-After working on this for ages, I've decided to stop nitpicking, and just let you read it. old readers should know that I've been going back and editing previous chapters, so if something doesn't line up with your memory, that's why.-

"Is Dick in bed?"

"Yes, sir. The last time I checked."

"Good," Bruce said, beginning to suit up. "I've already had a night, and I can't deal with him pouting because he can't come out with me."

"From the past couple weeks, I can assume he would not want to see you anyways."

"God, I'm... trying, Alfred." He snapped, voice shifting in a pained tone. "I can't let him get hurt, but if I don't, he hates me."

"I doubt it's as simple as that, sir." Alfred replied. "He doesn't hate you. His ennui is likely fueled by isolation, resentment, and worry for his friends, along with any feelings of underestimation or traumatic injuries he's accrued."

Bruce was silent, facing the wall, before letting out a long, slow sigh. "I'm going to talk to him in the morning."

Alfred paused to think before replying. "I believe the boy wishes to be alone."

"How did being alone help me?" The Bat grimaced. "I'll go see him first thing."

"As you wish, Sir." It was almost 1:45 am, he had to get upstairs so he could be there when Richard called.

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"Do you ever think that we're wrong?" M'gann echoed through their minds, unwilling to say the words aloud. "About the league?"

"Why?" Artemis reacted, her response quiet and steady. "Why do you ask."

There was silence for several seconds, broken only by Wolf's huffs of breath and Robin whispering reassurances into his phone.

"In Belle Reeve they, did things. The guards, the inmates, the psychiatrist... I can't hear a buzzer without almost vomiting." She muttered. "I know we wanted to do big missions, but the news is right that the league has... mistreated us. Sometimes."

"Sometimes." Wally said softly. "Sometimes I wonder why they send me home."

Artemis didn't know what to say, scrunching fistfuls of Wolf's fur. She looked over to Kaldur, who sat just as stoically on the Dog's other side. Eyes fixed on the floor of the ship, she reached over, quickly twisting her hand into his; she was relieved to feel him squeeze it, and squeezed it back. Wolf nosed her needily, and she scratched his ear, soothed by her friend's presence.

"Alfred's confirmed," Dick lowered his phone, having finally gotten signal as they left international waters. "No one seems to have realized we're gone yet, but bats wants to check on me. He thinks that as soon as one of us is noticed... Alfred thinks that as soon as one of us is figured out, they'll go to check on the rest of us."

"So as soon as the first teammate is reported missing..." Artemis asks.

"They'll know we all are."

"And I doubt they'll assume we're innocent of blame." Kaldur added. "Not after our last attempt to disobey."

The atmosphere was unspoken and lethargic. They would be caught any minute, their efforts squashed again, and god knows what would happen to them, let alone to their friend.

"We need to be proactive." Kaldur said. "We can't rush in unprepared again. We need somewhere to rest."

"How? We can't out smart the justice league." Wally replied, voice deep and croaking for exhaustion. It would soon be dawn in-- whatever country they were in right now. M'gann's display seemed to place them somewhere in South America.

"We can't outsmart them, but we can prevent them from catching up as fast." Dick said. "I hope you've uploaded everything to the cloud."

"Why?"

"We can't risk them tracking us. I'll buy you new phones later if I ever get my allowance back."

"If?" Artemis asked.

"M'gann, stop at the nearest café we can find so everyone can upload their stuff." The preteen babbled. "Then we destroy and abandon them, and find a place to stay." He turned to Kaldur, pleading for affirmation. "If I'm not overstepping..."

"Robin is right." Kaldur agreed. "He has the most experience with the league's tracking method and should be a top consultant during this endeavor." He turned to the boy. "Continue."

"Okay, I don't know if staying in Uruguay is a good idea, M'gann can pick up on language, but us human's only have a grade eight knowledge of Spanish. We can lose our phones here, and then head north until we find a place to stay. Can't be in a league base, but we could raid one if we need anything..."

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"Red?" She groaned, rubbing sleep from her eyes and pressing the phone to her face. "What's up?" She felt a hand groping across the bed and swatted it away.

"Black Canary, has Ms. Martian been in contact with you at all in the past eight hours?"

"No, why?" She pushed away the hand on her thigh again; thinking about the kids totally killed the mood.

"When I returned to mount justice a few hours ago, I found That Ms. Martian had taken Wolf out, but strangely the Bio ship was absent as well. Running back security footage, it seems she may have psychically deactivated them shortly after returning from school."

She was out of bed before the sentence was even finished, groping about for a robe or shirt. "We need to talk. I'm on my way." She found her leggings and began dressing.

"Where are you going?" Her partner groaned across the bed.

"Work stuff. Let yourself sleep."

"Mhm" He rolled over. They'd both been at this long enough that 'work' made them abandon many a cuddle sesh, people were always calling in at all hours with emergencies. For now, she didn't want to worry Ollie.

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Water specked the face, bringing some cognisance back to the mind. The water was cold, hard, and trickled down the skin like sweat.

In a blur that felt like only seconds, a rough cloth was chafing over the body, drying the beads of liquid.

Again, the air changed, and something soft and ticklish prickled over the skin. This time, drawing from all available power, the eyes opened. The light was punishing of this action, but blinking several times, the scene came into view; the drone of voices ceased to merge, and became clear.

Someone posed in central view was wiping the face with a prickly brush, squinting at skin with focus. The someone started, and turned around. "He's waking up!"

"Just in time." Someone else replied. "Finish the makeup and get the pictures done as soon as possible."

"Are you sure, Mr. Luthor?" A third voice asked. "If he isn't well, we can delay the--"

"This is the only time we can do it. He'll be even worse come tomorrow." The other voice said. "Probably won't be out in public for some time, this is an rare opportunity."

The third voice sighed. "Just get him ready for the shots, Penny."

"Yes sir." The person turned and continued prodding the face. "Don't worry," The person whispered. "These will only take a moment, and then your dad's gonna take you home."

The eyelids blinked sluggishly as the person shuffled aside and was replaced by a black, one-eyed device, with someone new crouched behind it. "Mr. Luthor? We might want to remove the... collar."

"We can't do that."

"Sir, he's asleep." The person behind the camera replied. "It's going to overexpose the images when we use flash."

There was a sigh. "Only for a minute, but make it quick."

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Dick snapped something the anti-tapping cap over the inside of the inside the payphone, dialing the manor.

"Please pick up..." He whispered.

There was a click. "Wayne Manor. Who're you trying to reach?"

Dick hung up. It was Bruce. He'd dial back in a few minutes and try again. Kaldur was guarding the payphone besides him, after all, it was 6:00am in Bahia Blanca, and the two of them were more than a little uneasy being there alone. The other three had found an all night gas station and were ridding themselves of anything traceable. which meant Robin had to ditch his suit for a bit while M'gann tore it apart for trackers sewn into the fabric.

He slid another two-fifty in. It was bad enough he was making an international call, he'd be strapped for cash.

"Wayne Residence, who is speaking and with what intent?"

Okay, that was Alfred. "Alf, it's me."

"And why in heaven's name are you calling from an unknown number?"

"We had to deal with tracers, but we're staying in contact."

"It's really time you got a new costume anyhow..." Alfred huffed. "You best have eaten."

"We did, we did." Dick reassured. "Is B up?"

"Not yet, Master Robin, It's only 4:00 am in Gotham. I suspect he'll be up in an hour."

"Good luck with that." Dick winced.

"Thank you, sir"

"Sorry to out you through all this, Alfred. Still, all for the cause." He pepped himself up somewhat. "We'll get food shortly, and I suppose the bioship will make good sleeping arrangements."

"Be sure not to lose contact," Alfred reminded. "You know I worry about you, Master Robin."

"I know." He sighed. But we're all together--with Aqualad AND a 5'0 by 6'0 defense dog. We'll be fine."

"You know it isn't reassuring to hear that you're holed up in a confined space with a humongous mutated wolf, don't you?"

"Sorry Alf, But tI swear he's been socialized and house-trained." Dick chuckled, but the laughter handed in its two weeks on his tongue. "Love you, Alfred." He said, and hung up the phone.

Kaldur snapped off the anti-tapping cap off the receiver, and met Dick's eyes, nodding to encourage him.

"Everything's decent with Houston." He joked flatly. "We'll be clear another hour or so. We best make tracks to somewhere the Bioship won't be seen."

"As you say." Kaldur agreed. "First, we must eat."

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"Red?"

"Black Canary, I've found that the Wolf is gone too." The android said. "Along with some of the creature's food, and several items from the armoury; including emergency supply bags."

"Oh lord." She signed. "Oh no, no, no. I think I know what they're up to."

"At least, Ms. Martian has the Wolf for company and protection." Red remarked. "I wouldn't want them out on her own."

"I don't think they will be out on their own." Canary replied. "Would you be able to through her assigned cell phone records?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude on Ms. Martian's privacy. Privacy is important to growing adolescents." Tornado said. "But I will make an acceptation if it comes to her safety."

"Thanks Red." She signed. "Let's not tell the rest of the league yet. If my suspicions are correct, I'm sure they'll realize what's going on very shortly..." Dinah hissed with tired frustration, pinching between her eyes. "Those damn kids."

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A hand clamped on the shoulder, and before its nerves could process the unwanted touch, there was a strobe of blinding lights. 

With a pained yell, it tumbled off the stool, plowing through the body behind him. Hands over its eyes, it reeled; crashing through the room, which filled with screams. desperate to escape sensory hell, it ran blindly through anything in it's path; not stopping until the sounds faded behind it.