Chapter 2

As the Batmobile speeds away into the night, all is quiet in the car. Not able to contain himself any longer, Robin glances at Batman once before turning his eyes to outside the car. A minute goes by and then another before Robin turns his head to once again look at his mentor.

"What was that about, Batman?" asks Robin casually.

"Nothing you need to worry about," replies Batman, never taking his eyes from the road.

Once again silence falls in the car. Trying to think of another way to reword his question, Robin realizes Batman's silence isn't good.

Yeah, he's typically quiet but I think this is worse. Why do I have a feeling that when we talk, I'm not going to like what he has to say, thinks Robin.

Opening his mouth to ask Batman what Commissioner Gordan said to him, Robin realizes that they are about to turn into the Batcave. Glancing over at his partner, Robin raises a brow in question.

"Are we calling it an early night?" asks Robin, before glancing down at the dashboard. "It's barely 1 AM."

Without replying, Batman pulls the car to a stop and slides back to overhead door.

"I'm not calling it a night yet, but you are," says Batman, finally turning to his younger partner.

"Why?" demands Robin. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Dick," replies Batman, shaking his head. "I just figured that you needed some more time to spend on homework."

"Homework?" asks Robin confused. "Are you sure it's just homework?"

"Of course," replies Batman, giving Robin a blank stare. "What else would it be?"

Nodding his head, Robin slips out of the car. Standing beside the vehicle, but not moving away, Robin glances once more inside the car.

"What did Gordan say?" asks Robin, deciding to come right to what he wanted to know.

"It's just a case," replies Batman, answering Robin's question without giving any details. "Don't worry about it."

Taking a step away from the car, Robin glances into the cave once before turning his attention back to Batman.

"Bruce, are you kicking me off this case?" asks Robin, as he slips his mask from his face.

"You need to concentrate on homework for a little while," replies Batman. "A few nights off will do your work some good."

"What did I do wrong?" demands Robin, realizing that homework has nothing to do with why he's being removed from a case they just got.

"I'm working this case alone," states Batman, with a tone of voice that clearly says this conversation is done.

"But why?" demands Robin, grabbing the side of the car.

"We'll talk about this later, Dick," replies Batman, as he clicks a button that slides the door back into place over the top of the car.

Stepping away from the car, Robin watches as Batman puts the car into gear and drives back out into the night. Furious at his partner's treatment, Robin storms off.