"Yo! Jason! Wake up!"
Jason peeled his eyes open. "What? What's going on?"
"Time for dinner!" Barry pointed at the clock.
"Oh, right." Jason jumped scrambled out of his cot.
"Come on the others are already eating!" Barry exclaimed.
Jason nodded as he followed Barry out the door.
"Settling in well?" A figure stepped in front of Jason and Barry.
"That's the Head Master!" Barry whispered to Jason.
"Run along Barry, Jason and I need a moment." The Head Master pushed him toward the door.
Barry scurried out, and The Head Master turned to Jason.
"I hope your ready for the mission tonight, because if you mess up, well let's just say it's every man for himself." The Head Master chuckled as he let Jason pass.
Jason stepped past him and ran to the door leaving the Head Master.
"Besides, if you get caught on your first day, there's no going back." The Head Master said to himself as he watched Jason scurry out the door.
_______________________________________
"Okay Y'all! Let's search this city! Kid Flash, you search Down Town and the woods nearby, Raven the sewage pipes and scan underground. Starfire search from the sky's. Beast boy, try to sniff out Robin's scent." Cyborg ordered.
"What about you?" Beastboy asked.
"I'm gonna search the main city." Cyborg replied.
"Oh. Okay. What do we do when we're done?" Kid Flash asked. "I should be done pretty quickly." He bragged.
"If you don't find anything, meet us back here, if you do give us a call on your communicator." Cyborg answered as checked the time.
"It's 9:30. If you can't find anything by 2, come back here and we will continue the search later. Teen Titans, GO!"
A bit later.
Raven flew through the sewage systems. It stank so bad, Raven curled her fingers around her nose.
This was hopeless. She had been searching for an hours already.
What if we don't find anything? What if we come up with nothing? What if we never find Robin?
What if...he's gone for good?
"No! I can't think like this! We have to find Robin...we just have to..." Raven said to herself. Her doubt was rising, her hope sinking. She had looked through the systems long enough. He wasn't here. It was time to scan the underground.
Raven phased up to the surface. She sat in the lotus position and levitated.
"Azerath..." Her magic covered the ground. "Metrion..." She didn't sense anything.
"Zinthos..." She floated a bit further scanning more areas.
Meanwhile
Robin groggily sat up. What happened? He brushed some hair out of his face.
It finally came back to him. He'd had been feeling quite sleepy waiting for the Titans, and some sort of gas came through the vents and knocked him out!
Wait a minute...vents?! There weren't any vents before! Robin studied them carefully. They were open, but when they closed it looked like there were no vents at all!
Robin hid a small smile as he ran and jumped up, caught the vent bars and hung there. Then he felt around for the vent cover crease. Well were was it?!
Wait, what's this? But before he got a chance, the bars lit up with electricity and shocked him.
"Auuggh!" Robin fell to the floor. The vent snapped shut.
Robin rubbed his fingers and he glared at the vent.
"You didn't really think I'd let you sneak out, did you?" Slade's voice came from behind him startling him.
Robin said nothing, only glared at Slade.
"So ready for another fight? I'm excited to see how much you've learned from our last battle." Slade didn't sound excited.
"The only thing I learned is how to take you Down!" Robin spat at him.
"Excellent. Then you should be free in no time. That is what you want, isn't it?" Slade was teasing him.
Robin didn't respond. He took a fighting stance.
"Let's begin then." Slade also took a fighting stance.
They Robin ran at him, jumping up into a kick. Slade caught it, and threw his leg, with the rest of his body to the ground.
Robin jumped up and glared at him.
"You can't be to vulnerable when you attack." Slade looked down at him.
Without warning, Slade kicked him to the side. Robin lost his balance and almost fell over.
"Dodging, is a good idea." Slade suggested.
Robin furrowed his eyebrows. He was getting tossed around like a sack of potatoes, and Slade was telling him how to fight! As if he didn't know!
Robin took a running start, punched at Slade to the left, but at the last second he withdrew it and kicked to the right.
Slade still caught it and dodged.
"Good technique. Would of worked with someone else, like one of the Titans, but I saw it coming."
"Shut up! Just Shut up!" Robin aimed a kick to his face. Slade dodged and threw some fists at Robin. Robin dodged a few but the last one got him.
"You have to be quicker than that Robin. How will you ever beat me like that?" Slade taunted.
Without answering Robin decided to try and beat him with his special move.
Robin jumped up aimed for his face, Slade dodged, then he dropped down, swiped his foot at Slade's feet trying to make him loose his footing and fall over.
To his surprise, Slade jumped at the last moment.
Slade threw him back with a punch to his gut. Robin fell a few feet away, and didn't get up.
"Well Robin it seems you can never win. How sad. It's on you, wether you want to escape or not. I guess you don't want to."
Robin sat up, and glared at him. But didn't say anything.
Slade turned his back and left.
Robin slammed his fist into the ground. We couldn't he beat him? Slade was right. It was his fault he was still here.
Maybe if he tried a different fighting style. He learned all sorts from Batman.
Maybe if he threw in some acrobatics!
Robin, unaware that there were any cameras watching him, flipped into the air doing a double flip, and landing perfectly.
"I forgot how much fun that was." Robin smirked and tried it again.
_______________________________________
"How did the training go?" Wintergreen came up behind him.
"Better than I expected actually." Slade answered. "I thin-"
Slade cut off. "What in the..." Slade studied the monitors. Wintergreen looked over his shoulder.
Robin was doing double and triple flips!
"Huh. I didn't know Robin could do that." Wintergreen commented.
"Neither did I..." Slade a small smile lit up his face. He had an idea.
_______________________________________
"Did the Titans Find Robin okay?" Alfred walked up behind Batman.
I sighed heavily. "No, they didn't. It was all a setup."
"For what?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was to distract them or something." I brooded, deep in thought.
"I can't really do anything but wait for them to find something." I sighed.
"Well then, let's focus on keeping the streets of Gotham safe shall we?" Alfred pointed to an incoming call from Gordon.
"Oh. Thanks." Alfred stepped back out of view while I excepted the call.
"Yes commissioner?"
"We have got a anonymous tip of were the Thieves are going to strike tonight."
"Where?"
"They said a warehouse, near the docks. They didn't say anything else."
"I'm on my way." Batman turned off the connection and sprinted to the Batmoblie, and took off.
Alfred stepped out of the shadows. "Maybe it's time to give Dr. Leslie a call."
Alfred sat down in Batman's seat, dialed her number and waited for the answer.
"Hello?!"
"Hello, Dr. Leslie! It's Alfred."
"Oh Hi Alfred! It's been so long! You called me with the Batcave computer and I thought there was an emergency! I'm halfway to my car!" She laughed at herself.
"Oh there's no emergency. Master Bruce is fine. In fact he just left to stop some thieves."
"Oh good. Just a sec, let me go back inside."
Alfred heard a door slam.
"So what's up?" Leslie sank into a seat.
"Oh, nothing really. I just called to see if you were doing alright."
"Oh how sweet. But you don't have to keep tabs on me. I'm a Doctor Remember?" She laughed.
"Oh don't worry, I'm know you can take care of yourself. So how's the clinic?"
"Oh, business is going well. Although sometimes I kinda wish it wasn't. Seeing all these sick people, makes me feel sick! Do know how many people have come in with bullet wounds this week? at least 8!"
"Oh, Well at least your helping them get better right?"
"Yes. That's the best part of the job." She paused for a moment. "You know we haven't seen each other in forever!"
"Would you like to go get some coffee?" Alfred smiled.
"That, would be nice." She agreed.
"I'll pick you up in half an hour." Alfred told her.
"Great! See you then."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Alfred turned off the connection and went up stairs to get ready.
_______________________________________
Kid Flash zipped out of down town into the woods. "Uggg! That was a waste of time! I didn't find anything!"
Kid Flash zipped around the woods. What in the world was he supposed to find here?
What, did Cyborg think they were hiding in a log house or something?
"What?" KF heard a rustle of leaves behind him. He turned his head, only to run into a tree.
"Oooff! Ow ow ow..." Kid Flash shook his head to rid his eyes of stars.
He glared at the squirrel, that had made the rustle of leaves.
He'd already searched the nearby woods. Cyborg did say Nearby. Maybe it was time to call it quits.
Meanwhile
A green hound dog sniffed at the ground trying to pick up Robin's scent. So far, nothing. He moved further, and he was almost down town were Kid Flash was searching. Beastboy turned to go up Town instead. But the only things up town was the power plant, the airport and Lex corp building. (Yes there's a lex corp building in Jump city, it was in a Teen Titans comic.)
Beastboy was getting kinda tired. His nose needed a rest! He neared the power plant. Wait what?! Beastboy picked up the tiniest scent! Robin must be nearby!
He followed the scent all the way to the airport. Were the scent grew stronger.
Almost there! He found himself in a parking lot garage. The scent was getting really strong..."Oooof!"
Beastboy changed back into human form and rubbed his head. He looked up, he bumped into a motorcycle.
This was were the scent was coming from? It was just a black motorcycle...wait a minute...this was Robin's motorcycle!
Beastboy excitedly pulled out his Communicator.
"What up BB?" Cyborg answered.
"I tracked Robin's scent to the airport and found his motorcycle!"
"Really? I didn't even think about were his motorcycle went."
"So now what? The scent ended here."
"I don't know B. Just go back to the Tower, and well figure something out."
"Sure. Whateves."
Cyborg closed his communicator. He didn't find anything. He hoped the others were having better luck.
Later At the Tower.
Raven floated through the Towers doors and sensed One other occupant, Kid Flash.
She flew to the Main room, and sure enough Kid Flash sat on the couch making himself at home.
"You look comfy."
"Oh, Raven! Hey." Kid Flash sat up. "Ow..." He put a hand to his forehead.
"What?"
"Ran into a tree." He laughed at himself. "Stupid squirrel..."
Raven floated over. "Here." She put her hand on his forehead as it glowed with magic. "Better?"
"Much! Thanks."
"No problem."
"So you come up with nothing too?"
Raven nodded.
"Uh...so when do you think the others will be back?"
"Just be patient."
"Not much of a conversationalist are you?"
Raven glared at him.
They sat in silence until someone interrupted it.
"Hey guys! Yo honey is home!" Beastboy strut into the room.
"Sup KF! Wanna play on the Game station?"
"Do you even have to ask?" KF grinned at him. They both scrambled over the game station.
"Uggg." Raven shook her head at the two boys playing videos games. There were important things at stake right now! She missed Robin. She missed his smile, she missed the way he reassured her, she missed the way he lead the team, he never gave up and they always came through in the end. It was Robin who had saved her from Trigon. We needed to find him. It was time to give back to him everything he gave to this team. We just have to find him! Surely if we don't find him, this team will fall apart. Cyborg can only pretend he can handle it for so long...
_______________________________________
I approached the docks. I parked the Batmoblie not far from here. The only warehouses that weren't abandoned, was a Star Labs Storage and the recently purchased weaponry for Arkham Asylum's Guards.
It would make more sense that they would rob the weaponry, so I crept up closer to the warehouse. I could still see the Star Labs warehouse from here just in case.
Gordon said the thieves would usually show around 6 or 7. It was 6:30. The dusk quickly turned into nightfall as I waited.
Finally I spotted some figures hiding in the bushes. I put my BatBinoculars on to take a closer look.
It looked like there were five of them now. I only counted 4 in the security cameras.
I saw them throw a rope with a hook at the end at the roof. It caught, and only four of them climbed the rope. I guess that the other one was supposed to stand guard. Wait what?
I took another look in my BatBinoculars. He looked like he was shaking. It wasn't cold...maybe he was nervous? That must be their new recruit. Maybe I can get some answers out of him before the others come back. I sneaked around the warehouse and came up behind him.
I waited until he noticed me. He was shaking nervously and looking from side to side once in a while.
He turned my direction and gasped. "It's you! Thank God!"
"Why are you and your group randomly stealing around Gotham!" I demanded.
"Batman, it's me! Jason!" He ripped off his mask.
"Jason?! What are you doing here?" I was shocked. What kind of trouble had he gotten himself into?
"The place Your friend Bruce Wayne dropped me off! It's actually the head quarters of the Thieves! And the Head Master is using the boys there to steal every other night!" Jason explained rapidly.
"Stay here!" I climbed the rope and went though the whole in the ceiling.
But Jason however didn't feel like obeying orders. He climbed in after him.
Batman eyes adjusted to the darkness of the warehouse. He saw the boys loading the guns and other weapons in their bags.
Batman dropped to the floor. "It's a school night, shouldn't you boys be in bed?"
The boys looked over startled. "Guys! It's the Batman!" David screamed in fright.
"Let's get out of here!" Barry started running, but was stopped by Batarangs pinning him to the wall.
"Help!" Barry cried.
"I'm coming Barry!" David started running over when Batarnags came his way. But to Batman's surprise, he easily dodged.
At that moment John and Joshua came at Batman with their fists.
David however, was trying to pry Batarangs off of Barry. He was having no luck.
Jason watched from above. He saw John land a hit to Batman's gut.
Jason didn't know Joshua and John were skilled fighters...
Joshua picked up a block of wood. Batman didn't see it coming and...
WHAM
Batman fell to the ground dazed. Batman growled at them. Finally having enough Batman pulled out some Batarangs. But before he had the chance to use them David, having given up on Barry, withdrew a knife and aimed it straight at Batman!
Jason had to act fast. He dropped down, stopping the knife dead in its tracks.
Batman whipped around. Did he just save me from a knife?
"Jason! What are you doing!" David yelled at Jason.
"Take him down David!" John yelled at David.
"Betrayer!" David yelled at Jason as he threw more knifes at him. Jason dodged
"I was never apart of this!" Jason just kept dodging.
"And now you never will be! Your dead Jason!" He threw his remaining knifes at him. "Sad isn't it? First your folks die, and now you!" David laughed.
"DONT. EVER. TALK. ABOUT. MY PARENTS!" Jason yelled enraged.
David ran out off knifes, and Jason took the opportunity to slam a fist straight in his face, knocking him out.
Batman glanced at Jason, surprised once more. Barry was still stuck to the wall, and Batman was just finishing up Joshua and John. Batman knocked Joshua off his feet, as he did so John came behind him with a one of the guns, pointing it straight at his head.
"No!" Jason ran forwards punched John, knocking him over as the gun fell to the floor.
Batman swiftly turned. Had this boy saved him for the second time tonight?
John, Joshua and David were all knocked out. Barry was still pinned to the wall, but didn't say anything.
"Thanks for the save Jason." Batman said as coldly as he could manage.
"We have to take down the Head Master!" Jason urged.
"The silent alarm has already been tripped. The police will be here soon." Batman replied.
"We have to go now! The Head Master could escape when he figures something's up!"
Batman weighed his options. Jason was telling him The Head Master could escape. He didn't think that he would figure out something was up yet...but then again, he underestimated the group of boys...he could call Gordon.
"Let's go."
Batman raced to the Batmoblie, Jason trailing not far behind.
One Batmoblie ride later
They had just pulled into the parking lot of the Thieves head quarters.
"Is there a back door?" Batman eyed the front door.
"Yes! This way!" Jason led Batman behind the building. The back if it looked much better than the front! "Here it is!" Jason pointed to the door. "It's locked though. I don't have the key, John does!"
Batman pulled out a Batlock pick. A few seconds later the door was creaked open.
Batman looked at Jason. He didn't bother telling him to stay here. Besides, he had saved his hide twice today, why not bring him along?
Alfred words came back to him.
"Master Richard never wants to see you again and you don't know why?"
Of course I know why. It was because I was trying to take Robin away from him. But Alfred said he never wanted him to be Robin in the first place...what was Alfred getting at? Did Robin not like the way I was treating him? Was there more to this than I realized? I'll have to ask Alfred later.
I peeked into the door. The coast was clear and I slipped inside, Jason following.
"How many people are here?" I whispered to Jason.
"Uhh...The Head Master, two goons, the front desk man and one other guy." Jason answered.
They came up to a door. Batman pressed his ear against it. He could hear two guys talking to each other.
For his safety, even though he doubted he would listen he looked at Jason. "Stay here."
Batman turned the handle and burst into the room, trowing Batarangs at the goons faces.
One dodged, the other got hit in the face.
"Get him!" The both ran at him.
A couple minutes later, two goons laid knocked out on the floor. At his surprise, Jason stayed put.
Batman softly shut the door. "Where's the Head Master?"
Jason had no idea, luck was on his side. Jason spotted a fancy looking door, and pointed to it.
Batman pressed his ear against it.
"Are the boys back yet?"
"No, their not."
"They should be back by now! Where are they!"
"I don't know I-"
Batman burst through the door.
"Aauh!" They gasped.
"Take him down!" The Head Master demanded.
Jason hid in the shadows for now.
The other man ran at him, trying to land a hit. A couple hits later, he knocked him out.
The Head Master picked up a gun and pointed it straight at Batman's head "Freeze Bat-" he was cut off by Jason.
Jason came behind him and kicked him, he knocked the gun out off the shot of his head, but right in range of his thigh.
"Aguugh!" A bullet went into his thigh. But even trough the pain,
Batman smiled. He knew there was a reason he brought him along.
"We make a pretty good team!" Jason smirked.
But before Batman could answer Gordon called.
"Yes?"
"So, obviously you caught the thieves, but you don't usually leave before I get there."
"I went to go take down their Head Master before he got away."
"Did you get him?" Gordon prodded.
"Yeah." Batman winced in pain. "Their hideout was the Home for troubled teens in the other side of town."
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Gordon could hear pain in Batman's voice. "What's wrong?"
"I'm fine. I can't meet you, have to get back to the cave..." Batman's vision wavered. Then he realized it. "Poison! The bullets were laced with poison!"
"Batman?! Did you get shot?"
"Yeah, gotta get back to the cave..." Batman's vision was fuzzy and he started to lose feeling in his leg.
"Go then. Get an antidote!" Gordon urged him.
Batman stopped answering him. Jason took action. "Come on! I'll help you get back to the cave."
Jason took Batman's arm and pulled him out the door. "Almost there..."
Jason could see the Batmoblie from here.
When they made it all the way to the Batmoblie, and Jason tried the door. Locked.
"It's locked Batman!" Jason yelled in his ear.
Batman felt around in his belt for the remote for the Batmoblie.
When Batman had done something with the remote, Jason tried the door again. This time it yielded.
Jason helped Batman in, and ran to the other side to get in himself.
The poison had really taken a toll on him. Batman just laid there unmoving.
"Now how to we get it to go to the cave?" Jason looked at the controls he had no idea what they did.
He remembered the remote and dug in Batman's belt for it. The controls on it looked simple enough. He pressed a button that said home.
The car started up, and took off. Jason sat back in his seat. Batman didn't look so good.
_______________________________________
"Thanks for the coffee Alfred." Leslie thanked him as they walked through the door into Wayne Manor.
"My pleasure Dr Leslie. But don't thank me, I used Master Bruce's credit card." Alfred smiled slyly.
"Oh really? I'll have to give him my thanks." Leslie laughed. "It'll be nice to see him after all these years. Thanks for inviting me over."
"No problem at all. "Alfred led her to the grandfather clock and pulled the lever.
"So, How has Bruce been? It's been awhile." Leslie followed Alfred into the Batcave.
"Oh, he's the probably still the same as you remember him. He's hasn't changed much." Alfred responded as they reached the bottom of the stair case.
"Ah well, some things never change." Leslie smiled lightly As she grabbed a nearby stool and pulled it closer to Batman's chair. "So were is Robin? Is he out with Batman?" She sat down and motioned Alfred to sit in Batman's chair.
"Ah, Master Richard, no he's not. He left our little nest a while ago." Alfred sat down.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know he was like a second son to you." She laid a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "And he was so sweet." She told him remembering.
"Well, I hear he's in Jump City, leading his own team." Alfred replied.
"Oh really? Good for him. Is-" Leslie cut off when the Batmoblie pulled into the cave.
"Ah, that Master Bruce now." Alfred got up, as did Leslie.
But much to Alfred's surprise, when the car doors opened, Batman didn't jump out. Jason did.
"Alfred! You gotta help Batman! He got shot with a poison laced bullet!"
Alfred and Leslie sprang into action.
Alfred and Jason carried Batman out of the car, as Leslie got her Doctors bag.
They set him on the table in the medical wing. Leslie got out her antidote for the poison.
"Good thing you called me Alfred." Leslie pulled out some tweezers.
"You carry an antidote for poison in your purse?" Jason asked surprised.
"Actually, my whole purse is actually my medical bag. It's full with antidotes and among other medical supplies." She answered as she plucked out the bullet and poured the antidote over the wound.
"As Bruce says, it pays to be prepared." Leslie quoted at she finished up with the gauze. "There he should be fine, he'll probably wake up in the morning."
"Thank you Dr Leslie. Can you stay a night?" Alfred asked.
"I can't, I have to be at the clinic early tomorrow. I should probably get going. I'll come back in a few days to check on Bruce though." Leslie closed her bag.
"See you in a few days then." Alfred followed her out. "But I still have to take you Home." Alfred and Leslie walked up the stairs leaving Jason alone with Batman.