Chapter 9 – Ghosts from the past
"Why are you doing this?" Dick asked Jason while we stood in the elevator. The two Robin on my each side. "Why do you even want to be Robin?"
"Are you kidding? This is the dopest gig ever." He said almost being offended. "Hanging out with Batman, kicking bad guys' asses, being famous, driving the goddamn Batmobile." He continued daydreaming.
"Bruce lets you drive the Batmobile?" The rhetorical question slipped my mouth before thinking as I earned Dick's attention.
Once we took it too. He reminded me. That was fun. He added with a mischievous glint playing in his eyes. My cheeks flushed at the memory. That night was fun indeed. Who could've thought that two people are able to fit in there in so much positions?
Yeah. You can say that. I bit my lips restraining myself from smiling as the elevator stopped.
"Here, I'll go back and get our friend." Dick handed his suitcase to Jason as he nodded, leaving.
"Are you alright?" I wondered quietly as we were alone.
"I can ask you the same" He avoided to answer frowning at my injuries.
"Nothing serious. I just need a little refreshing." I shrugged it off. It really wasn't that bad.
He acknowledged it with an approving nod.
"Are you thirsty?" Jason questioned as I entered the flat too. It was a modern apartment, with simple, practical design and furniture. "I'm gonna go check out the brew sitch."
"A what?"
"The beer situation." He explained. "Do you want one?"
"No thanks. Maybe later." I added seeing his disappointed face. "Where can I find the bathroom?"
"Straight on the corridor then right" He gave me the direction then I disappeared immediately. I truly needed to get some cleaning up.
A slightly bruised lips, a scratch on my left cheek, I made a list as I looked in the mirror. Nothing that a good foundation can't help.
Soon Dick arrived, dragging Adamson with him. He put him in the shower, locking him up. He was still unconscious.
"May I?" I offered as I saw Dick picking up a scalpel. He wanted to get rid of that tracker as soon as possible and I couldn't blame him. "So, how are you holding up?" I asked taking the little knife from him. "For real" I said before he could've said anything witty and ditching the answer.
He scanned his arm showing me where the device is.
"Good" He responded as I made a small but deeper cut on his forearm. He didn't even winced. "I'm just… trying to get used to the idea of being replaced." He added quietly as the double meaning of his words made me stop for a second. Replaced by who?
"Well, it's not like he kicked you out" I said cautiously now taking out the tracker with a forceps. "You wanted to quit so you left" I told him getting lost what were we really discussing now, but he remained silent.
"Do you think…" He started then hesitantly. "Is there any chance of being… Robin, again?" He finished.
I looked at him bewildered. Did he really mean what I think he meant?
His face were only a few inches away from mine as his gaze darkened with wishful longing. He seemed so vulnerable that my heart twitched. His eyes captivated me not being able to look away.
Why, Dick? Why are you doing this to me?
His phone sudden buzz broke the delicate moment for which I was incredibly grateful. I had no idea what would've I answered anyway.
"You've got impeccable timing." He murmured as I decided to stich him up.
"Where the hell are you?" I've heard Kory's voice as Dick put her on speaker.
"Chicago."
"I thought you were coming back here." She sounded a bit resentful.
"Things got a little weird at our friend's apartment." He confided her in. "His name is Dr. Adamson, by the way. Doctor of what, I have no idea."
"Let me guess. He tried to kill you."
"He tried to cook us breakfast, actually." I corrected her, finishing up with Dick.
"His friends tried to kill us. Ten of them. I got the feeling there's more where they came from." Dick added.
"You took out ten assassins by yourself?" She asked in disbelief. "Not bad."
"Robin's got some skills." Dick answered vaguely as I cleared my throat. "And of course Rory too." He noted quickly. "Any update on the family?"
"Um, they're all dead."
"Kory!" I called her surprised.
"I didn't kill them, I swear." She defended herself. "I just walked in and they were, like, dead. Their heads exploded."
"Hell of a coincidence." Dick muttered. "Look, you guys need to get out here. I'm at 888 North Lakeshore Drive. It's less than an hour. You'll be safe here."
"Are you sure?"
"It's a safe house. It has safe right in the name." He told her slightly irritated, but it worked. We agreed to meet here.
"Are you guys okay in there?" Jason came to check on us.
"Hey, Jason, thanks for the help back there." Dick opened the door as we all moved back to the living room. "But we're good now. You should head back to Gotham." He gave the tracker back to Jason.
"What the hell, man?" He took it quite bad.
"I'm not Robin anymore." Dick declared it bitterly. "Have a safe trip back."
"You didn't have to do that." He argued.
"Yeah, I did. And you should, too." Dick advised it firmly.
"Why?"
"Because we're not animals in Bruce Wayne's private zoo." He explained and I had to admit that he's right.
"You don't get it, man. He did it for you. For us. In case anything ever happened, he could find us." Jason tried to defend Bruce.
"Thanks for stopping by. Tell Bruce we're gonna need the place for a couple of days. He should be okay with it." Dick let it go urging Jason to leave.
"I'm not sure you really understand him, man." He shook his head disappointed.
"I think I'm the one guy in the world that does." He raised his voice a bit. "Look, Jason, he might have you thinking that you're a partnership, but everything Bruce does is in the best interest of one person. Bruce." He retorted considering the topic done. "Time to go." He pushed the button on the elevator.
"Sorry, man. I can't." Jason said uncomfortable. "He wanted me to show you these." He took out an envelope form the inner pocket of his jacket.
Dicked opened it reluctantly. There were pictures, but what sort I had no idea then. He looked at me horrified, getting pale even. I instinctively took a step closer to him as he showed me the images.
All the people I worked with at the circus. Well, almost all. He let me know watching my puzzled expression. They were all dead with their faces deformed painfully.
"How did you get these?" Dick asked as we headed back to the living room, now settling down at the couch.
"They were sent to the Gotham PD addressed to Robin. Whoever sent them thinks you're still Robin." Jason gave the explanation.
"I know these people. I worked with them at the Haly's Circus." Dick confided in Jason too.
"Before your parents were..."
"Yeah."
"That must've sucked." Jason reacted in his own way, feeling sorry. "He burns them with acid. Hydrofluoric acid. Calling card of the Maroni crime family. Harvey Dent, your parents." Jason speculated.
"I know." Dick cut him off. "Tony Zucco worked for the Maronis when he killed my parents. But they were put away years ago."
"Why'd he do it?" Jason asked out of true curiosity.
"Haly owed the Maronis protection money. Couldn't come up with the cash. So my parents paid the debt with their lives." He told the story I knew so well. His voice was filled full with sorrow as I couldn't help but reached out for his hand. He looked at me, sending a small smile then he squeezed my hand back, not releasing it.
"Papers call this guy the Melting Man, because he melts the flesh right off their bones. Creepy as shit, huh?" Jason pretended not to notice the gesture. "Any idea who this freak is?"
"The man I'm thinking of is dead." Dick said seriously.
"So that's a no?" Jason asked raising his brow as Dick sighed being troubled.
"Have you checked back in with the police?" He asked finally.
"Why would I go to the fucking cops?" Jason questioned almost angrily.
"Because five people were murdered." Dick said as the matter of fact.
"The cops are a joke, man. There's two kinds, useless and dirty."
"Is that what Bruce says?"
"No, it's what I say." Jason said as they stared daggers at each other. "They hit a dead end so they came crawling to Bruce and me. As usual." He explained. "When Bruce realized who the victims were, he sent me to find you."
Dick nodded considering, then he wanted to check out someone else. We went to the tech room, which was in the apartment, of course. Dick sat in front of the screens as a password requirement popped up. For a moment he was thinking then he turned to Jason.
"You mind?"
"Sure thing." He typed in the correct word then Dick took the lead again.
Atlas the strong man – he wrote in the engine search as a muscular, Afro-American man appeared in the screen. I knew him from all the stories Dick told me. He loved him just as much as his own father.
"Boom! Phone bill paid last month, utilities on. Looks like he's still alive." Jason read the facts victoriously as Dick dialled the number was given as his cell phone number.
"This is Clay Williams. I'm not home right now, so please leave a message." We heard a deep, husky voice from the other side. Answering machine…
"Milwaukee's only an hour and a half from here. I gotta go make sure he's safe." Dick jumped up quickly.
"We're going on a road trip. Excellent." Jason got excite too, but I was sure he would be disappointed soon.
"Not us. Me." Dick said determined. "Look, I appreciate you bringing this to me. I really do. But there's no reason for you to come. This is personal." He explained. Gosh, even I felt disappointed, yet I knew he doesn't want company. He always shut out everyone. "You're Bruce's Robin, not mine."
"No, I'm my Robin."
"I don't need your help."
"You did back at that apartment." He said making a point when a monitor with a camera started beeping furiously. The others arrived. Never better.
"I'll let them in" Dick pressed his lips together, turning around without any further words.
Jason and I went out to the living room to greet my friends.
"Is he always like this?" He asked annoyed as I had to chuckle.
"You mean headstrong? Unbearable? Distant?"
"Yeah, all of these" He grinned, but I had no time to answer since the elevator arrived and pretty much hell broke loose.
"Who are your friends?" Jason started, but Dick stopped him. I could tell he wants to be on the move as soon as possible so he won't let any small talk now.
"Not important."
"Who's he?" Kory questioned now.
"Not important."
"Anybody want a brew?" Jason showed his beer kindly.
"Yeah, I do." Gar volunteered stepping closer to grab it, but Dick interrupted him.
"No, he doesn't. No one wants a brew."
"That can't be Adamson." Kory noted.
"He's not Adamson. Adamson's in the bathroom. Unconscious." I updated her.
"Hi, I'm Rachel." She introduced herself to our new Robin.
"Jason."
"Okay, who we all are doesn't matter right now." Dick desperately tried to keep everything under control, but it was impossible. "Can we just chill out, relax, sit on the couch and watch TV or something?"
"Yo, when did you get another one?" Gar found the two Robin-suitcase next to each other.
"That one's mine." Jason said.
"Yours? Wait, you're Robin, too? I thought you were Robin." He addressed it to Dick.
"I am."
"He was." Jason corrected him.
"Okay, how many Robins are there?" Gar asked confused. "Are there a lot? 'Cause I would love to..." He couldn't finish it, since I had enough of this Q&A session too.
"Okay, quiet." I ordered them demanding, surprisingly efficient. "Sit." I added as the two kids sat down immediately. "That's better. Bathroom." I beckoned to Kory and Dick.
DDD
We updated Kory about the situation and we told her that Dick has to leave for a few hours.
"Well I guess we can handle a handcuffed, unconscious guy" Kory winked at me as I smiled. "But if you excuse me, I'm gonna check on the kids before they come up with something stupid." She said leaving as I was about to join her. Those two could be trouble, especially with Jason around…
"Ror, wait" Dick stopped me abruptly. Suddenly he seemed very nervous, his calmness disappeared like it never existed. "Would you come with me?" He asked after a moment of hesitation, as I stood there stunned. "I mean, I totally understand if you don't want. It's my problem, I just thought maybe…" He gabbled scratching his nape embarrassed.
"Of course" I interrupted his agony with a tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach. "I'd love to." I smiled at him as he looked relieved, his expression softening. Warmness filled my chest unawares.
Was he just letting me in? Is he really willing to open up to someone and accept some help?