Gotham was a tough place to grow up- Robin Grayson knew that firsthand. Brought up in a circus in a tough area of town, she was accustomed up hearing the pop of gunshots and the wail of police sirens.

Tonight, however, was ominously quiet. The Falcone mob had been silenced, and, for the last few months, Gotham had lived in relative peace. Not that this helped Robin any- times were tougher for her than they had ever been. She hugged her worn leather biker coat closer to her and pulled the hood down over her forehead- it would be along night indeed if she didn't find shelter soon.

The alleyways Robin trod through the day were quickly becoming dark as the last tendrils of purple leaked out of the clouds. Robin quickened her pace; it was a bad idea for anyone to be caught out alone in this part of Gotham, even more so for a young woman.

Her favorite haunt was out by the docks at Gotham Harbor. Within its maze of empty cargo containers, one could find plenty of nooks and crannies which to sleep away the night unnoticed. One had only to watch out for the occasional drug dealer or prostitute taking advantage of the docks privacy. Robin had traversed the area so frequently she did not have to think about where she was going; she simply followed where her feet took her.

She stopped abruptly in the ghostly orb of a streetlight. Her small figure cast a distorted shadow in the orange light. All seemed quiet, but…

She disregarded the notion. "Keep going. You're the only person around," she thought. Shaking her head, Miss Grayson continued on. "You know how everything echoes in here."

But as the many rows of containers passed by, Robin kept her ears open. Everything was as it always was. Still… "Something's weird here."

Robin was certain she heard another set of feet pounding the asphalt behind her. She slipped clandestinely between two stacks of containers, making sure she was hidden by the crates. Sure enough, another set of footsteps continued to plod on. "There is someone else."

As the footsteps approached, Robin waited with bated breath. Whoever it was passed by her hiding place without pausing. Miss Grayson wiggled her way out from between cargo containers and crept on toward her usual hiding place- but kept close to the shadows and muffled her footsteps.

Suddenly-

"Hey Sweetheart! You passed that streetlight and just up and disappeared!" Two muscular hands seized the collar of her jacket and shoved her to the ground. Her head cracked the pavement. Scrambling up, Robin kicked back as her attackers huge hands fumbled at her ankles. She stumbled a few desperate steps, but her head swam with the impact of the fall and her feet fumbled. She fell back to the ground, and those same two arms pulled her by the shoulders back behind a container. "Not so fast sweet- Oof!"

The man holding her spun backwards, and Robins arms were wrenched painfully as her attacker flew away. This latest assailant materialized from between cargo containers, a great tall man in black. Even as Robin crawled away, the sounds of their fight reverberated throughout the docks.

But Robin didn't stay to watch. Though her footsteps were still uneven, she trippingly ran through the maze of containers. All she wanted to do was put as many footsteps as possible between herself and those two creeps. The ground swayed and she listed from side to side, all the while running desperately… "It's not far away now."

The street came into view. Robin whooped in delight and staggered closer.

But the docks were slippery, her footing uneven. The closer she came to the street, the more she staggered toward the edge, until-

The black water flew up to greet her. She plunged into its frigid depths gasping for breath. The cold burned her skin, but every second she became

more numb.

Her vision dimmed.

Her heart slowed.

She stopped struggling toward the surface.

She was already unconscious when the great black shadow pulled her out.

Authors note: this is my 1st ever fanfic, so reviews will be greatly appreciated! And there will be more chapters.