Thirteen

Chapter Two - Unknown

Gasping in pain, Robin staggered back, narrowly avoiding the man's staff as he swung it up towards his chin with great force. He looked swiftly in the snow for his other stick to no avail. Robin threw his other stick in the snow and took out his bo-staff instead, the staff extending much further than his Escrima Sticks did.

Again, Robin moved with an attack, forcefully swinging the staff towards the cloaked man. His opponent hit Robin's staff in the middle which rewarded both of them with a sharp sound. They both pushed with equal force against the other's staff and Robin strained to see under the man's hood.

"Who are you?" Robin shouted with much more anger. The other began to overpower Robin, forcing him down to one knee. Robin growled in anger, his knee sinking until it reached the icy ground buried deeply beneath the snow.

"Patience." The taller said in a strict tone. He brought up his foot and hammered it into Robin's chest. The Boy Wonder lost his hold on his staff and landed a few feet back with a loud shout of pain. He slid further in the snow and ice, coming to a stop back in his original spot.

The ebony haired boy struggled to catch his breath again and pushed himself back up to his feet. The man stayed in the same spot, only with Robin's skid marks and abandoned staff before his feet.

Robin scanned the man before him. His opponent had a clear advantage with his muscle build, height, and power, meanwhile, Robin already lost his Escrima Sticks, bo-staff, and he didn't have any projectiles in his utility belt to use. This man would definitely be able to overpower him.

Great.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Robin moved on the offensive side again with a well placed roundhouse kick. The Boy Wonder's foot stopped short when the man caught is ankle with his one hand. His foot was twisted into an awkward and painful position as the man forcefully threw him back through the air.

Robin twisted his body during his short flight into a back flip and he landed smoothly on his abandoned rock. He quickly grazed over his surroundings in hopes of finding a better field to fight on. One on his terms. He couldn't fight nearly as well with his feet lodged in the snow.

Only a short second more had gone by when the ebony's masked eyes landed on stray rocks a few feet to the man's left. It would be perfect. All he needed to do now was to get the man to follow him.

Quickly, Robin pushed off the rock he was standing and launched through the air. He sprinted the best he could through the thick, soft snow and attacked. His first punch was purposefully blocked by the man and Robin used this to drop down, grab his bo-staff, and swing it to knock the mysterious man off his feet.

Just as Robin expected, the man jumped over his staff, landing right beside the rocks he was hoping for. Robin grinned and cackled, ready to use the rocks to his advantage. He felt a new burst of confidence when he twirled the staff in his hands and charged at the man again.

Rushing forward, Robin danced across the slick surface of the rocks, relying on his acrobatics and balance to keep him from slipping off. When Robin was in close enough range, he thrust his bo-staff into the ground, using it to glide himself through the air and nailed his boots into the man's chest. His opponent staggered back with a loud grunt and Robin back flipped, landing without a sound.

The man stumbled back a few feet before he regained his footing in the snow, the white crystals hardly reaching the middle of his lower leg. Robin's eyes narrowed knowing that the snow reached up to his knees.

"Impressive, Robin, however your attack was too slow. I could have dodged that far too easily."

Robin was taken aback, but he quickly retaliated, "Then why didn't you dodge it?"