A/N Just a heads-up: there's some disturbing imagery up ahead. Thanks for reading! :o)
The team was lined up against the wall. His team – Aqualad had been the first to fall, throwing himself directly into the path of a battle axe to save Artemis, his sacrifice automatically making Robin the one to take the lead. Of course, he hadn't been leader for more than ten minutes, and he had gone and gotten them all captured.
Robin had been strapped to a chair, stripped of his gloves, utility belt and even his cape, while the others had been manhandled into position, the red lights on their inhibitor collars flashing at him tauntingly. He shivered as he watched Joker inspect his "goods" by staring each of his team mates in the eye before bursting into laughter.
To Robin's confusion, a dozen or so civilians appeared, all of them women and children, but his attention was drawn to a coin that was being flipped into the air. He started violently when he was suddenly nose to nose with Harvey Dent's mutilated face.
"Well, well, Boy Wonder. Here we meet again," Two-Face growled. Robin almost gagged at the putrid breath that wafted across his face. "Let's see if you've learned anything."
Joker cackled again and Robin tore his eyes from Two-Face's horrifying features to watch Joker pat Artemis' cheek with the business end of a crow bar.
"Get away from my team," Robin growled.
"But why?" Joker asked with a smirk. "I'm going to have so much fun with your little friends!"
"Heads or tails?" Two-Face asked him suddenly.
Robin looked back at him. "What?"
"Heads, these poor people die," Two-Face said, pointing at the civilians, who were now huddled together, trying to calm the sobbing children in their midst. "Tails, your team gets it."
"How is that a choice?"
"Call it."
"No, I'm not going to play!"
"Fine. Then they all die."
"No, wait!"
"Yes?"
"Tails," he whispered.
"What was that?"
"Tails!"
The coin sailed through the air and landed on Two-Face's palm. Two-Face simply glanced at it and bared his teeth in a twisted imitation of a smile. "Tails it is."
A machine gun appeared in his hands and he pointed it at Robin's team. There was a click-
"No!" Robin shouted, struggling against his bonds. "Don't do it! Please!"
Two-Face paused and looked back over his shoulder at Robin, a devious grin on his face. "No? So you choose them over those innocent people after all? Fine. But Batman will be disappointed," Two-Face said, swinging about and pointing his weapon at the group of civilians. Before Robin could even blink, he was mowing them all down, their screams ringing in his ears.
"NO! NOOO!" The straps keeping him bound to the chair dug into his wrists and ankles as he strained against them, heedless of the warm blood that was beginning to coat his wrists.
When the sounds of gunfire died out, smoke swirling from the gun's muzzle, Robin heard the gurgles, sobs and cries of the dying. Two-Face grabbed one of the mortally wounded children by the hair and dragged her over to Robin, dumping the little girl right in front of him. Blood was pouring from several wounds and she whimpered softly. "Mommy," she whispered, before she went still, her eyes staring. She couldn't have been more than five years old.
Robin threw himself sideways in his chair and leaned over the armrest to throw up the contents of his stomach. He heaved several times and didn't notice the wetness on his cheeks until he'd righted himself again, completely spent.
"Why did you do that?" Robin rasped, glaring at Two-Face. "She was just a little kid!"
"Let's be clear," Two-Face said. "You did this. Right, Bats?"
Suddenly, Batman was standing in front of him, staring down at the girl's body. Then he turned to Robin with an anger that was usually reserved for the cruelest and most hardened criminals. "This was your fault, Robin."
"No! Batman, I-"
" I don't want to hear it. You put your team before civilians. You were selfish."
"Batman, please, I didn't-!"
"Letting you become Robin was clearly the biggest mistake I've ever made; you are obviously not up to the task. I have never been so disappointed in anyone. Dick, you're done. Don't bother coming home," Batman added with a look that said he was dealing with the lowest of low-lifes.
"W-what?" Robin said, his whole body trembling. But when he looked up, Batman was gone. "Batman? Batman! Help me! Please, Bruce, I-I want to go home…" he whispered.
"Aww, poor Robbie," Joker said gleefully, drawing Robin's attention back to the clown. "Did daddy kick you out? Don't worry, I'll take care of you. Just like I'm going to take care of your little friends here." His lips contorted into an evil grin. "It's my turn to play."
He yanked Wally forward and forced him to his knees. His teammates' loud protests were summarily ignored. Joker circled the speedster, twirling the crowbar in his hand. "I'm a leeeeeetle bit out of practice," Joker said. "But you won't mind, will you? It'll just add to the suspense."
"Leave him alone!" Robin cried desperately. "Please!"
"Why ever would I do that, little Robin? Don't you understand? I'm booooored! It's my turn to have a little fun!"
Joker stepped up behind Wally and lined up his crowbar.
Robin and Wally's eyes met. "I'm sorry," Robin whispered. Wally just closed his eyes.
"Batter up!" Joker said and swung the crowbar's hook directly at Wally's head. Wally made a choked sound as it embedded itself into the side of his face, crushing his cheek bone, blood spurting everywhere. Joker braced his foot against Wally's back and yanked, ripping Wally's head clean off.
Robin screamed.
oOo
The flight back to Mount Justice was a nightmare. Robin continued to thrash and struggle and scream, heedless of his injuries, and eventually Wally and M'gann had been forced to restrain him.
"Are- are you sure?" M'gann had asked Wally.
"I don't want to do it," Wally had ground out, trying to pin Robin's wrists to the table M'gann had created for him. "But he's going to hurt himself. No, actually, he already is hurting himself; he's just too far gone to feel it. "
M'gann had nodded. Out of nowhere, two sleek, leather-like bands had appeared as an extension of the table Robin was lying on. It had been a monumental effort for Wally to keep Robin's arms immobilized long enough for the bands to encircle the younger boy's wrists, but he'd managed. Seriously, Robin was a lot stronger than anyone gave him credit for.
Now, the both of them were standing over Robin on either side of the table, watching him strain against his bonds and listening to him cry out as he fought whatever enemies he was battling in his mind. Wally had never felt so helpless.
Eventually, Robin's voice broke and his screams were reduced to sobs. Wally didn't know which was worse.
"Kill me! Just kill me, please!" Robin pleaded desperately, tears rolling down his cheeks. "KILL ME!"
The utter despair in his best friend's voice was like a punch in the gut, and Wally swallowed hard. God, this was- he'd never seen Robin like this before. Heck, he'd never seen anyone like this before, let alone his usually unflappable best friend! Watching Robin – Dick – being lost in such emotional agony that he was asking, no, begging to die was- it was harder than anything he'd ever seen or done in his life. And it was something he never, ever wanted to witness again. He took a deep breath and surreptitiously wiped his cheek with his shoulder.
Robin had said the fear gas would either kill him or make him lose his mind. Was this what it was like to lose your mind? He couldn't imagine what the other boy had to be living through right now, but it had to be absolute hell to make him scream and thrash about like that. If Rob had lost his mind- if that meant he was going to be living his worst nightmares for the rest of his life, trapped inside his own mind…then- wouldn't it be better if- if he-?
Stop it, Wally! He chastised himself. He's going to be okay. We're almost at Mount Justice, they'll give him the antidote and he'll be fine.
If only Rob would stop begging for him to kill him, he might actually believe it.
"M'gann, can't you- can't you do something?" he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from his still struggling best friend to look at his other team mate. The tears in her eyes when she met his gaze told him the answer even before she opened her mouth to speak.
"I- I tried. I'm sorry, Wally, but his mind's too volatile," M'gann said. "I'm literally being pushed out before I even have a chance to connect. I'm- I'm sorry."
"It's okay." No, it's not. This is sooooooo far from being okay.
"I can't watch this anymore. I'm- I'm going to see if I can get her to go faster," M'gann said, hurrying to the bio-ship's cockpit.
Wally only nodded, unable to take his eyes off of his sobbing friend, no matter how much he wanted to.
M'gann had only been gone for a few minutes when Robin suddenly reared up, gasping. His eyes were wide and he gulped for air, his chest heaving. His desperate wheezing scared the crap out of Wally and he felt his panic rise. "Oh God, M'gann, he can't breathe!" he exclaimed. "I don't know if he's hyperventilating or if he's having a heart attack!" Is it his ribs? Did they puncture a lung? He's gotta have at least a couple of broken ribs! "M'gann! How much longer?"
"Five minutes! We're almost there!"
Five minutes?! He could probably run that distance in five seconds!He leaned over Robin, trying to get him to calm down, wishing there was anything he could do to ease the other boy's breathing.
Five minutes, five minutes, five minutes…
"Hang on, Rob, okay? Just hang on, you're gonna be okay. You hear me? You're gonna be okay."
Dick, seriously dude, don't make me a liar!