"Robin?"

Who?

"Robin, wake up."

Batman?

Dick slowly opened his eyes. A blurry image of Batman stood before him. He wanted to sit up again but a sharp pain shot through his head as he tried. Hissing out in reflex, a hand shot up to where it hurt. By some evil power, he had yet again landed on the same spot as he did before when he passed out. Batman carefully pulled away Dick's hand to inspect the injury, silently noting the blood on Dick's glove.

Memories of what happened flashed before him. The reds attacking, winning the fight, Red Tornado turning against them, his team! With movement way too fast for his current state, Robin frantically looked around to check on his teammates.

Connor and Wally were still stuck, but Flash and Captain Atom were working on getting them out.

M'gann was sitting on the floor with J'onn next to her. It seemed like they were having a telepathic conversation.

Aquaman was checking over Kaldur, likely the best contender to check if the Atlantean was okay after the fire cage ordeal.

Artemis was still passed out on the floor but Superman was trying to wake her up. Of course the bastard would rather focus on her than help out Connor but it's not like he was in a position to openly question his actions. That would be Bruce's job later.

Canary was there too, likely to supervise the situation should it happen that one of them wasn't handling it all too well.

Wouldn't it have been great if they showed up sooner.

No, he can't fault them. They were likely all busy in their own cities. It was Tornado's job to inform them of issues, yet the android was part of the problem.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, Batman had that look on his face. The look he always uses when he is trying to analyze a situation. Now directed at him, he knew for sure they'd be having words later. Most likely under supervision of Alfred while Dick gets checked out for his injuries. Robin held Batman's gaze, silently trying to reassure the man that he's fine for now, all things considered.

Off to the side he heard Superman speak up after Artemis had gotten up herself. "What happened here." It didn't even sound like a question, it sounded like a command. Big Blue Boyscout seemed to be quite displeased at the mess, much like everybody else was. Too bad for him, he asked one of the snarkiest teens the team had. "What happened?" The bite in her tone was strong enough that he could almost imagine Artemis actually going for an attack. "The Reds happened! Tornado and his- wait, where are they?" Venom turned to fear as she realized the potential threat still lurking around.

Dick turned to face his blonde friend, once again taking the role of calming down her panic. "They're gone. All three of them." He said calmly. "Gone."

"What do you mean gone?! They can't have just vanished!"

Black Canary walked up to the girl, blocking her view of the other heroes so she'd only focus on her secondary mentor. "By the time we got here, the only ones still in the cave were you guys. Flash, Superman and Martian Manhunter already swept the entire area to see if there were any signs of attackers but there were none." Artemis stared at Canary in disbelief and shock as tears welled up in her eyes. "No, no that can't be true! We-we fought hard, two reds were down! We nearly had it! It can't have been for nothing! We almost died tonight! Please, please, please it can't have been for nothing!" Canary wrapped her arms around Artemis to shield the overwhelmed girl from the onlookers.

Batman stepped forward, keeping his tone somewhat softer than his usual gruff tone. To Dick, it sounded like an odd combination of the Batvoice™ and the Brucie voice. "Head home for now, get some rest. You fought hard today, take a break and recover while we investigate."

Slowly and with some reluctance, the teens and some of the mentors started to filter out of the room. Both Connor and M'gann were offered to stay at J'onn's place where they could feel safer than staying at the cave as neither had anywhere else to go.

Luckily for him, Dick didn't need to go far off to a different Zeta as Batman had flown the Batwing over. The short trip back home was quiet as neither hero spoke up first. When they got to the Batcave, Alfred was already waiting with a gurney. "Alfred, that won't be necessary. I can walk." Dick said lightly as he took off his mask. Still, the butler gestured to it. "For my own reassurance, young master?" Well, when asked so politely, how could he say no?

Dick climbed on with a little bit of assistance. He already dreaded the day he would grow up enough that he didn't need the little boost Alfred always gave him. Still, he somewhat enjoyed the little ride to the medbay where he easily transferred himself onto the cot.

"Now my dear boy, what happened?" Alfred started up, knowing neither of the heroes were going to speak up themselves. Dick started easily helping Alfred in removing most of his suit so the man could have a better vision over the numerous little cuts and scrapes all over his body. As the pieces came off, and Alfred treated whatever he could, Dick gave a rundown of what happened from when he entered the zeta tube until Batman arrived on scene. Here and there the two adults glanced at each other, noticing Dick was clearly leaving out some parts.

As Alfred had made his way up to the cut on his head, Batman was finishing up the notes he was taking while Dick talked. He knew full well he still had to write a detailed report on everything but with his current testimony, the League could already work better than having to wait for Dick to write up the report.

Bruce, currently decowled, was having a silent stare down with Dick. Bruce knew the boy was leaving out details. Dick knew he wouldn't be believed anyway. Yet again it was up to Alfred to cut the tension with his calm voice. "Is there anything else, Master Dick?" The boy looked away from Bruce's gaze as he focused on twiddling with his fingers instead. "Not unless you promise to not sedate me again?" He hadn't meant for it to sound like a question but it had the same effect. Both adults tensed slightly at his words, likely knowing they overstepped last time even if it was supposedly for his own good.

"I saw it again, the dog I mean." Dick started quietly, already feeling the need to hug his knees to his chest in self-comfort. "I swear I'm not imagining it! It really was there and it had a name tag and all! I even touched it. I swear, if you ask the others they'll be able to confirm it was there. At least Artemis for sure!" Dick's tone was so small yet slightly erratic as he tried to plead his case. He was desperate for the adults to believe him this time. He knew it was real. There was no way he imagined it! Cujo was real.

"And what did this dog do?" Alfred asked cautiously. Dick finally did bring up his knees as he could clearly still hear the disbelief in the man's voice. "Cujo helped. He guided us in the boiler room and in the library. I'm- I'm not entirely sure if that was him but what else could a bright green smudge be?" He laughed humorlessly, knowing that his words were only making the adults believe him less.

"I-he helped guide us when we were swimming too. Like he knew where the hits would go and helped us dodge it. And when-" Dick paused a bit. He wasn't particularly proud of having to admit he messed up, especially not when he knew his truth wouldn't be believed.

"When?" Alfred pushed slightly as he finished up with Dick's medical care. He set aside all the stuff he used and took a seat on the foot of Dick's cot. The boy in question turned his head away from both adults as he talked barely above a whisper.

"When the water dragged me under. Cujo helped. I don't know how, but one second I was getting pushed around and crushed and the next it's like I couldn't feel anything except his fur. It..helped to fake the drowning. Less energy wasted, easier to hold my breath and all that. The Reds didn't believe the act or something and kept me in the water longer than I expected, so it was a welcome help to keep it up for longer."

Bruce was typing away at the tablet in his hands, purposely not using his wrist computer so Dick couldn't see what he was doing. With a frown he handed it over to show Alfred what he found. Dick found himself not caring, he already knew they wouldn't believe him anyway. "Master Dick?" He hummed a response. "Are you sure you saw a dog?" The way Alfred asked gave Dick the false hope that maybe, maybe they found some type of proof.

Expectantly, he raised his head and looked over. Alfred was showing him the camera footage of the library and boiler room before the boiler room exploded. Just like the camera's in the manor, there was nothing there. There were a few odd glitches that he found noteworthy though. They looked oddly similar to the way the cameras in Belle Rêve glitched when Cujo and Danny appeared. Just a small portion of the entire view was distorted. But of course, that just wasn't it.

The most damning part was that the one place where Dick had full contact and vision on Cujo, was the one place where all cameras were destroyed. The only proof he had was his own testimony. With a heavy sigh, he got up from the cot. Alfred offered assistance but Dick politely declined. "I know you don't believe me. But I swear I didn't imagine anything. Just...Just ask the others. If you even care enough." Not checking for a response, he made his way out of the Batcave and went up to his room. Feeling utterly alone and the final remnants of adrenaline finally leaving his body, Dick crashed in his bed and silently cried himself to sleep.

The next morning, Dick still felt exhausted and very frustrated. Still, he got ready and went to Mount Justice to meet up with the rest of his team. It was the weekend so it wasn't like they had much else to do other than just sit together and support each other in ways the adults couldn't.

Leaguers were everywhere, performing various types of repairs that only they could do. The super abled Leaguers were off working, while Canary and Green Arrow were babysitting the team at a table one of the Lanterns had brought over for them. They were sitting in awkward silence, except for Connor who was standing up and brooding by the end of the table. Wally was slumped over the table, pointedly rejecting the offered snacks Green Arrow gave the speedster. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Yeah," Robin finally spoke up, "What we want are answers, about Red Tornado and his siblings." His comment only got a slight glare from Green Arrow. The Leaguer likely knew it wouldn't do anything to somebody used to the Batglare™ but at least it made his disapproval known.

Not like Wally cared much about that.

"Exactly!" Much to his displeasure, Green Arrow only responded by taking the bowl of snacks away again. As if he only showed up to get on the green clad hero's nerves, Wally grabbed the bowl out of his hands and started eating the mini pretzels anyway. Canary just stood by watching it all happen, knowing the teens needed to vent out their frustrations. They, more like just Oliver, just happened to be the easiest target at the moment. The man was somewhat family to the two boys, considering both their mentors are rather close and they are also great friends with Roy. Well, until Roy stepped out that is.

Still, between them, it was all just friendly banter. None of them really took it to heart. Oliver had more than enough experience with moody teens to care too much about what they said.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Connor freaked out and attacked Aqualad who was talking to Batman on the side. "You knew?!" The clone yelled out as he grabbed Kaldur by the shirt. "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann!" He growled out, nearly spitting in his supposed leader's face. Hearing the commotion M'gann quickly flew over to her secret boyfriend and her leader. "Connor, what are you doing?"

Superboy tightened his hold on Kaldur as he seemed ready to punch the Atlantean any second. "Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and SAID NOTHING!"

"You knew?"

"And didn't tell us?"

Now the others were also surrounding Kaldur, not ready to throw hands but more in disbelief that their friend broke their trust. Kaldur spoke in his own defense, voice calm despite the threat he was under. "I sought to protect the team." Apparently he had chosen the wrong words as the resident spitfire also chimed in. "Protect us from what? Knowledge that might have saved our lives? Or did you forget you yourself weren't doing all too well yesterday and three of us nearly drowned!"

"You almost died!" Connor half pleaded with M'gann as the Martian seemed to remain neutral.

"Enough." Batman's gruff command echoed through the room. With a pointed Batglare™ directed at him, Connor released Kaldur from his hold. "With Red Tornado... missing, the team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

"I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys."

M'gann, Artemis, Robin and Wally all shared a questioning look as Superboy glared at the Leaguers and Kaldur remained his stoic self. Still, none of them seemed all too pleased with the new change.

Setting aside the physical animosity for now, Connor turned to Kaldur. "After I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-" He wasn't able to finish his threat as Batman walked right up to the clone and Atlantean. "Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League, that makes him a League responsibility. You will leave it to us." The tension in the air was rising rapidly, either due to the threatening tone of Batman or the pure annoyance of being sidelined in a case they were all personally affected by.

Doing absolutely nobody a favor, Batman continued like there was nothing wrong. "I have another assignment for you." He gestured behind him as various news articles popped up on holoscreens. "Gotham mayor attacked by Guerilla Gorilla!" Wally read out the headline sarcastically, somewhat surprised Batman was giving away a mission so closely connected to the man's precious city. Under normal circumstances, this would definitely have been a Dynamic Duo mission, NOT a team mission. Something fishy was going on.

It seemed like Connor also picked up on it as he spoke up over the mental link. "Was this the only thing he could find to distract us?"

Absolutely not whelmed by the idea, Robin full on sent a Robinglare™ to his mentor. Wally spoke up against his best friend's mentor and his supervisor, against his own better judgment. But if Dick won't do it, then he had to. "Batman, respectfully, please say you aren't sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase." Batman glared harder at the teen, the type of glare that would make even the toughest of Gotham goons piss their pants if they were at the receiving end of it.

"I never joke about the mission." The man nearly growled out every word with how deep and gruff his voice went. Clearly they were pushing a boundary better not crossed. Definitely not in public where certain reputations were to be upheld. Giving in, both boys looked away and stepped back from their defiant stances.

"I've checked the sources," Batman continued in a slightly toned down growl. "I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents." Not taking a break, he turned immediately to the Atlantean. "Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India to check this out."

With a final nod from Kaldur, the others already started to leave the room. All ignoring the chain of command except for Wally. "Ha, your team." He scoffed in Kaldur's face as he glared at who he had considered his close and trusted friend before following the rest of his teammates to prepare for their upcoming mission.