I looked up from the floor as the door of the tiny closet opened. The interior smelled of moth balls and blood.

"Robin," the dark glare pointed at me was clear.

"Get em' out," a gruff voice spoke outside.

Rough hands dragged me out, feet tied behind me. My hands bloodied and numb from the tight rope around my wrists hung at my back.

Before I was thrown on the hard, broken couch I caught sight of myself in the dusty mirror.

My face, thin and tired was covered in blood. My nose and a thin cut on my eyebrow covered the pale skin in scarlet.

I felt a small snap at my back as my spine hit the old springs.

"So..." The gruff voice spoke. "Robin."

I was almost grateful for the gag as the words that came out of my mouth were not kind.

"Remove the gag," the gruff voice spoke from the shadows. Floor boards creaked as he stood.

Disgusting hands pulled the dirty fabric from my mouth.

"What do you want?" I spoke like a zombie, my throat dry from near twelve hours without food or water.

"Isn't that obvious?" The voice said behind me.

"Enlighten me," I snarled.

"Where do we find the Batman?"

"Wait five minutes and he'll come to you." I smirked. "You're messing with the world's best detective."

"No, no," his thick fingers pulls my head up and saw gold teeth. "You misunderstand. He has no idea where you are. We want you to lead us to his lair."

I snorted. "He knows where I am by now. And I won't tell you where any lair is. We don't even call it that. Stupid name."

He threw my head back violently and my cheek ran across a broken spring.

Newly bleeding, but still determined, I set my jaw.

"Boss," the first man spoke. "You are talking to the bat's brat. I told ya you won't get nothing out of him."

"That's a double negative," I called.

"Shut it!" The gruff man spoke. I could practically hear his head pounding. "You really think Bats knows where the kid is?"

"Dunno boss. Bats knows everything."

Their fear was growing. I could feel it swelling in the room.

They began to whisper and I strained my ears to hear them.

"We should just kill him then," the first man mumbled.

His boss hissed in fear. "If the Bat really is like you say I don't want to be dead because his kid wouldn't talk."

"Not my dad," I protested. "Why do people keep thinking that?"

They paused, knowing they messed up.

Outside the wind was growing, hiding what I thought might be a car engine. Maybe it was him and maybe it wasn't. But I needed time.

If I could buy a few minutes...

"Robin," I growled, in Batman's dark tone.

On the other side of the room I heard terrified squeaks.

I raised my own voice a little, trying to sound small and scared. "Batman? Where are you?"

A noise like a newborn kitten came from one of the men. Whether it was the first man or the boss didn't make it any less funny. Burying my laughter I spoke as batman again.

"I'm coming up there."

"Help!" I spoke in my own voice.

"Just let him go!" The boss yelped. "Untie the brat!"

"I'm not getting nowhere near him!" The henchman spoke.

"I'm the boss now cut him free!"

With terror in every inch of his face the henchman walked to me, his quivering dagger reaching to cut the ropes. But just before the tip of the blade reached the ties he paused. "What of this is a trick?"

"How could it be a trick?" the Boss stood, his shoulders shaking.

"Doubtful," I fueled their fears. "'Bats' as you call him just likes to scare. And to be honest who else could it be?"

"Just untie him," the henchmen squeaked higher than I could've managed.

"I'm the boss. You go untie him."

"Won't matter who's boss if we die."

"Fine," the boss inched forward, the floor creaking and threatening to break. W must have been in the abandoned part of town. I should've known. where else could we have been. The security in this place was very lapse so no one would find where I was unless they found a trace of my capture. And as I had no idea how or when id been taken the chances seemed very slim.

When the rough hands reached my hands I could've sworn I heard footsteps on the stairs.

Please, I silently begged. Batman I can only stall so long.

Then something sharp and indignant dug into me. Why was I waiting for help? I could get out of this without even the threat of batman. I had enough skills and talent. I'd only been doing this for four years. I was practically a pro.

Keeping up my pathetic stance I felt the rope loosen and waited until they dropped to the ground.

Standing very carefully I discreetly looked around. My tool belt was gone and there were no visible weapons. One kid against two buff fully grown men. I could do this. With one slow breath I turned on my heal, preparing to leave.

The only source of light in the room was the flickering light through the window and the ceilng light.

I could knock one source out.

Turning back in one fluid motion I threw a glove at the light, the led lining cracking and breaking it. With only the fading sunlight I located the two men and kicked one over the head. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and I jumped on the other, hands linked and hitting them hard, leaping to the ground lighter than a cat.

Using the rope I locked their hands together.

The adrenaline and pride drowned out my injuries for less than a second before a knife of pain sunk into me and I felt the dripping blood.

I had to get out there before they woke up.

Stumbling out of the room I ran smack into someone. My heart stopped. Did they have a guard at the door? I hadn't heard anyone and he hadn't come to the other's aid.

A vice grip snapped onto my wrist and I swore out loud. All my effort was wasted.

"We'll talk about that kind of language later," a dark familiar voice soothed my pounding heart. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," I spat, my cheeks boiling. I'd panicked. The one thing he told me never to do. No matter what I did to impress him id given myself, hadn't looked where I was going and panicked. On top of that he' heard me swear which wasn't giving me any brownie points.

"What happened in there?" he asked.

"Got untied so I knocked them out and tied them up." My embarrassment kept me from bragging.

"Well done," his voice was as flat as normal. Was it just my imagination or was there the barest hint of pride in it? "Let's go home."

He turned on his heal and I went to follow, my knee buckling.

Before I had the chance to cry out strong arms gripped me and lifted me close, a curtain of black hiding my form.

"Good job," he said softly, walking down the steps.

At least I could pass out happy.

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