The Greatest Sacrifice

Part 3 - Save Robin

With a swift motion, Joker pushed the off button of the collars' remote and fled from the garage, laughing at the top of his lungs.

And the team was left alone with the broken, bleeding bird on the ground in front of them.

It took Kaldur a few seconds to realise that his Atlantian strength had returned. Superboy was the first one of them to recover their wits.

"What are you doing?" He roared, glaring at M'gann and Aqualad. "Get us loose!"

Miss Martian tried to control her sobs as she quickly cut through the ropes around her body with her telekinesis. She did the same for Aqualad, who ran to Robin as soon as he could walk.
M'gann then turned to Conner and tugged the Kryptonite away from his chest, tossing it to the side. The Kryptonian ripped through his bindings as he felt his strength return. He proceeded to untie Wally and Artemis.

Once free, they all joined Aqualad at Robin's side.

The Boy Wonder, remarkably, was not yet fully unconscious. His hands were still tied behind his back. Kid Flash gently raised Robin's body off the ground so that Superboy could get to the ropes. The Boy of Steel removed the ropes as tenderly as he could as Robin stirred.

Kid Flash lowered Robin, putting his best friend's head on his lap. Artemis was pressing her shaking hands against Robin's bullet wound. Blood was gushing out of the small hole in his stomach, covering her hands, filling her nose with its coppery smell.

Aqualad had retrieved Robin's utility belt and was rifling through it. He quickly extracted a roll of gauze from it and tossed it over to Wally, who caught it with ease.

"Let up for a second, Artemis," He said shakily.

Artemis nodded, tears running down her face, and pulled her hands away from Robin's stomach. Kid Flash carefully lowered Robin's head to the ground.

The Boy Wonder let out a moan of pain, still somewhat conscious. M'gann shushed him quickly, stroking his black hair as Wally started to wrap up Robin's lower torso. Robin's hands instinctively reached down to touch the bullet wound but Artemis caught them gently.

"You're okay, Robin. Don't touch it, alright? You'll be okay," she whispered, gently kissing his forehead.

Wally finished tying off the wound and pressed down on it, the white gauze already turning crimson red. Robin let out a wail of pain and Wally felt tears run down from his eyes. He felt someone push his shaking hands away and he looked up to find that it was Superboy, who was now using his own hands to put pressure on Robin's gut.

Wally watched as his best friend, his little brother of two years, shook, sweat slowly trickling down his face and bare chest. His eyes appeared closed behind his mask. His face was contorted with agony and his fists were clenched inside of Artemis' grip.

The speedster turned his attention to the word engraved on Robin's chest. Five letters were crookedly carved across the length of Robin's pectorals, blood dripping down from them sluggishly.

Seeing this, Wally quickly ripped up the arm of his uniform, seeing as they were out of gauze, and brought it slowly to Robin's chest. He wiped the blood away gingerly and Robin suddenly screamed, his back arching off of the ground.

"Stop!" M'gann cried.

"The s-salt," Wally stuttered, cursing himself. "It-it's already infected. Oh God, I'm sorry, Robin."

He looked up at Kaldur, who was kneeling at Robin's feet, putting pressure on the wound inflicted by the knife on his left leg.

"We have to call the League," the leader said firmly. "Wally, take over here for me."