Nightwing was already leaning on the upper level balcony by the time I reached it, having bested all the guards stationed there. If the confident air about him was any indication, he hadn't even broken a sweat.
"There he is!" the vigilante grinned, clasping my hand and pulling me up after I'd grappled to the railing. "You know, they should really hire a tour guide for those huge tunnels down there."
"Good to see you, too, man," I chuckled breathlessly, finally relaxing after the tense conflict. "How'd you find me, anyway?"
Nightwing scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I kind of maybe put a tracer on the Batmobile. Wayne Tech, so it probably wasn't detected by the computer. I was worried about you guys, alright? Sue me."
"Well, at least you had a good reason," I assured him, "I would've gotten my ass kicked by the Arkham Knight and his men if you hadn't come when you did."
"Wait. Arkham Knight?" Nightwing probed, eyes narrow and serious behind his mask. "He's here? And where's Batman?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words escaped. My tired brain was working overtime to come up with a good explanation, but my fear of Dick's reaction to the revelation I had witnessed made it all the more difficult.
"Um...Batman's still at the movie studios. It's a long story," I trailed off lamely. That probably wasn't the answer Dick was hoping for.
The sound of Commissioner Gordon clearing his throat spared me from more interrogation. "I hate to interrupt this reunion of yours," He grumbled, waving at us with the arm he had managed to free. "But you've got to untie me. I can take you both to Crane."
Crane, the twisted man behind this nightmare, was here? This could be our one chance to defeat him once and for all!
"Of course," Nightwing nodded, turning and approaching the Commissioner. "Robin, why don't you take five and take care of that gash on your arm?" he asked me, giving me a look over his shoulder that assured me that we would talk more about my dilemma.
I sighed, leaning back against the railing. Stowing my staff, I pulled out a roll of antibiotic bandages from my utility belt. I knew I would have to get stitches eventually, but this would have to do for now. Hissing in pain, I pinched the deep wound closed and began applying the first layer of bandages to the surface.
As I was wrapping my arm, I found myself pacing aimlessly, staring at the abandoned mall's dark ceiling. How was I going to explain who the Arkham Knight was to Dick, Barbara, Alfred, even Bruce? Would they be devastated, too consumed by betrayal to even fight back anymore? Perhaps I could hide it a little longer, just until Scarecrow was dealt with? I knew Bruce had used the same trick on me in order to ensure that I stayed working with Henry Adams to find a cure, but maybe he was right. Perhaps it was necessary to keep everyone on track.
"...finding more of Penguin's stockpiles and torching them. You wouldn't believe the stuff we're finding in there!" Dick conversed almost jovially with Gordon, no doubt helping him out of that infernal chair. I turned and watched with a smile as the Commissioner nodded mutely in accordance to the information spilling out of Nightwing's mouth. That guy always knew how to lighten up the mood in a tense situation.
Dick's eyes flicked upward and we held each other's gazes for a short moment. A silent conversation flashed between us, reassuring us that, yes, we were alive and Gotham would be saved soon. There would be no reason to be afraid anymore.
I didn't immediately notice Dick's masked eyes widening in horror, but the yell that ripped from his throat made me wheel around to face whatever he had seen behind me.
The red-masked man dove at me from the dark ceiling, weapons poised to kill. Shit. My breathing hitched and I froze like a deer in the headlights. My aching body was too sluggish from our prior battle. I couldn't reach any of my gadgets. He was coming too fast!
A blur of blue and black came out of nowhere and knocked me away from my probable demise. I stumbled and landed on the floor, watching as Nightwing performed a skillful backflip, his boot connecting with the Arkham Knight's mask. The crunching and shattering of the glass echoed in my ears.
Jason's body flew back, landing in a heap before us. Nightwing took a protective stance in front of me as Gordon rushed forward, gun aimed at the fallen Knight.
"Stay where your are!" The Commissioner barked, "We've got you know, you son of a bitch!"
"Screw you," Jason growled, glare murderous through his broken mask. He made no move to get back on his feet, however.
I noticed Nightwing stepping closer to the fallen Knight, peering into his shattered mask. Panic swept through me and I reached up to grab his arm. "Wait, Nightwing, don't-"
It was too late. Dick froze like an ice sculpture, all color draining from his face. Hours seemed to pass as he gawked at the pitiful and spiteful man before him.
"Jason?" Nightwing barely whispered, "All this time...it was you?"
The Arkham Knight coughed, removing the remains of his red mask and revealing a messy head of black hair. "In the flesh." His green eyes narrowed furiously above the branded J on his cheek. "Take a good, long look. Batman did this to me!" he snarled, voice breaking. "He left me to rot for over a year in that abandoned wing of Arkham...with the Joker!"
In that moment, Jason's face lost all of its previous fierceness. From my spot on the floor, his crushed visage looked more like that of a lost and anguished boy. I knew I should hate him for what he did to the city, to Barbara, but I just couldn't find it in me. Even Gordon lowered his weapon with a sympathetic shake of his head.
"Poor kid," the Commissioner murmured under his breath, taking a few steps back.
"You were...in Arkham?" Nightwing choked, still rooted to the ground. The implications were shattering. All the time Batman was fighting in that God-forsaken Asylum, he could have found Jason and taken him away from the unspeakable acts of torture the Joker was subjecting him to.
"Batman failed me," Jason continued his tirade, turning his hateful leer on me. "And he's gonna fail you and the rest of this fucking city." With that, he tucked his chin down as if to hide in shame. His ragged breathing echoed in the large concourse.
I felt the urge to say something to him, apologize, but I kept my mouth shut. Something told me that anything I said would only deepen Jason's suffering.
A shadow fell over me, and I looked up to find a somber Nightwing extending his gloved hand to me. I clasped his hand in both of mine, trying to convey my sympathy as I got back on my feet. A light on my modified gauntlet began blinking, indicating that a call was coming in. I tore my gaze from Nightwing's defeated eyes, pressing my communicator into my ear.
"This is Robin," I began after clearing my throat.
"Master Drake," Alfred greeted, dutiful as always. "I presume you've had success in locating the Commissioner?"
"Yeah, of course," I responded tiredly, "We dealt with the Arkham Knight, too." I saw Dick tense up out of the corner of my vision at the mention of our adversary. Sighing, I decided to drop the bombshell. "It was Jason Todd, Alfred."
"I'm sorry, sir, I must have misheard you. Did you say it was Master Todd?" The butler asked incredulously.
"You heard right, Alfred," I assured him sadly.
"Oh, God. Is he alright?"
Nightwing and I looked back at Jason's spot on the floor. Neither us were surprised to find empty space where the former Robin had fallen.
"No, he's not."