Ok everyone here is the second and final half of my short story. Again I do not own anything to do with Batman or DC.
I just wanted to let eveyone know how much fun this kind of Fic was and I hope to do more fic on this series. Thanks again!
Chapter Four - Going Solo
Robin bounced roof top to roof top. He had no idea where he was going to find the Joker. But he had to rely on the training that Batman provided him. Robin stopped on the top of a tall skyscraper outside downtown Gotham. He touched the corner of his mask to turn the night vision on, he began to scan the streets below. A van was speeding down 17th street pretty fast. He zoomed in. It was Harley and two others of the Jokers henchman. This was it, Robin quickly shot his grappling hook across to the next building and swooped down and jumped on his motorcycle that he had just seconds earlier called for by pressing a button on his utility belt.
Robin was now in pursuit of the Van. He was careful not be seen. He followed the van for a few more miles. It pulled into an underground parking garage, where a vacant office building sat above.
"Batman, come in, this is Robin"
"Batman here, go ahead"
"I may have possibly located the Joker. I am at a vacant office building near down town on 47th & Arch street. I am going in."
"Good Robin, just be careful."
X X X X
Back at the Batcave Batman paced back and forth. "This is not a good idea. I should be there. It makes no sense to for me to be here and Robin all alone."
"Master Bruce may I suggest at the very least going out near the action."
"Good idea Alfred. I can't just stand here and do nothing."
X X X X
Robin entered the building near the top floor from a half boarded window. He made his way into a dark room. "Ouch, what the...where did this box come from."
Robin flipped his night vision on again. The room was full of old crates. He made his way down twenty flights of stairs and there was still no sign of the Joker or any of his cohorts. He decided to go down to the parking garage. The place was empty.
"Way to go Robin, batting 0 for 2 now." Robin chastised himself for feeling as though he wasted his time carefully going down twenty flights of stairs and now staring an empty parking garage in the face. "Where did the Van go? I know I saw it go in here. There has to be another way out and I think I found it"
Robin approached a corner of the garage that appeared to have a large freight elevator. "Large enough to take a van underground." He thought as he congratulated himself for finally figuring something out that's right. He decided to take the elevator downward.
The elevator finally stopped at what seemed like a hundred feet below where he just was. He was about to continue forward when an all too familiar high pitched voice spoke.
"Hiya boy wonder, where's your daddy at?"
"Nice to see you to Harley. So this is part where you take me to Barbara now."
"Is that right? Or else what?"
"Or else I will be forced to hit a girl. But then again because its you, that may be enjoyable"
Before Harley had a chance to retort, a single gun shot fired from the corner of the room. The Joker walked forward out of the darkness.
"Looky what we have here Harley. I see Batman has sent a boy to do a mans job. So tell me little wonder boy, where's the winged creep at? O wait, let me guess...he's at home washing his tights! HAHAHAHA." The Joker at this point was standing over a wounded Robin, with his pistol pointed at his head.
The gunshot wound in his upper thigh didn't seem to bother Robin and for that matter, the fact that a pistol was pointed at his head did not seem to phase Robin one bit. "I would put my money that he is outside finding a way in as we speak"
"That may very well be, but we'll see if he can make it. I really didn't plan on him staying away anyway, so I have a few surprises awaiting the him. Harley restrain our wounded bird here and put him with our other guest"
Chapter Five - A helping hand
Batman had heard every word. The two way radio in Robins mask was still activated. Batman was all ready outside the vacant building. He had tracked Robins signal to this spot. He made his way into the underground parking garage, He found the freight elevator and followed the path Robin had just taken minutes prior. Batman slipped his way unnoticed down the elevator. The room where Robin was just been shot was very empty. Batman started to make his way towards the next room.
The floor opened up upderneath him. Complete darkness, he could feel himself spiraling downwards. Batman could do nothing but wait and see where this drop took him. He could then see a dot of light which quickly grew into a large opening. Batman quickly noticed that it would not be a pleasant landing, considering that three fourths of the floor consisted of four foot cement spikes. His grappling hook shot above a small ledge on the other side of the room. Batman swung himself up on the edge. "Must had been a trap door." Batman muttered to himself as he regained his balance.
"Welcome my caped friend, I see you managed to escape just one of my many surprises that I have in store for you." The Jokers voice announced loudly over an intercom system. "As I am sure you realized all ready, the boy wonder is a bit occupied at the moment, along with Commissioner Gordon's daughter. They're just going to be hanging around for awhile."
Batman was wasting no time, he all ready was a couple of rooms over by the time the Joker was done amusing himself on the intercom. He found he was in a room that appeared to be nothing but a huge maze.
"Looks like your friends will be long gone before you find me Batman. I told you not to show up here. But nooaah, you had to be the hero. And for that, Gordon's daughter will die, hahahaha! And Robin, well the boy wonder will never live to puberty!"
Batman knew he had very little time to waste, Certainly no time to walk through a maze. He shot a bat hook straight up and was pulled to the top of the hook. He could now see over the entire maze. He fired another bat hook. It took two swings to get across. The door was in his sight, the momentum of the last swing was taking him right at the door. He tumbled through, breaking the door completely. He sprang up immediately, he was now in a very large room. It appeared to be some type of old chemical factory, it had a very sulfur like smell in the room. Barbara was tied to a roped that dangling over a large pot of boiling chemicals. The Joker stood above them all on a catwalk with Harley and an unconscious Robin.
"Sorry to spoil the fun, but the party's over Joker."
"Oh but you're right Batfreak, the party is over for you and your friends. I warned you not to go snooping your pointy ears in my business." The Joker let out a thunderous trade mark laugh he has." Time to make a choice Batman. Save the girl or save the boy or wait, will it be door number three, save your self, HAHAHAHAHA! Hit it boys"
With those words the building began to shake, the catwalks began to sway violently and chemicals were spilling out of their pots. The Jokers men triggered an explosion. The Joker, Harley and the rest of his crew were escaping through a hole in the wall at the end of the cat walk. As the joker ran past where Barbara was hanging, he threw a lit match towards the rope. It lit up. The fire was now burning through the rope. Batman did not consider any of the choices. He knew he had to save both of Barbara and Robin and get himself out of this self destructing building.
Robins unconscious body lay on the edge of the above catwalk that would snap in half any moment. He shot a bat hook straight past Barbara and in the collapsing ceiling above. He then attached the base of the hook to his utility belt and shot forward. He was able to snatch Barbara with his left hand and with his right he shot another bat hook that swung around Robin and the catwalk. Which was perfect timing because the catwalk collapse just as Robin was secure and flying upwards at the end of Batman's hook. Batman landed in front of the escape hole the Joker just ran through. He pulled Robin up to the ledge and undid the hook. He then quickly turned around and cut the ropes free from Barbara. He threw Robin over his shoulder. "Ms. Gordon are you able to walk?"
Barbara wiped her self off "Yes Batman, lets get outta here."
"Good, stay close."
They soon made their way out of the underground tunnel, that the Joker used to escape just minutes prior. Robin was becoming conscious. His eyes opened only to see Batman's backside. "Oh this is great. I was just facing the Joker and now I am on Batman's shoulder. Sure I'm ready to go solo" was what Robin thought to himself as he again started to mentally berate himself.
Batman soon realized they were about five blocks away from the vacant building. The Joker was nowhere in sight. He set Robin down and all three of them watched the vacant building parish in flames.
Batman radioed in to the authorities that he had Barbara safe and gave them his position. Within two minutes of that dispatch, Commissioner Gordon's car came to a screeching halt about ten feet in front of the three.
"Oh Barbara my baby, I am so glad you are alive and safe" The two met half way and embraced each other in a huge hug as a relieved father would. "Thank you Batman. Thank you."
"You should be thanking Robin commissioner, he is the one that located and first infiltrated the Joker's hideout."
A confused but very embarrassed look washed over the commissioner's face." Of course Robin, thank you so much. It's nice to know there are now two crime fighter of equal dependability in Gotham, thank you so much."
Now it was Robin who wore the embarrassed and confused expression. "But Commis…----"
Batman walked over to where Robin was barely able to stay standing. The Batmmobile pulled up next to them, he laid his hand on Robins shoulder. "Come on, lets go home"
Chapter 6 - A hero in the making
"The morning paper sir."
"Thanks Alfred. Just set it on the table"
Alfred set the paper on the table and proceeded back into the kitchen, passing Master Dick along the way. "Good morning Master Dick, I do hope your leg is feeling better this morning?"
"It's better Al, thanks." Dick hobbled in on crutches and sat down at the kitchen table to join Bruce for breakfast
"Glad to see you up and about so soon Dick. I didn't expect you to wake up this early" Bruce said with a little chuckle.
"I didn't sleep all that well Bruce. So I felt it was better to come out and eat something instead of just laying there in bed." Robin's voice was very melancholy. It was obvious his self professed failure was not sitting well with him.
"You're upset about last night?" Bruce asked him in a very sincere non judging way.
"Of course I am upset, I let you down. I let myself down. I failed Bruce. My first task you gave me and I fail. How do you expect me to feel after that. And why Bruce, did you tell the Commissioner he should thank me? You were the hero, you saved me, remember? And to top it all off, the Joker still got away. He is still on the loose.
Bruce let Dick continue on because he wanted him to get it all out. He needed to let Dick deal with this. "Listen Dick I don't look at last night as a failure. That was a huge step you took last night. I know you will learn from any mistakes. And I never did lie to Commissioner Gordon. It was you who located the Joker. It was you who did get inside. So I had to come and help you finish the job. Look, I won't be around forever and if I didn't think you could ever be as good and if not better than me, I would never allow you to continuing pursuing this path you are taking. As for the Joker, we'll get him. We always do. Please remember patience will take you far."
Dicks face still had a look of defeat "You're right Bruce. I just feel like I let everyone down. Like I took a step backwards." Bruce gave him a reassuring nod that its going to be ok. Dick stuffed a spoonful of Captain Crunch berries in his mouth and gave Bruce a nod back.
THE END
Again Thank you to all that have read this Fic.
