A/N: Look whose back! In a week. Amazing.
Part I: Rebecca Robinson is left to face Gotham's worst Halloween ever. One ex-Robin and one dead-Robin are running loose in Gotham with their own goals and agendas. Rebecca's mind isn't the ideal one to begin with and with a history like she has... Will she be able to survive without loosing her sanity or her life? What will happen when Clown Prince of Crime wants his toys back and even Scarecrow can't stop him? Will Rebecca end up just being a toy to dead man's legacy?
Chapter 4 - Joke is rated M
Romance will be slow burn. (And I do mean slow.)
Contains detailed description of graphic violence, strong language and descriptions of mental illnesses and self-harming.
Broken Toys
Chapter 18 - Gift
"The security door below is unlocked. We can head deeper into the airship." Bruce says, as serious as ever. Dick looks at the door they just opened.
"Yeah. Wouldn't wanna keep the giant man-eating escaped convict waiting." Dick lists sarcastically. Bruce ignores him and leaves the room leaving Dick no other option than to follow him. They find their way through destroyed airship to a room that has left recording repeating itself on the television.
"We tracked the subject back to its den, located beneath the Founders Island Lighthouse. It suffered minor injuries during capture. Fortunately, wounds did not impede testing." Says the recording. Dick assumes it to be the warden's voice.
Bruce focuses on the recording that is now showing footage of Croc's testing. Dick watches too and regrets it immediately
"The creature's regenerative healing factor is quite remarkable, superficial lesions can repair almost instantaneously and the subject's hand is now fully regrown post amputation. Further surgeries have been scheduled to see whether tissue growth can be accelerated." Warden continues while camera zooms to show how Croc's arm is sawed.
"Human trials are underway, stabilizing the recombinant DNA is our next step. We have lots of work ahead of us. As an aside, the subject's physiology is altering, possibly as an adaptive response to trauma. Sedatives are becoming less effective. Termination, although undesirable, must be considered." The video is like mad doctor's wet dream.
"The warden was experimenting on Croc and the other prisoners, trying to weaponized his condition." Bruce says after the video ends.
"Looks like Croc wants payback. Can't say I blame him." Dick points out. He feels disgusted. He walks to the only working computer and starts hacking. "Man, the things they were doing here. To prisoners. To Croc. Bastards." Dozens of mixed test subjects and results pop up showing on airship's full glory of fucked up scientists.
Bruce moves to the floor grate leaving Dick to head to the one on the wall.
"They must be directly ahead. I'll take the floor grate." Bruce announces as he lifts the grate.
"See you on the other side." Dick says while he lifts a fallen locker out of his way. Just as old times Dick waits for Bruce to make the first move ready to follow his old mentor. The room that they enter is full of angry inmates, warden tied to Croc's old chair and Killer Croc himself in all of his glory.
To say that Croc doesn't look good is even under normal circumstances understatement of the year but now he is even worse. He had grown to be huge, his sickness worse than ever.
Bruce jumped up from the floor grate trying to take Croc smoothly down but he is too strong. Instead he waves Bruce aside giving Dick his sign to move.
"I know your scent, Bat!" Croc growls.
Dick blows the grate away. "It's that aftershave."
Working with Bruce again feels nice. Like much used old shoes that just slip smoothly back on. He and Dick work well together taking easily down most of the inmates and together beating Croc. Dick gives couple snarky remarks like he usually does keeping the mood light. Despite everything that has happened between Bruce, Gotham and him he enjoys the job.
Finally Bruce gives the final blow, knocking Croc out.
"No way I'm helping you carry him outta here. I'm just saying." Dick says looking at Croc's unconscious body.
Dick lets Bruce handle the warden. He is dramatic as always but Dick has no pity to the warden.
"Seriously, how are we getting Croc outta here?" Dick asks again.
Bruce's only answer is to call Batwing. He leaves without a second glance bringing to Dick's mind their earlier conversation. Dick has a bad feeling about it but decides to not to press the issue. He hopes they will later have time to talk it out.
I was walking home from work. Paul's diner wasn't far from my small home but I liked to take my time. Crime had went down making Gotham a safer place. Well, it still wasn't exactly safe but safer than before. I could enjoy my walk to home without a need to worry about getting robbed, raped or killed.
I let my thoughts wander. It has been a long time since I felt this peaceful. I was taking my medication, I was sleeping, nightmares still plagued me but even they were getting better. Dick lived in Blüdhaven but we kept in touch talking via skype or texts. I still didn't feel like hanging out with people. Working in the diner gave me all the human contacts I needed and more. Even my weekly sessions with Dr. Cassidy went well. We didn't even need to meet every week anymore. Slowly we had moved to meet once or twice a month.
So to say it shortly, I was doing better than anyone had ever imagined. Sometimes I thought about contacting my parents but so far I had decided against it.
I kicked a bottle away from my way. To my surprise it rolled and the gently bumped against a big man standing in front of me. We were on a busy street, people passing by but this man ignored them and stood looking at me up and down.
"Rebecca Robinson?" The man asked.
I thought about running away but so far the situation didn't feel threatening. Odd, yes but dangerous, no.
"Yes?" My voice cracked so I tried again. "I am." My mind went to the taser that was hidden in my bra. A gift from Dick.
Without another word the man gave me a brown box. Then he disappeared to the busy street leaving me alone with the box. It wasn't as heavy as I expected it to be. I shook it carefully trying to decide whether or not to get rid of it but curiosity got the best of me. So I took it home.
I placed the box in middle of my messy apartment. Millions thoughts ran through my mind. It could be dangerous, I didn't know what was inside. But why go to this lengths to kill me?
Knowing how stupid it was I finally opened the brown box.
My body reacted faster than my mind. I found myself pressed against the wall as far away from the box as I could. I was hyperventilating.
Inside the brown box was another, smaller box. This one was purple, the exact same color as my hair, with a green bow and red polka-dot pattern. There was no mistaking who was the person behind the gift.
I had to collect myself for a while. Force to my breathing back to normal. I held my eyes in my shaking hands counting numbers. Breath by breath, number by number I managed to control myself enough to look at the colorful box that was still resting on the floor.
No poison gas had been released. Nothing. Of course I should had expected that. I knew he hadn't planned to kill me. I was his plan B after all.
Carefully I crept closer. I felt panic rising but managed to somehow stay calm. Or as calm as I could. There was a neat card on top of the box. I took it and opened it.
"Becky! Darling, puppet, my dear ol' plan B!" His voice cackles. Only that was enough to send me into full panic. I screamed and felt tears rolling to my cheeks. I collapsed to the floor ad curled up trying to cover my ears, my eyes, anything.
"I know it's been awhile and if you are listening to this it means that I am… ah, taking a break so to say."
I tried to tell myself it wasn't really him. That he was dead and couldn't hurt me anymore. But deep down I knew that wasn't true. He will always hurt me.
"But we know how the audience loves encores don't we, Becky. You are my little encore, toy. Don't let me down. And don't dare to throw this away or tell anyone. Just keep this as a secret. A goodbye gift so to say. Your dear uncle J looking after you, kiddo. Remember, Becky, I will always be here for you."
Jason hates waiting. It leaves him time to think, a hobby that Jason doesn't enjoy. He's plan is ready, well maybe not exactly a plan but never the less Jason knows what he is going to do. Bruce will show his ugly face soon enough. Headquarters is full of Jason's militia but that will only slow Bruce down. He will push through anything to get to Jim Gordon, Jason has no doubt.
Sitting here alone, when the dawn is near reminds Jason of other similar nights patrolling the city. His times as the boy wonder were… not without a downside. Bruce always loved to remind him to control his anger. He is the one to talk. Normal people don't deal with their trauma by dressing up as a bat and beating up criminals.
Finally Jason hears now familiar sound of the Batmobile. Jason takes his que to reveal his own personal destroyer.
"I did ask if it came in black, but then I thought, you'd just get all jealous." He chuckles darkly while excavator's motors sound like a thunderstorm. When the red target light hit the Batmobile, Jason continued. "You didn't think I was gone, did you? No, you knew better."
"You get knocked down, you pick yourself up again." Jason remembers Bruce saying those words to him again and again. "See, I learned that from an old friend."
Finally Jason has Bruce trapped. There is no way out of the tunnels for Batmobile. Its shields aren't strong enough to protect from Jason's excavator and its weaponry is useless. Jason finally has the chance to crush Bruce like a bug.
Still, Bruce tries. Good, it makes it more satisfying that way. He can try but there is nowhere to hide. Batmobile is just a little bit faster than excavator but it doesn't matter. Jason will finally has his revenge.
Jason has been so wrapped up to his hate that he notices too late where Bruce drives through. Batmobile is smaller so it can easily go through the part of the tunnel that is covered with explosives. Excavator is too big for that.
The tunnel crashes on top of Jason slowing him down. The explosives took one fourth of Jason's shields down but Jason barely even notices that.
"You can't stop me! You're going to die down here, forgotten. In the dirt." Just like me.
Jason finally manages to get to the main tunnel system which is like a miniature maze. Bruce has to be hiding in here somewhere. There is no way out.
"Face me!" Jason yells. "Come out! Now!"
Something shoots the excavator. It does no effect but Jason is able to spot Bruce. "You're just giving yourself away."
The old man must have a death wish. "Found you!"
Jason follows Bruce. Only one hit is able to destroy the Batmobile. Just one hit. "Fight me!"
Bruce drives, trying to escape, his vehicle is more agile and he tries to use this to his advantage but Jason closes the distance. "You can't escape!"
Bruce drives through another tunnel covered with explosives saving his ass. Jason's shields are now down to only fifty percent but Jason doesn't care.
"Stop this, Knight. Everything is in hand." Crane's voice tries to calm down the situation.
"We're done, Crane. I owe him!" It was time for this partnership to end.
"We had a plan. He is going to suffer." Crane's venomous voice says.
"He is going to DIE." Jason puts weight to the last word. He is done with all of these cat and mouse games. He is going to end Bruce now.
Somewhere deep down in his mind Jason realizes that he is getting sloppy. That his anger has blinded him. Too bad he doesn't listen to that part of his mind.
Jason's shields are down to only one fourth but Jason can only see red. "Scarecrow's right. The world should see you for the worthless thing you are." Leaving your partner, you son, behind and replacing him without even looking for him. "But I already know. And I'm not waiting anymore."
Bruce manages to take all of excavator's shields down but at last Jason has him cornered. He comes from the ground trapping Bruce to a corner.
"No way out." Jason says. "I did it. Cornered you. Done what no-one else could. All these years, all your enemies. But none of them understands you like I do." It was time to show the greatest detective some of Jason's cards. "You think Crane found Oracle on his own? I'm the one who told him about Barbara. Me! I told you I knew everything about you, didn't I?" Jason smiles. "But don't worry, Bruce. I kept some secrets to myself."
Jason sees how Bruce uses his grappling hook to get out of the Batmobile on the last second. Excavator crushes the now empty car. Jason is angry but the battle is not over yet. The tunnel where Bruce escaped to leads to Gordon and to Jason's top militia men. Final part of his trap is set and Bruce took the bait just like Jason knew he would.
The blood loss is getting to me. I feel dizzy, about to pass out. I need to somehow sew remaining of my cheeks. Now my only way is to try keep them closed with my hands but it isn't helping. Most of the weaponry that I took from Raven has fallen down somewhere and I've been too weak to pick it up. I need to find pharmacy or hospital or something to stay alive.
My vision gets blurrier and blurrier. I need to sit down. No, if I do that I can't get back up and I will die certainly.
Will that be so bad though? After everything I've been through maybe death could serve me like sleep, without nightmares.
Will I go to hell? I've done fair share of bad things, broke ten commands. I can't even remember them. My mom would kill me.
Suddenly my eyes fill with tears. I haven't spoken to my parents at all since the episode after my transformation. I will die in a gutter and they don't even know how badly I want to apologize my actions, what I've done to them.
It makes me realize how alone I truly am. I haven't talk to anyone in months, I've been avoiding Dick, even my monthly sessions with Dr. Cassidy have been avoiding. I've closed myself off, numbed to the world around me, too much inside my own head to see anything, anyone.
At least the lights are pretty, I think while leaning against a wall. I don't know when I sat down. I don't even know where I am. I hope my parents will forgive me. I hope Dick will understand how great friend he has been. I hope Nightwing knows how grateful I am for everything that he has done for me.
Wait… my mind is blurry and slow but somehow that connects something. The communicator that Batman gave me is still on my wrist. The screen is covered in blood just like the rest of me but I wipe it away. I open the device and see a blue screen in front of me. My mind goes blank. I don't know what to do next. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Desperately I press my hand to the hologram screen but it just goes right through it. I feel so tired. Maybe if I just close my eyes for a moment.
Darkness takes me.
A/N: Okay new game plan for me (which I'm going to tell you just because): Part One will be over after chapter 22. I have short plan for all of the chapters and written some of them out. I will update once a week during weekends (who hasn't heard that before?). After part one is finished I will take (hopefully short) break. During that time I will finish rewriting this story, finish my plan for part two and write couple chapters ready before starting to upload new chapters. Because all of you have been so nice to me and continuing to read this story I will give you future chapter names now (these might change):
Chapter 19 - Breaking
Chapter 20 - Choice
Chapter 21 - Help
Chapter 22 - Tomorrow
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed, if you have time please leave a review.
Martha: Awwww, thank you so much. You have earned my eternal love. Your review literally made my day, you have no idea.