Disclaimer: All copyright and credit goes to the original creators of the Teen Titans, Batman, and the DC Universe. This is for entertainment purposes only! I do not own any of the characters!

Author's note: Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I appreciate the feedback! Ah sorry this chapter is a day late! My weekend has been busy and this chapter needed a lot of editing!

Warning. Slight violence in this chapter. Nothing too bad but it's the Joker... I'll summarize this chapter in the next one if you want to skip it!

Alright, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6

Time to fight

Lights flickered around the dark and decrepit warehouse. A cold wind shook the entire building, and a dark grating sound screeched through the air, unnerving the young boy observing it. The wooden siding had begun to rot away, leaving large holes in the sides of the building that left it vulnerable to the coming winter.

Things were much quieter down in the north end of Jump. It housed a large warehouse district that more or less seemed to be immune from the law. The hustle and bustle of the city life seemed to fade the farther north a person went. All the factories and businesses were closed, and workers had already gone home for the night. The undisturbed stillness created a dark and eerie air that left a person constantly looking over his or her shoulder.

Robin pressed his elbows to the ground and crawled up to the edge of an adjacent rooftop. He peered down at the warehouse from the taller building and narrowed his eyes at the small flashes of movements that appeared from shattered and dirty windows. It was pure luck that he had stumbled upon a few of the Joker's henchmen. They had been picking up a silver package from a similar building, and Robin had simply followed them here. It had been easy.

Almost too easy.

Either the Joker was over-confident and careless, or he actually wanted Robin to find him.

The boy severely hoped it was the first option.

He mentally shrugged to himself and brushed the thought aside. It was probably a little of both, but it didn't matter much to him anyway. He didn't care how he found the Joker's hideout - he was just glad to have found it at all. The longer he took to find it, the longer Batman was in the clutches of the psychotic clown.

He turned his head slightly to the east and looked out over the dark and eerie skyline. The metal 'S' felt like a massive pile of lead in his utility belt. The Joker's hideout was close…too close for comfort to another familiar haunt. Robin shuddered as he peered closer at the crumbling building. What was with criminals' obsessions with rundown buildings?

A loud voice drew Robin's attention back to the scene before him. The white van had pulled up to the warehouse, and the two henchmen got out of the car, the silver package in hand. A third figure came out of the building through a side door, a nasty snarl sprawled on his face.

"You're late."

The two henchmen staggered slightly, each with a devilish grin on their face. Green paint lined their eyes, giving them an unearthly appearance in the dark night. Each man was substantially larger than Robin, having massive arms and muscles that gave them an intimidating aura. However Robin saw through their brute force. His trained eyes deciphered their slow and sluggish movements and he deduced that neither man had ever been trained properly.

"Awww come on!" the first one said slightly slurring his words while slapping his partner on the back. The other man stumbled under the hit and laughed in amusement.

"We're got here as fast as we could," the second agreed while shoving the package into their superior's hands. The man inspected the package and handed it off to an unseen shadow in the doorway behind him. He then turned to stare down at the two pitiful men below him.

"You're late," the superior repeated again with an air of disgust.

The two henchmen looked at each other quizzically and then burst out in laughter.

"So what if we're late? We still got the package, right?" the first laughed, dismissing the man with a wave of his hand..

"Yeah, loosen up Mr. Kill joy!" the second chimed in with agreement.

Robin froze as he felt the air grow still with an icy tension. The two henchmen seemed oblivious to this and continued laughing. Their superior stood silhouetted in the doorway and stared down at the men before pulling something out from his coat pocket. The unlucky henchmen were unaware of their impending doom until two gunshots echoed through the dark air.

"Five minutes too late," the man muttered so quietly Robin almost didn't catch it. He turned on his heels and walked back into the warehouse, the door sliding shut behind him and cutting off the tentative ray of light that had illuminated the space. Robin peered over the edge and glanced down at the now still bodies. Bile rose in his mouth as a dark feeling flew over him, cloaking him in his fears.

That could be you.

He shuddered and turned away, slamming his eyes shut. Keep it together, Robin thought to himself. You've seen worse. An icy sensation crawled up his arms and through his body. This was why he hadn't brought the Titans. This was why he had to protect his team. Robin tried to calm his ragged breathing, but the haunting image had been burned into his eyes and it stayed in his mind. He wrapped his arms around his small body as a cold wind whipped through the air.

Focus Robin. Forget about everything and find Batman.

He repeated that thought over and over again until it washed away the rising panic that had started to consume him. He could do this. He just needed to focus. Robin clenched his shaking hands and forced his eyes back to the haunting building.

Find a way in…

The thought was like smoke in his mind and vanished as his eyes took in the warehouse. The building was shorter than the one he was on now, but it still had an imposing size and heft. Its decrepit condition and rotting siding allowed it to blend in and disappear into the surroundings. No one would think twice about this building. No one would ever guess it was the hideout of a psychotic clown.

Two rows of windows wrapped around the perimeter of the building, however smashing through glass was not Robin's idea of a quiet entrance. His eyes drew him to the top of the warehouse and a flash of metal caught his eye. A small hatch was off to the far left corner of the building.

Slightly obvious, but a way in nevertheless.

The Boy Wonder rose into a crouch and took a deep breath. He could do this. Get in, find Batman, and get out. He rolled off the edge and launched his grappling hook. A thin whistling sound echoed through the air as he flipped upward and landed with a silent roll on the top of the warehouse, creeping along toward the small hatch.

Most of the streetlights were broken and the ones that worked were barely able to illuminate the vast area. The boy squinted in the darkness, thankful for the faint moonlight that guided his path. His feet ghosted along the concrete until he reached his destination. He crouched down, unnerved by the vast open space around him.

Robin ran his hand along the metal edge of the hatch and examined the thick layer of rust that had sealed it shut. The Boy Wonder pulled out a bird-a-rang and dragged the sharp edge around the stubborn hatch, feeling its sharp edge slice through the thick barrier. Slowly but surely he carved through the rust and gave the hatch a hard pull. He grunted and the door flung open with a dull pop.

The Boy Wonder glanced over his shoulder before he slipped inside and landed nimbly on his feet in the middle of a long, dark hallway. The lights flickered above him, and Robin turned his head left and right, trying to decide which way to go. His decision was made for him however, when a pair of gruff and loud voices floated to him from his left.

Adrenaline spiked through his veins as he dashed to his right and rounded the corner. Two figures emerged from the opposite side. From the gait of their footsteps, Robin assumed that they were large and hefty men. The boy pressed his back up against the wall, his breathing controlled and as silent as a ghost.

"Told you it was nothing!"

"Well I heard something running around on the roof!"

"Probably just a rat or something. Forget about it. Besides the boss will have our hide if he sees us wander'en round."

"He'll also kill us if we let someone sneak in!"

"I'm tell'en ya it was a rat!"

Robin allowed a soft smile to grace his face. It must have been a very large rat. He continued down the hallway, edging along the wall. His hands ran along a few rusty, metal doors that lined the wall while exposed light bulbs flickered and sputtered with light, vainly trying to fight the darkness away. He came to a round curve in the hallway and paused. His highly trained ears listened.

Silence.

He waited for a few moments before following the curve cautiously, aware that at any moment someone could appear.

The hallway abruptly fell away, revealing a small area that looked over the entire space below. Robin crept up toward the railing and peered over. The warehouse's outward appearance was deceiving. The inside was massive. Rafters soared above Robin, and the windows did little to light the expansive space. Boxes and crates were sporadically spread out on the ground, and three rooms, one on the right, left and far back of the space, lined the walls.

A group of burly henchmen sat at a table dealing out cards while others were standing around. He counted eleven in total and held back a cringe. Eleven against one. Not the best odds, but it could always be worse. Robin scanned the area, and his eyes landed on the rafters. Maybe he could…

A loud crash echoed through the warehouse, knocking the boy from his thoughts. His training kicked in and Robin froze, shifting his position so that he was better concealed in the shadows. His brightly colored uniform fell away from view as five more men appeared from underneath the balcony. Robin assessed the group quickly, noting the various weapons each man carried. Some had guns while others carried baseball bats or other items that could be used as weapons. His eyes landed on the leader and his stomach dropped. A deep feeling of dread rose up in him as he shoved unwanted memories away.

Bullets shot through the air as the mad man waved his machine gun around, and a deep crackling laugh rebounded throughout the warehouse.

"Where is it?" the Joker yelled tossing his gun to the floor. The madman's face was plastered into a demented smile with red paint smeared all the way up his cheeks. The henchman Robin recognized from outside brought the Joker the same silver briefcase that had cost two men their lives.

The madman snatched it from his lackey's hands and pressed it up against his face, smearing his white face paint on it.

"Ooooh how I just love surprises!" the Joker said with another laugh. He threw the case over his head, and it was silently caught by one of his guards. The Joker began to strut toward the far room while the man who gave him the case fell in step next to him.

The psychotic clown looked exactly how Robin remembered him. His thin frame was dressed in a purple suit and dark, plum gloves. The man's pristine, brown shoes clacked on the concrete floor as he strode to the far end of the room. Despite his crazy and insane facade, the Joker's movements were smooth and well-controlled, revealing to Robin a man that knew how to handle himself.

"Tell me, any sign of Bird Boy yet?" the Joker asked nonchalantly.

Robin felt a shiver crawl down his side. The voice. The hair. The suit. Those lifeless eyes. This was real. This was him. This was the ruthless villain that Batman had tried to protect him from all those years ago. His body felt like a ton of bricks sinking to the bottom of the ocean. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. Memories began to claw their way into his brain, and Robin was powerless to shove them down.

"No sir. No sign yet, however it has been confirmed that Catwoman delivered the message," the henchman responded, eyeing his superior nervously.

The Joker stopped mid-stride and leaned into the man's painted face.

"Hmmmmm," the Joker whispered drawing out the sound, "He'll be here soon then. It's not like him to keep me waiting"

"But sir," the man started, resisting the urge to cower away from the man, "what if the Titans-"

The Joker snapped away, leaning dangerously to his right. He straightened up and threw his hands in the air, spinning around.

"The Titans will not be coming!" the Joker yelled in a sing-song voice. "Birdie Boy knows the invitation is only for one!"

The dark truth behind those words caused Robin to shiver.

"But sir-"

The Joker whirled around, and his crazed, lifeless eyes flashed dangerously. He whipped something out of his coat pocket and dangled it like a toy in his hands.

"They aren't coming, understood…?" the Joker asked. His voice was as thin as the ice the henchman was treading on.

"Yes, sir," the man responded every muscle in his body stiffening. Robin could see the fear that spread underneath the painted mask covering the man's face.

"Good," the Joker said curtly while turning away and twirling the silver gun in his hand. "Now, as I was saying, we will keep Bats in th-"

"HOW IN THE BLAZES DID YOU GET IN HERE?"

Robin froze as every eye in the warehouse turned toward his position. Panic coursed through his body as he slowly turned his head to the side. He swore as he saw the two men he had spotted earlier in the hallway. How could he have been so careless? In the chaos of the Joker's arrival he had forgotten about the two henchmen that were patrolling the hallway. Well, that now made it eighteen to one. Just great, Grayson. Way to screw it up. Batman was going to have his hide when all of this was over – if he was even alive when all of this was over.

A crackling laugh reached Robin's ears, and the Boy Wonder felt as if his world was being ripped to shreds. He held down a wave of panic as thoughts crashed through his head.

The men behind him hadn't moved from their positions but one of them had his hand tightened around a gun at his waist.

Maybe if he stayed still, the Joker wouldn't be able to see him. Maybe if he stayed in the shadows he would disappear…

"Birdie Boy! How nice of you to finally join us!" the Joker cried while clapping his hands. "Why don't you come down here so I can see you?"

All thoughts of disappearing vanished from the boy's mind. A dark feeling wrapped around him and clutched him in a tight embrace. So much for a quiet entrance.

Even though every instinct and muscle in his body screamed at him to stay down, Robin rose to his feet to face his accuser. He was conscious of the men behind him, the gun that was itching to be drawn, the bullet that could be embedded into his chest at any second, and the psychotic man that was currently laughing at him. But he wasn't aware that he had reflexively gripped the bo-staff in his utility belt and that his mind was already subconsciously searching for a way out of this mess.

"Where's Batman?" Robin asked, trying to keep his voice level. He put up his facade of confidence hoping the man wouldn't be able to see through it. Beneath it however, his mind screamed at him to run – to get as far away from the man as possible.

The Joker held a hand to his ear and puckered his blood red lips. "What? Tweet, tweet little bird! I can't hear you!"

Laughter echoed through the air from the henchman around him. Each sound pierced into the boy and drove his fear deeper into him. The boy felt this confidence begin to crumble away, but he forced himself to keep his voice level.

"I said, where is Batman?"

He pronounced each syllable sharply and heard the words echo through the laughter that filled the air. Robin forced himself not to flinch under the glare the Joker gave him. He met the lifeless eyes and felt his haunting memories swell inside of him.

The Joker let out a dramatic sight and crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Oh come now! I haven't seen you in years and that's the best hello you can come up with? Where's Batman? Not very original if you ask me."

Robin's eyes flickered around. The fear he felt pounded in his head and clouded his thinking. What was happening? Normally he could think through any situation but right his mind was freezing up on him. If the mere sight of the Joker paralyzed him, how was he supposed to fight the man?

"Where is he?" Robin repeated, keeping his words short and terse. He didn't trust himself to say anything more than those few words.

"Loosen up Birdie! Why don't you come down here and I'll give you a proper Gotham welcome?" the Joker asked a devious glint entering his eyes.

Chills raced down Robin's spine as he regarded the insane man before him. Fear licked his sides as he tried to keep his calm, confidence in place. He could almost feel the Joker's eyes pierce through his facade and prey on his fear.

"Not an option," Robin replied, his hands shaking against his sides.

He heard a click behind him and instantly recognized the noise as the man loading his gun. He could feel the barrel staring directly at his back, and Robin resisted the urge to turn and look.

"Oh I believe that's your only option right now," the Joker responded as if talking about something as casual as the weather. He flicked a piece of dirt off his jacket and motioned to the men behind Robin without looking up.

The Boy Wonder quickly weighed his situation. There were sixteen men on the ground below him, each with a loaded and operational gun. He had one gun poised at his back. He was guessing that Batman was being held in one of the three rooms however the sporadic arrangement of the guards gave him no clue to which one. And not to mention that if he knocked out the two guards behind him and somehow managed to subdue all of the guards, he still had the Joker to go through.

"Five seconds!" The Joker cried happily, clapping his hands together. His ragged green hair shook from the movement. "The choice is yours!"

Robin looked helplessly at the rooms below him. There was nothing he could do. He was surrounded and had no idea where Batman was. Fear and panic quickly flooded the boy as he realized just how idiotic he had been. In all of his times of facing the Joker, he had never beaten the man without Batman's help. And now Batman was nowhere to be seen, and he was utterly and helplessly alone. At that precise moment only one option filled the boy's mind.

Escape.

Instinct overrode all thought and he whipped around and whirled two red spheres at the men. The sudden movement caused the man to fire, and the Boy Wonder dropped to the ground as the tiny spheres exploded with a loud bang. A foggy smoke filled the air and Robin barreled past the two coughing men and into the dark hallway. A sardonic laugh echo through the air and chased Robin down the hallway.

"That's right little Bird! Run! Run while you still can!" the Joker screamed after him.

Robin raced down the hallway, the Joker's taunt spurring him on. He had to get out of here. He had to escape. Adrenaline pounded through his body, forcing his muscles to move faster. He would come back and find Batman. A door to his right burst open and three men started to stream out of it. Robin whipped out his bo-staff knocking away the closest one's gun, and sent a sharp crack to his head. The man stumbled back, giving Robin the necessary room to maneuver.

Robin dropped to the ground as gunshots whipped over his head. He struck out and caught the man behind him by his leg, making him stumble into the third attacker. Out of the corner of his eye Robin saw the first man rise to his feet, grab his gun, and take aim. He quickly threw a smoke bomb on the ground as gunshots rang threw the air. He let out a strangled gasp as one burned the outside of his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood.

The Boy Wonder turned and ran through the smoke, pressing a hand to his mouth. His eyes burned as the smoke pressed down on him, shrouding him in a dark cloak. A loud, rumbling explosion rang through the air and a hard force slammed into him. Robin was thrown against the wall. His back absorbed most of the brutal impact while his ears rang from the loud noise, muting all the noise around him. Plaster from the ceiling rained down on him, and he coughed, feeling smoke burn into his lungs. A crushing weight pounded down on his legs and he looked down. His eyes traced the blurry outline of a heavy metal door that had been blow off its hinges and was now resting on his legs, effectively pinning him down.

Robin didn't even have time to resister the fiery pain that laced his body as a silhouetted figure appeared in the smoke from the wide open doorway. A black slender object appeared in its hands, and the figure turned to face Robin. The Boy Wonder fumbled along his utility belt. The ringing in his ears increased as he nimbly grabbed three bird-a-rangs and hurled them at toward the ominous figure. The silhouette let out a muffled cry and staggered back, buying Robin a few precious seconds.

The Boy Wonder gripped the heavy metal door in his hands and pulled with all his might. His muscles burned with an intense, undying fire, and he screamed with agony as he heaved the heavy piece of metal up and braced himself behind it. Bullets slammed into it like a parade of death, and Robin's hearing returned with a loud bang. He grasped his ears in his hands with a quiet cry as bullet after bullet was halted by the strong, impenetrable metal door. Each bullet caused the door to vibrate and shake and Robin could feel the metal begin to groan under the unrelenting hail of bullets. He panted heavily as his mind desperately tried to figure out where to go.

The smoke was slowly clearing in the hallway, and he glanced to he left. Twenty feet away was the hallway where the hatch was located. If he could make it to the rooftop, his odds of survival would be much better. It was easier to hit someone with a bullet in a crowded hallway five feet away versus on an open rooftop thirty feet away.

Robin pulled three bird-a-rangs from his belt and felt the smooth metal rub up against his skin. He took a deep breath and waited for pause in the barrage of bullets. A deafening silence fell on the hallway as the smoke began to rise away. For a few brief seconds, Robin closed his eyes and steadied himself.

With skilled practice, he flung the bird-a-rangs into his attackers and threw the heavy door forward. The henchmen gave a cry of alarm as the bird-a-rangs launched toward their group. The door slammed to the ground with a loud SMACK, and Robin dashed from his hiding place and raced toward the hallway, praying that a bullet didn't dive into his chest at any moment. He opened a pocket on his utility belt and small, bead-like objects rolled onto the floor.

Robin rounded the corner of the hallway and raced toward the hatch. Footsteps of his attacker followed after him, forcing his body to move faster. The boy lithely sprung upward and grabbed a handle on the ceiling that was just before the metal hatch. He swung his legs gaining momentum and slammed them into the hard metal. The cold, unforgiving material gave slightly, but it didn't pop open as he had expected it too.

Robin heard a man swear as a loud beeping noise filled the hallway. The beeping grew in quantity, and the boy instinctively gripped the handle tighter.

"What the-"

Explosion after explosion rocketed through the enclosed hallway, shaking the ceiling and the walls around him. If he hadn't been prepared for it, Robin would have been shaken off of the handle and sent crashing to the ground. Loud, frustrated swears reached Robin's ears and the Boy Wonder attacked the hatch with a renewed vigor. He felt his abs groan under the strain of lifting and re-lifting his legs. He slammed into the obstinate metal and let out a feral growl. His legs burned with a terrible fire, but he pressed on, drawing his legs up and kicking the taunting barrier with all his might.

It flung open with a mighty crash, and the Boy Wonder flipped through it just as bullets riddled through the air. He rolled to a stop on the concrete roof and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Blood dripped down from his shoulder, staining the concrete with a deep red. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and made a move to stand up.

He was going to make it.

Perhaps it was all those days spent training with Batman or perhaps it was just mere luck, but a warning flared up in Robin's mind. Instincts overrode all thought as he stepped to his right and threw two bird-a-rangs. Time seemed to slow down as Robin saw a man fill his vision. The gruesome, half-shaven face stared back at him with deep, blood-red eyes while a thin line of smoke drifted from his outstretched gun. He saw the bird-a-rangs fly toward his target while a bullet pierced deep into his shoulder.

The pointed piece of metal sliced through Robin's thin clothing, and ripped through the muscle and tendon blocking its path. The boy collapsed to his knees as a foggy disbelief overcame him. He lifted his hand up to his shoulder and pulled it away. Bright, red blood laced his fingertips.

All at once the pain hit him, jarring him back to the present. His attacker stumbled back under the assault of the bird-a-rangs, and Robin rose shakily to his feet, his hand pressed against his shoulder. Blood ran freely down it and onto the ground below him. Images flashed before his eyes. It was happening again.

The bullets. The blood. Gotham. The Joker's face filling his vision. That sickening laugh that haunted his dreams for years.

The world tipped around him as he tried to re-orient himself. His attacker advanced on him, tossing the gun to the floor. His white shirt was tattered and torn from where the bird-a-rang had struck him.

"Boss said to capture you alive, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun, now does it?" the man said while cracking his knuckles.

The blood red eyes bore into Robin as the man grabbed the Boy Wonder by his uniform. Robin was lifted off of his feet and stared into his attacker's face. Instead he saw the Joker's face. He heard the Joker's laugh. He heard the gunshots. He saw Batman's pained face.

A knee was brutally driven into his stomach and Robin was thrown to the ground and out of his sickening memory. The boy crashed onto his injured shoulder and felt his muscles shift and crunch around the bullet. His body rolled to a stop at the edge of the concrete rooftop and he let out a wild scream, curling up into a protective ball.

The man snorted, and spit onto the ground. "You're weak," he said advancing on him like a predator, "I expected more from the famous Boy Wonder."

Using his uninjured side, Robin pushed himself off of the concrete to face his accuser. He watched as more men appeared out of the hatch behind him each loaded down with various guns. They immediately trained them on the Boy Wonder while the man grew closer and closer to him. Those haunting eyes filled his vision as he heard the man voice float over to him.

"Get ready to join your precious Batman."

Robin saw the man reach out to grab him. His haunting white and green face bore into his mind and grew closer and closer. He felt the crushing darkness wrap around him again. He was weak. He couldn't do this. He couldn't rescue Batman.

Two burly hands reached out to him and instinct overrode every crushing thought in Robin's mind. It burned into him and caused the boy to lash out with a sharp kick, successfully nailing the man in the shin. The man let out a sharp curse and just imperceptibly stepped back. But that small step gave the Boy Wonder the room to propel himself over and off the edge of the building.

Shouts of alarm filled the air as Robin sailed downward toward the street. He grabbed his grappling hook out of his belt and launched it, clenching his jaw in pain as the sudden jerk aggravated his shoulder. He swung through the air as a few desperate gunshots followed him, but the boy knew he was already out of range.

"AFTER HIM. THE JOKER WANTS HIM ALIVE!"

Robin swore as he heard men stream out of the building. Gunshots tore through the air behind him and followed his moving form. The boy swung up to an adjacent building and dropped to the ground. His hands fumbled with his cape and hastily tore off a piece of the strong fabric with his teeth. Robin wrapped it around his bleeding shoulder and tried unsuccessfully to ignore the intense pain that coursed through his body from the wound. His fingers knotted it off tightly, and he numbly watched as the yellow fabric quickly turned into a deep, bloody red.

With each drop of blood that was absorbed into the yellow fabric a crushing realization pounded down on Robin.

He couldn't beat the Joker alone.

But who was going to help him? Not Catwoman, even if the woman cared for the Caped Crusader, the feline queen was too selfish to help Batman. He hadn't spoken to the Justice League in years and rumor had it that they were away on an off world mission and wouldn't be back for about another month…besides he couldn't – he just couldn't ask them for help.

That left…

He reached into his utility belt and froze in disbelief. Yellow shards of metal dug into his skin as he grasped the remains of his broken communicator. It must have been crushed when the door had slammed into him. Robin let out a cry of frustration as he slammed his fist against the ground. And even if his communicator wasn't broken, it wasn't like he wanted to put the Titans in danger either. He was on his own now.

The cursory tied bandage sagged against his arm as blood dripped out from underneath it. Just how was he supposed to escape and get back to the Tower with a shoulder that was gushing blood? He needed to find a place to hide.

Shouts from the street below reached his ears and panic began to grow inside Robin. Perhaps he could hide in an abandon warehouse and pray the Joker's men didn't find him. Blood continued to drip from his wound as the boy inhaled a shaky breath. Even if the Joker's men didn't find him, he would most likely bleed to death first. But where could he go? He needed medical attention and he needed it fast, but it wasn't like he carried a map of Jump City around in his back pocket. The only hospital he knew of was thirty minutes away, and Robin didn't know if he could make it ten – let alone thirty – more minutes without passing out.

His head pounded with a low drum, and he pressed his hand up against his bleeding shoulder. It wasn't like there was anyone around this part of town he knew. The warehouse district had a few scattered civilian homes. Maybe he could find one and ask the resident for help…

Robin shook his heavy head and muttered softly to himself. With the Joker's men trailing him like this, he didn't want to put any civilian in harm's way. If he didn't entirely lose the Joker's henchmen, Robin could lead them straight to a civilian's doorstep. And that was a risk the boy wasn't willing to take.

The dark night closed in around him and the weak boy rose to his feet. Through the pounding of the drums in his head, a thought slithered into Robin's mind. There was one place he could go…

The boy slowly turned his head to the left, and his breath froze in his lungs. His brain mentally recoiled at the idea that accosted his brain. He could never, never in a million years, go to him for help. The metal 'S' in his pocket seemed to grow heavier and Robin hesitantly pulled it out. It gleamed in the moonlight and drops of blood splattered on it. Slade's words came back to him.

"What do you want, Slade?"

"Take a guess."

The moon glimmered in the dark sky, and Robin looked up. Maybe the man would listen. Maybe the man would understand. Maybe he would help Robin.

Or maybe he'll just kill you, force you into another apprenticeship, or gloat about his latest evil plan.

Robin sighed and tightened his grip around the metal 'S'. He grimaced as he heard men shouting from the street below him. The small piece of metal felt like a ton of bricks in hands. The haunting black and orange mask rose before him, cloaking him in a dark shroud. Slade's gray eye stared down at him and chills crawled up Robin's spine.

He really didn't have any other options. Either die at the hands of the Joker or his worst enemy. It was the best of the worst.

Robin walked toward the edge of the rooftop, and peered off into the distance. His eyes narrowed, starring at the direction he needed to go. Blood and pain poured from his shoulder in slow and continuous waves. The boy took a deep breath and centered himself.

If he thought the Titans were mad at him now, they were going to be downright furious when they found out about this.

A/N: And so it begins...Next update will be sometime next week! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!