Chapter One

"I couldn't do this without you, Robin" Batman said casting a sideways glance at his partner who was lazily lounged in the bat mobile's passenger seat, Robin sat up straight and crossed his arms across his chest a stern, serious expression etched in his young face.

"Don't even joke like that" he pouted, Batman smirked and stepped even harder on the gas, as the sleek black car screeched around a corner the black suited boy said "This is the fifth time Mrs. Abigail's called to us, totally distraught saying she's heard something in her attic…" The boy paused "AND MAY I MUST KEEP REMINDING YOU IT IS ALWAYS HER CAT?" The Batman chuckled and turned another corner.

"Mrs. Abigail is an old friend of mine, we owe her our protection…even if it just from a cat" Batman looked at Robin warily "and besides didn't you say you liked Mrs. Abigail?" The boy wonder huffed sinking in his seat, throwing up his heels on the dash, "and Robin?" Batman said with little emotion

"Yeah, what?"

"Get your feet off the dash."

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"Thank you boys so much" Mrs. Abigail swooned petting her cat, "I really should have guessed it was Oscar here, he's such a naughty boy, fraternizing with all the she cats in my attic, I really should have him fixed, you know?" Robin coughed, and kicked batman under the kitchen table they were sitting at, Batman glared as his partner eyed the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Abigail" Batman said kindly snatching another cookie and standing; he cast a threatening glance at Robin, the boy wonder closed his eyes to hide the exasperated rolling, as he smiled and said

"Call us if you need us again" he thought andyouWILLneedusagain. Batman grinned obviously finding the response satisfactory and gave the woman a quick hug, Robin couldn't muffle his snort of amusement.

"It was great to see you again Martha" the dark night mumbled, letting go of the elderly woman, "we see each other real soon, ok?" the woman blushed and ran a fragile hand over her gray hair

"Is that a date?" she taunted, with a sly smile, Robin banged his head on the door several times

"Might as well be Martha, a fine looking woman like you" Batman smiled, as the woman blushed and mumbled

"Oh you."

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3 MONTHS LATER…

Robin was busy helping Mrs. Abigail clean her house, it baffled him to see the old, dusty photographs and yellowed with age laces, the home had a faint smell of cat urine and Robin prided himself of spraying some febreez on her old red rug. Robin grumbled in exasperation as he dusted the shelves. Mrs. Abigail's strolled into the room with a coffee and sat in the lazy chair, keenly watching Robin work

"You are just kicking up the dust" she sighed in disapproval, "if you make more of a sweeping motion, more dust would get in the duster where it belongs…and not in my nose" Robin gritted his teeth, BlastitallBatman!I'monlydoingthisforyou,why,whydoyoumakemesuffer?The old woman smiled and sunk into her chair "good, good" she approved before dozing off.

Robin was met with soft snores moments later; he continued dusting whycan'tBatmandothishimself?WhydoeshemakeMEdoallthehouseworkwhileheoffbeatingpeopleup?Ishouldbeoutthere…NOTSTUCKINHERE…

-SMASH-Robin while all his fury rambled around in his head accidentally knocked over a picture frame, it lay in fragments on the floor, the old woman woke with a cry. She gazed at the picture with sadness

"Dick, be a good boy and pick it up for me" she whispered with mourn, Robin stood still "Dick-" she began again

"How-how do you know my name?" he stammered, clutching his duster to his chest, she stood calmly and walked to the picture, kneeling and sweeping glass fragments into her hand, she smiled sadly

"Bruce and I as very close friends" she whispered picking up the exposed photograph, it was of a man Robin didn't recognize "did you think he was joking when he said that?" Robin stammered lost for words,

"Who are you?" he said sitting next to her picking glass from the awful, red rug, the woman smiled

"I am but a lonely woman, a widow, this-"she handed the boy the photo "-was my husband…I am Martha Abigail, Bruce's old grief counselor"

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Robin stared in shock, as the old woman straightened herself and stared steely at him.

"There's a whole house to be cleaned…and me on my fragile bones couldn't possibly do it, so therefore it's up to you" and with a simple twirl of her skirt she was gone.

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-envelopes and cypress trees