Chapter Ten: Under a Shoe

They didn't waste time in trying to kill me. I fought back as best I could, trying to look like Robin, even using his weapons. But it wasn't enough and I quickly found myself with my hands tied behind my back. The Joker's henchmen pushed me around in a circle until I was so dizzy I almost threw up. I was so weak. Never eating finally caught up to me.

I tripped and lay there painfully on my back, with my arms pinned behind me. The black wig slipped off and my red hair pooled on the floor around me. I closed my eyes tight and sucked in a deep breath.

"Well, well!" the Joker kicked me roughly in the ribs. "Looks like we got a Robin impersonator!"

The men around us laughed and the Joker delivered a numbing kick between my legs. I was pretty sure he kicked hard enough to break my hymen and most likely my pelvis. I bit my lips to keep back the scream that tugged at the back of my throat.

Pulling me up by my hair he brought my face close to his. "Little Nettle! Why, oh why, are you here?"

He let out a barking laugh and threw me against the wall. Picking up a large hammer he swaggered over to me. I whimpered and tried to scoot away but he grabbed my leg and dragged me back to the middle of the room.

"Ah-ah-ah!" he tutted, slamming the hammer down on my shin. "Can't let you get away can we?"

I let out a wail as tears ran down my cheeks. I was seeing stars and my breath was heavy and labored. If he was going to kill me, then just put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, don't torture me. But then again, what was I thinking? This was the Joker we were talking about. I managed to get out of my handcuffs but before I could do anything I froze under his gaze.

My left arm, which had grown back, caught his eye. Grabbing it he pulled me to my knees, causing more tears to pour down my cheeks. It was so painful.

"It grew back! HA HA! It grew back!" he pushed me to the floor and slammed the hammer down on the middle of my forearm.

I heard it smash and cried out in agony. I was beginning to feel woozy and lightheaded. But I just couldn't blackout, if I did then there was no chance in escape. And I had to escape, to see Robin and the others again. To tell them I was sorry for making them worry, for doing something reckless. But I was doing this to protect Robin.

He tugged me up by a fistful of my thick hair. Peering down close to me he scowled.

"You got your mother's looks alright." He twisted my hair tighter around his fist. I winced. "But you got my nose."

The breath caught in my throat. What was he saying?

He grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look at him with my wide green eyes. I hated the look of his face. It was so gnarled and pale, too pale. I used to think the Joker was cool, but now he was just a heartless psychopath.

"Didn't mommy tell you?" he teased, letting out a hoarse bark. "I'm your daddy! Of course, so to speak. I just gave a bit of my sperm and you were mixed together in a test tube and shoved up some other woman's hoo-ha. My, my, you've got my hair! Well, what it looked like before the acid and before you went plant."

He laughed and dropped me, pressing his foot against my arm. I howled in pain, cursing softly when he moved his foot.

"Oh? Does that hurt? Here, let daddy help." He smashed his hammer on it again and again.

My head rolled to the side when he stopped. I was so disorientated then, dazed and almost out cold, but I held on like an idiot. He bent down and peered at me with his ugly eyes. I scowled back up at him.

"Better I die then Robin. He's a great hero who'll be somebody I never will." I gasped between shaky breaths.

He stood and twirled the hammer between his fingers. "I knew you'd fall for that stupid letter. I only wanted you here, to get rid of the thing I have to call my daughter."

My eyes widened and he swung the hammer down in my side. My ribs shattered and I was sure I felt one rip into my lung. My mouth opened by I didn't have any breath left to scream with. He slammed it there again then dug it in, crunching the bones together. I let out a choked sob.

"You were just a thorn in my side!" he growled tossing the hammer aside. "Not like the villain I thought I would help create. You were ugly and weak and small! I tried to kill you but Ivy found me. All I managed was to cut off the arm you managed to regenerate." He wrapped his long, thin fingers around my throat. "I tried again and you managed to miss it! Then Batman-" he spat out the name. "-saved you! Why won't you die! Just die!"

I felt the blackness ebb over me. And finally I was out of breath. When my eyes fluttered closed he let go and went to collect his jacket. My body throbbed and I knew I was dying. Even with medical help, I wouldn't live. The internal bleeding would kill me before any help came. That made me think if the group. Oh, their faces when they found my mangled body. A tear slipped down my wet cheek.

"Ta-ta." He cooed. "Daddy says stay put. HA HA! And, one more thing," I could see the grin in his words. "Got you this time."

The door slammed shut after all his men paraded out. When he was gone and I heard his car speed off, I opened my eyes and cried out in frustration. Sitting up the best I could, I let out a choked sob. It was over. All over.

I laid down again and curled up painfully. I heard the ring of an alarm clock. A bomb. I wouldn't be seeing Robin again or the others. A tear slipped out.

Robin…

BOOM!

Xx

They got there just in time to watch everything explode. Robin let out a cry and franticly got off the ship before it was on the ground. He ran towards the flame engulfed building and shielded himself from the heat with his cape. The others called for him but he didn't hear them. He kept running. She had to be alive. She was strong! She wasn't weak!

But as he stepped into what was left of the building his heart sank. She wasn't strong enough.

Wini was lying in the middle on the floor, now inches from his feet. Her body was broken and crumpled; her red hair was spilled around her face, singed and dirty. She was wearing Robin's suit, but it was burnt and torn, even bloodied. Around one of her wrists, the one that wasn't swollen or purple was a handcuff she managed to get out of. One of her sides was sunken in, broken nastily.

Robin's eyes widened and his heart sank to his feet. The last thing he ever wanted was to see her like this. He dropped to his knees, everything around him wasn't there. It didn't matter. M'gann crying in Conner's arms, that wasn't there, Artemis clutching a frozen Wally's arm, tears streaming down her cheeks, he didn't see that. All he saw was the broken girl, that risked her life to let him live and become something great, just like she dreamed.

He gently picked her up and held her. Her left arm was broken, he could feel it. And her side was so damaged. Robin cradled her to him, sobbing into the base of her neck. She was gone. Never coming back.

"I don't wanna be a Superhero anymore." He choked out in a whisper, just for her deaf ears to hear. "I don't wanna be Robin, or Nightwing or even Richard Grayson… I don't wanna be anything without you."

He pulled back and looked at her face with watery eyes. Her head rolled a little to the side, limp and her cheeks were bruised and slightly burnt. Robin gently turned her head to face his. He sniffled. He didn't want to see her like that. He never, never, never ever wanted to see her like that.

Then he lent down and lightly touched his lips to her. Their first kiss and she… she didn't even know it.

He let out a heartbroken sob and clutched her tighter.

Batman landed his jet a few yards away and rushed over. When he saw the reactions of the others, he knew something was wrong. The worst thing he could have ever imagined happened. Kneeling down by Robin, he put a hand on his shoulder and stared down at the broken body of the girl. The only thing he could think to do was just sit there with his hand on the boy's shoulder, as his ward cried until he didn't have any tears left.

Xx

Everyone in the League attended the funeral. It was quiet and depressing. No one said a word. Not one thing. When they were putting the dirt over the casket was when Artemis finally broke down and her legs gave out, Wally had to hold her up. M'gann didn't even last that long before Conner led her away. But Robin stood there, staring at the headstone and the mass of dirt.

Finally he set the bright red rose he had been holding down on top of her grave.

Wonder Woman had gotten Ivy out of Arkham and led her to the funeral. The other woman fell to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. They had never seen Ivy in anything but her suit and leaves, but she was dressed head to toe in black. With a wave of her trembling hand, the dirt grew fresh, lush grass and little daisies and blue flowers.

"My baby…" she wailed.

Bruce turned his head and watched a few of the Villains they normally fought approach the gravesite. They, too, were dressed in black and looked saddened. Harley Quinn stepped forward and fell to her knees by Ivy. The two women passed words and finally Harley helped Ivy up to her feet.

'What were they doing here? The death of Ivy's child was nothing to them.' Thought Bruce.

Harley looked over at him with a frown, seeming to read his mind. "We're only human." She said before turning and helping the other woman away.

Even when everyone had wondered home Robin still stood there, gazing at her grave. Bruce put a hand on his adoptive son's shoulder.

"She would have-"

Robin cut him off. "-wanted me to carry on and be the best Superhero."

The raven haired boy looked up at Bruce sadly. "She risked her life for mine. So I won't let her die in vain."

With a nod towards the grave they slowly walked away. A breeze drifted by and Robin could have sworn he heard Wini's voice carried softly with it.

"Nightwing…"