Chapter 13:
Robin watched the two men turn away from each other. He couldn't hear the words but the fact that they were going in opposite directions was a stroke of luck. His idea to wait had been discarded, his pack had returned to its place at the back of the theater and he had been following the men as they sauntered around Crime Alley. Now that Lester knew about him, the man would be extra careful and Robin might not get a chance to take him down. By going north alone, however, Lester was giving the youngest Flying Grayson the perfect opportunity.
As the man ambled down the street, Robin flew from shadow to shadow, always close to his target but never noticeable. Lester turned left at the end of the block, toward the theater, and Robin darted across the street without taking the time to survey the area.
A stray dog began barking loudly and Robin, berating himself for his carelessness, sped up. He had to get to the murderer before the guy knew he was there.
The howling of an angry dog reached Lester's ears and he turned around. His eyes widened in both surprise and anger. The small kid was running toward him, was almost upon him, and Lester instantly realized that the boy knew he was a criminal.
"I gave you a ride, kid," he snarled loudly, "so back off or you'll wish you didn't get that ride."
"Shut up," Robin grunted as he threw himself into a round-off. Instead of flying into a back handspring, however, he nearly fell flat on his face. His ribs refused to stretch into the position and his right ankle gave him almost no momentum. Whipping around, he sprinted toward the criminal who was now in a defensive stance with his large fists ready to connect with a small body part.
Robin the crime-fighter was no match for this murdering, prison-hardened criminal. Dick Grayson the aerialist, however, was being aided by both anger and grief and was ready to avenge his parents.
Lester swung his right fist and Robin dove under it, tackling the man at his knees. The criminal brought his left hand up and punched the kid's right side as he stumbled back and they fell to the ground. Ignoring the pain that flared up in his chest and the fireworks exploding in his mind, Robin straddled the large torso and began punching the familiar face without stopping.
"WHY?!" he roared. "WHY DID YOU KILL TWO INNOCENT CIRCUS PERFORMERS?!"
Robin's punches lacked their usual power. There had been no acrobatic trick in the beginning so the extra force he gained from adding one was absent. His fists were mostly bouncing off the man's face, not doing much damage. One of the hits, however, opened up a wound the criminal had recently received in prison. A thick line of blood appeared over his right eye and began oozing down his cheek.
"I…" Lester began but stopped speaking when the coppery taste of the liquid began sliding into his mouth. Robin wanted an answer, though, so he stopped hitting the man. Climbing off the strong chest, the boy grabbed Lester's shirt with both hands and pulled him up to sitting.
"WHY?" he screamed, both fury and sorrow in the tone.
Instead of answering, Lester threw his head forward, connecting his forehead with that of the small kid.
The stitches that Alfred had painstakingly redone immediately tore open and the blood of Dick Grayson mingled with that of his parents' killer. Robin saw double, his hands went slack and Lester shoved him away. The boy's back hit the ground and he instinctively tucked into a backward roll.
By the time the young hero stood up, the criminal was marching forward, hands clenched and face twisted in a cruel snarl. Robin was dizzy, things were going in and out of focus and he was having trouble concentrating.
"You want to know why?" Lester suddenly stopped and growled. "Because I had a new toy and wanted to try it out. It was a brand spanking new weapon, the prettiest one I've ever seen, and I was told it could injure hundreds at a time. What better place to test it than a circus tent, where the test subjects are sitting ducks?!"
"Why would you want to injure hundreds of people?" Robin blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear both his vision and his head.
"Because I'm tired of being a 'henchman'! I'm tired of sitting in the background and watching the villain have all the fun. And I'm tired of getting beat up by Batman while the boss escapes!"
The two began circling, glaring at each other while looking for an opening to attack. Lester already knew Robin's vulnerabilities – the concussion, the pained gasp when his fist had connected with some bumpy ribs and now the blood streaming from the small forehead. Robin was at a disadvantage and he was studying the man's movements carefully. Lester was big and therefore, in the young hero's mind, slow but he had no other obvious weaknesses.
"If you're tired of all that just stop being a criminal!" Robin suddenly yelled. "Or man up and take out your boss and the other guys! Two innocent people fell to their deaths because you're a whiny baby!"
"I liked you before, kid, when I gave you a ride. But I'm starting to change my mind so you better turn around and run before I decide to pummel you into the ground."
"You're an idiot, jusss like all the other criminals I've ever met," Robin growled fiercely. "Are you waiting for an invitation to actually fight back? 'Cause I'm okay with you standing there while I beat you to a pulp."
"That's it, kid. I don't like attacking people smaller than me, I'm a respectable criminal, but you just became the exception. Let's see how good 'the boy in the mask' really is when he fights someone two times his size."
Robin smirked at that comment. "You should have talked to your friend before saying that. I took out three guysss the other night – two of them were bigger than you – while he ran away like a frightened mouse."
"You know what?!" Lester shouted. "I'm glad I killed those stupid circus performers, whoever they were. You know why?! Because now I get to beat up a bratty kid that every other criminal has failed to defeat!"
"They were NOT stupid and I'm going to take you down harder than I've EVER taken down ANYONE else!"
"Bring it, kid," Lester snarled.
Knowing that his tricks would hurt more than help right now, Robin decided that speed was the best option. He took three steps forward, leaving him two feet away from his enemy. Lester, noticing the cloudy eyes and assuming that the kid was almost completely out of it, took the bait.
The uppercut was quick and strong and hit only air as Robin lunged sideways then dove into Lester's ribcage. Both bodies tumbled to the ground again as four fists wildly swung around, hoping to get in a lucky punch. Robin's fist connected hard with Lester's jaw just as the man's fist barreled into the boy's solar plexus.
Desperately trying to ignore the fire in his torso, Robin rolled away and popped up to his feet. Lester scrambled to stand up but he was too big and Robin was too fast. The young crime-fighter raced around to get behind the criminal, scampered up the man's large back and landed on the muscular shoulders. Small fists, flying like tiny tornados, began pounding all over Lester's head.
The criminal made it to his feet so Robin stopped battering the man's head and switched his grip. Flipping himself upside down, the now-crying former aerialist wrapped his strong legs around the thick neck and his strong arms around the muscular thighs. They were now back to back, Lester standing tall with Robin stretched down his back.
Several sets of acrobatic muscles contracted and Lester was suddenly gasping for air, his arms flailing helplessly around as he was pulled back into an arch. Robin could now reach the man's knees and he shifted his arms down to the joints. Keeping the pressure on Lester's neck as tight as possible, the boy squeezed the criminal's knees as hard as he could. There were two loud, distinctive popping sounds and Lester screamed in pain.
Robin released everything and landed on all fours as the criminal toppled over, his head slamming onto the asphalt of the street and his body going limp. But the boy wasn't done. He stood up and started kicking Lester's body over and over while sobbing uncontrollably.
"STOP!"
Robin heard the command but it didn't register in his young, anguished mind. He dropped to his knees and began punching the man in the ribs as hard as he could. Suddenly, he was snatched off the body of the criminal and it was his turn to cry out in pain.
Three minutes earlier:
Beep. Beep.
Batman picked up his Bat-communicator and was interrupted before he even began speaking.
"Robin found him, sir." Alfred's voice held a tinge of panic and Batman clenched his jaw in trepidation.
"They're near the theater, sir, and he's not holding back," the butler continued.
"Which he?" Batman growled, irritated with himself. Choosing to go south after exiting the Batmobile had been the wrong decision – he was nowhere near the theater. He turned around and began running north, leaving the motionless body of Jest lying on the sidewalk.
"I'm going to assume that it's blood all over both of their faces, sir, so I suppose the statement should have been 'they' are not holding back. It's a verbal war right now, sir. They are circling each other and having a snarling contest, from the expressions on their faces."
There was a pause and then a gasp. "Please tell me you're almost there, sir!"
"I'm a couple of blocks away! What's happening?!"
"Robin's going to regret what he's doing, sir, if he isn't stopped quickly."
When he heard those words, Batman shoved the Bat-communicator back into his utility belt and began sprinting. He was not going to allow that to happen to Robin, the strong yet vulnerable eleven-year-old boy who was fighting crime to honor his parents' memories.
There was a scream of agony from somewhere up ahead but Batman couldn't go any faster than his current speed. He rounded the corner and froze in shock. Robin had forced the criminal into a deep arch and had his arms wrapped around the man's knees. The Caped Crusader immediately knew the cause of the scream: Robin had just dislocated one or both of the killer's knees.
Suddenly Robin was kicking the limp body of his parents' murderer and Batman could hear the heartbroken sobs.
"STOP!" Batman thundered and wasn't really surprised when nothing changed.
The boy was now on his knees and slamming his small fists into the criminal's ribs over and over. Batman resumed his sprint and six seconds later he snatched the young crime-fighter away from the seemingly lifeless form of Lester.
"Let me go, LET ME GO!" Robin screamed as he struggled against Batman's firm grip.
The older hero had his right arm wrapped across the younger hero's shoulders and his left arm across the boy's hips. Robin's arms were trapped and Batman was holding him off the ground so he couldn't get any traction to fight back.
But that didn't stop Robin from trying. He wiggled and squirmed and kicked and finally threw his head back. His skull connected with Batman's chin and the man both winced and growled.
"ENOUGH!" the Caped Crusader commanded loudly and was surprised when Robin instantly stopped struggling. The boy's entire body was shaking violently and his sobs had turned into moans of anguish.
"I'm going to put you down," Batman stated calmly, "so I can secure the criminal. You stay right here and don't do anything stupid."
Without waiting for a response, Batman gently placed the boy on his feet then stepped around him. Pulling out his Bat-cuffs, the Caped Crusader rolled the murderer onto his stomach and attached them to his wrists. There was a soft 'thud' from behind him and Batman quickly turned around.
Robin was sitting down, knees bent and arms wrapped around his legs. The boy's forehead was resting on top of his knees and blood was sliding down his legs and onto the ground. His breath was coming in short gasps and his body was still trembling. Batman had no idea what to do or say so he sat down next to Robin and waited.
It was a full five minutes later before the silence was broken.
"He…he killed them," Robin whispered miserably. "He said…he was…glad…"
The boy trailed off into a round of quiet sobs that lasted less than thirty seconds. The Caped Crusader was way out of his league and guessed that it would be better for Robin to take the lead so he didn't comment.
"All because of a…of a toy. He called it a toy!"
Robin was mumbling at the ground but Batman could easily hear and understand every word. The boy lifted his head just long enough to swipe some blood and tears off his face then let it drop again.
"I wish I had killed him."
That was a statement that Batman was definitely not going to let go without rebuttal.
"No, Robin, you don't. You are not a killer and your parents wouldn't want you to become one."
"But they're…dead," the grieving child whispered. "It doesn't matter…"
"Yes, kiddo, it does. The path you chose to follow is not one of revenge. They would be so proud of you right now. You're strong, brave, independent and a fighter."
"How do you know they would be proud? You didn't even know them." The words were full of both sorrow and curiosity.
"Because I've met you, their son, and your actions tell me a lot about them. When they died, you chose to live for them, to honor their memories. And because I've been in your position. My parents were murdered in…" Batman paused for a moment before continuing. "They were shot and I watched them die. I was eight. You and I are similar, although you're much stronger than I was at your age."
Robin lifted his head and stared at Batman with wide eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "For you," he clarified, "and for not…"
Trailing off, the young hero glanced at Lester's body before turning his liquid-filled eyes back to Batman.
"For not stopping."
The boy dropped his gaze to the ground again and idly watched a few drops of blood splash onto the dirty asphalt. Batman opened a pocket on his utility belt and pulled out his Bat-wrap. He put a finger under Robin's chin and gently lifted it, locking his dark-blue eyes onto the lighter ones of the eleven-year-old child.
"I understand," he said as he carefully bandaged the small head for the third time in less than a week.
"Thanks," Robin said softly and was suddenly huddled against Batman's side, hugging him tightly.
Batman wasn't used to hugs, and was definitely not a tactile person, but he wrapped his left arm around the small body and lightly squeezed back.
Robin somehow quickly shifted himself onto the man's lap and wrapped all four limbs around Batman's torso. Resting his forehead against the strong chest, he began quietly crying again. Two muscular arms hesitantly enveloped the boy and the Caped Crusader patiently waited for his young counterpart to regain control of his emotions.
Several minutes later Robin's head was still leaning against Batman's chest but the small arms were slack and the man couldn't hear any sounds of grief. Pulling his head back as far as he could, he was surprised to see the light-blue eyes closed and tear tracks that had already dried on the youthful cheeks. The Caped Crusader grinned slightly; the kid was asleep.
He had no idea how to get up without disturbing Robin's slumber but his legs were cramping and he was also tired. Two crime-fighters asleep and defenseless in Crime Alley would be like a dying animal waiting to be eaten by circling vultures.
"Sorry, kiddo," Batman whispered. He shifted his arms so they were under instead of around the boy, crossed his legs and pushed himself up to his feet. Robin stirred but didn't awaken so the Caped Crusader began walking to the Batmobile with the little bundle safe in his arms. It was parked precisely seventeen yards away, in front of the theater and behind a plain, black vehicle with no identifying marks.
Speaking of bundles, Batman decided he needed to at least look for Robin's pack of things before leaving. It held obvious clues regarding the boy's identity and a criminal finding that would be disastrous. Carefully placing the boy on the passenger seat, Batman took a moment to think.
A memory flashed through his mind – a small silhouette at the top of the steps that had warned Bruce Wayne to leave Crime Alley then disappeared. Striding around to the back of the theater, Batman was not surprised to see a well-knotted blanket sitting in the shadows of the wall at the end of the building. He quickly walked over and picked it up then returned to the Batmobile and placed it in the back seat.
"Well, partner," he whispered as he climbed into the driver's seat, "shall we go to the Batcave and let a very intelligent man patch you up again?"
"Part…ner?" the boy whispered, the two syllables full of both pain and hope.
"If you want to, I mean."
The Batmobile roared to life and Batman headed for home.
"Not worth it," Robin sighed sadly. "Too much trouble."
"Kiddo," Batman replied softly, "you're more than worth it."
One week later:
Bruce Wayne walked confidently into the courthouse, a slightly nervous Dick Grayson by his side. Family court was the first door on the left and the judge was already waiting. The duo made their way up to the bench and Bruce placed the proper paperwork before the judge. The man immediately signed it and softly congratulated the pair.
And, just like that, Dick Grayson became the youthful ward of millionaire Bruce Wayne and Robin became the light-hearted partner of the stoic Batman.
Three days after that, Alfred completed his first Robin-suit: a cleaner, warmer version of the boy's original uniform including the bold, yellow 'R' directly over his heart.
Two months after that, people were calling them the Dynamic Duo.
One month after that, when a badly injured Robin escaped from Riddler and managed to leave the villain secured and ready for pickup, people began calling him the Boy Wonder.
Ten days after that, eleven-year-old Richard John Grayson, acrobat and aerialist turned crime-fighter Robin, finally realized that he was no longer on his own.
THE END
A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm officially on hiatus for an undetermined length of time. I'll be back, even if I'm 80 years old when it happens. ;-) Any activity on my account will be from my sister. I've rewritten/polished some old stories and she has my permission to replace chapters. That will keep her from publishing any of my other stories on her account and getting in trouble because of it. (insert eye-rolling emoji)
Anyway, thanks for the fun ride and see you on the other side! :-)
