I hope everyone enjoys my VERY DARK AND DEPRESSING short story.
(I seriously think there is something wrong with me for conjuring up this beast filled with feels ・ω・)
Mechanisms and machines hard at work sounded all around them. The constant noise was slightly numbing, yet also very distracting.
Two figures stood very still in the room that was coated in darkness. But they were not the only ones who were present. However, they were the only ones who remained alive.
Four forms lay still on the cold, metal floor. Two young women, and two young men. One of the girls was very tan, had bright, almost strawberry coloured hair, and a vibrant purple uniform that strongly resembled that of a cheerleaders. The other girl was very pale, and had dark, purple hair with a long, dark cloak to match.
The third form on the floor was a man who was half man, half robot, with dark skin and very muscular. The other boy who lay next to him was green, and much smaller and leaner than the one beside him.
All of them lay lifeless on the floor. And the two figures who remained alive had opposite reactions to the teens who lay dead on the ground, their futures flickering into nothingness.
One of the people standing was filled with pleasure. He had killed the one thing that stood between him and his apprentice, and now, hopefully the young boy would cooperate. It may take some time and a slight push in the right direction, but he was sure he had just ensured himself a loyal protègè to pass his knowledge.
Or, at the very least, taken a major step to getting the teen to that point.
The other figure stood in shock. He had yet to comprehend what had just transpired in the lair of his greatest enemy. All he could do at the moment was stare at the lifeless bodies of his teammates, his friends, and try to understand that they were gone.
They would never laugh together again. Never fight together. Never hang out. Never have food fights. And never again would Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham, gaze into the eyes of the girl he loved more than anything.
He would never hear Beast Boy and Raven argue about some small action. Never help Cyborg fix the T-Car or their jet. Robin would never again feel Starfires hand in his, or her scent that seemed to be only her.
Then, as if a wave suddenly crashed into him, the ebony crumbled to the ground, landing on his knees in front of his friends. A tear escaped from his mask, and soon a sob wretched itself from his chest.
Slade took immense pleasure in watching his apprentice suffer in this way. He actually found it slightly curious. The mercenary had lost all of his empathy and care for others long ago, and he briefly wondered if he had reacted the same way when he first watched someone die. He could have, as Slade didn't remember feeble moments such as that, but he sincerely doubted that he cried.
While Slade watched Robin sob, the boys mind finally pieced it together that they were dead. And worst of all, he knew he could have done something to stop it.
He could have fought Slade harder. He could have sacraficed himself. He could have found an antidote during his time with the mercenary and given it to the Titans. At the very least, Robin could have warned his friends about the imminent danger they were in.
Instead of being the hero, all he did to save his friends was stand there, all but groveling at the feet of his nemesis, while one eye stared down at him in satisfaction.
But now they were gone, and he just stood there and watched it happen while he could have done something to prevent it. Just like when his parents were murdered.
He couldn't save them. And he couldn't save his friends either.
He was a hero, wasn't he? If that were true, then why do the people around him always end up dead? He was supposed to protect the public, but how can he do that if he can't even protect the ones closest to him?
Robins sobs became more violent, and he brought his hands to his face in a feeble attempt to hide his tears. His chest soon became heavy, both with the pain of crying and something more. It was almost like a emptiness overwhelmed him, and was weighing him down.
This feeling enveloped the ebony as he continued to break down, the man standing mere yards away becoming slightly annoyed with his seemingly endless sobbing. But he was a patient man, and would wait until the boy was at least coherent before he spoke a word.
And after what felt like hours of just sitting there, grieving his lost friends, Robin finally calmed down, even if he was still crying silently. His eyes were bloodshot behind his mask and his tears left a clearly visible track down his face.
Then, as if Slade finally decided that his apprentice had enough time to grieve, the one eyed man strode over to Robin in confidence.
Once fully behind the young boy at his feet, he simply gazed down at him with a analytical glance. He needed to plan his words carefully. The mercenary needed to have the right affect on Robin, and if he uttered a single word that was out of place, he would lose that advantage.
With a slight nod that only the most vigilant could notice, he decided how to act. Placing what he thought to be a comforting hand on the boys shoulder, he began to speak.
"You knew that this would happen, Robin. I warned you, yet you did not listen. Take this as a lesson."
Slade slowly walked around Robin, as a predator would prey. Stopping in front of him, the man knelt down and gently placed two of his fingers under the boys chin, lifting it so they would be facing each other.
Robin uncovered his face at this action, and looked into the eye of the man who he despised. But now, he felt fear and anxiousness overwhelm him as he gazed into the man's single eye.
"Remember this day, Robin. And never forget what happened here, as the same thing will happen to your other loved ones if you ever disobey me again."
With this, he swiftly stood up and paced over to the four dead teens on the floor. Facing away from the grieving boy he looked at the corpses in satisfaction and amusement. Amusement from the thought that the Teen Titans had a fleeting hope that they could have actually defeated him. Satisfaction at the thought he just got rid of four annoying bugs at once, while also gaining himself an apprentice.
"Go and rest now, apprentice. I have work to do, and soon, so will you."
Numbly, without thinking, Robin got up from his position on the floor and followed Slade's order. Normally, Robin would rebute or grumble in protest, but he was just too exhausted. It seemed that with the death of his friends, he was currently just an empty shell. He didn't find any drive to rebel against the man who ruined his life, but instead felt compelled to listen to him.
Robin immediately thought that he had finally succumbed to Slade. Which, in a way, was true.
As Robin walked out of the room, he could almost physically feel his fight draining from him. He no longer felt as if he needed to go against what Slade said, and a large part of him agreed with this.
The fire inside of the bird had been doused, and only a miracle would be able to spark it once again.
Three weeks later
~~~ Gotham ~~~
Gunshots echoed around the alleyway as three men scuffled in the dark of the night. The shots and other noises went seemingly unnoticed, however, as the whole street seemed to be deserted. The only sounds that were heard was the occasional chirp of a passing pigeon, passing cars near the heart of the city, and the shouts of the men.
One of the men let another shot loose, but the thing he was shooting at dodged it with ease. And in one swift motion, the man who shot at the figure cloaked in darkness was on the ground, unconscious.
The other man, armed with only a switchblade, trembled in his shoes as his eyes darted along the dark alleyway. He was well aware that his accomplaice was knocked down at his feet, and knew it was only a matter of time before he joined his friend. But, alas, he was quite stubborn, and wanted to put up a good fight before he was inevitably sent to prison.
He did not get this chance. Before the man could blink, the large figure was right behind him, and with one well aimed punch in the head, he was slumped on the ground with his friend.
The Dark Knight leered over the two criminals in silence for a moment before putting them both in handcuffs and alerting the police of their whereabouts. He then picked up the bag that the first man had dropped, which he deserted in an attempt to lose the Bat, and looked at its contents.
Inside was a multitude of jewelry from earings, necklaces, and rings. Most were merely store-bought, cheap pieces, but some were actually high priced and diamond encrusted.
Grunting, he walked past the two goons while dropped the plain paper bag infront of them.
Hearing police sirens in the distance getting increasingly louder, he made his way to his vehicle and slipped inside with ease. Revving the engine, he took off in the opposite direction of the police sirens, completely disregarding any possible speed laws this side of the city might have.
As he speed into a seemingly random direction, he checked the time. 4:43. Almost time to stop patrolling.
With this thought, Batman reached to one of the buttons on the Bat-mobile, and gently pressed it. The screen in the center of the vehicle filled with static, but was quickly replaced with a picture of an old man. Behind him was a dark cave, and many other vehicles, which were all also bat themed.
"You have anything else, Alfred?" Batman asked his loyal butler. The British man shook his head slightly in reply.
"No, nothing, sir. It was a quiet night for crime, was it not?"
The bat grunted in reply, which the butler translated to a 'yes'.
"Were those two theives any trouble?" Alfred asked, trying to carry on some kind of conversation to gently ease into the matter he wanted to speak about.
"Not at all. Petty thieves who just needed some more money." was the man's only reply as he took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway.
"That is good sir, very good." Alfreds attenpt at a conversation quickly failed, and Batman noticed that the older man almost seemed anxious. Nervous, if possible.
Under his cowl, Batman rose an eyebrow.
"What is it Alfred?" he asked, knowing he did not need to explain what he meant to him. The two always had a special bond, and they always seemed to know what each other meant without even asking.
Just like someone else Batman previously knew.
Alfred cleared his throat before replying.
"Well, it would be better if I show you when you arrive back at the Manor." was the reply, which made Batman even more suspicious.
Alfred was known to be cryptic, but when he was worried about something, he always told it straight forward. It slightly worried Bruce that whatever his butler had to tell him, he insisted he be shown himself.
"Alright, be back there soon."
Shutting off the video feed, Batman speed through Gotham and back towards his home. And, ignoring most speed limitations, the trip home was less than ten minutes.
Steamrolling to an entrance to his cave, Batman pressed a button and an opening appeared, just large enough for any and all of the Dark Knights various toys.
The already dark sky disappeared, and was replaced by the almost welcoming shadows of the Batcaves interior. Darkness, after all, was the Batman's element, and it would almost be ridiculous if he did not live in some sort of underground fortress.
But, even still, nothing could compare to the manor that lay above the cave. Wayne Manor, to be precise.
As it approached the base of the fortress, the Batmobile gradually decelerated, coming to a stop perfectly next to the Batwing.
Climbing out of the vehicle, Batman made his way over to his faithful butler. But as he strode closer, a wave of unease and nervousness spilled over him, almost making him stop in his tracks. It had been a shock to feel such powerful emotions. Especially bad ones.
He had always thought of himself as a rather emotionless person, after all. And even though he acted as the playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne for the public, that was merely just that. An act. Bruce had rarely ever felt those kinds of emotions in his day to day life, and especially when he was going out as Batman.
Being a hero meant blocking out most emotion, anyway, which was why he was one of the best out there. Even if his methods could be controversial.
That was why the sudden change startled him. Batman hadn't felt anything like that for months, maybe even a year.
Ever since he didn't have a partner to worry about anymore.
This thought pulled the Bat out of his stupor, and he continued down to the main room where Alfred would be waiting, once again emotionless.
As he neared, Bruce saw the light from the Batcomputer shine throughout the cave. Alfred stood rigid in front of it, looking at what seemed to be a newspaper article. And as Batman approached the startled old man, he read the title of the article, and he stopped in his tracks.
It read 'Four Dead, One Missing', which, normally, wouldn't be that big of a deal. Those things happened all the time in Gotham and it's neighboring cities. But this newspaper was published on the other side of the country.
The paper had come from Jump City, and as far as Batman knew, murders were almost as uncommon as meteors there.
And Batman also knew that this city was the one his protègè had relocated to, starting his own team, The Teen Titans.
His worry growing, he slowly made his way to be all the way in front of the screen. No words were exchanged between the men as Bruce read the article on the front page.
This morning, four teens were found dead in an alleyway near the esteemed Wayne Enterprises. There was no evidence to suggest murder, or any sort of foul play at hand. After a thorough police investigation, the bodies were confirmed to be belonging to the resident heroes of Jump City; Raven, Beastboy, Starfire, and Cyborg, four members of the Teen Titans. All of the city mourns the loss of four such young heroes, but one question remains; where is their leader? There is no trace of Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham. Authorities have tried every method they have of contacting the Gothamite, but all have led to a dead end. As he has not been seen in over forty-eight hours, he has been confirmed missing, and any citizens that have seen him are to report to the JCPD immediately. With any luck, Robin will be found safe and sound. Jump City will forever remember the Titans that fought so hard to protect us, and we can only hope that the Boy Wonder has not met the same horrific fate of his teammates, who's lives were mysteriously cut short. Investigation is still being taken place on how exactly the four teens passed, but there has been nothing found as of now. All of Jump prays for the safe return of Robin, and until he is found, either deceased or alive, we can only rely on luck to protect us from the horrors of the world.
The picture that accompanied the text was of the Teen Titans. They all looked happy, even Raven, who was known for showing little to no emotion.
Batmans fists tightened as his gaze locked on the teen standing in the middle, looking proud to be surrounded by his friends and teammates. It was the most recent picture he had seen of Robin, and he was almost suprised to see him smile. Even if it was only a shadow of one.
A growing anger rose inside of the man as he read over the article once more. He knew that Alfred could sense him getting even more agitated, but he didn't care. All he knew was that his bird had gone missing.
And it was all his fault.
The last time he saw Robin was when he was storming out of the cave, steam practically blowing out of his ears in rage. Only hours before, the ebony had been shot in the shoulder in a confrontation with The Joker. Batman then made a decision that he knew Dick would disapprove of, and most likely refuse. Yet he still did it, wanting to protect him from this life.
But by doing so, Bruce had unwittingly led Robin into even more danger.
He had 'fired' his protègè, thinking it would prevent him from getting in any more trouble. Robin was infuriated immediately by this development, and proceeded to run away, eventually forming the Teen Titans.
Batman couldn't shake the thought that he did this. Whatever had happened, or whatever was happening, was all because of him.
If only he kept his mouth shut. Robin had worse injuries before, so why did a simple bullet to the shoulder make the Dark Knight finally go over the edge? Maybe it was because Joker was the one who fired it, or he was just being too overprotective.
Whatever the case, Batman knew he had to right his wrongs. Hopefully that time wouldn't come too late.
Hopefully, Robin would be perfectly fine as Batman appolagized for what he said.
Even though this is what he hoped would happen, he knew that there was a more likely chance he might never get to say these words.
He may never get to say it to a boy who isn't in the hospital for months or dead.
Whatever happens to his little bird, would be all his fault. And the guilt of that may be too much for even Batman to bare.
"There is good, and there is evil
There are those who commit crime, and those who stop them
These two sides are opposite
As different as night and day
And the line between them is clear
Or at least it's supposed to be"
~Robin
