Five Robins in a Room

By Kelly M. Maraglia

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin, Young Justice, or DC Comics in any way. The only Robin I own is Keelia, who is now the fifth Robin in existence. I do not own any Monty Python or anime references. I do not own Jeopardy either. I cannot guarantee the amount of silliness in this chapter. It may be quite serious.

We return to Arcanum's Pocket Dimension where the atmosphere is intense. The five Robins sat in their respective, numbered comfy chairs and awaited the return of Arcanum.

"I wonder when she'll come back." Dick commented.

"Hopefully never," Jason murmured.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Jason. I bear no hatred toward Arcanum, but she has no right to trap us here and 'deal out our fates' as she puts it." Tim agreed, just as annoyed.

"I'm scared," Stephanie said quietly.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"What that look for? I'm not ashamed to admit it just because you all are! I'm scared to know my fate because I just have a really bad feeling!" Stephanie screamed, tears escaping from her eyes.

Tim turned away from her. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her, but he couldn't if he wanted to hold it together himself. Then he felt a nudge from Jason. Dick nodded at Tim and Keelia smiled at him.

Tim took a deep breath and slowly put his arm around Stephanie. She immediately collapsed onto his chest in sobs. Tim closed his eyes in an effort to fight back his own tears. He put both arms around Stephanie and found himself pulling her tighter. That is when he realized that this might be his last chance to hold her. That brought his tears out and he remembered that he had not shed one tear for her yet. The tears that had built up considerably all came out. Dick, Jason and Keelia all stayed quiet. It seemed to Tim and Stephanie that they were the only ones in the room … until their separate comfy chairs were magically transformed into one comfy love seat. They immediately released their hold on each other.

"Aw, I was trying to make you two more comfortable." Arcanum whined.

"You ruined the mood." Keelia said, shaking her head.

"Darn, well my friends, our time together is nearly at an end. " Arcanum complained.

The five Robins cheered loudly.

"Hey, I make the jokes here! Anyhow, it is time for me to deal out your fates." With Arcanum's pronouncement, Jeopardy machines appeared in front of each Robin.

"The category is 'My Fate.' You have thirty seconds. Good luck." Arcanum spoke in true Alex Trebec fashion and then the Jeopardy music began. Thirty seconds later, it ended and the Robins had finished typing their answers.

"Okay Dick, we shall begin with you. You chose, 'What is become Batman?' You are correct." Arcanum announced as the portal to Xeria's Pocket Dimension opens.

"I am under the assumption that they cannot see or hear us right now; therefore I can point out certain important people. Richard Grayson, you survive your time as Robin, one of the few that do." Arcanum began.

The others gulped.

"After a while, you decide you are sick of being in Batman's shadow and you want to become your own man. You become Nightwing. That is you." Arcanum pointed out Nightwing.

"That's me? I look cool!" Dick exclaimed excitedly.

"Indeed, you do become Batman for a short time and Tim was the Robin at your side." Arcanum continued.

Tim nodded at Dick.

"Assist me further, will you Keelia?" Arcanum requested.

"In my time, you are Batman again, Uncle Dick." Keelia supplied.

"Holy revelations Batman!" Dick said excitedly.

Unbeknownst to the Robins and Arcanum, the inhabitants of Xeria's Dimension could see them and hear every word. If the Robins had been paying attention, they would have seen Nightwing slap his forehead in embarrassment and Red Hood pointing and laughing at him.

"Ugh, you are the King of Cheddar, Dick. Shall we move on, Jason? You wrote, 'What is surpassing Batman?' Interesting answer, not yet, but still possible." Arcanum replied and suddenly appeared in the room.

This surprised the Robins because to them, Arcanum had been a bodiless voice. Most had found her annoying, but now they could see an ethereal beauty. Arcanum was dressed in a long black evening-style gown made of velvet and the finest silk. The dress neck was cut low so that her inhumanly pale skin was quite visible. A dark cloak was thrown back over her shoulders so that the dress may be seen. Her hair was long and straight. It was the color of sweet chestnuts that one may roast on an open fire. Her eyes were a deep shade of hazel, almost hypnotic to look into, but the wisdom in those eyes was unmistakable. Arcanum smiled gently and the Robins could see tiny fangs in her mouth.

"I thought you said you were a demon, not a vampire!" Jason shouted the thought that all five had.

"Well, technically I am a vampire, but I still have the powers of a demon and can summon the spells of a witch. It is in my blood." Arcanum explained.

"Hey, your dialogue isn't italicized anymore." Keelia pointed out.

"I am here with you now so it need not be." Arcanum replied, before stepping toward Jason and continuing.

"I felt it was only right for me to deal this fate in person. In addition, it is important to note that the Robin of current timeline is Tim and that puts three of you in the past and one in the future. Jason Todd, you are the first Robin to die."

Jason's eyes widened and he started shaking. Dick looks at him sympathetically and the other three turn their heads. Arcanum pulled Jason into her embrace and rocked him.

"I am truly sorry, Jason." She said sincerely as a tear fell from her eye.

"But wait, you said he has a chance to surpass Batman! How can he if he's …" Dick started but broke off.

"Dead, go ahead and say it! I die and you, Mr. Golden Child go on to become Batman! Do you know how hard it is trying to fill your shoes! Do you know how sick I am of being compared to you!" Jason yelled angrily and Dick looked away.

"You're being unfair Jason. It isn't easy following you either! Batman wasn't even going to give me a shot because he still blames himself for your death!" Tim yelled at Jason.

"Well, it sure sucks following you, Tim! There wasn't one HOUR that went by that Batman didn't say something like, 'well, Tim learned it in this much time.'" Stephanie added.

"Well, then I guess Keelia has it the worst, huh?" Tim suggested. Keelia smiled and nodded.

"However, Jason may still be able to surpass Batman." Arcanum put in.

"How?" Jason asked the question on most of their minds.

Arcanum pointed out elder Jason.

"You have been revived from death." She stated simply.

"Oh that's right. Nightwing called him Jason before." Stephanie added.

"How was I revived from death?" Jason asked.

"An extremely good question, Mr. Todd, but it beats the hell out of me. All I know is that you the coolest villain in Batman history right now. Not only that, but you are against the two villains that qualify as the worst in Batman's Gallery – Joker and Black Mask." Arcanum explained.

"Black Mask, that pathetic loser, he's B-rate." Keelia added in disgust.

"Keelia, you who have a history of despising the Joker above all, may come to hate Black Mask even more. Now shall we move on? Tim, you wrote, 'What is I don't care as long as I don't become Batman?' Odd answer, but you are correct, at least for now. Keelia?" Arcanum motioned to the fifth Robin as she pondered Tim's response.

"You are actually Nightwing in my time." She supplied.

"That's fine as long as I'm never Batman!" Tim said angrily.

"Despite what you say, you have the attitude down." Arcanum said seriously.

"I'm not like him!" Tim screamed.

"But you are well on your way! You shut yourself off from people! You do not have to fake the dark attitude anymore; it is a part of you! You do not even allow yourself the proper time to heal from all the deaths around you!" Arcanum screamed back at him. The room shook with her power. She calmed herself down and continued.

"Tim, the ones that really know you do not want you to become Batman either. Please, let it go." Arcanum pleaded with Tim who started shaking with repressed emotions. Arcanum hugged him to her as she had done with Jason, but quickly passed him to Stephanie to comfort him. Tim put one arm around her shoulders and held her hand with the other one. He fought back his tears because he knew what was to come next. His eyes pleaded with Arcanum to stop, but her eyes were firm.

"Shall we move forward then? Stephanie you chose, 'What is death?' This may surprise Keelia, but Stephanie you are …." Arcanum closed her eyes before continuing.

"Correct," She finished as Stephanie collapsed into Tim's embrace, sobbing.

"So that's what happened then." Keelia commented softly, falling back into her chair.

"Before we move on to our last contestant, I want to clear up the misunderstanding between Tim and Stephanie that took place in episode two." Arcanum brought up.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Tim, I forgive you for cheating on me. I'm sorry I became Robin behind your back." Stephanie choked out. Tim looked confused.

"What girl?"

"Darla Dimwit." Arcanum supplied.

"Darla, but I didn't…" Tim began and then a light bulb appeared above his head and turned on. Then it ceased to float in midair and bopped Tim off the head.

"Ouch, Steph, you saw her kiss me in front of the school, didn't you? And that's why you weren't talking to me before you became Robin?" Tim deduced. Stephanie nodded.

"See folks, he is a detective genius." Arcanum cracked and the others chuckled.

Tim shot her a mild glare.

"Steph, she kissed me despite that I told her that I had a girlfriend." Tim explained.

"So all this is my fault then?" Stephanie said guiltily.

"Nonsense, it is simply a matter of crappy communication in your relationship." Arcanum said cheerfully and received matching mild glares from both Tim and Stephanie.

"In addition, I call Darla a dimwit because she assumed Tim was making his girlfriend up because no one at their school had ever seen you." Arcanum explained.

"That's stupid." Jason assessed.

"Very stupid," Dick agreed.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What if I lived in a different state? Hasn't she ever heard of long-distance relationships?" Stephanie exploded in anger.

"Stephanie, there is a reason I call her 'dimwit.'" Arcanum added.

"I'm sorry, Tim." Stephanie said quietly.

"I'm sorry, too Stephanie." Tim replied. Then they shared a quick kiss.

"Aw!" Everyone else put in.

Tim and Stephanie blushed.

"Shall we conclude the fates then?" Arcanum began. At everyone's nod, she continued.

"Keelia you wrote, 'I will never exist.' Well, it is not in the form of a question, but as of right now, you are correct. You may now remove your mask and reveal your identity." Arcanum announced.

All the Robins gathered and the members of Xeria's Dimension as well. All were anxious to see who the future Robin would never be.

Keelia removed her mask and looked right at Tim and Stephanie.

"I am Keelia Robin Drake and I was … your daughter." She said in a sad and defeated tone.

Tim and Stephanie gasped, dramatic music played and lightning struck.

Is Keelia really doomed to non-existence?

Will Jason and Stephanie go back to pushing up daisies?

Will Dick change his Robin costume the moment he gets home?

Will Tim refuse to ever watch Monty Python again?

Find out next in the epilogue:

Same BIRD-Time Same BIRD-Website