Disclaimer: Yes, copyrights are for sissies.
A/N: Hello world. I am alive.
Wow! Over a hundred reviews! Thank you guys so much for your patience and the reviews! I usually get these chapters out at least once a week, so thank you for waiting. I had a lovely vacation away from the Internet and am ready to dominate all of my classes.
Chapter 16: Identities
-S-
7:46pm
Jump City, California
Titans Tower
Starfire didn't know quite what to think of Adeline Kane. On one hand she admired the woman. She had been trained by the United States military just as Starfire had been trained by the Warlords of Okaara. On the other hand there was just a hint of doubt within her because of the woman's connection with Slade. Like Robin, it was hard for her to fathom Slade as a family man.
"Will you ask for Ms. Kane's assistance?" she asked Robin quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Depends," he replied.
They spoke in low voices, although Starfire did not quite understand why. It seemed as though they both silently agreed not to speak of Ms. Kane to the others. At least for the present.
Like with all of the other leads they had Ms. Kane's ran into a dead end. The other leads were either a dead end or led to another lead. The meeting also changed her opinion of William Wintergreen. She still couldn't decide whether she trusted the man completely, but he had pointed Robin towards the one person who could relate to him.
All five of the Titans were clustered in the common room, discussing the day's work as Cyborg worked on Starfire's computer.
Robin's communicator rang.
"Robin?" the voice asked. "Are you there?"
Starfire recognized the voice as Superman's. The man's pleasant voice comforted her somewhat. The others told her who Superman was and she felt a keen sort of connection with him even though she had never met the Man of Steel. He was the last man of Krypton, a destroyed planet she read about in her history books. She supposed that she should be grateful that her people were still alive, even if surrounding races continually threatened to attack them.
"Yeah, I'm here. You're on speaker phone."
"Uh…who's that?" Cyborg asked.
"Superman," Superman replied, sounding tired.
"What?" Beast Boy exclaimed, nearly squealing with glee. "SUPERMAN?"
"Is he your contact?" Cyborg mouthed, his eyes widening.
Robin hesitated to nod.
"I spoke with our contact inside the Daily Planet. John Wyatt is the journalist who wrote the article. He didn't know that the information was faked."
"And you confirmed this yourself?" Robin asked.
"Well…let's just say he got a little tied up."
A small smile crept across Robin's face. Starfire had no idea what Superman meant by that. Perhaps it was one of those inside jokes. That smile only lasted a brief second, though.
"So it's another dead end?" Robin asked.
"We're doing our best to help."
"'We'? Who else is involved?"
"Wonder Woman, Batman, and I have been gathering as much information as we can."
At the mention of Batman Robin's lips twisted into a grimace. Superman noted Robin's silence.
"Do you want to talk to Batman, Robin?"
"No. He can hide out in his cave for as long as he wants to."
"Suit yourself. I'll call again if we come up with anything."
Superman logged off. As Robin put his communicator away Beast Boy squealed again.
"I can't believe you know Superman!" he exclaimed. "You have to get me his autograph sometime!"
Starfire smiled at this "fanboy" attitude that overcame Beast Boy so often. Robin didn't smile. As Raven rolled her eyes Cyborg finally lifted his head from Star's computer.
"All right, Star," Cyborg said, stepping away from the computer. "I'm not exactly sure how your alien tech works, but try contacting Galfore now."
She held her breath as she pushed the button. After a few moments of fizzling the screen cleared. A Tamaranean voice began to speak, asking for voice identification.
"Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran," Starfire said in Tamaranean, barely containing her excitement.
Galfore's face popped on screen, a smile spreading across his face when he saw who it was.
"Hello my little bumgorf!" he exclaimed.
Tears began to fall down her cheeks as an overwhelming sense of relief flooded through her.
The other Titans retreated from the room as Starfire and Galfore began to converse in Tamaranean. Words could not convey the happiness she felt at the knowledge that everything was right on her home world. The entire day she agonized over the supposed invasion. It was something she had never thought of before—the fact that someone would be clever enough to plant this seed of doubt in her mind.
Even though she knew it was faked she could not help but realize that a Gordanian invasion is a complete possibility. It is a fact of Tamaranean life that other races thought that her people were worthless nothings—Troq, if the correct insult was to be used.
Because races like the Gordanians thought this was the reason why Tamaranean culture did not have room for coddling the weak. That was the reason why Starfire and her sister trained with the Warlords of Okaara: so that they could be strong leaders for their people. Not only physically strong, but mentally strong as well. To have the knowledge and strength to make the right decisions in situations like a possible invasion.
But she was not right for Tamaran.
"This troubles me deeply, princess," Galfore said, his brow furrowing. "The Gordanians have not made any move to attack us, but considering your escape from their prison ship two years ago…"
Starfire frowned. She did not like to be reminded of that particular episode.
"What about it?"
"Your neutral position on Earth has nullified the Citadel's ideas of retribution for destroying the Gordanian vessel, as has your decision not to take the crown. But it is still enough for the Citadel to declare war upon us."
This did trouble Starfire.
The Citadel's hostility was yet another worry always at the back of her mind. When the Gordanians captured her they intended to sell her as a slave to the Citadel.
Princess Koriand'r swung her shackled arms against the walls of her fortified prison, shouting loud obscenities in Tamaranean at her Gordanian captors.
"IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE DESTROYED YOU WILL RELEASE ME AT ONCE!" she shouted, the heavy shackles doing nothing to weigh down her enthusiasm. "DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH?"
"Of course we do," one of the Gordanian soldiers sneered in rough Tamaranean, "you are Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, the second-in-line for the throne."
It was a dumb question. Of course they knew who she was…why else would they have spent so much time and energy into capturing and restraining her? The metal crown resting upon her head declared her status to the universe. Her eyes glowed a ferocious neon green as she attempted to blast the shackles away with her starbolts.
She would not tire herself out! She would not allow herself to be brought to submission like a helpless child. Starfire was a princess of Tamaran, trained by the Warlords of Okaara to fight to the death.
Starfire leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, beads of sweat running down her face. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was tired and had lost. It infuriated her that she had allowed herself to fall so easily.
What would she do for her people?
Starfire's legs curled as she leaned against the metal wall, the metal plating of her armor clinking together. If the Gordanians would leave her people alone, could she give herself up willingly to whatever horror they had in store for her? The door of her prison slid open, and two Gordanians came into the room.
The first Gordanian chuckled.
"Tamaraneans are a funny little people," he snorted, prodding Starfire with a long metal stick. "But the Citadel's nobles will gladly pay to have a princess as a servant."
"That is," the second Gordanian said, "if they are able to control this girl's temper."
"I will be no one's slave!" Starfire spat.
A knot of fear grew in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored it. If she couldn't fight or outwit her way out of this then she did not deserve to be a princess of Tamaran. Perhaps Blackfire was right: her older sister was always the better fighter.
The Gordanian placed the tip of his stick underneath Starfire's chin and tilted her head upwards.
"That's all your people are good for," he sneered. "Slavery."
Was that all she meant to them? A pretty prize to be carted off like a piece of cargo to the highest bidder?
As the soldiers left Starfire sat still, saving her strength for another attack plan. She would just have to show them how tough Tamaraneans could be. She wouldn't go down without a fight. Once she broke out of this vessel she would head to the nearest habitable planet and take refuge there. There was no telling whether she could trust the natives or not. All she knew was that if they tried to do anything to stop or hurt her then she would hurt them back.
"So what are you saying, Galfore?"
"Never mind about the Citadel, princess. Let me worry about them. If anything, worry about you and your friends. Whoever tricked you into thinking that Tamaran was under an invasion could do other things to you and your friends. So much worse things." Galfore shot her a worried glance. "Do your best to locate the perpetrator of these attacks."
"Of course, Galfore," Starfire replied. "I shall speak to you later."
At the same time they both logged off. Anxiety crossed her face as she pondered the conversation that just took place.
"Starfire?" Robin asked, poking his head into the room. "Is everything all right on Tamaran?"
She thought of many things at the sight of him. All at once she wondered who was under the mask and how she, Starfire, did not foresee the dangers of the apprenticeship before it happened. To an extent everyone blamed themselves a little for not preventing the bad things that had happened to them. Whenever she thought about the apprenticeship she could not help but chide herself for saying, "then...we are victorious?"
"Yes, there is no invasion of any kind."
Her wide smile did not feel right. At once she did not regret her decision to relinquish the Crown. How could she possibly be right for Tamaran? How could she lead an entire planet when she could not help to save her friends?
-CK-
10:07pm
Space
Justice League Headquarters
Most of the Justice League members were present, save for Bruce. He had to track down Clayface. Perhaps it was better if Bruce wasn't here anyway. The six other Justice League members—Flash, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and himself—sat at their respective chairs. Several Justice League reserve members such as Green Arrow, the Elongated Man, Black Canary and others were clustered around the table as well.
It was getting a little crowded up here in the satellite.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice," Clark said, standing up from his chair. "I'm glad all of you could make it."
Of course, not all of the reserve members were here. Those who could not beam themselves up here listened in through the Justice League Signal Devices.
"We always come on short notice," Ollie, aka the Green Arrow, said. "So what's this all about, Clark?"
"It's about the Titans."
"This is about Dick, isn't it?" Barry asked, leaning back in his chair. "That's why Bruce isn't here."
"Bruce feels as though part of this is strictly between him and Dick," Clark replied. "But Dick has been relaying information to me about the attacks on the Titans. I believe—as does Bruce and Diana—that this is only the beginning of a wave of attacks. The article in the Daily Planet was obviously meant as a warning. All of us may be targeted."
Clark didn't feel comfortable saying this out loud.
"We've been compiling a list of possible attackers from all of the databases," Diana said, turning to the computer screen. "Ra's al Ghul, the Joker, Lex Luthor—"
"Luthor?" Barry interjected. "Nah, it's not Luthor."
Clark looked at Barry levelly, as though trying to shut him up with a steady sullen expression. As Lex Luthor's arch-nemesis Clark knew that it wouldn't be him. Ra's al Ghul perhaps. It seemed as though they were compiling this list to reassure themselves that they weren't going about this like amateurs.
So no one would bloody panic.
"What is the nature of these attacks?" Zatanna asked.
"Deeply personal." Clark's face fell slightly. "We all know about Robin's brief time as Deathstroke's apprentice. Having lived with Deathstroke for around a month—" several others murmured darkly at this—"we have reasonable suspicion to believe that Deathstroke knew Robin's true identity. He forced Robin to steal from Wayne Enterprises—a remarkable coincidence. If this is true then almost all of our identities are at stake."
"But Deathstroke is dead—" Green Arrow began.
"True, but someone may have taken the information from him after Markov killed him. And it's not as if—" Clark glanced at Zatanna, "we have the skills to track him down and make him forget."
Saying it out loud didn't make Clark feel any better about it. He may be the Man of Steel, but he couldn't do everything. There were things he could and could not do.
Clark couldn't resurrect his destroyed home world of Krypton. He couldn't completely eradicate crime from the face of this planet. Unlike that Tamaranean princess, Clark wasn't trained to be a leader. He grew up in Smallville on a farm. That was hardly the upbringing of a leader, let alone the most powerful man in the world. If—Heaven forbid—his friends died he didn't have the power to bring them back from the dead. The other Justice League members respected his authority. The difference between him and say—Diana—was that he didn't lead and fight out of duty. He fought crime because he had the power to make a difference in this world for the greater good. Perhaps it scared him a little that he couldn't save everyone he loved or that he couldn't always make the right decisions.
But he could try.
"Have you talked to Robin about this?" Ollie asked. "Does he also think that we're being targeted?"
"No, I haven't asked him whether he thinks we're also the targe—"
"So you believe that we can just barge into the Titans' affairs?" Ollie asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just because you believe that this may pose a threat to the League, Clark?"
Clark suddenly felt uncomfortable. "I'm not saying that we should all go to Jump City and work out the situation ourselves—"
"But that's what you're implying," Barry interjected.
The eyes of the entire League were upon him. Most of the members could act on their own without his consent, but at the same time Clark was considered the ultimate authority. If he wanted the Justice League to go out and help the Titans, then a good amount of members would come to help him.
"Look, Robin called me for help. I agreed to help him. I just want everyone to be aware that someone may be attempting to attack all of us."
The other members began to talk amongst themselves. As the next probable generation of Justice League members (Clark wondered vaguely whether Dick would take up the mantle when Bruce retired. That is, if Bruce retired) and a group of amateurs it was imperative that they wouldn't fall. He couldn't let those kids die.
"Roy has worked with the Titans," Green Arrow said. "They're not incompetent."
"I'm not saying that they're incompetent," Clark replied. "Far from it."
"Bruce probably regards them as amateurs," J'onn said in his low rumble.
"Well, Bruce doesn't think highly of anyone."
Now there was truth in that. Clark turned to look out at space through the wide windows of their orbiting satellite. With no atmosphere the stars shone without twinkling. Out there, somewhere, the remains of his destroyed home world lay scattered in the vacuum of space. The Tamaranean's world was out there too. Robin had lost the two people he loved the most...he had his friends' (whom he regarded as a family) lives threatened. Clark knew that Dick looked up to him as an uncle and regarded the JLA as family as well. He couldn't allow Dick to lose the people he loved. Clark didn't want to lose Ma and pa.
He didn't want to lose anyone.
-BB-
10:58pm
Jump City, California
Titans Tower
It was getting late.
Beast Boy wandered back to the common room in search of a snack before heading to bed. Most of the others had already gone to bed, but Beast Boy's stomach growled. All of them had been on their feet all day—chasing leads, interrogating people, and getting nowhere.
Robin sat on the couch facing the computer screen, his head bowed against his folded hands. Cautiously, Beast Boy approached him as if afraid of setting off a small bomb.
Last night the guy slept his troubles away—an unusual thing of its own—and now it seemed as though he had reverted back to his old vampire habits. Over the past few days he had gone through a series of low and high emotions—just like Beast Boy had since Terra's tomb was vandalized.
Tiptoeing across the room, Beast Boy peered at Robin to determine whether or not he was asleep. Even with a mask over his face Beast Boy could tell that his eyes were closed. His chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of sleep. Beast Boy looked at the computer screen.
Adeline Kane's file was open. Beast Boy shook his head and moved to turn off the computer. Neither Robin nor Starfire had much time to discuss their meeting with Ms. Kane. In fact he wasn't even sure if they had met Ms. Kane at all.
"I'm still working," Robin said quietly.
Beast Boy's hand hovered over the keyboard, annoyed. Robin should go to bed if he was falling asleep on the computer. But Beast Boy wasn't one to lecture like Raven. On any other night he would have stayed up late playing video games with Cy, but with the malevolent mood hanging in the air…it just wasn't right.
"So how's Adeline Kane related to Slade?" Beast Boy asked. "Is she just another one of his victims?"
Beast Boy moved towards the small fridge to get a soda as he said this. He could ignore Robin or make the kid go to bed. He straightened and snapped open the can. Yeah, right, like he could make Robin do anything.
"I suppose I should tell you," Robin said. "Ms. Kane is Slade's former wife."
Soda dribbled out of Beast Boy's nose as he choked on his root beer. He pounded his chest with a fist. Did Robin just say what Beast Boy hoped he didn't say?
"What?"
"Adeline Kane used to be married to Slade."
His jaw nearly dropped to his toes. Unlike the other Titans aside from Robin, Beast Boy felt as though he had a personal vendetta against Slade because of Terra. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to marry the man…unless this Adeline Kane was a hard woman.
"She's an ally, though, because she shot his eye out."
Now there was a tough cookie. Speaking of Slade reminded Beast Boy of Terra. If Slade had treated Adeline the way he had treated Terra, then it was no wonder why Adeline shot Slade's eye out.
"I talked to someone who knew Terra," Beast Boy said, "she saw Slade in his civilian identity."
Robin was immediately interested, as Beast Boy knew he would be.
"She said that Slade had white hair...a glass eye…a goatee…he revealed his civilian identity to Terra."
"Huh." Robin snorted, more to himself than to Beast Boy. "I guess he didn't trust me that much."
Robin moved to the computer and began typing furiously. The changeling wondered what other kinds of conversations went on between Robin and Slade during that month Robin disappeared. Surely the man didn't spend all of his free time beating the living crap out of Robin?
"What are you doing?"
"Wintergreen mentioned that Slade used to be a military man," Robin said, his fingers typing furiously. "If Slade is his real name, then he must be in the databases somewhere."
Robin went to the US Military database and began to search through the names. First he looked up Adeline's file and attempted to search for Slade through her profile.
"There!" Beast Boy said, pointing. "Look at that one!"
Although it definitely looked like a younger picture of the man (it was black and white), Beast Boy felt as though it was right picture. There was something about the chiseled young face of Slade Wilson that seemed vaguely familiar. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Robin was also attracted to the picture. Even though the photograph was black-and-white Beast Boy could tell that Wilson had fair hair.
"Trained by Captain Adeline Kane," Robin said, now reading the profile, "and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel."
Robin studied the picture for a good long time. Beast Boy half-expected Robin to press "print" so that he would add it to his…err…Slade shrine in his office.
"Lieutenant Colonel Slade Wilson…" Robin murmured. " Wilson…good to meet you…"
So Slade was his real name. For a moment Beast Boy wondered why Slade even bothered to use his real name, but then he remembered what Steve called him: Deathstroke. Back in the east coast Slade used the name "Deathstroke the Terminator" as his professional mercenary name, but he probably wanted to stay undercover once he moved out to the west coast to terrorize the Titans.
It certainly worked.
"Does that satisfy your obsession?" Beast Boy asked, leaning against the couch. "Is knowing his secret identity enough for you? Or do you also need to know the color of his toothbrush?"
He knew that he was goading his leader by mentioning Robin's obsession with Slade, but enough was enough. Beast Boy had hoped that the revelation of Slade's face would ease Robin's obsession…somewhat.
"It's just…" Robin trailed off, studying the picture through his masked eyes. "I never imagined that he would look like that."
Beast Boy turned his head to study the picture. Slade looked unremarkable—except for that cold glint in his eyes that looked almost predatory. However, he wouldn't have known that this man was a cold-blooded killer just by looking at this picture.
"I never thought that he looked so….so…normal."
"You're scared of him, aren't you?"
It was a bold question, but those words slipped from Beast Boy's mouth before he realized what he was saying. He half-expected Robin to deny this, to come back with a defensive insult or cold silence. What he did not expect was a confession.
"When he can…overpower you…it's frightening. Frightening because you don't know whether he's so insane that he would have killed you anyway…frightening because I could never know whether he really wanted to control me or if he planned to kill me after killing you…." Robin looked as if he was suppressing a shudder. "Everything he did was planned. Every punch, every insult, every stinking breath he breathed was done with a purpose. I've never seen anything like it. Not even in Gotham."
"You said Slade wouldn't kill you. Why?"
"Because he wanted a son."
Now that caught Beast Boy off guard. He truly didn't know what to say to this. Beast Boy didn't know of too many villains with that kind of motive. The Brotherhood of Evil wanted power, just like every other villain out there…power, wealth, and the occasional…son?
"It was just a side interest of his," Robin said, looking to the side, "but he's twisted. Of course he wanted power and wealth. But he had a son and a wife that he lost."
Robin pressed two fingers to his forehead, as though still trying to comprehend the information he learned today. Beast Boy felt as though he could not adequately talk to Robin about this. Star was always the touchy-feely one…she should be talking to him. True, Beast Boy felt as though might be able to relate on some topics, but not this.
"So why did Slade want you as a son if he already had one?"
"I don't know," Robin replied, his tone almost snappish. "He knew who I was. He knew that I'm an orphan. He wanted to take me apart from my father. He made me steal from him."
Beast Boy may be the clown of the team, but Beast Boy wasn't stupid enough to make jokes about this. Several times before he tried to tell jokes to help Robin ease up, but it was like making jokes about the Holocaust. It just couldn't be done. How could he and the others help Robin when he wouldn't allow anyone into his life?
"How do you handle it?"
"Handle what?"
"The pressure. The memories. The nightmares."
For the first time in several days Robin's face softened. Maybe the weight of everything he had done, everything he had experienced finally crashed around him. Maybe this was the right way to connect to the guy.
"Before…before I became Robin, I used to be a performer."
The words from Slade's hidden video in the main computer floated back to Beast Boy's mind. He remembered Slade calling Robin a "circus brat." And when Batman called Robin came in from the city he had held up a ticket stub to his former mentor. So Robin used to be a circus performer? Huh. That would explain the cheesy puns. Robin continued to speak, not waiting for a reply from Beast Boy.
"I learned how to put on an act. This mask used to be an act, but I've been wearing it for so long that sometimes I can't let it go. It's become who I am…and Batman…"
The mention of Gotham's Dark Knight startled Beast Boy. Usually Robin avoided the subject of his former mentor at all costs. When he did mention Batman he spoke with a spiteful tone. But now Robin seemed almost…wistful. As though he regretted the harsh words exchanged between them. Robin trailed off into silence.
"So…" Beast Boy said, struggling to find words. "How did you meet Batman?"
It was a question he had always wanted to ask. Beast Boy always wondered how the two were related—father and son? Family friend? Uncle? Godfather? Beast Boy wilted slightly under Robin's stern gaze. He suddenly realized that now wasn't the best time to ask these questions. Silently, he chided himself for not keeping his big mouth shut.
"He found me. He's like a father to me…I suppose that he is my father…I called him father while I was with Slade."
Robin stopped talking, as though surprised that he admitted this out loud. Knowing that Robin was probably embarrassed by the admission, Beast Boy changed the subject.
"What about your parents? How do they handle your superhe—"
"My parents are dead."
What…Robin had never mentioned this before. Suddenly Beast Boy felt as though he could connect with Robin. His own parents were dead. He could see why Robin would have never mentioned this before.
"I'm sorry," Beast Boy said, unsure of what else to say. "Did they know that you worked with Batman?"
"No." Robin looked outside the window. "They died before I met him. If they weren't dead then I wouldn't be here now…I wouldn't have met you or the others…I wouldn't have…" he paused, as though afraid to say this thought out loud. "I wouldn't have gotten myself into such a mess."
The alert beam began to blare again. The sudden noise startled Beast Boy, who immediately changed into a turtle in terror. He poked his head out of his shell and glanced timidly up at the monitor.
"Who is it this time?" Beast Boy asked.
"I'm not sure." Robin turned his head a little to look at Beast Boy. "But let's find out."
-BW-
11: 58pm
Gotham City
Crime Ally
Batman leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his great black cape streaming out behind him as he closed in on the jewel thief. The thief ran on the street below, hauling butt as fast as he could before Batman closed in for the kill.
I don't have time for this, Bruce thought, grimacing.
Just like always, he couldn't help but divert his attention if something like this came up. Even if he had to abandon his quarry (who, at the moment, was Clayface) he would help anyone in danger. This jewel thief, who just robbed a closed store downtown, would only take a few minutes to catch. Like most thieves in Gotham, he didn't seem to have a lot of brains.
Batman took out his grapple hook and shot it. It wrapped around the steel support of a billboard advertisement. Tugging it once to make sure that it would support his weight, Batman swung down from the rooftop and onto the street below.
What he should be doing was figuring out what the damned dust business was all about. Clark had told him everything about the Planet article and expressed his fears of a country-wide attack on all Metahumans.
The real question was: what was the perpetrator really after? Was the entire Justice League in danger? Considering the evidence at hand, it was likely that the perpetrator was using the Titans to taunt the older superheroes. Out of all of the people in this risky business Batman had been the first to take on a sidekick. Personally attacking the first young hero to arrive on the superhero scene was sure to goad everyone's nerves. Or this business could be entirely about the Titans?
Did he miss having a partner? Sometimes.
Working with the Justice League had somewhat filled the void Dick left behind when he moved to California. True, he could get massive migraines from working with some people in the League, but overall he did miss working with Robin.
He thought these things over as he landed in front of the jewel thief.
The thief stopped dead in his tracks as he stared up at Batman with wide eyes. Because of Crime Ally's broken street lamps, Batman couldn't really see the thief's face. His impatience caused his voice to go into a growl lower than usual. Batman really needed to get back to tracking down Clayface, and this punk thought it would be clever of him to rob a jewelry store.
"If you don't want any broken bones, then I suggest that you stop right here."
The jewel thief took one look at Batman before turning tail to run away. For a criminal he sure could run fast when he wanted to. At once Batman began to chase him.
They ran to a run-down baseball field. The thief tripped and fell in a cloud of dirt right in the middle of the field. Batman took the opportunity to loom over him as the thief scuttled backwards like a crab, his leather jacket covered in reddish dust.
"Give up now," Batman growled.
For a moment the thief did nothing as he stared up at Batman, looking like he might piss his pants. His hands scrunched into fists, his fingers digging into the soft reddish dirt of the baseball field. His thin chest rose and fell as he gulped the foul-smelling air. Perhaps the kid learned his lesson: once you meet the Batman your career in crime ended.
To Batman's surprise, the kid smirked.
"Bring it on, Batsy."
With a grunt the thief threw a handful of dirt into Batman's face. Momentarily disorientated, Batman coughed and spluttered dirt out of his mouth and nose. He really should have seen that coming, but the cowl blocked most of it from his face.
Once he could see again he saw that the thief started running again. He threw a bat-a-rang towards the thief. It glinted in the slight lamplight as it hurtled towards the running thief. It caught the edge of his hand and caused him to cry out in sudden pain.
"Damn it!" the thief exclaimed, clutching his bleeding hand.
Pure terror crossed over the thief's face as he stumbled backwards, his hands balled into fists as though he still meant to fight back. Now that he was closer Batman could see that this was a younger man just barely in his twenties. Figures. Only kids this stupid would rob a jewelry store this late at night.
Batman didn't even move as the thief swung a fist lamely at him. Perhaps it was because of his suit or because of his superior muscles that Bruce felt nothing. He watched in silence as the young thief gasped in pain and hunched over. A small splash of blood colored the chestpiece of his dark uniform from the young thief's bloody fist.
This had to end now.
Without much effort Batman picked up the thief by the scruff of the neck. The younger man's legs dangled beneath him as blood dripped steadily from his injured hand. The kid didn't seem to weigh much more than a toothpick.
"Uh…hey Bats," the thief said uneasily, a slight grin spreading across his face. "I suppose you want this back, huh?"
Slowly, so as not to startle Batman, the thief put a hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pearl necklace.
"Gimme your cash!" the thug demanded, pointing the gun towards Mr. and Mrs. Wayne. "And the lady's pearls too!"
Bruce looked up at his parents, his heart thumping madly as he wondered what would happen next. He always imagined his father as the strongman of the family, the protector. Surely he wouldn't allow this thug to get the best of him…
Surely not.
Dr. Wayne slowly pulled out his wallet and threw it at the ground towards the thug's feet. His mother unclasped the pearls from around her neck. Bruce couldn't believe what his parents were doing. All at once Bruce felt terrified and angry that they were being mugged. What had they ever done to him?
BANG!
Shaking his head slightly to rid himself of the sudden flashback, Batman turned his attention back to the jewel thief. Batman dropped the thief back onto the ground and bent to pick up the necklace. It seemed as though every time he put the cowl over his head he was reminded of that fateful night, of the reason why he fought crime in the first place. Before the thief could scramble away Batman grasped the young man's arm and began to drag him off of the baseball field.
"Oh come on! You can't leave me like this!"
The thief began to struggle as Batman handcuffed him to the chainlink fence near a dugout. He had no pity for the jewel thief. In fact he had no pity for any criminal at all. Well, maybe Catwoman, but…
"The police will pick you up soon."
Batman ignored the thief's protests as looked up towards the cloudy Gotham sky. A pale yellow spotlight shone against the gray clouds, the dark outline of a bat beckoning to him. Commissioner Gordon had turned on the Bat-Signal again. Clayface must have been spotted.
Without a backwards glance towards the vanquished jewel thief, Batman headed towards the Gotham City Police Department.
A/N: Fun fact: I wrote this entire chapter longhand up in the mountains. While up there I seriously thought about expanding "Entrapment" or writing another "one year later" apprentice story. One with an actual plot (I had absolutely no idea where Entrapment was going while I was writing it. This story, on the other hand, is plotted.) Ideas for other stories are on my profile page.
I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast Starfire and Superman, since they're both aliens and both (after a fashion) leaders. Also, a little reference to Identity Crisis and Batman Reborn! I finally read Batman Reborn while on vacation and I loved it!
BTW, Justice League memberships get a little confusing...so I just added everyone i knew...mostly from the TV show.
And it's the end of August! I hope everyone had a great summer (I know I did…writing unabashed fanfiction…) and I will attempt to keep my once a week schedule while in school.
Review…you lovely people…review…