A/N: Thanks for the reviews Blas, Carl, Batman dude, DynamicDuoFanandPhoneGuy and thanks for checking up on me mystery guest! Also, thanks for promising to remember me, Carl. ;-)
Sorry I haven't updated as quickly as I usually do. My husband took some time off work and he thinks that doing this (posting stories) is kind of silly and a waste of time so I stayed away. To each his own, I suppose...
Also, that annoying bug that I mentioned in my last story has decided not to leave our house and I spend at least two hours every night on the kids' hair. Nit-picking is horrible and I hope you never have to do it! :-(
Chapter 10:
Joker was taking a break and Robin was grateful. The camera was still rolling and he grimaced in his mind as he pictured Batman watching everything that had been happening.
"Ya' know," Joker said, taking a bite of a crispy red apple he had brought in with him, "I really hate you but I have to admit that you are impressively resilient for a boy of your age. I mean, you shouldn't even be alive right now. Did you know the human body can possibly last seven to ten days without water? The actual statistics, though, are around three to four. Do you know how long you've been here?" Without waiting for an answer that Robin couldn't express anyway, Joker stated, "I picked you up on a Saturday afternoon and now it's the next Saturday night!"
Robin was mesmerized as he saw some juice from the apple drip to the ground, followed by some chips that flew out of Joker's mouth as he talked. It's only been a week? I can wait; it's only seven more days. I hate apples anyway.
Joker laughed as he took another bite. "Also, I think you should give up on the idea that Batsy might come for you. We are deep underground in a place that he will never find. I have also decided that instead of blowing you up, I'm just going to leave. That way you can have many, many, many last thoughts to yourself as you slowly waste away. How does that sound?" Joker was laughing uncontrollably now.
Robin narrowed his tired eyes and attempted to spit out some blood. He was trying to push away the weariness but he felt so lethargic. He wanted to go to sleep; maybe he would when Joker left. Just a little nap to regain some strength so he could attempt to escape.
He was startled to find that he had closed his eyes, which popped open when Joker flipped Robin onto his stomach and unchained his arms, knees and ankles.
Joker kicked the Boy Blunder one last time then gathered his video equipment and walked out the door without looking back. The sound of his laughter echoed down the tunnel as he strode away, sure that Batman was his forever.
Batman was pushing against the outline with all the strength in his body; using his legs as leverage by planting them against the outside wall. Nothing was working – he was at another dead end and every lost second was one second closer to the death of his young partner. He suddenly stopped moving, and even breathing, as he heard a familiar sound. Was that…Joker's laughter?! Where was it coming from? He pressed his ear to the wall; it was getting louder. He scrambled up the ladder a little bit when he heard the sound of a door handle turning. Of course; there was a way to get out but not a way to get in unless the door was already open. The scientists in the lab had been smart and clever.
Joker pushed the door open and, not expecting anything unusual to happen, put his right hand on the third rung to begin his climb. He felt a crushing pain in his fingers and looked up in surprise; Batman had found him! It wasn't possible – there was no way he had left any clues anywhere. O'Reilly didn't even know where he was going! Suddenly, he was pushed back into the tunnel and shoved up against the opposite wall.
"Where is Robin you sorry excuse for a human being?" Batman thundered. "If he is dead you won't have to worry about going back to Arkham. WHERE. IS. HE?!"
Joker just smiled and held up the videotape in his hand. "See for yourself," he giggled.
Batman grabbed the tape and smashed it on the ground. "Why would I watch a video when I know he's here?" he growled.
Joker continued to grin, "Are you suuuuuuuuuure he's here?"
Batman slammed Joker's head against the wall, knocking him out, then threw him to the ground and put a pair of Bat-cuffs on his wrists and another pair on his ankles. "Robin," he yelled as he started running down the tunnel, "Robin, where are you?"
Robin heard the continuous echo of Joker's laughter as he closed his eyes. He wished he could at least move his arms to cover his ears and block that out. But, he couldn't move anything anymore and, really, he didn't care about it that much. He just wanted to sleep.
"Robin!" Batman continued to shout as he ran faster. "Don't give up, Robin, I'm here; I'm coming. Don't give up, please," the last sentence was whispered. He had to go five miles and he estimated that he had only gone about two. He pushed himself to go even faster.
Robin was almost asleep when he heard a different echo. He was hallucinating; he heard Batman's voice from far away. Bruce wouldn't be back for another week. Just a little nap….
Batman had to stop for a breath at the end of three miles. He was in excellent physical condition but he hadn't slept or eaten since just before he boarded the plane that returned him to Gotham City. He put his hands on his knees, dropped his head and counted to thirty then took off again. "ROBIN, DON'T GIVE UP!" he roared as he ran, hoping that his partner would hear him and know he was coming for him.
Robin slightly opened his tired eyes. Batman's echo was getting louder; that was strange. He thought he heard the words "don't give up" but then he realized that it was the exact phrase that he had been telling himself for the last three or four hours. It was all in his mind and he closed his eyes again.
Batman rounded a curve in the long tunnel and saw an open door about one hundred yards away. Deciding not to waste energy by yelling, he pushed himself to sprint. Please be in there and please be alive.
Footsteps; loud, pounding footsteps that increased the intense pain in his head. Maybe he had slept away the seven days and Batman really was here. But Joker had said they were deep underground in a place that Batman would never find. Stupid hallucination wouldn't leave him alone and he actually had the strength to sigh.
Batman heard a soft sigh as he reached the entrance and burst inside, glancing around for the source. He didn't have to search very far; Robin was in the center of the room, on his stomach and not moving. Joker had left him like he usually did – a multi-colored, bloody mess. His head was facing the door and his eyes were closed. Blood was dribbling from his mouth and there was a rope knotted tightly around his slender neck. Batman dropped to his knees beside Robin, pulled a Bat-knife from his utility belt and cut the rope off. He carefully placed a hand in the middle of his partner's back, leaned down and whispered, "Are you still with me, Robin?"
Robin felt a large hand and heard a familiar voice. Could hallucinations talk now? He tried to push some blood away from his lips with his tongue but it was too heavy to move. He cracked open his eyelids - all he saw was black and he wondered if this was the tunnel that was supposed to have a light at the end of it. He abandoned the struggle to keep them open and didn't have the strength to respond to the gentle touch of the hand that was now rubbing circles on his sore back. He wished he could see Batman, or Bruce, one last time. He had promised that he wouldn't give up but there was nothing left to do but give up. No, only seven more days…I can make it and his thoughts faded into nothingness.
