here i am with another oneshot...this idea wouldnt leave me alone and i got major lost while writing it so...here we go. robins about thirteen in this...no typo bitching, as always.

Gotham was silent.

That in itself had set the Dark Knight on edge. There was always some kind of noise in his city. Someone was always up and about.

Tonight, though...dead silence.

Batgirl kept casting him anxious, questioning looks. The gaze of her ice-blue eyes further irritated his nerves as he manuevered the Batmobile around the tight corners of The Narrows seemed to be full of. His massive hands held the steering wheel in a death grip as his mind raced. Robin...

They had been on patrol, just like any other night, He had gotten caught up with Commissioner Gordon, and Robin had insisted that he take downtown Gotham while Batgirl took up. He had argued against it at first, but as the clock ticked closer to midnight, he finally gave in with a stern warning--one that he doubted Robin had even listened to.

As it turned out, Gordon's reason for meeting with him was to alert him to that morning's escape of Arkham Asylum inmate Jonothan Crane. Fearing the worst, he had called first Batgirl, then Robin. But Richard's communicator was nothing but dead air.

His tires screeched to a halt in front of the appointed meeting place: the old asylum. It was boarded up and rotten now, the staff and patients moved to a much more suitable uptown location. Dread hung heavy in the air as he and Batgirl approached, kicking in the door. He saw no point in trying to be stealthy.

Darkness. It pressed in from every side as they entered what had been the reception hall. Dust was thick on everything, the reek of decay filtering through his nostrils. This only worsened the knot in his stomach. Robin had been in this place all night and all day.

Just when his eyes had begun to adjust, a light flared into existance to his right. High above them on the third level, Crane leaned against the railing, a smug smile contorting his gaunt, ghostly face. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get here."

Batman stiffened, his heart thundering in his chest as rage filled every vein. "Where is he?" he growled, eyes narrowed into viscious slits. If anything had happened to that boy...his morals would be shit, and this man would die in the most painful way he could manage.

"He put up a respectible fight, I'll give you that." He walked slowly, hands running along the dusty iron bar, shocking blue eyes never leaving Batman's face. "Much like you did, in the beginning."

Batman's jaw clenched as he remembered the night of Hell this man had subjected him to. Horrific realization began to sink in.

"But, just like you..." Every word was cold, hard, deliberate. "He lost the battle within his own mind. He was conquered by the demons that lie hidden in shadow, just like everyone else. Unfortunately, he had no one to call for help in his hour of need. The boy was so full of loneliness I could almost taste it."

A growl of fury split the air as Batgirl leapt forward, no doubt with every intention of ripping this man to shreds. Batman held her back with a firm hand, though he more than half wanted to join her. "If you don't produce my charge within the next ten seconds, I will not be responsible for my actions."

Crane was at the top of the staircase now, smirk still infuriatingly strong. He continued as though he hadn't heard this command. "Such fear...the boy drowned in it, consumed by it as though I had lit him on fire. It rendered him completely helpless with its power." He took the steps slowly, the sound echoing in the silence like a fading heartbeat. "I couldn't help but wonder how such terror could manifest itself in someone of his tender age."

Batman was up the stairs and slamming Crane against the wall before he had even registered his intention to. "WHERE IS HE?" he roared, crushing the man's thin body against the unforgiving surface. "WHERE IS ROBIN? TELL ME, OR SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY!"

The villain wheezed and choked as the air was slammed from his body, but then the wheeze became a breathless laugh. His eyes were full of the Devil's malice. "Your welcome to what's left of him, but you won't find Robin again. He has minutes, an hour at most, before he dies or becomes a ranting lunatic. The mind can only take so much, Batman. And don't bother trying to cure him. The poison has been in his bloodstream for over twenty four hours. No antidote could purge it." His breathing became harsh, his words coming out in a vindictive hiss. "You stole my life. Now you can begin to feel the same misery you so kindly bestowed upon me."

Shaking the man as though he were a ragdoll, Batman released his fury in a bonechilling growl. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"

Fast losing consciousness, Crane raised a shaking hand and pointed. Dropping him without a second thought, Batman spun on his heel and joined Batgirl in the heavily shadowed corner. Laid out on an old rusty bench was the Boy Wonder, but he had never fit the title less.

Cold. Ice seemed to fill his veins in the absence of blood as he knelt beside the boy who was so young and looked so old. Sickly yellow rings surrounded his unmasked eyes, feverishly glazed yet still so full of fear. His lips were tinged a light blue, as were his limp hands. He was drenched in cold sweat; beads of it rolled off his forehead into unblinking eyes--both clothes and hair were saturated with salt water. His body was exhausted, yet he still managed feeble movement, fighting off some imagined horror. A constant stream of unintelligable words parted his lips as he stared wide-eyed and unseeing at the face of his mentor.

"Son of a bitch..." It held more desperation than curse as he gathered Robin's dead weight into his arms, the boy's head lolling lifelessly. He had never seen anymore this far gone with Crane's poison... Even as he prepared himself to work with the utmost speed, doubt, or rather a horrible knowing had settled into his mind.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" Batgirl's voice was sharp and high-pitched as it only was when she was afraid to the point of panic. She all but pulled on his arm as they made their way back out of the hell-hole, her eyes flashing with fierce determination. With a fresh wave of guilt, he wondered if she could survive the worst.

The ride back to the Manor was break-neck and miserable. Batgirl sat with him, his head cradled in her arms, as their tension choked the air.

"Dead--all dead--can't--walls--dark, dark walls--blood walls--"

"Shhh," she whispered, smoothing his hair back and kissing his forehead. "It's ok, Dick. You're gonna be ok."

"Falling--"

It was barely more than a husky whisper now, but the words were all too clear to Batman. "Falling--blood, broken--broken walls--broken--falling--"

His eyes blurred ever so slightly as he pressed the gas pedal flat to the floor, fists tight on the wheel. Robin's voice was beginning to fade out now, despite Batgirl's unceasing encouragement. They were losing him.

In the years to come, Bruce Wayne would sometimes ask himself about that night. How had it all played out? How had he managed to hold himself together? The answers were locked away somewhere in his mind. All he knew was that it had been complete and utter agony.

"We have to do something. We can't just let him suffer like this!" Barbara's eyes were filled with rare tears as she gripped Richard's limp hand as though it was her life line. His body no longer shook, and the sweat had dried on ghostly white skin. His eyes fluttered, half mast if open at all. The restless shifting of his head (a weak and continuous 'no') and the wrinkle in his brow were the only explanations for the rapid heartbeat playing out on the machines. His body was literally wearing down with every second that ticked by, and Bruce was at a complete and terrifying loss.

"Master Wayne...Bruce." Alfred dispensed with formality as he gripped the younger man's shoulder tightly. "We have some of Fox's antidote."

Bruce shook his head, eyes never leaving his adopted son's face. "He's...he's too far gone." He rubbed his eyes roughly, ashamed of the break in his voice. "The poison has reached all his major arteries and organs...and even if I could save his body, his mind is..."

His voice trailed into silence as he rubbed his eyes again, for a different reason this time. "There's nothing I can do."

"Nonsense."

Bruce looked up, shocked at the old man's harsh tone.

"You were just as bad off as him, and I never once gave up on you. I knew you were stronger than that, and I kept trying." A fire lit his usually gentle eyes as he jerked a finger in Richard's direction. "That boy is just as strong as you were then. Now pull yourself together, and give him the faith that he deserves. The faith I have in you."

Bruce stared for seconds that felt like hours, his mind shocked as it always was by Alfred's tough love lectures. The truth of it was so undeniable that he felt a new hope surging in his veins as he looked once more at the heart-wrenching form of his son. Richard was strong. He could pull through this.

With a nod and a look that he knew Alfred would understand, Bruce abandoned hopelessness and took on the urgency of belief. "We're going to have to flood his system if we want to neutralize the poison. I'd say three injections into major arteries should move it through quickly."

Alfred was right by his side, handing him a syringe, gripping his arm when Richard's heartrate took a sudden and disturbing drop. It felt like an eternity, but in a matter of minutes the antidote was circulating in his bloodstream, and there was nothing left to do but wait, watch, and pray more earnestly than he had in years.

He would pull through this.

He had to pull through this...

The hours crawled by with no change in Richard's condition, unless it had gotten slightly worse. Bruce took to a restless pacing, keeping the boy in sight at all times and stopping every few minutes to check his vitals. He remained pale and motionless, sunken eyes now closed in unconsciousness.

Barbara had long since fallen asleep, her body weary from tears and fears. Her head rested gently on the bed, her hand still holding tightly to Richard's. A lump stuck in Bruce's throat as he watched them, his heart going out to the girl. Despite all his advice, they had gone and fallen for eachother. And honeslty, he didn't push the issue much. They needed eachother...and he knew what it must be like for the poor girl as she watched her soultmate slip away. So much misery...

Bruce didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he woke to Alfred gently shaking his shoulder. "Bruce...I think you better come look at this."
He was jerked from sleep instantly, fear clenching around his throat as he sprang to Richard's side, scanning the readout. His eyes widened. Heartrate: Normal. Blood Pressure: Normal. On and on down the list.

Relief flooded through him in a wave that left him weat at the knees as his gaze fell on the boy in the bed. There was color back in his cheeks, and his chest rose and fell steadily beneath the sheets. It would take some recovery, but he would be ok. Richard was back from Death's door.

As if sensing their eyes on him, Richard stirred in the bed, eyes slowly opening as a sigh filled and empties his lungs. A weak smile lit his face, and ironically, in that moment Bruce truly percieved the incredible power of will this orphaned circus boy really had.

"Did I miss something?" It was a croaky whisper, yet it still held some of Richard's good old dry humor.

"Good to have you back, Squirt." His voice was almost as husky as Richard's as he returned the smile, reaching out to rest a hand on his son's head. "You had me worried for a minute there."

Then Richard's eyes fell on Barbara's sleeping form... Bruce let out a quiet chuckle. "You had her a lot more worried than me. I would suggest flowers and chocolates."

A look of surprised gratitude shone in his son's eyes as he squeezed Barbara's hand, a gentle, sweet smile softening his features. With a small sigh, Bruce turned his back, contemplating a much needed cup of coffee. Richard was so much more like him than was healthy. The two of them could never have a real relationship...but that didn't stop the boy from loving her. How could he argue with that?
Alfred handed him the steaming hot mug, the harsh yet soothing smell of black coffee waking up his groggy mind. He took it with a grateful smile. "Aflred...thank you."

"Don't mention it." The man who was so much more than a butler patted his shoulder reassuringly. He knew it was not about the coffee.

It was the first of many such experiences. Maybe that was what made it seem so horrible.

Bruce had been forced to realize that Batman would put Richard at risk each and every day. He couldn't protect Robin all the time. His enemies would always be looking for the opportunity to hurt him through the ones he loved.

At first, it had made him want to restrict Richard, destroy Robin and lock his godson away where he could be watched at all times.

But that day had taught him something else. Richard was a survivor. He was a fighter. And he wanted this life, or was tied to it, just as much as his guardian.

And so they continued, Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo...

But sometimes, he still woke drenched in cold sweat, the image of Richard's blank, terror-filled eyes burned into his mind.

so there ya go. some catwoman references there...i brought babs back cuz you guys seemed to like name. this was gonna be a sad ending but i gotta say i like this one better. tired...must go. -dusty