Huge thanks to firenations for the I wonderful cover!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Penelope and her family (possibly some friends too), all rights over any other character goes to DC Comics and their writers etc. This is a work of fiction and any similarities to non-fiction people, things or situations are purely coincidental.
I've based this Tim Drake mostly but maybe not completely on the Red Robin from before the New 52, just to make that clear. I have made adaptions on his story line and possibly (not likely) his character to fit this story.
This story is copyrighted and if I or anyone else finds that this same story had been published on another account or platform it will be reported.
~ Short-ish chapter :) ~
"I'm not going to kill you," He sneers, the bright red smile that already reach his cheekbones widening maniacally. "Not if good ol' Batsy comes to save you! Haha!"
I glare at the madman, silently hoping he wouldn't notice me shaking. To be completely honest, I don't even know how I ended up here. I was at school, in the Science lab working on an investigation that was due the period after. The lights had gone out, sirens started blaring and in came those men.
They were disgusting. The comments they were making, the teachers and students they were shooting and the equipment they were destroying - it was all disgusting. Thinking they were going to kill me anyways, I grabbed one of the burners I was using for my experiment and hit three of them over the head with it. It wasn't on, no. I didn't have the intention to kill them - or even hospitalize them, I just did it to feel like I had done something to protect myself or even the people around me. Even if it didn't work, it still would have at least hurt. It probably angered them when I had attempted to inflict physical pain on them because the next thing I know, I'm waking up here.
In an abandoned warehouse with Gotham City's most notorious criminal and his significant other - who is arguably just as psychotic as he is.
"Oh, don't worry about that sweetie," Harley says, gripping a baseball bat over her shoulder. "I won't let my Puddin' hurt ya!"
"Now, now," The Joker laughs. "I wouldn't bet on that! Haha ho! Haha!"
Harley rolls her eyes at him, chewing loudly on her pink bubblegum. I felt bad for her. Over the time that I had spent in here - which is only about two and a half hours - I've come to notice the way that the Joker would treat her like some sort of slave or toy or as someone with less worth to him. I mean, what could you have expected from him though? But I have noticed that he does more or less care for her. Well, more than he cares for the other people around him. Which is not at all.
I don't lessen my glare on him, keeping my mouth shut. I'm smart enough to know not to press The Joker's buttons.
"Why so serious?! Haha! This little girl needs to learn how to smile! Haho!" The Joker takes a few steps closer to me, a crow bar gripped tightly in his right hand. "We can teach her, can't we Harley?"
"Uh, of course we can!" Harley snaps out of what seems to have been a daydream, her pigtails bouncing as she moves her head.
"It's a shame that the bat has such horrible timing, isn't it?" The green haired psychopath swings his crowbar twice, laughing maliciously at my trembling frame. I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified. I've never had a high tolerance for pain and if I am ever to receive a beating from The Joker, I wouldn't last through a fourth hit.
A loud crash is heard and my head snaps towards Harley, my breath becoming rapid as she picks up the dropped can of the infamous Joker Gas and brings it towards me.
Harley is barely three feet away from me when a flash of black sends The Joker to the ground.
An involuntary sigh leaves my lips as one of his allies or sidekicks or helpers or whatever they call themselves (there's a lot of them, okay?) runs over to me and unties me from the chair I was strapped to.
I cling to his side, cringing at the damsel in distress cliché that seems to be taking play. I snort at the thought, earning a questioning glance from the boy who pulls me to safety.
Red Robin. That's what he goes by. One of many allies to the Bat of Gotham City. He also makes his numerous appearance's on television, alongside the Teen Titans.
As if being a teenager isn't enough hassle as it is. Assuming he is still a teenager due to his frame and the way his body is built.
My palm shakes as he lets go of me, a deep sigh leaving my lips.
The upper half of his face is covered in a black almost bird like cowl, the cape falling from his shoulders. His abdomen, chest and arms are covered in a tight red fabric, his toned muscles showing through. His legs are covered in the same tight fabric, but black. The shoes he wears blend right into his pants, barely able to be seen apart. A yellow utility belt circles around his waist and a yellow and black symbol is on his chest where his cowl and cape are secured onto his shoulders. From what I can tell of his face, his jawline is sharp and his lips are a light shade of pink.
He pulls me out of an already broken window, grappling to the top of the building neighboring the warehouse. We carry on from building to building, neither of us speaking a word. With a whisper of a grunt he readjusts his grip on me, destroying any chance of me slipping and probably falling to my death. I gasp, as the wind flies through my hair causing it to obstruct Red Robin's line of vision.
I splutter an apology, quickly pushing my dark hair out of his face and behind my ear. He chuckles heavily, his chest vibrating against my head as he does so. My top of my head only reaches just about half an inch above his shoulder due to our height difference. I'm shorter than most girls my age, I get that from my mother.
"Where do you live?" Red Robin speaks. "I'll drop you home, it's not safe out at this time of the night."
I tell him where I live, making sure to mutter a small 'thank you'. He just smiles.
"It's no problem. Keeping people out of harms way is part of what I do, if you haven't already noticed."
~
"Oh, sweetheart!" My mother envelopes me in a hug, her arms squeezing me tight. My dad pats Red Robin on the shoulder, saying something inaudible from where I stand. He nods back, a smile gracing his lips. The superhero gestures toward me as he speaks and my father rushes over and ushers my mom back into the house. She nods furiously, thanking the superhero for bringing me home before re-entering our home.
I look to Red Robin, my eyelids heavy due to lack of rest and sleep. My eyes sting as I successfully fight to keep them open until he has left. I don't want him to leave without having thanked him.
"Thanks again for, uh-"
"Don't worry about it," He flashes a shy smile, his thumbs resting in small loops on his utility belt. "I didn't get your name though, I'll need it to help me look into what the Joker was up to."
I would have snorted at him if it weren't for the somewhat serious atmosphere we are currently in.
"Penelope," I say, once again tucking a few strands of stray hair behind my ear. "But everyone just calls me Poppy."
"I'll need to see you again sometime tomorrow. I have some questions for you but now doesn't seem like the best time to ask them." His expression stays the same, a shy yet confident type of stoic. He's straightforward with what needs to be done, his body rigid and his posture almost perfect. His lips return to a thin line as he speaks.
I just nod at him, not really registering much of what he's saying due to fatigue. The important parts of his sentences were clear though, I know I'll be seeing the hero tomorrow.
"You're brave, you know?" He says. "Anyone else in your position would have been bawling at this moment."
"Thanks, I guess." I merely shrug, sending him a small and lopsided smile. He returns the smile, subtle yet still deep dimples appearing on his cheeks.
"I'll be here in the evening. Does that work for you?"
"Yeah, that should be fine." I mumble, bouncing awkwardly as I speak. My arms wrap around my body in attempt to make myself warmer as a sudden gust of cold, Gotham wind blows lightly.
"I'll see you then, Penelope."
He turns to leave and with a smirk he's gone, his cape flying behind him almost majestically as he swiftly glides through the air.