A/N: Thanks for the reviews and for checking up on me Psyche Castle, Blas, Batman Dude, Owan and JokerFan2011! Sorry for the delay - a trip to the ER, a sick child and spending two hours a night nit-picking (again!) kept me kind of busy. We are nit-free as of tonight and the little one is almost completely healthy so I'm back. :)
Mystery guest - No, I haven't watched the movie and you're not being a bug. ;-) I will get to it sometime in the (possibly) near future.
Chapter 6:
Robin dropped his eyes to the ground as Batman studied the poster. The man who had trained him was looking at pictures of his partner – no, his sidekick – failing every time he tried to be heroic. Batman would have made it out the door and Batman would not have allowed the men to take Robin. He would have made sure his partner was safe before doing anything else; Robin had just let everything happen. Robin pushed his tongue against the inside of his left cheek; Batman had not done it on purpose. Right?
Batman looked at the pictures then over at Robin, who had his head down and his hands clenched into fists. What did his partner have to be ashamed about? The gas had been powerful and Batman doubted that he would have made it any farther than Robin had. They were unconscious; there was no way Robin could have done anything to stop the men from taking them. Robin knew that Batman would never intentionally hurt him. Right?
"Robin," Batman said quietly. When his partner didn't answer he said the one thing he knew Robin needed to hear: "Robin, there is nothing in any of these pictures that would cause me to be disappointed in you."
Robin didn't respond and kept his eyes on the ground. One thought began to pulse in his brain: you failed. Over and over it repeated itself and Robin suddenly understood why Joker's nickname for him was "Boy Blunder". It was true – Batman was always the one doing the saving – and Robin was just a sidekick, not a hero.
"Robin," Batman tried again, "you refused to leave without me and that gas was strong. I wouldn't have been able to make it out that door, especially if I was trying to drag someone with me." That takes care of the first one. "Did you notice that we are both knocked out? I don't expect you to get up and fight just like I wouldn't expect myself to do that. How are we supposed to fight when we are unconscious?" Two down, one to go. "I would never hurt you on purpose, Robin, you know that. See how my arm is completely limp across your face? If I did hit you it was entirely accidental; I didn't even wake up until we were already here! Now, look at me."
Robin slowly raised his head and Batman saw the shame that filled his young partner's eyes. The villain was not going to be happy when they were out of these restraints. Robin had already threatened him aloud and Batman was, at this very moment, trying to decide how to best go about beating the man to a pulp for making Robin feel this way.
"Excuses," Robin suddenly snapped. "That's what those are: excuses for failure! I am not, nor will I ever be, a hero. You are the hero and I am just your sidekick. I'm not your partner, Batman, I'm your sidekick!" he yelled in frustration. "Everyone has always called me your sidekick and now I understand why. Just…just leave me alone," he whispered the last sentence and dropped his head again.
Batman stared at his partner, stunned that Robin was thinking all of that just from looking at three little pictures that could just as easily be directed at Batman.
"Robin…" Batman started but he didn't know what else to say so he stopped.
The next morning:
"Good morning, sleepy-head!" Kirik sang as he walked through the door and over to Robin. "Come on, wake up, time to start the day off with a bang!" he grinned as Robin lifted his head, glanced once at Batman and then glared at his captor.
Batman's head snapped up when he heard the man enter the room. He saw Robin glance over at him, shame still etched deep into his eyes, and began pushing against the metal bolts again.
"Why, Robin, you don't look very happy today. What's wrong? Did the hero get mad at you?" Kirik tapped the poster as he, too, saw the emotion in Robin's blue eyes.
"I'm not mad at him; he did nothing wrong!" Batman was already shouting at the villain.
"Tsk, tsk, Batman. Like I said before," Kirik glanced over his shoulder and glared at the hero, "this is not about you."
"Then let him go," Robin's voice was quiet but his tone was filled with anger. "You obviously don't need him so…"
"Oh, but I do need him!" Kirik exclaimed, turning back to Robin. "You need him! I'm sure he's not looking forward to seeing you break but at least he won't have to go around bragging about how strong his little 'partner' is when he knows that his sidekick really isn't very strong at all."
"He is my partner and he is strong enough to last through whatever you have planned," Batman growled furiously.
"Holy interruptions, Batman, I can defend myself," Robin sounded a little annoyed. "I'm Robin, remember?" He seemed to be a little more confident and Batman tried to catch his eye. Robin, however, refused to look at his partner; choosing instead to glare at the man who was trying to break him.
"Yes, Batman, he's Robin," Kirik mocked as he turned around and walked over to Batman. "How are you feeling?" he inquired as he pushed the button on his watch and the nutrients flowed through the IV into Batman's body. "Refreshed and energetic, I assume?"
Batman ignored the questions and snarled at the man instead.
"I brought something for you," Kirik said, his eyes wide with silent laughter.
"Ask him if he cares," Robin mumbled and the villain turned around, irritated with the interruption. Robin was still staring at the man but he had added a slight grin to his expression.
"Really, ask him," Robin said, "because he doesn't. He doesn't care about you or anything you have for him. What he does care about is taking you down; look into his eyes. And he will. Whether I break or not – which I won't – he will take you down. Unless, of course, I get there first," Robin was almost smirking and Batman chuckled in his head.
"You see, I spent the night thinking about those pictures," Robin tilted his head toward the poster on his right, "and I realized several things. First: yes, the door is only three feet away and I was so close and there is no," he glanced quickly at Batman, "excuse for not making it out. However, we had been in that warehouse for less than a minute when you sprung your trap and, as the room became smoky, I saw you running up the steps to the manager's office like a terrified rat. What does that make you? I'm thinking either really stupid, for not being up there in the first place, or a coward. You said last night that you were a genius and have never done anything stupid so, by your own words, you are a coward," Robin paused to take a breath. Before he could continue his monologue the man was in front of him with a hand squeezing Robin's neck.
"I am not a coward," Kirik whispered darkly. "You will pay for that little speech, sidekick."
"But…I…" Robin was having trouble breathing and was starting to see flashes of light. The man suddenly dropped his hand and Robin gulped in the air.
"But I wasn't," he coughed, "done explaining. Second…" but Robin didn't get a chance to finish because the man left the room. There was the sound of furniture breaking and the villain's two goons began shouting at each other to move out of the way.
"I guess he didn't want to know what else I learned," Robin grinned as he looked at Batman. "I'm sorry about last night," he sighed as his grin faded. "I let him get in my head and he knew what to do and I didn't want you to be…disappointed in me."
"I don't know if you heard me say this last night but there is nothing in those pictures that would give me any reason to be disappointed in you," Batman replied. "Robin, no matter what he – or anyone else – says, you are not just a sidekick. You are my partner and both members of the Dynamic Duo are heroes to the citizens of Gotham City. Also, I really enjoyed your explanation of what you learned," he grinned at his young partner.
Kirik stormed back into the room and stopped directly in front of Robin. He held up his right hand, the one with a pair of scissors in it. Robin's eyes widened slightly and Batman pushed against the restraints but the man just stood there, the scissors chomping the air beside him.
"Who are you?" Kirik asked, his voice full of rage.
Robin was a little confused by the question and debated whether or not to answer.
"Who are you?!" Kirik demanded again.
Fine, we'll play some mind games. "Holy memory bank, are you an idiot?! I'm Robin, also known as the Boy Wonder. I'm pretty sure we've met before; your name is…let me think," Robin looked thoughtfully at the door. Then he shrugged as his gaze returned to Kirik's face, "I guess I don't know it because you aren't important enough to remember."
"Robin…" Batman warned and shook his head, trying to get Robin to stop before something really bad happened.
The scissors began eating up the air between the body of the man and Robin's chest. Robin stiffened when he felt them slice through his uniform but was surprised when they immediately stopped moving. There was a short pause and then the scissors were lightly brushing his skin as the man began cutting a circle in Robin's uniform. No blood was being drawn from his body and he was relieved but worried about what was going to happen next.
"Jack, bring in the lighter," the man called out and Batman again yelled at the villain to leave his partner alone.
"Shut up already, hero!" Kirik shouted as he finished the last cut in the circle and pulled the scissors away from Robin. He tossed them on the table and held up his prize: the 'R' from Robin's uniform. The henchman had brought in the lighter and Kirik held it up to the letter that symbolized the young hero's identity.
"Goodbye, Robin," the man scoffed as he lit the material on fire then dropped it on the ground and left the room, slamming the door shut again.
"NO!" Now it was Robin who was pushing against the metal bolts as hard as he could; he was Robin and he could reach it before…but it was too late. The 'R' had been reduced to ashes and some of Robin's pride had gone with it. He stared at the small pile of black in anger and then sadness. He shook his head; he was still Robin. But that was my trademark….
Batman watched the emotions flowing through Robin's eyes. He knew his partner was proud of wearing that letter, proud that the bad guys knew who he was because of it. This was a blow to his pride but he would be okay. He was, after all, Robin.