FudoTwin17: Hey, guys.
Dog # 1: She has three announcements to make.
FudoTwin17: Yeah. The first is that our dear beloved Goldfish has passed. He was seven years old. *starts sobbing*
Cat: And she didn't let me eat him.
FudoTwin17: *glaring* And the second announcement is that Fighter1357 has aged. Happy belated birthday Fighter! Now, all my little evil review bunnies, go attack her page with happiness and joy and rainbows. :D Also, it is her fault you got your chapter so early.
Cat: So you probably don't want to wait to get to the chapter. She doesn't own Young Justice.
FudoTwin17: I asked my dad to buy me it, but he said no. TT Anyway, the third announcement is HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!
Chapter 3
"Robin." A faint voice whispered in the back of his mind. He didn't want to get up. He felt so . . . tired. And it was nice being in the dark. Nothing too bright that his eyes had to adjust to. It was so nice.
"Robin!" The voice repeated, louder this time. He didn't want to get up, though. Just stay in the dark. It was comforting. He was tempted to tell this unknown voice-person to go away. He wanted to be left alone.
"ROBIN!" The voice yelled. It was then that everything came flooding back. Bryan slamming him against the wall, Barbara worried about him missing lunch, the mission, Slade. Sudden anger flared up inside him. Slade mocking him, laughing at him, talking about his past-
His eyes flashed open, sitting up a bit too quickly to hit something-someone.
"Ow!" Wally complained, rubbing his forehead.
He blinked. "Wa-Kid Flash?" As his hand rubbed his forehead, his eyes flashed around him to see the rest of the team standing around him, relieved expressions on their faces. He sat up again, the pain in his head hitting him full-force, not that he'd let it show on his face. His teammates were worried enough. "What happened?"
Megan knelt down next to him. "Well, the machine that we were sent to destroy-we couldn't destroy it. No matter what we did, it survived. Then, I tried to fry it with my telekinesis and apparently did exactly what was needed to set it off. After that, there was a blinding white light and we were here. We all woke about ten minutes ago, but you didn't wake." She bit her lip. Then, in her moment of silence, her lips parted in shock and she exclaimed, "Robin! You're hurt!"
Robin cursed under his breath, knowing very well that Superboy could still hear him, and felt the back of his head. Through his gloves, he could very well feel the slippery crimson substance. It didn't exactly shock him. He pursed his lips, sitting up and getting something from the third pouch on the left of his belt. As he pulled out gauze and wrapped his head, he looked around.
They were in an alley and it looked to be a bit late, maybe ten. As his eyes flashed around, he realized something was amiss. He stood a little more quickly than he should've, but he waved the dizziness off, staring around.
"We're not in Jump anymore." He stated, eyes flashing.
"Where are we then?" Artemis asked, trying to keep the concern out of her voice.
"Gotham, crime alley." He replied.
The team all showed some sign of shock in a bit too obvious of a manner, but Robin wasn't looking at them. His eyes were trained on a small movement at the end of the alley. His eyes narrowed. As the team discussed their position, Robin watched that small movement until he saw what he had already suspected. He let out a small, unnoticeable sigh of relief.
Batman stood there a bit away from Robin. His relief was instantly replaced by worry. "Guys, we've got company.
In a moment, the team had assembled around Robin, watching Batman and waiting for him to say something. Batman stood there analyzing them. Then he spoke very distinctly, "Who are you and why are you in my city?"
Robin could feel the shock radiating off of his team. His eyes narrowed. His mind was fuzzy and hurt. Batman denning knowing him only made him feel worse. He stepped forward, arms where Batman could see he was no threat. Beneath the cape, Robin still noticed the older man reach into his utility belt. He pursed his lips, "Batman, don't you recognize me?"
Batman's eyes narrowed behind the mask. "And why would I?"
Behind him, Robin could hear the collective gasp of most of his teammates. As well as his shock, he could feel theirs.
Then something clicked. Slade was talking about- "Batman, what's the date?"
He noticed the Dark Knight staring at him for a moment before deciding to tell. Robin's eyes widened. It was the day that his family died, well, except for his uncle, but he was paralyzed and put in a coma. If it really were ten, though-
He turned back to his team, almost ignoring Batman's presence to the older man's shock. "Guys, we were sent in time. And we achieved Slade's goal for him."
"What?" Kaldur asked, concern and shock finally giving way as his eyes wandered between a shockingly startled Batman and a perfectly aware Robin.
"We've been sent into the past. The traumatic event has occurred and, if we've been in here for at least ten minutes that we've probably been being watched by Batman in, then he wasn't where he was supposed to be." He continued through his teammate's horror and the obvious confusion of the Dark Knight. "Because he wasn't there, we don't know what will happen in these this new timeline." The boy's eyes narrowed for a second as they watched him, waiting for his decision. He had just opened his mouth when his eyes widened and he grasped his head in obvious pain.
Then Batman was in a fighting position. "Where did your leader go?"
Megan blinked, looking at Robin, who had let go of his head, yet still heard a ringing noise in his ears, and was looking back at Batman in confusion. "I'm right here."
Batman showed no sign of hearing his young partner. He even seemed to be looking through him. "I said where did your leader go?" He repeated in a heated growl.
The team looked at Batman before Kid Flash spoke. "Can't you see him?"
Robin looked at them, stunned, but only slightly. "Well, I don't think we can do much here at the moment. We should figure out how this is going to change my timeline. Besides, it won't be until a year later when time machines are actually used by the Justice League."
Megan's eyes flashed to Batman before she reinstalled their mental link. How do we ditch Batman?
Wally nodded, pretending that Batman's incredulous stare wasn't on him, calculating and cold. Well, Bats isn't going to just let us go.
Okay. They could all see Robin's quick thinking as he came up with a plan. Although Aqualad was usually the leader, this time there was no argument about who could best figure out what to do. You guys have got to go. Do it sneaky and fast. Leave little trace, because, if you do, he will find you. Go two blocks from your left. I'll distract him.
Artemis looked at him, confused. How? You can't fight him!
Everyone except Batman, who looked as if he were starting to gain some knowledge on the situation, watched as Robin moved to the side of the alley and touched the wall. I can't be seen, but I can still touch. Although Batman is Batman, I'm invisible, he's younger and doesn't expect a fight from my disappearance and your reluctance to fight, and he doesn't know my fighting style. Behind the mask, his eyes flashed at them seriously. Go, now!
Unhappily, they all nodded. Although Conner just walked away, none of them were pursued. This was mainly due to Batman's . . . inability to concentrate on them.
As soon as the Martian girl had disappeared, Batman felt a strong blow to his chest. He tried to punch his pursuer, but instead he was pushed forward with a well-aimed kick to the back of his neck. To his surprise, though, it was at the one place that anyone with a costume like the boy's could tell was well protected. He had spun around with a kick only to have his other foot knocked out from below him. As soon as he hit the ground, it seemed to be over.
Batman blinked. It was a distraction.
Yet, somehow, he had a bad feeling about the kids in those uniforms. Of all places, they were in Gotham? If they were trying to play hero, then he knew things would go bad.
And something about that boy, the leader. He looked a bit younger, but . . . there was something about him. He was . . . experienced. Batman pursed his lips. He knew what he was doing that night.
. . .
When Robin joined the team, they weren't even paying attention. Their eyes were on the blaring lights. There were a few tents set up along with some other signs, posters, and tables. However, their eyes were on the ambulances and the police cars.
"Come on." Robin said quietly. "Lets go."
. . .
When they reached the area, they watched as a cart was wheeled out with a black carp over it. As another came out, two police officers with their hands on opposite shoulders of a boy slid out of the tent.
For some reason, no one looked at them. However, no one on the team could really care less.
To all but two of the team, it was a shock. The boy had messy, black hair and big blue eyes. He wore a vibrant green, red, and yellow sleeveless uniform that stuck to his body. However, his bare hands were covered in blood along with his pants. The boy's lips trembled and his eyes were red from crying.
"Well, since we were thrown into my timeline, I guess you know who I am." Robin stated, looking at the boy. "That's me, Richard John Grayson."
"What happened?" Aqualad asked, shock evident on his face.
"I was eight." Robin replied before thinking better of it. "Am eight, I guess. My parents, aunt, uncle, cousin, and I were part of an act called The Flying Graysons. We were the best acrobats in the world and the only ones who ever were able to do a quadruple-flip. Our act was sabotaged by a man named Tony Zucco, whom we refused to pay money to to avoid him vandalizing the circus." They watched as another body was wheeled out. "He sabotaged the act. We preformed without a net. I was about to jump when the wires broke, sending my family to the ground. I cried over them for a whole five minutes and fifty-seven seconds before the police even showed up."
The boy stared at a fourth one that seemed smaller. His lip trembled harder as a hand fell out from beneath the tarp.
Megan gasped at the boy. "Y-Your cousin?"
"Fourteen." He stated simply, keeping himself as uninvolved as possible.
The eight year old was pushed into the back of the patrol car roughly as one more body that was uncovered and wearing an oxygen mask was rushed out with a man yelling, "We've got a survivor!" He packed the man into the back of an ambulance. The little boy stared with hope as it rushed off the scene to a hospital, lights flashing.
Darkly, Robin looked toward the patrol car. "This can only get worse."
And then, everything seemed to melt together. All they could hear was the pounding of their hearts and the rush of their blood in their ears.
Robin was right. It could, and would, only get worse.
FudoTwin17: Well, that didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but oh well.
Cat: Okay then. It's time to go.
FudoTwin17: Yeah. Okay, folks! Have a good Birthday/Easter and I will try to update soon!
Dog # 1: Review. Bye.
