Author's note: Thank you to Adam West for the title of this chapter, because he always referred to his version of Batman as The Bright Knight.

On Wings of Steel 2: The Birth of Robin
Chapter 12 – The Bright Knight

When we last saw our Dynamic Duo, they had infiltrated the Joker's lair at the abandoned soap factory only to find themselves one-upped by the dastardly villain. Will they be able to find a SOLUTION to their current predicament? One word of warning – the stickiest is yet to come!

"Jack," the Joker said, "come here and keep the boy occupied, will you?"

"With pleasure," Jack said slimily.

Jack wasted no time in stepping over to take the Joker's place. The Joker handed him the small bottle of lye, and Jack grabbed Robin's hair, tugging it back harshly. Grunting in pain, Robin realized that Jack must still be angry about the fact that Robin had been able to land a few punches on him before Robin had been subdued.

"If Batman makes one wrong move, don't hesitate to pour it down Birdboy's throat," the Joker said, taking his time to walk around the group of his henchmen and Robin.

"Yes, sir, Joker," Jack responded promptly.

Robin sort of thought that Jack seemed like nothing more a yes-man to the Joker's authority. Robin really wanted to say something, but he forced himself to keep his mouth shut. Not only did he still have the vial of lye hovering near his lips, but the last thing he wanted to do was to antagonize Jack any more than he already had. Moreover, Batman probably wouldn't look too lightly upon making fun of hardened criminals when their energy could be much more worthwhile directed at finding a way out of their current predicament.

That was when Robin noticed that Batman was watching him intently, his head lifting off the floor slightly. When he had gotten Robin's attention, Batman briefly directed his eyes towards the back of the room, jerking his head in the direction of the crates and bottles of various soap products. Batman's eyes widened behind his mask, clearly trying to tell Dick something.

Careful not to move his head so he wouldn't draw attention to himself, Robin glanced out of the corner of his eyes, once again surveying the large metal table against one wall and the abandoned soap supplies against the other. When he met Batman's gaze again, Robin only frowned, because he had no idea what Batman wanted him to do. Batman didn't intend for him to run, or else he would have been looking towards the window they came through, which was in the opposite direction. Not to mention, Robin wasn't sure what he could do given his current state.

King and Ace were still gripping him brutally by the arms, so much so that Robin was beginning to lose feeling in them. Pins and needles pricked at his fingers, and Robin wasn't even sure he'd be able to get many punches off once he got free. Robin could only swipe his toes fruitlessly at the concrete, still too far off the floor to get any grip at all.

"Are we clear on the matter, Batman?" the Joker asked as he came closer to the superhero. "One misstep on your part and Batboy won't live long enough to make it to the hospital."

"We're clear," Batman replied curtly. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

The Joker bent over for a moment, grabbed the net still covering Batman, and pulled it away. "Stand up," the Joker said. "Slowly. Remember, if you put one toe out of line-"

"Yes, you've made yourself quite clear," Batman cut him off as he got to his feet. Once he straightened up, he looked down his nose at the Joker. "Always taking the low road, I see. I don't know why I expected any different. You think you're rather slick, don't you?"

Just then, Batman's eyes met Dick's once again. It was only for a moment, Batman's attention darting back to the Joker before anything seemed amiss, but it was enough. Dick sucked in a breath of realization, casually eyeing the soap supplies and the table. It dawned on him what Batman was telling him to do, and it almost seemed dumb of him that the thought hadn't struck him earlier. The only problem was that Robin wasn't in any sort of position to do what Batman wanted; he didn't know how was supposed to get away from his captors, let alone get to the other side of the room. He was certainly in a sticky spot all right, and he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of it.

"Why yes, I do," the Joker said matter-of-factly. "I knew I'd get the drop on you eventually." He clapped his hands together and chuckled again. "You really do need to start paying better attention to your surroundings."

While the Joker was going on, Batman seemed to catch the expression of confusion on Dick's face. Slowly lifting his cuffed hands to just in front of his stomach and trying his best not to draw attention to them, Batman held up one hand with the palm toward Robin. Taking this as a sign that Batman was telling him to stay put for now, Robin gave one long blink to convey that he had gotten the message.

"Look," Batman said tersely, "you've got me." He shook his hands inside the Batcuffs to emphasize his point, the chain tinkling softly. "I'm not going anywhere. Let Robin go now."

The Joker blinked at him. "Sorry, were you under the impression that I would? No, no. Can't have him throwing knockout gas at us, or running off to alert those buffoons you call the police." The Joker stopped, hiw eyes dropping down towards Batman's utility belt. His already ugly grin grew worse yet, spreading across his face in a twisted expression.

Robin shivered, being reminded of how the Riddler had looked at him not so very long ago. He almost wanted to look away, but didn't dare, not wanting to miss any signal Batman might send his way.

"Your utility belt," the Joker said. "Give it to me. And remember, no funny business. That's my job. Yes." He laughed softly as he kept a close eye on Batman's hands. He briefly glanced at his henchmen and said, "Don't hesitate to put Birdbrain out of his misery."

Jack tightened his fingers in Robin's hair, pulling his head back into an uncomfortable position. Robin could feel a whimper of pain rise in his throat, but he clamped his teeth down on the insides of his lips, trying his best to keep his mouth shut in case Jack tried to act.

Batman opened the buckle on his utility belt, stretching his other hand out as far as it would go to give the belt some support. Grasping two of the side compartments firmly so the belt wouldn't fall to the floor, Batman slowly slid it from around his waist.

"Careful," the Joker said, his tone suspicious. "Not one wrong move."

Batman grasped his utility belt by the buckle then, letting the other end dangle towards the floor. He held it out for the Joker, his head tilting back in defeat. "Don't worry," Batman said. "The stakes are too high for me."

The Joker reached out for the belt, taking it in his hands like he was holding a very fragile baby. He looked at it in awe, his eyes dancing back and forth over the shiny buckle and its many pockets. He pulled it on and closed the buckle gingerly, as if waiting for something in it to explode. Nothing did.

Robin was a little surprised, expecting it to release some sort of gas or something in the Joker's grasp. On the other hand, Robin had faith in the fact that Batman knew what he was doing. He had no doubt that Batman had a plan, so he tried to keep himself calm, watching Batman closely for any sorts of signs on what he should do next.

"Maybe I should make one of these for myself," the Joker mused, placing his hands on each of the compartments in turn. "Very ingenious. Tell me, Batman. Where would I look for, say, knockout gas?"

"Second compartment on your left," Batman said without a moment's hesitation.

"Very good," the Joker said as he looked down, his hands going along the belt buckle and eventually to the compartments on the left. He let out a few chuckles as he opened the appropriate pocket.

All of a sudden, the Joker was engulfed in a cloud of blue smoke. The villain's laughs morphed into surprised yells and then coughs, and Robin thought it was music to his ears. The grip on Robin's arms loosened and Jack's hands fell away from his face. He could feel the floor underneath his feet again.

"Boss!" Jack yelled.

"NOW!" Batman screamed as he launched himself into the red cloud.

Robin didn't need to be told twice and the distraction was just enough. He brought his feet up before thrusting them downwards, using the momentum to his advantage. King's and Ace's hands nearly lost their grip on him entirely, and Robin twisted his body around at the same time, finally able to wrench his arms away from his captors.

Both King and Ace let out shocked yells and tried to reach for Robin again. Robin, however, tucked himself into a ball and threw himself to the ground, rolling safely out of their reach, their hands only grasping at air. Once he got to his feet, Robin broke into a run, and then dove for the floor underneath the large metal table. Robin easily slid under it across the cold concrete floor, but the Joker's goons were not so lucky.

They were hot on his heels, but three grown men trying to fit themselves underneath a table turned out to be a disaster. They collided with each other and then the table itself. One of them managed to partially get underneath the table, but for all the good it did. There wasn't quite enough room for him to easily glide underneath it, and with the other two henchmen trying to cram in with him, it only served to hinder his progress even more.

Robin quickly glanced behind him as he sprung to his feet on the other side of the table, taking in the cluster of men behind him. He had the sudden urge to start laughing, but he fought to keep it in. He remembered what Batman had told him earlier in the day – to focus on what needed to be done and not to let small successes breed carelessness.

Turning sharply to his right, Robin dove for the soap supplies lined up along the opposite wall. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin could see Batman struggling with the Joker in the cloud of smoke. He could hear coughs emerging from beyond, and he wasn't sure who they belonged to, but he didn't have time to think about it; Batman was counting on him.

Not wasting another second, Robin grabbed the first bottle of cleaning solution he could reach. He caught the words 'sanitizing concentrate' on the label and figured it would do quite nicely for what Batman had in mind. He screwed off the cap and flung the bottle around by the handle, lifting up the bottom with the other hand. A pleasantly fresh smell hit him as a thick pink liquid sloshed out over the floor and quickly spread across the concrete. Little soap bubbles formed in the solution, and it brightly reflected the bright sunlight coming in through the window.

Robin threw the bottle aside and he stood his ground, waiting for Jack, King, and Ace to get up and come after him. They had finally gotten up from the floor and retreated from the table, deciding that trying to crawl underneath it had been a ridiculous idea in the first place. They immediately began to run across the thick puddle of pink goo instead, and Batman's plan worked perfectly. Their shoes slipped out from underneath them and they began bowling each other over, much like a line of dominoes.

Jack still had the small vial of lye in his hand, but not for long. As he fell, the glass container slipped out of his fingers and shattered on the floor, spilling its clear contents into the soapy mixture underneath him. Dick let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The lye was one less thing he had to worry about.

Dick then ran for the table he had just crawled under. This time, he hoisted himself up on top of it and ran across the surface, safely crossing the sea of slick solution. When he jumped down on the other side, he ran over to where Batman was occupied with the Joker.

The smoke had cleared just enough for Robin to see what was happening. Batman, his hands still handcuffed together, was dealing double-fisted blows to the Joker. It was difficult for him, however, to fight as well as he could have with his hands separated. The Joker was getting off quite a few punches on Batman, only basically having one huge fist to dodge.

Robin launched himself towards the Joker, jumping up behind him and wrapping his arms around the Joker's neck. It would serve him right after what the Joker had just tried to do. The Joker let out a shriek and was caught off-balance, lurching backwards with Robin's weight. Batman managed to get an uppercut in on the Joker, throwing him back even more. With the momentum, Robin turned, still keeping his arms around the Joker's neck. When he let go, the Joker stumbled into the puddle of pink sanitizer. He slid forward, collapsing on top of the heap of his henchmen.

"Here," Batman said, holding his cuffed hands out for Robin. He opened one palm to reveal a small silver key. "Unlock me so we can better deal with these dastardly criminals."

Taking the key, Robin inserted it into first one lock on the Batcuffs and then the other. They opened with a soft click and Batman handed them to Robin.

"Better hang onto these," Batman said. "The Joker seems to have my utility belt."

Robin nodded and took the cuffs, looping one of them through his utility belt, letting them dangle on either side.

"I was able to trip the Bat-anti-theft system on my utility belt," Batman explained as he took a moment to rub at his wrists in turn. "Any compartment that he opened would backfire."

"But how'd you get the key?" Robin asked.

"I managed to slip it out while I was activating the anti-theft system," Batman explained.

"But I didn't even see you do that I thought was watching you closely."

"You weren't supposed to see it," Batman replied with a smile. "It was a little bit of magician's slight-of-hand."

Robin let out a soft breath, because he didn't think he'd ever stop being in awe of the skills his guardian had mastered.

Batman surveyed the pile of villains before them. "Nice work, chum."

A grin overtook Robin's face at Batman's praise. He was rather proud of himself as well, not only for understanding Batman's unspoken instructions, but for executing it without a flaw. Maybe they were a pretty good team after all.

The Joker was climbing off his band of thugs and yelled, "Get up, you boobs!" He turned around on his tiptoes, careful not to slip on the cleaning solution. He glared in Batman's direction as he snapped, "That wasn't knockout gas!"

"No, it wasn't," Batman said, glancing around at the still dissipating cloud of blue smoke. "That was just ordinary Batgas, and you should be glad of that, Joker."

"I said get up!" the Joker yelled at his henchmen.

They were still trying to get to their feet, their shoes sliding on the slick floor. They clung to each other for support, grabbing onto various sleeves and pant legs as they went. Once they were upright, they turned on the dynamic duo, clenching their hands into fists.

"Two against four," Batman observed before glancing at Robin quickly. "How do you like those odds, Robin?"

Robin tugged at the bottom of his gloves, pulling them more tightly around his fingers. When he dropped his hands back down to his sides, he found himself puffing out his chest a little bit. He remembered what Bruce had told him – not to let himself be overcome by pride – but he thought that this one time couldn't hurt. This was how things were supposed to be – Robin being valuable as Batman's sidekick instead of another liability he had to worry about.

"I like those odds a lot better, Batman."

Robin steeled himself, his own hands drawing into fists. Four was how many villains they'd fought when they'd gone up against the Riddler, so he could do this. It was just more of the same. Besides, Robin wouldn't have three people ganging up on him at once without Batman to help him out, so he definitely preferred this. The only thing that scared Robin senseless was the Joker.

The Joker might even scare him more than the Riddler. He wasn't sure. The Riddler had tied Robin to a metal stamping table and left him for dead, sure, and his manic energy alone was terrifying. How he could get that excited about possibly killing someone, Robin didn't understand, nor would he ever. The thought alone chilled him to the bone.

On the other hand, the Joker was a different kind of monster entirely. He seemed much more calculating. Like he didn't have quite as much physical energy to expend, because it was fueling his sinister thoughts. It made Robin's head spin to think that they had ended up here, because he wanted to poison the police commissioner of all things. That was sick in ways the Riddler's plot had never been. Besides, the Joker was here and now. Perhaps that was why he felt so much more real than the memory of the Riddler did.

The Joker sprinted through the few feet of cleaning solution that divided him and Batman, throwing himself at the Caper Crusader. Batman responded by throwing his own punches, having a much easier time now that his hands weren't cuffed together any longer.

The minions, in the meantime, were closing in on Robin. It seemed as if they were intent in resuming their earlier positions with Dick as their captive. Jack, especially, advanced on Robin quickly, but Robin was determined to not get caught up in their hold again. He backed up until he hit the wall behind him, because he decided it was safer to make sure no one could sneak up on him. Behind the henchmen, Robin could see the soap supplies and crates sitting on the other end of the room, and there were plenty more things for him to use. It was a goldmine over there.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to gang up on me?" Robin asked, but maybe his words had not been such a wise decision. He tried not to sound haughty or tired of fighting such villains, because Batman probably wouldn't approve, but they were three grown men. Didn't they feel dumb coming after him all at once?

"Don't you have anything better to do than to follow Batman around like a little puppy?" Jack asked him.

Robin scowled, more determined than ever to prove to these goons that he could take care of himself. As soon as Jack was close enough, Robin drew one foot up, using the wall behind him as leverage. He bent his knee, bringing it in close to his chest before slamming his foot forward. The sole of his boot landed squarely in Jack's stomach, and it was satisfying to keep assaulting him there, because it felt like a particularly sore spot for him. Literally.

As Jack hunched over and stumbled backwards, King and Ace tried to grab Robin's arms again, but he wasn't having it this time. Robin immediately dropped to his knees; his small size had already worked to his advantage once before, so he decided to use it again. Let them continue thinking that his small stature was a deficiency, because it would only make them careless in the long run. Crawling as quickly as he could, Robin darted through Jack's legs, coming out on the other side before any of the goons could grab him.

Robin jumped up off the floor and broke into a run, hopping up on the table before making his way to the other side of the room. He leaped off the table and lunged for the wooden boxes and jugs of cleaning supplies, but when he turned back, he saw there was no need for his haste.

The three cohorts were struggling with the table once again. Unlike the last time, they were trying to climb over it, but that proved easier said than done. King was on top of the table, but he couldn't seem to decide whether to stand up or crawl across. In the end, he settled on shuffling across on all fours.

Jack wasn't all that happy with his progress, because he shoved his hands against King's rear and snapped, "Move, you ninny!"

"I'm going!" King muttered, speeding up his progress across the table.

Jack joined him, crawling across the table in earnest. Ace, on the other hand, seemed to decide that this process was taking too long, so he started stepping through the pool of cleaning solution instead. He gingerly tiptoed across the pink liquid, keeping his arms stretched out to help him keep his balance.

If this was the best the Joker could do with his help, then he really needed…well, help. Again, Robin reminded himself to keep his mind on the task at hand and not to let his thoughts about his potentially clumsy opponents cloud his judgment. Just a matter of minutes ago, he had been on the receiving end of their wrath, and Robin would like to avoid a repeat of that situation at all costs.

Standing his ground, Robin waited while his adversaries caught up with him. Once the two had finished climbing over the table and Ace was almost to his side of the room, Robin turned and grabbed one of the oblong wooden crates that had been leaning up against the wall. He turned and swung it just as the Joker's goons were closing in on him. It managed to be just long enough to smack all three of the men in their faces, the crate breaking apart with a loud crack. Shards of splintered wood went flying in all directions, landing and bouncing across the concrete floor.

Robin turned and grabbed another large jug of cleaning solution, but this time, he kept the lid on. He held it by the handle, swinging it around in an arc and letting it collide with the first henchmen it found, and Robin wasn't even sure who that was anymore. The bottle collided with the man's hip, throwing him off balance. He threw out his arms, just managing to keep himself steady. Robin used this chance to pick up the bottom of the container, holding it level in front of his stomach and running forward with it.

He thrust it straight into the man's stomach, and he fell backwards, his hands flailing out to catch him. Nothing was there to meet him however, so he went down, landing on his back with a muffled smack. He sucked in a breath before groaning, his head collapsing back on the floor. He wasn't knocked out, because he still appeared to be alert, but he grimaced in pain and clutched at his middle.

The jug was too heavy, however, to keep holding onto, so Robin threw it. It landed in directly on top of the man's arms where he was grasping his stomach, adding insult to injury. He whined this time, pushing the bottle out of the way and rolling over onto his side. He curled into a ball and stilled.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop that?" Jack suddenly asked from behind. A moment later, he wrapped his arms around Robin, trying to secure his hands in the process.

Robin wasn't about to let this man get the better of him. Not again. Waiting until Jack had found his hands, Robin lurched forward sharply, tucking his head down and curling in on himself. Jack was balanced on his back for a very precarious moment before Robin's momentum finally sent Jack flipping over and sailing over his head. Jack tried to retain his grip on Robin's arms, but when he landed flat on his back on the floor, Jack finally let go. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, his arms and legs flailing out at his sides.

Robin didn't have to turn around to know that the remaining thug was behind him. He could hear him, the man's shoes pounding heavily on the floor as he ran for Robin. Without even taking a chance to look around, Robin dropped to all fours, tucking himself into a ball on the floor. One of man's feet collided with Robin's backside as he scampered across the concrete, sending him flying over Robin and landing in a pile on top of Jack. Both men let out grunts as they stopped moving.

From the other side of the room, the Joker yelled, "Get him! It takes three of you dunderheads against one little boy?"

Robin glanced up from his position to see Batman recovering from having collided into a wall. He sprung at the Joker, landing a punch against the side of his face. The Joker stumbled for a moment before swinging at Batman again, but his center of gravity was still thrown off enough that Batman easily dodged his punches.

This, however, proved to be a fatal error for Robin. He had let the Joker distract him enough that he has lost track of his opponents. He knew that Jack and King were in a pile in front of him, but when he turned to find out where the third one was, Robin realized that he was no longer lying on the floor where he had left him.

Gasping in surprise, Robin tried to straighten up, but he only got so far. He collided with something on the way up, and he realized that it was Ace. He let out another breath and tried to throw himself forward again, away from the henchman's grip. But then Robin could feel Ace's arm reaching around his neck before he pulled Robin back. Robin was slammed into Ace's chest, the inside of his elbow pressing painfully against Robin's throat.

Why did the villains always try to strangle him? He could remember when the Riddler had done so not very long ago, but Robin shook his head, both in an effort to clear his mind and to try and throw off Ace. His movements proved to be fruitless, but Ace now had a firm grip on him. Ace pulled him upwards, Robin's hands flying out at his sides to try and find something to grab onto. He kicked out his legs as he was dragged, trying his best to loosen the grip on him.

"Get up!" Ace barked in his ear, tightening his arm even farther and forcing Robin upright.

Robin had no other choice but to stretch his legs downwards, pressing his tiptoes to the floor so that his windpipe wouldn't be cut off completely. He momentarily thought about trying to throw Ace over his back like he had with Jack, but no. Trying to so while Ace had ahold of his neck would not be a good idea.

Meanwhile, on the floor in front of him, Jack muttered from beneath King, "Get off me!" Jack was flailing his arms and legs underneath the slightly larger man.

King stirred, slowly at first, but then he finally got moving. He lurched to his side, rolling off Jack and catching himself on the floor. Jack finally got out from underneath and shoved the other man hard before getting to his feet. King landed with a thump again.

"You'd think the two of you never had to fight a little boy before," Jack said. He turned around, staring down his nose at Robin. "You like to hit and kick people in their stomachs a lot, don't you, boy? Think it's fun, do you?" Without waiting for a response, he drew back an arm before pummeling it directly into the center of Robin's stomach. "Is it? Is it fun?"

The air rushed out of Robin's lungs again, an intense surge of pain exploding out from his core. He guessed it was because he'd already gotten punched there once before, but his stomach was beginning to throb now. His first instinct was to curl in on himself, but he forced himself to stop, lest he be strangled by Ace. Robin brought one knee up anyway, attempting to calm the ache that had settled into his stomach.

"Don't even think about it," Jack warned him. He kicked at Robin's raised leg, apparently assuming that Robin had meant to kick at him.

That made the pounding pain in his stomach flare to life with renewed intensity, causing Robin to open his mouth in a scream. No sound came out, cut off by the arm still around his neck. Robin stretched his legs down again, his tiptoes just reaching the floor so that he could give himself a little bit of room around his neck and gasp in a breath.

Robin couldn't do anything. His hands were latched onto Ace's arms, trying his best to pull them away and breathe. His legs were busy propping him up, and Jack was watching Robin way too closely for him to do anything else.

Robin glanced across the floor to where Batman had been fighting the Joker just a moment before, but he was gone now. The Joker was slumped against the far wall, still conscious, but appearing to be very confused about where he was. Robin's eyes whirled around the room, toward the table, and that was when he saw Batman.

His guardian was leaping across the table, jumping up off the end of its polished surface to grab onto an overhead hanging light. Batman used it to swing across the room, closing the distance between himself and the goons around Robin. They didn't see him coming, their attention entirely focused on Robin. Batman kicked his legs out in front of him, one boot colliding with Ace's head and the other with Jack's.

With nothing to support him, Jack flew to the side, collapsing into the crates and soap bottles with a satisfying crash. Ace stumbled, but didn't quite lose his grip around Robin's neck. Now that he didn't have Jack hovering over him to contend with, Robin pulled down hard against Ace's arms, buying himself a bit more leeway. He thrashed in his captor's arms, twisting and contorting his body like he had to get away like the last time, but it didn't quite work the same way. Ace was well aware of what he was trying to do and kept a firm hold on him.

Batman, on the other hand, was on top of things. He had jumped down from the swinging lamp, its back and forth motion throwing a cascade of shadows and light falling across the room in sequence. Ace tried to dodge out of Batman's way, but he couldn't move as fast as necessary with Robin in his arms. Batman sprinted across the floor, throwing a punch in Ace's face and kicking at Ace's right leg. Ace was knocked off balance again and Robin gave one last pull, finally able to pull out of Ace's arms. He went sailing into the mountain of crates. A large bottle of solution that had been balanced on top of one of the wooden boxes tipped over, slamming into Ace's stomach with a thunk.

Robin found himself snorting with laughter, because he supposed Jack had been correct – he did like hitting and kicking people in their stomachs.

Just then, King started to groan and stir. He was still lying where he landed when he had rolled off Jack. He flipped onto his back, bringing a up hand to his face, where a large red welt had sprung up on his cheek. It appeared to be a bruise he'd sustained from his collision with the crate Robin had struck them with. He glared up at the Dynamic Duo.

Batman bent over and grabbed King by his thick brown hair, pulling him up into a sitting position. Robin wasted no time in delivering two punches to the man's head, one to the right side and one with the left. King moaned again before tipping sideways. Batman let him go and he collapsed in a heap.

Jack and Ace were still among the debris of wood and bottles, but another glance about the room told Robin that the Joker had gone missing from his spot on the opposite wall. Then the swinging lamp stopped, its cycle of light and shadow ceasing across the room. Robin realized that the Joker was now on top of the table, trying to grab the hanging light and swing towards them just like Batman had.

"Batman!" Robin warned, raising a finger to point behind Batman's head.

Batman, however, didn't need to be told, because he was already ducking out of the way. They easily dodged the Joker's kicks, and then the villain let go of the light, planting between Batman and Robin, which Robin decided was a pretty dumb place to put himself.

The Joker swung out his fists almost blindly, still trying to catch his balance. Robin ducked and immediately pummeled his fists into the Joker's stomach. Batman joined him a moment later, dealing the Joker an uppercut. The Joker stumbled backwards, his arms flying out in a wide arc. Not about to let him go, Batman reached out and wrapped a hand around one of the Joker's wrists. Batman tugged him hard, forcing him to stay upright, even while he wobbled on his feet. Batman reached around the Joker from behind, easily grabbing and securing his other hand. Batman wrenched the Joker's wrists in his grasp, causing the Joker to cry out in pain.

"Robin, the Batcuffs," Batman said.

"Oh," Robin said, feeling a bit silly that he hadn't thought of that already. He retrieved the cuffs from where he had slipped them into his utility belt. He held them out, securing the cuffs around the Joker's wrists with a satisfying click.

Robin let out a sigh of relief, but Batman wasn't quite done yet. He grabbed one of the Joker's arms and forced him to turn around and face them. Reaching out for the buckle of his utility belt, Batman unfastened it, letting it fall from the Joker's waist.

"I think I'll take this back now if you don't mind," Batman said coolly.

The Joker groaned, his lips contorting into a grimace. "One of these days, I'll have my own utility belt, Batman. Not this booby-trapped contraption of yours."

'You'll have to get out of the Gotham State Penitentiary first," Batman said.

He drew back, dealing another punch to the man's face. The Joker's eyes were rolling around in their sockets, and he lurched backwards but didn't fall. Robin did the honors and gave the Joker one last uppercut. He finally fell backwards, crashing into the remains of the oblong crate that Robin had used on his three henchmen earlier.

After Batman buckled the utility belt around his waist, he turned to Robin and without a word, he held out a hand. Robin took it, shaking Batman's hand as he gazed up into his guardian's eyes. Batman stared down at him proudly, and Robin didn't think he had ever felt so thrilled or more accomplished in all his life. It was almost like the old days in the circus when he and his parents had finished a particularly harrowing catch or throw and the audience would burst into applause.

Only this time, there was no audience. The was no applause. There was only him, and Batman, and silence, the Joker's gang lying in lumps on the floor. It was so bizarrely different and yet, the feeling that had settled into his chest was almost the same. It was tight and full, but not uncomfortable. Robin thought his chest would explode from the feeling.

"Are you okay?" Batman asked, resting a hand on Robin's shoulder next. "I see they got a couple punches to your stomach, and your throat..."

Robin nodded, because he was so overcome with pride, his stomach and his throat were the furthest thoughts from his mind. "Yeah, I'm okay. It doesn't really hurt anymore."

Batman tightened his hand around Robin's shoulder, a small smile flitting across his lips. It looked like he had been about to say something, but then he stopped. He glanced around at the unconscious men on the floor before he asked, "Can you do something for me?"

There was that fullness again, ripping through his insides like a balloon inflating somewhere underneath his ribs. He suppressed the urge to puff his chest out like he had before, because that wouldn't do at all. He and Batman were not supposed to be haughty about their accomplishments. Robin only squared his shoulders instead.

"Yes."

"Go outside to the Batmobile," Batman told him. "Call Chief O'Hara. Tell him what's happened, and where we are, and have him send reinforcements. Can you do that?"

Robin nodded again, not trusting himself to speak. It was the way he got after performances sometimes when he was riding high on adrenaline and if he opened his mouth, nothing but a surge of nonsense would pour out.

"I'll hold the fort down here." Batman said, giving Robin a wink.

When Robin began his ascent down the building, he did so with shaky arms and legs, but he was in no danger of falling. It was all down to the emotions flooding through him, his heart pounding with each step down the wall. Robin felt like he was on cloud nine, practically floating on air as he climbed down the rope. He only hoped that the commissioner would come out on top as well.

How will things turn out for the commissioner, Batfans?
Will everyone be so accepting of Batman's new partner?
How will the Dynamic Duo adjust now that they've had their first full adventure together?

For these and even more amazing ANECDOTES,
Tune in next time…
Same fan site…
Same fan channel.

Keep walking on air until then!