FudoTwin17: Hey, dudes. Sorry it's been so long. :( Anyways, I've had a lot of stuff going on and I just really need to write. I feel bad about unloading on you guys, so I'll just tell ya the basics. I got into high school (what a mess!) and I love the drama department, tho stuff tends to happen to me. I've gotten two speaking roles (gasp! Amazingness, right?), but in return I've gotten sick, I've gotten a skin condition, I've messed up my leg meaning that I get to stumble around school using crutches, and I've had a hand surgery. It's kinda painful to type, but I've been trying to type out chappies anyways. And I got my laptop back! That made me happy, though it's stubborn sometimes. Anyways, I really want to thank you for everything-just listening and reading and all that jazz. :) And, anyways, without further ado, I give you the long awaited request from Fighter1357! Luv ya, ya weirdo!
Fate's Design
Robin knew it was coming just as he knew that he couldn't dodge it. The blue lightning counter attack was not made to miss it's target. So he didn't try to dodge, just waited for the hit. And when it did hit, it hurt.
"Gah!" He exclaimed in pain as he was literally blasted to high heaven before he fell back to earth. He faintly recognized Artemis's scream of pain beside him. However, he tried mainly to focus on not giving in to the electricity flowing through his body. Oh, man, it hurt!
"Artemis! Robin!" He heard a gentle voice exclaim almost fearfully. Faintly, he realized it was Zatanna. She sounded worried, but focused.
Kaldur's pained exclamation followed by Megan's cry seemed to snap the boy wonder out of it. His eyesight was fuzzy and his hands shook from the excess energy, but he forced himself to focus. He let out a quiet groan. Everything hurt.
Then again, he was struck by lightning.
Slowly, he forced himself to sit up. He glanced at Artemis. She was coming around, but wasn't quite there yet. His eyes slowly focused on the battle field where none other than Kaldur'ahm was being shocked horrifyingly. It took a lot to tear his eyes away from his pained teammate to see Megan speaking with Billy.
He focused on listening and was instantly thankful they were speaking through the link. The only thing he heard was a faint buzz.
Destroy it and we win! Billy's overexcited voice exclaimed in their minds. It took Robin a moment to comprehend the words and then to connect them to the only thing in the field that was important enough to have that kind of reaction: the gem.
That's all I need to know. Zee stated and very suddenly Robin knew what she was up to.
"Zatanna!" Yelled Kaldur, unable to move from his fixed position.
"Stop!" Exclaimed Wally, grounded and too far away to help. Robin realized faintly that he was the only one close enough and with the ability to stop her. He had to save her!
Eyes wide, he scrambled up toward her. Every movement hurt, but he ignored it in favor of tackling the magician whose hands on the helmet had just risen to place the helm on her head. With an extra burst of speed, Robin gave a desperate cry.
No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't allow him to give up when she had been only a short walk away.
And they collided.
When Zatanna's fall ended, she faintly realized that she was resting on something soft. She gave a small sound of protest before it died on her tongue. The helmet hadn't found a resting place on her head because . . .
"No." Wally whispered, emerald eyes wide. "No! Rob!"
It had fallen onto Robin's crown. Through the eye holes of the helm, she could see the whites of his mask. It was eerie. Slowly, her friend began to ascend into the air, power radiating from him. He now wore a dark purple, skintight suit with a long, golden cape, boots, gloves, neck piece, and waist piece. The neck and waist piece held two circular objects that Zatanna found indescribable as they radiated so much magical energy. A purplish white light appeared behind him in the form of his signature Ankh cross, seeming to more than triple the amount of animosity that Zatanna knew was on the boy wonder's hidden face.
"Robin." She whispered, horror and guilt filling her heart.
Doctor Fate had been unleashed.
. . .
Robin blinked in near confusion when he appeared in a dark area. He wasn't sure where he was, but he could definitely tell that this wasn't right. He wasn't in a room, but a wide open space that was completely darkened except for the small area of light he stood in.
He tried to think. The battle-what? Wasn't he shot down? Yeah. Lightning. His eyes wandered behind his mask before they widened. Zatanna! The helm! It must have fallen on-
"Hello, there."
At the unexpected voice, Robin sprang up and around. In his hands was his staff (though he feared it would be useless within the helm) and he found himself crouching in a defensive position. It took him a moment to recognize the old, familiar face.
"Kent Nelson?" He gagged. That couldn't be right! Unless . . . .
The elderly man smiled. "Hello, Dick."
At the sound of his elder's voice, Robin lowered his staff. He collapsed it and placed it back where it belonged, eyes taking in the man in front of him. "So what are you doing here?"
The old man smiled. "I agreed to stay here until Doctor Fate's new body was chosen. Then I can visit my dear Inza." A sad tender look came into the man's at the last few words, almost too sad to look at.
Instantly, the boy wonder's smile fell. "O xonxano baro!" He hissed under his breath in his own language, the words boiling in his mind. The great trick! Robin couldn't help but feel sad. The man was being kept from more than just his afterlife-he was being kept from his wife! The woman he loved! Was Fate really that cruel?
"Anyways, dear boy, how has it been up there? How are Wally and Kaldur'ahm?" He smiled to himself. "It would be wise if you all would avoid using the helmet. Nabu will not wait for long to take a host."
Before Robin could say that he hadn't meant to put on the helmet or come up with a very dignified response, he heard some commotion from behind him. He turned swiftly, eyes darting beneath the mask to stare at what looked like the battle outside.
However, it was no battle anymore. Or, at least, not the same battle. Based on the images, his body (his, he repeated in his mind, not Nabu's!) was hovering several feet off of the ground. All the heroes, or at least all those involved, were clustered together, staring in shock at him. He couldn't help but notice the stray tear running down Zatanna's face.
"Oh, dear." Murmured Kent behind him.
Robin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's going on?" He questioned out loud.
For a moment, the only movement in the outside world was the wind. But that was before he watched Miss Martian (Robin felt his heart ache when he saw the fresh tears in her eyes) stumble forward, Superboy's eyes flickering as if to make sure she didn't fall. "Y-You can't!"
And then Wally's there, right up front as usual. "I won't let you take him! You can't take his body! He's only thirteen! He has years ahead of him! Are you just going to take that all away from him?" Wally's anger was very apparent to Robin, but the thing that made his chest tighten was the raw look in Wally's eyes-Fear.
"Wh-What?" Robin gags quietly. Take his . . . ?
There was a short silence after Wally's outburst that seemed louder than words. "Wally." The voice was quiet, hardly interrupting that silence. Robin watched as the Flash went to grab his best bro's shoulder and Wally jerked away, stepping forward.
"Nabu, you can't take Robin from us!" Wally exclaimed.
"The world needs Doctor Fate." Robin shivers at the voice. It wasn't because of what the sentence meant, but rather his voice. It was Robin's voice-Dick's voice, but it wasn't. There was another almost inhuman voice overlaying it.
"You-You can't take my best friend!" The way his best friend's voice broke on the last word made Robin tremble. He was shaken. He was the boy wonder and thus acted like it, not reacting to the horrors of daily life, but in the end-he was only thirteen. And the idea that he would be trapped within his body, doomed to watch the years fly by in a cage scared him. "You can't-"
Wally's voice died as the Batman stepped in front of him almost protectively. "I'll make you a deal." His voice is dark and low, to be expected of the Batman. "Me for him."
And a jolt of electricity stopped Robin's heart. He couldn't let this man who had done everything for him give up the only sanctuary he had-his mind and body. Something snapped in Robin, and he found himself fighting for the right to live caged in his own mind.
"No!" He exclaimed, stopping Nabu from speaking from his lips. Nabu paused, thankfully listening.
Right now I feel like a bird, caged without a key.
Only the tension of his soon to be lost future kept him from sighing in relief. There was hope.
Everyone comes to stare at me with so much joy and revelry. They don't know how I feel inside.
"Richard," The quiet warning from Kent makes his muscles tense as if he's in a fight. Robin is in a fight; a fight with the magician whom he can't allow to take his family.
Family.
Through my smile I cry.
"I'm of less use than Batman. I'm his sidekick. I'm nothing compared to him. I don't help as many people and I can't gain enough experience to outdo him. If I were to be replaced by Doctor Fate, then that would be best for the people." He didn't pause in his self-depreciating monologue, only staring down at the gasping group before him as they all stare in wonder at Batman. At his second dad. "I'm younger. My body has years and years ahead. Batman's would give out at least decade before mine. And I know that you sense my magical ability. It's small, but it's there and if you're ever desperate, then you can call on it for extra power. I'm sure that you can sense Batman's lack of it." He knew that he won his battle long before he finished his monologue.
He supposed that maybe this once, he had outdone Batman.
They don't know what they do to me, keeping me from flying. That's why I say that . . . .
"I do not accept your deal." Nabu's emotionless facade made the entire group below react painfully. Faintly, Robin flinched. He hoped to himself that his eyes still had the mask over them. He didn't want his teams (and Billy's) first impression's of his eyes to be cold and heartless. Eyes were the windows to the soul . . . .
"I will not let you have my son!" The harsh snarl made Robin's eyes wander to Bruce as Superman put a hand on his shoulder. He wished silently that he could say he was sorry or just to say that this was his choice, but Robin knew that Nabu wouldn't trust him to remove the helmet.
"The boy has agreed to host me." Nabu stated, voice horrible. "Therefore-"
"Rob, stop being so stupid!" Wally exclaimed, interrupting with no shame. "Stop putting yourself out there! And stop agreeing to these things so soon!" The exclamations, Robin knew, were more than just a pump up for himself. Wally was trying to get Dick angry.
Robin sighed. It wasn't going to work.
"And you! Nabu! What kind of hero do you think you are?" Wally angrily marched up past Batman and Superman. Against his will, he watched as Nabu slid to the ground to talk. "You claim that Earth needs you, but you just don't get it! We don't need a superhero that tries to possess people against their wills! You're not doing anyone any favors! You're stealing from us!"
Robin watched as Wally got in his face, too close to the helmet. Robin's heart dropped when he wondered faintly if Doctor Fate would see him as a threat. He hoped not.
"The world-"
"NO! Look around you!" Wally stepped aside for a moment so that the magic user inside his best friend's body could look back behind him.
Lined up first were his teammates. Artemis leaned lightly on Zatanna, obviously not recovered (the boy wonder himself didn't feel too great after being shot with lightning). Next to them stood Aqualad-Kaldur. The look in his eyes was positively ferocious. And next to him Megan stood with Conner, her eyes teary and his stance strong. Behind his team were the Leaguers. They all stood angrily, seemingly unhurt. Even Zatara had a look of anger marring his face.
"What you are looking at is a part of this world." Wally stated. "Almost my entire world." Admitted the boy, eyes blazing. "But it's not complete without Rob. It'll never be complete without my little brother."
Wally's eyes sparkled with tears and Robin felt pain just looking at him.
"I'll let you speak to him." Murmured Doctor Fate. Just like that, hope filled Wally. "He has something to say.
Then Nabu paused, as if listening. And he spoke. "I know why the caged bird sings."
I know why the caged bird sings.
"What?" Wally asked in confusion.
"Wally, everyone." His voice conveyed no emotion. Dick was thankful. Otherwise, they might have heard the slight wobble in his voice. "He's not letting me go. Therefore, I won't let you go. I'll be fine-"
"Rob, shut up!" Wally exploded. His trembling hands latched onto the chain connecting the cape, pulling him up threateningly close to his masked face. "No last words! Don't give up on me, because I'm not giving up on you! You better not give up on me! I swear, I will beat you up if you say anything like that again!"
I know why the caged bird sings.
Suddenly, something wet dripped on his gloves. Wally stopped himself from continuing his rant, staring as another drop of liquid dripped onto the gloved hand. Faintly, he realized that those were tears.
Wally had never seen Rob cry before. He'd heard him, but Robin had too much pride to ever let him comfort him during those moments when he could do little but cry. "Rob."
Within the helm, surrounded by the dark, Kent sighed quietly, watching as silent tears fell down the young bat's face. He sighed. "Nabu. Let the boy go. He needs his family."
There was a short silence in which Kent almost feared a refusal. However, Nabu's voice echoed around the dark helm quietly. "As you wish."
Wally couldn't help the smile and quiet intake of breath as Robin's hands slid up to remove the helmet. Tears fell from beneath the mask and Wally didn't hide the smile of joy on his face as he whipped away the tears. Robin's shaky legs gave out and he fell against his bro, who quickly caught him, a smile on his face.
"Welcome back, Dick." Wally whispered, slightly hysterical.
Robin smiled against the tears. "Go-Good to b-be back." He whispered before everyone else seemed to realize that he was back. They rushed forward.
Robin had his family.
I know why the caged bird sings.
. . .
FudoTwin17: Well that took a while. I'm ashamed to say that I took, like, seven breaks throughout this (one of them for four days). Anyways, leg and head hurt pretty badly right now (I skipped school for two days it was so bad) but I'm praying it gets better. And please be with me. This is now the third day I've been up without sleeping. I'm starting to freak. Please talk to me. Also, tell me what stories you want me to update. And please write something creative in your reviews. You don't have to, but it gets me thinking. :) And I have no idea what happened with this chappie. It was going to be more daddy!bats and baby!bird stuff, but somehow Wally showed up. I think it's because the last episode depressed me. *sigh* Anyways, I love you and your requests. I love you guys. You make me happy when skies are gray. But please read, review, and request. Bye.