'Guy's this is wrong, this is so, so, SO wrong!' Artemis' voice rang out through the teams minds, minus Robin, who was silently conversing with Batman, where the two stood guardedly on a dock, as the team and other leaguers, watched from a safe distance on the rooftops.
'I know..' Megan replied meekly, head dropping to stare at the rooftop, the team were staked out on.
'Rob will be fine.' Wally replied quietly, a hint of desperation present in his voice, as Megan laid her hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do Artemis." Aqualad spoke out loud for the first time, since the team arrived in Gotham, all while he averted his eyes. He was the one suppose to be going on this mission not Robin…never Robin.
"Robins tough." Superboy's voice rang out, as his eyes focused on two of Gotham's caped crusaders, who were still quietly conversing.
"Can…can you hear them?" Megan asked desperately, as she gazed concernedly towards the young acrobat.
"Yes."
"What….what are they saying?" Artemis said hesitantly, almost afraid to find out the answer.
"They're saying Good-bye."
The blood drained from the team's faces.
"They're saying Good-bye for now." Superboy reiterated quickly, after seeing the looks on his teammates faces.
Megan looked back and forth between the team and the young bird, eyes shining with tears, before deciding to speak.
Only to be cut off by the sound of shrieking laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHE…" Joker walked out from one of the many passages around the docks, as he made his way to the Bats.
Laughing the full way, Joker marched straight up to Robin, before grabbing him by the cheeks, and pinching, all while cooing about his little Robin.
"Look at little baby Robbie, he's just so cute, I could eat him up!" Here the Joker paused considering this idea, before shaking his head. "Nah he's just too scrawny, I'll still be hungry after I'm done eating!" Joker guffawed, as Batman visibly bristled in anger, all while Robin simply narrowed his eyes.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Joker calmed from his laughing fit before turning to address Robin again, his grotesque smiling stretching across his face, as his eyes bulged in excitement.
"Oh Robbie I just knew, even when I gave those nut cases a choice, they would pick you anyway, I mean who know Uncle J better than his own Little Robbie…" Joker leaned towards Robin his smile stretching even farther than what was thought possible, as his breath drifted across Robin's face, causing the young bird to crinkle his nose in disgust.
After staring at Robin for a few more moments, Joker leaned back to regard Batman "Well excluding ol' Batsy over here! Me and him are just like old pals." Joker grabbed onto the front of his jacket proudly while puffing out his chest, as Batman looked on with obvious disgust.
"Whats to stop me from taking you out here and now Joker?" Batman said darkly, as he glared down at Joker, who merely began to laugh hysterically.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHE….Well Batsy you may never find those poor little kiddies …HEHEHE… if you take me out, I mean, they might just starve to death before you find them…or maybe they wont….HEHEHEHE…that's your call really." Joker said gleefully, as Batman only further narrowed his eyes, knowing his hands were tied.
Leaning back in to regard Robin once again, Joker's breath ,again, made its way to Robin's nose, while Robin noticed just how greasy and stringy Joker's green hair really was.
Joker let out a deep sigh. "Ya know Robbie, I was thinking, since were gonna be spending time together, that maybe instead of uncle J, I could be Daddy J! What do ya think Junior?" Joker asked with anticipation, getting impossibly closer to Robin, causing the young bird to lean back wearily.
"No Joker." Robin stated.
"I think that was a yes! Don't you agree Batsy?" Joker said to Batman, who merely stared at the clown emotionlessly.
Turnig back to Robin, Joker smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling in his glee. "Well Junior, I'd hate to see you without a mommy, everyone wants a Mommy! I mean dear old Daddy Joker, is pretty awesome but sometimes he's just not enough…" Here Joker trailed off solemly, a sad looking coming over his face, before lighting up in gleeful madness once agaon.
"Good thing Daddy Joker thought about that!" Whilring on his heel, Joker let out a sharp whistle. "Harley come meet Junior."
A shriek of joy was heard, before a woman in a Harlequin costume came running out.
"Oh Mistah J really?! I always wanted one so bad!" Harley began to pinch Robin's cheeks before running her hands around his face, as if to make sure he was actually real, as Robin fidgeted uncomfortably. "Oh Puddin' he's just so cute! Just what I always wanted…" She trailed off adoringly as she stared at Robin, who only scowled back at her.
Going in to pinch Robin's cheek once again, Harley was stopped, when Robin slapped her hands away agitatedly.
"Well Puddin' I think he's gonna need some more traing, what do you think?" Harley asked, as she regarded Robin, as if he were a misbehaving dog.
"Ya know Harley, I think your right….HAHAHAHAHA…"
With no more thought than that, joker hauled out a crowbar, that he had concealed, and smacked Robin across the head with it, instantly dropping the young bird.
Batman let out a menancing growl, as he began to lunge at the clown, only to be stopped by Harley Quinn, who was waggling a finger back and forth in front of his face. "Nuh-uh Batsy, a deal is a deal, unless you wanna bunch ah dead kids on your hands!" Harley giggled as Joker made his way over to the acrobat, who was beginning to gain conscience again.
Grabbing Robin by the ankle, Joker began to drag him after the two clowns, as they made their way from the docks, both laughing hysterically.
"Don't worry…Batman." Robin ground out in pain, as he was being dragged away from his mentor. "I'll be fine…I'm…always…..fine…"
And then the two clowns and the bird were gone.
"Will we pursue?" Wonder Woman asked as she decended from where she had been perched among the rooftops, as other leaguers and the team gathered around the Bat, ready to follow any command he gave, in order to get their bird back.
"No." Batman said tonelessly, eyes still focused on where his son had disappeared.
"If we follow, he will only kill Robin or the children…we can't.. take that risk…"
"Batman…." Canary said sadly, as she placed her hand on his arm, to try to soothe him.
"He'll be fine…he's always… fine.." Batman said despairingly, before brushing off Canary's hand, and disappearing into the darkness of Gotham, as the remaining heroes not only looked on in shock at even that small amount of emotion Batman showed, but also in sadness, unable to comprehend what he was going through.
"What do we do now?" Miss Martian asked sadly, as tears leaked form her eyes.
"Now we wait." Superman said, as he looked to where the Bat had disappeared to in concern.
It wasn't your fault." Wonder Woman said to Superman, who looked away guiltily.
"Someone had to go and Robin fit the description." Wonder Woman continued.
"I should have gone."Aqualad said quietly, a concerned look on his face, similar to Superman's.
"No there was nothing we could have done differently!" Hawkwoman stepped forward, her voice strong and commanding. "Aqualad, I'm sorry, but you were not fit for this job, so Robin, who is well experienced with these things, was sent instead. It is not your fault." Having effectively cowed Aqualad, Hawkwoman Turned to Superman,swinging her mace around dangerously. "And you! You very well know we tried every scenario, from putting trackers through Robin's bloodstream, which wouldn't work since Joker will have all exiting signals blocked, to sending in J'onn who would be unable to hold Robin's identity that long, through all of Joker's ...fun."
Sending a glare to the remaining leaguers and team members, the thanagarian continued. "It is no one's fault, that this situation arose, and Robin best fit the requirements, so stop blaming yourselves….Now all we can do.." Here she paused contemplating what she was about to say, before a resolute look passed onto her face. "Now all we can do is pray."
Silence reigned as the heroes all made their way off the docks and out of Gotham.
Robin's head pounded ferousicouly, as he groaned out in pain, only to hear small sharp gasps coming from the room around him.
Instantly becoming aware, Robin's eyes snapped open, ready to face anything, only to see a room of…children?
Robin blinked owlishly, wondering if this was some new drug that Scarecrow was testing out on him, before remembering what exactly was going on.
Oh yeah…he was being ransomed for some kids lives…the kids, Robin assumed, that were standing right in front of him, with looks of awe and terror on their face at the same time.
Eyes squinting from the pain in his head, courtesy of Joker and his Crowbar Robin thought grumpily, Robin smiled towards the kids, who could only be a mere few years younger than him.
"Hi." Robin said, as the looks of terror began to be replcaed with Happiness.
" …is that really you? Did ya come to save us?" One little girl, with bouncing blonde curls, and wide blue eyes asked, in excitement, as she clutched a Batman plushie to her chest.
Noting the toy with amusement, Robin wondered what Batman would do if he ever found out they were making teddy bears of him..of course, he probably already knew, stupid Bat, and his obsessive tendencies to know eveyrhting.
Turning his attention back to the little girl, Robin nodded. "Only one more week in here and you guy's can go home."
Some of the children shouted out in glee, while some asked, why couldn't they just go home now instead of later, Robin smiled fondly.
Head still pounding, Robin brought his hand up to rub his forehead, or he at least tried to lift his hand up. He was chained onto the wall, standing upright, both hands and feet weldled onto the wall, with thick pieces of steal.
Surprised and frightened that he had noticed the restraints before now, Robin began to put pressure on the cuffs, to see if he would have any chance of escape, but before he really got into it, he heard the tell tale sounds of steps echoing from outside the room.
'CLICK.'
The children shrunk back.
'CLACK.'
One little boy whimpered.
'CLICK.'
Robin began to furiously try to find a weak spot in the cuffs.
"CLACK.'
The person was almost outside the door.
'CLICK.'
The young blonde girl, snuggled into her Batman plushie.
'CLACK.'
Robin pushed furiously against his cuffs.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…" Laughter rang out and Robin's face paled.
He knew that laugh.
The door banged open, to the Joker, as usual smile stretched impossibly wide, red tinged eyes bulgning, as his greasy strands of hair swung about, while he clutched his stomach, the laughter continued to ring out for a few more moments, before going deathly silent in an instant.
Face darkening Joker focused his whole attention on Robin, before taking a quick peak at the other children.
Speaking in a deep voice, Joker said. "Daddy's home."
Before slamming the door shut, as the occupants of the room all looked on in terror.
How did you guys like it?
And how does my Joker sound so far throughout the story?
Let me know! Thoughts, comments, mistakes let me know! :)
And once again, thanks for all the reviews and everything, it really means a lot!
Also remember reviews encourage me to update faster, so with that, I'll see you guys soon!
~Copper Hillier
