Torturous Pain

Chapter 4: Crash and Burn

The Team was under Nightwing's leadership for three months now. Things had continued to change. Both Wally and Artemis left the team, deciding that they wanted out of the hero business and live a normal life. No one blamed them. Dick especially didn't blame them. The two were in their Senior year of High School and they had college to worry about. At least, that's how he rationalized it in his head. But when the night comes and he's all alone, looking at his scars, he knows that they have left because of the kidnapping. He was surprised Zatanna hadn't joined them, though it's no secret that she a candidate for being a new member of the Justice League, so she might as well be leaving the Team too.

"Damn it, Dick!" Jason snapped the elder out of his thoughts. "Stop spacing out." The young male said as he pulled on his shoes.

"Sorry, Little Wing." Dick said lightly as he tugged on his gloves. They were almost there at Hawaii, for a mission. Zatanna and Barbara were there too, but they were on the other side of the plane, getting changed. "Hawaii's a great place. If we get this mission done early, we can actually spend some vacation time."

Jason rolled his eyes before placing his domino mask on over his eyes. "Like Bruce will allowed that. You may be free from Daddy Bats, but Barb and I aren't. And stop calling me Little Wing!" The young male snapped at his Robin mentor.

With his mask on, Nightwing chuckles at his replacement. "You and Batgirl have been working your butts off between the Team and Gotham, you deserve some vacation time. I'm sure Batman will give you some time off. If not, just don't tell him we've finished early."

Robin just scoffed and walked back into the main cargo area with Nightwing following him. The two were so different and yet so alike at the same time. Robin didn't start out as young as Nightwing had, but growing up in Crime Alley, he had learned things from the streets. But the boy was eager to learn, especially when the lesson comes from Nightwing instead of Batman.

Just as Robin went to sit down, the plane hit an air pocket and dropped, causing Robin the fall forward. Luckily for Nightwing's quick reflexes grabbed the black and yellow cape and pulled the boy back. A soft sigh of relief came from Robin's lips as he sat back in his seat.

"Thanks Dick."

A soft laugh announced that the girls had joined them, and that they had seen Robin's almost face plant on the floor.

"Arg!" Robin groaned again as they sat around the fire. Their mission had been a success, but there were some draw backs. Like one of their enemies having a flame thrower. Robin's cape is half gone thanks to flames, while his arm got burnt.

"Stop moving. Nightwing will be back soon," Batgirl said. She couldn't help but to noticed that the curly hair boy was sitting farther away from the fire than usual. She turned her attention on Zatanna, who was obviously tired from all of the spells she had performed. "Couldn't you just heal Robin's arm?"

Zatanna opened her eyes and looked at the red hair. "It isn't as simple as saying a word backwards. I actually have to practice, and magic takes energy." She paused, waiting to see if Batgirl caught on. The magician was sure she did, but she just didn't lead on that she did.

Before Zatanna could continue, Nightwing was back. "She's tired, no energy. Everyone's tired." He said though he didn't seem to be tired at all. While he wears the mask, he acts so much older than his age. "Everyone should get some rest, part two of our mission starts tomorrow." He said then made his way over to Robin, with a plant in hand.

"What's that?" Robin asked, eyed the plant as Nightwing sat next to the boy. The leader had just gone off to get a plant? Leaving the boy to listen to the girls bicker and glare at each other. All for a damn plant?

"Cool your jets," he commented softly as he cut one of the leaves in half. The plant looked more like green sticks, and it had clear gel oozing out of it. "It's aloe, it will heal your burn faster." Was explained before the older rubbing the sticky gel across the boy's arm.

Robin winced from the sting but didn't protest. He knew aloe was good for sunburns, didn't know that it worked the same for actual burns. He made a mental note about that. "Lucky you found it."

"Lucky this happened in Hawaii. Aloe grows year around here," was his simple reply. After the wounds were tended to, it was time to get rest before finishing their mission. Nightwing took the first, and longest, shift for watch. He wasn't going to allow anything to go wrong again.

Dick had been running the Team for close to two years now. Jason still wasn't much of a team player, but he had worked on it. And Barbara seemed to be in a better mood ever since Zatanna left when she joined the Justice League. Leaving Dick to be the red head's now, not that he had expressed any interest in dating anyone. Let alone a teammate.

Things between Bruce and Dick seemed to be getting worse as they grew more alike. There was a time that he didn't want to be anything like the man. But now, things have changed. Nightwing is like a second Batman now, and those who knew him wonder what happened to the immature boy they all loved. A madman with a crowbar happened.

And that madman happened again.

Robin went missing after a mission with Batman, completely un-Team related, but Nightwing was still kicking his own ass for it. He should have been there. He was asked to be on that mission, but no. He wanted a day off, and now that day off has gotten his little brother kidnapped.

Both the Team and the Justice League were kept in the dark about what was happening. Not on purpose, but on the pure fact they needed to find Robin as fast as possible. Dick had suited up and flew out to Bialya. It was there that Batman and Robin had gone on a mission. A lead about Ra's al Ghul and his crime, though the man himself wouldn't say that they were crimes himself.

It was unknown if Ra's and the Joker were working together just yet or not, but that didn't matter to the Bats. They just needed to get the boy away from the madman before there was a repeat of what happened to the first Robin happening to the second.

"I'm here," Nightwing commed to Batman as soon as he landed the Batwing. The teen went right to his motorcycle, the Wingcycle as he calls it. It wouldn't be long before Joker started to have fun.

"I have a lead to where he may be. You're closer to it, sending the coordinates now." Batman's deep voices spoke in the earpiece.

As soon as the coordinates popped up, Nightwing entered them in the GPS on his Wingcycle then sped off. The snow spraying behind him. Looking the tracers on Batman's motorcycle, it was obvious that the black and blue knight was indeed much closer, but it was still a bit of a ways from where his current location. He pushed the limits of the engine as he speeds. Not caring about the ice that covered the roads. He had to save Jason.

'Hold on, Jay. I'm coming.' Nightwing thought to himself as he made a sharp turn. 'Please God, please don't let anything happen. I know I don't pray, You know I don't pray. So please, just keep him safe. Don't let that bastard use a crowbar on him like he did me. Please!'

Unfortunately, his pleads wont be answered. Jason was beaten with the very same crowbar that Joker used on Dick. This Boy Wonder's attitude wasn't any better than the last one's. Not that it really bother Joker any. This birdie will die, just to rub dirt into the Bat and the Birdie's old wounds.

"Y'know, your big brother went through this too," Joker said as he took a break from beating the boy. "With this very crowbar too! He's how I know where to hit you to make you scream. Tsk tsk on you though. Big brother didn't scream. But you, you have my dear little birdie. And I love it. Too bad I gotta go soon." He said as his green eyes checked the time.

Jason groaned. He knew that Dick had been captured, a lot. But never that the Joker was one of them. That Dick had been beaten like this. 'Dick will find me. He and Bruce promise,' he thought bitter sweetly as the Joker walked away.

"Now, be in bed by nine and do all of your homework!" He chuckled softly as he closed the door. "And tell the big guy I said 'Hello.'" He chuckled then slammed the steel door shut and went on his merry way. He didn't need to deal with a pissed off Bat or Wing tonight.

Nightwing got to the shack just after a car had left it. He didn't bother going after it, right now he just needed to get to Jason. He jumped off of the black and blue motorcycle, and ran over to the door. "Jason!" He yelled and slammed against the metal. "Jason! It's me, Dick! Jason, are you in there?!" He panicked, he didn't get an answer right away.

There was a soft muttered behind the door. A pained muttered that the teen was all too familiar with. He slammed his body against the door again, trying to get it to open.

"B-bomb," Jason muttered again, louder this time so Dick could him.

It was then like time froze. There was a bomb locked inside of there with Jason. Nightwing had no idea how much time was left, and a steel door stood between them. Joker made sure that this lesson will be completely taught. Jason was going to die, even if the madman wasn't there to watch it happen as much as he wanted to be.

"I'll … I'll get you out, Jay! I swear it!"

That was the last thing that was said between them before the timer in front of Jason read 00:00. Everything suddenly went black for Nightwing as Batman had just pulled up in time to see the explosion. A yell ripped from his chest as the flames surely killed both of his sons.