What do Bats Fear? Chapter 5 - Acid and Laughter, a young justice fanfic

*I don't own Young Justice, but I might own the inside of Robin's head, maybe?*

Thoughts

"Talking"

Alright, with luck, I finally have Robin's age and birthday right. He is fourteen, and his birthday is December 1st. Hopefully this will no longer be an issue, but thank you for trying to keep me with the shows background~ On with the story

- Warning Chapters 5-7 are Rated Teen for Violence and Terror -

Chapter 5 – Acid and Laughter

The team stumbled forward and came to an abrupt stop. They looked around to get their bearings and discovered that the door they just went through was gone and that now they were in some warehouse.

"Hey, guys I think this is in Gotham." Artemis said as she gestured to the WayneTech crates all around them.

"Duh, this memory is when he was Robin." Wally said in a matter-o-fact tone.

"It could have been from a mission, Baywatch!" Artemis shot back.

"No, trust me, Gotham is the scariest place on Earth!" Wally spat out.

"What about Blüdhaven?" Artemis said, her words venomous.

Wally was about to retort when they team heard laughter; spine-tingling, blood-chilling, heart-stopping laughter. Laughter that they thought they would never hear again, laughter they heard once before when they fought the Injustice League. The team started running towards it.

Oh God, please couldn't it have been someone else! Wally thought as he ran.

Please, please, please be okay! Zatanna thought as terror wracked her body.

The team rounded a corner and was stunned into silence by what they saw. There was the Joker dancing around in delight as he cackled. His green hair was disheveled and his purple suit was singed in several places.

And then there was Robin. He couldn't have been much older than ten. His torso was chained to a large metal sheet, while both of his arms were stretched out at an angle and latched to the sheet. He was hanging a few feet off the ground and he had blood dripping down his face from an unseen head wound. He was awake and watching the psychopath's mad little dance with a look of boredom.

"Come on, Bird boy smile~ This is the first time it's been just you and me. Now there's no big bad Bat to tell you what to do. It's just your good ol' Uncle J." Joker said as he giggled. Robin said nothing. He just stared.

"Get him!" Wally shouted as he charged for the Joker. Everyone but Miss Martian joined in the attack.

"Wait! Guys you can't!" M'gann shouted. But it was too late the others ran towards the Joker only to pass right through him. Shouts of alarm rang out as they tumbled through and crashed to the ground.

"Like I was trying to say, you can't affect anything here. It's a memory, this has already happened. We have to just watch from the sidelines." M'gann told her team as the untangled themselves.

"We just have to watch?!" Artemis shouted, a little horrified.

"We can't help Robin at all…" Zatanna said as he looked at the young boy strung up like some kind of sick prize.

The others moved back to where Miss M was standing. The moment they moved out of the way, the memory started again. "…and every time we interfere the memory stops and waits for you to move so it can continue…" M'gann mumbled.

"Aww. Your such a party pooper, just like Batsy. Well, no matter. You can still entertain me while I wait for him." Joker said as he pulled out this big remote with a big red button on it. "You see, I've always want to know how many drops of acid it would take to clip your wings~"

Now the Joker pointed to the odd contraption sitting over Robin's right shoulder. "If I push this button, acid will drip onto your shoulder and then you'll writhe in agony and I'll get the popcorn." The Joker burst into hysterical giggles and pressed the button.

The team watched in horror as the acid began to drip, but Robin didn't even flinch as the acid landed on him, in fact he snorted. The Joker look to Robin, then to the device, and then back to Robin. "Oh that's right!" he snapped his fingers "Bats does love his toys, your armor is acid resistant." Robin still said nothing.

The Joker began to move towards Robin, as he rummaged around in his pockets. *Drip* The Joker opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but suddenly he cut the top of Robin's right shoulder effectively destroying his armor. Robin hissed, but said nothing. "That's better~" Joker said with a smile.

*Drip*

This time Robin jerked away from the device after he felt the acid on his shoulder. The Joker laughed in delight "Excellent."

*Drip* *Drip* *Drip* *Drip* *Drip* Neither Robin nor the Joker said anything for a short while. All that could be heard was the dripping of the acid and Robin's struggle to move away from it. After a while Robin slumped forward and his blood ran down his chest and onto the chains.

Meanwhile, the team was horrified at what was happening to their little Bird.

"Come on Bird Brain, have you given up already?" the Joker mocked. Still Robin said nothing. "This game isn't fun unless you scream…" the Joker said in a flat voice "And if the acid won't then I will…" Then, with sudden speed, the Joker had his knife out and plunged it into Robin's left elbow.

Robin opened his mouth as if he was going to scream, but no noise came out. His head lolled forward and they could see him panting from the effort of not screaming. *Drip* Robin jerked again only this time more violently and less controlled.

"Yay, you're starting to break~" the Joker cooed. "Now that I've got you all tied up, I should start to break those hollow bones of yours. But where to start… I can't collapse your chest yet, cause you still need to scream, so… I guess I should break your legs." He said in a matter-o-fact tone. Then out of nowhere the Joker pulled out a baseball bat with the words 'Bat for Bats' carved into it. *Drip* *THWACK*

The Joker giggled and laughed as he watched Robin writhe, a sickening smile smeared across his face. "Batter up~" the Joker said as he pulled back for the next swing. *THWACK*

*THWACK* *KRUCH* *SPLURT*

On the third swing, he successfully shattered Robin's left knee. Robin threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs, all while the Joker turned and did a dance. Robin's scream petered off into a hiccupping sob. "I knew I could get you to sing~" the Joker said with glee. *Drip*

"ROBIN!" Zatanna screamed and tried to run forward, but Artemis stopped her.

"You can't! There isn't anything you can do… there isn't anything any of us can do." Artemis lamented quietly.

Robin slouched forward and tried to control his breathing as his blood spilt down from his shoulder onto his chest and over the chains. "…You won't get…away with this…" Robin panted out.

"Ha, the boy blunder speaks!" the Joker exclaims. "And why do you think that?"

"Batman, will find me." Robin stated as if it was a fact.

Now the Joker doubled over with laughter. After his laughing fit was done, he straightened up and wiped tears from his eyes "That's rich! Bats' not going to find you, I don't even think he would be looking for someone like you! I mean, I know Batman, way better than you. If he was looking for you, he would have found you ten minutes ago!"

"What! How long have I been here?" Robin shouted in alarm.

"About forty minutes." the Joker said conversationally.

Robin looked stunned. He was about to speak when *Drip*. He jerked again still trying to get away from the acid. "Bird boy, you just crack me up! I can't believe that you actually thought Batman is your partner or that he would come and save you! He has all of Arkham to deal with, why would he let all of those crazies go just to save one little bird." The Joker said with a laugh.

Robin didn't say anything he just looked down. "Bats will probably be happy when he gets your corpse all tied up with a bow. I mean, now he doesn't have to deal with an annoying bird all the time~" the Joker said.

"N-no you're wrong! Batman will find me!" Robin shouted, but he doesn't sound nearly as confident. "…el a promis…" [ …he promised… ] Robin mumbled.

"You know, now that I have heard you scream, I don't have to keep you alive anymore~" the Joker almost sang as he pranced off to a bloody medical bag. "Found it!" he shouted with glee and pulled out a blood stained crowbar. "Honestly this just makes a more satisfying noise when it breaks ribs." The Joker said as if he was a teacher explaining something to student.

"I can't watch!" Miss M sobs as she puts her head on Connor's chest.

Just as the Joker pulled back for the swing, Robin jumps down from the rafters and grabs the crowbar. The whole team jump with alarm, then they realize it's just the Mask from earlier.

"How did you guys get out of your cell? Hell, how did you get into a memory?!" Robin shouted.

"…we… We were… let out by Before and After…" Zatanna hiccupped as she wiped tears from her face.

Robin seemed to droop in unspoken sadness. Then he pulled a bit of string out of his utility belt and ties it on the crowbar. He walked over to Zatanna and just held her. "It's okay, just breathe… everything will be fine… I promise." Robin croons softly.

"…How I can it possibly be okay?" Zatanna asked.

"Because Batman saves him. Batman always saves him. 'Sides this is a memory and he's still alive, right?" Robin said with a small laugh. "Now come on, you guys shouldn't be here."

"No, we can't leave." Wally said he looked pale, but he seemed to be recovering as he held Artemis' hand.

"What do you mean?" Robin questioned.

"No, Wally's right. We told Before and After that we would help… and that means we have to watch the rest and go through to the next room…" Zatanna said quietly.

"But the next room is Prisoner's Domain. You can't be serious?" Robin said in alarm. All he received were grim nods. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Zatanna said her voice stronger than before. "We're heroes too, and our job is to help our Robin whether he wants it or not."

"Okay. Good conviction. You're going to need it." The Mask said as he took a step away from her. "But before I start the memory, I need to tell you guys some stuff."

Robin motioned the group to come closer to him "Okay, I figure you guys have a couple of questions so let's start there."

"Why are you warm?" Zatanna asked suddenly.

"Wah?" Robin said.

"You are giving off body heat, why?" Zatanna asked.

"I have no idea. And I meant about the memory not about me…" Robin said a little flummoxed.

Zatanna blushed and replied "Oh."

Artemis snorted at her friend then asked "Why has it taken Batman so long to find Robin?"

"What do you mean- Oh right the Joker said it had been forty minutes. He lied. I was only 'missing' for twenty-two minutes." Robin replied.

"Really?" Wally shouts stunned.

Robin nodded and said "Yep, Bats realized I was gone five minutes after I had been taken by someone. Then it took him ten minutes to recapture the inmates and search all of Arkham for me. Then another seven to find the Joker and by minute twenty two the Joker was getting his faced kicked in. Next question"

"Um… how can you interact with the memory? And how exactly are you here?" M'gann asked.

"First, I'm part of his psyche so this stuff is part of who I am. Second, Masks don't have the same restriction on memories that Influences have, but I don't really know why." Robin said with a shrug. "Anything else?"

The others looked around to see if they had questions, but no one did. "Alright, then I guess I should start the memory…" he trailed off, but he moved towards the Joker. "I just want you guys to remember, that he lives and that Batman comes to get me." Robin said as he looked over his shoulder. Then he grabbed the string and jumped back as it came undone.

The second it stopped touching the crowbar, it was in motion. *THWUMP* *CRACK* *GLACK* Robin's head snapped back as blood dripped out of his mouth. "Wow, you're just like a piñata, the more ribs you break, the more red comes out" the Joker said with unbridled elation.

*Drip*This time Robin didn't flinch. He just slumped. "Na uhn, you don't get to just pass out!"

*THWUMP* *CRACK* *GLACK*

*THWUMP* *CRACK* *GLACK* *Drip*

All the while, the Joker just laughed.

*THWUMP* *SKLERCH* *GLACK*

*THWUMP* *SKLERCH* *GLACK* *splat*

By now, the Joker had worked up quite a sweat and he paused to catch his breath and observe his handy work. Robin was completely slumped and didn't move. His entire torso was covered in his own blood and now it was splattering onto the floor beneath him. Blood dripped off of his chin and down on to his costume. *Drip*

"…" Robin gurgled.

"I'm sorry Bird Boy you need to speak up." Joker replied smoothly.

Robin spit the blood out of his mouth and croaked out "I said…come here…"

The Joker placed the crowbar on his shoulder and began to move closer "What? You wanna tell me your last words, I'm touched." The Joker moved right up in Robin's face "Close enough?"

"Yeah…" Robin lifted his head so he could look the Joker in the eye "Next time you catch a hero…" *Drip*

And several things happened all at once. First Robin head butted the Joker as hard as he possible could and rasped out "Don't use acid to torture them." Second, the last drop of acid was enough to finally break the chains holding Robin. The acid had been diluted by the blood, but it was still strong enough to eat through the metal links that Robin had been dripping it on. Third, the metal strap hold Robin's right wrist in place clicked open as he finished picking it.

Robin used the momentum from falling to swing his injured right arm up to yank the knife out of his left elbow and use it to break the lock of the left restraint. All the while the Joker was staggering back and gripping his broken and bloody nose.

Robin hit the floor in a bloody mess as the Joker screamed "MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Robin pulled himself to his feet and threw down several smoke bombs as he tried to limp away from the crazed Joker. Robin hadn't gotten far when the Joker dove at him, knife in hand.

"I'm going to give you a reminder that you will never forget." the Joker said his voice icy cold as he moved the knife in a quick 'J' pattern on Robin's back.

Robin struggled and shouted as best he could, but he couldn't move every much. His limbs were heavy from blood loss and his vision was blurring. The Joker raised the knife one last time, ready to end it, when Batman glided down threw a skylight and kicked Joker in his grinning face.

Then the memory shimmered around the team and faded to black. "He passed out." The mask said in explanation.

"…wow…" Connor said. It was the first thing he had said since entering the memory.

"That's kind of an understatement… how, just how?" Artemis asked Robin.

"Which Batman's kick or my escape plan?" Robin asked, smugness leaking from his every pore.

"Did you have that whole thing planned from the beginning?" Wally asked.

"I thought that the acid would have eaten through the chains faster, but my blood diluted it too much." Robin said with a shrug. "But I believe that is the door the brats were referring to."

The team looked to where he was pointing and saw the same metal door simply floating in the darkness like they were. A few steps later, the group had reached the door.

"What's on the other side?" Zatanna asked.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. Prisoner changes it so often…" Robin trailed off. Then he took hold of Zatanna's hand and said "But this time, I'll be there to guide you through it."

The team readied themselves for the vacuum, then Robin opened the door and they were sucked in.

That's it for this chapter. So yeah, it wouldn't be a Robin fic without a little torture… Read and Review. Also I was asked to put the translations back in, so I have. I also went back and edited the previous chapters so they have them too.

Stay tuned for next Chapter: Hide-and-Seek. Same Bat time. Same Bat place.