I'm back with chapter 2. I'm in a really good writing spree today. Yay! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for all the feedback.
Disclaimer. Nope, not mine. I was born a few decades too late to own Batman or Robin or anything DC.
Artemis p.o.v.
It had been four days, no one had seen or heard from Robin since the failed mission. We were all anticipating his return and explanation for what had happened. But on that day he finally returned to the cave he seemed to have forgotten all about it. At the very least he had no intention of talking about it.
When he first arrived through the zeta tube, the rest of us looked up from what we were doing to find the normal go-lucky ninja we were used to. He strolled right in with a "Hey guys. What's up?" and a smile.
"Hey Rob." Wally responded curiously. "You alright?"
"I'm great. Never been better. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. But…what about the other day? You, kind of, lost it."
"Wally!" I backhanded his chest and glared at him. I found it appalling that he would bring it up so nonchalantly.
Robin watched curiously. "What about it? Everything's cool. You're the one acting strange."
He said it in a way that suggested it didn't matter anymore, his teasing to Wally. But I noticed the slight tension in his frame. And though he had blown off the event with his words I could tell he was still thinking about it, but by the way his hands were stuffed in his sweatshirt pocket he didn't want to discuss it with us. Whatever had happened, whoever that thief was, it was very personal to him.
"Anyone want to come spar with me? Batman says Canary is going to be a little late for training today as she is on a mission with the Justice League. But doesn't mean we have to slack off." Robin offered.
He smiled and walked to the training pad and turned it on. The rest of us looked at each other. I shrugged, "Might as well." I said and joined him on the pad.
"What are you doing? You think you can make us fail a mission and then walk back in here like nothing happened? Without so much as an explanation?" Superboy growled.
Robin obviously visibly tensed this time. From my position next to him I could see him clench his teeth. He didn't want to go through this. "Conner I'm not sure getting angry is the right way to handle this." Kaldur advised.
"He threw a very important mission for us. For what? To catch one of the thieves who wasn't important. He…"
"Enough." Robin commanded strongly. "That was not my fault."
"Oh really? How do you figure that?"
"All of you were in the room with the case. You guys lost the case, not me. I didn't grab it when I had a chance, no. But at that point the case wasn't my mission anymore. That 'unimportant thief' was my mission as soon as I removed his mask and found out who he was."
Conner stood dumbfounded as Robin gave him a batglare. The rest of us stood in silence. M'gann opened her mouth to speak but was cut off as she had barely begun by the zeta tube announcing the arrival of Black Canary and Red Tornado. The Leaguers walked in and immediately noticed the tension in the room. "What's going on in here?" She asked calmly.
The two ebony's glared at each other a moment more before Robin responded, "Nothing."
He stepped off the pad and took his place with the rest of us to receive instructions from Black Canary. Conner didn't say anything but kept glaring.
Canary eyed them, clearly sensing the tension between them and had the two spar with each other. Though it ended up being far more of a brawl than she had anticipated. The two went at each other hard and she had to eventually separate them using force. "Both of you need to cool off!" She directed her attention to the two black haired boys. Then addressed the entire team. "Go hit the showers. Batman may have an assignment for you tonight. So be ready."
After their cooling off time we all met back in the common area in full costume. We spent an hour and a half eating snacks and watching TV before Batman came in. "Team to the mission room, now."
"Tonight is a recovery and combat mission."
"I thought we weren't supposed to do combat missions." Kid Flash said.
"Normally no. But you're being given a chance to make up for your failure on the last mission." Batman said apathetically, looking at none of us in particular. "We have received intel that the case is going to be leaving the country tonight and are giving you one more chance to retrieve it. If you fail the league will intervene. You'll be ambushing the gang in Boston harbor. Figure out your own plan, just get it back, no matter the cost. The league will be watching." He paused. "Any questions?"
Most of us looked around at each other. There was a lot at stake, we knew, and a lot to prove. The league would be watching and waiting to intervene, we couldn't fail this mission. Robin must have known this as well. I wanted to believe he would do anything to get the case back. "Is it the same gang as last time?" He asked.
"Yes Robin." His mentor didn't say anything else before he dismissed us.
As we climbed into the bioship he got a lot wary looks from the rest of us. None of us were sure how much we could depend on him this mission. Aqualad, as leader, brought the subject up after we took flight. "Robin, are you with us on this mission?" The boy wonder remained silent. "We need to know if you're going to help us or not. Because if you won't, you owe it to us to tell us now."
"I will do everything I can to help get that case back Kaldur." He promised.
"Does that include letting the Kakaraska get away if it means you can complete OUR mission?" Superboy asked, glaring at him.
Robin didn't say anything. He looked…distraught.
"Robin?" Superboy demanded.
We were all staring at him expectantly. "I…" he started but it was weakly. "I don't know Kon." He admitted louder.
It wasn't the answer any of us wanted, but it was the only one he could give. Whatever was going on, whoever that Kakaraska is, I suspected it was more difficult for Robin than any of us imagined.
Robins POV
The ship on which the case was being taken away was just below us. We were to drop down in covert pairs and split up across the ship to find the case. I was paired with Zatanna. We wandered through the halls, unsure where we were supposed to be as we didn't know where the case was being held. We turned a corner and crept down another of the seemingly endless halls.
We'd gotten about halfway down the hall when a door opened and voices were heard at the end of the hall. We ducked into the nearest room, there was a few guys in there but they were just ship crew men, so we dropped them swiftly. Whoever was outside was wandering slowly and noisily down the hall. It was 2 men. One was rather large, based on the footsteps.
After they'd passed the door we were behind a few steps I cracked it open. The two men were Albino and El Diablo, and in Albino's hand was the case! I pulled Zatanna over so she could see and pressed my lips to her ear, telling her in the lightest whisper to contact the others. We shared a brief whispered conversation that went like this.
Me- "Tell the team what's happening."
Her- "What are you going to do?"
Me- "Get the case."
Her- "Now? Open combat?"
Me- "It's the only way to get it off him. We don't have time to do anything else."
I dashed out into the hall as I heard her and the others communicating mentally. My first kick was so quiet and fast that El Diablo didn't know what hit him. He fell face first into the floor. As Albino spun around to see what had happened I met his face with my fist. I brought my foot to the back of his knee and sent him tumbling. El Diablo was already getting to his feet. I wrenched the case from Albino's hand and sent one last kick to his head to ensure he was unconscious, then took off down the hall. Zatanna ran with me, keeping the team updated as the huge red criminal followed us.
He followed us out onto the ships lower deck. Nyx and No name were out there, as was Baldy. Aqualad and Rocket came charging in from the other side. The ships alarms were going off by now and more of the gang began making their way onto the deck. Miss Martian and Superboy would be here any second and KF and Artemis soon after them.
Aqualad saw me with the case and nodded his appreciation, giving me a, "Well done Robin." Across the mind link. El Diablo was gaining on us. He jumped at me, his trajectory would land him a couple feet from me. I thought it would be enough to escape his grasp, until there was a sudden, halting tug on my throat and I was yanked backwards, losing my footing and crashing to the ground at his feet. The cape was such a liability at times. I unclasped it and made an attempt at escape. He stepped on me. I really wish people would stop doing that.
With me pinned he took the case back rather easily from my, at least in comparison to his, very tiny arms. He then picked me up by my throat. I barley had a chance to breathe between the foot on my chest and the chokehold. I couldn't breathe at all as he squeezed down harder on my neck. I kicked at him and tried to pry him off, but it was no use against the mountain of a man. My legs and arms were getting heavier and my mind foggier. Suddenly a very familiar voice I couldn't place in my state yelled, "Get off him!" and impacted him in the gut.
El Diablo was so surprised he dropped me in a heap at his feet. My hero attacked again, he took only a few well-placed and strong punches to the right places to bring the devil down.
Zatanna appeared at my side to drag me away from the fight as I coughed and caught my breath. I looked to the fight when I had recovered enough and was surprised to find that who I'd thought had been Superboy saving me was Kakaraska. He turned to me, no mask on, and was starting to ask me, "Are you…?" when behind him Temptress screeched, "YOU TRAITOR!" at him from where she had just entered with Snake.
"He… he just saved you!?" Zatanna noted.
My cousin looked back at me with wide eyes. With a short, "Keisavol." (Sorry) He ran off to the other side of the deck with temptress in pursuit. Snake picked up the case as I scrambled to my feet. I was about to take off towards my cousin when Aqualad's voice in my head ordered "Robin get the case."
I stopped and looked back to where Snake was escaping back into the maze of hallways. I knew I needed to go after him. This wasn't like last time where I'd been shocked into being only Dick Grayson, I was completely conscientious that I had a choice. I knew what the correct logical choice to be was. But it was harder to make myself do. Looking back at Jonny, I needed to get to him desperately. I tried to respond, "I can't" but it came as more of a, "But I-I" and a pathetic whine.
I knew how everyone would feel to that and the mind link was a disappointed silence for a moment. "Robin. Go and get the case and I promise we will do everything we can to catch Kakaraska." Kaldur begged me.
It was amazing, to know they'd help me with this. I really had no choice when he said it that way. But I knew they couldn't catch him, he shared a lot of the training I had. If he didn't want to be with me, which he apparently didn't then he was as good as gone. Still I turned and pursued Snake. Zatanna went with me.
We had to run down a few halls before we found him. Zatanna cast a spell to block off the rest of the corridor and force him to face us. When he sneered I noticed his canine teeth were filed to fine almost fang-like points. As we fought he was slippery, he could bend his body in almost any direction and kept himself well lathered in oil. Neither though could he get his hands on me, especially without the cape.
The two of us danced around each other trying for any opening but landing nothing. I'd punch, he'd contort. He'd punch, I'd flip. All we were really doing was wearing ourselves down. Zatanna is the one who broke the stalemate. She cast a trapping spell on him and he was stuck. Because no matter how slippery a person is (literally) they are still susceptible to magic.
I grabbed the case and knocked him out. Zatanna dragged the body along on a magic floating platform. As we walked back She must have noticed my mood. "What's wrong? We won, we got the case." She consoled.
"But I lost Kakaraska."
"The other's will get him." She said.
"Not if he doesn't want to be caught."
She put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. What's the story with him anyway?"
I hesitated, trying to come up with something. Before admitting the truth. She was my girlfriend after all and I hated lying to her. "He's my cousin."
She guffawed. "What?!"
"We grew up together, he was like my brother. But for the last five years I believed he was dead. Now he shows up and won't even talk to me." I was fighting tears now. I wasn't going to cry in front of my friends again. "He's the only family I really have left."
She didn't say anything else. She understood.
We got back to the deck, which was littered with the unconscious bodies of the criminal gang. We dropped Snake with the rest of them and made our way over to where the team was huddled. When they spotted us they parted. There among them, on his knees, hands pinned behind his back by Superboy, was Jonny. He looked at me with guilt and joy and fear and sadness. I stopped in my tracks. We looked at each other, I was mad and happy. I wanted to hug him and punch him. Before I could decide the others noticed the case. "You got the case." Superboy said surprised.
"And you guys got Kakaraksa." Zatanna said. She looked at me with an 'I-Told-You-So' look.
"Yes. Well done my friends." Aqualad smiled.
"Dude that is awesome!" KF screeched as he ran to greet me. When he got close instead of hugging me he got an arm full of case as I shoved it to him. I nearly tackled Jonny in a hug. He chuckled a "Hi Squirt."
My friends were all surprised, to say the least. And when I told Conner to let him go using Kon's name. He looked at me like I was crazy, but complied when Kaldur gave him a 'go-ahead-I-don't-know-what-is-going-on-listen-to-Robin' shrug.
Jonny immediately hugged me back. He studied my face. "Se caco tu?" (is it really you)
"Hai. Mina vero. Em zalil tu." (Yes. My cousin. I missed you.) So much for never crying in front of them again.
"Aj em. Squirt. Cirikl'ori, keisavol." (Me too.) (Little bird, I'm sorry)
"Domoliasarel." (Be quiet/Shut up) I said. "Em del nikako defekto tu keisavol. Em defekto solucijas. Kazom se tu zuvindo? Sosko than de te besel?" (I don't want apologies. I want answers. How are you alive? Where have you been?)
"Keisavol. Pinzarel em trubulimos boldel pe. Purme amaro familija se mudarimos, tu vazdinisavol barvalo manus. Em ci gindisavol tu trubulimos em." (I'm sorry. I know I should've come back. But, after our family was killed, you were adopted by a millionaire. I just didn't think you needed me.) He said.
"Sosko dilivanto se tu!? Sosko kobajagi se mina zivoto vopste maj mistimos bi tu vordal?" (What kind of stupid person are you!? In what way is my life at all better without you in it?)
"Cirikl'ori, tu nasti dicol. Em del pe tele ek bilaso drom. Em… Em ek dusmano." (little bird, you just don't understand. I went down a bad path. I'm… I'm a criminal.) he said. "Aj tu avel le cigno parno thagari pripadil Gotham. Ame manastil drom. " (And you became the little white prince of Gotham. We just aren't on the same path anymore.)
"Laso, boldel pe le drom." (Well then, get back on the path.)
"Nikako deke prosto" (it's not that simple)
I rolled his eyes beneath his mask and began to retaliate again but Jonny cut me off. "Tu se ek predimos vit'azo! Tu se Robin! Tu marimos zlocino sarsavo des, aj em dosavel le zlocino. Naj katkar viril ceri aj phuv tu vortakos vaj Batman se tromal em mukel purme em dosavel. Them cvetajil po pravda."(You are a superhero! You're Robin! You literally fight crime every day, and I commit crimes. There is no way in Heaven and Earth that your friends or Batman are going to just let me walk free after what I've done. They thrive off Justice!)
"Em nikako tromal tu durajvel ponevo!" (I'm not going to let you leave again!) I yelled. "Tu nikako durajvel em ponevo." (You can't leave me again.)
He looked at me with sorrow and pulled me into a tight embrace. He pressed his lips to my ear and whispered. "Em nikako durol ku tu." (I can't go with you.) he said. I punched him halfheartedly as I tried to keep from crying again. He wasn't worth it, I told myself. "Numa ,em dogovorilsavol pe po Gotham. Po neste des. Em nalazil pe tu." (But, I will meet you in Gotham. In a few days. I will find you.) He promised.
I looked at him surprised. He smirked. "Laos des, mina vero." (Goodbye, my cousin.)
He took off. Jumping off the ship and disappeared somewhere into the harbor. My friends quickly alerted themselves and began to take off after him. "Don't." I ordered. "Let him go."
They all looked at me increduosly. "We can't just let him go! He's a criminal." Looks like Superboy was back to being upset with me.
"Let him go." I repeated.
The other exchanged looks, I'd seen them do it a few times recently. I think they are worried about my sanity. I had been acting really out of character after all. Only Zatanna had the slightest understanding in her gaze.
The league showed up a few minutes later. They were overjoyed that we had gotten the case and congratulated us. None of my teammates said anything about Kakaraska to the Leaguers. Only Batman breached the subject. He spoke to me quietly. "Our last video footage of the team had you with the case and them with a captured Kakaraska. What happened?"
"Later. Em vestosarel po kheresko." (I'll tell you at home.)
