Okay, here's the next installment. I'm so glad you guys were worried about me!
Robin darted around another corner, struggling to catch his breath. Had he really seen Batman? He couldn't tell if the ache in his chest was from his two bruised ribs, running too hard, or the emotional pain of even thinking about seeing Batman right now. Batman was probably pissed.
If Batman was here, and not a hallucination from three nights of no sleep and dehydration, what was he going to say? Would he even say anything? Was he here to do the job himself? Dick had killed someone—he was getting what he deserved.
It hurts.
He couldn't stop the tears from gathering up as he wheezed for breath in the cold night air. He couldn't stop; he couldn't afford to stop. If he stopped he was dead. If he was dead, he couldn't make sure Bruce and his family survived all of this.
A thought struck him. If he gave up and turned himself in, wouldn't that make all of Gotham's crazies go away? They had only just started appearing, and it was very obvious it was because of the bounty on his head. He'd been the one to attract the attention.
So technically, he wasn't just responsible for bringing the villains here and putting Bruce and his family in harm's way, he was responsible for each and every single injury they had sustained. Bruce getting beat, Alfred getting hurt, Damian getting shot, all of it was his to own.
He made a mistake by coming here. He made a mistake by letting them take him in. He'd known this was going to happen, so why hadn't he listened to himself? He was stupid to have called for help. Batman was only going to hate him more. He'd destroyed this Bruce's life and Babs' too!
That what a murderer was, wasn't it? Someone who destroyed the lives of others. He wasn't any better than these monsters. Robin heard the footsteps behind him but didn't move. No, he was going to take them out even if he was going to die.
"Oh? What a pitiful sight you are." The voice purred, obviously belonging to a female.
"Catwoman."
"Robin, I presume." She answered back, smile adorning her face. "I've come to take you somewhere safe."
"You mean somewhere safe from the others," Robin snorted, seeing right through her, "yet not out of harm's way. You want the bounty just as much as the rest of them."
"You're not stupid, nor gullible," Selena took a few steps forward, curious when Dick stayed put, "simply mistaken."
"Sorry, not interested!" His black glove reached into a pocket of his utility belt and pulled out a smoke bomb. Dropping it, he waited until her attention were momentarily pulled to the bomb before pulling a couple of handsprings back and slipping in through an open window and disappearing from view.
"What a shame," Selena sighed, "I really was going to help. Children being hunted down like animals is absolutely revolting."
"Robin!" Kaldur called, keeping an eye for any shadow that moved. Although Kaldur doubted they would find Robin. No, Robin would most likely come to them. He was too good at hiding in the shadows.
"Everybody down!" Roy shouted, letting loose an arrow that froze the windshield of a black van.
Out came several men in suits, machine guns in hand and sun glasses adorning their faces. Instantly Wally barreled into them, finding their presence more of a nuisance than a threat. But every criminal they took down in the city was one less criminal hunting down his best friend.
Superboy let out an enraged howl, unaffected by the bullets and smashing heads together. Roy held back his arrows, fixing on a different target. These helicopters were really grating on his nerves. Repeating his strategy from earlier, he aimed for the blades. The helicopter was felled just as the last of the gunmen were polished off.
"I still can't get a mental link on him. I think we're going the wrong way. We're close the southern border and he's still out of range." M'gann turned back to the North.
"Well played, Batman," Wally snarled quietly, "but I'm getting to Rob first."
"Batman ordered us to keep to the South." Kaldur reminded.
"Batman played us!" Wally snapped back. "He made us go South because he knows Robin is North! Weren't you listening to M'gann? He's out of range and we've covered the entire South side already!"
"Batman ordered us to bring him back," Connor said, clenching his fists, "so that's what we're going to do. If Robin is North, we go North."
"We're not on a trivial mission like usual," M'gann added, agreeing with the boys, "we're here to save our friend."
"If you're more worried about Batman's wrath than Robin's life, maybe you should stay here and take out these petty thugs." Roy hissed, stalking past him and towards M'gann.
"You're right." Kaldur felt stupid. He was more worried about dying by Batman's hands than rescuing his companion and friend. This was not who he was. Since when had he been so trained to follow orders? Where was the rebelliousness that had formed Young Justice in the first place? "I was a fool. Allow me to come with you. I will not falter again!"
"That's it!" Wally smirked. "There's the Kaldur I know!"
He was at the end of his rope; body refusing to move forward anymore. His knees had given out on him and he was desperately trying to force them to move again. There was someone behind him and Robin barely ducked out of the way in time. There was that laugh, that cackle; Dick knew his time had run out.
Move! His mind screamed at him, but his body failed to comply.
He reached for a weapon, any weapon. Anything he could use to buy just a little more time. He was empty. There was nothing left to throw, his grappling hook was lost the day before, severely crippling his escape plans, and he was out of ideas.
"All out of toys?" Joker mocked, pulling a gun. "Too bad I'm not."
He fired a shot, hitting his target in the side. Robin held back the cry of pain. His Kevlar held, but his ribs did not. One of his ribs was now ripping into the sensitive flesh of his lung.
"You know, guns aren't my style. They're too quick, too painless." Joker took another step closer, his voice echoing in the alley. "I like to feel my victims suffer and die. I want to see the pain on their faces when they realize they're going to die. I like to see blood, lots of blood, paint a beautiful picture of death. Brains and intestines make lovely decorations."
Another cackle, more footsteps, and all Robin could do was try to breathe.
I want Batman.
I want Batman.
It hurts.
I want Batman.
He chanted over and over again in his head, trying not to listen to the Joker ramble on about crude ways to die.
He wanted to go home. He was tired and he wanted to see his mother and father again. He wanted to apologize to Bruce and the rest of them for everything he'd done. He wanted Batman to save him so Robin could at least die in his arms. He didn't want to feel the cold steel of the crow bar Joker was now handling.
"I had to use this gun. You're a little too quick." Joker eyed his victim. "Imagine that, a birdie who is far too good at flying away. Not to worry, I'm going to break your wings, break your legs, and then break your beak."
Mirthlessly, he thought of how many times someone had said this to him. It all seemed incredibly dull now; His life, his actions, and all of the bad guys who were just as annoyed by his clever little puns as he was their awful jokes about his name.
There was a whistle from above him and Dick forced himself to cover his ears. The pain of moving his arms was nothing like the noise threatening to blow his eardrums. There was heat, a curse from the Joker, and then Dick watched as the building to his right exploded and the debris rained down on him in large chunks.
"Robin?"
Who was that? Was that his own voice screaming at him to move? No, it was too high pitched.
A blow to the head made his world go dark.
Or was that just the sensation of being buried alive?
Special thanks to Skylark Evanson for reviewing! If you haven't read her fics, they are incredible! I super highly recommend you go read some now while you wait for the next chapter!