Author's Note: This story is set in the Young Justice universe (Season 1, post-episode 8). I do not own any DC characters or the settings.
When Birds Can't Fly
He cackled almost lovingly as he brought the knife slowly across the white flesh of the arm. "My, my, my little hero. So pale? You really should play in the sun every once in a while. Get a nice tan, hmmm? I know a nice little spot. You should see the beaches! And the women, oh my, my, my. But you're a little young for that, aren't you?" The blood dripped down the thin arm, most settled onto the hard cement of the roof. But the rest disappeared into the darkness of the street far below.
Robin gritted his teeth against the pain and met those crazy eyes defiantly. His blood was dripping from dozens of these little cuts. From his arms, from his back, even from his chest and those screamed with every rise and fall of his chest.
Batman's in Metropolis. With the rest of the Justice League. I was an idiot to think I could answer a bat-siren on my own but Barbara's on vacation with her family and…and I thought I could do it. I thought I was ready. Robin swallowed hard as the Joker continued to babble aimlessly, cleaning his knife slowly and choosing a new spot to slice. Batman was right. I'm not ready. And I'm going to pay for my mistake with my life.
Suddenly a shrill scream rent the night sky. Robin started and the thin rail to which his hands were chained bounced in a sickening way. Drops of blood flew into the emptiness before him. Perhaps a few landed on the poor woman who had happened to look up. She was the person screaming. Screaming and pointing to Robin and The Joker.
"Finally!" The Joker said. "An artist should always have an audience, don't you think?"
"You're no artist," Robin snarled. The Joker picked up a pipe, gave it a whirl, and then hit Robin in the stomach. Robin's breath left him in a gasp of pain and then again and again as The Joker let the knife fall to the roof and put all his strength behind the blows.
Help me, please. Robin thought wildly. He was only thirteen. He didn't want to die. Anybody…
Wally West was in the kitchen and back so fast that all his mom saw were the napkins fluttering in the draft he left behind.
"Wally!" she complained. "Not when I'm cooking!"
"Sorry, mom," said Wally between handfuls of chips. "But – crunch – the League is fighting – crunch – this giant alien thing – crunch – in Metropolis."
"Why aren't you there, anyway?" his dad asked, looking up from the local paper.
Wally swallowed the last of the chips and muttered, "Beats me."
After one glance at his expression, the girls dissolved into a pile of hopeless giggles while Conner Kent glared at the TV screen as if it could fix the terribly sappy movie ending.
"That was stupid," Conner said flatly.
"It was 50 First Dates!" Artemis protested, "It's not meant to be a cinematographic masterpiece."
"Waste of time," Conner muttered. Wolf gave a little growl in agreement.
"I thought it was sweet," M'gann said, sighing happily. "He loved her so much he stayed with her even though she forgets every morning…it's romantic."
"Sure, romantic," Conner said, unconvinced. Artemis laughed again. Conner leaned back and stretched, "When does Kaldur come back from Atlantis, anyway?"
"He wanted to be there when the baby was born," M'gann reminded him. "It could be a while."
"Why would he want to be there for that?" Conner asked, baffled. "It's not like he'll be helpful or anything."
"I care more about how the Justice League is doing on the mission they didn't invite us on," Artemis huffed. With a click she changed the TV onto GBS news and they all got a marvelous shot of Superman and Wonder Woman taking down one of the last machines. Everyone sighed.
"We even missed most of the on-screen action," Artemis muttered.
"But we were doing a movie night," M'gann protested. "We see fights all the time. Movie nights are just once a…"
M'gann's voice trailed away as someone began shouting in the background of the GBS studio. The image being shown changed abrudlty. For a moment, the team in the studio seemed to have trouble with it – for it took several long seconds for the projected image to sharpen. By the time it was in focus, Conner had leapt to his feet, Artemis was cursing, and M'gann's hands had flown to her mouth in shock.
The image was of a lights from Gotham City apartments casting a hazy illumination on a figure that had been stripped of everything but his pants and his cloak. He hung from his wrists from a thin metal railing, his feet swinging over thin air with every blow that was dealt to him by a madman with clown makeup and green hair wielding a long pipe.
"ROBIN!"
"NO!" Wally screamed. He was on his feet, his third or fourth bag of chips flying through the air. He was in his room, changing. He was running as fast as he could to the theta tube. His parents were probably shouting at him but he was already gone. No, no, no…I have to get to Gotham City. I have to get there in time.
Because the Justice League would have no idea until the fight was over. And by then…no, don't think about that. Theta tube. The authentication for travel had never taken so long.
"Gotham city!" Kid Flash screamed. Kid Flash begged. The yellow flash and then he was the flash, racing through the streets of Gotham. Skidding to a stop on the streets of Gotham.
"Where the hell am I going?!" he yelled to the sky.
A black car slammed on its breaks and a grey-haired old man poked his head out of the window. "Fourth and J Street!" Alfred cried. He, too, had seen the image on the television set in Wayne Manor, as he laid out a dinner for Master Wayne and Young Master Richard, knowing that it would most likely be cold by the time they got back. Now all he wanted was for Dick to make it back, no matter how late. "Fourth and J! Fourth and J!" His third shout fell on empty air for Kid Flash was already gone.
"Bio-ship!" Conner and M'gann cried as Artemis yelled, "Theta tubes."
They all looked at each other, "You crazy!" Artemis spluttered. "Theta is faster!"
"We don't know where in Gotham that is!" Conner shouted back, pointing at the screen. The Joker was yelling something about Gotham, something about Batman, something about a stupid kid who thought he was the most wonderful thing in the universe.
"The bio-ship can find Robin," M'gann added, tripping over her own words.
"FINE!" Artemis snapped. And then they were all running, Artemis grabbing a green hoodie from the couch and thanking god or the universe or karma or whatever that she at least had the sense to keep a mask in her damn quiver because she sure as hell wasn't taking the time to change. And that she kept her quiver and bow with her at all times when she was visiting the cave because it would have been idiotic if she didn't.
The bio-ship seemed to sense their panic – it probably does, Artemis though wildly – and it practically leapt into the door and flew faster than Artemis thought it could.
"M'gann!" Artemis yelled. "Mind link! Mind link! Mind link!"
"Oh, right!" Miss Martian concentrated and Artemis felt the familiar pressure of other minds sneaking into hers. But only two minds. A shiver went down Artemis' spine. No, no, no…we're going to make it. We're going to make it.
Superboy was fumbling with a hand-held screen and managed to turn it to GBS's channel. We're looking for the tallest skyscraper or something! he thought hard.
Right. Miss Martian gritted her teeth as she relayed the commands to the ship.
Suddenly, Superboy let out a yell, his eyes fixed to the screen as if it were a lifeline.
What?! demanded Artemis.
And then she saw what he saw, it flashed through her mind and she felt her knees go weak and her heart pound painfully fast.
"HURRY!" she yelled at Miss Martian, at the bio-ship, and most importantly to the yellow blur that appeared and knocked the GBS camera to the ground, shattering it into pieces and taking with it their image of what was happening. But Kid Flash had to get there because they weren't going to make it.
The Joker had taken a welder to the iron railing that was Robin's only link to safety. One end was already severed…
"Oopsy-daisy!" The Joker sang out as the fire from the welder missed the iron completely and instead found flesh. Robin howled in pain, sweat and blood running down his face, his hands. It glistened in the glow of thousands of lights being turned on in thousands of windows as the owners in the apartments gasped and screamed at the sight of the Boy Wonder being beaten by The Joker.
"I can't wait until Batman finds you," said The Joker in a sing-song voice. "At least," and the madness changed into something much colder, much crueler. "Until he finds your body."
The blue flame cut through the final side of the railing.
For a moment, Robin was suspended in mid-air. He tried to flip his body, to bring himself around in a famous Batman-and-Robin move. To land on the roof and knock The Joker to the ground. To be triumphant like a hero was supposed to be.
But his battered, burned, and bleeding body was too sluggish and he fell into the darkness below.
The image of his parents falling to their deaths, of the trapeze coming undone, of that stupid, wonderful act without a net. Of his mother's eyes as she fell…
Bruce Wayne buying a basketball hoop and calling it 'training for hand-eye coordination.'
The Team. His team. His friends…
I don't want to die.
But it was too late. Just too late. Robin gritted his teeth and prepared to feel the cold, unforgiving ground below.
Only to feel a sudden wrenching pain in his wrists.
Robin cried out in pain as bones dislocated, but Kid Flash couldn't care less.
I did it, I caught him…I caught him…His heart was still pounding painfully fast and the uneven surface of the metal bar had left deep, bleeding grooves in his hand but Kid Flash had lunged forward and caught the bar to which Robin was still chained.
Above them, The Joker shouted in anger, saying something about how "little boys shouldn't touch things that aren't theirs" but Kid Flash didn't care.
The broken glass from the window he had shattered when he saw Robin hurtling past crunched under Kid Flash's feet as he hauled his friend inside.
Robin was breathing hard, his breath coming out in strangled little gasps that made his entire body shake. He was still bleeding and a terrible bruise was blossoming on his chest, and there were burns on one arm, but he was alive.
"Robin," Kid Flash took the younger boy by both shoulders and fought the urge to shake him. "Robin, say something."
Robin opened his mouth, something witty sparking to life in those blue eyes, but then it was gone. All he managed was a dry sob, and Kid Flash found himself hugging Robin to his chest while the younger boy fought to control himself. Oh god, he's so young, Kid Flash found himself thinking. Robin was shaking like a leaf, hot tears mixing with his blood and soaking into Kid Flash's uniform.
Except he didn't feel like Kid Flash. And he didn't think Robin felt like Robin.
They were just Wally and Dick. And they'd been terrified.
"How sweeeeeeet."
Robin stiffened in Kid Flash's arms and Kid instinctively tightened his grip on the smaller figure. The Joker walked slowly into the room, hitting his pipe against every available surface with relish. The harsh clang of metal on metal, metal on concrete, was terrible.
"You're ruining my fun, little boy, little speedster," The Joker taunted. "But, if you leave, I might even let you live."
"Go," Robin's voice was so low that Kid Flash thought he'd imagined it.
"Shut up," Kid Flash hissed.
The Joker thought he was talking to him. "So rude." He tutted. Actually tutted, it sounded so stupid. "Naughty, naughty…"
"I can't fight," Robin insisted in that same strained whisper.
Wally just looked down at him with an angry glare. Dick was still trembling, but it was more sporadic. He's going into shock, Kid Flash realized with a sinking feeling. I have to get him out of here. Suddenly, he heard a shout that wasn't really a shout. And he knew what he needed to do.
"What exactly were you planning on doing?" The Joker taunted.
Kid Flash glared at the evil villain and stood, picking up Robin like a child in his arms. Robin made a noise of protest that turned almost instantly into gasp of pain. The blood was pouring faster and the bruise was getting ugly. Broken ribs, guessed Kid Flash. Then, holy shit, he's so light. His best friend was always loud, annoying, brilliant and demanding. He'd never realized that Robin was this small.
"Do you think you're going to run past me?" The Joker continued. "I am the worst villain The Batman has ever faced! I am the scourge of Gotham! The ultimate test!"
"You're actually crazy, aren't you?" Kid Flash asked. Keep him talking, keep him talking. "I always thought it was an act but you're actually insane." Taking slow step backwards to the broken window, trying not to make too much noise or call too much attention to himself.
"Crazy? Crazy?" The Joker threw back his head and laughed and then was serious again. The hand that didn't have a pipe in it suddenly had a gun. "Of course I'm crazy. Only a crazy person would dare to rid Batman of his prize, hmmm?" He licked his lips almost hungrily. "You're holding that prize, boy. My prize. Give it back." He pointed the gun.
"Make me!" Kid Flash yelled, and he jumped out the window.
The Joker yelled and the gun went off and Kid Flash felt something hot and fast rip through his uniform and leave a gash in his side.
But the bio-ship was there, camouflaged yet solid and safe. Kid Flash dropped to his knees and clung to it desperately with one hand while cradling Robin's body with the other. Too still. He's too still.
A window appeared in the shape-shifting ship and Artemis let loose arrow after arrow after arrow. Releasing them with pinpoint accuracy as she let loose a barrage of insults. Kid Flash had no idea if any of them hit because he'd been mind-linked with the rest of the Team and was only thinking…hospital! Leave the stupid maniac alone and get Rob to a hospital!
Bruce Wayne had been in Gotham General more times than he would like. But he had never strode down the halls of the hospital in his full gear, with his cape fluttering behind him in a melodramatic way because of how fast he was going. Robin would have laughed and said some witty quip.
But Robin wasn't at his side, he was still a floor above him. In surgery.
Batman cursed robots and Metropolis and how he had gotten there just too damn slow.
Batman practically burst out of the stairwell and found the young hero's gathered in the hall. One glance took in both Superboy's and Artemis' lack of costume (although Artemis had the good sense to wear a mask) and how Kid Flash was sitting right outside of the surgical suite with his legs pulled up to his chest, fingers drumming nervously on his knees. Blood from a flesh wound still stained his uniform, but the gash beneath had been bandaged.
"Batman!" Miss Martian cried, jumping to her feet.
"Status?" Batman barked.
"Um…surgery," Artemis replied for them all. Batman wanted to roll his eyes. Take both Kaldur and Robin out of the picture – and have Kid Flash obviously distracted – and they didn't seem to know what to do. Actually, Batman scowled even more heavily. I really don't like that thought. Artemis, Superboy, and Miss Martian were all talented but too raw and too new. But that was a problem for a different day.
Batman turned to the nurse that was running up and barked again, "Status?"
"Three broken ribs, two bruised ribs, dislocated wrists, second degrees burns on one arm, and multiple cuts and bruises," she rattled off like a professional. "But sir, I really must insist that you and your…aw…young partners wait in the waiting room like everyon-"
"Why is he in surgery?" Batman bulldozed over her words.
"At least one of the broken ribs punctured his lungs, we needed to drain the blood," the nurse continued. "Sir, I really mus-"
"When can I move him?" Batman asked.
"Sir?"
"When can I move him?" Batman repeated, his jaw was clenched so tight he thought he might break something.
"Sir," the nurse was about half his size and she still managed to look angry. "We gave him a blood transfusion. He's in surgery. He has to spend the night. I'm sorry-"
"I need to move him," Batman insisted.
"You can't!" the nurse insisted stubbornly. She blinked, looking very surprised with herself. Kid Flash's mouth dropped open in shock. The other three young hero's looked from Batman to the nurse with wide eyes.
Batman closed his eyes and counted to three before saying with as much patience as he could muster, "Ma'am, The Joker is still out here. If Robin stays here, he is not the only one in danger. He puts every man, woman, and child in this hospital in danger. Do you understand?" The last few words came out sharply and the nurse flinched a bit, but stood her ground.
"If that maniac gets into the hospital…" Batman let his voice trail off ominously.
The nurse's shoulders drooped and she nodded. "Once he's out of recovery, if you're careful…"
"I will be," Batman promised.
"And he'll need an IV," the nurse added.
Batman nodded and turned to face The Team. The nurse huffed in annoyance but left, recognizing dismissal when she saw it.
"I need you to patrol outside of the hospital," Batman told Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis. "If you even think you see The Joker, come get me. Understood?" The three teenagers nodded and ran off.
He turned to Kid Flash.
Kid Flash stood and set his mouth stubbornly. "I'll stand guard here."
Batman nodded. "Yes."
Kid Flash looked surprised.
Side by side, Kid Flash and Batman guarded the doors of the surgical suite. Every doctor, nurse, and orderly who passed by them looked beyond surprised. But a hospital is always moving and they always shook their heads and kept going.
"KF," Batman whispered after several minutes.
Kid Flash started at the sound of Robin's nickname for him and looked at Batman.
Without looking, Batman said, "Thank you."
It was his room. His posters, his school books strewn on the desk, his sunglasses on the table next to the bed.
Although Dick Grayson was pretty sure that he'd never had an IV in his room before. Or a heart monitor. Or whatever the hell that beeping thing was.
Dick lifted himself onto his elbow gingerly, his ribs screaming and multiple half-healed scabs pulling uncomfortably. The casts on both of his wrists pressed against his pale skin. "Hello?" he called.
There was a blur with a strange red top and suddenly Wally was at his bedside.
"Hey," said Wally breathlessly. "How're you feeling?"
"What are you doing here?" Dick demanded, albeit weakly.
Wally shrugged. "I can be very stubborn. And since Lord Bat is off looking for The Joker…"
Dick's blood went cold and one of the monitors beeped in a worrying way.
"Hey, relax," said Wally. "He won't get past me…if he manages to get past the security in this freaking place. Rob, you live in a fortress."
Dick tried to smile, but his muscles seemed to have forgotten how to work.
Wally frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Robin?" he asked gently.
"I…I don't really feel like Robin right now," Dick whispered. "I thought…I really thought…"
"Don't worry," said Wally. "I got there in time. It's the whole Speedster thing."
Dick nodded, blinking back tears he was ashamed to let fall. But Wally pulled him into a hug and said, "You're still Robin. A bit beat up and you fell out of a nest or something but hey! You'll be fine." Wally leaned back and added, "Don't birds learn to fly by getting pushed out of their nests by their mothers anyway?"
And somehow, despite the fact that it made very little sense and the aching ribs and the tender wrists, Dick began to laugh.
UPDATE: Part II (of sorts) has just been posted! It is called "Saturn V" and features are very favorite Wally West. Thank you to everyone who has read and followed this story already. Please review with the name of the Young Justice member you would like to be in my next story :)