Blood splattered the camera as Robin cried out in pain, somewhere in the safety of Mount Justice a female hero retched, the Riddler was screaming in a rage
"Die screaming Boy Wonder!" he battered his cane on Robin's form, over and over on the stomach, the legs, the head, the arms, only when Robin lay still and heaving and when the Riddler had to stop to wipe blood of his own face, did the beating cease.
"Oh-oh god Robin" Batman stuttered swaying as if he was about to faint, Superman put a protective arm around him. Batman looked like hell, shit he was going through hell. That was his son, his son, being beaten to a pulp, what would Superman do? The man of steel looked at Connor who was pale and holding Megan close, he'd rip that insane creep to pieces, he was just getting to know Connor and he was bonding with him him.
Diana and Black Canary were leaning on each other, Black Canary had retched in the corner and Diana was rubbing small circles on her back,
"Ro-Robin" she sobbed, over the years Diana and Dick had gotten very close, he even called her mom once and how honored she was, he made people happy, he was so bright and innocent, even with the hell he had gone through. Black Canary on the other hand had been one of their den mothers, she had seen Robin grow in strength and though will, it was incredible really and she loved him like a son. She really did.
Wally and Artemis were embracing in sobs, Artemis was a wreck, truthfully she would be dead with out him, he taught her so much, and he'd become a brother, too Wally as well. Dick was his first and truest friend, he sobbed harder, Rob was his inspiration to become a hero and Rob was his…best friend. No jerk could just take him.
Dick was still unmoving, his chest heaved with desperate breaths,
"Don't you get it Batman?" The Riddler taunted spinning the bloody cane "I raped him because for those few moments I was in control, I FOR ONCE WAS IN CONTROL! I owned him Batman, you and he were helpless to stop me-" The Riddler laughed "He fought even though he was unconscious! He knew he was being-"
"Stop it! Sop it!" Batman yelled "Stop it!"
"What's the matter Batman?" the Riddler said leaning into the screen "am I making you…uncomfortable?
Aqualad and Aquaman stood still shock and defeat on their faces, to Aquaman Robin was a good lad who helped save Atlantis a few years ago, but he was also Aqualad's dear friend and for that he was burdened with sorrow, Aquaman had originally thought Robin to be just that… a brat. But he found soon it was because they were so alike
"Damn you" he cursed under his breath "Damn you."
Aqualad had failed, he felt. The young atlantian let a tear roll down his cheek, Robin wasn't dead, but there was that lingering YET in his mind, Robin was his brother, and his-his leader; even if he hadn't assumed the title.
Green Arrow hated Robin originally, it was true, but over the years they had grown a respect that was un-touchable, they became close, like uncle/nephew close. Robin taught him how to forgive and in return Green Arrow had taught Robin to forget. Red arrow was sitting on the ground,
"How dare you, you son of a bitch! He screamed jumping to his feet and facing the screen "you mother fuc**** bastard!" Then…he cried. For his broken brother, for his helplessness "I'll kill you asshole" he growled "I swear!" Roy had seen Robin battered even worse than this but now he felt so helpless it ate him like a monster and Roy couldn't fight it.
Red Tornado and J'onn stood side by side, although it was said the android couldn't feel emotion, he swore right now he felt a flicker of grief, J'onn recognized the emotion radiating off of the metal hero,
"It is something Robin taught me" The android said softly as J'onn dropped his head
"How to feel is certainly the greatest gift" and they mourned
"STOP! ALL OF YOU!" Superboy screamed "YOU ARE ACTING AS IF HE IS DEAD!" Superboy huffed "H-he's strong, we're strong!" his voice cracked "We can save him" Megan hugged the shaking clone until he calmed "he saved me in Cadmas, and I'll save him from this hell!" –silence- "YOU HEAR ME ROBIN? WE-ARE-COMING!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHHEHEHEHHOHOHOHOHHA!" The Riddler laughed "This is great-!"
And then
The screen went black.
"What the hell?" Artemis screamed "get the freaking screen BACK!" All hell broke loose as the heroes rushed and scrambled to revive the screen,
"I pulled the plug" Batman said bluntly, they turned to see the cord in his gloved hand,
"Bruce, what the hell?"
"I know where he is" –silence- he re-plugged in the screen and rewound the footage of Robin's beating, the blood seeped back into Robin's body until he paused at the first blow. The cane was raised above the Riddler's head, it shone in the sun.
"41" gleamed in its reflection. "Warehouse 41" Batman said as if swallowing bile "Gotham city"