Finally, another chapter!
Sorry for the wait, but you know... life.
I don't own Young Justice.
He could feel something invading his current world as he walked down the streets of Gotham. But he ignored it.
Robin was heading towards Red Hood's base of operations, so they could discuss what to do about the man Robin killed. He knew that the league would figure it out soon enough, and that they would go after him. So Red Hood was going to be "housing" him for a while, just to keep him off the radar of everyone.
Robin knew that he couldn't be Robin anymore because of what he did, but he couldn't help but feel slightly glad that he wouldn't have to be Robin anymore. He wasn't happy about the circumstances of him being able to drop the Robin persona, but he was happy about the outcome.
He always loved being Robin. It was the only way he could escape being the sad orphan for a little while. And if Robin had still been working for Batman, or at least still on the team, then he wouldn't want to give Robin up. But now that everyone who recognized him as Robin hated him, or thought him weak, not being Robin didn't seem so bad. But that doesn't mean that he'll go back to being Dick Grayson. No, he'll just take up a new persona.
Red Hood kept suggesting taking the name "Nightwing" in memorial of his friend, practically brother. The name did have a good ring to it, but he didn't want to take up the persona of someone seemingly long gone, or perhaps non-existent.
Sometimes Robin wondered how he had even came upon Red Hood. Because the last time he checked there wasn't such a person; that is, until after Robin woke up after the Scarecrow incident. Perhaps he was imagining it, but sometimes it felt as if Red Hood shouldn't even exist. Like Red Hood will exist at some point in the future, but not at this very moment.
The same went for Nightwing. In fact, wasn't there a story on Krypton about something called "nightwing" that Superman had once told him? Perhaps whoever Nightwing was, he was told the same story by the blue boy scout. Not likely however.
Looking back on everything now, nothing seemed real anymore. Like everything that has happened since he woke up was something that his mind had made up. Like this was all just one huge nightmare. Because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't except that the real Robin would kill someone. It just doesn't make any sense.
But why is he thinking about it now? What is making this feeling overcome him right now? He never questioned the reality around him before... but now it was like something, or someone, was trying to wake him from a dream. A really bad dream that his entire being couldn't except that it wasn't real.
But upon seeing Red Hood's base of operations, all thoughts drifted away. But the feeling wouldn't leave. This might not be real.
J'onn was standing from a distance inside Robin's dream world.
From what he gathered, it seemed that in this world Batman had kicked Robin out for being weak and a waste of time. He was kicked off the team for being incapable as well. He met up with some unknown person named Red Hood. They had been training together, Robin in hopes of proving himself. Then, the scariest thing of all, in this world Robin had accidentally killed someone.
J'onn couldn't believe how little Robin thought of himself. He had to think little of himself to create so much rejection in a nightmare, and yet not question it one bit, as if he expected to be belittled by everyone around him.
It hurt to know this.
But what hurt more was that he now knows that the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin wasn't just a random partnership. It was a father and son duo, biological or not. He also knows what became of Robin's biological parents as well, and it saddened him to think about how everyone else thinks he goes home to his parents a night. But no, he goes home with the bat at night, his surrogate father, knowing that he will never see his real one again.
But even worse... he knows that the man who thinks of Robin as his son is watching his comatosed body right now, in anticipation of him waking, knowing there's nothing he can do. Helplessly waiting.
J'onn can still feel the sadness that Batman had felt, but that sadness had a whole new meaning now. A deeper meaning. A tragic meaning.
J'onn was given a new determination upon knowing Batman and Robin's true relationship.
He would not fail.
So watching Robin walk through his dreamland, J'onn probed at his mind, sending messages into his brain, trying to get him to realize that this was a dream so he would wake himself up. Planting the seed of doubt into his mind was the first step.
Once this was completed, J'onn would go and talk to Robin directly if Robin didn't wake himself up already. He hoped he would wake himself up without him having to interfere.
But then Robin stopped walking, peering at a small apartment building. It appeared abandoned. But, of course, this was not the case.
J'onn continued to invisibly follow Robin as he made his way into the run down building. Robin seemed hesitant, yet in a way; happy, as he made his way up the water stained steps. J'onn floating closely behind.
Robin walked slowly down the grimy hallway, and reached the door at the end marked "428". Robin reached out his hand and knocked on the moldy wood, sending an echo throughout the hollow building.
The door creaked open a crack, and Robin opened it up the rest of the way, stepping inside. J'onn had to faze through the door, because Robin had shut it closed behind himself.
Red Hood was sitting on his couch, red metal mask covering his face. Robin looked at his hands for a moment, then spoke.
"Are we training today?" Robin asked quietly, looking to the older male for guidance, almost.
Red Hood continued his long stare then said, "You didn't tell me you were bringing a friend." J'onn felt his eyes widen, and Robin's did as well behind his sunglasses; but his eyes were wide only in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. Red Hood chuckled at Robin's obvious confusion, and J'onn felt unnerved to the core.
"So you don't know about your invisible friend?" Red Hood said with an amused tone. Robin searched Red Hood's face for something, he didn't know what, then he slowly turned around, facing J'onn.
J'onn decided that this was pointless and it would have come to this sooner or later, and revealed himself. Robin let out a small gasp despite himself, and his eyebrows furrowed in angry confusion.
"What're you doing here? Why are you following me?" Robin harshly asked, and Red Hood seemed quite amused by the situation. J'onn decided that the only thing he could do now is tell the truth.
"I'm here to wake you up," he stated plainly. Robin just found himself more confused now.
"What?" Robin huffed out, looking ready to hit the martian. Red Hood continued to watch in silence, and J'onn sighed.
"This isn't real. None of what you're seeing is real, besides myself." Robin's eyes widened even more if possible. "You're in a coma. The last fear toxin Scarecrow tested on you did not go to plan, and it sent you into a coma. Your mind concocted a nightmarish reality as aftereffect of the toxin in your system, but made it real enough to convince you of sincerity. Nothing that has happened since you woke up after Batman and the team rescued you is real." Robin couldn't believe it. He opened his mouth and spoke.
"But I-... but Batman-"
"Nothing that Batman or anyone else here has said or done really happened. Batman is fake, the team is fake, this Red Hood is fake, whatever you did here didn't really happen. It's all just events your mind has tailored to fit your worst nightmares."
"So, what you're saying is, is, that Batman... he didn't actually say all that stuff? And he, and the team, didn't kick me out?" Robin asked in disbelief.
J'onn nodded, "Yes. The real Batman and team are all sitting by your bedside, waiting for me to wake you up," J'onn said, hoping that he managed to convince Robin of his sincerity. But instead of Robin saying anything, he turned to Red Hood.
"Is he telling the truth? You're not real...?" Robin asked the masked man. He just chuckled.
"Oh, I'm real alright. But right now? Here? No, not at all. In fact, I'm not even sure Red Hood exists yet..." Red Hood said as if it were no big deal. Robin just stood there, shocked.
"But-" Robin tried to stutter out how this all meant that Bruce still cared, and so did the team, and that he didn't really kill anyone. But Red Hood stood up abruptly, interrupting his thoughts.
"That's right kid," Red Hood said, then reached his hand up to take of his mask.
AHHH, cliffhanger!
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