Chapter One
Three months ago...
The monotonous sounds of sirens which persistently echoed off every building in Gotham was instantly muted by the fierce roaring of the Batmobile as it tore up the streets of most hated parts of the rotting city.
Robin sat in the finely tuned Batmobile along side Batman in silence, in fact the entire journey from the apartment block had been that way, the same apartment blocks they suspected the fatally injured Nightwing was being detained, but they were too late to find the answers they were looking for.
Tim knew the silence wasn't from anger or even concern on Batman's part, the only thing that was going through Bruce's head right now was that instead of contacting the eagerly waiting Butler and fellow team mates of their expected success, he was to call and inform them of their failure, that the prodigal son would not be returning that night and seemingly not for any night in the near future.
Robin turned to face Batman in the first attempt to make eye contact since they entered the Batmobile fell flat, he himself could feel his muscles aching because of holding himself so tense, and nothing he could do or think of was going to relax him, Batman on the other hand look although you could fire a missile on him and he would be too hard to break, but he knew what he must do and so taking one long deep breath he mustered the courage to speak.
"You... think maybe I should ring the cave? Let them know... of the situation?" Robin attempted to sound sympathetic yet confident at the same time, but no matter how he was going to put it, Batman had just lost his son and has no idea where he had gone.
"No!" Batman flatly replied.
Robin turned away from him and looked down to concentrate on his blood stained gloves, the blood of whom he might as well call a brother.
"I think it would be a good idea Bruce, they are going to want any form of news, no matter how good or bad." He still spoke carefully as to not heighten Batman's already dangerous manner.
"I said no dammit!" Batman turned angrily at Robin but taking his eyes off the road for only that split second, but due to the speed it was travelling, that was all it needed to loose control.
"Batman! Watch out!" Robin shouted out as he took over the controls in a failed attempt to correct the Batmobile as it span uncontrollably, but soon realised it was impossible to correct and instead braced himself for impact as a wall quickly descended upon the pair.
The impact was tremendous as all that was left of the fortunately unoccupied building was rubble. With the Batmobile now dead silent and again the sounds of sirens filled the Gotham night once more.
Robin coughed, winded from the impact as he desperately clambered out of the rubble and attempted to get a breath of fresh air amongst all the debris, his head and ears pulsating from the force as he desperately tried to get hold of the situation through blurred vision as the smoke threatened to engulf him.
"Batman?" He nervously asked as he looked at the still character through blurred vision. "Batman!" He panicked once he saw the head injury and realised he was out cold."Alfred! Alfred its Robin... I-I need back-up... its Batman, he's hurt"