X.
"I knew you would find me, Robin. I was really relying on you."
Harm was crouching before me, smiling his nastier grin, clearly enjoying himself.
Just before showing us the altar, he locked us in separated rooms, giving us a really fat chance of plotting and coordinating a counterattack. And I had to admit it was far more inteligent than the common villian.
And after a while he had showed up just to brag about our failure and his victory and I could just imagine he had done so to my friends too. What I could not tell... no, correction... what I preferred not to think about was if they were still alive.
Some part of me was sure they were. As I said, he was a psycho, and catching us was not a show enough to satisfy his ego. The rest of me just shut down and didn't voice it's concerns, because I didn't need to crumble right now.
So I let him brag, because he most probably will let slip something useful.
"If you wanted so badly to be found you could have just send us a map. It would have saved a lot of time."
He grimaced.
"You are being really cocky for someone about to die."
"That's me in my other costume, Cockyboy." I shifted, my hands, tied at my back with this magic of his, were numb because of the lack of blood.
"You can joke all you want, Boy Wonder. It's not going to change a thing. I'm going to succeed and then..."
"... you are going to kill us all,blah, blah, blah."
He laughed, turning my entrails upside down. This was it. He was going to say what I didn't want to know. He was...
"Not at all. You are the only one that it's going to die."
Wait... What?
He laughed again.
"You will understand it better if I tell you the whole plan."
"Oh, you mean aside using Idhunn's Goblet to come back to life, killing me and... letting my friends go free?" No, it really made no sense at all. But... telling me his plan? Surely he was not so lame, was he?
He got up, still smiling.
"So, you know I'm going to use Idhunn's goblet. Do you know how it works too?"
"I know you need a body to resurrect."
"You've said it, a body. Any body. It don't have to match."
"So... the goblet links a soul to the nearest dead body, but it has to be a recent one." I deduced. No, not deduced, hoped.
"Oh, no, the goblet cures all wouds, restores the body. But... Good all Billy, for all his might, was not mighty enough."
The knot on my stomach returned, because I didn't like the sound of this words.
Neither I liked the ideas forming in my head. Suddenly his plan was quite plain, simple and brilliant. And I was so terrified I wanted to puke.
"So, that's what the dagger is for."
Yes, Tim. Think, deduce, connect... you are good at it and it focusses you. Don't panic. Don't crumble. Think, deduce, connect...
"It's really going be a waste to dispose of you. But you see the need of it, don't you?"
"It's not the horn of the Minothaur." I continued, ignoring his compliment, if it really was one, everything coming to place in my head and begging to be out of there. But a magical dagger Thesseus used to kill him. To kill..".
"To kill the strongest creature alive, yes."
He grinned, evil, mean, malign...
Fear was beggining to be replaced by rage.
"You touch Superboy and I swear to god that I would kill you!" I writhed, trying to get free.
"You are in no position to threaten me, Robin. You are going to die, remember?"
"Then Wonder Girl will shatter you to pieces, monster." I knew I wasn't suposed to relish the idea, but... Heck!
"I very much doubt that she will. For all she will know, Superboy is going to get free, then he is going to stop me, freeing his friends, just to find that you were not so lucky. The Titans will be so devastated... But life goes on..."
I kicked in his direction, but he was out of range. So I spat.
"I'm going to stop you, you hear me! I'm going to lock you forever and send you into oblivion, you fucking psycho!"
His boot conected with my ribs, solid enough for a ghost.
"I told you you are in no position to threaten me." He kicked again, harder, knocking me down. "I was going to kill you right now, but I'm going to delay it."
"Then you are doommed." I mumbled through clenched teeth.
A third kick, in my stomach, leaving me breathless for a painful moment.
"See you when I come to kill you with your dear Superboy's hands."
And he disapeared in a cloud of myst, leaving me alone, hurt and horrified.
I had to do something. Because.. damn! It was really a good plan, one that was going to work, at least during time enough to grow used to Con's body and...
Damn, damn, damn, damn!
I wrestled against the magic that had me tied, slithering to the wall, standing up with the help of it. My brain was racing, the outcome of his plan if I let him succeed haunting every thought I had. I had to focuss, I had to breath and focuss and think clearly. I knew how to do it. Fuck! I knew I knew how to do it!
I walked to the door, wich was locked, of course. Nevermind. I turned, sensing the lock with my fingers, and I draw a picklock from my glove.
It helped me focuss again. Think straight and form a plan. And a brilliant one. Crazy, difficult and suicidal, but brilliant nontheless.
But first I needed to get out and find Bart and Cassie.
It was going to be the easy part. Harm had not taken away my tools, so, I suspected, Cass and Bart still had their communicators with them. Piece of cake.
Then... Conner should be at the altar. Sure, I was a bit disoriented, but Bart could find the way, and Wondergirl could free Superboy and then fight Harm, distract him, let me some time.
"And all of this while magically handcuffed. You are not being ambitious at all"
Click.
The door openend and I sent my own tiny, wise voice to the deeps of my subconscious. It was not needed right now.
Now I just had to get my communicator to...
Oh, fuck. Yes. My communicator was in my belt. My belt was out of reach of my hands. How was I suposed to...
"Thank god I'm alone."
I sat on the floor and, contorting, I wrestled with my own boots, taking them off. Then came the socks. I had to use my teeth, which was disgusting, and I felt completely stupid trying to reach my belt with my toes. If I could just... undo its buckle... It had an emergency sistem. Batman thought about every possible contingence so it had an emergency undoing system...
It went clik while my groin gone crack.
Ignoring the pain in my muscles, I began to look for my communicator.
I managed to connect its locating system to look for Flash Kid and Wonder Girl. Cassie was just down the corridor. I preferred not to look for Con. I had to focus. I couldn't do it alone. I needed Cass and Bart.
So I stood up, barefoot, with my communicartor barely caught between my teeth, and began walking the corridor. I had to leave my boots and my belt behind and I felt so ridiculous I was sure I was blushing. But so far, so good. And it was all that really mattered.
I found another door, not very different from mine, with a "copy room" notice on it. I tried to knock gently with my elbow, but, being unsuccessful, I just kicked it a few times.
"Wondergirl, it's me, Robin." I said, after spatting very cautiosly the communicator on the floor.
I got no answer.
It could mean a lot of things. I was not going to take conclusions so quickly.
"Wondie, I'm going to take you out."
And then, turning, I tried the lock as I've done before. I was nervous and my feet began to be so cold they hurt, so it was difficult to concentrate. But it was not a strong lock and it finally gave way, opening.
"Wondergirl!" I called while I entered the room.
She was also tied magically, same way I was, but she was also unconscious. I crouched besides her, rocking her as softly as I could with my foot.
"Cassie.. Cassandra... wake up, come on... I need you."
She came round, opening her eyes wide.
"Tim you are...!"
She sat up suddenly, or tried to, nearly falling when she realized her arms were not free to hug me. She frowned, frustrated, and looked around. Then turned to me, a shy smile on her lips.
"Yo, Tim... You are alive." She mimicked her late outburst with a sheepish look. She frowned at my chuckling. "Don't laugh, I was really scared! He told me he was going to kill you first, that he was going to bring your head here for me to see it and... Well..." She interrumpted herself, finally realizing it was not very polite to describe how someone was planning to tear one to pieces. "Then he made something with the staff and I fell unconscious."
"And I guess Bart is unconscious too."
"We have powers." She deduced.
"Yeah, and I don't. It figures." I said, shrugging, quite full of myself.
What? I have lots of virtues, and modesty is not one of them.
"That's why we keep you around." She winked. "People keeps underestimating the powerless kid."
She looked at my back, realizing I was handcuffed too.
"So, what's your plan, Bound Wonder?"
I gave her a blank stare. There were no boundaries to the extent of jokes people could make out of my stupid nickname?
"My plan is to save Conner and the world, all in one day."
"Conner? What's with him?"
I sighed.
"Harm is planning to use him to resurrect."
"What?" She tried to stand up too fast and he fell backwards again.
"It's too long and I can explain it to you while we go look for Bart. Can you stand up?"
She grunted, rising nontheless.
"You better don't hide anything from me, Robin."
"I'm not planning on it, promised."
When she was up and ready, she game a sideways look before walking to the door, where she stared at my communicator.
"How did you bring it all the way here?"
I showed her, catching it with my toe as I leant on the wall.
"I put it on my mouth, but since you are here, it will be easier if you carry it in your hands."
She looked astonished.
"Is there anything you can't do?"
"Singing?"