Controlled
Chapter 2:
The brothers sped down the streets of Gotham following the tracking signals hooked up to Nightwing's motorcycle. As Dick was facing the road and looking down at the screen on his bike, Tim was looking on the rooftops where you can almost always find their brother, Jason.
After about 10 minutes of searching for Red Hood, the familiar face of Batman had popped up on the screen of Nightwing's motorcycle.
"A police report had just come in from a robbery by the Fine China shop near the old Theater. Check and see if you can find any source of Jason." Said Bruce.
"Roger that, Boss!" Nightwing said trying to lighten up the mood. Bruce sighed.
"Why are you so upbeat all the time?"
"Well, I know YOU'RE not the one who will be, so I guess it's my job…" Dick retorted. Batman shook his head and let out a deep breath again. With that, the screen went back to the digital map of Gotham.
"Hmm…" Nightwing wondered.
"What?" asked the young Robin.
"The tracking device says Jason should be right here…but Bruce said he was down at the Fine China store…" before Dick could say anymore, Robin was already grappling up to the roof top to try to find this mystery.
"You go down to the Fine China store…I'll look around here!" Tim called to his older brother. Nightwing nodded and started his bike up again to ride off. Before he could hit the gas pedal, he heard Robin yell. Without hesitating another second, Nightwing had dropped his bike to the ground and grappled up to the roof top.
"ROBIN!" Nightwing yelled. No one responded. He scanned the roof top and the roof tops around. He looked behind every nook and cranny on the top of the roof: Robin was nowhere to be found. Dick's heart started to race. What would happen when Bruce found out? How will he take it? All the possibilities of Batman's reaction had gone through Nightwing's mind. None of the reactions he had in his head were positive. Still, he had to tell Bruce. He opened up the talking device he had in his wristband and contacted the Manor.
"Batman…"
"What happened?!" Bruce asked not wanting to wait any longer for an answer.
"It's Robin…he…he disappeared…" Dick said, trying to be as sympathetic as he could. There was no answer coming from the other end of the line.
"Batman? You there?" Dick tried verifying; Still no answer. Then his speaker had gotten disconnected.
Bruce had crushed the phone as his head was bowed down. Tears started to form in his eyes as he thought more and more of what had happened before to his last Robin. Bruce's mind could not function any more. He broke his mug full of tea by crushing it with his bare hand. He tipped over his computer chair and proceeded to walk straight forward. He punched in the code numbers to his costume and slipped it on and headed towards the bat mobile. He silently sobbed as he hopped in his bat mobile and took off. he sped to the Fine China store to see what was there. As he hopped out of the bat mobile, Commissioner Gordon was already there and without saying anything, he handed Batman the note that was found in the store as evidence. He skimmed the page capturing the main parts of the note. he dropped the note to the ground and headed back to his car.
"HEY! Wait! What's going on?" the commissioner asked all at once. Batman said nothing but just turned his bat mobile around and sped up. The commissioner looked down at the note and crouched down as best as his old legs could to reach for the note. He read every word.
'You're late for your very important date, Batman! Maybe you should answer my riddle: If a raven is like a writing desk, how is a Robin like a bat? You do not know? Well, then prepare to feel the way I felt when you took my Alice away from me!
-M'
The Caped Crusader soared down the street. His body filled with rage and hope at the same time as it formed inside him as a tornado. He pulled his car to a sudden stop, hopped out and grappled up to the roof top where his bike was nearby. There was no sign of either Tim or Dick. Batman had gotten down on his hands and knees and began to form tears from his eyes as he had his head to the floor. As he continued his quiet sobbing, laughter emitted from behind the chimney. The laughter got louder as did the footsteps walking towards him. The Batman stopped his silent weeping and picked his head up as slow as he could.
"Well! Looks like someone has lost their head!" the Hatter began. He began to laugh once again. Not noticing the Dark Knight getting up, the next thing the Mad Hatter had felt was his air being blocked off from the giant hand crushing his throat against the wall of the chimney.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Batman spat with rage. The Hatter's face began to turn a reddish purple. He still continued to laugh hysterically.
"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Batman said through his teeth.
"Now, Batman, don't worry, why don't you just sit back and have some tea?" The batman's grip tightened around the Hatter's neck. He began to turn a lavender color in the face.
"Now, settle down, Batman, they are closer that you think…" with that, he had hit a button, and out of nowhere, Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood all appeared. The Batman loosened his grip around Hatter's neck and his heart was beating faster as he saw his 3 sons standing there.