Chapter 19:
Police Headquarters – Ten o'clock the next morning:
Batman was staring out the same window he had when Robin had been taken to the State Pen. This time, however, it was a crowd of people he was watching instead of a prison transfer truck. A very large crowd, most adorned in black clothing.
"Are you ready, Batman?"
A solemn-looking Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara were standing near the door. Batman glanced at them, then back at the crowd, then turned toward the door and nodded. The three men walked down the stairs and out the front entrance of Police Headquarters. A podium with three microphones was set up at the top of the steps. Reporters filled the lower steps and the crowd of citizens filled the sidewalk and spilled into the street, stretching down both ways and across to the other sidewalk.
"Begorrah, there must be a' least three hundred!" Chief O'Hara exclaimed under his breath.
"Exactly three hundred and seventy-three, Chief," Batman stated stoically.
Commissioner Gordon stood in front of the podium. With a grave face and trembling voice, he introduced Batman and stated that the press conference would last no longer than fifteen minutes.
Then it was Batman's turn. He stepped up to the microphones and took a deep breath.
"Robin, Robin, Robin…"
The chant began quietly in the back and then quickly spread throughout the crowd. Soon the entire area was filled with the sound of the young hero's name. Batman, although he had known that not everyone had turned on Robin, was stunned. He had not expected something like this.
Holding up his hands in a plea for silence, Batman began his statement.
"Citizens of Gotham City, a week and a half ago a tabloid 'journalist' wrote an article. Today, because of that article, I have to bury my partner."
Robin was alive, Batman had just talked to him this morning. But just saying those last three words – the ones that had been so close to being the truth – brought a small lump of grief into his throat. The Caped Crusader paused and silently counted to five.
"It didn't start with an article, Batman!" a foolish person in the middle of the crowd yelled. "Robin killed that criminal guy!"
Turning his head toward the sound, Batman quickly searched until he located the pair of guilty eyes. He wanted to go down there and beat the poor soul to pieces but settled for a dark Bat-glare. For now, anyway.
"I have always held the people of this community in high regard," Batman continued. "Until last week, when a crowd of hecklers gathered in this very place and began insulting Robin when he arrived to give his own statement to Chief O'Hara. In all my years of being a crime-fighter, I have often been mocked by criminals and villains. Never have the law-abiding citizens of Gotham City done anything like that.
However, I found out last week that your hearts can easily be flipped. Robin was slandered in that article but many of you took it upon yourselves to vocally support sending him to the State Pen."
Batman was clenching the sides of the podium and his words were clipped and full of anger. There had been some gasps of surprise during his speech and the Caped Crusader knew that the hecklers from last week probably weren't even here.
"I obviously don't know the exact details of Robin's…"
Batman had to pause again and take a deep breath. Robin is alive.
Clearing his throat, he continued, "Robin's death. There are only two people who know exactly what happened. One of them is a villainous, lying murderer and the other is a dead teenage hero. I do, however, know that my partner was courageous to the very end. Joker was extremely injured when I questioned him mere hours after his encounter with Robin. Without a doubt, I know that those injuries came from the quick strikes and strong attacks of the Boy Wonder. He was fighting for his life and I'm sure he knew it.
Robin and I rarely spoke of the chance of one of us dying. We knew it would eventually happen, and that it probably wouldn't be from natural causes. Death is a consequence we are willing to accept in order to protect this fair city. But never would I ever have imagined that my partner would die in the very place where we put hardened criminals and dangerous villains after arresting them.
The last thing I did before he died was answer the Bat-signal. I left my young partner in the State Pen in order to help the GCPD and I will never hear his voice again. He is the one that convinced me to answer the Bat-signal. I will always regret that, but he would be proud to know that the situation was taken care of without any injuries to any innocent citizens.
That was the main thing – he wanted to protect you. All of you," Batman swept his hand across the crowd, "but you turned on him. He didn't care that some of you hated him. I wasn't going to answer the Bat-signal. Robin nearly growled at me when I told him that. It was my job to help and he was going to be disappointed in me if I didn't answer the call for help."
Batman realized he was beginning to ramble. After a quick glance at the notes on the podium in front of him, the hero resumed his statement.
"To those of you who, even after reading the article, still believed in Robin and all that he stood for – thank you. To those of you who decided to turn your backs on a teenager who was still learning how to protect innocent people – you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves. Your actions were reprehensible.
This next comment is not a threat, by any means, it's merely an observation. I have an excellent facial recognition memory and I was there when you were jeering at my young partner. I saw you and I can easily find out your names, but rest assured that I will not do anything to harm you in any way. If you ever see me patrolling, or are watching me rescue someone, or are the victim of a crime and it's you that I'm helping, all you have to do is look me in the eyes. You will see that I recognize you. You will know that my recognition comes from a time when I had a partner by my side and you were heckling him."
Commissioner Gordon suddenly stepped up beside Batman, fearing that things were about to go in an unwanted direction.
"It's been twelve minutes, Batman," he whispered after covering the microphones with his hand. "Let me finish up?"
Batman nodded and stepped back. He was done anyway. The Caped Crusader realized that he was trembling slightly. In all his many press conferences, as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, he had never been nervous or shaky. This was, however, about the death of the very alive Robin. That, combined with the anger he felt towards the twenty-seven people in that crowd last week, was probably the cause.
"And so, with Batman's permission, it will be placed across the Bat-signal for the rest of this month and will light up the sky every night."
The Caped Crusader had tuned the commissioner out. What was going to be placed across the Bat-signal? Chief O'Hara was standing next to the commissioner and holding up some kind of metal sign.
Everyone was suddenly staring at him expectantly and Batman had no idea what he was supposed to say.
"Um, Batman," the chief whispered over his shoulder. "Can we put Robin's 'R' across the Bat-signal this month? I know it's not exactly the same style as his real one but it's hard…"
Batman held up his hand and nodded. That was all he could do because if he tried to say anything the lump in his throat would crack and people would be able to hear the tears threatening to break through.
He should have expected something like this. Everyone loved the shining light that was the Boy Wonder and he should have known that the GCPD would have a tribute ready. Batman was about to burst, so he turned and fled. Racing back into Headquarters, he flew through the building to the back exit, where the Batmobile was parked.
A young kid was leaning against the wall, staring at the Batmobile. Without even glancing at him, the Caped Crusader opened the driver side door and climbed in.
"Cool car," the kid mumbled.
Batman looked at him in surprise then threw out a quick, "Thanks."
"Nice wheels," the boy muttered.
Deciding to hold back his emotions for a moment longer, Batman climbed out of the Batmobile.
"Are you okay?" he asked the child.
"Yep."
"Are your parents here? Do you live around here? Can I help you with something?"
"Nope, Crime Alley, nope."
"Okay, is there a reason why you're standing out here by yourself so far away from where you live?"
"Yep."
This was like trying to pry answers out of a young, traumatized Dick Grayson. Or a stubborn Robin in solitary confinement with no way out.
"And what is that reason?" Batman asked, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.
"Wanted to see the Batmobile."
"Okay, well, here it is."
"Is Robin really dead?"
The child's voice was timid but not scared.
"Did you hear what I was saying earlier?" Batman asked, his voice a little more gentle.
"Yep," the boy whispered. "You have to bury him. I've had to bury people, too."
"I'm sorry," the hero said softly.
There was a pause and then Batman thought of something.
"Do you want a quick ride?"
"Sure!" the boy exclaimed, his whole face lighting up in excitement.
They climbed into the Batmobile and went for a short drive around downtown Gotham City. Before returning to Police Headquarters, Batman asked if the boy wanted to be driven home and received a negative answer.
After dropping the kid off, Batman asked, "What's your name?"
"Uh, Jason," the boy stated, staring at the wheels of the Batmobile again.
"You like cars."
It was a comment, not a question, but Jason answered anyway.
"Yep, but mostly the wheels."
Turning around, the boy walked away. Batman shook his head and began the short drive back to the Batcave.
Later that night:
Bruce, Dick and Alfred were doing something very unusual. They were sitting on the couch in the living room and preparing to watch a movie together. Bruce felt awkward, Alfred felt very out of place and Dick was ecstatic.
Turning on the TV, Bruce said, "Remind me again why we're doing this, chum."
"In this book you gave me," Dick held up a book entitled 'Home Remedies for Healing Bodies', "it says that besides sleeping, family togetherness is one of the best ways to get back on track to 'being your healthiest self'."
Grinning, Dick put the book down and settled himself between the two men.
"Batman's speech was both moving and disturbing."
The nightly news was on and there was a panel of four people brought together to comment on the Caped Crusader's statement. Bruce rolled his eyes and started to change the channel.
"Wait!" Dick nearly shouted. "I want to hear what they say about Batman."
"It began much differently than I thought it would," a lady with short, red hair stated.
"I thought it was good for him to get all that crap off his chest," an old man grumbled. "I'd be mad if my partner was dead because of something somebody wrote."
"It wasn't Mindy Landis' article that set off the chain of events that led to the death of Batman's sidekick," a fat woman with gray hair said knowingly. "Robin killed that criminal when he rescued Bruce Wayne. He was a murderer, although he didn't deserve to go to the State Pen. He was, after all, only a teenager."
The television screen went black and a remote flew across the room.
"Relax, Bruce, people are entitled to their own opinions."
Rolling his eyes, Dick stood up and retrieved the remote. He turned the TV back on and sat down, keeping the remote in his hand. Bruce mumbled something about idiots trying to be commentators.
"Listen to this part," the anchorman said. "He begins by saying that his next comment is 'not a threat'. Let's hear what something that's 'not a threat' sounds like."
He pushed a button and a clip began to play: "I saw you and I can easily find out your names."
"Sure sounds like a threat to me," the redhead claimed.
"Those people deserve to be worried," the old man grumbled again. "You don't turn your back on a kid who has saved too many lives to count."
This time Bruce's mumble was about smart old men. Alfred grinned slightly and Dick chuckled softly.
"And yet there is one life he didn't save," the know-it-all woman said. "If he is, I mean was, supposed to protect everyone – 'all of you' as Batman said – then why did The Darkling die?"
"Dick," Bruce growled as he reached for the remote.
"Relax," the teenager repeated, scooting closer to Alfred.
"Before we continue," the anchorman said, "we have raw footage of something very surprising. Batman seems to already have a new Robin!"
"Out with the old, in with the new!" the red-haired lady exclaimed.
"There's no way Batman would get a new sidekick on the same day that he buries his original sidekick," the old man snapped.
"This one is probably better," the gray-haired woman stated. "He's not a murderer. Yet, anyway. Hopefully this one can stay innocent."
Bruce didn't react to the word 'murderer' like he had before. He was too busy staring at a blurry image of himself, in the Batmobile, with a small head of dark hair in the passenger seat beside him.
"Who is that?" Dick asked, happy to see that Batman was taking his advice about needing a Robin seriously but also sad that the man was looking already.
"Master Bruce?"
"What? Oh, that's Jason. He was standing by the Batmobile and likes cars. I gave him a quick ride then returned him to Headquarters."
Bruce saw the mixed expression on Dick's face.
"No, I'm not looking for a replacement in case you die, chum."
"What about for when I grow up?"
"I don't need anyone to replace you. We can still be partners when you're an adult."
"Not if I'm dead," Dick countered.
"Master Dick," Alfred stated reprovingly.
"Sorry," the boy sighed. "Maybe I'll find a new one for you before I die," he muttered under his breath.
Both men heard, but neither chose to react to the nearly inaudible comment.
"Movie time, kiddo," Bruce stated, grabbing the remote out of the hand of his distracted ward.