Battle Plans

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Luder.

^V^

"Father, I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet."

George Washington

^V^

I had been upstairs when Ra's Al Guhl had managed to hack onto the private
communication link in the Batcave.

It had been less than twenty minutes since I left Dick talking with Barbara
about contacting the others with their progress. After throwing ideas back and
forth for the better part of the day, we had all come to a silent stalemate as
to how to proceed. As the tension grew to an unbearable level, I volunteered to
forage for food up in the Manor.

The great house was silent, eerily so. I found myself trying to quiet my
footfalls on the mahogany floors as I made my way to the kitchen. Aside from
seeking a way to end the rumbling in my abdomen, I had also wanted a reason to
check in on Alfred. Despite the perils Bruce had faced over the years, Alfred
had always seemed to take things in stride.

But something was different.

The faith that Alfred always had in Bruce's safe return was missing.

I found him sitting in the breakfast nook staring at a full cup of tea. The lack
of steam and the look on his face said that he hadn't touched in the hour or so
that he had been sitting there. I waited for him to look up at me and when he
didn't I cleared my throat.

"Oh… Master Tim… I'm afraid I am a bit out of sorts today."

"Understandably."

He glanced up at the silver framed wall clock, "Oh my... I would imagine you two
must be famished."

I looked as well to see it was nearly five. "You know us all too well, Alfred."

He offered a brief smile that seemed to take immense effort as he rose, taking
his neglected tea with him into the kitchen. I followed three strides behind him
and proceeded to lean against the far counter in order to stay out of his way.
He retrieved a loaf of wheat bread from the pantry before rummaging the
refrigerator for lettuce, tomatoes and a turkey breast. When I opened my mouth
to offer assistance he spoke first, "How are things coming along?"

"Good. We narrowed down to which base he is most likely took Bruce. Superman and
Wonder Woman are there now. Hopefully, if we're right, we'll be able to make our
move."

"An eleven hour flight…" Alfred said quietly as he began to slice bacon.

"Conventionally, yes. But with those new boosters on the jet… We'll have him
back for lunch tomorrow."

Alfred nodded, but said nothing as he set the bacon strips in the skillet prior
to filling the eight slot toaster. He was quiet for another minute before
saying, "Have you discovered a motive?"

I reached over to a small porcelain bowl of blueberries and popped a few in my
mouth, "Not yet. Ra's has yet to make contact, either has Bruce. Until then,
anything is possible."

I watched on quietly as Alfred prepared two hefty turkey club sandwiches. The
twenty minutes I had spent with him had seemed like an eternity as most of it
had been silent. On my way back down to the Cave, I couldn't help but think of
when Nightwing and I had returned home after searching the salty waters that had
been the site of Bruce's homing signal. How despite the fact that Alfred's face
had remained stoic, that his eyes had glassed over with emotion.

A fear that he had lost his son…

Descending the stone steps, I tried to shake off my worries and to focus on
being the hero of our late-afternoon strife by providing nourishment.

Instead, I was rattled by arriving to Dick swearing and slamming his fists on
the keyboard.

I approached quickly, careful not to drop Alfred's fine culinary work. After I
set the tray on the countertop, I beckoned, "What happened?"

"Apparently, we're on Ra's Al Guhl's speed dial."

During the time that I had been in the Manor watching Alfred prepare food in the
kitchen, Ra's Al Guhl's wrinkly, sinister face had randomly appeared on the big
screen of the computer. At first Dick had thought he had pressed a button that
had brought up the file on Ra's but when the image had said, "Greetings, Gypsy"
he had realized it was a live feed. As Barbara frantically tried to trace the
originating point of the message, Dick had tried to keep Ra's talking, to get
information as well as to help the trace.

Dick stood and began to pace in circles, freeing up the main chair at the
computer. I quickly sat down and went to work on locating the recent files log,
shocked that the video message had been saved automatically. Opening it, I
prepared to have the whole system crash but was again surprised when the video
played again, including the responses Dick and Barbara had made, captured by the
system's microphone.

"Greetings, Gypsy."

"Babs, do you see this?"

"What did you do, Dick?"

Then Ra's again, "I am contacting you in order to provide assurance that the
Detective is in no harm."

Dick, "Oh my God…"

"He suffered minimal injuries during his apprehension in Gotham but he has since
seen a medical doctor."

"You sonofabitch… If you so much as lay one hand on him I swear to---."

"I have no intentions of quarrelling with you, nor do I plan to listen to your
threats, Gypsy. To prove his well-being and dissimilate any qualms you may have
of his welfare, I am---."

"You put him on the screen and then I'll believe you."

"I'm afraid he's resting at the moment."

"Resting, right, in a detention cell, concussed."

"Hardly the case. In fact he is in Talia's chambers."

Dick had paused then, "What do you want with him?"

"His undivided attention and willing cooperation."

"In what, your next plan for global domination?"

"To think after all that he has taught you… If he was truly imprisoned, he would
have escaped by now, if at the very least contacted you. He has not made a
single effort to leave the grounds, nor to utilize the communication system."

"What are you getting at?"

"Who is to say he is not here on his will alone?"

"I don't know, Ra's... maybe the fact that two of your henchmen beat him half to
death and then threw him into a helicopter? That just screams voluntary action
to me."

"You always had a sharp tongue, Gypsy… I will be sure to have him contact you,
perhaps then you'll be able to know the importance of my actions."

Cut to commercial.

Since then, we had collectively watched the video eighteen times, each time
analyzing it differently, either by ourselves or with the computer's software. I
had memorized nearly every detail after the eighth time but couldn't help but to
keep looking for a hidden clue in the brief message.

Dick and I sat at the work table in the laboratory section of the Cave, waiting
for Superman and Wonder Woman's arrival. I ate most of my sandwich but dick had
taken no more than three bites before discarding it. Passing the tie until the
superheroes return had been on the verge of agony as they had been off in the
Middle East looking into one of the possible locations of the lair Ra's had
taken Batman to. Oracle had contacted J'onn in the Watchtower and had asked him
to have them return due to the latest news.

After fifteen minutes of silence, I finally took advantage of our privacy to
ask, "What if Ra's isn't lying?"

Dick rubbed the bridge of his nose as he replied, "Then we're really in
trouble."

"How's that?"

"Ra's already has the upper hand, Tim. And if he knows something and has some
way of keeping Bruce under his control---."

"I doubt that anything Ra's could dish out would keep Batman from being…
Batman," Superman's voice suddenly echoed in the Cave. We both looked up to see
him and Wonder Woman approaching, hovering just above the cold granite floor. No
wonder we hadn't heard them…

As Dick went about summarizing the failure of our trace, I brought the video
back up so that they could see for themselves. They watched on silently as the
two minute clip played. Instead of asking to see it again, Superman sighed
heavily before asking, "What could he possibly have that would interest Batman?"

"Difficult to say," Dick replied.

I cleared my throat before speaking, "I looked back through the activity logs
Batman has on his encounters with Ra's. There's only one account that had any
sign of collaboration between them and that was over six years ago."

"What happened?" Superman asked.

As I went about pulling up the file, I continued, "Batman was seeking out a
terrorist named Qayin… during an encounter in Gotham he had been shot and
injured, ended up blacking out in the streets. He was brought back to the Cave
by Al Guhl's daughter who just so happened to be in Gotham following him that
night."

"A little too coincidental for my taste," Nightwing added.

"Same for Batman. He automatically suspected Ra's was working alongside Qayin
and had Talia take him to her father's base of operations. But when he made his
accusations, he learned that Ra's was also seeking Qayin but for his own
personal reasons."

"Which were?" Wonder Woman asked, the first time her voice had sounded in the
Cave.

"Qayin had killed Talia's mother… Ra's' wife."

Superman stepped forward, no doubt speed reading through the text on the massive
screen, "He doesn't seem like the settling down type."

I nodded, "Batman didn't go into extreme detail in his logs but he was certain
Ra's was strictly acting on emotion and not greed, which was the first sign of
true humanity he had seen from Ra's. That and Ra's was the one to suggest their
combined efforts in bringing down Qayin."

"What happened?" Superman asked, his piercing blue eyes gazing directly at me.

"The file itself is over a hundred and fifty pages long, of which nearly a third
is under restricted access. But it does conclude that there was a pretty big
showdown ending with Ra's killing Qayin. But it says nothing about any lasting
partnership, or any debts that Batman owes Ra's."

"Makes you wonder what's in that restricted part," Dick suggested.

Superman asked, "Can Oracle break into it?"

I shook my head, "We've both tried, numerous times. But it's clear he intended
no one but himself to ever read that part of the file."

"More than six years ago…" Superman said.

"Before Tim's time," Dick tried to muse.

I nodded, "That being the case, I asked Alfred about it this morning… He said
Bruce had left voluntarily, been missing for nearly two months without a single
word and had returned absolutely miserable, lost in what he could only describe
as a rage-filled depression."

"Also known as typical behavior for Bruce after a traumatic event," Dick added
on.

The Cave was silent for several minutes before Dick asked, "Play it again."

I nodded and brought up the video. We watched in continued silence from start to
finish.

"He mentioned Talia's chambers," Wonder Woman said suddenly. I couldn't tell if
it was because she was uncertain of its importance or if it was hitting a nerve.

To break the brief silence, I replied, "Probably a ploy. If anything, he'd have
Bruce under lock and key not to mention a few dozen armed guards."

The Romeo and Juliet-esque romance that was Bruce and Talia's relationship had
been doomed from the start. Just before I had finished my training to become
Robin, I had experienced first hand the power of Ra's Al Guhl when he had
infiltrated the Bat-Cave and taken Bruce captive.

He was returned mere days later, intact, dropped off by Talia we later learned.
Alfred and I had been waiting in the Cave and he had suddenly appeared,
grinning, asking if it Alfred was up to making dinner. I remember asking him if
everything was okay and he had smiled back, "Couldn't be better."

Not exactly the appropriate response for having just escaped one of his greatest
foes…

I had never found the courage to ask him what had happened, and after reading
the restricted file, I found myself cursing my lack of efforts. If I had acted
sooner, perhaps I would have been able to have and idea as to what was hidden in
those pages.

And then perhaps we could be sure to get Bruce back, smiling or not.

"What did you find Matruh?" I asked suddenly.

Superman planted his feet firmly on the stone floor, "Not much I'm afraid. Just
as you called us with word about Ra's, I was almost certain I heard a voice, it
was brief but it was certainly close by. And with no other sign of human life
within twenty miles, it's safe to say that his base is inhabited, but by Batman
I can't say."

Oracle's voice suddenly echoed in the Cave as her illuminated figure spread over
the main screen, "J'onn has yet to make any telepathic connection to Bruce. We
agree that there's some sort of Psy-block in use."

"We'll have to go back… but with a bit more firepower," Superman suggested.

"And it wouldn't hurt to have a battle plan either," Wonder Woman added.

"One Bat-tle plan coming up," I whispered while recalling the floor plans on the
computer. They weren't exact, but a basic layout based on all of the other bases
Ra's kept around the world.

With the information on the screen we went about decided how and when we would
go about entering. With Superman and Wonder Woman already present, we felt it
would also be wise to call upon J'onn as it never hurt to have a super-powered,
shape-shifting telepathic Martian.

"If I may," Superman interrupted, "Our last encounter with Ra's was… not ideal.
The protocols enabled him to have a massive advantage… And without Bruce at our
side he is even further ahead than before."

"Agreed," Dick nodded, "But I doubt he would use the same attack methods. He's
not one for being predictable."

Oracle's voice interrupted, "I have another transmission coming through from
Ra's!"

"Bring it up, Babs," Dick snapped, the muscles of his shoulders bunching
angrily.

The screen filled suddenly not with the cool gaze of Ra's Al Guhl as it had over
an hour earlier, but instead Bruce's bruised face appeared.

"Bruce!" Dick cried out.

"Dick… Tim…" His voice was hoarse, tired. I could only imagine what he had
suffered in his brief period of captivity. He paused momentarily before adding,
"Everything's fine."

"How can you say that? Bruce you look like you've been---," Dick called out.

"I know… It's complicated but… I don't want you to do anything rash."

Dick muttered, "He has to be doped… or hypnotized."

"I'm neither, I promise you."

"Do you know anything about your location?" I asked; my voice weak and strange.

He shook his head, "I've only been in the main quarters with exception to the
first few hours I was conscious. This is the first time I've been out of the
living quarters since then… some sort of control or security room… But I'd have
to say somewhere in the Middle East, given the time change…"

"Where were you earlier?" Dick asked.

"A detention cell… and then the medical ward."

Dick cursed quietly, "Are you all right?"

Bruce nodded as he touched an angry bruise above his right eye, "For the most
part."

I wanted to focus beyond Bruce's blue, fatigued eyes in order to get an idea of
the layout of the room behind him. It took a great effort, which was only
deterred while Dick managed to keep the conversation going, "Bruce, what does
Ra's want?"

Bruce paused looked away and then said, "I don't know, not for certain anyway… I
need you to trust me. And right now, I need you to stay in Gotham… I need
you---."

"Bruce, I trust you with my life but right now… I can't trust your judgment; I
can't stay here while God knows what happens to you---."

A flash of anger crossed Bruce's face and stopped Dick mid-sentence.

Dick continued, "I can't sit idly by while Ra's, of all people, has you held
prisoner."

Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly and I expected his voice to be the deep, gravelly
growl we had all come to know. Instead, his voice was quiet, almost
apprehensive, "I am not a prisoner."

The Cave went eerily silent, short of a few distant, echoing shrieks.

For the first time, Superman spoke up, "Are you on his side again?"

The anger in Bruce's eyes was tainted with a fraction of confusion, "What are
you talking about?"

"Why else would you be there, if you're not being held captive? Does this have
to do with what happened with Qayin?"

"Absolutely not," Bruce replied, never faltering after learning we had been
reading up on his past activities. His eyes refocused to the center of the
screen, as if he knew he was staring directly at Dick, "Richard. I need to have
your word…"

"Just as I need yours."

I held my breath, knowing all too well that Dick's smart mouth had once more
gotten him in over his head. But instead of responding in the roar I had
expected, Bruce sighed before promising that nothing was going on and that
everything was all right.

Hard to believe knowing that the Demon's Head was probably holding him at
gunpoint at that very moment.

When Dick didn't respond, Bruce shook his head, "Fine. I can't tell you
everything, not now, but I can say this much… I was---."

A loud door slam was suddenly followed by muted voice that belonged to someone
off screen, "Enough, Detective." It wasn't Ra's, although similarly accented.
But much deeper. Ubu.

Bruce stood, the camera showing his midsection. He was wearing a black long
sleeved tunic, but looking closely, I spotted the padding of fresh bandages
across his abdomen, "I was under the impression that---."

"You are required elsewhere, Detective."

Dick called out, "Bruce? What's going on?"

Before he could respond, we heard Bruce, "I'm not going anywhere until I get
to---."

The screen went black.

"Damnit," Dick growled, punching the countertop just as he had after the last
video connection had ended.

Before any of us could collect ourselves after the transmission closed, Oracle
appeared on screen, her face beaming, "Good news."

"What do you mean? He didn't get to tell us what was going on!" Dick yelled.

She nodded, "I know… but he did talk long enough for the trace to complete
itself. Looks like you're Egypt bound after all."

^V^

Chapter 7: Safety First