The Bird and the Tarantula

Author's Note: A BIG thanks/shoutout/hug/brofist to each person who left a comment. The feedback was amazing and such a motivator. Thanks to those who pointed out some errors. I was able to go back and patch up. I did more combing this time but I'm still looking for a Beta because my brain will always gloss over errors, gah.

Again, no official pairings in the story. I try to keep everyone IC but this is my story and I can only do my best to predict how they'd react. I know I can't make everyone happy but hopefully you'll find some entertainment out of it!

If I notice questions by anonymous reviewers, I'll address them in an author's note. "What's up with the tarantula", for instance...well, I can't say just yet lol You can guess who the "bird" is though so you can assume the tarantula represents something too, as corny as that sounds.

Updates should come relatively frequent. I aim for within 2 weeks but the feedback really pumped me up this time around!

Thanks in advance for reading and putting up with the author's notes.

Warnings: None in this chapter.

-2-…Report…-2-

No one could heat water hot enough to bypass his flesh and bone, and rinse out his muddled thoughts. At the least, the shower heads at HQ had multiple settings so Robin could submerge into a strong gush of wet pellets, which he almost always did. It was his favorite and he had been more than excited the first time he showered at headquarters. Of course the Wayne manor could afford any shower setting it wanted so Robin had felt spoiled by it. But now, even here, he could hear the pattering roar around him as the water did what it did best to pummel his muscles into goo.

Their showers were stationed like grand locker rooms with stalls, side by side, for more privacy and an area with showerheads that was more public should anyone prefer it. Both sections were lined with bath supplies atop shelves. Robin decided for the public space, wanting to stretch out his back and limbs at the same time. The domino masked stayed on but it didn't give him discomfort. Being in a confined space sometimes made it more difficult to evaluate his thoughts anyway.

Kaldur had told him and the others to settle in more comfortably, saying that it would serve them best to report and discuss when everyone's body was less influenced by the adrenaline. Even if Kaldur rode the same rush, Robin did give him credit for keeping a collected demeanor. Guess that was partly why they had agreed to give him the title as leader.

So, though with some reluctance, Robin hit the showers. He hadn't seen KF when he had arrived. Megan had been waiting for Artemis so they could shower in the girl's bathroom stalls, side by side. Ever since two weeks ago, the Martian had insisted she saw a ghost in there; it was KF's fault for having insisted the night before that they watch a horror film. Now, she tried to take her showers when Artemis did to spare herself some grief. Robin didn't know if Megan really needed showers as a Martian but he found it amusing nonetheless.

Superboy had stomped off, probably to the training room to punch out what frustration he couldn't put on their attackers. Robin understood, having been victim to the same feeling a few times on his own missions with Batman. Robin took the chance of being the only one in the shower to groan, pressing against his side. His fingers danced along his ribs and the pressure hurt but told him nothing was broken. He remembered the sudden crush of Superboy's foot on his chest when they first found the boy at Cadmus. That was far more painful than this.

"Anything busted?"

Wally's voice echoed faintly. From the angle, Robin made out the grin despite the steam. When Wally was close enough, he saw him only sporting a towel over his arm.

"Nothing some pizza can't make better," Robin teased, instantly satisfied when Wally's face drooped.

"Tomorrow, I promise. I'll make it up. Remember, we keep our promises," the redhead laughed, dumping the towel on a bench before he stepped into the floor of the showers. Being two years older, Robin wasn't surprised that Wally was taller and packing a bigger build. Running smoothed out Wally's body to structure something lean. Extensive training beyond that though had pumped Wally's body with extra muscle but without stripping him of his overall slimmer look.

"Hm. In that case, I may like an expensive lunch," Robin said, reaching up for the shampoo, taking in the full extent of damage Wally received in one look. The older boy's back and arms looked smooth, any trace of a bruise gone. Overall his body was barely bothered by scars, no doubt a result of his super-healing, and Robin didn't detect the scratches he had seen earlier.

The redhead took the spot beside Robin, a smile lingering from his laugh but less so than his usual one. Robin didn't notice Wally taking in his smaller body, using his speed as an advantage to steal a look and memorize Robin's new injuries. Unlike his own, he knew of and sometimes saw the raised strips of skin where old wounds stayed on Robin. Very few were new scars, probably a testament to Robin's training.

Wally swallowed, staring at the settings as he picked a less intense one than Robin's. He felt his heart clench at the sight he had taken in. He was comfortable around Robin but occasionally, he would suddenly remember that Batman's protégé was only thirteen and had been exposed to the filthiest corners of Gotham prior to puberty. It was a thought that had bothered him periodically when they had first met. "Dick," he started, his voice low.

Robin pressed his thumb into Wally's bruised shoulder, earning him a hiss. He had applied enough pressure to cut the 'Dick' in half and turn it into a whine.

"The hell, man?" Wally grumbled, inspecting the area, "Sheesh, sorry. Didn't mean to say it."

Glancing away, Robin continued to lather his hands up with the shampoo. He had guessed Wally wanted to talk and despite what behavior suggested otherwise, Wally was smart. He knew the redhead had come to talk to him purposely in the shower, where the sound of the water would swallow their conversation. Hopefully, it would be enough even if Superboy strained to listen. Maybe.

"I know, I know," Wally added, even though Robin wasn't making to speak, "Sorry. Listen, is something…bothering you?"

Robin scrubbed at his scalp, eyes on a tile.

"Rob, come one, dude. Talk to me."

"If you're trying to sound like Batman, work on it."

Wally made a sound between a chuckle and a snort. "I knew it. I'm kind of proud I noticed it," he said under the squirt of what Robin guessed to be the body soap being squeezed to death by Wally.

Finally looking at Wally again, Robin arched a brow under his mask and stopped scraping at his hair. "Notice what?"

Wally wasn't looking at him, eyes unfocused in the manner most people had when washing their body. "Well, more like felt it. I got a weird feeling. Not about you, I mean. Not that you're weird. I mean…I had a funny feeling in my…stomach," Wally trailed off, grumbling more at his ramble.

Laughing, Robin decided to avert his gaze, debating on what he should say. Normally, his nose would be stuck in his hologram, giving him the luxury of avoiding eye contact. Making eye-contact did little to unnerve him but there were only a select that could unravel any lie ("stretching the truth" was more like it) that Robin told. The first two were Batman and Alfred. The first was obvious, the billionaire's mind working like a computer file could click on your file and bring up even the most irrelevant information. To Batman, everything had relevance. The second, Alfred, was just as bad, maybe worse. The older man gave a polite air that served to conceal the extent of his brilliance, which usually slipped out in not only wise comments but subtle ones that told Robin the butler knew exactly what mischief Robin had been up to in Wayne's manor.

Then, there was Wally. Innately gifted with intelligence and the speed to process it, Robin knew Wally had often taken his slightest gestures to mean something. Now, he focused on mimicking Kaldur's behavior, doing little to betray a boy simply washing up.

"Just a dream," he decided on. He was disappointed briefly that the admission didn't make him feel any less bothered.

"A dream? What kind? Like a nightmare?"

Robin rinsed his hands and shrugged a shoulder, studying the patterns on the wall. "I can't actually remember it but…"

"It still bothers you," Wally finished. With Robin avoiding eye contact, he seized the chance to take in any changes. The other boy's back was slightly hunched forward, the water hitting his chest only. He took in the purple blotches forming along his side and curling around his chest. It wasn't a small injury but even Wally had his share of rib injuries and he had been reminded of their existence whenever he had tried to breathe. Lucky he had quick recovery abilities where as Robin endured every blow with the endurance of a human body—trained, but still very much human.

"Guess you can say that. It's nothing though."

Wally scoffed and reached out, fingering the suds on Robin's head. "If it bugs you, it bugs you, right?"

"Hey! What the heck are you doing?"

Too quick, Wally retracted his hands and grinned at his artwork. "You look good with ice-cream hair. You should go as that for Halloween, put your body in an ice cream cone!"

Robin's masked shifted, eyes wide beneath. He reached out and felt his hair. "Aren't you a comedic genius?" he couldn't help say in a laugh, mood lifting. Even if he were dying he was sure Wally could make him laugh.

"Well, I am a genius-hey!" Wally rubbed his face through the water to clear it off the suds Robin had flung at him. "So not fair. My eyes could have gone red."

Robin cackled, covering his mouth as he did so. "Least you have the speed to get over it quickly."

"Doesn't make it hurt less," Wally growled, blinking rapidly. "My eyes must look like that guy's now."

A flash of the irritated eye brought upon a frustrated sound from Robin. He hurried to rinse his hair, more for the excuse to rub at something aggressively. Wally's comment reminded him that he hadn't been quick enough to scan the eye. It could have served as a vital clue.

"It's something to think about. It may be allergies…or not," he said, silently grateful that Wally was here. As much as he kept to himself, talking aloud had always been a distinct habit of his that separated him from his mentor. Bruce managed to calculate answers in the silence while Robin opted to thread his notes through verbalizing them when he had the chance.

Wally stopped rubbing his eyes. "You said something earlier…"

"I say a lot of 'somethings'."

"You know, sometimes I'm surprised Batman puts up with you."

"It's part of my charm," Robin protested, smirking.

Rolling his eyes, Wally continued washing. "What I was saying…"

"Before I rudely interrupted-Ow, sheesh, alright," Robin grumbled, covering the bruise Wally had just poked none too gentle.

"Thank you. I meant about what the guy said to you."

Being a speedster did not mean you forgot things as quickly as you noticed them. Robin sucked it up. "He said that he wasn't here for 'you' yet."

"Huh? Me?"

"He literally said 'you'."

Wally stopped moving, save for his face scrunching up. "That…sounds bad," he finally said, looking away. "After you?"

"I think he meant the team, Wally."

"I don't like that," Wally whispered, but Robin knew he hadn't listened to his clarification. In a blur, the redhead finished washing up, turned off the shower heads, and snatched up his towel. He never pressed Robin for information, knowing he was expected to give information as much as he received it. But still, sometimes he wished he could suck in all the information in the world, especially on his closest friend, without the repercussions.

Robin thought the boy was going to make another remark about the comment. Instead though, Wally dried off and said, "Man, I hope things don't get too crazy. I have to big group projects already to work on."

"Well, I could help but then you wouldn't learn the value of teamwork," Robin said, preferring this topic over the other.

Wally planted his hands on toweled hips and stuck out his tongue. "Look who's talking. Hurry up, slowpoke. We got a report to do."

-2-2-2-

Though not lightweight, Robin did feel different when the team regrouped. It could have come from the hot shower, the talk with Wally, or a combination of those and other things he hadn't yet identified. The others looked more refreshed in some form, their eyes still stricken with tonight's events, in their own respective way. He himself had pulled off his mask and settled for civvies and the trademark glasses.

Kladur had been prepared for them with the giant screen displaying images similar to the ones Robin had pulled up on his hologram. "Considering the two masks had symbols of currency, I knew the opponent we fought must have been the same," he began, tapping a key so an 'R' came into view, "This letter is also the symbol for the South African currency."

The team nodded, allowing Kaldur to continue. "Furthermore, based on their weapons, I pulled up what I could on companies, both private and public, that have access to such technological supplies," he paused before adding gently, "You can imagine how long the list is."

"Not surprising," Robin sighed, tilting his head at the screen, "There are multiple ways to make such things. What about clothing?"

Robin took the silence as enough of an answer.

"Their skills were trained though," Artemis said, "They were capable of deflecting some of my arrows."

"Focused, too," Megan reminded. "I couldn't really get a reading on their thoughts."

"Agile, pretty fast if they really are humans," Wally put in as he looked to their leader.

Kaldur acknowledged their input with a nod. "In other words, someone we should be cautious of."

Robin fiddled with a flash drive he pocketed (he usually carried one with a spare of gloves), humming in thought. "The guys that attacked only had painted faces though, right?" he asked, watching the others nod, "So the ones who came to take them back had the masks with the markings. "

He approached the screen without hearing protests. He slipped on a pair of black gloves and trailed his fingertips over the keys. In the background, he heard Miss Martian ask, "Were you able to find anything so far on such…people?"

"Not that I could link," Kaldur admitted, leaning closer to Robin to watch his work, "It could be a new threat."

"Like we don't have enough villains," Wally remarked, shrugging.

"But, if they're new, why would they target…" Megan trailed off, her head ducked, unsure how to finish the statement.

Robin hunched over the keys, snorting at the little data he retrieved. "The packages," he finished for her, "I'm guessing they knew something about them. After all, our guy went after the building eventually."

"What's that?" Superboy asked, closing in on Robin. Robin allowed him to lean close, figuring the boy was curious to how the system worked under Robin's touch.

Passing Superboy a grin, Robin said, "Data on what villains I considered to have the closest MO to what we saw."

"Meaning, almost nothing," Kaldur sighed, studying the same information.

"Maybe we should have reported this to the League right away?" Megan inquired, cautious.

Artemis scoffed and shook her head. "This is our own thing, isn't it?"

"She's right," Superboy was quick to growl, frowning to the others, "We can't be babied by them."

"But," Kaldur added, "We'll report to Red Tornado. Perhaps there will be additional information he can provide. We have only their attire, weapons, and abilities as clues. It's not much, but it's all we have."

Robin let the conversation linger over their heads. Despite Kaldur's sentiment, he pressed on, digging through files rapidly. He saw the unknown as nothing more than being locked; it existed, there, but required a code that he was capable of cracking with enough diligence. It was a habit ingrained since his youngest years that would later be stimulated by Batman, Monarch of the Meticulous.

"Gah, come on. There's gotta be something," he muttered, eyes narrowing behind his shades. Had they been as common as any other pair, his eyes would have been sore by now. He pulled back, tapping his lips.

Wally studied Robin, tempted to put a hand on the boy's shoulder to coax him, for ten minutes, out of something electronic. He chewed over what Robin had told him in confidence, knowing it was influencing his urges to pull their hacker away. As much as he admired Robin for his skills and took plenty of amusement from them (hacking had its perks), he knew there was no off-switch to Robin. Even during the times they had hung out, Robin swallowed details as if he was a computer himself, storing it for later use if need be.

Thankfully, he didn't have to react. Robin turned to face them. "I'll keep checking things out," he said, closing whatever filed he had accessed.

Kaldur nodded. "Let us know if you do find anything. I'll report to Red Tornado meanwhile."

Robin glanced to Wally, meeting a look he knew was coming. He scratched his head, wishing he had Wally's speed to process his thoughts. "There is something else," he admitted, crossing his arms and addressing his teammates.

He noted the deep frown on Superboy's face, Artemis' quirked eyebrow, Kaldur's calm eyes, and Megan's tilted head. Wally's body weight shifted to another hip in a manner that said he was less tense now. Robin repressed smirking.

So easy to make him happy. "The one I fought. I think he might have foreshadowed attacking again."

"He said that?" Megan asked, her eyes wide.

Robin shrugged a shoulder. "Not in those words exactly but he seemed interested in showing up again. It's something to keep aware of," he suggested, hoping no one would demand the word for word transcription.

"I see," Kaldur said first, looking to the ground, searching for clues. "I had a suspicion they would show up again. New threats don't just go away."

"Then we'll crush them next time," Superboy said, eyes narrowing.

"We'll do our best to stop them but it would be best if we could find out more," Kaldur advised, nodding to Robin. "Let us know right away if you find something. Hopefully, we can discuss this more tomorrow."

Robin brought two fingers to his temple and casually saluted his leader.

Megan sighed and smiled at Robin. "You know, if you're going to be up late, I could make something to eat."

"I'm sure Wally here will eat anything I leave behind if you did. But no thanks. Maybe another time," Robin jerked his thumb to the redhead. He had been feeling Wally's periodic gaze on him, heavier than usual. He took a moment to thank Batman for being the stiff he was. It was only through extensive observation of that particular brick wall that Robin had developed his sharp attention.

"We'll talk more tomorrow. Everyone, get some rest for now."

Robin was first to move, turning in the direction of the hallway where his room was. A gust of air and a blur told him Wally went ahead and his suspicions were confirmed when he found Wally waiting by his door.

"We can do sleep over another night, Wally," Robin chuckled, unlocking his room with a code. Each door had a panel but Robin put extra touches to his own.

"Something about this feels weird," Wally grumbled, leaning against the doorway. He took in Robin's room, finding nothing indicative that the boy had a life outside of late nights, hacking, and tights.

Robin shrugged off his jacket and said, "It's good to trust your gut. Korean."

"Huh?"

Robin glanced back. "You owe me food."

Wally blinked and his smile returned. "Oh, Korean food. I know a place. What time?"

"After training in the morning."

"Provided we don't get attacked, huh?"

"That too."

Wally nodded, watching Robin pull out a laptop from the drawer in the nightstand. How many did the boy own? "Alright, then…tomorrow."

"Night, Wally." Robin crawled into bed and pried the laptop open after discarding his gloves.

Wally was still taking up the space of his doorway.

"Um…Wally?" Robin arched both eyebrows.

Wally seemed to be fixated on Robin's window, the skin around his mouth and eyes wrinkling. "Er…If you, you know, have weird sleep, you could just text me or something."

"Oh…"

"Just sayin'."

Robin knew his face must have gone too lax because his lips were parted. He shook his head and licked his lips, returning to the awakening screen. The suggestion tickled his brain, leaving him to contemplate over the scenario of him waking the other boy up over a nightmare. It was downright childish.

Even with that, Robin said, "I…might take you up on that offer."

"It's what I do," Wally said, waving it off. "But I'll request some food in return too."

Robin nodded, his smile for Wally directed at his work. "Deal. Night, Wally."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite."

-2-2-2-

Over an hour invested and nothing. Robin shifted his glasses and rubbed at his face, groaning. He had just stopped filing through another database and now waited for the green bar to load. After it finished, a window sprung up and Batman's cowl settled onto his screen.

"Hey," Robin said. He couldn't resist the gentle pull on his lips at seeing the hero without others present. He pulled the laptop closer to his crossed legs after putting his glasses back on.

"What happened."

Naturally. "Why do you think something happened?" Robin asked, just because he could.

Batman's image didn't shift an iota. "Robin," was all he said, in almost the same tone. Robin knew it was faintly lower though, layered with what he now called the 'parental unit voice'. It would have had a more profound effect if Batman could have said his real name. The last two letters in his name offered a sharp sound that Bruce used to his advantage on multiple occasions.

"I wanted to say hi," Robin insisted.

Though Bruce wasn't physically in the room, Robin still felt the weight of the Batman's silence piling on. His room felt flooded by it. "It's nothing big," the boy muttered, taking out the drive. He hooked it in, quickly granted the access he needed. He pushed Batman to the side so he could work alongside.

"You didn't tell anyone about the building," Batman said.

Robin chuckled. "Red Tornado told you already about the mission. Were you expecting me to tell them?"

"I trust you when we're working together but you're in a new setting."

Sighing, Robin stilled his fingers. "I didn't tell them because you didn't mention it."

"I see. I'm having the parts examined more thoroughly."

Robin began to frown. "Advanced stuff?"

"Perhaps," Batman said.

Robin's skin broke into wrinkles, face in subtle concentration as he continued working. He didn't press Batman, knowing that it must have been an ambiguous situation. If Batman didn't have his boot in the ground enough on a situation, rarely did he offer information.

He considered discussing the mission right then and there but Batman spoke first. "Something happened on the mission," he observed. He hadn't moved and Robin wondered how long Batman could stand, unmoving, maybe even unblinking.

"Attacked," Robin said, feeling silly for doing so. After all, Batman must have gotten the report from Red Tornado already. "Can't pinpoint who they are. New threat, maybe."

"The report suggested they weren't rogues."

"Not street ones anyway," Robin shook his head, "Trained. Then they vanished with another group."

"And?"

Robin almost paused again, eyebrow twitching under the shades. It was no doubt Batman detected he did it. "Said something weird," he finally admitted, but through a grumble. He knew Batman was waiting for the details Robin hadn't supplied his team.

Leaning back, Robin shrugged. "He said 'I'm not here for you yet'."

At last, Batman shifted. It would have gone unnoticed to most but Robin saw it, having been especially keen on seeing his response. What part of Bruce's face was exposed budged in a manner that suggested Batman had pressed his teeth together firmly.

As amusing it was to see Batman affected by any news, Robin understood it was a restrained sign of Batman's…something. Irritation, anger, frustration, something that wasn't good.

"I don't know what it means but it was nothing, I'm sure," Robin was quick to add. Even though he said it, he himself wouldn't forget the statement. "At worst, it means they were planning to attack us again."

Batman didn't look any less soothed, as if he ever did. "Seriously, Batman," Robin started, keeping his fingers busy again as he hunched over the keyboard, "What kind of comment is that? He was probably referring to something else. Or heck, even joking. You know how some bad guys like to do that."

He pushed as much logic into his speech as he could. Though he didn't feel much beyond perplexity over the comment, he didn't want Batman another excuse to pull him out from the team and stay busy as the Dynamic Duo for a while.

"The Joker carries through with his jokes," Batman revealed.

"Okay, well, that's not what I meant. Batman, please, do anything weird. We can handle it. We're our own team now." Robin fixed his eyes on Batman, tempted to tug off his glasses and enhance his puppy voice with his bright set of eyes.

As a treat, he got more silence. The thickness of it lifted and Batman's jaw slackened though, telling Robin he was contemplating. It was better than a flat out rejection.

"I promise if anything new develops like that, I'll let you know."

Silence. Then, in less than half a minute, "Before the other League members."

Robin felt his smile stretch. "Promise. You'll be the first to know, even faster than Flash can run."

"Don't exaggerate."

His victor didn't ebb but Robin toned down his smile. He could hear the tone in Batman's voice alter just enough to dare Robin to forget the promise. "Thanks."

"Hm."

"Batman?"

"…"

"When you get the analysis of the equipment, fill me in? They seemed after the items too so there could be something there."

"You're a covert organization."

"Please? With a lemon cake made by Alfred on top?"

Batman's face grew smaller as he pulled away from the screen, attention in another direction. Robin heard the pattering of keys and a soft beep. "It will take a couple days," Batman said.

Another tug pulled Robin's smile but this time, in a more appreciative gesture. It wasn't a full-out promise but it was enough to boost his mood. "Thanks."

"Go to sleep."

"I will. Tell him I say hi too," Robin requested, suddenly missing Alfred's warm before-bed delights and the soft crinkle in his eyes, which were reserved for Robin when the boy would ask for seconds.

"…I will."

"G'night," Robin said. He thought he saw Batman's line-for-lips twitch.

"Sleep well, Robin."

-2-2-2-

Robin grunted as he snatched onto a traffic light in much need of maintenance. He swung from the arch where its street lights hung, using the momentum to flip onto it. Careful, he stood, using the center of each foot to stay balanced while he scanned his computer again.

That night, nothing obscure had abused his dreams. His sleep had broken two hours in though due to a shrill of…something. It sounded too far yet at the same time, continued in the back of his mind. Its persistence forced him out of bed and put his skills to the test. And he had found an odd wavelength not too far.

"Superboy," Robin called out, having waited until the clone landed from his latest jump. The boy faced him, standing on a nearby rooftop. It had been his luck that on his way out, Superboy had noticed him accidentally. Superboy had been kept awake by his own restlessness and not any sound. Now Robin found himself followed by the boy who was eager to blow off his own restless night with some action.

"I hear it now," Superboy said back, looking ahead. He hadn't heard the sound Robin insisted on earlier on and it had taken him a couple tries to even pull out the information from the acrobat. Now he believed the boy more, noticing the conspicuous sound under the sigh of the factory's smoke, coming in intervals from where it was ahead.

Robin grinned. Maybe it wasn't so bad having a super-hearing hero go on a stroll with him. He wondered what device would allow him to hear it but not Superboy until they were much closer. The sound in his own head had grown quieter, almost nonexistent but he was sure it was still there. It did little to interfere with his movements so he dashed down the pole and jumped at the last moment, using the grappling gun to hoist him up to Superboy's level.

Superboy nodded and hurried along, sweeping the air in long arches. The ugly shine of the factory colors illuminated Superboy's silhouette easily enough, allowing Robin to sprint, jump, and spin across obstacles without losing sight of him.

His final leap had him land on a ledge where a long wire as thick as his arm connected. Superboy was on the other ledge where the vine finished. He looked confused, looking at Robin as if waiting for a sign on what to do.

"Do you see anything?" Robin asked, dashing over the wire, using his arms to regain balance twice.

"In there, I think," Superboy said, pointing to one of the few cylinders not producing smoke. Robin looked up, seeing what looked to be its thin circumference. He figured why Superboy wasn't trying to balance himself on it.

"Let's see," Robin said, opening his hologram again. "I think you're right. It's a weird signal I'm getting. I'm not even sure I can say what it is still."

"Can…others pinpoint its location?"

"They'd need advanced knowledge and equipment to do it though," Robin said. He hooked the grappling gun to the top and heaved over the edge. "Yikes," he hissed, settling one foot behind the other as if balancing on the wire. He avoided thinking about the resemblance, focusing on the inner sides of the tube. At the very bottom he could barely make out the floor of the factory interior.

On the opposite side though, he saw a flat, gray object stuck. "I see it, I think," he called to the boy.

"Should I punch through it?"

"No! I'll, um…get it." Robin scooted closer and obtained a batarang. He slammed it inside, serving as a place holder for him to dangle from. "You keep an eye out. Tell me what you see."

He slid off the edge and clung to the batarang, reaching out for the gray object. He could feel his sore ribs shifting in protest to the reach. Outside, he could hear Superboy saying, "Pretty empty. I see very few workers inside. I can't see anyone else though. No houses nearby."

"Good," Robin encouraged, stretching his free hand and snatching his goal. He dragged himself up and sat on the edge, legs dangling. "Whoa."

Superboy craned his head up. "What is it?"

"This thing is…intense," Robin whispered, bringing the object closer. He noted the microchips and a few dots of colors blinking rapidly. "I gotta check this out."

He brought up his hologram and the next time he glanced at it, the lights were flashing more rapidly and its quiet hum escalated to a familiar wail. "Oh, crap," he cried out, tossing the object high into the air where it detonated within seconds.

On instinct, Robin shot his cape over his face, protecting it from the heat and debris but the force of the blast flung him off his perch.

"Robin!" Superboy yelled. He changed positions and soared up, pulling Robin's body out of the air, into his arms.

Grunting, Robin wiggled in the grip, watching the small explosion eat up any evidence he had. "Damn," he groaned, fists clenching. He nodded his thanks to Superboy, preparing for their rough landing. The single leap Superboy took to catch him had them land on another section of the factory's rooftop.

"That was a disaster," Superboy said, staring in the same direction. "You okay?"

"Disconcerted," Robin said, jumping out of the boy's large arms.

Superboy turned his head in various directions, squinting. "I still don't see anyone."

"The signal's gone," added Robin, tapping at the screen above his glove. The ring of the explosion still swam in his head but the high-pitched tone the device was making had vanished.

"What was that?"

Robin scowled. "I didn't even get to check it out..."

"Did someone blow it up?"

"Could have been going haywire. It could have been a bomb but it didn't look like one from what I saw. Maybe," he said and scratched at his head.

"Who would want to blow up the factory?"

"Disgruntled former worker?" Robin offered, pulling his face out of the screen. The silence passed over them, interrupted by what workers were on the graveyard shift. They came out, heading toward the area where they heard the soft boom. Robin knew their search for clues or debris would be as pointless as his own searching.

Superboy spoke first as they watched from afar. "Our team…might be not so gruntled either," he said cautiously, testing Robin's affinity for words on his own tongue. "Do you think any of them heard it too?"

"I didn't exactly make it a point to look for them. Probably were resting anyway." Robin stuck a pin on that note, remembering Kaldur's speech about working as a team. This wouldn't settle all that well with the other members he figured.

Robin patted the other boy's back, proud for dissecting the word. He sighed and crossed his arms, wondering how they would explain the random encounter to their teammates without getting any backlash.

"It's been a busy night," Superboy murmured, "Earlier tonight and now this. No answers. We're like…um, heads of chickens."

Robin turned to leave. He chuckled as Superboy followed, correcting the clone with, "I think you mean chickens with their heads cut off."

"Oh."

"But, if we don't get answers soon, we might as well be chicken heads."

-2-…TBC…-2-

I apologize for the longer length. I didn't want to cut short Robin's inner story with Wally and the report.

About the 'puppy voice', I was thinking of when Robin spoke to Batman at the end of the Cadmus episode, trying to convince him to let him and the other kiddies to work together.

Thanks again for reading :)