature of his.

A gust of black enveloped them as Batman entered striding towards scarecrow with his face set in a tough glare. Scarecrow was not at all pleased to see him there, "ah bugger, look who ruined all the fun? You're such a party pooper, Batman."

"Get them out of here," Batman ordered Red Robin as well as the Huntress, "while I'll deal with him."

Helena nodded and rushed off to untie Selina's bonds, supporting her as she made her stand up. On the other hand Red Robin too had scooped Dora in his arms and the two left the hideout with both the wounded hostages.

"Oracle, we have them," Red Robin connected with Barbara, "but they will need medical assistance."

Barbara's voice sounded through the earpiece connected in his cowl, "Huntress knows where to take Selina but you are to bring Dora to the Manor."

"The Manor?"

"Alex is waiting for her there. Alfred has arranged a medic and it will be better if the two stay there for the time being."

"But..."

Barbara interrupted him, "all you have to do is drop at the roof and take the path in. You will drop Dora off then go and change. Don't answer any questions and don't stay there as Red Robin for even a second longer than necessary."

"Right."

The connection terminated and Helena had turned to face him, "you know what to do, kid?"

"Yeah."

"She'll be fine," she added reassuringly, "I'll take care of Selina and you follow whatever Oracle has told you."

He nodded his head and headed towards the Manor as instructed. But all the while his eyes were drifting towards Dora's painfully unconscious figure. Her right arm was cut and her face was tear stained. She looked so pained at that moment that it churned his heart to see her thus.

He had no idea what Scarecrow had done to her nor did he know whether she would be able to recover from the trauma or not. All he could do was hope as well as follow Oracle's orders for at that moment there was no other option.

***