Behind the Mask (A Batman and Robin Fanfic)

Chapter Two

As I closed the door to my apartment, my thoughts drifted to the series of events that had just passed. I felt butterflies in my stomach when I thought of swinging through the night with Robin. I couldn’t believe I was this star struck. Nearly every girl in Gotham had a Robin shrine in their bedroom. The Boy Wonder captured the hearts of teenage girls in Gotham while Batman captured the hearts of nearly every woman.

 I slid the deadbolt across the door and tried to shake off the thoughts of Robin that seemed to be consuming me. “Nick?” I shouted across the apartment wondering if he made it home from work early.

“I’m in the kitchen” was the reply.  After changing out of the monkey suit that I was required to wear for work, I met my older brother in the kitchen.

“Hey!”  I exclaimed as I wrapped my arms around him for a hug. “You’re home early!” I remarked as he placed left over Chinese food into the microwave.

 “Yeah, they actually let me out on time for once” Nick replied with a chuckle. At age twenty-three, my older brother Nick was one of the youngest police officers in all of Gotham, the force sometimes took advantage of his youth but Nick loved his work.

“You’ll never guess what just happened to me!” I exclaimed as I poured myself a cup of juice, starting to shake with enthusiasm.

“What? Annie, you’re shaking!” He said with a faint sense of worry.

“Well I took the short cut through the alleyway on the way home from the diner like I always do--”I started to say before Nick interjected.

“What did I say about that alleyway? It’s way too dangerous!” Nick said frustrated.

 “Well I was walking through it, when I got attacked-” I was cut off again by Nick.

“WHAT? Are you okay?!” he asked as he put his hand on my arm, and started examining for injuries.

“Yeah, I’m fine” I continued “Batman and Robin came to save me!” I said with wonder in my eyes.

“I don’t want you walking home by yourself anymore” Nick said with sincerity “I’ll walk you home from work from now on."

He had made this threat a thousand times, I knew he could never follow through with it because he worked so much.

“We both know that’s not going to happen, besides I’m always careful” I dared to say.

“Well I don’t want you to end up like Dad!” He raised his voice frustrated. “You remember that night don’t you? Dad was careful and it still wasn’t enough”

I remembered that night all too clearly

*Flashback*

The arena was packed with people. The announcer’s voice carried throughout the whole arena with a boom, “Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight is the night! The champion Mickey  “The Missile” Duke takes on  Joey “the Bomber” Bo for the title!”

“Wow! You really think Dad can take out the champ for the title?” My twelve year old self whispered to  my seventeen year old other brother who sat on the sidelines beside me.

“I don’t know, Annie but I sure hope so.”

Our mother left us when we were young so Dad raised us while being a professional boxer. Nick and I even got into it. I was the Girls Lightweight Champion for a while, Nick was always jealous because I was a better boxer than he was.

After twelve long hard fought rounds, my father was the new heavy weight champion. The final bell rang and my dad was given the championship belt. He knelt down at the edge of the ring and hoisted me into the air, he then pulled Nick onto the stage. “I won, my little angel! We are the champions!” He cried with joy as we paraded around the ring.

After the celebration, we walked out to the empty parking lot of the arena to head home. “That was a great fight, Dad!” Nick exclaimed.

Dad looked graciously at Nick “Well thanks Nicky, Your ole Pops has still got it!” he was the only one that could ever call my brother Nicky without him getting mad.

As my dad shoved the key into the car door, he noticed a dark figure watching us from behind another car. “Can I help you, sir?” He asked suspiciously.

“You were supposed to lose that fight!” The figure rasped back and before I knew what had happened, two loud bangs sounded off. My dad fell over in the parking lot and the man took off running. Nick quickly jumped to my father’s side and I started screaming.

*End of flashback*

A lot had changed since my father’s death. Nick stopped boxing and so did I. Nick went through a lot to take care of me, but I was really thankful for him. If I had been all alone, I don’t know how I would have survived.

After I finished gobbling up my dinner, I raced off to my room to try and get to bed before it got really late. I was not looking forward to going to school the next day.