All right, let me start off by apologizing for my leave of absence. I've been extremely busy recently and to add to that I had some writer's block. Hopefully this chapter isn't terrible. To make up for my mistake I will be updating again sometime before Sunday.
Please Enjoy and review.
Batman had arrived shortly after Zatanna's call. He rushed over to Robin's side to evaluate the damage. He quickly analyzed the situation, the type of knife, whether or not it was poisoned, and the damage already done. He pulled out the knife and Robin started to bleed profusely. He quickly applied pressure to the wound.
"Zatanna," Batman said, "Is there any way you can stop the bleeding?"
"Uhh…I…" Zatanna was at a loss for words still shocked at the completely selfless act her boyfriend had just performed.
"Zatanna you need to focus," Batman said. His voice was different. He sounded strained, worried, frightened, something Zatanna had never expected, "Robin's only chance is if we get him immediate medical attention and to do that you need to stop the bleeding, so do it."
"Pots gnideelb," Zatanna said. The bleeding immediately stopped.
"Good," Batman said before picking Robin up, "Follow me we need to get him to the Batcave for medical attention." Zatanna was shocked to be allowed to go to the Batcave.
"Yes," Batman said as he put Robin into the Batmobile, "Robin trusts you and I trust his judgment," Zatanna paused, "Get in the car." Zatanna jumped into the front passenger seat.
They drove quickly through the streets of Gotham, going over three times the speed limit. Zatanna didn't really like going this fast but if it meant that Robin was going to survive she could handle it.
"Zatanna, could you please close your eyes and promise not to open them," Batman said, his tone nicer and more polite than she had ever heard. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I'm not exactly ready for you find out my secret identity." Zatanna nodded and did as she was told. She could no longer see where they were going but she could feel all the turns as they drove around several bends.
"Get Dr Thompkins," She heard Batman say, not understanding who he was talking to.
"Already did sir," Zatanna heard a different voice say, this one had a British accent.
"Good, I'll be there soon," Batman responded.
Zatanna felt the car accelerate, she gripped onto the seat, fingernails digging into the leather. The turns and bends were starting to make her feel sick. She was getting scared for her life but she knew that Batman wouldn't cause them to die. She could feel the sway of the car until, all of a sudden, there were no more turns. The Batmobile was traveling in a straight line and the acceleration was pushing her back in her seat. Then she felt the inclination go up a little bit and then nothing. She was floating over her seat, they had been launched into the air. She gripped onto the seat even more, fingers hurting with the amount of force she was exerting. She heard water hit the roof of the car before it landed and skidded to a stop. Zatanna took a deep breath, the first one in a while, as the door opened.
"You can take off the blindfold now Zatanna," Batman told her. She pulled it off and stepped out of the car. She was amazed at how big the Batcave was, it was at least three times the size of the Cave's main room with multiple floors. She could see several souvenirs including a giant coin and a dinosaur statue. She turned to see Batman rushing in a direction, Robin in his arms. She quickly followed behind him. She followed him to the elevator and waited patiently as they went up to the top floor.
Batman rushed his protégé onto a gurney and pushed him towards a different area of the Batcave. Zatanna noticed that this area had state of the art medical technology, even better than that in the Cave. She also noticed a woman in a lab coat standing in the area. She looked to be around fifty with short white hair and black glasses. When Batman put the gurney in front of her she hooked Robin up to an IV drip and a heart monitor. She quickly put on some rubber gloves before taking Robin's tunic off.
"Zatanna," Batman said, "You should wait somewhere else while Dr Thompkins performs the surgery."
Zatanna nodded and walked away. As she did she heard the doctor say four words, "It doesn't look good."
Zatanna was pacing around the lowest level of the Batcave. Dr Thompkins had finished stitching Robin up about half an hour ago but she still hadn't gone upstairs to see him. She was dreadfully conflicted in that regard; she wanted to sit by Robin, to hold his hand, to be there for him like he had been there for her, but she couldn't. She couldn't bear to see him in his current state, he had nearly died and she felt guilty. She felt guilty for so many things; not paying attention to the assassin, overexerting herself earlier in the week leaving her weak, claiming that she was fine when she wasn't sure. But what she felt most guilty for was pushing Robin away when he was worried for her safety, when he cared about her life. Now he was unconscious, barely alive, after having saved her life. In that moment, she hated herself for what she had done to him.
Zatanna stopped pacing, something felt weird. She felt like she was being watched. She quickly turned, her lips ready to utter a spell, but when she turned around she saw an old man in a tailcoat carrying a tray. On the tray was a plate of cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip by the looks of them, a cup and a teapot.
"Hello Miss Zatanna," the man said with a British accent, "My name is Alfred. I am Master Batman's butler. I thought you might like some tea and biscuits while you waited for Master Robin to recover."
"Thank you Alfred," Zatanna said as she took a steaming cup of tea and ate a cookie, "Dese are dericious."
"Thank you Miss Zatanna," Alfred said with a smile, "Latest batch, fresh from the oven. Family recipe."
Zatanna took a few sips of her tea in silence. Alfred stood there looking as serious as ever. He knew that the young magician had something she wanted to say but was too shy to say it. After a few more seconds she put her tea down on the tray.
"Alfred," Zatanna said then hesitated before continuing, "What is Robin to you?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you are asking Miss Zatanna," Alfred said.
"What does Robin mean to you?" Zatanna rephrased.
"Master Robin is just that my master, I am the butler to both him and Master Batman," Alfred said, "But he means much more than that to me. Master Robin is like a grandson to me, and I love him as such."
"I'm so sorry Alfred," Zatanna said tears streaming down her face.
"What for, Miss Zatanna?" Alfred asked.
"It's my fault that Robin is hurt," Zatanna said as she hugged the butler, "If I had been paying more attention maybe he wouldn't have been hurt."
"Miss Zatanna," Alfred said as he pushed Zatanna away so that he could look her in the eyes, "Robin has been in worse situations than this, there is no need to fret."
"Thank you Alfred," Zatanna said quietly, "Thank you."
"You are welcome," Alfred said as he picked up the tray, "Now I must attend to Master Batman." And with that he turned around and left.
Zatanna stayed there for a few moments, deciding what she would do next. She looked around and saw the giant coin, because of it she had one of the most bizarre thoughts she had ever had; if only she could flip that giant coin to see what she would do. She smiled slightly to herself at the absurdity of that thought but it quickly disappeared when her mind wandered back to Robin.
Zatanna walked over to the elevator, not exactly certain of what she was going to do next, whether it was exploring or going to see her boyfriend. She got off on the second floor and walked around a little bit. She saw an area with a lot of dummies and targets. She walked over to it and noticed that the targets were covered in little lines where the batarangs and birdarangs had penetrated the surface. She turned to the dummies and experimentally poked one, it was soft and foamy so she punched it. Her fist sunk into the foam slightly and when she pulled her fist back she could see the small impression of her knuckles. She punched it again and again, she punched it for ten minutes straight.
When Zatanna stopped her breathing was quick, almost a pant, and a bead of sweat was rolling down the side of her face. She brought her left arm to wipe away the sweat on her forehead before falling on her butt. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was more relaxed now, happy to get out her frustration on something. She took two deep breaths before opening her eyes again, standing up and walking back to the elevator. She was ready now to see her unconscious boyfriend and to hold his hand.
Zatanna rode the elevator up to the top floor and began to walk towards the area where Robin was recovering. On her way there she passed by what she thought was probably the Batcomputer. She was almost to the entrance of the medical area when she heard something move.
"Zatanna," Batman said spooking Zatanna and causing a shiver to go down her back.
"Y-yes Batman," Zatanna stuttered.
"I wanted to talk to you about the situation that we are in," Batman said in his usual monotone voice.
"I'm so sorry," Zatanna said tears swelling up in her eyes.
"Zatanna it's all right," Batman said, "It's not your fault," Zatanna looked up to the Dark Knight, "Alfred told me." She nodded.
"Alfred also told me that it's not my fault but..." Zatanna stopped.
"But what?" Batman asked.
"I didn't tell Alfred everything," Zatanna said looking down to her feet.
"What do you mean?" Batman said, his voice was becoming softer and softer, like that of a concerned parent and not one of the most intimidating men in Gotham.
"Well Robin and I had gotten into a fight before the assassin arrived," Zatanna said still looking at her feet. She then lifted her gaze before continuing, "That's what's bothering me, the fact that the last time we might have ever spoken was in a fight."
"You cannot choose your last words," Batman said, "There is always the possibility that the last thing you said to one another were insults."
"You don't understand," Zatanna said looking down again, ashamed at the memory she was reliving, "The last thing I said to him was that if he truly wanted me safe then he should have let me go with Kaldur, Conner or M'gann," Zatanna paused briefly, "I told him that he had the smallest chance of actually protecting me because he's only human. Now he's in unconscious, barely alive, because he risked his life to save me. The person who doubted him, the person who insulted him."
"Zatanna," Batman said as he put his hand on her shoulder, his voice softer than she had ever heard, "You cannot blame yourself for that."
"But I can," Zatanna replied looking up at Batman, "I had some doubts on whether or not I was ready but I assured everyone that I was fine. I told them that I could handle it when I wasn't sure that I could and Robin almost died because of it."
"Zatanna," Batman said again, "Yes what you did may have put Robin's life at risk but I know that he would have done it no matter what and beyond that guilt you know it too. Robin is already ready to sacrifice himself for those he cares about, that's what makes him the Boy Wonder," Batman paused for a few seconds to allow what he had just said to sink in, "But I know what you're feeling Zatanna."
"Really?" Zatanna asked, "How?"
"That guilt because he's hurt, I feel it every time that anything happens to him," Batman said, "I took him as my protégé at the age of nine. He was still only a little kid but I introduced into a world of criminals and psychopaths. Every time that he gets hurt as Robin it's because I took him as my protégé." Batman stopped because although Zatanna couldn't see, he was beginning to cry. Then Batman did something that shocked her, he hugged her.
"Thank you Batman," Zatanna said.
"You're welcome Zatanna," Batman said as he turned back to the Batcomputer.
After her talks with both Batman and Alfred, Zatanna had decided to wait in the area for Robin to wake up. They had managed to ease her anxiety and her guilt, Batman even giving her a warm hug, but she still felt like she was to blame. She was sitting in the armchair three meters away from the gurney, she still wasn't ready to look into his face, pale from blood loss.
Zatanna looked over to her boyfriend, her amazing boyfriend who had nearly died for her, and wondered what she had done to get him to fall for her. He was by far the nicest person she had ever met and also the most courageous and the fact that he wanted her, that he did this for her, baffled her. She felt so lucky to have him in her life, let alone so close to her. That's when Zatanna felt something vibrate. She checked her hidden pockets to see that someone was calling her phone.
"Hello," Zatanna said after having stood up and answered the phone.
"Zatanna," Artemis said.
"Artemis, hi," Zatanna replied.
"How are you? Where are you? What's going on?" Artemis asked.
"I'm doing okay, not great. I'm at the Batcave," Zatanna said as she walked away from the gurney, "Robin is injured, stab wound."
"What? How did that happen?" Artemis asked. Zatanna didn't answer, she didn't want to relieve that moment, "Zatanna, how did it happen?"
"We were fighting an assassin when he threw three knives at me," Zatanna told her best friend, "I managed to block the first one and dodge the second but I didn't see the third and I didn't have enough time to react when I did but Robin," Zatanna paused, "Robin jumped in front of me and took the knife for me."
"Oh my god!" Artemis exclaimed. Zatanna could hear Artemis whisper something to someone, "Is he going to be okay?"
"I think so," Zatanna answered, "I mean he's stitched up and he's hooked up to some fancy equipment but he still hasn't woken up."
"Zatanna, it wasn't your fault," Artemis said.
"Why do you say that?" Zatanna asked.
"Because I know you," Artemis replied, "And you will see it as you fault but it isn't. This is what we do Zatanna, we risk our lives to help people and sometimes we get hurt but we know that going in."
"Yeah," Zatanna said, "Thanks."
"Sure thing," Artemis said, "Call me if you need to talk or if anything happens."
"I will," Zatanna replied, "Bye."
Zatanna hung up and turned back to Robin. She started walking towards him bringing the chair behind her. She sat down and reached to hold his hand when something happened.
"Zatanna," Robin said.
Hope that wasn't too bad. Sorry if some the characters (Batman and Artemis) seem OOC, it's hard to get the mix of Artemis' strength and some girliness just right, also Batman god is it hard to make a Batman that is still strong but caring at the same time. Anyway please Review, any criticism on the writing is welcome, not on my short break.