A/N: This is a revised version of "A Bond Too Strong". The first edition will be left up until the newer one has been published in its entirety.

Chapter 1:

Downtown Gotham City – around midnight

"Robin, go up while I move around back," Batman said softly as he surveyed the five-story building across the street. "Observation only; do not engage."

"Okay, but what if they engage me?" the Boy Wonder whispered in reply.

Batman sighed. "If you stay where you are supposed to they won't even know you are there. Now go, quietly."

With a small grin and a quick salute, Robin shot his grappling hook straight up and disappeared into the darkness above. Batman waited for the soft, distinctive sound of the zip-line and, upon hearing it, maneuvered his way through the shadows to the back of the building. He heard voices, no more than whispers, and could only pick up a few scattered words:

"…Robin…lost…Bat…."

Grabbing the doorknob silently, he twisted slightly, expecting to find it locked. It opened easily, however, so he gently pushed it wider and stepped in. It was difficult to distinguish shapes in the dark, but the room had the look of an office. As he walked forward the shapes began shifting and Batman counted 10 thick human shadows. A trap.

Please stay on the roof, Robin.

That was Batman's only thought as he took off for the far door. He made it past one, two, three, four, five and six. Seven he knocked out with a right hook and eight received a solid chop on the back of the neck when he went low to tackle. The Caped Crusader grabbed nine by the forearm and swung around to bash it into ten's forehead. Dropping nine with a sharp boot to the knees, Batman pushed open the door and blinked into the bright lights of a clothing factory.

There were loud footsteps behind him so Batman quickly turned, slammed the door shut and clicked the lock into place. A cacophony of pounding fists replaced the stillness of the place and Batman was sure that the villain now knew he was there. He walked confidently to the center of the room, silently challenging the criminals. Nothing happened; there were no unusual movements, no soft noises, nothing.

After zipping up to the roof, Robin unhooked his line and slowly walked around the perimeter. Traps were not unusual when it came to fighting crime and he needed to examine the area carefully. There was an air conditioning unit to his right, several small chimney pipes scattered around and a large skylight directly in the middle.

He listened to the quiet night as he searched for anything unusual. There was nothing happening so he strode to the middle of the roof and crouched by the skylight. Staying here was not going to accomplish anything so why did he have to be here? Were the bad guys, who were probably already inside, going to scale the wall to get to the only opening in the roof? Sighing, the Boy Wonder sat down and crossed his legs. He was going to miss the action again.

One week ago:

"No, you can't go because you are not fully healed!" Batman snapped, his arms folded tightly across his chest. "When you can move without wincing then I will think about letting you go out."

"That's not fair; you go out even when you are hurt! I know, 'Gotham needs you' but I can help…" Robin's yelling was interrupted as Alfred walked in.

"Master Batman, might I suggest that you stay home tonight, as well? You do have a fractured wrist that is still healing," he said, trying to diffuse the tense situation.

Batman growled, "I'm just going to do a quick patrol, once around the city. Don't go anywhere except up to the Manor."

The last sentence was directed at Robin, who rolled his eyes and mumbled something unintelligible. Turning away from his partner, the young hero stomped to the Bat-changing area and disappeared. Batman went to the Batmobile, threw open the door, climbed in and slammed it shut. The engine roared and he was gone.

Alfred sighed and waited for Robin to emerge dressed in his regular clothing. Ten minutes later, deciding that he had given the boy more than enough time, the butler went to the door and knocked. No sound came from within and he frowned slightly.

"Master Dick, I'm going to come in because I don't hear anything and I'm worried that something might be wrong," he announced as he grabbed the handle of the door.

"Fine, I'm coming," Dick's voice was muffled. Opening the door, he looked up at Alfred with eyes full of frustration.

"I'm good enough, right? I'm strong enough," he stated softly. "Why can't I go?"

"Master Bruce just wants to keep you safe and it is harder to remain safe when you are injured," Alfred explained. "That was a nasty fall you took, young sir, when Riddler hit you."

"How was I supposed to know that one of his henchmen had been knocked out right behind me?!" the fourteen-year-old shouted. "I would've been fine if he hadn't been there to trip over! I only have a couple of bruised ribs and they don't even hurt that much! He has a fractured wrist but HE gets to go out?!"

Alfred let him rant, knowing it was better for him to get it out. Sometime he was going to make Batman explain this to Robin. The boy needed to hear it from his more experienced partner, not a butler well past his prime fighting years.

"Master Batman has more experience and knowledge, Master Dick. He also knows his body's limits. You are still learning and have a high pain tolerance. Because of that, you tend to block out what your body is trying to tell you when you are injured," Alfred stated after Dick was done venting.

There was a short pause then Alfred added, "Your ribs are fractured, young sir, not merely bruised."

Dick shrugged; rib injuries were all the same to him. The fight with Riddler had happened three days ago. His torso didn't even hurt anymore, except when he did a simple back handspring. But how could Batman see him wince when he was tumbling across the room?!

Sighing loudly, Dick muttered, "I'm going to bed. Thanks for listening, Alfred."

"You're welcome, Master Dick," the butler replied with a smile.

Present time:

Light suddenly flooded the room and Robin was startled out of his memories. Leaning over the lip of the skylight, he stared down into an empty clothing factory. There was movement to his left and the Boy Wonder watched Batman flick a lock into place on the southern door of the building. The Caped Crusader rolled his wrist – Robin noticed it was the fractured one that had "healed" and filed that information away for later – then strode forward into the center of the room. Nothing happened.

Batman looked around, surprised at the lack of…everything. No goons, no villain, no nefarious trap, no detectable gases. Just…nothing. He walked back to the door he had come through and began striding around the perimeter. There were several machines and boxes; criminals could be hiding in the shadows.

Upon arriving at the northern entrance, the hero glanced up and saw Robin's small face looking at him through the skylight. The teenager suddenly disappeared and Batman shook his head; the boy didn't know how to stay still! Five seconds later, his partner's profile unexpectedly came into view and the boy had his hands raised in a defensive manner. Too late, the Caped Crusader realized that the trap was for Robin.

There was a quick flash of white, the sound of breaking glass and then the body of the Boy Wonder was hurtling toward the ground at an unhealthy speed. Batman ran, already knowing that he wasn't going to make it. He was watching his young partner fall to his death. The sudden explosion threw him back into a wall and he lost consciousness.

Robin waited for something to happen but the only thing he saw was Batman beginning to search the perimeter of the room. Standing up, the Boy Wonder turned around and walked toward the edge of the roof. He might as well re-examine the perimeter of his position; there was nothing else to do.

Suddenly, there was a flash of white and Robin whirled around. Catwoman was standing over the skylight, throwing a mannequin through the shattering glass. The mannequin was wearing a red tunic, black mask and yellow cape.

"NO!" he screamed, instantly recognizing the fact that Batman was the mouse in her trap. He sprinted toward the villainess but a sudden explosion threw him across the roof and he lost consciousness.

Four minutes later:

Batman groaned as he opened his eyes to darkness. He heard dainty footsteps and instantly knew the identity of the villain, who was actually a villainess.

A distinctive, feminine voice whispered, "Come home with me, Batman. You don't need a little boy holding you back. Take my hand and we'll go home."

"Don't touch…Robin."

The Caped Crusader's breathing was slightly labored, his head was pounding and he struggled to complete the short sentence.

"Don't worry," she purred softly. "It's not him I want."

Gently parting Batman's lips, Catwoman pushed a tablet into his mouth. She followed it with a quick gulp of water, forcing the man to swallow the pill.

"This will help you relax, my love," she whispered sweetly. "Don't think about that little bird; he won't bother us anymore."

"Robin…where…bother?" Batman was confused but he felt his muscles relaxing. He was worried about his partner but too tired to resist the drug he had just been given. Sighing, the Caped Crusader allowed his thoughts to drift into nothingness.

Six hours later:

Robin woke to the sound of feet pounding rhythmically on cement. He opened his eyes, only to quickly shut them as sunlight blared down.

Sunlight? Holy blackout!

Slowly sitting up, the young hero took stock of his injuries. A small throbbing in his ribs again, a good size headache and some minor bruises were all that he found.

Carefully making his way to standing, the Boy Wonder went to the large hole in the roof. It was five feet south of the broken skylight and the bright beams of the sun allowed him to easily see the center of the factory. There was nothing to see, however, except a glinting circle of shattered glass.

Batman was down there, somewhere, and Robin was worried. It was obvious that the explosion had originated inside the building. His partner could have been smashed against a wall, crushed under the cement that had fallen from the roof or even…no, he wouldn't think like that. Batman was a survivor.

His grappling hook had been destroyed when he had hit the air conditioning unit on the roof. Robin wrapped his Bat-rope around one of the chimney pipes and secured it with a tight Bat-knot. Slowly, he lowered himself hand over hand, landing on a blackened square of floor – the site of what he assumed to be a bomb.

Starting at the origin of the blast, the Boy Wonder began walking in an ever-widening circle. The light of the room dimmed as he traveled away from the portion of missing roof. There had to be something, some kind of clue that would tell him what had happened to his partner.

Against the eastern wall, the one farthest from the site of the bomb, Robin finally found his clue: Batman's black cape. But there were no other clues – no blood, no signs of a scuffle, not even any footprints. He glanced around and noticed something white flapping around on the southern door. It was the one he had seen Batman lock last night and he sprinted over to investigate. The white object was a piece of paper and he took his mini Bat-flashlight out of his utility belt. Shining it on the small sheet, he read:

ROBIN: WHEN IS A BAT LIKE A BOY BLUNDER? WHEN HE FALLS FOR THE TRAP THAT HE THOUGHT WAS FOR YOU! HE IS MINE NOW. CATWOMAN

Robin snatched the note off the door and pounded his fist on the wall. It looked like he was going to be doing the saving this time. But what better way to prove his strength than to rescue the man whose approval he wanted?

Closing his eyes, and definitely NOT allowing any moisture to leak out of them, he took a deep breath and whispered, "Hang on, I'm coming".

Opening his eyes, the Boy Wonder twisted the bolt that unlocked the door. The back room was full of shadowy office furniture but the teen ignored everything. He had one objective – find Batman – and he wouldn't be able to do that by examining chairs and desks. Quickly walking out the door, he started for home without looking back.

When he awoke, the Caped Crusader found himself in a soft bed in a dark room. The Batcave? No, the bed was too soft. Wayne Manor? No, he was currently Batman. Home? Possibly.

Batman had no memory of anything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. He didn't even know that he was missing an entire day. The last thing he remembered was talking to an old man about breakfast. For some reason, the image of a small bird was securely entwined in that memory. Thinking about that made his head hurt, though, so he dismissed the thoughts and focused on his present situation.

Listening carefully to his surroundings, the Caped Crusader sat up and mentally checked his body for injuries. A sore left wrist was the only thing he found so he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.

The floor had a slight give to it – he was walking on an expensive carpet. The room was completely black so Batman stretched his arms in front of him. Slowly, taking short steps and keeping his arms straight, the hero traveled forward until he hit a wall. He felt a door jamb, found the handle and twisted it.

A snow-white cat rubbed against his legs as the hero opened the door. His earlier question was answered: he was home. Grinning in anticipation, he went in search of Catwoman, the stunningly beautiful woman that he adored. He turned a corner and came upon her in all her resplendent glory, sitting on a fur-covered chaise lounge and being attended to by several men. Batman frowned; he should be the one doing the attending. Marching into the room, the Caped Crusader angrily knocked each man out of his way, silently daring them to react as they were tossed aside.

Catwoman smiled excitedly as she watched the man stride toward her. The new drug, one of her own invention, worked! She now had command of the most terrifying human in Gotham City. He was no longer a hero; she had tipped the scales in her favor! All the other villains would be so jealous – she could control The Bat! The police didn't stand a chance and what was Robin without Batman? A weak, lost baby bird. The villainess laughed delightedly as Batman knelt by her side and stared up at her with admiration in his dark-blue eyes.

Mid-afternoon:

Robin was exhausted by the time he arrived at the Batcave. Six miles from the center to the edge of Gotham City plus fourteen more to get to stately Wayne Manor. It hadn't helped that he had been forced to take multiple detours in order to avoid the runners participating in the Gotham City Marathon. Add some labored breathing due to heavily bruised – or maybe fractured? – ribs and he wasn't surprised that it had taken him all morning and half of the afternoon to get home.

As the Boy Wonder dragged himself through the entrance to the Batcave, he saw the empty space where the Batmobile should have been and became thoroughly overwhelmed. Leaning against the wall, he slid down, bent his legs and rested his head on his knees. Crushing the note from Catwoman into a tight ball, Robin attempted to push the image of a broken and bloody Batman out of his mind. It wasn't working and he wanted to cry.

That's how Alfred found him. The old butler had just exited the service elevator when he heard a noise and went to investigate. He was shocked to see Robin sitting on the ground with his entire body trembling. The boy was rolling a crumpled piece of paper around in his right hand. Alfred gently pried open the young hero's fingers, took out the note and read it with growing horror. Batman had to be found, and quickly, but the butler wouldn't be able to do anything without the help of the boy who looked so defeated.

Standing up, the faithful butler walked quickly to the Bat-analyzer and attached the note to the screen. Then he returned to Robin, knelt down, wrapped his arms around him and gave him time to calm down. The shaking of the small body stopped after two minutes but the teenager didn't move or speak. Glancing down at the young face, the man discovered that exhaustion had overcome the boy – he was fast asleep. Alfred regretted what he had to do but did it anyway.

"Master Robin," the butler said loudly but gently, "it's time to wake up. We have a hero to find."

"Just five more minutes," the Boy Wonder mumbled as he slowly opened his light-blue eyes. He was surprised to find himself in Alfred's arms. Peering up at the man with tired eyes, Robin tried to remember why he was on the cold ground of the Batcave being held by Alfred.

The butler's last sentence suddenly registered in his mind and Robin yelled, "Batman! We have to save Batman!"

"Master Robin, try to focus," Alfred said as he sat the boy up and began checking for injuries. It only took a few seconds for him to see that the teenager's ribs were hurt again. From the bump on the back of the boy's head, the butler also decided that there was the possibility of a mild concussion.

"Tell me what happened, young sir. Do you know Batman's whereabouts? Do you have any clues?"

"I had a note, where is it?" Robin exclaimed. "It's my only clue, from Catwoman, I dropped it, where is it, what do I do?" He was rambling and close to breaking down.

"Relax, young sir, I have it," the butler replied, his voice calm and even. "I was afraid you were going to rip it up so I took the liberty of putting it on the Bat-analyzer."

Robin scrambled to his feet and raced to the Bat-analyzer, only to be disappointed when he saw the results.

"There's nothing except a bit of perfume. We already know she wears perfume."

He tried to calm down; he had no other clues. His partner was lost, taken, and he had nothing to go on.

Think. Where are her usual lairs? A warehouse? No, that's Joker's thing. Underground? More likely to be Penguin's hideout. Maybe a house, bought or rented as someone else…? A long shot search is better than no search.

"Alfred, let's do a search on the Bat-computer for recently sold and rented homes. It's likely a useless idea but I can't think of anything else at the moment."

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

"It's the Batphone, Master Robin. Shall I answer it? I can try to put the Commissioner off for a little while. 'Batman is currently unavailable' should work."

Robin sighed and a frown creased his forehead. "I guess so," he replied. "I mean, he is unable to come to the phone so it's not like you're lying."

Alfred spoke to the commissioner, assured him that Batman would call him back as soon as he was available then replaced the receiver.

"I need him Alfred. I don't know how to find him without him helping me find him," Robin whispered despairingly. "We have nothing to go on!"

The last sentence was nearly shouted and the words were filled with frustration.

"We will find him, Master Robin," Alfred declared confidently. "Here is your chance to prove your strength. Do NOT give up so easily. We will do that search and we will find something. We will get him back. Let me wrap your ribs and give you a Bat-pill for the headache I'm sure you are experiencing."

"Thanks, Alfred. You're right, as usual. We'll never quit searching until we find him de…never mind. That won't happen so we will never quit."

Robin gave Alfred a tiny, albeit sad, grin as he sat on a medical table and watched the butler begin to work on his injuries.