Chapter Text
“Batman! Look out!”
Robin shouted from the cat walk above the ware house floor. He had one gauntlet clenched around a man’s throat and a foot shoved into the stomach of another.
Even from this distance Red Robin could see barely restrained fear etched into the young man’s face. He paused, mid swing to look toward the infamous knight. The man who had been running at him, found his nose unfortunately caught by the butt end of a staff.
“Batman!” Red Robin yelled, when his gaze landed on what made Robin suddenly so afraid. He hoped that between his and Robin’s calls, the man would hear.
No such luck.
Batman was caught in the fray with Two Face. A life time of anger, rivalry and disdain pooled into this singular moment. The scarred man’s insane laughter echoed through the barely there roof tops, taunting Batman back to a childhood of pain. There was nothing that could pull Batman out of this. This was a fight he had to win. Failure was not an option for Gotham or for himself. Although, he hadn’t sunk low enough to revenge; even if he could still feel the bite of the baseball bat against his cheek.
Only death would stop him from ending this battle.
And death was exactly what Robin and Red Robin saw coming toward Batman at a speed impossible to stop. A man, who wove apart from the fighting groups, was making his way toward Batman. An impossibly large weapon balanced on his arm, hand wrapped around the trigger and head tilted for the perfect aim.
Red Robin knew that pose. He seen it multiple times when he came against the League of Assassin’s. Men and women who wanted to make a kill more thrilling at close range. After all, what was so exciting about shooting someone through a window fifty yards away, when it could be done point blank?
Red Robin’s heart thudded in his chest, worry flooding his system. Batman couldn’t fall. More importantly, the man behind the cowl couldn’t fall. He didn’t think he could survive it. Swallowing his nerves, he found his one opportunity and took it. He had to, for the sake of that man, he had to take this moment.
“Please,” he whispered, the single word that launched him over the colliding heads. His staff caught the assassin’s gun jerking it down.
“Fuck!” The man grunted, his wild gaze landing on Red Robin. He snarled, revealing putrid, decaying teeth. “You’re in my way, kid!” His hand tightened and…
An explosion shattered the air between them. Red Robin felt something slam into his stomach but couldn’t register it. All he knew was that the assassin was being hurled away from him and his staff was the one doing the throwing. His body shrieked at him but he didn’t have time to listen. That man had to be removed if only to save the man behind the cowl.
The assassin’s body slammed into a support, shattering the wood. He slumped to the floor, promising not to get back up for awhile.
Before Red Robin could have a moment to figure out why his body was getting so heavy, another thug rammed into his shoulders. A sharp gasp ripped over his throat and his body hit the floor. Pain, the sharp shards of nerves, rocketed up his body setting very last muscle on fire. Black clouded his vision and he didn’t really remember the ware house being this dark before. He’d think on it later, when his head didn’t hurt so much.
Two face dropped and Batman stood over his form, mouth a grim line. No matter how strong the temptation, he just couldn’t kill him. With a harsh sigh, he whirled on the spot. Not a single thug was left standing. The ones that groaned and shifted on the floor were no threat and would be picked up by the police soon enough. His eyes narrowed behind the cowl.
“Robin!” He called. Hearing a click from above, he looked up to see Robin zip-tying a man to the railing of the cat walk. At any other time, he would have snort and made a snappy comment. This time, however, deep seated anger whirled at the top of his mind.
Robin glanced over the edge of the cat walk. He was frowning, it was an even tighter expression than normal. “Where’s Red Robin?” He demanded.
Batman stilled, he hadn’t seen Red Robin since he’d turned around. He glanced around but before he could continue his search, gurgling laughter met his ears.
“The little bird is gone, Bats,” the assassin chortled from his position on the floor. “I got rid of him.” He laughed again, blood staining his mouth and chin. “A blow like that to the stomach? There is no return!”
“What are you saying old man?” Robin snapped from above.
The answer was a hand pointing. Three sets of eyes turn to look. Batman’s throat tightened, air suddenly seeming an impossible thing. The once dark, dirt encrusted floor was turning a brilliant red. All of that blood oozed out an unmoving form.
“Oh God…” Batman breathed.