Wow that took longer to write than expected, but it's here, so that's what matters! And yeah I can't write sad scenes for crap, so sorry about that. But worry not folks! The whump storm and Robin centric chapter is coming up next! Special shout out to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, and favorited! We have gotten over 70 alerts and over 100 reviews! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! :)

I won't babble to much today, so without further adieu, I present to you, chapter 9 :D

One empty chair.

Out of all the chairs in that wooded area reserved for the Justice League members, there was one single, unoccupied, chair.

That chair was directly in the front row. Wonderwoman sighed and looked to her right at the empty space. The reservation card was still taped to the back of it. Batman.

Superman was to her left and she looked at him expectantly. "Do you hear him coming Kal-EL?"

He shook his head and looked to the ground. "No, and even if I could, he still manages to sneak up on me, somehow."

Wonderwoman nodded and fixated her eyes on the opened casket a few feet ahead. It was padded red on the inside and wide open, but empty, save for a few small items.

A small mahogany picture frame had a newspaper cutout of the of the Boy Wonder grinning ear to ear. It was from the first time he had been in the Gotham paper. The headline wrote "Batman welcomes new partner? Gotham Crime fighting has a new face."

Directly underneath it was a pristinely cleaned black and yellow cape. No doubt one of the spares since Batman was still collecting evidence off the other one.

Three roses completed the array of items. One yellow, one red, one black.

A hushed silence enveloped the clearing. All faces turned toward the section of chairs to the left of the JL. Those chairs were unoccupied as well, reserved for Young Justice.

Whispering echoed throughout the crowd. Where were the kids? They didn't run off again, did they?

After their little "adventure" in Gotham, they had practically been all placed on lockdown.

Red Tornado abruptly stood up and called the League members to attention.

"I have been told to inform you all that Young Justice was merely getting ready at Mount Justice. They are arriving as we speak."

All heads turned when faint footsteps were heard. The kids were here.

What the League saw surprised them. All five members of Young Justice walked slowly, right behind each other, down the small aisle.

It wasn't the manner that they were walking that surpised them, no it was what they were wearing.

The team strode down the aisle dressed completely in black, with black sunglasses, almost identical to what Robin used to wear.

Wonderwoman immediately took notice that the teammates were also carrying various objects snuggled protectively in their arms.

The League watched in awed silence as they all stood in a row in front of the empty casket. They all stretched their necks out to Kaldur who nodded to each of them and stepped forward to the casket.

"I did sincerely hope, I could pass on the torch of leadership to you one day, Robin."

Nodding to the casket once more he wordlessly stepped back in line.

Artemis was next as she tiptoed over to the box and removed her glasses.

"If you were still here, we totally could have laughed about this." We'll laugh about this someday! Artemis remembered that cheeky blue- eyed boy who greeted her the first day of school and almost cried.

She managed a small smile before returning to the line.

Zatanna was next; she was clutching a large book close to her chest.

She closed her eyes and laid the large book into the wooden box. Webster's Dictionary.

"I'd like to think one day, we could have rewritten this."

Superboy and Miss Martian took their turn before the Wally's time came.

He hung his head low and gripped the side of the box gently. His green eyes sparkled with unshed tears as he took the crumpled photo out of his pocket.

There was the photo of Rob and himself. Wally rubbed his eye as he stared at the photo for a moment.

Rob and his freaking short pants.

Man, did he make fun of those things for the longest time; until Rob got himself pants to wear. Thank god.

Wally placed the photo down and without looking back, went back into line.

The team all hung their heads low as Kaldur stepped out of line and headed over to Red Tornado.

"If you excuse us, we will be returning to Mount Justice, I do not believe it healthy for the team,…..to linger here….longer than necessary."

"As you wish." Red Tornado's voice echoed as Kaldur began his walk back to the team.

The JL watched as they all filed soundlessly out from the area and returned to the Bio-Ship.

Wonderwoman looked to Superman who just shook his head. She averted her eyes to the ground and a dark silence fell over the group.

"AGAIN!" The man's metallic voice yelled to his sparring partner.

Robin immediately jumped up from his position on the floor and flung the shuriken from his pocket, hitting both targets almost perfectly.

They had been training for over 6 hours straight and it was starting to take its toll on the Boy Wonder.

This guy was crazy. Training was way over what Bruce usually had him go through.

Robin immediately brought a hand to his mouth where he wiped off a trickle of blood from his split lip.

His hair was practically plastered to his face from all the sweat. His face and clothes were drenched in it as well.

The metal mask's eye watched the boy teeter-totter for a moment before he spoke.

"You seem tired; why don't you take a little nap.." The man kicked a leg out to the boy wonder, whose immediate instincts to dodge kicked in. He hit the floor and jumped up immediately, as he was clear from being kicked.

He made a well- aimed punch to the man's abdomen, which in turn, caused him to be knocked back a few feet.

"Lucky shot, kid. It only took you …what? 6 hours to actually land a punch on me, huh?"

Robin narrowed his eyes as the man behind the mask eyed him carefully.

"Lots of potential…. provided I can actually get you to use that gun, but it doesn't matter, you'll end up having to use it eventually."

Robin rushed at the man, aiming to get another punch in.

Deathstroke smirked behind his mask and grabbed the boy's wrist in mid-motion.

Robin stood motionless, staring into the cold eye of the mask.

"Oh, and you should probably know it's not a good idea to try to attack while we're in mid- monologue."

He bent Robin's wrist back and threw him onto the ground on his stomach, immediately slamming his boot onto the Boy Wonder's back.

"We really hate that."

Ra stood up from his chair and clapped as he walked over to the two. "Well done. Well done. Very entertaining indeed."

Deathstroke looked to Ra and back to the teen on the floor. He removed his boot and Robin tilted his head to look up at the man.

Surprisingly, he outstretched his hand to the raven-haired boy. Robin looked at him with a confused expression. Why was he offering to help him up?

"Oh c'mon. I'll help you up. I'm not a complete ass."

Still hesitant, Robin moved his right hand and faintly grasped the gloved one's of Deathstroke.

"Oh wait, I am."

Without warning, Deathstroke tightened his grip on the boy's hand and slammed him, back-first, on the floor.

"What the he-!"

Ra shook his head. "I swear I'm in the presence of two teenagers."

Robin suppressed a faint smile. Ok..it was…kind of funny.

Robin sat himself up and jumped up off the floor, facing Ra.

Wiping his head off from the huge amounts of sweat dripping from it, he titled his head.

"Any chance I could get some water or something?"

Ra nodded. "But of course."

He looked to Deathstroke. "Why don't you come assist me?"

"What? You need me to hold your hand while you pour some water or something?"

Ra scowled. "No, but if you would cease with speaking for over 5 minutes. Perhaps, you could find out."

"Fine, Fine, but make it quick."

They waved Robin off, letting him know to stay put.

He wasn't one to argue at this point, he was pretty sure he could be on the verge of dehydration, not to mention he was tired.

He simply sat down on one of the mats and tried to meditate like Bruce had showed him once.

He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

He became aware of his surroundings when he heard a small crashing sound from outside the door. He was sprawled out on the mat. Figuring he must have fallen asleep while meditating he jumped up and realized how dry and scratchy his throat was.

He had never gotten his water. How long had he been napping, and more importantly, where the hell did Ra and Deathstroke go?

The loud crashing resounded again. Robin perked his ears up to listen more.

He steadily made his way to the door, his fingers just latched around the handle when-

"Heeellooooooo Boy Blunder!"

The Joker and his goons had slammed the door open. The prince of crime himself marched in as his goons took careful care to close the door behind them.

"Fancy, Fancy place you're livin it up in, Robbie. But I bet you missed your dear Uncle Jay didn't ya?"

Robin glared as he backed up a few feet.

"Quiet today, aren't ya birdie? Dah, that's ok, Uncle Jay here brought you a little housewarming gift."

Robin looked up and watched as the Joker threw a small object at him, it missed by a mile.

"You missed!" Robin smirked triumphantly.

Joker smiled his homicidal grin. "Diiiid I?"

Robin looked down at the object and realized it wasn't supposed to hit him at all. It was a small little blue bird egg, around the size of his fist.

Suddenly a malicious looking yellow gas began to pour from it.

Robin immediately brought his arm to his face in a futile effort to cover his mouth and nose.

If only he had his utility belt, he had his gas mask in there!

Robin looked up and noticed that the Joker and his goons were all perfectly safe with their masks.

Still covering his face, Robin sprinted towards the clown and successfully landed a blow to his abdomen.

The Joker doubled over and laughed hysterically behind his mask.

Almost immediately Robin's limbs felt like gelatin and he fell unceremoniously to his knees.

The Joker had quickly recovered and grabbed Robin by the scruff of his neck and held him a few feet off the ground.

Dark spots were beginning to line his vision as the Joker smiled at him, inches away from his face.

"The fun's just beginning Bird-Boy!"

And Robin saw no more.

Whew! Ok the filler-ish thing is over! On to the Robin centric chapter next! PURE WHUMP LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, IT'S COMING YOUR WAY!

And don't worry Deathstroke behavior will be explained in the next chapter as well! Stay tuned!

Don't forget to review!