Robin
Oh, crap!
Bullets whistle as they tear through the air above his head while he ducks behind a desk.
Unbelievable!
More bullets tear through the air, followed by the maniacal laughing of Arnold Wesker; also known as, Scarface.
Wesker is a ventriloquist who suffers from a severe personality disorder. He thinks his mobster themed wooden puppet is real, and it gives him orders. Or he's just a whack-job and uses the puppet as an excuse. If Robin had a dime for every time he's heard Wesker say "Oh, no, it wasn't me. I'm sorry, Mr Scarface made me do it", Robin would be almost as rich Bruce Wayne.
Just. Freaking. Unbelievable!
Robin peers over the desk to see an older man with balding white hair and little circle spectacles on his face. It's Wesker alright. And his hand is inside a little wooden puppet dressed up as a mobster, complete with pinstripe suit and a nice fedora hat.
"What are you after, Wesker?" Robin says.
"Quit talkin' to the dummy, ya dummy," Scarface.
"I am in no mood to deal with you tonight, Wesker," Robin says.
He drops smoke pellets, waits a few seconds, then flees for better cover.
"Hey, dummy!" Scarface says. "I can't see anything! Get us out of here."
"Okay, Mr Scarface. Right away!" Wesker says.
Robin rolls behind them, slamming his fist into Wesker's kidney area.
Wesker shouts and falls down.
Robin kicks the puppet from Wesker's hand. The puppet falls harmlessly to the floor ten feet away.
"Hey, dummy," Scarface says. "Pick me up! Pick me up now!"
Wesker crawls towards the puppet.
"Enough, Wesker!" Robin says. "Leave it. How did you get your hands on the puppet?"
Wesker stops crawling only long enough to look up at Robin, and point at him. "He brought him to me."
"He-"
The air moves, and instinct kicks in, but too late. Something crashes against Robin's skull, sending him rolling to the floor.
Wesker stands up, runs over to to the puppet, places him back on his hand, then turns towards Robin's prone form.
"No," a cocky mechanical voice says. "I'll take care of him."
Wesker hesitates, then runs for the nearest door, slamming it behind him.
"Well, well, well," the mechanical voice says. "Just you and me now."
Robin groans and tries to stand, earning a kick in the ribs that sends him rolling again.
He grits his teeth and peers up at his attacker. A black jumpsuit, white skull mask, red X's on his chest, wrists and forehead.
"You," Robin says. "Red X."
Red X chuckles. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"
(******)
Raven
"So, what's the plan, Harley?" Batman says. "Try to hold us here until Joker finds Robin?"
"Ah, ah!" Harley says, wagging her finger. "No spoilers, Bman."
Raven's mind starts to come back into focus. She tests her mental powers; still not working. The electric shock scrambled her powers, and she hasn't fully recovered yet. She tugs against the restraints, but they hold.
Harley smirks down at her, and Raven growls back.
"When I get out of here-"
Harley holds up the controls, threatening to shock Raven again. Then she laughs high, squeaky, annoying.
Something beeps, and Harley presses a finger to her ear. She nods and a few seconds later, turns back to Raven and Batman.
She approaches the table and leans down over Batman, placing her hand on his cheek.
"So sorry to cut this short," she says. "But mama's gotta run."
She nods, and Raven realizes that she's just placed something on Batman's chest.
"Ta ta," Harley says, then walks out of Raven's view.
Raven listens to her footsteps as they echo, then she hears the sound of a large door closing, and electronic locks sliding into place.
"What is it?" Raven says.
"A bomb," Batman says, his voice absolutely calm.
"Are we alone?"
"Yes."
"How long until the bomb detonates?" she says.
"Timer says ten minutes," Batman says. "But I'd bet the timer is meaningless."
Raven curses inwardly. Of course the Joker would plant a bomb with a false timer on it. Batman had been right when he'd told her that she couldn't know without ever working a Joker case before. She forces air in and out of her lungs slowly, almost painfully so, slowing her heart rate.
"What do we do?" she says.
"Can you use your powers?"
She tries to focus her mind on the restraints- pain explodes through her head like an icepick rammed into her eye.
"Augh" she groans.
Her face goes red, and she starts to pant with effort, then the restraints break. She breathes huge sighs of relief, then painfully forces herself to roll off the table and to her feet, so she can free Batman. To her surprise, he's already freed himself, and has the bomb sitting on the table while he examines it.
For the first time, Raven gets a good look at where they are. An abandoned warehouse or factory of some kind; heavy machinery everywhere, a set of stairs that leads to a large steel double-door.
Raven painfully taps into her powers, flying quickly up to the door.
"It's locked!" she shouts.
She checks the room for another way out, finding none. Then flies back to Batman.
"Can you disarm it?" Raven says.
"Looks like. But you can't tell with the Joker."
Batman runs away from the table, looking over everything in the room.
"What are you looking for?" Raven says.
"Somewhere to put the bomb," Batman says.
Raven goes through everything she saw while looking for an exit; plenty of heavy machinery, but nothing that could contain a C4 explosion.
"There's nothing," she says.
Batman nods. "Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb."
"Then disarming it is our only option," she says.
He looks at her, and she could swear he has an eyebrow raised under his cowl.
"Or," he says, "you could phase us through the walls."
She resists the urge to slap her forehead. She should have thought of that sooner. But can she do it in her current condition?
She'll have to.
She flies over to him, then a black bubble forms around them. Pain assaults her mind again, but she ignores it, setting her jaw.
"Azarath," she says through clenched teeth, "metrion, zinthos!"
They drop through the floor, Raven straining with effort. The slightest break in her concentration and the bubble will collapse, leaving them buried beneath the ground. The thought sends her already sprinting heart into a frenzy. The pain increases, like a fist shoved through her skull, squeezing her brain.
She clenches her fists and her eyes closed, panting like a race horse. They break the surface of the ground, outside the factory. The bubble collapses and Raven drops to the ground in a heap, breathing heavy, struggling to open her eyes through the pain.
An ear splitting wail pierces the morning, then a terrible groaning as the factory explodes in the near distance behind her.
Batman dives on top of her, shielding her body with his own as secondary blasts start going off like cannon fire.
Don't pass out. Don't pass out!
(******)
Robin
Red X goes for another kick, but Robin grabs his foot and twists.
X groans, and Robin rolls under him, knocking his leg out from under him.
He sprawls on the ground next to Robin, going for a punch.
Robin rolls away, and to his feet. He growls at X, then runs for him, jumping up into the air, twisting around, then sticking his leg out for a viscous kick.
X rolls away just before Robin lands the kick, then comes up with an uppercut to Robin's chin.
Robin takes it, stealing the momentum to back flip, then launches himself into the air like a missile, right at X.
X tries to dodge but too late, Robin crashes into his midsection with both fists, knocking him to the floor.
X rolls backwards, coming back to his feet.
"Not bad, kid," he says. "But but not good enough."
He comes at Robin fast, not giving him any time to react.
Robin retreats from X's attack, blocking and dodging until his back touches the wall behind him. Knowing that he has an advantage now, X comes faster, pinning Robin up against the wall, and going to work. Punching, kicking and kneeing his midsection; body blow after body blow.
Robin does his best to defend himself, but being pinned up against the wall gives him little to no room to maneuver.
X knees Robin in the groin, doubling him over in pain, then grabs at his throat.
"Too easy," he says with his mechanical voice.
Robin growls, then brings his arm up, striking X's forearm away from his throat.
X goes for a punch to the face, but Robin leans to the side. X's hand collides with the wall, and he groans in pain.
Robin follows up with a kick to the midsection, but takes an elbow to the face for it.
He grits his teeth and goes for another kick.
X knocks his boot safely away, then feigns left, punching Robin in the jaw with his right instead.
The blow would have sent Robin reeling back if not for the wall behind him.
X lands a few more blows, then winds up for a spinning kick, catching Robin right in the face, sending him tumbling to the ground with a thud.
X chuckles. "Oh, boy, you really ought to protect that face of yours."
He stalks towards Robin, ready to end the fight.
Robin lays motionless on the ground.
X stands over him, giving him a good kick to the ribs, but he doesn't stir.
"Aw," X says. "That's it? I'm disappointed. Maybe your girlfriend will put a better fight-"
A blinding flash of light and a deafening boom cut X's gloating short. He staggers back, hands on his mask, blinking quickly, trying to refocus his eyes. Robin's boot drives into his gut, then he grabs X's wrists, ripping them away from his mask. X attempts a blind punch, but catches nothing but air. Robin's leg sweeps X's out from under him, then he crashes on top of X's chest, knees pinning his arms to the ground painfully. He grabs X's mask and rips it off.
A teenage boy a little younger than Robin stares blankly up at him. Dark blond hair, blue eyes and strong features. Robin resists a gasp, they could pass as brothers if his hair was just a bit darker.
"Enough of this," Robin says.
"Oh, but I'm just getting started," X says with a wicked grin.
Then he's gone. Transported away with his device.
Robin gets to his feet and whirls around just as X appears behind him.
Red X's start flying from his wrists.
Robin jumps to the side and rolls, X's missing him by just inches, then he springs off the ground, frog-leaping over a desk, and covering behind it.
X chuckles, then unleashes red beams from his wrists, wiping the desk out. Bits of wood, dust and debris fly everywhere as the desk all but explodes. The smoke clears and Robin isn't among the wreckage.
X does a double take, looking around, then Robin flies at him from behind, tackling him to the floor. X tries to roll, but Robin's having none of it.
X punches him in the chin, but he just growls down at the boy, pinning him again. X rolls back, springing Robin over his head.
Robin rolls in the air, landing on all fours, ready to pounce. X gets to his feet too late as Robin plants his boot in X's side. He groans, and grabs Robin's head, putting him in a headlock.
Robin digs his thumbs into the nerves of X's wrist, then goes limp.
X struggles to hold his weight, then Robin springs up, throwing his head back, slamming it into X's nose with a loud crunch!
X staggers back, holding his bleeding, shattered nose.
"You think you're better than me?" Robin shouts. "You think you can beat me?"
He rushes forward, grabbing X by the collar, bringing his face closer. "You will never beat me!"
X goes for a gadget, but Robin designed the Red X suit. He slams his fist into X's wrist. X's glove starts sparking to indicate the broken machinery. Robin throws the arm away, then ducks a punch from X. He strikes the outstretched arm, feeling the machinery inside crack. X goes for his belt, trying to transport away.
Robin slams his boot into X's abdomen, then grabs X's arms, throwing them away from his body, and grabbing X's belt, then slamming his knee into it.
X finally manages to shove Robin away, but it's too late, his suit is completely disabled.
Robin stomps his way towards him. X throws a punch. Robin ducks, then rises fast, slamming his palm into X's broken nose.
X wails like a man possessed, staggering back.
"You are nothing," Robin says.
He steps up fast, knocking X down with a furious kick to the side of the head.
X groans. "Stay back."
Robin steps up, and stomps on his ankle.
"Who are you working for?" he shouts.
X doesn't answer. Robin stomps on his ankle again, earning a loud curse from X.
"Who hired you?" Robin says.
X curses, and Robin goes for another stomp.
"Wait!" X says.
"Talk!"
X nods. "Scarface's goons hired me to bust out his boss. They knew about Joker's scheme somehow. They knew it was the best opportunity to get their boss out."
"There's more," Robin says.
X bites his lip.
"What aren't you telling me?" Robin says.
X curses again. "Somebody found me- I don't know who- they told me to attack you. They knew you would be here. They told me to shut you down. That's it. That's all I know."
Robin resists a curse, clenching his jaw, fury running through him.
"You. Are nothing!" he says. "Just a pale imitation."
He takes a long, steadying breath, then kneels down next to him.
"And that," he says, "is all you will ever be if you keep going like this. As long as you serve only yourself; as long as you have nothing to hold to, no code to guide you, that-" He motions to X's prone form. "- that is all you will ever be; a pale imitation."
X looks up at him, rage finally leaving his features.
Robin sighs.
"Go," he says. "Just go."
"That's it?" X says. "I can leave?"
"I didn't come here for you," Robin says. "I have bigger fish to fry."
With that, he turns and walks away, not bothering to look back.
Joker has Raven and Batman. If Robin wants to help them, he must find and stop Joker.
He walks towards the warden's office, ignoring the aches and pains, clenching his fists.
This ends now.
He turns the knob and throws the door open.
(******)
Author's Note
Hey, everyone! I'm back again. Sorry it took me so long for an update. Nanowrimo was brutal on me this year.
So, that was part ten. What did you think? All questions and comments are welcome. I love reviews.
Thank you everyone who has read, and thank you everyone who has reviewed. Special thanks to Limitless Darkness for helping me out.
Thank you Ahsokalo for the review! I appreciate the support.
Thank you Jeenathespectrobesprincess for the review! I appreciate that very much, and I'll try keep that up.
Thank you Koryandrs for the review! I'll try to keep it up.
Thank you ShieraH for the review! Glad you like the suspense, and thank you so much! Love your name btw. I've been trying to think of a way to get the Hawk family involved.
Thank you Guest for the review. I appreciate it very much.
Thank you Vitorzilli171, Harlin, Ignite the Airways, KittyComeHere, RuKka, Nagaribakan, Limitless Darkness for following.
And thank you Vitorzilli171, ShieraH, and KittyComeHere for favoriting.
You all give me more encouragement to continue than you realize.
And thank you everyone who has read the story so far. Thank you all so very much.
Well, that's it for part ten.
Until next time. Hope life finds you all well.
mojo