Chapter 16: I Will Not Lose You Part 1

It was late and quiet at the old abandoned ACE chemical warehouse in the manufacturing district of Gotham. Inside a gang of men dressed in clown-like masks and armor waited, some armed and guarding the place, others idly sitting around playing cards and gambling.

"Two pair, take that boys!" One man declared proudly.

"What!"

"Damn you!"

"I know you're cheating somehow!"

Many of the other players threw down their cards angrily, except one who merely smirked.

"Hard to beat, but let's see how you play against a royal flush!" The smirking man said as he laid his cards down smoothly.

"Why you bastard I'll…!"

"Get off your asses you bunch of bums, the boss is coming in!" A large armed man said as he cocked his large gun.

Immediately the gambling men put their guns away, the last thing they wanted to do was set off their psychotic boss, especially with how orator he could be. No sooner after their game was cleaned up came walking in Joker, his usual creepy grin on his face, with Harley Quinn by his side.

"Well hello gentlemen, at last I've returned! Do you have what I asked you to bring?" Joker asked with a menacing chuckle.

"Of course boss, we have it right over here!" A goon motioned forward nervously, afraid of his boss's manic nature.

Joker and Harley walked forward until they came upon a large clown nose like orb with the words hahaha spray painted all over in multiple colors.

"My my what a beauty! What do you think my dear Harley?" Joker asked way too enthusiastically.

"She's a looker alright, she's gonna blow them away with her looks!" Harley laughed hysterically, for the device was in fact a bomb.

"How right you are my dear, in fact I'd say she'd blow them as far as Star City if I'm right!" Joker chortled along.

"I'm afraid this beauty is going to have to wait a while to do so." Batman said as he and Robin descended from the roof.

"My my if it isn't just batsie and the boy blunder! A little past bedtime wouldn't you say, very irresponsible Batsie!" Joker chuckled madly.

Robin growled angrily, he hated when villains made fun of his age during their fights. He may be young but he was just as capable as any hero, I'll be it very little but nonetheless capable.

"Irresponsible is right Mr. J, but I like it when Batman brings the little bird he's so much fun to play with!" Harley Quinn gushed.

Sick of being patronized by the clownish pair Robin lost it and did a jump kick at Harley.

"Let's see how fun this is!" Robin yelled as he flew in the air.

With great force Robin came at Harley but was unfortunately blocked by her giant wooden mallet. Robin quickly recovered and did a back handspring back onto his feet.

"Uh Uh Uh, that's very naughty little boy to attack a lady. I'm gonna have to give you a good spankin!" Harley Quinn taunted with a kooky laugh.

From there the two went at it, sparing each other with a mix of melee weapons and hand to hand combat.

"Looks like it's just me and you Batman, just like old times." Joker said with his usual creepy smile as he pulled out a long knife.

"Then looks like you're going back to Arkham." Batman said as he then charged at Joker.

From there the two pairs fought each other with great skill, all while Batman and Robin fought off the other goons who tried to strike them while they weren't looking. It was a taxing fight and both members of the dynamic duo kept thinking about the bomb in the middle of the room. They didn't know if it was just a laughing gas bomb or a weapon that could take out half the city, you never knew with Joker. Eventually after several minutes of nonstop combat Batman and Robin were back to back as they fended off their attackers.

"Robin we have to disable that bomb, it'll be difficult but we'll have to split up so one of us can fight of Joker and his accomplices while the other…" Batman started to explain before he was interrupted.

"I'll get the bomb!" Dick announced as he then flipped out of the seam of goons and bolted for the bomb.

"Robin, wait, we need a… forget about it!" Batman grumbled hating when his son went off on his own, but he'd rather have Robin go to the bomb then face off all the goons and Joker by himself.

As Batman fought off their advisories Dick flipped and tumbled his way out of the firing of bullets and flying shrapnel till he finally got to the bomb. He then immediately started wiring his mini computer in his cuff to the bomb and went to work at disarming the possible death trap. For several minutes Dick typed away trying every combo he could think of to shut the bomb down. All the while Batman still fought like hell trying his absolute best to keep the goons, Joker and Harley Quinn from getting to his beloved child.

"How long do you think you'll be able to keep this up Batman, because I'm sure it won't be as long as it takes for boy blunder to disarm my pretty little toy." Joker taunted as he and his men stopped attacking for just one moment.

"You underestimate him too much, Joker!"

The fight then shifted into a one on one between Batman and Joker both using all they had to take down their opponent. This went on for several more minutes until an excited little chirp interrupted them.

"Batman I deactivated to bomb!" Robin cheered gleefully as he flipped off the now useless weapon.

Batman let a small but very proud smirk escape his lips, full of pride in his genius little bird.

"I'm afraid we've taken down your little toy today Joker. Now hands up where I can see them, there's a cell with your name on it waiting for you in Arkham!" Batman demanded.

"Oh Batman you're right I've once again underestimated you and your little sidekicks skills, a lesson you think I would have learned by now. But I think you've continually underestimated how far I'm willing to go to have a good time." Joker then said with his creepy but extra malicious grin.

Without any warning Joker took a bazooka from one of his goons and launched it at his deactivated bomb. Immediately the other goons and Harley bolted for the underground sewers as planned for when the bomb would go off.

"Robin!" Batman called out, almost panicked, as he quickly got out his grappling hook to avoid the impending blast.

However before Robin could even register what his father said or what just happened the bazooka made impact with the bomb. Immediately a great explosion took place blowing away all the windows and most of the walls down to the ground. A bright flash followed blinding all who saw it. Due to the deactivation it wasn't as destructive of an explosion as previously estimated, but it nonetheless left the warehouse and much of the surrounding area in ruin.

One Hour later

For a while it was quiet and a smokey haze filled the air that surrounded the area victim to the bomb. However amongst the rubble that surrounded and filled the barely standing frame of the warehouse lay a small form lying on its stomach. Upon closer inspection the small being was none other than a very injured and ruffed up Dick. It was then the poor little boy started to come back into consciousness, groaning in pain as he did so.

As he finally woke up the little protégé looked at himself, and the state his body and costume were in. His bare legs had some severe burns and a long bleeding cut was on his right leg which was also missing a boot. He also saw how his right short sleeve was missing, his cape singed, and his mask half burnt off. He also felt a deep cut in his poor little head that was also bleeding and every inch of his body ached in pain. His upper body was mostly fine, being protected from the heat of the explosion by his titanium threaded cape. Dick then took in his surroundings looking all around the hazy and smoke filled air.

Immediately he noticed he was completely alone and that there was an uncomfortable silence that surrounded him. He also saw that nearly all the walls were in shambles and that almost everything that was in the warehouse was almost reduced to ash.

"Where'd everyone go, are they dead? Where's daddy? Wait…. am I dead?" Dick asked himself sadly.

Dick, not sure what was going on, continued to look around and brought himself painfully to his feet. The entire time he stood he was trying to keep himself from falling, he felt weak and like something was broken inside him. But then without any warning a bright light appeared above him blinding the hurting little boy. Thinking this was his call to heaven Dick reached with all his strength upward towards the light, ready to see his parents again.

For two minutes the poor child reached up into the light, standing in his teeny tiny tippy toes to try and get closer. But he didn't the more he reached the more pain he was in, making him start to tear up. Unable to stretch anymore Dick hunched over holding his now bleeding side, crying as he felt intense pain throughout his entire body.

"Why isn't it working, why can't I get to heaven? Are mama an tati not wanting to see me? But if I do get there, what about daddy? He loves me too, won't he be sad if I'm gone? What do I do?" Dick continued to ask himself as tears streamed down his face while he sobbed in mental and physical agony.

But then the light above him flashed brighter, taking this as his answer to still try to pass to the other side Dick reached up one more time. This time his body was in even more pain and tears poured down the poor little boys scraped up face. He reached up as high as he could, extending one tiny hand covered in a very torn up glove, to try and get to the light of the other side.

"Someone please, help me!" Dick sobbed feeling more helpless and sad then he ever had before.

It was then Dick saw a large dark hand reach down for him and firmly grab his hand. Immediately he flew through the air and unexpectedly found himself in strong and protective arms. As Dick was drawn into a warm chest he immediately knew who held him, his daddy. Holding his son closely tears leaked from the tightly closed eyes of Bruce as he felt relieved from knowing his son was alive. Meanwhile Dick sobbed into his fathers shoulder as every ounce of fear, pain, and sadness overtook him.

"Let's go home, son." Bruce said firmly, unable to say anything else past his tears.

Dick weakly nodded his little head as he started to go limp in his father's arms. Then without warning sirens started to go off and lights flashed, no know what it was Bruce protectively wrapped his cape around his injured son. As the noise grew louder and lights brighter, Bruce quickly realized it was simply the police and fire department. Relieved it wasn't Joker Bruce looked down on his son and saw his eyes were closed and his breath was slowing down. Immediately Bruce's heart started to pound, for he knew his son was more injured than he originally thought.

"Dick, Dick, wake up! You're safe now little bird, so wake up! Dick, Dick!" Bruce yelled, panicking over his son's deteriorating health.

The terrified father threw his cape off his child and took a better look at his child's body. There he saw his burns, cuts, and bleeding wounds, as well as how much paler his already pale child was from sheer blood loss. Knowing that he didn't have the tools he needed to help his dying child, Bruce immediately called the one place he knew did.

"Batman to watchtower, do you read me!" Bruce yelled into his communicator.

For a few seconds there was static till finally a voice came through.

"Batman, this is Superman, what's the situation?" Superman answered, concerned at the normally stoic hero's distressed tone.

"An explosion just went off and Robin is seriously injured, I need a zeta tube transport now!" Batman bellowed as his stress for his son's health exploded.

"On their way!" Superman said immediately, able to tell this was a life or death situation.

Without delay a bright beam from above flashed around Bruce and Dick teleporting them from where they sat to the watchtower. Immediately medical staff were there to greet them, ready with a gurney and other necessary medical supplies to begin intensive treatment. Batman quickly but gently set his child down in the gurney and then ran with the rest of the medical staff to the ER wing of the Watchtower Hospital. As he did so other heroes ran up beside him desperate to know what happened to Dick and if he was going to be ok.

"Batman what happened to Robin!?" Wonder Woman asked, filled with maternal worry.

"Is he going to be alright?" Flash asked, distressed over his pseudo nephew's health.

"Please tell us something!" Green Arrow pleaded.

However despite their pleas Batman ignored them, knowing if he got into any detail he would break down right then and there. Eventually as they ran everyone got the memo now was not the time for questions and simply continued on towards the ER with Batman and Robin. Within minutes they were there but only the gurney and medical staff went through the ER doors.

"Let me in, I need to be there with my son!" Batman demanded with a great bellow.

"I'm sorry Batman sir, but your son is in a precarious state. We can't afford any distractions, so please wait outside." The doctor tried to explain calmly.

"You let me in or I swear…" Batman yelled as he started to go ballistic.

However he was quickly pulled back by Superman and Green Lantern who knew this would not end well.

"Batman calm down, hurting the doctor who's supposed to help Robin is not going to make anything better!" Superman said firmly as he motioned the doctor to leave.

Immediately the doctor did so knowing already he needed to be extra careful and vigilant if he wanted to remain alive.

"Fine!" Batman yelled as he ran over to a corner chair and sat down angrily.

For a while a great tension hung in the air, everyone full of anger and nervous energy, none so much at Bruce. There he sat, his head bent down, hands wringing themselves, and heart heavy as he waited and hoped he'd receive the news his son was going to be alright. Yet his anxiety ate away at him with the prospect that he might very well lose his one and only precious baby boy weighing heavy on his mind and heart.