Issue #8 – Heart Beats

On the Gotham City rooftop, the wind pushing his T-shirt against his body, Superboy stood between Wonder Girl and Raven. Starfire, Kid Flash, and Beast Boy stood not far away. Cyborg had been taken back to the tower to repair himself and to keep watch in case something came over the scanner. They had just arrived, but the second they waited felt like an hour. They had been summoned by the Batman. Now where was he?

Superboy stared off across the horizon, through the buildings, the clouds and smog, towards the night sky. The stars seemed infinite as they twinkled up there. It was beautiful, but it felt cold and lonely, being one so small staring at something so vast.

Alone. That's what Tim was right now.

Superboy clenched his fist. Immediately, Wonder Girl's hand fell on it. It broke some of his anger, and he let the soft fingers slip inside his.

"We'll find him," she said.

"Not by standing around. Why are just standing around? We should be doing something."

"It is never wise to rush in without a plan. But if you are earnest, instead of wasting time feeling angry, you could be using the tools you have—the X-ray vision, the super hearing—to locate Robin." The voice sounded like the iceberg that sank the Titanic. There was the flapping of a cape, and Superboy looked up. There stood Batman, and behind him the rest of the Bat family. Nightwing. Batgirl. Even Catwoman was here.

How do they do that? Superboy wondered. He had never heard them.

Nightwing stepped to the middle of the groups. "Superboy and Batman are right. Every second we delay is a second too long. I want you each to take one of these." He opened up his hand, and in his palm were tiny button shaped objects. "They go in your ear. There's a microphone attached. It puts you in direct contact with the Oracle who will be coordinating our search across the city."

"Wow! The Oracle?" Kid Flash said, taking a communicator and sticking it in his ear. "I've heard Robin and Wally mention her, but I thought she might be an urban legend, some kind of inside joke. There's nothing documented about her."

A voice whirred in his ear. "Actually, Bart, there are plenty of stories about me. One's on the front page of today's Gotham Gazette. You just don't realize it's me they're talking about."

"We're going to split into teams," Batman said, stepping up beside Nightwing. "Each team will be responsible for a different section of the city. If you find anything—anything—about Robin, the Joker, or Harley Quinn, relay it to the Oracle. If you find them, notify us immediately. Do not try to apprehend the Joker. Wait for backup."

Kid Flash nudged Superboy. "You know who Batman really reminds me of? My gym teacher. They're both big and have this stare that's super intense and…"

Batman's hand fell on the boy's shoulder. Kid Flash almost yelped. "Does everyone understand me?"

Kid Flash nodded. "Y-yes, sir."

Batman stepped back, and he let Nightwing have the floor. Superboy listened to Nightwing, paid attention as the man gave them a crash course in interrogation and signs to look for, but his eyes roamed back to Batman. Batman had let Catwoman rest a hand on his shoulder as he stared off the edge of the building. The cape whipped around him, but he didn't move. He didn't even look like he was breathing.

Nightwing divided them into teams. He and Starfire would take the East side. Batman and Catwoman would take the North. Batgirl and Raven had West. Kid Flash and Superboy had South. And Wonder Girl and Beast Boy would search central. They broke, and capes rustled as several dark figures leapt off the side of the building.

Superboy stopped at the edge of the building to watch them go.

Kid Flash grabbed Superboy's hand so he could float him down to the sidewalk. "What's the matter?" Kid Flash asked. "You suddenly got quiet. I thought you were all gung ho to find Robin."

"I am," Superboy said distantly. He lifted them into the air. "I just…I just realized how much danger he could be in."

"Tim's smart. And good. Batman and Nightwing put him through the ringer. He can take care of himself."

"I know."

"Then just relax and bathe this city in some X-ray vision. We'll have Tim back at the tower and eating ice cream before Most Extreme Elimination Challenge comes on."

Kid Flash let go, and as soon as his feet touched ground, he vanished from sight. Papers and trash rustled in the wind kicked up by him.

Superboy bit his lip. "Get a hold of yourself, Conner." But it was hard. Nightwing's voice had sounded so calm, so authoritative—but his heart had been beating so fast. It was like a drum roll in Superboy's ear. And Batman's…Batman's had skipped a beat too.

Batman's heart wasn't supposed to skip beats.

"I swear I'll find you, Tim." More papers rustled as Superboy shot into the sky.