This excerpt is from the story, "Lab Rat". It would have been found in the middle of chapter 30, during Robin's first visit to the Watchtower. I chose not to include it because, like Robin, I thought it wasn't very exciting, and didn't do anything to forward the plot.

SPOILER ALERT: I didn't get rid of it completely because it was kind of fun watching Robin try to work out what the Spirit Boy was miming. Remember, the Spirit Boy has no voice and cannot talk to Robin normally.

Lab Rat: "Choosing"

No Warnings . . . Rated "K+"


Robin was bored.

He was tired, as had become usual for him of late, and he was bored. He toyed with the edges of his blindfold, only to have Black Canary pull his hands away. He sighed, wondering if she were as bored as he was. It wasn't as if he could even have a conversation with her right now. He couldn't hear anything but that ringing.

Suddenly he felt something icy cold pass through his arm, and his heart skipped a beat, and then thumped hard. Hard enough to make him gasp, and his hand to grasp his chest, slightly panicked.

What the . . .? Fear skittered through him. He didn't understand! He couldn't see anything; couldn't hear anything . . . So, how could his trigger activate?

But when his heart continued to beat normally, he calmed. This never happened before, he thought. But wait! Yes, it had! The spirit had caused this to happen once. The spirit couldn't speak, and Robin wouldn't hear him now if he could, so if he wanted to tell Robin something, he needed to be seen!

Robin sat up slowly, and felt the world tip slightly. He pushed himself back in the bed until his back was against the wall. Now that he felt reasonably certain that he wouldn't fall out of bed, he carefully lifted a hand to the blindfold, waiting for Black Canary to once again pull his hand away. When she didn't, he tugged the soft material off of his head.

The light stabbed his eyes, making them water. His headache, not completely gone, worsened a bit. Robin bit his lip and blinked until he had become somewhat accustomed to the glow of the artificial lights of the bay. He looked around him.

Five beds lined the wall across from him before the door. There was Black Canary, he noticed, talking to that blond man near the door. He wondered what they were saying. It looked serious. This side of the bay was lined with another five beds. His was the middle one.

When he turned his head the other way, he came face to face with the spirit boy. The spirit was so close to him that Robin startled. The spirit, however, now that he had Robin's attention, backed up and sat on the neighboring bed. Robin noted that it didn't sink beneath him.

Dick knew his voice tended to be loud because he couldn't hear himself, and he wondered if the spirit would be able to understand him if he just mouthed the words, rather than speak out loud. He had already freaked out Bruce and Alfred when they caught him talking with the spirit. The last thing he needed was for Black Canary and that other blond guy to think he had lost it, too. He turned his back to the door and faced the spirit.

Can you understand me this way? Robin mouthed the words, being careful to avoid making vibrations in his throat.

The spirit nodded.

What is it you want? Because the spirit always wanted something; whether it was for him to be strong and live, or to tell him something important.

The spirit held up two fingers on each hand and put them up alongside of his head. He had made this sign before, Dick thought.

Batman. A nod confirmed his suspicions.

The spirit mimed sadness and crying, drawing lines down his face from his eyes with his fingers. Dick's mouth dropped open.

Batman's crying? No, he wouldn't cry as Batman, but it was troubling. Dick had never seen Bruce completely lose it, let alone Batman. He is sad?

The spirit mimed again using signs that Dick was growing familiar with; Dick. Break. Batman. Heart.

I'm breaking Batman's heart? Dick's eyes widened. But how? Why? Because of the triggers?

The signs came again. Batman. Then he pointed to his forehead . . . Head? Thoughts? Thinks? The spirit nodded. Batman thinks . . . Dick. The spirit pointed to himself. Dick frowned. Spirit? Dead? Dies? A nod came next.

Batman thinks I'm going to die?

The spirit nodded. He pointed to the two people talking near the door. Dick looked over his shoulder at them, and then back to the spirit.

Dick mouthed Is it bad news? The spirit nodded and then shook his head.

Yes and no . . . Dick frowned. Bad news but . . . Good news, too?

The spirit nodded.

Am I going to die?

The spirit looked thoughtful. He pointed at Dick. Then he put out one hand, palm up and looked at it. Then he put out the other hand and looked at it. When Dick looked confused, he did it again, pausing between each hand.

I . . . choose? Dick's eyes widened. I can choose whether I live or die?

The spirit mimed a couple more familiar signs.

"I . . . strong? I must be strong.

Dick was worried though. The last time I had to fight to come back, he mouthed.

The spirit repeated his mime.

I must be strong. Is there hope? A nod was the answer. A cure?

The spirit shrugged and waggled a hand. Dick blinked.

Are you serious? What does 'sort of' mean?

Canary touched him on the shoulder, making him jump. He looked back and saw the blond man was gone. She picked up his blindfold and held it out to him. More than anything, he didn't want to put it back on. He glanced at the spirit and tilted his head toward the offensive cloth.

The spirit smiled and shook his head.

Dick turned to Black Canary. "I don't want it. No one on the Watchtower right now can hurt me."

She leaned close to him, "You can't know that," she yelled in his ear.

He could barely understand her, but it was enough. He glanced at the spirit once more, to see the boy nod and smile.

"Yes, I do," he informed her confidently.


What did you think of the scene as a stand alone? Admittedly, the story itself was better without it. But it was interesting enough that it remained in my file of deleted scenes.