Tang Ri Shan

Red Wings

(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already)

Chapter 10

When Barbara returned to her house later that night, she was still angry. She entered without calling to her father like she usually did, only to find out that the house was dark and her father's coat was not hanging on the hook by the door, which meant he was out.

"I can't believe that guy!" She moaned as she flung herself onto her couch, rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. "To think I was actually into him! He was so nice at the gala and..."

Barbara's thoughts were interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. Fishing it out of her bag she glanced at the caller ID. It was Tatsu, probably asking for a report on what had happened. Barbara didn't feel like talking to the swordswoman now, but she realized that Batman would want to find out what had happened, so she answered. "Hello?"

"Barbara, how did it go with Richard?"

"Great" Barbara replied sarcastically "Excellent! Couldn't have been better!"

There was a pause on the line. "Okay, what happened?"

"Nothing bad, it's just...just..." Barbara broke off, struggling to find the right words.

"Did he not show up?" Tatsu probed.

"Oh he showed up!" Barbara snapped, "And I'm sorry that he did!"

There was another pause. "I'm afraid I don't follow"

Barbara sighed, then took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Tatsu, do you remember what happened to Dent? How he became Two-Face?"

"Yes"

"Well, I found out that Richard Grayson is two-faced as well"

"How so?"

"Well, he started out so quiet, so isolated, so guilt-ridden over the death of his family. When I found out he was Red Robin I thought...he'd be more like Bruce"

"You thought he'd be a musclebound, guilt ridden loner whose paranoia level is through the roof?" Tatsu joked.

Despite her anger, Barbara giggled. "No, I thought that he'd be selfless. Batman does what he does to protect Gotham because he doesn't want anyone to suffer the pain he felt, right? I just thought Richard would be more like that. Instead I find out that he's nothing more than a revenge-driven fighting machine."

"And Batman isn't?" Tatsu's next question made Barbara stop in her tracks. "It sounds like Bruce and Richard may have more in common than you realize"

"Bruce and Richard have nothing in common" Barbara declared.

"Whatever you say" Tatsu answered, but Barbara could tell that the woman was teasing her. "So, were you able to get through to him?" She continued as Barbara started climbing the darkened stairs to the second floor.

"Oh, I made sure he got the message." Barbara grinned as she thought back to the fear she had heard in Richard's voice. "He shouldn't be a problem anymore"

"OK, I'll tell Bruce when he returns." Tatsu signed off just as Barbara reached her bedroom.

"Sure, Tatsu, you do that" She muttered darkly as she opened the door and stepped into the darkened room. "Meanwhile I'll have to find some way to repair this hole in my heart!" She reached for the light switch, then paused as she felt a cool breeze whisper across the back of her neck. "What?" She gasped, turning to notice for the first time that her bedroom window was partially open. "Who opened the window?"

"I did" Barbara jumped as a voice spoke out from the shadows near her bed. "It was getting kinda stuffy in here." Her bedside lamp clicked on, throwing light on a familiar face.

"R-Richard? What are you doing here?" Barbara stammered, feeling her face heat up.

"Finishing what we started earlier this evening...Oracle" Richard smiled at Barbara, the shadows from the lamp light twisting his face into something a lot more frightening

In Wayne Manor...

Alfred was standing at the counter making a sandwich, when he heard someone clear her throat behind him and turned to find Tatsu standing there with a concerned look on her face. "Tatsu, what's wrong?" Alfred asked, feeling his guard go up.

Tatsu shifted uncomfortably before answering. "I just wanted to know something. The man who killed Bruce's parents. Was he ever found?"

Alfred frowned, making Tatsu wince. "No, he wasn't." He finally answered, "Though not from lack of effort on Bruce's part. He spent his first year as Batman looking, pursuing every lead he could find. He was even at one point convinced that his parents's deaths were ordered by a syndicate that wore owl masks" Despite the tense topic, Tatsu chuckled and the ghost of a smile flitted across Alfred's face. "Why do you ask?"

Tatsu felt her uneasiness returning as she explained what had happened between Richard and Barbara. "Now I'm worried that maybe Batman's principles aren't what they once were. Remember how 'savage' he acted while you were gone. It was like he became a completely different person." Tatsu shivered. "More like an animal actually. I'm just worried that if he ever does find the man who killed his parents, then maybe he'll..."

"Go beserk again?" Alfred guessed, placing the loaf of bread back in the refrigerator.

"Yeah, pretty much"

For a few moments Alfred just stood there, facing the refrigerator. When he finally turned around, there was concern on his face as well. "I won't lie to you Tatsu, I've often wondered the same thing." He admitted. "If Richard really has gone through the same trauma that Bruce did, I'm not surprised that he feels so angry, and so alone. I watched Bruce go through that, and it was a nightmare for both of us." He paused and looked solemn for a moment, then smiled at Tatsu. "But what Bruce and Richard need to realize is that they're not alone. They still have a family here, family who cares for them."

Tatsu smiled too. "I just hope we can come through for them both" She pondered as she turned to glance out the window.

In Barbara's Bedroom...

Barbara felt her eyes widen and her limbs stiffen from sudden shock as Richard's greeting echoed in her ears. He knows! Her mind yelled But how?

As Richard's smile widened at Barbara's reaction, she felt her anger return and twisted her own face into the meanest glare she could. "How did you get here?"

"How do you think?" Richard motioned to the window. "I'm a circus acrobat, reaching a second story window is a piece of cake"

"No, I mean how did you get here?" Barbara corrected him. "How did you find me?"

Richard's smile widened and he didn't answer. Instead, he simply reached up with his left hand and tapped his right shoulder. As Barbara watched, he did it again.

"What are you...?" Barbara asked, reaching up to brush her own shoulder, but froze when her fingers came in contact with something hard, something that shouldn't have been there. Richard chuckled as Barbara pulled it off her shoulder, and her heart stopped. Laying in her hand as a small black plastic disk which Barbara recognized as a radio tracker.

"Every performer knows Barbara, that if you aren't careful, someone else can steal your tricks..." Richard boasted as Barbara stared at the transmitter. "Now, about what we were discussing earlier..." Richard's voice trailed off as he noticed Barbara's face change from shock to anger and her hands began to shake.

"There's nothing to talk about" She growled, trying to keep her voice steady, clenching her fists so hard he felt the transmitter break.

"I just want you to know, you're wrong about me" Richard began, staking a step towards her.

"Am I?" Barbara felt some of the hurt come into her voice and Richard paused. "You seemed like a nice guy in class, and then...at City Hall..." Barbara's voice became choked and Richard took another step towards her, but stopped when Barbara's hand shot out. "I thought you were like Batman, that you were trying to help other people. But I guess I was wrong! All you care about is revenge"

"No, I am trying to help!" Richard argued. "This is not about revenge. I'm just making sure that what happened to me does not happen to anyone else. Can you understand that?"

For a moment, Barbara felt her anger begin to fade. Richard's argument seemed to make sense. "Sure, but I'm..."

"I just need to know where to find him" Richard finished, his voice pleading. "I was...hoping that you could find out where he's hiding"

"And if I do manage to find him, what will you do then?" Barbara asked, looking Richard square in the eye.

"I'll just rough him up, then leave him for the police" Richard said, holding up his hand scout-style. "I swear" He promised, but his gaze dropped downwards as he spoke and Barbra felt her anger returning.

"You liar!" She snapped. "You're just trying to charm me into doing your dirty work!"

"Barbara I..."

"Admit it!" Barbara demanded, feeling tears come to her eyes. "I was right about you!"

"Barbara No! I..."

"Save it, and Get out!" Barbara pointed to the window. "Get out of my room and stay away from me and from Batman! I MEAN IT!" She shrieked the last words.

"I can't do that Barbara" Richard shook his head. "He's my one key to finding the man who murdered my parents and I refuse to give up until one of you helps me!"

"You will if you want to stay a free man!" Now Barbara was the one making threats. "I can still blow the whistle on you anytime!" She reminded him, trying hard to ignore the guilty pang from her heart.

Richard scowled at her. "Fine, why don't we step into the light together?" He challenged. "I'm sure your father would be just as interested in hearing about your exploits as mine!"

Barbara was now so angry she couldn't speak, and could barely think straight. This boy was threatening her in her own bedroom! The nerve! Who did he think he was? Barbara finally opened her mouth to respond, but just then, both teens became aware of a door closing from downstairs. "Barbara?" Commissioner Gordon's voice called up from the living room. "Are you home?"

For a moment, Barbara and Richard just stared at each other. Then a crazy idea suddenly popped into Barbara's head. She knew that right now, Richard probably didn't have any proof to show her father that she was Oracle, but she didn't have any solid proof he was Red Robin either. It was her word against his. Barbara suspected that her words might carry a little more weight than her father, but Richard's accusations would certainly make her father suspicious enough to interrogate her, maybe post a police tail on her, and that would dampen her ability to help Batman. No, Barbara needed to end this now!

Forcing her face into a smile, she slowly picked up a heavy paperweight from her desk and strode forward until she and Richard were nose to nose. "You want to tell my dad what I've been doing? Fine" She said softly, causing Richard's eyebrow to rise. "Let me call him!" With that, Barbara whirled and hurled the paperweight at her bedroom window. The heavy object broke the glass, causing it to shatter.

"What are you...?" Richard started to ask, but was cut off when Barbara whirled, dashed to the door of the room, and locked it. "EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Richard winced as Barbara screamed as loud as she could.

"BARBARA? BARBARA WHAT'S WRONG?" Commisioner Gordon yelled from below as Barbara whirled around again, and practically tackled Richard.

"DADDY COME QUICK! THERE'S SOMEONE IN MY ROOM! HELP!" Barbara screamed as she grabbed both of Richard's wrists and yanked him forward, wrapping his arms around her so it looked like he was holding her.

"HANG ON BARBARA! I'M COMING!" her father bellowed and there was the sound of footsteps pounding on the stairs.

Barbara felt Richard tense up as he realized what she was doing. "You wouldn't dare!" He hissed, terror now apparent on his face.

"Wanna bet?" Barbara replied with a smile as she carefully took her glasses off and stuck then in Richard's jacket pocket faster than he could react.

"You're crazy!" Richard struggled to pull away from Barbara, but the still was still holding Richard's wrists so he couldn't move away from her.

"No, I'm just following Batman's orders." Barbara replied. "You're the one who wanted to make it difficult"

BAM! Both kids jumped as they felt Barbra's bedroom door shudder. The handle turned rapidly as her father tried to open the locked door. "BARBARA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" He yelled.

Barbara smirked evily up at Richard, and then began to 'struggle', screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so. "LET GO OF ME YOU CREEP! LET GO! DADDY, HELP!" Barbara tried not to laugh as she felt Richard's efforts to pull away from her double.

"WHOEVER IS IN THERE, IF YOU'VE TOUCHED MY DAUGHTER, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!" Commissioner Gordon's statement was followed by the sound of gunshots, and small holes began to appear in the door surrounding the handle. Barbara finally released Richard's wrists and the two sprang apart. Then, as Richard watched in disbelief, Barbara grabbed the collar of her t-shirt and yanked, creating a large rip, screaming as she did so. She then made a second rip in one leg of her pant legs and ran her fingers through her red hair until it looked disheveled.

"So, what's it gonna be?" She asked calmly as Richard's terrified eyes darted to the door, where the handle had just fallen off. Shaking his head, Richard turned and raced for the window just as Commissioner Gordon burst into the room. Seeing Richard lunge for the window, the man raised his gun and took aim at Richard's back. But as soon as Barbara saw this, a sudden flood of panic flowed through her and without thinking, she screamed and fell to the ground. Hearing this, Commissioner Gordon glanced down at her, allowing Richard to leap out the window. Cursing, Gordon ran to the window and glanced around, but Richard had disappeared.

"Daddy?" Barbara whimpered from the floor. "Is..is he gone?"

"Oh sweetie" Barbara felt her father's strong arms wrap around her. "What happened? Who was that?"

"He...he came out of nowhere." Barbara gasped, acting terrified. "I went up to my room, and there he was. He l...locked the door, then he grabbed me and...oh daddy! It was so scary!" Barbara dissolved into a fit of make-believe sobs into her father's shoulder.

"There there" Barbara felt her father's hug grow tighter. "He's gone now. You're safe. I promise" Locked in her father's embrace, Commissioner Gordon didn't see the smile on Barbara's face.

And Cut!

I know, this chapter doesn't really get us anywhere, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to explore why Batman does what he does. Is it a drive to protect others from feeling the pain he felt? Or is it simply an unending hunt by Bruce to find his parent's killer? What do you think?

So now Barbara and Richard know each other's identities. Who's got the advantage now? And what about Dinah? Isn't she supposed to be missing right now? (Hee Hee Hee!)

All this and more may (or may not) be answered in the next chapter as we approach the beginning of the climatic finale.

Until next time!