Title: Cackle

Word Count: About 1,607 words

Summary: There was a reason his laugh put fear into the heart of Gotham henchmen - the cackle echoed off the walls and sent chills down their spins. It meant there was no hope and the Bird had arrived.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and I write completely for fun and not for profit!

Beta: by youngjusticefanatic! As always, thank you for your help! You are amazing!

Idea: Came out of nowhere, I needed to get back on the horse - so to speak - with this writing thing. So I just let my mind wonder and wrote this oneshot.

Author's Note: I know I have been gone for a while, but I just wanted to let everyone know I will never just stop writing! There has been a mix of writers block and broken computer holding me back for the last few weeks.

Also I am only going to write stories for Season One (early season one with the original five) - At least for now.

The cackle echoed off the walls of the warehouse and the lights flickered before sending the room into darkness. The four henchmen crowded together, clutching their weapons in silent desperation. Moonlight shone vaguely through the skylight, leaving small patches of light randomly around the room.

"We aren't scared of you!" One of the men yelled, his tattoo covered arms were rigid and his knuckles were turning white as they clutched to the led pipe in his hands.

"Show ya'self ya little piece a shit!" Another said, a layer of sweat slid down his forehead, the slight quiver of fear was almost undetectable - almost. Another bout of laughter echoed around the room and the man let loose a round of shots into the darkness.

"What the hell Skids!" The bat wielding henchman cursed, blinking at his fellow bad guy though the darkness.

"Sorry Louie, I thought I..." Skids trailed off, pulling a bandana from his pocket to wipe away the sweat on his face.

"Tha's your problem." Louie hissed waving his bat around in the darkness, "Y'ah thought!"

A snort was heard from Louie's right, "You got a problem Turk?" the man snapped shifting his squinted gaze through the darkness.

"Shut the fuck up Louie." Turk snarled, weighing the sledge hammer in his hand in a slight warning. "Leave Skids alone."

"Or what? You gonna make me?" Louie growled, slapping the bat in his hands a few times.

"Ya'll need to shut ya traps." The first henchmen interrupted.

Eyes snapped to the pipe wielding man, "Stay the fuck out of this Mac." Turk said, "It's between Louie and Me."

"I don't care who the fuck it's between! We have other things ta worry bout." Mac growled, "Or did ya'll forget who else is in here with us?"

Another cackle echoed around the warehouse followed by a disappointed "aaww". The four men flailed around searching the shadows for the echoing voice, "I wanted to see them fight it out!" Robin announced. "Would have been easier for everyone that way."

Something shifted in front of a beam of moonlight, too quick for them to make out. Skids let loose another round where the shadow had just been.

"Missed me!" A batarang flew out from the darkness behind the four men and knocked the gun from Skids hands. The machine gun slid across the floor and out of view. Skids made to dive after it, but Turks hand held him back.

"Its a trap!" Turk hissed, "He wants to split us up!"

"What the hell do I fight with?" Skids said his voice quivered with fear. The man wiped the back of his hand across his profusely sweating forehead.

"Ya got fists, don't ya?" Louie snapped. The man could barely see the rapid head nod from Skids, through the darkness. "Well use them ya dumb-ass."

"We can take'em!" Mac muttered, flinching as another bout of laughter echoed around the room. "He is just a kid!" he continued. "Right?" the uncertainty in his voice rang through the warehouse.

"Yeah!" Turk agreed, "He is just a little brat. We can take him."

"But he is the Bat's brat." Skids muttered.

"Shut up Skids." Louie cried, "Look, if he can't sneak up on us, than he can't catch us by surprise." The others grunted in agreement. "So move your ass' in a circle." The four men shifted into an awkward looking square, each holding up their weapons.

"Now what?" Turk growled. "We wait for him to attack?" The man's sledge hammer cracked against the cement floor - the other men flinched - before pulling it back up to his hands.

Robin dropped from the ceiling, landing in a silent crouch in the center of the circle. A smirk played across the Boy Wonder's face.

"We wait for the bird to show his face, and then beat the crap out of him." Louie stated.

"Good luck with that." Robin lashed out, knocking Mac off his feet. Louie swung his bat around with a loud cry. The Boy Wonder bent back, ducking under the incoming sports equipment. The bat flew over the teens head and slammed into Turk. The sledge hammer fell from the man's hands as he stumbled back grabbing his now gushing nose.

Robin used his momentum to do a back handspring and launched himself feet first at Skids. The man went down like a ton of bricks. The Boy Wonder crouched over the fallen men, grabbing a fist full of his hair and slamming his head into the cement floor. Robin could hear the other three men readying themselves for a fight. Mac pulled himself off the floor, Louie tightened his grip on his bat and Turk absently wiped his bloody nose across his sleeve.

"Gentlemen," Robin said, straightening himself, while keeping his back to the trio. The teen brushed off his shoulders and busied himself with strengthening his cape. "Not to sound cliché, but we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"I will make you bleed until there is nothing left." Louie threatened.

Robin rolled his eyes, lifting one hand to fiddle with the clasp of his cape while the other pulled a batarang from his pocket. "If you insist." The batarang sliced though Louie's hands, forcing the man to drop the bat. Robin knocked Turk into a pile of crates with a kick to the chest.

Mac swung the mallet with as much force as he could muster. Robin could feel the breeze from the sledge hammer as it flew past his ear. The man struck crates sending the pile into a landslide. Turk vanished under the pile of crates from where he was previously struggling to get free.

"That was just mean." Robin scolded, playfully glaring at Mac but his tone sent chills down the spines of the remaining two henchmen. Mac struggled to pull his sledge hammer free from the ruins of crates, and was forced to abandon the weapon as Robin lashed out with a kick to the man's legs. There was a crack as his knee gave out and the tattoo covered giant crumpled with a cry, hands flying to his left leg. The bone stuck out at an odd angle and blood quickly coated the man's hands. Robin landed a hit on the side of the pained man's head, his fist coming into direct contact with his temple. Mac fell back with a thud, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Robin turned his attention to the remaining henchman, smirk firmly in place.

The man stumbled backwards, stumbling over his own feet to flee for the exit. "Please -" he gasped, slipping on his own bat and falling on his butt. "I won't -" Louie struggled to get back to his feet, "Ya can't-" the man crawled, dragging himself across the floor.

"Feeling the aster, Louie?" Robin asked before letting out a cackle.

The man pulled himself off the floor and took off running towards the exit. Louie watched over his shoulder, starring the young vigilante who smirked back.

Louie slammed into something large and solid before he went sent crashing to the floor. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at the sight of Batman. "Please-" Louie begged.

"Robin, what did I say about playing with your food?" Batman growled.

Louie let out a strangled cry before a boot connected with the side of his head. The cackling rung in his ears as everything went back.

Batman took in the room with a quick sweeping glance before his eyes landed on his protégé.

Robin smiled almost innocently back at him. "Sup Bats?" Dick could practically see Bruce raising a single questioning eyebrow from under his cowl.

"You wasted time," Batman stated.

"I had fun," Robin countered.

"It was dangerous," Batman continued.

"I was practicing stealth," Robin declared.

The muffled sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Did you grab the Penguin?" The Boy Wonder asked, raising his hands in a quick defense when Batman shot him a glare.

"Poison Ivy's plants have been reported in Gotham Central Park," Batman growled, grabbing a grappling hook from his belt.

Robin followed his mentors lead, pulling out his own hook. "Let's go stomp on some flowers."

With a small zipping sound the duo disappeared into the rafters, and spilled out the skylight. As if on cue outside, the police arrived, immediately pulling their guns on the unconscious and tied up Mr. Oswald Cobblepot.