Chapter 13
Robin climbed out the final air vent and dropped down onto the ground. This worked out well for him because he was hidden behind a bush. When he was sure he was safe, he took off. He had heard the other man in Alfred's room say something about going to Stark Towers because Mr. Stark could help him.
Robin took off down the streets, having no idea where he was going. He looked this way and that till he finally found a large building labeled Stark Towers, he headed for the front doors, but saw a cop following him. Finally he pulled out his grappling hook and shot it at the top of the building and flew up.
Robin climbed in the top window, which for some reason was already broken. He looked around and saw that he was in an office. Upon second glance he noticed it looked a lot like Bruce's office, he sighed, Bruce would never have left Alfred at that place while he made his escape. Before he could wallow in his own pity for too long, he heard a loud outbreak of laughter.
Out of habit, he followed the sound into the next room. The room he entered looked a lot like the sitting room and kitchen of the manner. His eyes searched the room until he found a woman in the center of the room in a fit of laughter.
"Janet, what happened? How did you start laughing like this," asked the man next to her in what looked like an iron suit.
"I…he he…I don't kn…ha ha ha…know…he he he…Clown had flower…hahahaha….some sort of…hehehe…purple smoke," the woman trailed off laughing uncontrollably again.
Robin's eyes widened with realization, she's been hit with Joker gas. He ran up to the woman, ignoring everyone else in the room, and pulled out a pill from his belt. Before anyone else could stop him, he shoved the pill in her mouth and forced her to swallow it.
He had no more then forced it in her when strong hands grabbed him and forced him away. He frantically looked around until his eyes met with the man in the iron suit, and he didn't look very happy.
"What did you do," the man demanded with a scowl!
"She was effected by Joker gas! I had to give her the antidote before something worse happened," Robin explained frantically.
"How do we know you're not with the others," the iron man demanded.
"Listen," Robin demanded, "Do you hear her laughing now!"
The iron man paused, turning to see that Janet was no longer laughing, then turned back to face Robin. "Alright kid, of you're not with them, then how did you know to come here!"
"Because the older guy at that mansion told me to come to Stark Towers and find Mr. Stark because he could help me," Robin explained desperately.
"Was the man named Jarvis," The woman who had been laughing, Janet they had called her, asked.
"Yes, he and Alfred are roomed together…"
"And Alfred is," the iron man asked annoyed.
"My butler," Robin answered equally annoyed. "He's their captive, and I tried to free him, but…" he looked at his feet in shame, "I wasn't able to save him…"
Janet walked up and put her hand on Robin's shoulder, "It's alright, we understand, Jarvis is our butler. We tried to save him too, but we couldn't get in."
Robin smiled weakly at her then looked up at the iron man, "You need to clean your helmet off," he commented lightly.
"Well, we were just in a battle," Ironman muttered annoyed.
"No, I mean that you have fear gas residue on your mask. If you breath that in, you won't like the effects. It brings your worst fears to life," Robin said equally annoyed at this man.
"Oh," was all Ironman could respond.
Robin looked around and saw a man in red, white, and blue encased in ice and sighed. "I see you also met up with Mr. Freeze." He walked up to the captain and put a heading device on the ice, which quickly melted away. Captain America fell forward and Black Panther quickly caught him.
"You need to get some warm liquids in him to help fight off hypothermia."
"Not hypothermia," Captain America muttered, "that woman…She did something to me…"
Robin looked up quickly, "What woman," he asked.
"I…I…don't know, she…she was the one with all the…all the weeds…"
"Damn," Robin muttered. "Did she kiss you?"
"Yeah, what's that got to do with it," he asked weakly?
Robin sighed again, "That was Ivy's kiss of death."
"Ivy," Black Panther asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Her name is Poison Ivy, one kiss from her lips equals death. Sadly I do not have an antidote for that, only a second kiss from her will save you," he said with a sad sigh.
"And if he doesn't get it," Janet asked as she walked up.
"A slow and painful death I'm afraid," Robin said sadly, "trust me, I've felt the effects before, she's just never killed me, she thinks it's too much fun to play with me."
Robin walked over to Ironman and handed him a small strip of something. Ironman looked at him confused and Robin just sighed.
"That's the antidote to the Joker gas. If any of you get hit by it again then you take just one of these and it will cure you. And this," he said handing him four vials, "Is the antidote for the fear gas, it has to be injected like a shot. I'll have to…" but Robin never got to finish that because the door to the room was blown open to reveal Slade. He had a look to kill on his face and he was looking directly at Robin.
"You Avengers step out of the way, I've come for the boy and I will kill anyone who gets in my way!"
"You want him then you have to go through us," Wasp challenged, but Robin looked at the Captain, sighed, and stepped in front of Wasp.
"You bring Ivy here to cure their team mate and I will go with you willingly," he said with a sad sigh.
"And why should I bargin with you Robin, when I could just take you here and now," Slade challenged.
"Because this way you know I won't run. I escaped once before, what's to stop me from doing so again?" Slade scowled and Robin continued, "Face it Slade, you know I will run away again, I always do, what's to stop me? At least this way you have my word I won't run. All it's gonna take is you getting Ivy here to cure their team mate. But come to think of it, maybe you can't pull it off," Robin smirked.
Slade scowled, "I can do anything boy! You would know that if you had your training Robin!"
"Great, then you won't have a problem getting her here," Robin said with a cocky smile.
Slade let out a frustrated growl and then called her on his com link, "Ivy, I need you at Stark Towers, NOW!"
Twenty minutes later, Ivy entered, through the same way she'd crashed through before. "What is it Deathstroke! I was in the middle of having the old man pamper me." Robin clenched his fists and had a look to kill on his face when she looked up. "What, do you need help with bird boy? I thought you said you could handle the boy Deathstroke."
"No, I need you to cure their team mate," Slade said through clenched teeth.
Ivy frowned and put her hands on her hips, annoyed, "Why should I! If I leave him, it's one less enemy we have to worry about!"
"Because Robin will come willingly if you do, no running away," Slade replied, "it makes our job easier."
"In case you hadn't noticed, Deathstroke, I could make him come willingly with me," Ivy countered.
"Just cure their team mate and be done with it Ivy, I know you can," Slade growled in annoyance.
"No," she replied, "not until I have something more on my side of the bargain."
Robin frowned, "What is it you want Ivy?"
"You, Bird Boy, in service to me the whole day tomorrow. You took me away from my servant pampering me, so you can do it, without any mind control," she held up her fingers in a scout's salute, "scout's honor."
Robin scowled, "Alfred is NOT your personal mind slave," Robin fired back. He looked up at the captain and sighed. "I will agree, but you have to cure their team mate first!"
She nodded and then Robin walked over to Wasp, "If she sprays your male team mates with her mind control dust, splash water on them," he whispered quietly to her so no one else would hear him and she nodded in response. "Wear rubber lips to avoid her death kiss," he added quickly and she nodded again.
Ivy kissed the Captain and walked back over to them, "There! He'll survive my kiss of death! Now lets go home Robie Poo, I can't wait for you to serve me all day tomorrow!"
Robin rolled his eyes and sighed, but turned and followed the two villians out the door. Tomorrow was going to suck royally for him, but he was sure he was still going to pay today for running away from Slade. It was true Robin knew Slade wasn't going to kill him, but he knew all too well how rough his trainings could be, most of the time it was Slade's butler Wintergreen who had to step in and remind Slade that Robin wasn't enhanced like him and he was too rough, but Robin didn't know if he could count on that now that he had tied the old man up to get away.
