"I got him! I…hey!" Robin stumbled backwards, slamming into a brick wall.
"Well, you said you had him!" Nightwing laughed at him as he flipped over another of the attackers. Robin shook off the impact the flying body had caused and grinned. He pushed off from the wall and rammed into a big guy, hitting him solidly in the stomach. The man went down with a grunt.
"Well, that's three down…only…how many would you say?" Robin glanced around.
"Oh…I dunno…ten, twenty?"
"There are not!" Robin laughed as he moved, lashing out, connecting with solid flesh. An idea struck him and he frowned down at the unconscious men scattered about. "Hey…you know who these guys are?"
"Nope. Who?" Robin rolled his eyes behind his mask.
"I didn't mean 'hey look who these guys are'! I meant it seriously! I don't recognize them."
"So? You know every two-bit thug in Gotham by name and face now?" Robin smiled, ducked a flying fist, and retaliated with a solid kick to the man's abdomen.
"Of course not! I just…" he shrugged. "I don't know. They seem more well-trained than most street gangs…not really two-bit thugs at all. And check their accents! They're out-of-towners, and….hold it!" He shoved one of the men up against the wall roughly.
"What?" Nightwing grunted as one thug managed to land a blow to his stomach.
"Ummm….hold on." Robin leapt, using his bo staff to thwack one guy across the head, putting him out cold. That left only one remaining, and Nightwing had him subdued within moments. Robin bent down, pulling a strange device from one of the attacker's pockets. "See?"
"Not really. What?" Nightwing took the device from him. "It's a….hmmm."
"A weapon, I'd guess." Nightwing shot him a sarcastic glance.
"No kidding. What gave you that idea?"
"Well, the gun I was shot with was strange, experimental…and Al-um" He glanced around at the supposedly unconscious thugs and rethought that statement. "I was told that Batman mentioned that there was a lot of prototype weaponry here in Gotham lately." Nightwing glanced at him sharply.
"'The gun you were'…what the…was anyone going to see fit to tell me about this?" Robin blinked at him, surprised by the outburst.
"Um…sorry? I figured you knew." Nightwing mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. "I'm sorry! I…what am I apologizing to you for! I was the one who got shot!"
"Sorry, bro. Been out of the loop too long, I guess. I've been…well…never mind." He schooled his features into a semblance of ease, but not before Robin saw the dark shadow flit across his face. Well…if Nightwing wanted him to know, he'd tell him…well, he hoped he'd tell him, anyway.
"No problem. It wasn't a big deal...a flesh wound" Ok, so he lied. He could do that…as he'd told the Titans, he lied to Batman…not often, of course…and never without getting caught…yet. But if Nightwing was struggling with his own demons, he didn't need to be worried about an old wound of his.
"You sure?" Robin nodded. He had the impression that Nightwing didn't quite believe him, but was letting the matter drop.
"Anyway, that gun was experimental, and this thing is decidedly freaky…think there's a connection?" Nightwing shot him a wry look.
"You think there's not?"
"Point." Robin examined the device. "I wonder what it…"
"Don't even go there." Nightwing snagged the weapon out of his hand, eliciting a squawk of protest from his "brother". "You know better! We'll check it out in the cave...with all the proper precautions and safeties in place!"
As they headed off, neither noticed the dark shadow that was trailing them. They disappeared around a corner and the figure dropped to the ground, examining the tied-up villains. She was silent…simply taking everything in and storing it away mentally. Something was going on…she'd bet on it. And she found herself inordinately glad that she'd decided to follow them tonight. Robin might not be willing to confide everything in Nightwing…well, Nightwing was holding out on Robin as well….so it was up to her to put the pieces together. A grim smile flashed briefly across her face. Who'd have ever guessed detectiving could be so…addictive?
A machine hummed to itself in the darkness, the only discernible sound in the vast cavern. Three figures stood huddled around it, apparently entranced by the blinking lights put out by a display panel on one side of the device. Without warning, a loud beep sounded, echoing through the chamber. As if released from some kind of control, the three figures began to move.
"I told you it wasn't dangerous!"
"You did not! You just assumed and tried to…"
"That's beside the point!" Robin cut the older man off, glancing furtively at the larger, darker figure who was placing the weapon in a vault with the other confiscated weaponry. After his conversation with Cass the other night, he couldn't shake the feeling that Batman may be hiding something from him. He knew logically that it was a silly paranoid suspicion, but still…
"Good work." That was it? Not that he should be surprised, Batman was notoriously terse…but it just reinforced Robin's already overactive imagination when Batman simply locked the vault, nodded at them, and stalked out of the chamber, heading towards the Batmobile without another word.
"What's with him?" At least he wasn't imagining things if Nightwing saw it too. Robin shrugged. He'd already decided not to worry Nightwing about his being shot…not to mention Cass' suspicions and Batman's strange behavior.
"I dunno." Short and sweet…that's it. Don't give anything away. Nightwing considered him for a long moment and Robin knew he'd blown it. Turning, he started towards the exit, only to find his way blocked by a black-and-blue-clad arm. Sighing, he turned back, mentally building up a defense against all of Nightwing's attacks.
"You going to tell me what's going on?" His tone no longer light and joking, Nightwing glared down at him, pulling his arm back and crossing them across his chest. Robin mimicked him, twisting his mouth into a wry semblance of a smile.
"No." Nightwing attempted to use the glare on him, but since Robin had been exposed to the best, it didn't have much effect.
"I think you'd bett…"
"No. No. You have enough going on that you don't need my problems on your plate." Whoops…he hadn't meant to bring that up again. He wasn't even supposed to know about…
"What do you know about my 'plate'" There was a bitter tone in his voice that was unusual…and Robin sincerely regretted reminding him of the problems he'd been facing lately.
"Ummmm." What to say to that? He had heard rumors…it was amazing how quickly news spread in the superhero world…and had followed up with his own brand of "research" while he was out of action. Well…he hadn't had anything else to do! And he had been concerned…the rumors had ranged from Nightwing getting a beating by Blockbuster, to Blockbuster blowing up Dick's apartment building…it had just been a warehouse in truth…to Blockbuster killing Nightwing or visa versa! Most of them had been proven to be exaggerations or misrepresentations…or, considering that both were still alive and well, just plain lies.
"No…no. Never mind. Forget me. Tell me what's going on with you." Robin shrugged.
"It's really nothing! I swear!"
"Ri-ight. And that's why you and Bats are barely on speaking terms…"
"Me? He's never on…"
"Why the secrecy about you getting shot…why…"
"There wasn't…!"
"And why you've been avoiding looking me in the eye ever since you found out I didn't know!" Robin sighed. He really wished he'd never brought the subject up. He didn't really think anything was going on…it was just a feeling, and not even his own feeling, either…Batgirl had been the one to freak out! Well, he supposed it wouldn't be fair to say that…Batgirl pretty much never "freaked out". That was the problem…she had an irritating ability to be right about things, hunches, especially when based on her "reading" of somebody. And since that's where this all began…now Robin couldn't shake the feeling either.
"It's really nothing. Honest. I just…I got shot with an experimental weapon that had a snake venom derivative in the bullet. Y'know, extra insurance… if the bullet doesn't do the job, the poison will. But Batman had the antivenom, and I'm fine now." Nightwing simply stared at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation. Robin ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.
"Ok! So…you're right, that's not the whole story. I just…it doesn't have a lot to back it up…the rest doesn't, I mean. It's just hunches and feelings and not even any reason."
"Well?"
"Well…Batgirl thought that something was weird about the lady who shot me, I guess. I can't explain it, because she didn't explain it to me very well. She said the woman shot me on purpose, which makes perfect sense to me, but for some reason Batgirl doesn't see it that way. I don't think even she knows what's bothering her about the attack, but she just felt that something was…off. And then, after, Batman had me back on inactive duty for two weeks, even when I felt I was ready to go."
"Yeah, well, he's like that."
"I know. But…again, I felt like he was…almost protecting me or something. More than usual. I don't know why. Like I said, all hunches and feelings." He shrugged. Nightwing glanced away, thinking.
"You said you didn't recognize the gang we were fighting. You think there's a connection." It wasn't a question. Besides, Robin had already confirmed it earlier.
"Well, obviously. I mean, experimental and weird weapons being brought in to Gotham…these guys obviously packing…not too hard a conclusion to some to."
"I mean, connected to you."
"What? I don't know about …"
"Let me refresh your memory…you got shot with a strange weapon, Cass thinks the lady was gunning for you specifically, and the bunch we beat tonight came out of nowhere to swarm all over us…or maybe just all over you. Sound about right?" Robin blanched. He hadn't thought about it in quite those terms before. Could he be right? Were they not only connected through the weaponry, but through him?
"I really don't think that this is really about…" he was cut off as Nightwing held up a hand.
"I don't know what's going on in Gotham these days…Babs didn't mention anything, and I've been…well, um…busy. But you know, just because a gut instinct doesn't have evidence to back it up, doesn't mean it's wrong."
"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you?" Robin asked wryly. Nightwing laughed.
"Something like that. I'm not saying to wig out and start jumping at shadows, but it never hurts to be careful. So…just be extra careful for awhile, right?" Robin nodded. Made sense. "Now… what say you we go back out there and kick some bad-guy-butt?" Robin grinned.
"Sounds good to me!"
"Did you forget the popcorn again?" Tim rummaged through the bags of food they'd bought in preparation for their movie night. After a successful week of nightly patrols, one without further suspicious activity, they had felt the need to celebrate…not that they needed much encouragement these days…and decided to chill out with a movie and snacks before heading out later.
"No." Tim dug some more.
"Are you sure? Because…"
"There." A package came flying from her general direction to whack him in the back of his head. He glanced down at a box of microwave popcorn lying at his feet.
"Thanks." He made sure his answer was dripping with sarcasm before turning to glance at her. She was picking through a bag of her own, tossing the snacks she didn't want unceremoniously to and fro. Tim rolled his eyes. "What are you looking for?"
"Um…" She turned the bag upside down, shaking it. When nothing further came out she threw the bag across the room. "Where is it?"
"What!"
"The…the…that fluffy candy stuff!" Tim blinked.
"You bought cotton candy?" She gave him a look and he held up his hands in surrender. "Not that that's weird or anything…um, so what movie did you get?" he smoothly changed the subject. Cass and her junk-food were an issue that he didn't care to get into. While she ate well when others prepared the food for her, she hadn't been exposed to the "normal" kid treats like candy, pop, or other junk food when she was younger, and so had developed an almost-obsession for them when she was movie-watching or just hanging out. Pizza was on the top of her list, a few types of chips, colas, and, more recently, she'd been testing out all kinds of sweets. A display of cotton candy had apparently caught her attention on this particular trip to the store.
"I thought you were getting the movie!" She pulled out a small bag triumphantly and flopped down on the couch to enjoy it. Tim stared at her for a second, then laughed, dropping down beside her.
"What a pair we make…both so intent on the food to eat with a movie, that we forget to get one to eat it with! You have any here?" Cass looked up from her cotton candy for a second, a few colorful strands sticking to her fingers.
"I have….mmmm….I dunno." She waved towards the entertainment center. "Babs brought some, I think." Tim hopped up, walking over to examine her collection.
"How 'bout this one?" he held up an older adventure film. Cass shrugged and he frowned at her. "What's with you tonight? This was supposed to be a relaxing, fun evening!" She looked away, shrugging.
"I…don't…know. I just…you know how you just feel like something's about to happen?" He nodded, sitting back down next to her.
"Yeah, I've had that feeling…but…do you have anything to back it up?" She shook her head.
"Just…I guess it's been too quiet?" She glanced at him in query, as if unsure of her own feelings.
"Probably. I'm sure that's it." She stood, pacing a bit.
"Do…do you remember the gang you and Nightwing fought?" He blinked at her.
"How did you…?"
"Um…" she blushed a little. "I was…following." He ginned smugly at her.
"If you wanted to hang with us, all you had to do was say so." She hit him with a pillow, and a short wrestling match ensued. When they finally stopped laughing long enough to catch their breath she sighed.
"I didn't want to mess up your night. You needed…guy time. But I…I saw something. The men…they were…I don't know how, but they were connected to the woman who shot you."
"Yeah, we know. They were transporting an experimental…"
"No! That's not it." She interrupted. "I mean, yes…they did have the weapon. But I think it's bigger. The weapons are just…something to help…get them into something. They want…acceptance? Does that make sense?"
"I guess so." He shrugged, giving her a funny look.
"But…something bigger too. I don't know what."
"You think maybe another gang war or something?" She shook her head.
"No, it's…kinda like that. Like one person is controlling everybody…not like Joker was controlling. But, with…money or power or something. And planning….something." She said the last with an exasperated sigh. He leaned back, mulling over her words. He considered sharing Nightwing's suspicions with her, but decided she was already keyed up enough.
"I get what you're saying… I think. You think we should talk to Batman about it? Is it that big?"
"I don't…I don't know!I have no proof! And…he knows some of it. He has suspicions…but he doesn't share." She had suspicions too…but her information was lacking, and she wasn't about to tell Tim about them. If he took her seriously he would try to go off and get himself in even more danger, and if he didn't….well, then he'd think she was crazy, and she couldn't bear for him to think that. So she kept her fears, most of them, to herself.
"Well, let's talk to him anyway. Try to get info from him. Maybe if we both approach him, we can overpower him by sheer force of will." He winked, and she laughed. Overpower Batman? Ha! But at the same time, she hoped he did share his insight with them, because she had a feeling time was running out.
To be continued…
