Bitter Betrayal

Alexnandru Van Gordon

I've been trying desperately to update The Boogie Man but I have the next chapter save on another computer on the other side of the city. Once I'm back at my dad's place, I'll finish it up and post it for you to read.

CHAPTER TWELVE: Deception

It felt like old times…but not the old times you would expect. It was just like the old times when your partner was in desperate need of your help and you were on the other side of town. Perhaps that's why he didn't want to let Robin join him in crime fighting in the first place. But every time he began to doubt the ten-year-old, he'd go off and pull a stunt no one—be it villain or the damsel in distress—would have ever expected him to accomplish. That was why Bruce was proud of him…but that was also why he worried.

The kid was good at what he did, but his temper was always something to be wary of. True, it boosted his performance and gave him that needed energy to finish the job, but it led him into traps—and God only knows how blind he can be to those sometimes. He was probably falling into a trap right now…

God, he hoped Robin still didn't think he was evil…

He reached the place sooner than he expected, probably because his mind was wandering in every direction possible. His tracker indicated that Robin hadn't moved in the last hour and half…maybe he was hurt…maybe worse…

Batman forced the thoughts from his mind and leapt down from the roof top across the alleyway to land on the fire escape ladder. Then he slid down the railings on either side and froze to listen for movement when he hit the ground. This was the place…an old worn down warehouse on the far side of the Narrows. Robin most likely came here in pursuit of a criminal…then why was he still there?

Sighing to himself, he took a batarang from his utility belt and started down the alleyway in search of a door. Once found, he quietly opened the junk of metal and slipped inside the dark building. The only light came from the holes in the windows, wall, and ceiling from the street lamps outside, chains with hooks hanging from above conveyer belts squared around the room. There was a catwalk that circled the room, making up for the second level, with an additional one cutting straight across the room for overseers to watch production. But the place was empty and dead silent…but Robin should be in there…in the center of the place if he wasn't mistaken…

Silently, cap hugged close to his body to move with the shadows, he slowly stalked around the crates and machinery to the center of the building and stopped at what he saw. A spot of light broke through the ceiling to land on an empty space, Robin's 'R' emblem lying discarded on the ground in plain sight.

…he wasn't there.

He didn't know whether to feel relief that he didn't find Robin's broken body in its place, or horrified that he still had no idea where his surrogate son was hiding—or dying—in the city. After the condition Bruce put him in…Robin must have been the easiest target in Gotham. The boy was strong…maybe he'd be alright.

Disappointed with himself, he walked forward and knelt to pick up the emblem. Standing, he flipped it over in his hand and starred at the R…It had been painted over, of course, after what happened to it. Bruce could still see the dent where Richard tried to mold the metal back together, mold it back together where the bullet hole once was—

He barely had time to doge aside after hearing the familiar, but soft, whine of metal cutting through air at breakneck speed. In the place that he stopped, one half of the birdarang blade was buried deep within the ground.

"Hey, Bruce."

He spun around and looked up at the catwalk where Robin stood, three more birdarangs fit between each finger of his right hand. Batman could tell how frustrated Robin was, both by the sound in his voice and how he used Batman's real name in plain shot for anyone to hear. Not that there was really anyone around to hear…

"Richard." Bruce greeted back, sounding as impassive as he usually did. It drove Robin nuts sometimes, but now Robin looked as unemotional as him. Did he really want to attack Bruce?

"Why did you come here?"

"To find you."

"And why would you do something like that?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but held his tongue. He wasn't used to Robin talking back like that but to put him down now would be the exact same thing he would have done under that strange man's influence.

"I was worried." He answered truthfully, eyes downcast.

Robin gave a small laugh. "You—worried? That's new."

"No it's not. I care about you."

"And why should I believe you?"

This was beginning to get difficult, but Robin was right… "I wasn't myself when we last fought. I was—"

"Like I said before, why should I believe you?" And he stepped up onto the railing of the catwalk with one foot, pushing himself up so he could flip in midair and land gracefully on both feet. That was one of Robin's unique traits…one of the things he would always beat Bruce at. "I believed you when I came back, believed that you would help me take down my worst enemy. You didn't act too much out of character then, so what makes any difference now?"

He knew the truth. "…Nothing…So what are you going to do about it?"

Robin shook his head slowly, disappointed. "First, I'm going to ask you why you killed all those little boys."

He knew what Robin must have been thinking and it made enough sense to Bruce too. Bruce had finally snapped and took out his frustration on anyone that resembled Richard at the ages he had known the boy. That's the same conclusion any psychiatrist would come to right from the start.

"I didn't mean to, Richard. Someone else was—"

"Controlling you—I know. That's what I thought you'd say. But guess what—prove it."

And…he couldn't. Richard was brought up by him where everything had to have proof in order to be real or at least a little bit reasonable.

"…I can't, Richard. But why are you doing this? Why are you fighting me like this?"

"Because—" Richard tossed the three birdarangs and Bruce dodged the instant he saw them coming. He had to do a tumble and roll to avoid the small explosion that followed and stood cautiously to watch Robin take up a fighting stance. "…this is going to be my last act as a hero."

"So heroes take down other heroes. Is that it?"

"You're no hero, Bruce. Just another criminal."

"Then what does that make you? Are you going to hang up the cape and call it quits finally?"

Robin shook his head slowly, again as though he was disappointed…but sadly. "I made a deal with the devil, Bruce, and I always pay up to my debts."

That was true, but then who the hell did he owe…

He saw him, standing on the catwalk where Robin last was, hands behind his back like the first time Bruce saw him. He had had a fair share of history with Deathstroke the Terminator himself, but he believed Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans knew him simply by his first name, Slade.

"You…" Bruce growled. "You're behind all of this."

"No…" the man replied calmly. "You are."

And the Robin attacked.

-BB-

"Dude, dude, DUDE! Where are you! Answer me already!"

Beast Boy shook his communicator and chucked it down at the side-walk. It was who-knows-what time in the middle of the night and the streets were as empty as the cities in the horror movies. Jaze, under Blood's control, tried to kill him, Robin was off somewhere, probably no one had any idea where Slade was, and the other Titans were still in Jump trying to find Blood…who was here…or should be here…

He had no idea what he was going to do…

"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?"

"We are mostly here, friend Beast Boy."

"EEP!" He nearly had a heart attack, stumbling back into a street lamp post when Starfire suddenly descended upon him. What she was doing there was beyond his understanding, but he had never been happier before in his life to see her.

Crying out in joy, he ran up to the alien girl and hugged her tightly, seeming to make her happier by the show of affection. "Thank God you're here, Star! I have no idea where Robin is or…where I am either. Are you the only one here or—"

"Raven is on the roof, Beast Boy. She is…unconscious."

Unconscious? Well, that wasn't good.

"Um, show me where."

"Then we may take her to the pital of hos."

"Hospital?"

"Er…yes."

She took off back into the air and he morphed into a bird to follow. Right she was—there was Raven, levitating over the roof of a high-rise hotel like some sort of possessed woman. It was…kind of freaky…

"Oh…what do we do, Beast Boy?"

After morphing, he shrugged. "Call 911?"

-A-

Short, I know, but I had to end it here otherwise I'd cut into the good part. And you guys make such interesting assumptions, especially with the betting between who will win—Robin or Batman. Anyhow, I'll catch you guys later. I hope you have a wonderful summer.

Until Again,

Alexnandru Van Gordon