I sat on my father's throne, one leg thrown lazily over the arm as I spun my phone in my hands. Dick would probably try to track me but it would be too late by the time he got here.

"Madolyn." His voice echoed around the stone walls.

Ignore the fear, shove it down.

"Slade" I shot back in the same tone. "Good of you to finally come"

"You knew coming here would alert me. What is your game?" Slade demanded.

I stood, filled with a new confidence. This was for Dick, he needed to live more than I do. "I'll come back on two conditions." I casually stepped off the platform, clapping my hands tougher. "You leave Nightwing alone and I have the right to tell you no and you have to follow it"

"What's to stop me from taking you right now and still getting my way" he set his hands behind his back, his posture stiff.

"He's aware of what I'm doing and is on his way" I checked the time. "I'd wager probably as soon as Batman lets him go, and he'll bring back up."

"Why would you come so willingly?" His head tilted curiously.

"Because we're both sick of running and he deserves a life without your shadow"

"No" he crossed his arms.

"You've been looking for me for two years and you're turning it down?"

"Nightwing will be my successor. Your one and only role is to be the informant to us both, past that you're useless."

Hurt briefly fluttered in my chest before I shoved it down. "Why are you so obsessed with a supposed heir when he obviously doesn't want to join you!"

"I do not have to explain myself to you daughter" He began walking toward me, his steps menacing.

My confidence automatically began to drop. "Wait wait" Old fear surged through my veins. "If you won't honor the deal I'm going to escape"

"I never agreed to anything"

In my haste to get away, I fell backwards, landing on my back. Maybe it was being in this place again but I felt like I'd gone back to my old self, like I hadn't come as far as I had. Slade loomed above me, his staff raised. "You have a lot to atone for Kid"

He brought down his staff.

c[]xxxx[]:::::::::::::::::>    <:::::::::::::::::[]xxxx[]o

I woke with a pounding in my head, groggily, I held it, pushing myself into a sitting position slowly. When I managed to open my eyes, the room began to spin.

Then it hit me.

Dread curled in my stomach, perfectly matching the anxiety crawling under my skin. I was in The Room.

White walls surrounded me, a white bed with white sheets and white pillows, even white flooring and a white ceiling.

I crawled to the door, desperately pounding against the padded frame, deliriously yelling 'no' over and over again.

The Room had no color, no sound. It just was. All I wanted was out.

Please let me out.

Dick, he'd rescue me. Maybe. I did go behind his back.

The Room felt like it was bearing down on me.

A slot in the door opened, a tray with a bowl of rice, two vitamin supplements, and a glass of milk came through. Everything on it was white, even the freaking pills.

"Wait" I pulled the tray out of the way, hoping to speak with my father. "Please"

The slot slammed closed, the locking mechanism sliding into place. I knew what this was.

Dick had explained it to me one night.

It was called White Room Torture. All anyone had to do was place someone in a room full of white colored everything, the food, the clothing, the furniture, and the lights.

After depriving someone of that, then any sound from the outside world is stripped away entirely.

The technique was used to make someone slowly go crazy, I always made it to hallucinations before father deemed it good enough.

By then I'd be ready to tell him anything he wanted to know or step back into line. Not this time, I'd bear it, if only to stop father from learning anyone's identity.

I curled in the corner, knees to my chest, staring at the floor blankly. I knew facing father would be a bad idea, all I wanted was for Dick to be free, but I might have made things worse because now father had one of us. That mission was halfway complete.

All father had to do was wait and Dick would come running.

Threatening Dick's anger only worked once. Now Father was prepared for the fallout. Dick wouldn't bring reinforcements, he'd try to handle this all on his own.

Like an idiot.

"Hey stranger" I jumped at the voice, speak of the devil. Dick leaned on a wall casually.

Great, hallucinations, here we go.

"You know, I didn't take you for a sucker" he grinned. "Shoving me through that zeta beam just so I could live" he placed a hand on his chest, tone mocking. "Seriously, after everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me?" He scoffed. "Pathetic."

"No" I whispered, burying my face in my knees and pressing my hands against my ears. "You're not real"

Not real

Not real

Not real

"Princess" his voice echoed in my mind. "Did you really think it'd be that easy?" Dick chuckled. "You're dumber than I thought"

"Please go away" I pleaded.

"You're just a selfish, helpless little leech that can't defend herself. If you could you wouldn't have been defeated by some stick" Dick muttered, the words stinging as they rolled around in my head.

Not real

Not real

Not real

"Oh Madolyn, I'm hurt" Dick cooed. "You think you can get rid of little old me with two words?"

Not real

Not real

Not real

"Oh? Is the little baby crying?" He mocked. "Can't handle a little quiet? Pitiful. To think I ever thought you to be my friend. Keep dreaming"

I touched my face, surprised to find out that I was in fact crying. A sadness welled in my very soul. This wasn't Dick talking, I knew it wasn't Dick saying these things but it all seemed so real.

So so real.