It was, yet, another success, Robin thought with satisfaction as he and Barbara were just spending an evening alone in the manor. Maybe the Riddler would soon give up. Wouldn't he eventually run out of his riddles? Robin thought, suddenly optimistic. So far his life was good. He managed to moonlight as Batman and have a relationship and on top of it all, he ran a foundation. If those things didn't equal success, then he didn't know what did.

There was also another thing on his mind now. Ever since he'd come clear with Barbie and told her his real name, he started thinking that maybe, just maybe there would come a time when he would be able to stop pretending to be Batman and be who he truly wanted to be. There was a costume waiting for him in the hidden closet in the cave. A costume made especially for him by Lucius Fox. This one would fit perfectly. This one was his alone. He wouldn't have to play anything or anyone, he could just be himself. Maybe he could get even better at his job when not having to deal with a suit that wasn't exactly his size? A mask that wasn't covering his whole face and didn't ended with bat's ears? A mask that would only cover his eyes.

"Do you think it's time for Gotham to accept a new hero?" Robin suddenly asked Barbie as they were sitting on the couch, her snuggling up to him and drinking red wine.

"What do you mean?" she asked, pulling away from him to study his face. Her own showed curiosity.

"We're both know that I'm not the real Batman. That was Bruce."

"Yes, but you wanted to carry out his legacy," she said, not really following.

"What if I need to become my own hero? What if a new vigilante has to appear in this town? Do you think Gotham is ready to trust a new guy after it trusted Batman?"

"What new guy?"

"The Robin," Robin just said. "No one but you and Jim Gordon know my real name and to be honest, I'm tired of filling in for Bruce. I'm tired of his suit. It's just not me. I haven't told you this, but I have a new costume for myself. I just never used it before. I thought Gotham wasn't ready after finally trusting Batman. But now… now the trust is strong as even the police are willing to cooperate with me."

Barbara was watching him with excitement in her eyes.

"May I see it? The new suit?"

"Of course," Robin agreed easily. He felt as though it was the right time. "Maybe if I'm... me," he finally said, "then I'll be able to let go of just a little bit of this rage inside and that could help me defeat the Riddler?"

"I think you're on the right track," Barbie admitted. "Psychologically speaking, you need to believe in yourself, to fully become yourself in order to reach your highest potential."

Robin comically rolled his eyes at her. "And here we go again with the books…"

"Well, I'm sorry if my IQ is higher than yours. Is your masculinity still intact?" she teased him and he pretended to be livid.

As they moved towards the secret passage, Barbara's phone beeped. She reached for it and frowned. "Robin, I need to go. My dad needs me and he says it's urgent. I'm really sorry. You will have to show me the suit later."

Robin was a little disappointed, but in the end he thought that maybe it was a good thing. He never really tried the costume on and it might turn out to be a big flop if he did it now in front of her for the first time.

"It's all right," he said. "Go."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll come by later on and we can… continue." She smiled mischievously. "Maybe you can model that suit for me and then effectively take it off."

She was gone before he managed to process those words.

"Damn, she's good," he said to an empty room when his arousal sprung to life. "Later…" he told himself.

Only Barbara didn't come back later.

It was late and Robin didn't expect her at this hour. After all, she didn't seem like the kind of a girl who would do a booty call in the middle of the night. She was too proud for that and too independent.

Something was definitely off, though, because Robin was more than sure that she would call if she couldn't come as promised.

He dialed her number without thinking, desperate to make sure she was safe. That was all that mattered, especially with the kind of life he led.

Were there too carless? He thought as she wasn't picking up. Did he miss something? Did he put her in danger?

When he gave up and hung up, the phone rang.

"Thank God," Robin murmured when he saw Barbie's name on the screen. Maybe she'd been sleeping and he'd woken her up. Maybe she'd been taking a shower. It didn't matter. She was calling him back now. "Barbie, I…"

Only the voice he heard in his cell did not belong to his girlfriend.

"Barbie, is it, hah?" it was the Riddler, laughing at him. "That's an interesting nickname for such a bright and smart young woman, Batman."

The rage swelled up in Robin as he clenched his free hand into fist.

"What have you done with her?!" he yelled.

"Oh, easy there, bat boy, easy. If we both remain calm, then maybe you'll manage to save her." Another laugh.

"Where is she?!"

The Riddler just gave him the name of the street where they would meet the next day at midnight.

"Don't even dare be late," he warned Robin and hung up.

"Shit!" Robin screamed as the call was ended. "FUCK!" He took a swing and threw the cell at the wall where it shattered and the pieces fell down to the floor. "FUCK!" He brought his hands to his head. "Just breath, calm down… get yourself under control…" he began telling himself as he closed his eyes, forcing himself to think clearly and not let himself be overcome with fury.

He knew what he had to do. It was time.

It was time for the Robin.

The next night he strode to the cave, left the Bat suit behind and walked straight to the hidden closet.

It was still Kevlar, it was still impenetrable and black. But there were no bat features on it anymore and it was in a perfect size for him. No bat ears, no mask that covered his whole head. Just eyes.

He was Robin and he would save the woman he loved. It was time. It was like his initiation rite.

"New suit, hah?" Robin heard the Riddler as he appeared on the right street.

He didn't see Barbara, though. Instead he saw Jim Gordon. The Riddler got to him, too. And he had a gun put to the man's temple.

"Where's Barbara?" Robin asked, doing his best to pull himself under control again. One person in danger was enough, but added to that her father? Barbie would never forgive him if something happened to Gordon! He was the only family she had. Only Gordon wouldn't forgive him if he didn't save his daughter over him. One way or another, it would be the end of Robin's romantic relationship with the woman.

"Stop asking questions! It's my finger that's on the trigger!" the Riddler warned him, pressing the gun harder into Jim's temple.

"Then tell me what to do to save them," Robin said.

"You can't save them all," the answer came. "I have to tell ya…" Riddler took a closer look at Robin and tilted his head, assessing his new attire. "This one is much better." He nodded with appreciation. "To be honest, you looked like a psycho in that bat suit."

"Look who's talking," Robin teased, but regretted it right away as it only agitated his opponent more.

"Now," the Riddler smirked, "you have to solve a small… quite easy I tell you and just for appearances' sake… riddle and choose which one to save. Here it goes! Choose: there is a home with children that don't have a home and another one that isn't a home anymore, near a certain river, with a woman who just found hers. Or you can save this one here…" Riddler poked Jim in the temple and the old man grimaced.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Robin protested.

"Which one is it gonna be, Batman, hah?" Riddler prompted. "You have only ten minutes and you need to choose! You can only go to one place! And we're both know it's not gonna be this street. Are you willing to sacrifice the woman you love to save the kids?"

Robin was presented with an impossible choice, he knew that. Yet, he did have an ace in the hole.

There was no time to waste.

He headed right, straight to the river and in the opposite direction to the Wayne manor and kids. There was an abandoned building on the shore and he was certain he would find Barbara inside.

"Well, that was unexpected…" Riddler, with a baffled expression on his face, said to himself as he watched Robin go. "See that, Gordon?" he asked his hostage. "He'd rather save one woman than a house full of innocent kids! Love is madness, truly. Now… where were we?" he asked and was about to pull the trigger and kill Jim when…

"Not so fast," said Selina Kyle when pressing her own gun to Riddler's head from the back.