AN- Okay. First things first! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! So many views!!!!! SWEETNESS!!!

Anyway.

So. I know I haven't updated so sorry but I have school, which is terrible but you know. It's a part of life. Moving on.

This chapter will probably be terrible or wonderful. No in between.
READ:::::
I also realized that I didn't put enough emphasis on Dick's 5 year torment so his character may change a little bit. Sorry.

On with it already.

--------Ready--------Aim--------Fire-----------

"Bring him to me, Caped Crusader, and nothing will be done to you for the time being! Release the traitor, or be killed!" The voice of Dick's great uncle, only by blood and no other way what so ever, echoed across the cavern.

Bruce looked toward the sound, but quickly looked back at the young man in front of him. The small, fragile boy was shaking so bad the cot started to rock unsteadily. Tears forced their way down his cheeks without his knowing. Richard seemed to be locked in his own little world, but instead of a blank face that the mind control forced, his face convey so many emotions. Fear, sadness, torment, loneliness. The one that stuck out most to him was the fear.

Richard had already gotten away from him all those years ago. It would not happen again.

"Richard, look at me." Bruce gently grabbed the boy's damp chin so he would look him in the eye. "I'll never let them take you again. You'll never go back. Never."

This only helped a little to clenched the used-to-be acrobat's fear.

Suddenly, things were happening fast. Too fast for anyone's liking.

A group of about fifteen surrounded the pair in seconds. All of their faces were covered by gold and black owlish masks. Their hands held sharpened claws, ready to strike on command. The leader, William Cobb, stepped forward toward the duo, his white strands shining out of his thick black hair, and dressed in a talon uniform but instead of the usual mask, he wore a domino colered mask. getting almost in arms reach of Richard, before Bruce protectively stepped between them.

Cobb's eyes burned with rage behind his lenses, and his expression fell to one that match. "You will hand the filth over or you shall be executed."

Bruce response was expected but not taken kindly by its audience. "You will never touch him again! Get out before I make you!"

A sadistic smirk appeared on the ruthless man's wrinkled face. "Then we shall take him by force. And you will be dealt with accordingly. You will learn to never mess with the court. Talons!"

Their moves were fast but Bruce was faster. He quickly scooped the still shaking teen into his arms and ran as far away as possible. Bruce didn't know exactly where to but he knew that the cave was no longer safe, and they needed to get OUT. But where?

Sadly, he didn't make it that far. Three claw stabbed into his back, causing to yell in surprise and fall to the ground, dropping Richard onto the cold, stone, cave floor. Said young man looked terrified. Frozen in fear. He looked at him in horror when his savior yelped,

He couldn't go back. Batman couldn't be hurt. Then he'd have go back to them.

"Batman!" He shouted, his voice quivering like his lean form. "Please, GET UP!"

His cries were answered as Bruce pushed himself up to fight. Fight for this scared little boy. Fight for his future. He had to protect it from these vicious assassins.

The bat-themed hero stood in a fighting stance, making sure that if anyone were to try to attack Richard he would take the brunt of the blow. The duo were surrounded by bird men, there claws held tight in their hands.

The staring match didn't go on for long as three of the counted fifteen moved forward. Bruce attacked ten one with a swift side kick and the other with a harsh punch to face, succeeding in kicking out the second. More came forward, trying to overpower the vigilante.

Batman held his ground the best he could but his best didn't seem to be good enough for these highly trained killers in his wounded state. After knocking out three more, The billionaire playboy could feel his energy start to drain quickly. His opponents seemed to also take notice of his failing stamina, and came at him with full force.

As Batman took blow after blow, he heard a cry from his right. "No," his horrified whisper barely could be heard through the clinging and clacking of the enemies weapons.

"I think the man has learned his lesson." Cobb's voice rang out over the fighting. "Leave him here to die in the dark. We have what we came for."

The beaten party lay on the cold floor, covered for head to toe with bruise, dirt, and blood. His left leg was bent at an unnatural angle, as well as his right arm. The wounds in his back flowed with blood, coating his suit in red. More had been added all over his body. A gash in his forehead bleed heavily, causing his left, already swollen eye, to close to the oncoming flow. His mask and cape were torn, revealing a bloddy form and half of his bruised skull. Various scratches and bruises coated his built form. Bruce couldn't move, though he still tried when his breathe came to him.

The evil leader stood tall and pound over him, holding his prize, who had a claw in each shoulder. He was held by the arms by two talons, who stood with blank faces behind their terrifying, yet plain, masks. Richard tried to break free from their clutches but his struggles only caused him more pain. His uncle turned around without warning and punched the ex-circus performer in the stomach.

"You will do as your told. You are a Talon! You are nothing with us! What this man tells you is a lie! He doesn't care about you! You are to be Shadow, and nothing else, you worthless pile of trash!"

Richard flinched at the words and the volume he spoke them. Why did they keep saying it? "Maybe it's really true. Am I worthless?"

Cobb turned back to Batman, striding over to the beaten man laying on the ground. His removed his mask, to reveal his dark, heartless eyes. He quickly took his foot and aimed a cruel kick to the ribs of the dark knight.

Not being able to move a inch, Bruce took the blow and all its might. A crack echoed across the cave, and the groan that followed. Dick whimpered and tried to curl into himself, he received another hit in the gut for his actions.

"Richard..." The Batman tried to get up once more but found that he could not. "I can't lose him again. Why is this happening? Why won't they just leave him alone?"

The boy looked into his savior's eyes, but instead of the fear that had been so crashingly present, the most prominent emotion that shone through his eyes was guilt.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Leave him alone! Just take me away! Don't hurt him anymore!!" Richard's words came out so fast he was surprised he had spoken them.

He had this new feeling inside of him. It was like the feeling he had had when he looked at the red headed girl years ago. Maybe it was because she had reminded him of his parents. Even though he couldn't remember their voices, and sometimes their faces, the blue eyed teen still remember some striking features about the two.

Batman was the same way. He reminded Richard of his father. His raven hair, the way he radiated safety and hope through his darkness reminded him of the man he lost and the captured child didn't want to lose another. If he has to sacrifice himself, if he has to go back with this monsters... he would do it for Batman. The world can't live without a hero to fight the evils of this planet.

Batman saved him, and Richard couldn't repay him enough for this small break of freedom through these five years of captivity and harshness.

Bruce stared at the boy's eyes as they now showed relief and acceptance. These emotions confused the billionaire. Why would he be feeling that way at a time like this?

"It's okay, Batman. I'll go with them. You don't have to get hurt because of me anymore. I accept my fate." Bruce heard the fear in his voice but that showed him that this boy had a sense of justice. He would face the Courts wrath to save someone else. That meant the world to Bruce, but it also broke his heart. This boy had been through so much and now he accepts that he's going to die. He didn't have to do that. Especially not for him.

"No, Richard-" His statement was cut off by a sharp pain in his side.

Cobb stared with a taunting grin of his aging face. "The boy has made his decision. You have no part in this. Come along, boy. We have some business to attend to." He glanced back at the injured man crumbled on the floor. "Why don't we leave our friend with a gift?" Two talons moved forward with a large bomb in their arms. They set it down next to the dark hero and went back to the group.

"I hope you enjoy yourself, Batman." Cobb yelled as he motioned for everyone to move out.

No, this couldn't be happening. He was going to go with these... these... animals, and his savior was going to die! No! He had to stop this!

"Let me go! You can't hurt him! Stop! Let! Me! Go!" His struggles were stopped by a swift kick to his jaw. A crack resounded through the cave followed by a scream.

"Richard!" Batman screamed his name but this accomplished nothing.

Richard stared back at him with panicked eyes. "BRUCE!"

The group left through the shadows, disappearing without a trace. Richard was gone. Taken once again by his worst nightmare.

"WHY?!" Bruce screamed at the top of his lungs. Then he realized he should probably disarm the explosive before he lost his family's home too.

The man pushed himself up and crawled over to the weapon. Expertly, Batman opened the compartment to the wires and quickly disarmed it. Exhausted by the day's events and the wounds he was covered with, the vigilante slowly dropped himself to the ground next to the disarmed bomb.

"How could I let them take him again? He was so close to freedom, but it was stripped away from him as quickly as it was grasped in his hands."

A voice was heard from the staircase. It sounded frantic and awfully familiar.

"Master Batman!"

Alfred! Bruce had totally forgotten. The elderly butler must be terribly worried.

"ALFRED!"

The British gentleman ran as fast as he could to his charge's side, reaching him in mere seconds.

"Master Bruce, are you alright? What on earth happened?" Then he noticed one more thing off about his surroundings. "And where is Master Richard?"

Bruce stared back him with sad, dark brown eyes as they headed for the medical bay in the cave they had occupied only an hour ago.

"They took him, Alfred. They came here and took him back. And he was willing to go for me. He shouldn't ha-" The detective stopped mid sentence, realizing something he hadn't noticed before.

"Master Bruce?" The butler inquired.

His call was answered with a look of pure puzzlement and shock.

"I didn't tell him my name."

"What?" Alfred was extremely baffled by his sudden statement. Why was that so important when the young child was out there somewhere with abusive guardians? If you could call them that anyway.

Bruce stared back at his caretaker with the same look on his face but something else seemed to gleam in his eyes.

"He called me Bruce. But I never told him my name. How would he know? I mean he got to cave by following me, but the entrance is miles from the estate. He wouldn't have known unless-"

His eyes widened with disbelief. "How could he have- There's no way."

"I'm afraid I don't see your point, Master Bruce."

"Alfred, can't you see?" The butler shook his head. "He figured out who I was. A thirteen year old discovered my secret identity. No one has figured that out since I took up the mantle, and some thirteen year old figures it out by stepping into my cave once!"

"That boy, that clever boy, had his destiny chosen for him. He could be so much better, Alfred. Richard could be so much more than the villain he was made into." The dread in his voice seeped through like a monsoon in the ocean.

The butler gave him a thoughtful look as he bandaged and stitched up his ward's injuries.

"Well, Master Bruce," Alfred, being the wise father he was, started. "It sounds like you have your work cut out for you. This boy needs someone to save him, and he believes that someone to be you. You cannot disappoint this child, sir," the butler tightened the last bandage around Bruce's torso to cover the stitches on his back. "He needs you. Save him, Master Bruce."

"I will, Alfred," Bruce hopped off the table, walking over to the changing area to replace his torn costume.

He stepped out in a new Batman suit, standing tall and determined. He strode over to the Batmobile.

"I'll save him, Alfred. I promise." With that Bruce sped out of the cave toward the city in search of a young bird forced to have his wings clipped.

"Bring him home, Master Bruce. I have faith in you. "

The city glowed with life and tragedy, carrying on as usual. The people went on with their lives, not knowing of the horrible events taking place around them.

All was well in Gotham, or so everyone thought.

-------SUMMER-IS-ALMOST-HERE--------So what did you think? I made it longer than normal because I was gone for so long. Sorry about that by the way. I'm moving, again, and exams, so yeah I've been busy. I also got a serious case of writer's block for like a month so... yeah... Sorry!!

I love you guys!! Almost 5K views!!! That's totally boss!!!

I will try to update more when schools out and I need to get my mind working through these boring months.

Preview:

Will Bruce make it in time to save his little bird? Or will an unkind man steal him away forever?

And who is this little kid? What is the child thinking? They can't just come in and expect to save the day!

Will this be a hindrance to the Dark Knight or a bright light in a dark spot?

Until next time!

~Nightsing