A/N: Yeah I know this is another short part. Though I hope a good one.
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Forever Robin
By
AJ
Part 9
Robin allowed an ironic smirk to appear on his lips. He should have changed into that other uniform, but the thought of being Nightwing made his head spin. There were too many bad memories with wearing that outfit, the Haly's circus debacle, the night he learned what his destiny should have been, and when he returned to the batcave and Bruce had a man strapped to the table.
'Finding out the man was my great-grandfather was astounding. The look in Bruce Wayne's eyes, as if I might betray him at any moment. Then he struck me after I told him the truth, the real reason why he kept secrets, not just from me. I must have hit a very sore nerve. I had to admit, I was still hurting from Raya's betrayal, and I took that anger out on him. I could never hold it in as much as he could. Before I left, I gave him the truth as I saw it. I just hope he would realize that I have always been on his side. That was the second time in my life he had ever struck me. The first was a calculated move for appearances, making it look good. This time, he allowed the past to rule his thoughts of everything he held dear, including me. Like Great-Grandfather . . .like . . . If I had been like my Great-grandfather, I would not be here. That was one of our roughest moments. Why am I thinking about that time? What else am I going to do while on stake out, sitting in a tree with the other robins.'
Robin took out a pair of binoculars and watched Jim Gordon. He thought of the times when Gordon wasn't too keen on him being Batman's partner. He was just a kid of 12. It was his second outing as Robin.
'Batman wanted me to keep a lookout for stragglers, thugs that were trying to get away, from mob boss Malone's gang. What Batman didn't know was they had set a trap. I saw someone sneaking in rather than trying to get away. He didn't see me. I took him out with my trusty slingshot, just as he took his shot. I should have gone for the man's gun. I knocked him out, but the damage was done. Batman went down and I though I lost my mentor, my guardian. I was so frightened. I took out Malone's men, using my rage as a weapon as Batman would have done. Gordon arrived with his men, and I had to get Batman back home. We became a true team after that. A lot of water has gone under the bridge, both good and bad.'
Robin checked through his binoculars again. Barbara was checking on her father. The scowl on both their faces told him that they had some kind of argument. Robin could tell it had to be about her father's safety. He watched as Barbara stormed into her father's bedroom, pulled out a suitcase, and started packing her father's clothes. She packed enough for a week. And then she assisted him to the van and they left.
'Good for you Barbara,' Robin though to himself. 'Take care of him.'
The night closed in and Robin found himself dozing lightly. He learned to take small catnaps, but continued to keep some alertness at the same time. A vehicle alerted him to wakefulness when it parked right in front of Jim Gordon's home. The van was dark, harder to see in the low light of the street, and the fact that there was a new moon tonight.
'Looks like Dr. Electric has changed his appointment time.'
Robin was totally alert, crouched and ready to spring into action. The three men that exited the van moved toward the house, but they didn't got through the front entrance. Robin watched as the three men moved toward the back of the building. He didn't bother with the three men. If there was something he learned from Batman was to let their enemy play their hand. They knew that Gordon was the next target. They just needed to find Doc Hastings and put a stop to his crimes.
Robin dropped down into the shadows. He was swiftly across the street keeping the van between him and the house so no one would spot him. He leaned against the side of the van and peered around the bumper to make certain the three men were out of sight. He proceeded to open the small pack that he brought and pulled out the tiny tracking device and placed it under the bumper and turned it on. He was about to return to his perch when he was struck hard from behind.
"Looks like I caught myself a little birdie."
Robin hadn't counted on the driver. He should have known that the driver had stayed out of sight. He assumed the driver was one of the three. He had made a rookie's mistake. Batman would have his head. The blow to his head and neck was enough to cause him to slip into that ever present darkness. The three men returned to find the driver standing over Robin.
"Tie him up. Use the zip ties. He won't be able to get himself out of that. Then throw him in the back of the van. Hastings said someone might be watching this place. And let the Doc know we've got someone he can operate on, a little bird. Looks like your feathers are about to be plucked.'
Continues with Part 10