A/N: Um…yeah. I really have nothing to say right now. Just sorry for not updating in a long time. I have work from six a.m. to five p.m. every day. I work in an old warehouse with my dad and do some hard work, so I'm really worn out when I come home. Sometimes it is worse than school, but I'm helping my dad a lot. And I get a lot of money, so I keep going. But I'm too tiered every night to type on my laptop, so I can't type till weekends or my day off. So sorry again for not updating normally. Please R&R.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Teen Titans!
Chapter 11 Escaping From The Bat
"Why are you doing this?" Robin asked Batman. The man was tying Robin's wrists together with a rope.
"Just to make sure you don't take off again," Batman said simply. "I know what you're thinking, Robin."
"So what am I thinking?" Robin asked him with a sly smile.
"Don't start with me," Batman said sternly to Robin. He carefully tied the rope with different knots that he knew Robin had no idea how to get out of. He had to tie the rope around him tight because he knew how Robin could easily slip out of it if it was loose on him. It was at this time that Batman noticed all the scars on the boy's body.
Robin stayed silent as Batman pulled his arm with the long scar on it closer to him. Batman lightly touched it with a gloved hand and saw the teen give a small wince as it stung. He pulled his arm away and muttered, "I'm fine. I'll live."
"You're not fine, Robin," Batman said while trying to make eye contact. "You're seriously mad at me."
"Someone is watching us," Robin muttered while looking away again. "Right behind you."
Batman looked confused at first, but he finally caught on to what Robin was doing. John could be watching them and waiting. Robin had the body language that he was mad, but he was really trying to fool John. He was doing a good job of it too.
"Are you sure?" Batman asked Robin while taking out bat-a-rang from his belt.
"Better be safe than sorry," Robin said quietly.
Batman then turned around sharply and threw the gadget at whoever was in the bushes behind him. They heard a sharp cry of pain. Robin scrambled to his feet a little off balance because his hands were tied together. He was about to run after the person, but Batman caught him in his arms before he could go anywhere.
"That was not John!" Robin said while struggling to get out of the man's arms.
Batman let Robin go, and they both ran to see who the person was whom they hurt. Batman stopped as they saw that is was Prosper. Robin slid to a stop next to the boy on his knees. Prosper was crying at the pain in his shoulder where the weapon sliced into him. He was pinned to a tree by his over sized trench coat.
"What are you doing here?" Batman asked Prosper with anger in his voice. He could have killed the boy. "I told Starfire to bring you to the others. What happened?"
"Give it a rest!" Robin hissed at him while yanking the bat-a-rang out of the tree. "Hang on, kid," he said to Prosper while ripping off the kid's sleeve to see the wound. He winced while seeing the big cut on his arm. Blood was dripping down his arm and the kid looked like he was going to faint from the pain.
"Don't touch it!" Prosper said to Robin when the teen tried to wrap the cloth of Prosper's sleeve around the cut. "It hurts really bad!"
"This is for your own good," Robin muttered while wrapping the cloth around it anyway with some difficulty because of his hands bound together. Prosper winced as he tightened it to stop the bleeding. "You'll be fine," he said while finishing it all with a few tight knots. His hands were so careful and light even though he had used them so many times to be rough and tough. He gave Prosper a wide grin and the kid managed a weak smile as he leaned his back against the tree.
"This is nothing like what you see in the movies," Prosper said. "They make it look like it does not hurt so bad, but in real life it hurts like hell."
"You should not be seeing movies like that," Batman said while folding his arms in front of him and glaring down at the teen and kid. "And where did you learn to swear like that? It is unhealthy for someone your age."
"I can swear whenever I want to," Prosper said while returning the glare. Prosper opened his mouth to shout another swear word just to tick the man off, but Batman cut him off.
"I've had enough of you kids," he said while grabbing Prosper's wrist in one hand and the end of Robin's rope in the other. He dragged them to their feet, and the two made a few protests before finally getting up. "We are going back to the sub," Batman said with a serious tone in his voice. "No more protests."
"You're not the one tied up," Robin muttered under his breath.
"I heard that, Robin," Batman said over his shoulder. He saw the dirty look Robin gave him, but the teen kept quiet as he was pulled along through the jungle with Prosper next to him. He felt betrayed. This was not part of his plan. He had to get away from Batman. Maybe with Prosper here with him now things would be easier than before. The kid was on his side.
Robin glanced over to Prosper, and the kid gave him a forced smile to hide the real pain in his shoulder and his small defeat of being found so quickly. Robin sure hoped that Prosper knew sign language because the only way to communicate with Bruce not knowing their plan was to be completely silent.
"Know what I'm saying, kid?" Robin asked him in sign language. He only knew the letters and a few other words, but it was enough to get him by. When he was in the circus he knew a lady who was deaf and he quickly picked up on a few words. Batman had gone over the basics just incase in some strange situation they had to use it.
Prosper came back quickly with, "Yes. I was bored on the plane trips and learned sign language to pass the time."
Robin gave him a confused look and signed, "Not so fast! I don't know that much!"
Prosper smiled at him then dropped the happy expression when Batman looked back at them. Robin pretended to not notice him. He was trying to get out of his bindings. He did a good job of hiding everything, and Batman turned his attention back to the trail.
"I need to get out of here," Robin signed to Prosper. "I need you to be a distraction for me. I know how to get out of these binds, but I need Batman to be focused on something else rather than me." It took him a long time to get that all out because he was so limited with the words.
"Why do kids always have to be the distraction?" Prosper complained.
Robin almost laughed. He had forgotten that Prosper was only a kid. The boy was smart as a super computer but was still that tiny kid inside. He kind of reminded Robin of himself at that age. Now he had to convince Prosper that he had to do this. A bribe was always good, but the kid was too smart for one. Using logic on a kid was never productive, so what could Robin do?
"No, you get the fun part!" Robin said. "Ticking the Batman off is one of my favorite things to do. Plus, he will have to go after me so you will just be right behind me."
"Okay, I have an idea. Just go along with it." Robin gave him a surprised look. In two seconds the kid was already forming a plan. He was not expecting that.
"OW!" Prosper yelled while dropping to his knees as if in pain. Batman quickly turned around to see what was wrong with the kid. Robin lightly stepped behind Batman and pulled out his pocketknife. He silently started to cut the rope around his wrists.
"What's wrong?" Batman asked Prosper while kneeling down next to him. Then he realized that this could be a distraction and looked up to Robin. The teen did not think that Batman would catch on so fast and was caught in the act of freeing himself. He looked up and saw the Bat narrowing his eyes at him.
"Um…I can explain," Robin said quickly while putting his knife back in his pocket.
"Don't need to," Batman said. "You're testing my patience today, Robin. Don't push me over the edge."
Suddenly Prosper took off into the jungle in a sprint. Batman and Robin looked to where he used to stand with stunned faces. The kid could kill himself in a jungle. Batman knew all this and had no other choice but to follow after him.
"You're going to have to make a choice here," Robin said with a smile. He pulled on the rope and snapped it. His hands were finally free and he rubbed his sore wrists. "I can survive the jungle and you know that. So who will you go after?"
"Don't move," Batman ordered the teen with his voice dark. Robin took a step to the side and gave his father a rebellious smile. This finally pushed Batman over the edge, and he lunged for Robin. The teen expected this and danced to the side quickly just out of the man's reach.
"Thanks for the grappling hook," Robin said while grabbing the guy's gadget out of his belt.
"Don't you dare, Robin!" Batman yelled at him. They both paused. Robin was aiming the grappling hook somewhere in the trees as he looked over to Batman. Bruce stood a few feet away from him and now daring his son to even take another step. He would be in so much trouble if he did this. Robin knew this too, and that is why he was hesitating so much.
"Sorry," Robin said quietly. "I just have to do this."
"Why?" Batman yelled the question at him. He had no idea why Robin was doing this. He must have gone insane. It was the only answer his mind could think of at the moment.
Robin bit his lower lip in thought. How could he explain this to him? It was almost impossible. It just felt like the right thing to do. Something inside him was making him do this. He could not even explain it to himself.
"I…don't know," Robin finally said. He wished he had a better answer. This one was sure to make Batman more confused. It would definitely tell the Bat that his son had finally snapped and went insane. Boy, would he be in trouble when he got back home…if he got back home. Right now he was too sure. Not a very reassuring thought.
"Don't do this, Robin," Batman said calmly to him even though he was boiling inside.
"Why do you care so much?" Robin asked him. Now he was starting to get angry again. "You know I can handle myself. Why can't you just let me do what I know is right?"
"For a few seconds I thought my son was dead," Batman said. "Do you know what that feeling is like? It scared me so much, Richard. I can't bear to have that feeling again."
Robin felt like stopping right then and there. He was so full of mixed emotions. He loved Bruce. But there had to be a time in Bruce's life to grow up and accept the fact that Robin was not going to be here for forever. There had to be a time in Bruce's life that he had to know that Robin could take care of himself. He was not that kid anymore.
"Have some faith," Robin said to Batman. He then flew into the trees and disappeared completely. Batman watched him go silently. There went his only son. Would he ever see him again after this? Should he have more faith in him? The answer was no for Batman. Once he found Prosper he would go straight after Robin.
"I'm guessing that you want to go after him," Prosper asked him from behind. Batman spun around with surprise written all over his face. The kid was leaning against a tree with a smug smile on his face. "Robin was right," he said while crossing his arms in front of him.
"About what?" Batman mumbled while narrowing his eyes at the kid. He had been outsmarted by this tiny person. How was that possible?
Prosper gave a small laugh and said, "He said it was fun to piss you off."
"He had better not said those exact words," Batman growled.
"I improvised a little," Prosper said with a smile. "So where to?"
"We are going after Robin," Batman said.
"Can we stop off at John's house?" Prosper asked him. "I'm starving!"
"No more complaining," Batman ordered while grabbing Prosper's wrist and dragging him deeper into the jungle. "And no more swearing, evil plots, or trying to tick me off. I'm sick of it all."
"But can you let go of me?" Prosper asked him while trying hard to pull his arm free from the death grip on it. "I promise to be good."
"They always say that," Batman muttered without even glancing down at the kid.
"I'm guessing that was no," Prosper said while glaring up at Batman.
"You catch on pretty fast," Batman said. He expressed a small smile when he saw the dirty look Prosper shot him. Boy, was the kid mad. But what could he do? Talking to the Bat was like talking to a brick wall at this moment.
Raven woke up slowly. She saw Beat Boy leaning over her with a worried expression on his face. She rarely ever saw him give her that look. She must have freaked him out a lot. When he saw that she was awake he smiled and yelled over to Cyborg, "She lives!" He jumped into the air with pure joy.
"Not so loud, Beast Boy," Raven said while sitting up and holding onto her head. "I have a headache."
"Hey, you okay?" Cyborg asked her while coming up to join the two. "You had us scared for a few seconds."
"I'm fine," Raven said quickly. She tried to get up but had to lean on Cyborg for support. She was so dizzy on her feet, and she hated to have to depend on someone. She liked to take care of herself. But it would be stupid to deny the fact that she needed help.
"John is gone," Beast Boy said. "I can pick up his sent, though." He changed into a dog and started to sniff around the beach. It did not take him long to get it. He changed back into his human form and said while jumping up and down to get their attention, "He went this way!"
"Lay off the sugar, BB," Cyborg told his green friend while following. He helped Raven along the beach and was right behind the dog as they all entered the jungle. They walked slowly for a few minutes in silence. Raven would get really dizzy once and a while and would stumble. She felt so weak for using up so much of her power. She kept thinking how stupid she was for doing that. But she had to get that anger out somehow without blowing up the whole island.
Suddenly the three where thrown off their feet. A green wire/rope net appeared under them and they were quickly tangled up in the stuff. They were a big ball of arms and legs. Raven had a knee shoved into her stomach and knock the air out of her. Beast Boy's head was shoved into the bottom of the net. Cyborg was in a weird and uncomfortable position.
"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled for the whole world to hear. "Get your foot off my head whoever you are!"
Raven was gasping for air so she could not answer. Her head was spinning out of control. She tried her hardest to stay awake, though.
"We will be out of here in a second," Cyborg said while aiming his sonic cannon up at the branch holding them in the net. He shot at it, but the wire/rope absorbed the shot and zapped anything touching the net with an electric volt. The three screamed out of pain and surprise. So blasting their way out of there was off the escape plan.
"You will not be getting out of there anytime soon, kids," John said to them while walking out into the small clearing where they hung. "So have fun."
"You will let us go!" Cyborg yelled at him with deep anger in his voice.
John laughed from plain amusement at the sight of the three. "I have already won," he said while flashing them a wicked smile. "Robin is heading for the third destination. I'll kill him then. You guys are hanging hopelessly here. It is that simple. You guys are too easy and predictable. Toddles!" He then walked off with another laugh.
"He does not know that Batman, Prosper, and Starfire are here," Raven said quietly to her team. "We still have a chance at beating him."
"I can't morph!" Beast Boy yelled while thrashing around in the net. "We're dead! We're dead! DEAD!"
"Beast Boy!" Cyborg yelled at him. "Shut up! We are not going to die because you can't use your powers at the moment. Just calm down."
"Friends?" someone somewhere in the jungle called out.
"Starfire!" all three caught in the net said at the same time at the sound of her sweet voice. They all smiled as they saw Starfire fly up to them.
"Friends!" Starfire said with a small gasp. "Who did this to you?"
"John," Cyborg answered quickly. "Try to cut us down, Star. We need to find John again and stop him from getting close to Robin."
"We have found Robin," Starfire said while shooting some starbolts at the net. All it did was shock the others, and they yelled for her to stop before they became BBQ. "Sorry," she said while stopping quickly.
"So Batman is taking Robin back to the sub?" Beast Boy asked Starfire. "And where is Prosper? Is he with the two?"
"Yes," Starfire said while trying to figure out a way to get her friends free. "But it seems that Robin has gone crazy and wants to save John when it is him who needs saving. I was told to bring Prosper with me. But Prosper told me that Robin was right and that I needed to trust him. So I let Prosper go back with Robin. I do not understand his ways, but I trust him."
"He's fine," Raven said. "Since I went into his mind that one time his feelings are strong when I'm close to him. I can feel him now. He is only worried, but I don't feel anything else from him."
"You can really feel emotions from other people?" Beast Boy asked her. She nodded right before Starfire snapped the branch they were hanging from. With screams of surprise, the three dropped to the muddy ground with a loud thud. They groaned while untangling themselves.
"Come, friends!" Starfire said quickly while hovering over them. "We must find Batman and Robin. I fear that they are angry and will fight each other."
"Then let's hurry," Cyborg said while getting up. "The two are so stubborn that they could kill each other to get their way." With that said, the team took off into the jungle heading for the place Starfire was last in hoping that Robin, Batman, and Prosper were still there.
A/N: I know how I want to end this fic, but I just can't seem to put it down on paper and make it sound right. I hate it when that happens. It bugs the heck out of me! I know exactly how to end it but the right words will not come! I'm going to have to bang my head against the wall to make it come. Oh, and look for my new fic! If you like the apprentice theme you might like it. And if you love weird plots like this one you might like it too. It has Red X in it too, but you don't see him as Red X much. And for any Harry Potter fans my friend has a fan fic. Her pen name is Emiline Grace. Now that that is done, please give a review! Thanks!