(A.N: Here you are, after all this time! Please accept my sincerest apologies for the wait! But be happy people. The next chapter will come much quicker, because I am finally getting CONSTANT INTERNET ON FRIDAY! WHOO HOO! I'm so happy, I can't wait! Anyways, enjoy!)
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By the time Scarecrow came back into the room where she was strapped, Wren was little more than one of his patients. Her voice was gone from her hours of screaming and yelling, and only hoarse whimpers escaped her throat occasionally. She had curled in on herself as much as she could with the restraints on her arms and legs, and her head thrashed weakly from side to side on her sweaty mess of hair. Her eyes were wide open and unseeing, staring with a look of abject terror at a point in the middle distance.
Scarecrow stood by her bedside and clasped his hands behind his back, gazing down at her and nodding to himself. Excellent, simply excellent. His fear toxin never failed him. Young or old, strong or weak, super or not, no one was immune to the creeping beauty of fear. They all succumbed, eventually. And here was were he felt most in control, watching her worst horrors play out behind her eyes and knowing that he was the cause of them. Now, finally, he would get what he wanted.
Ask of those other villains thought he was a joke, with his gas and his disliking to fight physical battles. They had such meager, one time, insignificant plans. Black Manta wanted the Kryptonite to attack Atlantis. Lex Luthor dreamed of an anti Superman arsenal. Ivy wanted to destroy every major chemical cooperation and deforestation committee on earth. And the Joker just wanted to blow some stuff up.
But Crane? He had bigger plans. Much bigger. The Anti Kryptonite had limitless possibilities, especially alchemical possibilities. Characteristics that would make his fear toxin even more deadly than before, this time killing its victims before any filter or antidote could save them, with an increased hallucinogenic factor to boot. He would poison only the most important, influential people- The Governor. The Mayor. The President himself. And then, Dr Crane would be at the top of the ladder, at the helm of a country, and eventually a world, controlled by fear. It would be beautiful.
Scarecrow stooped and gently lifted Wren's trembling hand in his own, stroking her fingers in a mockery of a caring gesture. "Now, my dear. Are you going to tell me what I need to know?"
"S-s-scare...s-ssscare..."
"I know you're scared. Talk to me about it."
"Sc-sc-haaare...c-c-row..." Her voice, barely a whisper, suddenly escalated sixteen octaves, until she was howling at the top of her lungs again. "MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"
"The Kryptonite?"
"ROBIN! MASTER! MAMI! T-TATI! M-MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!" She writhed and jerked against his hand, slamming her head so hard down into the cot that trickles of blood oozed out of her nose and veins broke in her eyes, turning the whites pink. Wren choked like she was drowning, struggling to breathe through the sour fear clogging her lungs. Scarecrow leaned over her face. "I can make it stop," he muttered. "Just tell me. Just tell me." Her screams stopped, replaced by broken sobbing. "Make it stop...just make it stooop..." Tears covered her face in a shinning veil, and half audible words spilled from her lips. Scarecrow leaned down even further to catch them.
"L-l-leauge...b-b-brother...m-m-ountain...Sla-Slade...p-pads. D-d-data p-p-ads. D-d-dee...n-n-nnnn...A-hay-ay. B-b-backpack. Backpack. En-en-encrypt. Ted. Encrypted. M-mountain. C-crypt. Kryptonite. KRYPTONITE! FUCKING KRYPTONITE!"
Crane stood up, smiling in gentle satisfaction behind his mask. "Thank you for your cooperation, Wren." he sighed. He patted her hand and watched as she was seized by another agonizing panic attack until she suddenly went still and quiet, breathing rapidly so that her thin chest rose and fell like her namesake as her muscles literally locked and froze. The toxin had reached the deep brain tissue, forcing her body to plunge her info unconsciousness to try to slow down the poison's process. The mind and body could only take so much, and he'd given her a strong dose. She didn't have long left before she died, locked in her own head with her worst fears. Three hours at the most, maybe less.
Scarecrow turned and left the room slowly. He wouldn't have given her the antidote even if he had it, which he didn't. He didn't make antidotes. And besides, he couldn't waste time saving the life of one measly apprentice who was most likely going to Hell anyways. He had a phone call to make to a very important lady, and some information to rub in a certain Clown's face.
«»
"Here is what we know so far." Batman droned, passing his shadowed gaze over each and every super hero and sidekick in the conference room of Mount Justice. The faces there were solemn and set, with varying degrees of betrayal, indignation, and anger. Artemis had a bandage wrapped tightly around her thin neck, the front lightly stained with blood. Everyone's eyes were trained on the Dark Knight, but their attention was focused on the slim teenager standing far away from the others in the shadowed corner. Robin ignored them all. He had eyes only for Batman. His face was unreadable, and they had given him his mask back, once more shielding his emotions from the world. He was dressed in a simple black shirt and pants with no markings, making him look small and pale.
"The last thing we heard, the Girl Terror was in the Joker's possession. That might have changed, but we don't have time to go traipsing all over the city." Batman told them. "Robin has agreed to help us in our investigation in exchange for Wren's rescue. We split into three teams, headed by me, Superman, and Green Arrow. The Teen Titans will be assisting us once more." He stood up and pointed at each of them in turn. "Beast Boy, Aqualad, Artemis and Hawk Girl- you're with Green Arrow. You'll handle the Riddler and Poison Ivy sighting. Raven, Cyborg, Speedy, and Wonder Girl will be with Superman, chasing down the Scarecrow lead. And Superboy, Meghan, Kid Flash, Batgirl and Robin will be with me. We'll be taking care of the Joker."
When he said that name, Robin's lip unconsciously curled into a small sneer. He used to have a little bit of respect for the Joker and his chaos, but if that nutjob had hurt his sister...all bets were off.
"Move out, people." With that short speech, Batman stood and left the room. Superman stood and towered over Robin, motioning for him to stand and follow. Robin obeyed, walking in front of him. After a while, the others did the same, mumbling darkly amongst themselves. They went to the training room to suit up and get ready, always keeping one eye on their newest "ally".
Superman stopped Robin and pulled him away as they filed out, pinning him with a piercing blue gaze. "Now look, son. Let's keep this as simple as we can. We don't really trust you. In fact, we're expecting you to try to stab us in the back as soon as you get the chance, just like you did to Starfire." Robin said nothing, and his face gave nothing away. Superman sighed and continued. "You'll be outfitted with a tracking bracelet, and we'll have our eyes on you. Try to keep yourself under control. No killing, no maiming. Stunning strikes only. If you can't stick to the rules, you'll be pulled out and right back in that cell. Understand?"
Robin smiled slightly. "You think I'm not used to having eyes on me?" he asked. Superman scowled and reluctantly handed over a small, gleaming object. "Here." Robin twirled it in his hand, then suddenly flicked his wrist sharply. His bo staff extended with a soft snikt. He raised an eyebrow. "What, that's it? No gun? No knife? Nothing?"
With one last disapproving frown, Superman turned away, leaving Robin alone in the empty training room. The boy smirked, shook his head, retracted the staff, and twisted- coming face to face with Kon El. He fell still and silent, facing down the Super clone without a hint of fear. Kon El said nothing, just stared Robin down with waves of hatred rolling off of his body and a stiff grimace set on his face.
The warning and the message was clear- I hate you. You hate me. Stay away from my team, or I'll break you in half, no matter what Batman says. Robin tilted his head ever so slightly, returning the burning glare with one of his own. I'm not doing this for you. I'm here for my sister. Stay out of my way. Slowly, they moved away from each other, tight with mistrust and months of built up anger. This was not over, and they both knew it.
«»
Batman cornered Robin by the Batmobile and grabbed his wrist, attaching a slim, high tech band to it before he could protest. "Don't take that off." he rumbled darkly. Robin twisted out of his grip. "Why didn't you just put a satellite in my head?" he mumbled sourly.
"Don't tempt me. That's still an option I'm considering." Batman retorted. He strode over to the Batmobile and opened the doors, letting the other sidekicks pile in. "Get in." Robin cocked an eyebrow. "Where?" he asked. Conner, Meghan, and Kid Flash were side by side in the back, and Batgirl was in the passenger seat. Batman's face darkened momentarily as he considered the problem. He was driving, of course, but now he had to squeeze four sidekicks plus Robin and himself into the car.
"Sit next to Miss Martian." he said. Megan's green complexion paled, and she swiftly shook her head, leaning away from Robin as though he was a rattlesnake, coiled to strike. Conner wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders. Batman exhaled loudly, getting irritated. "Fine. Kid Flash, move over." Wally looked pained and uneasy, blushing under his mop of red hair. "Um, there's uh, not really enough, uhm..." A pink tinge appeared on Robin's cheeks for a small second, and Batman swelled with controlled anger.
"This is ridiculous," he growled. "Superboy. Move." Conner's face went stony, and he refused. "There's no room."
"Then he's sitting on someone's lap."
"WHAT?!"
"Please, Batman, I'll just fly with Conner-"
"I can run. Seriously. I can go right now."
Robin coughed and edged away, having spotted a dusty motorcycle in the corner of the wide garage. It looked like no-one had used it for a while, but it was better than dealing with this while Wren went through who knew what. Also, he'd literally rather die first before sitting on Superboy's lap. He'd ride on the roof if he had to. "You know what, I'm just gonna-"
Before his fingers could brush the dusty handlebars, Batman's voice rang out cold, clear, and sharp as an X-Acto blade. "Do. Not. Touch. That. Motorcycle." Robin froze and slowly withdrew his hand, aware that EVERYONE was now staring at him. He peered closer at the cycle, and felt his stomach give a hard clench as he noticed the faded insignia on the front panel- a red, stylized R surrounded by a green circle.
Robin's face colored deeper, and he reluctantly moved back to the Batmobile. There was a moment of tense silence. When Batman spoke, his voice was tight and whiplike. "Get in the car or I swear you will walk there yourself. That goes for all of you." Meghan noiselessly shifted up and over, lowering herself delicately into Conner's lap. Kid Flash moved over to let Batgirl climb in next to him, leaving the front seat open for Robin.
Robin swallowed and slid into the seat, staring at his knee as Batman flowed into the driver's seat and started the Batmobile without a word.
After a while of driving in complete and utter silence, the sidekicks in the back began muttering quietly to themselves. Robin ignored it, flexing his hands unconsciously and thinking about his sister.
«»
The Westchester Apartment complex was an abandoned, run down clump of rotting buildings in one of the worst areas in Gotham city. They stood like crumbling ruins against the skyline, silent and menacing. Strange, echoing noises came from within the gloomy beams and twisted bricks. Few apartments still stood, and faint lights could be seen in the broken windows.
The Batmobile pulled to a slow stop in the shadows of the buildings, blending seamelessly into the darkness. "They might be expecting us, so keep on your guard and stick to stealth. If we engage, the Joker might hurt the girl." Batman warned them. Without a word, they all exited the car and moved to the farthest reach of the complex.
«»
"Yes...what is it?"
"Hello? Is this the Tin Man? May I speak to Dorothy? It's her Auntie Em."
"What do you want, Joker?"
"The Calvary just pulled up in my driveway. What now?"
"Now you stall them. The girl is secure, and I have what I need. If they reclaim her, she will recover and warn them. They must be too late to help her. Keep them from leaving. Use any means necessary."
"Right-O, Doctor Bag Brain."
«»
Robin was practically humming with tense energy and anticipation, making his movements jerky and fast. He stayed a few steps ahead of everyone else, barely breathing in his intense focus. He barely even registered Superboy's hard, searching gaze on his back, tuned completely in to the looming building above him.
Low, mumbling voices made them stop. Around the corner, across the weedy, over grown courtyard, scores of Clown thugs milled about, hefting Uzis and sawed off shotguns. Acid bottles and switchblades hung from their waists. Robin's eyes lit up with a strange light, and a strange whistle started up in his head, drowning out all other sound as Batman whispered instructions to them.
He finally had targets for all of his anger, his helplessness. Finally. Finally, he could do what he was trained to do.
"Kid Flash, you- No. No! Get back here!"
Robin was already moving, disregarding everything but the people in front of him. He dashed out into the open, slipping out from under Batman's rough grab, headed straight for the thugs. One of them spotted him and started to shout out a warning, swinging the gun around, but Robin whipped the staff like an extension of his arm and plunged it directly into the man's chest, driving him to the ground.
The others darted after him, forced to abandon their stealthy approach. Superboy tackled a row of them, and they fell like bowling pins. Miss Martian sent a crushingly powerful psionic wave at another group, bringing them crashing to the ground, holding their skulls and screaming. Kid Flash was little more than a red streak, delivering super fast punches and kicks almost invisibly and fighting multiple enemies at once.
Batman descended like a black thundercloud. Batarangs flew, always just managing to miss the heroes, deflect bullets, and strike their targets, and the caped crusader took on five enemies at once. Batgirl fought side by side with Miss Martian. The alien girls density increased tenfold, making her blows heavier than sledgehammers. Batgirl constantly dipped into her utility belt, removing gadget after gadget to confuse and irritate her opponents.
Kid Flash wound a cage of air around the clowns, trapping them like trout in a net and attacking them from all sides. The few that tried to escape were quickly frozen to the ground by Superboy's freeze breath or lassoed by Batgirl's ropes.
Robin fought alone. He attacked with deadly, disturbing precision, but his emotions tainted his moments with rage and unnecessary violence. He threw himself at them with no regard to his own safety, splitting his knuckles on their teeth, going into full berzerker mode.
The man he'd knocked down was still down, pinned painfully on his bo staff by Robin's weight. Robin swung himself around on the staff like a pole vaulter, smashing both feet into another thugs face. As he came down from the kick, he yanked the staff out of the first man's stomach and whipped it around his head, catching another in the temple.
Two more fell on him, and one grabbed the back of his neck, trying to keep him still and stab him, but he bent down and thrust his elbow into one's solar plexus, then back up again into the others throat in two fluid strikes. One thug fell away gagging. Robin forced his body upwards and twisted in his grip, wrapping his legs around the man's neck and bringing him down to the floor headfirst. Another clown decided to shoot at him, and Robin quickly rolled so that the other man's back was facing the spray of bullets. Two rounds burst into his back, killing him, and Robin stood, spattered with gore, tossing the dead man towards the shooter.
As the clown tried to avoid the bleeding flesh bomb, Robin leaped at him next, kicking the gun from his hand. The clown, a large brute who was faster than he looked, went hand to hand with him. The rock like fists bounced off of Robin's arms and chest with loud, painful impacts, leaving large, throbbing bruises on his skin. One of them split his lip again, and thick droplets of blood stained his chin and collected in the hollow of his throat. The clown caught him on the chin before Robin struck with lighting speed at his collarbone, snapping it.
The clown fell, and another one came at him with a serrated switch blade aimed at his ribs. He swung and managed to tear a long rip in Robin's shirt, and the tip of the blade yanked his skin apart like a sewing seam. Robin turned, grabbed his wrist, and twisted roughly, forcing him to drop the knife. He bent and picked it up, then swooped and plunged it deep into its owners leg. The clown screamed and spat curses as he fumbled for the knife, blood spurting from the sliced artery, and Robin punched him directly over the ear, dropping him.
Suddenly, everything was quiet. All of the clowns were unconscious, except for the dead one lying in a rapidly spreading pool of scarlet. The sidekicks regrouped briefly in the center of the body littered courtyard, nursing the few small wounds they'd gotten. Batman was coldly furious, his eyes immediately finding Robin next to the clown corpse. "What happened," he snarled as he stormed over, "to stealth?" Robin met his glare unflinchingly, wiping his bloody hands on his black pants. "My sister doesn't have time for stealth. Joker could be killing her right now!"
"And the dead one?! We told you, we don't kill here."
Robin threw up his hands. "You should. He was trying to kill me- it's not my fault his stupid friend can't aim!" The wound on his side burned with every inhale, and his earlier injures were aggravated again. The right side of his shirt was wet and clung stickily to him, and he clenched his fists to avoid grabbing it. Miss Martian winced in sympathy and tentatively held out a hand. "Here, I can-"
"Don't touch me." Robin barked, jerking away from her fingers. "I'm fine." He didn't want her to help him. He didn't deserve her help, or the way she was looking at him with pity and worry in her eyes. She hated him- didn't she know that? Meghan blinked and slowly withdrew. Superboy shot a comforting glance at her, and a smoldering glare at Robin, which was returned in kind.
Batman turned away from him with a disgusted snort, beckoning the other sidekicks. "Come on. Let's go."
Robin followed right behind, troubled and confused. Everything was backwards, made worse by the adrenaline still thundering in his ears and rushing through his veins. Something about Batman's disapproval rattled him. Usually, he was praised for acts brutal murder, not scoffed at for it. It wasn't like he cared what Batman thought, but...
A needle of guilt about the death picked him for about half a second, before his thoughts refocused on Wren and the mission at hand. 'I DON'T care what he thinks. He's weak. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters except Wren.'
«»
When the super group finally fought the remaining thugs and burst into the lobby of the apartments, Harley Quinn and Joker were waiting for them. The head Clown was high above them on the rotting balcony, looking as crazily happy as he usually did, beaming down at them with his mangled white painted face. Harley hung on his arm. Her face lit up when she caught sight of Robin, and she squealed loudly. "Ooh-ooh! Mista J! Lookie, it's the other bird twin! You were right!"
"See Harls, I told ya he'd show up." Joker said. "And look, he brought the super freaks with him!" He raised a hand and waved at them. "Howdy, Batsy! I guess you were on babysitting duty tonight, huh?"
"Where's the girl, Joker?" Batman growled, ignoring the banter. The Joker only smiled. Of course. "Why, my pointy eared prince of delusion, she's safe and sound. A little tied up right now, so she's not taking visitors. I'll tell her you dropped by."
Robin was seeing red. His teeth were clenched so tightly together his head was hurting. He shoved past Batgirl and moved to the front of the line, trembling with rage. "What did you do to my sister, you freak?!" The Joker only smiled. Of course. "Only what I wanted to do. Tell me, Slade Junior, what's Daddy Deathstroke gonna say when he finds out you've gone turncoat?" He shook his head mockingly. "Boy Terror, working with the man. Never thought I'd see the day. Papa Slade's gonna have a coronary."
A shocked tingle rippled through the other sidekicks. "He's...he's your father?" Batgirl hissed. Robin inhaled sharply, but otherwise ignored her. Joker abruptly pushed Harley away and over the balcony. She turned a handspring off the railing and landed lightly on the floor, cartwheeling towards them. Before Robin could move back, she grabbed him in a hug and held a long knife under his chin, squeezing their faces close together. "Mista J, can I play with this one? Pretty please?" Robin raised his hand to punch her, but she darted away, giggling. More Joker thugs poured from the surrounding staircases and lunged for them, and the fighting began anew.
«»«»«»
"COVER YOUR FACES!" Superman boomed to the sidekicks with him as they burst into the first of the dockside warehouses. The Scarecrow goons inside launched smoke grenades filled with fear gas into their midst. The pods exploded into thick white clouds seconds after the heroes pulled filtration masks over their faces and activated them. The haze obscured their vision as they struggled to fight and breathe through it. Cyborg and Speedy fired blindly, while Raven used her powers to clear the smoke...
«»«»«»
Artemis fought to free her throat and arms from the twisting vines that suddenly broke through the floor and wound around her body. Next to her, Hawk Girl was in the same position, flapping her wings and flailing her mace to get free. Artemis's bow had been torn from her fingers, and Aqualad was drowning under the weight of the plants on top of him...
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Every time Robin tried to reach the Joker, another wave of thugs pushed him back. He fought like a wild animal, leaving a pile of groaning, barely alive enemies after him, just barely keeping himself from murdering everything in sight. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, hard and hot, but all he could see as blood and teeth sprayed around him was Wren's face. A man's spine snapped in his fist...
«»«»«»
The fighting was intense...Speedy had lost his mask. Someone had knocked it away from his face, and now he was on the ground, convulsing while he tried not to breathe any more. They were close, so close... they'd searched four warehouses already, and this was the last one, with more enemies than the first three combined.
"I FOUND HER!" The girl! They'd found the girl, but chaos reigned. No one could see anything. Superman picked up the spasming Speedy, looking around for the shouter. And suddenly, the smoke turned red. The ceiling flashed with a rhythmic light, hypnotic, silent, and deadly. Their hearts dropped into their stomachs as they realized what it meant...
"GET OUT, NOW!"
«»«»«»
The way was clear...his view of the Joker was unobstructed. Robin drop kicked the enemy he was grappling with in the throat, then sped up the long winding staircase. Batman roared after him and tried to follow, but a knife to the ribs stopped him. The Joker howled in gleeful laughter as he approached and loosed three cards. The razor edges caught Robin on the shoulder, in the arm, and on the leg, but he ignored the frigid pain and launched himself at the Joker in a flurry of white fists and black hair.
«»«»«»
Dr Crane watched calmly from the ferry as the first of the warehouses exploded in a fiery wave of orange and red, sending flaming debris flying everywhere. The other charges quickly followed suit, blowing the rest of the structures to kingdom come. Without his mask, the explosions reflected off of his colorless eyes, and he inhaled in slow satisfaction. Now, onto part two...
«»«»«»
"WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS SHE?!"
The Joker chuckled wheezily as Robin pushed him up the wall and held his bo staff to his throat, choking him mercilessly. The boy was gushing blood from the severed artery in his leg and spattered with the gore of others. He was crying unknowingly, and the tears made clean tracks on his dirty face.
"She's...hanging...around...you're...too late..."
His blood shot eyes rolled upwards in his skull, to the dark shape hanging directly above them in the shadows of the ceiling, unmoving and deadly silent.
«»«»«»
Robin's scream of rage and anguish made Superboy's hair stand on end and a cold sensation grip his spine. He looked up, and he saw the Boy Terror with his staff poised over the Joker's face, ready to plunge the blunt end through his skull. Superboy reacted without thought-he utilized every iota of his speed and ran to the top of the staircase. He wrapped his arms around Robin and hauled him away before the final blow could be struck.
"NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Robin seemed to have temporarily lost his mind, sobbing and screaming. Connor snarled and tightened his hold. "You will not kill another person," He said. "Not on my watch. Not EVER again." He would never again stand by and let Robin kill another person while he could prevent it, even if it was the devil himself. He owed it to Erin.
"HE KILLED HER! HE'S A DEAD MAN! LET ME GO!" Only then did Conner look up and see the dark shape swinging from a cord, and his bile rose in his gut. "Oh no..."
«»
Robin was still yelling incoherently, fighting with all his strength to get free. The world was crashing down around his head, and all he saw was the Joker. The Joker had to die. Nothing else mattered but his death. Wren was gone. His soul had been cleaved in two. The other half of him had been destroyed, ripped away from him, but this time for real. His tidal waves of anger and grief fed each other like wood to a fire. The only thing he loved in this world...he'd been too late. Too late to save her.
But not too late to avenge her. The Joker's madcap laughter rung in his ears.
«»
Batman was the next one to appear. He swiftly flung a batarang at the shape and severed the rope. Something heavy fell to the ground- a body. Grimly, slowly, he turned it over in his hands, his heart going still with dread...
It wasn't the girl. It was another woman, a clown henchmen, dressed in a fake version of Wren's uniform and wearing a long black wig. She'd been hung. But it wasn't Wren. An audible, loud sigh of relief left the Dark Knights lungs as he stood and turned towards Superboy, who was losing his hold on Robin. "It's not her. Do you hear me? It's NOT her!" Robin froze, staring at him and the body at his feet. Batman grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eye. "Your sister is still alive! It's not her body!" Robin finally fell quiet, shaking with confusion. It wasn't Wren...it wasn't Wren. He repeated it in his head like a mantra, slowly calming down. His vision cleared and his lungs opened again.
Batman turned on the Joker then, who was still giggling. "Funny...so funny...I crack myself...up...did you see...his face?" Batman grabbed him by the collar and held him up. "Where is she, Joker?"
"Crane...*cough cough*...hehehe...C-Crane took her...heheehe..."
Batman cocked his fist and punched him right in the center of his forehead, knocking him out. Robin, shaken but calm once more, jerked against Superboy's embrace. "Let me go, Test tube." he growled. Superboy flushed and dropped him roughly on the ground, shuddering. Robin straightened himself and glared at the Joker and his decoy. "I ought to kill him."
"The police will take care of it."
Batgirl and Miss Martian stepped away from the prone form of the unconscious Harley Quinn. Kid Flash joined them as they ascended the stairs. "That's horrible." Miss Martian whimpered as she saw the body. Kid Flash shook his head and wiped his face. Robin opened his mouth to say something, but then the world suddenly spun and twisted around him, and he fell to one knee.
"Robin?!"
He blinked, trying to make the room stay still. He felt lightheaded and sick. His face was pale, paler than it had ever been. A burning feeling in his leg made him look down sluggishly. A pool of blood had accumulated around his foot, still pouring freely from the gash in his thigh. The joker card had cut him deep, and his leg was coated with blood. "H-he cut me," he muttered. But the words were slow and unfocused. He felt cold.
"You've lost a lot of blood." Batman said. "We need to get that bandaged or you'll bleed out."
"No...no. Have to...find...Wren. Keep going."
"That wound will-"
"*Batman! Batman, please re-*..." The communicator at Batman's hip hissed and spat, and words sounded through the noise. Batman spoke into it. "Superman? I'm here. What's the situation?"
"*Wren was with Scarecrow. He tried to blow the docks, but we got out. Speedy got hit with the fear gas. We have the girl Batman, but she's...it doesn't look good.*"
"Any word from Arrow?"
"*He's headed back to the mountain now with Speedy. We're on our way to your location.*"
Even as he said that, there was a commotion outside. Batman and the others, including Robin, staggered out in time to see Cyborg running up, and Wonder girl and Raven flying across the courtyard. They looked awful, covered in soot, debris, and sea water. They smelled like smoke, and their uniforms were ripped. They came to a stop as Superman flew in. In his arms, he carried a small, doll like body. "The fear gas and her injuries...she doesn't have much longer. We need to-"
Robin pushed everyone out of the way even as they started talking and giving orders. He yanked Wren out of Superman's arms and fell to his knees, pushing her hair out of her swollen face. His fingers left red streaks on her skin like fingerpaint.
She was unconscious, and hurt, and fading...but it was her. She was alive, and in his arms, and safe. Finally safe.
Robin smiled, then the world slid away, and he passed out.