𝙇𝘼 𝙁𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙉𝘼、young justice

[004]

Robin.

"He has been trying to find you."

"Woah woah woah Bats whatever you think it is, it's not that. I spoke to him once," she raised her hands in defense.

"You're an assassin, Rio," well no shit ya dumb twat. Batman's tone remained consistent; calm and bold, "my...sidekick... is trying to uncover every single thing in your cartel, as well as I. But he reaches dead-end after dead-end, because he cannot put a face to the name of the one person they send to kill."

Rio was unamused. Truly. And the parts of her face that were uncovered showed it.

"Now since the cartel you're a part of is about to be uncovered," this perked her attention a bit, "I'd like to list some conditions with you."

"I die with my father," she stood firm. No one, not even Batman, was going to take her from her family.

"Part of my list of conditions is that you and your father remain out of prison, but that's if you do a few things for me," through his mask, he glared at her slightly.

Her face conformed to that of confusion, looking him straight in the face. She decided it best to not respond. Her silence was enough. Batman looked into the sky, off into some abyss of thoughts before he looked down to her again, "you're going to come with me. I do not expect you to reveal any information, but you will remain safe."

"And why would I go with you?" Now she turned up at the sky, wondering what compelled him so. Gotham was a polluted city, you could barely see Venus staring down at you.

"Otherwise, you go to jail, right here, right now. And I also cannot assure the same wouldn't happen to your family."

Her face neglected to change expression, she stared straight at him, "and what stops me from killing you first?"

She knew she could fight him. She might not win but she could fight enough to give her time to think. And run. She could tell her father. This whole thing would be over. There was no obligation for her to change her whole life in an instant all because some man in a bat costume cornered her in an alley. Except the possibility of what this strange man could do to her family.

"Nothing, except for we both know that's not going to happen."

She thought for a moment, "if I go with you, what do I gain from it?"

The rain patted lightly against them as the short girl looked up at the man. The only thing you could see in the night was the white of her eyes as the little bit of moonlight shone through the dark clouds.

"I'll never understand why they make a kid do what you do," he spoke harshly, as if his mind was clouded, "you'll never have to do it again."

"What if I want to? What if I enjoy what I do? You ever stop to think I do this for the people I care about?" Rio could feel the tension between them increase, her being a murderer was obviously not on Batman's consistent list of worries,"and what about Robin? What makes him any different from me?"

The question striked Batman, but it was not visible, "I hope he never kills a man."

"Some people don't deserve to live. That man was going to sell his own child into sex trafficking," Rio balled up her hands into fists, "I don't think he ever should've seen daylight again."

"That's not your decision to make," he stepped one foot closer to her, a hand reaching out to her, "but this is. I'm offering you a chance. Jail, or this."

Rio brimmed with anger. This was not right. Legally, it was technically kidnapping. And Batman had no right to rush her with this type of decision. To be what, a hero? What good would it do her when the real evil was behind walls that the Justice League would never touch.