"Do you think Rob is okay?" Wally asked as he turned over another rock in the Joker's old cell, glancing over to Superboy and Aqualad. Both of the men looked down to the floor neither sure of what to say.
"I am not sure what to think Wally," Aqualad mumbled as he walked to the walls of the cell looking to see if anything was written there.
"But do you think he will every be able to fight with us again? I mean the way Bats said 'He won't be on missions for quite sometime'" Wally air quoted and imitated the dark knight the best he could, "Do you think he will ever come back?"
"Wally I am sure that Robin will come back. When? That I am not sure of, you saw how he has been acting lately he nearly got Artemis and myself killed the other day," Aqualad replied keeping his level tone, "But for now we must worry about this mission. No matter how little or big it is, it is important and Robin is not a priority at the moment."
Wally nodded lightly and turned back to examining the room of one of Gotham's craziest villains. "Why isn't Batman doing this?" Wally thought to himself as he looked at the underneath of a small table that had been sitting in the center of the room. There wasn't anything underneath it except a few doodles. Wally rolled his eyes, "what a freak…" Then a note in the upper corner of the desk caught his eye. He squinted and tried to read what it said.
"Phase 1: complete. Boy. Done"
"Phase 2: next. Get out."
"Phase 3: awaiting. Best days to come"
Wally cocked his head to the side looking more carefully at the pictures on the underside of the table hoping to find something else that could explain what this meant. He couldn't see anything except the doodles; literally it looked like a kindergartener started drawing stick figures. Then a tiny doodle in the very bottom corner caught his eye. It was of a boy standing over a man. The boy was wearing a cape and so was the man. The man appeared to be dying or hurt. Batman. Wally knew in an instance, that is always who Joker wanted to kill. But the boy, Joker never had anyone else play his games. And besides the boy looked just like…
"Robin!"
TTT
Dick poked the tip of the birdarang in his hand into his thumb, and then using his other hand he spun it around a few times. A small indent formed in his thumb. His homework now complete sprawled across his bed and an empty plate sat by his side. He had been eating some chicken wings Alfred had made, hardly ever got that for dinner either, Alf hated messy food. The young boy shrugged and looked back to the T.V in front of his bed, the news was on, and really he had no idea why he was watching it.
Honestly Dick hated the news in Gotham all that ever was on it, was trouble. Either old or new villains causing trouble and them either being caught or escaping. And of course there was either the fame of Batman saving the day or the blame on him for villains continuing to get out and threaten the city. Tonight of course was more on what Dick had read in the paper earlier, the Joker escape. It was everywhere. Dick didn't understand why though, that man always was getting out, you think the city would get over it by now.
A wave of exhaustion and irritation swept over the young boy, so he flopped backwards on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He was proud of himself in some ways, he only had one little vision this morning and that was it. Getting better, maybe. That's what you think. Dick tightened his eyes closed to get that stupid voice out. Then a soft buzzing made him open his eyes again. He looked down to his side and saw that his phone was lighting up. Dick quickly sat up and picked up the phone, it was Wally, he was calling him.
A faint wave of happiness filled him and he answered the phone, "Wally!"
TTT
"Rob! Hey… How are you?" Dick listened to his friend's nervous and concerned tone on the other end of the line.
"Umm ok I guess, not really a lot to do…" Dick replied sounding slightly depressed.
"Hey so the mission was totally lame without you. And it was weird cause Bats was giving the mission and you weren't there to go with us," now Wally sounded depressed.
Dick sighed before replying, "Ya I wish I could have been there, I really want to go on missions. But Batman is really worried about the…" Dick paused unsure if he should talk about the visions or not, to be honest he wasn't even sure that Bruce knew that was why Dick was messing up the missions. He wondered if anyone actually knew.
"What?" Wally asked suddenly snapping Dick out of his thoughts.
"What what?" Dick asked suddenly confused.
"What is Batman worried about?"
"Oh… just me I guess. I keep messing up the missions and all."
"Ya well that is a problem, we really don't need anymore of," Wally said suddenly sounding a bit irritated.
"What!?" Dick practically shouted back very perturbed about what he just heard his friend say, "How could you say that?"
"Easy I just say it. You okay Rob you seem a little more than whelmed?"
"I just can't believe you would say something like that to me. I thought we were having a civilized friendly conversation."
Wally laughed lightly on the other end making a cord in Dick's heart snap lightly, "You are quite the emotional type lately Bird Boy… I don't think last night's adventure was any good for you."
Those last words made Dick sit erect and clench is other hand not holding his phone. No that wasn't real! "What are you talking about?!" Dick growled into the phone.
"Wow you really don't remember the fun we had last night, I can't believe you. You move on so quick no wonder you don't stay in relationships long."
Dick tightened his grip on the phone sure that if he was superboy the phone would be in pieces, "That didn't happen! How do you even know about it?!"
"Come on Dick you know it happened, you enjoyed every minuet of it and you couldn't even stand the fact that I had to leave you. I know you wanted more you did but did I…"
Dick cut him off, "shut up! Just shut up! I can't believe you Wally! Leave me alone and don't ever call me again!" With that Dick ended the call and chucked his phone across the room into the wall. With a crash and a shatter the phone landed in pieces on the floor.
Tears pooled out of the younger boys eyes, he couldn't believe it. That wasn't real. Yet the real Wally called him and told him it was. He had no idea what to believe in that instant. Everything was falling apart. What was happening to him?
TTT
"Thank you Kid Flash, I am sure that whatever this maniac was planning is now a little more understood," Batman's deep tone thanked the young boy placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you think this is why Rob is having problems on missions? Do you think…." Wally was cut off as Batman glared down at him. In an instant Wally silenced himself and looked down to the floor.
Batman loosened his gaze and barely mumbled to the young red head, "It is my worst fear. I just hope it isn't what it seems to be. If it is then perhaps, it isn't too late to fix it."
TTT
Stripping of his uniform Wally sped to his closet and pulled out some more comfortable clothing. Then he sped back to his bed where his phone sat. He picked up the small device and dialed a number he knew by heart. Sitting down, the red head listened for the other line to pick up. His heart started to sing when he heard the voice of his best friend shine though.
"Wally!" An enlightened sounding Dick came through the phone.
Wally also equally excited to hear his friends voice replied, "Rob! Hey… How are you?"
"Umm ok I guess, not really a lot to do…" Dick replied sounding slightly depressed.
"Hey so the mission was totally lame without you. And it was weird cause Bats was giving the mission and you weren't there to go with us," Wally replied sounding a little off himself.
Wally heard Dick sigh before replying, "Ya I wish I could have been there, I really want to go on missions. But Batman is really worried about the…" The boy paused not saying anything. Wally wondered what he was going to say.
So he quickly asked, "What?" Clearly snapping Dick out of his thoughts.
"What what?" Dick asked suddenly confused.
"What is Batman worried about?" Wally asked reminding the boy lightly.
"Oh… just me I guess. I keep messing up the missions and all."
"Hey don't worry about it, besides I think Batman and I are on to something, we think we might know why your messing up," Wally grinned a little hoping the news would cheer up the boy. But the response he got was not what he was expecting.
"What!?" Dick shouted clearly not happy, "How could you say that?"
Confused Wally replied, "Sorry I didn't think it would bother you that much. We just want to help."
"I just can't believe you would say something like that to me. I thought we were having a civilized friendly conversation." Dick growled into the line.
Wally felt something in him go cold, "Dick… I'm sorry; I thought I said the right thing. I just want to help you, I want my friend back." Hoping that using his real name would bring Dick down a notch Wally listened for a reply.
Instead an enraged Dick shouted back, "What are you talking about?!"
Very confused Wally stuttered to reply, "What do you mean? I want to help you Dick, the mission last night showed that you really are struggling with something and I want to be there to help!"
"That didn't happen! How do you even know about it?!"
"What do you mean? I was there you were there! Bats was there, that's why you can't go on missions anymore. This is why I want to help you, Dick you mean the…"
Wally was suddenly cut off by screaming from the other line, "shut up! Just shut up! I can't believe you Wally! Leave me alone and don't ever call me again!"
With that the other line went silent. Wally slowly pulled the phone away from his ear shaking slightly. Tears formed in his eyes and slowly ran down his freckled face. "I can't believe that…" Wally sighed looking down to his feet.
But then Wally looked up. A sudden thought came to him. "Dick is seeing things, that doesn't mean he can't hear things too." In lightening fast speed Wally was up on his feet and dressed in his uniform again. Then with a streak of red and yellow he was out of the house and halfway down the street.
