The alarm rang inside Robin's ears as he landed next to Batman on the roof of the building next to Gotham Jewels. "It wasn't smart of the Joker to rob something in the middle of the day" Batman said in his synthesized voice.
"He never really was smart though, was he?" Robin said, fixing his mask absentmindedly.
Batman turned slightly to look at Robin from the corner of his eye. Robin took a step back, catching the signal from his guardian. Pretty much saying, shut up or I'll do it for you. "He's smarter than he seems"
Batman leaped off the roof, spreading his cape in the form of bat wings. Robin gathered his courage for the umpteenth and jumped off the ten story building. It was weird "flying" in the daylight. He could actually see the ground, which didn't really help his fear of heights. Robin was aware of his shadow on the ground ten stories below. The heights made him queasy against his will.
He could see all the people looking up at them; actually noticing them. But there was no one down there for the either of the vigilantes. Bruce had told him that when he'd gotten into this, they would be alone. And Robin had stuck to the theory like glue. Robin could hear the people below him with the improved hearing gear Bruce had gotten him last Christmas.
"Look! It's Batman!" one said.
"In the middle of the day! Look, it's Batman!" said another.
No one ever noticed Robin though, but he could really care less. He knew exactly what he was capable of, and so did Batman. That was enough for him right now. Batman was the famous savior of Gotham, Gotham's Dark Knight, not Robin.
He landed softly on the rocky roof of the jewelry store, his gold and black cape flowed back to hang on his back again. Batman had already slid to the edge of the building and was climbing down to find a deserted window. Robin already knew the routine; get on the roof, scale the wall, find a window that led to an empty room, and then locate the target. They had done it several times, and it had worked flawlessly.
Robin looked over the edge and waited for Batman to find a window. He kicked one through quietly (Robin didn't even know that was possible) and Robin slithered over the edge, making sure to throw a hook back up onto the roof. He judged the distance instantly in his head and grabbed the rope in the correct spot for his descent. The rope went taught when he was right in front of the broken window. He rode the rope until he had enough momentum to unhook the rope from his belt and he jump lithely inside the empty room. He could barely see the giant bat's dark form in the room, but managed to slip beside him.
The two of them snuck through the door and made it down to the balcony that hung over the main store. The alarm was loud and annoying, and the main displays of jewelry were smashed open. As the two looked over the edge, someone came up behind Robin and kicked him in the back. He flew over the railing and quickly sent a hook up over the edge as he fell, the rope grew taught and he swung around underneath the balcony. He released the rope from his belt and landed gently on the floor below; nothing he couldn't handle. He gave himself props for not even making a sound in surprise.
That's when six of the Joker's goons came out of the darkness around him and created a perimeter. They stood there for a moment, all of them waiting for the other to make the move. Robin let out a yell and leaped for the closest one, he landed a round-house kick in his chest and the clown crumpled before he could gasp in surprise. He spun around and threw a right-handed punch at another's cheek, sending him spinning across the floor. He kicked to the side at one that was trying to come up from behind, then whipped around and slammed his hands on either side of another's ears. The clown yelled in pain and collapsed. He did a back flip and landed a kick in the fifth's back. He stood his ground for a moment as he felt one come up behind him. He threw a right hook and smashed in the plaster mask, the last one falling to the ground.
Robin straightened up, breathing hard. He was just about to relax when a figure in red leaped off the balcony, "Robbie, Robbie, Robin! The little bird that never learned how to fly!" Harley Quinn's crazy laugh echoed in his ears as she turned around and sent a ticking bomb right at him. Robin ducked and rolled behind a counter, hearing the glass around him break that held all the priceless jewelry.
"Still following your little mentor around while he takes all the glory!" Harley had made a mistake by breaking all the glass. Robin now knew every place she stepped, glass cracking under her feet. The words she said had no meaning to him, although they were probably true. He'd learned a long time ago not to listen to anything either one of the clowns said, they would just play with your mind.
Robin heard glass crack close to his right ear and he leaped to the left, a few bullets splattering the display his head had been hiding behind literally seconds ago. The pair was getting better, setting more traps. Now was the time to go on the offensive.
"You think six pawns would take care of me!" Robin yelled, making sure he was well hidden so she couldn't follow his voice. It echoed; perfect. "Harley, you and your boss are getting soft!" Always use their names, Bruce said, It softens them up without them even knowing it.
"What are you talking about, birdie? You don't know what we've got planned." She cackled, somewhere to his left, "You have no idea". Another set of laughter rippled through the jewelry store. Robin backed away from her voice, stepping carefully on the glass so it wouldn't crack under his weight. If he could get far enough away, maybe he could—he looked up at the balcony. Maybe he could dig a hook in the ceiling and come around behind her—.
"Oh, Robbie-poo"
Robin whipped around just in time get a punch in the side of his cheek. Harley had done exactly what he had been planning. She'd set a hook up and come up behind from the air, not making one sound.
Stars flashed in his eyes and he spun from the force of the punch. But he took the momentum from the punch into a round-house kick at her chest. She flew backwards, but stood up before he could pin her. She ran at him, laughing as she did, and swung a high kick at his head. Robin ducked quickly and squatted, cutting her legs out from under her with his foot. She landed on her back and Robin sprung on top of her, straddling her waist. He held her shoulders down and relaxed for a second.
But Harley always had a few tricks up her sleeve. Literally. She lifted her arm and a toy boxing glove flew out from under sleeve to hit him square in the temple. Robin's vision blacked and as he fought for site, Harley turned them over so she was on top of him.
"Bad luck, Robbie" Harley said as an involuntary groan escaped his lips. He could feel shattered glass pieces digging into his back, no doubt he was bleeding. There was nothing he could do, his arms were pinned behind his head with her arms and her knees were clutching his legs together.
She leaned in close and Robin pulled back into the floor. There was a smirk on her face, "Love kills doesn't it?" She moved her nose back and forth across his. An idea sprung to mind.
"Why do you stay with that Joker anyway?" Robin asked, almost laughing to death at his own plan, "What can he offer you?"
Harley looked confused for a moment, then swung her neck, where at least ten necklaces, heavy with diamonds slung on her neck, "Well, money for one thing" she said.
"Yeah, but don't you just want to settle down and quit running all the time?" he asked soothingly. Harley was always the flirt maybe he could distract her long enough to—, "I can give you so much more then that idiot can"
He could feel her leaning in involuntarily, "Really? Like what?" she said dreamily, her face inches from his. She's going to kiss me, he thought in disgust, as her eyes looked intently at his lips.
"For starters, I could give you a splitting headache" Confusion popped into her eyes, but not after he head-butted her hard in the forehead with a loud crack. Harley's body went limp and sparks went off behind his eyelids. He shoved Harley off him and tried to stand up when Batman landed in front of him.
"Where were you this whole time?" Batman yelled.
"What are you talking about? I was—" Robin was caught off by a wave of nausea that swept over him from dizziness. "Aaah. Remind me never to head-butt anyone ever again." He started to lose his balance.
"I was up there all by myself fighting clowns while you decided to take a trip downstairs!" the anger in his guardian's voice surprised him.
"I was fighting too! I had six clowns and Harley!" he said, motioning to her unconscious body, "What was I supposed to do? Ditch them to run up and fight with you?" Robin's voice rose too, now echoing through the store.
"Now, you listen here! If you hadn't—" Batman was cut off as maniacal laughter came on over the loudspeaker.
"Arguing like an old married couple, I see. As per usual. Too bad that emotional misbalance bomb didn't work as well as I thought. Harley was a little harder to stop then I gave her credit for. I don't have time to watch you argue with my artificial poison. I'm so sorry to interrupt…but don't worry, you'll have plenty to talk about when I'm finished."
There was another fit of laughter, "I'm going to blow up…a public area, mmm….let's say tomorrow?"
"This is unlike you, Joker" Batman's deep voice said, breaking the terror the new information brought, "You usually tell us your plans"
"Oh, but I'm going to" the intercom retorted, "You see I'm going to bomb a certain…what is it, Harley? Oh wait your unconscious...Oh yes! Wilsonburg's School; the biggest school in Gotham."
Robin's heart skipped a beat, his school.
"Young Robin must go to school somewhere, why not Wilsonburg?"