A/N: Thanks for the comments Blas, Batman Dude, TMNTGFKittySidekick01 and mystery guest!
Mystery guest - that's a good idea but I don't think I would be able to do it justice! It would be cool to read, though. And you're right: time travel really is messed up! ;-)
Chapter 4:
Back in the museum:
There was no way to avoid the hit; Robin recognized that fact. However, he didn't have to allow the large hand to smash his nose. Twisting to his right, he took the blow directly on his left shoulder and briefly gazed in awe at the resulting fireworks that exploded in his mind. His attention shifted back to Leon when he realized that the man's torso was exposed again. One burly fist was connecting with Robin's shoulder while the other was swinging behind him - the muscular chest was practically begging for a collision with something solid.
The Boy Wonder didn't waste obvious opportunities, even though he wanted to drop to the floor and rest. So, he untwisted back toward the henchman and threw his right leg at the man's ribs. Leon's arm didn't get there in time to protect himself and the kick folded him in half. Effortlessly switching his weight, Robin thrust his left foot at the goon's face, striking him squarely on the jaw. The henchman's head whipped back and he was almost sent sprawling to the ground. Surprisingly, he was athletic enough to catch himself with his left hand and spin his body around to stand up again.
Awesome. The word was sarcastically growled in Robin's head. Connecting those two strong moves should have thrown his opponent to the ground, giving the young crime-fighter an advantage. Catwoman had found a diamond in the rough when she had picked up this guy.
There had been one good thing that had come from Leon's meaty fist slamming into Robin's shoulder: the Bat-rope had loosened a little more. He still didn't have much room to move but he could separate his arms slightly. Jerking them apart would be painful but would also cause him to be able to release at least one arm.
Scowling, Robin backed away from Leon and began repeatedly shoving his arms against the Bat-rope. Now he couldn't see anything except shooting stars because of the burning, non-stop pain rushing through the limbs. But, he could hear heavy footsteps pounding toward him. His senses would be stronger if he stopped moving so he did. There was a pause and the Boy Wonder assumed that Leon had been surprised at his decision.
Robin slowed the motion of his arms, taking them from a vigorous jerk to a soft yet strong squirm. He shut down the rest of his body so he could hear sounds and feel movement around him. Batman had forced him to train blind-folded a few weeks ago, twice, so the teenager was slightly confident in his new ability. The sparkling stars were essentially blinding him and he was going to thank Batman for that unusual training method when this was all over.
"What are you doing?!" Catwoman yelled when her largest goon stopped in confusion. Robin was jerking his arms around behind himself and she was worried that he might somehow be able to get out of his restraints. But now the boy's eyes were squeezed shut - probably in an attempt to block out the pain - and he was standing almost completely still.
Weak baby bird. The villainess smirked slightly as the insult raced through her mind. Her henchman wasn't moving, staring at her and waiting for instructions. Had he suddenly become an idiot? Leon had an advantage, why was he wasting the opportunity?
Throwing her right arm in Robin's direction, Catwoman shouted, "Go after him!"
Leon heard frustration in the tone and immediately obeyed, quickly deciding how to take out the kid. A fist to the side of the head would definitely knock him out and, since the boy's eyes were shut, he wouldn't even know it was coming.
Quietly circling toward his right, the strong man approached the Boy Wonder from the side and raised his fist. The teenager hadn't moved at all and Leon was confident that he was about to easily win this fight.
The pounding had stopped but the footsteps were still there. Robin didn't know how such a large man could move so lightly on his feet but he wasn't going to ponder that right now. Soft puffs of dust being tossed in the air were giving away the henchman's movements; he was going to Robin's left side. Leon seemed more like a boxer so the teenager guessed that the man would use his fists instead of his legs. Robin hoped his guess was correct because, if not, he would be going toward the attack instead of avoiding it.
Silence reigned throughout the room. Richard, the old man, wanted to shout out the goon's location but knew something bad would happen to somebody if he did. The young teenager, however, wasn't as wise.
"Look out!" the boy yelled and Felix, who had gone back to pointing his gun at the hostages, slapped the kid on the head. The fourteen-year-old burst into tears and the sound distracted Robin. He missed the heavy breath that signaled the arrival of a fist and, instead of his planned duck and counterattack, the Boy Wonder instinctively leaned back. His eyes flew open and he found that the previously bright, flaming stars had been replaced by tiny pinpricks of color that danced through the thin, gray mist that was his vision. The backward movement gave him just enough space to slide his left arm out of the Bat-rope and he quickly threw it across his body.
The Boy Wonder had been correct in this assumption. Leon, after following through on the miss, had immediately turned around. His left fist swung toward Robin's face but his momentum was going away from the boy. Robin's left arm easily blocked the punch and then it was the small fist that flew toward the big head.
Robin, however, also missed. Leon came back on the offensive and the Boy Wonder began alternately dodging and attacking. He only had the use of his left arm – somehow his right arm still didn't have enough room to escape – so the henchman was getting in some pretty good hits. The teenager was getting tired, his attacks were slowing down and most of his punches were now glancing off the muscular body of the large man.
Leon's right fist connected with Robin's chin, snapping his head back and causing him to drop his left arm. The henchman took advantage of this opportunity, throwing his left fist into Robin's ribcage. The Boy Wonder yelped in pain as a bone on the left side of his body cracked and he dropped to his knees. The man was going to finish him off but Catwoman raised her hand. She had just finished using the walkie-talkie and was walking toward the two fighters.
"Leave him conscious. Good try, kid, but Leon is pretty much unbeatable." Leon grinned at the compliment, Robin tried to catch his breath and Catwoman pranced away.
"We'll finish this later," the large henchman growled. He pushed the palm of his right hand against Robin's forehead and the Boy Wonder fell to his back. Leon listened to the irregular breathing and chuckled as he walked away.
With a pain-filled smirk, Robin carefully pulled his right arm out of the Bat-rope but kept both limbs hidden underneath him. His torso and shoulders were killing him but at least he was free. Advantage for now – Catwoman and Leon. Advantage for later – Robin.
Batman had circled the entire building and was becoming increasingly frustrated. If he went in the side door, where the freed hostages had exited, he would immediately be seen and something bad would happen to someone innocent. He obviously couldn't go through the front entrance. The back was a possibility, unless she had a henchman guarding the door. If she did, going that way would end in the same result as going to the side.
A Bat-a-rang and Bat-rope had been taken out of his utility belt earlier but had quickly been replaced in their pockets. The large windows on the ground floor would give away his position. The second and third floor windows were made of thick, nearly unbreakable glass. If he went to the roof he would have to drop through one of the three skylights, which were all about sixty feet above the floor.
The snarled words echoed in his mind: "And I need you to stay out of my way so don't even think about trying to find a way inside."
If she didn't want Batman here, why had she taunted Commissioner Gordon about her "valuable" hostage? Catwoman had to know that the commissioner would use the Bat-phone as soon as he found out about Robin. Another question to file away for later.
He decided that he couldn't risk it; Robin would have to get everyone out. But the fighting sounds had ceased after the cry of pain. His partner was either unconscious or too injured to resume battling. The other two henchmen had probably joined in the fight. Three on one with Robin having difficulty breathing and his arms tied behind his back. Batman wanted to believe that everything was fine, his partner was strong, but the odds were stacked against him. Very stacked against him. The Caped Crusader wasn't even sure that he could win a fight like that.
What does she want with him?!
"Commissioner, give me the walkie-talkie," Batman demanded and the commissioner handed it over. She probably wouldn't answer; it had only been four and a half minutes since she had given him proof of life. But there was no harm in trying.
Pushing down the button, he growled, "Catwoman, talk to me."
Static for several seconds and then her voice rang through the speaker.
"Now what?" she sighed. "I don't have all day to just stand here and talk to you. It's not about you…this time."
"Release everyone," Batman demanded. "You won't like what happens if you don't free every single one of the innocent citizens you are holding captive."
"And you won't like what happens if I do," she retorted, "because then I will have no choice but to kill your little sidekick. He will be dead before the last hostage even walks out the door. Your threats are empty, my handsome hero." The last sentence was purred seductively and Batman clenched his jaw in anger.
"What do you want with him?" he shouted but received no reply. Handing the walkie-talkie back to the commissioner, Batman closed his eyes and began searching his brain. What could be in the museum that would require her to keep Robin alive?
"Okay, boys, let's make like a tree and leaf," Catwoman giggled at her own wit and Robin, still lying on the floor, rolled his eyes.
"Felix, tie them up," she commanded, pointing to the other four hostages. "Wait! I'll let one of them go as a distraction." Tapping her right index finger against her lips, the villainess paced in front of her captives.
"You," she pointed to the old man. "It will take you a while to get out the door. Stand up," she commanded. The elderly man shook his head in defiance and Catwoman raised her eyebrows.
"I'm releasing you, don't you want to be freed?"
"No," Richard replied softly. "My life is nearly over while his," a wrinkly hand pointed to the young teenager, "is just beginning. Let him go."
Catwoman thought that over then shrugged. "You do have a point. I would hate to waste the life of a young boy. Except that one," she added as an afterthought, throwing her thumb in the direction of the wheezing Boy Wonder.
She looked at Felix, realized his Cat-gun was backwards and rolled her eyes. Glancing at Tab, she frowned. The man was useless; he hadn't taken his eyes off her since they had arrived at the museum. He was a liability so he would be the one to walk the boy out the door. She could live with only two henchmen. Felix was dim-witted but he would at least be able to watch over three weak hostages. And Leon could easily take care of Robin if the kid tried anything.
"Stand up," the villainess pointed to the fourteen-year-old and he slowly rose to his feet. "Felix, Leon, tie the others up," she commanded and the henchmen began to obey.
Prancing over to Tab, she purred, "I have a verrrry important job for you. Do you think you can do it for me?" The man, worship shining in his eyes, nodded.
"I need you, after I leave this room, to count to thirty and then walk the boy out the front door."
Tab frowned; he didn't want to leave his gorgeous boss.
"Don't worry," she continued sweetly, "you can catch up with us. I just need someone strong and reliable to make sure the boy doesn't try to escape too quickly. Can I count on you to do that?" Catwoman walked the golden tips of her fingers up his chest and lightly tapped him on the nose. Tab nodded again and she smiled.
Turning back to the young teen, she said, "Come over here, boy." When he arrived, she took his left wrist and locked it in a handcuff. Then she locked the other cuff around Tab's right wrist.
"Remember," she purred again, "count to thirty. Understand?" Then she walked away and called to the two henchmen she had left.
"Felix, start walking them to the back. Leon, grab the sidekick."
"What about Tom?" Felix asked and Catwoman shrugged. The man was still lying face-down on the floor and not moving.
"He's not useful anymore," she declared. He had been a good goon, quick to anger and strong when filled with that emotion. "Can't keep 'em all," she grumbled and began walking toward the back door.
Tab watched her walk away. He had an important job but wanted to be with his beautiful boss again as quickly as possible.
"One, two, ten, twenty, thirty," he mumbled and began pulling the young teenager toward the front door.
"Here comes another one!" the cry came from a policeman close to the building. A young teenager and a man wearing a tiger-striped shirt were walking out the front entrance. Their strides were awkward and the cause of that was soon obvious – they were handcuffed to each other.
Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara and Batman raced up the short flight of steps. The man was obviously a henchman. Why had she sent a henchman out with a hostage?
"What's going on?" Batman growled but the man just glared at him. The boy, his green eyes puffy and his cheeks stained with tears, decided to speak up.
"Robin lost the fight and I'm a distraction!" he exclaimed. Tab glanced over at him and frowned. This was not what he was expecting to happen. He was supposed to walk the kid out then go meet Catwoman in the back.
Lifting his left hand, Tab tried to slap the boy across the face. The arm of Chief O'Hara blocked the weak motion and suddenly the henchman's arms were behind his back. Batman had swiftly released the teenager from his side of the handcuffs while Tab was glaring at the kid and now the goon was wearing both of them.
"Catwoman, help!" he yelled as he was led away to the nearest squad car.
"A distraction?" Batman turned his attention to the boy. "Explain!"
The kid, who was unconsciously rubbing his sore left wrist, replied, "She's going out the back, sir! She has the old man and two women all tied up. Felix, one of her guys, is leading them while Leon, that's the bigger one who beat Robin up, is carrying Robin. Catwoman is last and she left Tom lying on the floor. Robin knocked him out before fighting Leon. And the old guy got Catwoman to agree to let me go instead of him!" The teenager paused to take a breath and Batman didn't wait around to hear anything else.
There were two important things the boy had told him: Robin had lost the fight and Catwoman was going out the back. What was the boy's definition of "beat up"? The thought shot through Batman's mind as he sprinted toward the back of the building. On the ground injured but awake or completely unconscious with injuries all over his body?
A loud roar made the hero realize that he should have gone to the Batmobile instead. He turned the corner and saw a struggling Robin being shoved into the back of some kind of large vehicle that he was sure Catwoman was calling the "Catmobile".
"Robin!" he roared as he increased his speed.
Both the Boy Wonder and the muscular man holding him stopped moving and stared in the direction of the sound. Robin recovered from the surprise first and kicked his legs out at the goon. The man grunted audibly as the boy's strong legs smashed into his stomach but he pushed against the attack and succeeded in getting Robin in the car.
"Go!" the henchman yelled to the front seat as he jumped in after the Boy Wonder. The Catmobile lurched forward then flew down the back road away from the center of Gotham City.
Batman jumped but fell flat on his stomach on the dirt. The bumper had been just out of his reach and, instead of making his way up the vehicle, he was left staring at the wheels. There was a flurry of movement in the backseat; Robin was still attempting to escape. That man was big, though, and the space was so small. His partner would easily be subdued and there was nothing Batman could do except watch the car drive out of sight.
Standing up, the hero quickly examined the area. There was no trail of blood, not even any droplets, so Robin was okay. He was probably banged up but he had still been able to struggle and was strong enough to kick his attacker. The Boy Wonder could deal with bruises and the teenage hostage hadn't said anything about any other cracking sounds. Robin was capable of handling this situation, so far, but Batman was worried about what would happen when Catwoman decided that she didn't need the boy anymore.
Leon was coming over to him again and Robin realized that he should have left his right arm tied up. If the henchman saw that he was free, the man would just tie him up again, probably tighter than he had before. The teen slid both arms back into the circle of Bat-rope that was still wrapped around his torso. This wasn't going to work; Leon was smart enough to notice that the bonds were slack. So Robin was surprised when the big man snatched him up off the ground without a second glance. Catwoman was speaking to Tab, flirting with him would be a better way to describe it, and Leon was glowering at the sight.
Robin smirked; all of her henchmen were enamored with her. That piece of knowledge would give him another advantage when they arrived at their next destination. Keep them focused on her and take them down. Felix would be first this time, the Boy Wonder decided, because he would be easy to knock out. Then he could use all of his strength against Leon without having to conserve enough energy to fight someone else.
They were suddenly outside and the bright sunlight was assaulting his eyes. Leon was trying to shove him into some kind of large, weird-looking car and Robin decided that staying at the museum would be better for him. So he began fighting against the strong arms that were pushing his upper body into the back seat.
"Robin!" The Boy Wonder heard the roar and was both surprised and disappointed. Batman was here in time but now he was going to save Robin instead of Robin saving himself.
Leon was frozen in astonishment and Robin thrust his legs at the man's gut. The henchman briefly lost control of the Boy Wonder when he felt the strong kick but he wasn't a light weight. A kid, even one trained by Batman, wasn't going to defeat him. Instead of backing away from the pressure in his stomach, Leon placed his right hand on Robin's ribs and pushed him into the car.
Robin's breathing hitched as pain exploded in his torso. It felt like the big man was trying to break all the bones in his chest and that would definitely hinder his ability to fight. So the Boy Wonder allowed himself to fall back into the car. The area was small and he was squished in tightly when the henchman joined him. Robin's back was against the locked door and his knees were nearly touching his chin.
"Go!" Leon shouted at Catwoman and she pushed hard on the gas pedal.
Robin decided to try one last thing before giving in to his captor. Quickly bringing his right arm to the front of his body, he pushed the Emergency Bat-transmitter under the 'R' on his chest. Leon, however, saw the movement. The henchman threw Robin's hand away, grabbed the material on the boy's chest and ripped it away from his torso. Staring at the Boy Wonder in triumph, and receiving Robin's version of a Bat-glare in return, Leon tossed the letter and tracker out the window.
"Stop fighting around back there!" Catwoman yelled. "I can't concentrate! Knock him out if you have to!"
Grinning, Leon lifted his right fist and slammed it into the left side of Robin's head. The teen tried to duck but there was no space and his world went black.
Beep beep. Batman grabbed his Bat-communicator as he stalked through the back door of the museum. The young kid had said there was still a henchman inside. Maybe the guy knew where Catwoman was going.
"Robin activated his Emergency Bat-transmitter, sir!" Alfred exclaimed. "He's less than a mile away from the museum!"
"What?! Are you sure?!" Batman demanded.
"Absolutely, sir, unless it's broken."
The henchman could wait. Batman saw the commissioner standing over the motionless body of a man wearing a tiger-striped shirt.
"I need to talk to him, Commissioner!" the Caped Crusader yelled before turning around and sprinting out the back door. Why did she need Robin? He pondered that question as he ran and, three minutes later, saw a blinking red light on the unpaved road. The Emergency Bat-transmitter was working fine but it was in the wrong spot. That was why his partner had still been struggling in the backseat – he was activating the tracker. But the big guy had been strong enough to tear through the fabric of the Boy Wonder's tunic and smart enough to toss it out the window of the car.
He was still holding his Bat-communicator. "I found it, Alfred, but it's not with Robin," Batman stated angrily. "It's lying here on the dirt road and there's nobody in sight. I have a goon to talk to," he growled, "then I'll return to the Batcave."
"Would you like me to begin a search for something on the Bat-computer, sir?"
"I don't know where to start but if you can think of something then go ahead. I have absolutely no ideas as to why Catwoman would need Robin alive. She used that specific word: need. But why?" the hero whispered the last two words in frustration and abruptly turned off his Bat-communicator.