A Twist of Fate

Chapter 40

Trigger Warning! again.

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Dick felt exhausted and his hope had left nearly eighty or so lashes ago. The team had on multiple occasions stood up to do something only for Talon to whip around and hit them across the face with a fisted hand. They had all crumpled back having been subdued for at least a few hours.

Dick didn't meet any of their eyes, having fully given up. Talon was currently striding around him, assessing if he could go another round or if Dick needed an hour to heal some before continuing. He must have thought that he needed the hour because Talon dumped salt on his clotting back before leaving.

The team was instantly trying to get close to him. Calling out his name. Dick couldn't hear them over the numbing pain that was taking over his body in waves. Suddenly one of the chains came out of the wall with a loud clunk. Dick dropped getting pulled to his left and right into Wally's arms. With delay the other chain came out of the other wall.

The team was stunned but unwilling to go back to the sockets in the floor that held them. Wally pulled Dick closed to him hearing the soft whimpers of pain with each movement. The door opened on silent hinges and two dark figures crept in. They looked like the lackey's that had been coming in and out with anything Talon asked for.

These two on the other hand acted differently. They moved with fluidity but grounded as if they had a mind of their own. The team watched them curiously as the two shut the door, listening for a moment by the door before approaching them. Wally closed his arms protectively around Dick, with a warning glare.

The two paused, glancing at each other. The shorter of the two shrugged, pulling off the mask he was wearing. After a sigh the bigger one followed his lead. The team sucked in a thankful breath as they knew the smaller of the two.

Wally opened up his mouth to say something but Joey put a finger to his lips in the universal sign for quiet. The other, bigger man, next to Joey was someone none of them knew. He was taller with broad shoulders and sandy brown hair and gray blue eyes. He also pulled out a dagger longer than his forearm. Joey did the same approaching Dick and Wally slowly.

"What's the plan?" Wally asked softly.

Joey shrugged, "Not really sure. We were just told to get Dick and you all."

The other man used his dagger to dig into the lock on Superboy's shackles. They came off with a little persuasion and move then needed leverage. Conner sighed when the chains were tossed away. Joey sat down in front of Wally and Dick. Dick on the other hand didn't notice his brother as he curled deeper into Wally's hold.

"Hey, birdy." Joey called softly brushing his hand down Dick's arm.

Dick whimpered, pushing his face deeper into Wally's chest. Joey didn't push, just moved his hand down to the shackles around Dick's wrists. With quick movements the shackles were off and Joey was starting on Wally's chains. With a yelp Joey pulled his hands away.

The other man came right over worry etched on his face.

"Jericho? What happened?"

Joey shooed him off, "I'm fine. His shackles are covered in barbed wire."

The man grunted, "I don't have any cutters on me or anything." He glanced at his watch that was set on his wrist, "We only have two minuets."

"What do you suggest then?" Joey growled, "We're not leaving any of them behind."

"Well you better think of something fast or-"

The earth around them shook with a tremendous boom.

"We need to go." The man growled. He stabbed his dagger into the socket holding Wally's chains to the ground, breaking the chain free, "Get up. You'll have to deal with it. You," He pointed to Conner, "take Dick." When no one moved the man snarled, "NOW!"

The team moved on instinct following the commands. Conner took Dick from Wally as carefully as he could. Once Dick was out of Wally's hands, he picked up his trailing chains. Artemis and Kalder were scoping out the outside of the cell from the small window. Magan was wearily glancing between Joey and the new man. They didn't look anything alike or where they could have met. Maybe it was a Slade thing. They might have met through Deathstroke. But if that were true, that meant the new man was dangerous.

Magan looked into his mind only to find the same kind of blockade Dick had. The man turned and gave her a look. The look was a raised brow with hints of a smirk. On the other hand he didn't call her out on snooping. Joey glanced at all of them and nodded just as another explosion shook the floor. It was closer that time.

"Now or never." Joey muttered.

"Now!" The man shouted.

Artemis and Kalder burst through the door, hands up ready to fight. No one was there. The other trailed out, Joey taking the lead and the man trailing in back. Conner carried Dick in the middle of the group. Dick had passed out the moment he took him from Wally. Conner hoped it was from exhaustion than anything else. Talon had been 'punishing' Dick for hours. They didn't even know what day it was.

'It had to be at least twenty four hours', Conner thought, 'My throat is dry and not from screaming like the others."

The halls were bare of any people but they could hear fighting, shouts, and occasionally they could see someone getting thrown into a wall before they collapsed. They also saw the Justice League doing the throwing on multiple occasions. The man and Joey moved them around the fighting much to the teams displeasure until Wally told them that they had Dick to protect. The team had winced in shame forgetting that their spark of life and laughter for the past two weeks was no longer laughing.

"My Bio Ship!" Magan called when she saw her ship, "How? Who? What?"

Joey shrugged, "Martian Manhunter piloted it. I think Batman also brought the Batjet. Don't ask, yes that is it's name. He also has a Batcar, Batcicle, and a Batsub."

"Someone is really obsessed about bats." Artemis muttered.

The man grinned, "The names are from his three sons. They made everything Bat themed because they could."

"I tried to make everything Death themed with dad," Joey admitted, "Not as cool. Think about it. A Deathjet. It just screamed disaster. Though the Joker keeps calling us Death's little Daggers. Don't ask, no one knows what goes on in Joker's head."

"Jericho, your rambling."

Joey shut his mouth abruptly with a glare, "I ramble when we are these kinds of situations. Take the stress off."

They all crept up to the ship.

"You mean it makes you forget about the stress."

"Whatever." Joey growled glancing back to Dick for the hundredth time.

Magan touched the ship and the back opened, welcoming them in. The wear met with a ready to fight Black Canary. She took one look at the team and hugged each of them. On her way to Conner she finally spotted the blood and a limp small boy.

"O' my God."