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Robin
I climbed out the tunnel, reveling in the shocked looks of two Shades that managed to spot me.
I easily knocked them both out with a handful of gas pellets, before signalling Vanessa to come out.
'I suppose you know where we are?' She asked as she looked around.
'Naturally,' I smirked just as Batman shut the hatch of the tunnel then turned my gaze up to the maze of platforms above us. 'Follow me.'
Sprinting forward, I ran past a couple more Shades, dodging their hasty blows and leaving them for the other's to take care of.
I kept up my sprint, and Barry appeared next to me. 'Just where are you going?' He asked with a strange tone, punching the Shade I pushed his way in the gut.
'I already to told you,' I said as I slid to a stop, now faced with a dead end.
'I suppose you have a less stressful way of getting out this,' Barry chuckled dryly and I rolled my eyes in reply.
'Just watch my back.' I took a brief glance at my back to see Batman, Arrow and Canary still fending off some Shades.
Vanessa was nowhere to be found.
'No problem kid.' Flash said as he stood firmly behind me with both hands crossed. 'No one's getting past me.'
'I believe you.' I mumbled halfheartedly, pulling off the panel I knew was on the floor and plugging the USB cable from my wrist computer into it.
'Let's go.' I said after about a minute of running security scans.
Closing the panel, I stared thoughtfully at the wall that sealed off our escape.
'That was fast.' Flash said, running circles around the rest of the Shades in the perimeter as the rest of the heroes lined up next to me.
'What now, Robin?' BC asked, hands on her hips.
'We can't hold them back forever.' Green Arrow shot two gas arrows into the ranks of the advancing Shades.
'We should assume reinforcements are on the way,' Batman stared at me. 'We've been here too long.'
'Seven?' I called quietly and Vanessa landed next to me with a soft thud.
'Reinforcements have been dealt with and The Nightshade doesn't know of our arrival. . .' she slowly got up from her crouch.
'Just call me Robin.' I supplied, walking to the wall in front of us without looking back to see her expression.
'Do we break it down?' Flash asked.
'There's nothing behind the wall, sir.' A voice spoke in my direction.
I narrowed my eyes at Vanessa.
'Robin.' She corrected herself.
'Break it down.' I threw my batarangs at it, watching them give off a red glow in the florescent lighting. All the walls of the headquarters were dark-red steel so it was no surprise that even after they exploded it remained standing.
'Well?' I turned to GA and Batman with a raised brow and they reluctantly placed their explosives on the wall and detonated them simultaneously. The explosion rocked the floor and as the smoke cleared the damage was revealed, a hold had been blasted into the wall and behind it was another one of solid concrete.
'Robin,' Dinah turned to me and I let out a sigh, walking to the wall I placed my hand on the cold concrete. 'Override Alpha, code 176,' I said as a red light scanned me briefly.
'Password required.' It's robotic voice announced.
'Otw.' I ran my hand through my hair as I said the passcode that had been inputted into the system just three months ago.
'Incorrect, lockdown commencing.' The monotone voice said as the lights in the area turned red.
'Robin.' Batman said in warning as the Shades behind us got closer.
'Oh, go drink juice or something.' I hissed in annoyance and punched the concrete, not really hearing my mentor's distress.
'Ow, haha.' The voice said with robotic humor as the concrete wall split in two, opening up to a path of stairs going far above the ceiling. 'Welcome Robin.'
'Sadistic AI!' I couldn't help but yell as we all made our way up the stairs and stepped into the room above as the concrete slid shut.
'Where are we?' Vanessa asked somewhat curiously as she glanced around the dim little room littered with books, snacks and blankets strewn on the floor.
'That room leads to the hallway where Shadow's room is.' I groaned and stretched for show, flopping on the couch in front of me. 'Just give me a second, I'm exhausted.'
'You're always exhausted.' A feminine voice whispered by my ear, startling me.
I didn't even move.
'No, I'm only exhausted when I come here.' I replied as I shut my eyes. 'Now, shut up Mellioe.'
'Robin, who are you talking to?' Flash asked as he walked to me, impatience burning in his features.
I didn't bother answering. I'm sure he'd find out soon enough.
'Robin?' He asked again.
I opened my eyes.
'He's talking to me!' Mellioe yelled as all the lights in the burst to life, sending Flash to stumbling back in shock.
'What,' his eyes went was wide. 'What just happened?'
'He's talking to me,' she repeated as an holographic image of a little girl in pigtails appeared sitting next to my head.
'What are you?' Batman asked, batarangs already at the ready. I groaned and turned away from the scene, nothing good could ever come from attacking Mellioe.
'I let you in here, and you want to attack me?' The lights flickered as she pouted. 'I guess I'll kill you for code violation.'
That was the last thing I heard before the room starting spinning and I really did pass out from exhaustion.
Why am I so tired all of a sudden?
××
Frantic whirs and hums were what I woke up to.
I jumped into a sitting position, slightly surprised that nothing was on fire.
There was a chainsaw dangling over Batman's head, Flash was drowning in the sink; and both Canary and Seven had been pinned to the wall, though, in a few moments Vanessa freed herself and landed on the floor.
'Mellioe stop!' I turned and saw the little girl sulking in a corner as everything stopped. Can't I sleep for more than ten minutes?! Why does it seem like every time I close my eyes the world is about to end?
'I don't like them.' She sniffed. It was times like these I forgot that she was an AI.
Rubbing my temple, I sighed. 'We actually came here because Shadow needs something from her room, can you make sure no one knows we're here?'
'Of course!' She said cheerfully then vanished.
'What did you say to her?' I turned to Batman and Flash.
'What makes you think we did anything?' Flash said as he pulled himself out of the sink and slipped painfully to the floor.
'Fine, be that way.' I got up and threw batarangs at the wires that held down Canary and Batman.
'Mellioe,' Vanessa said softly. 'Isn't that-'
'Yeah, the state of the art software technology that the Nightshade uses.' I continued for her.
'That girl is the Nightshade's database?' Batman asked as he kicked off the chainsaw from above his head.
'She controls everything electronic here, so it's best if she's on your side.' I smiled.
'I'm back.' Mellioe sang as she walked through the concrete wall and jumped on me while giggling.
'Well, you seem to be having fun.' I observed as she passed right through me.
'I missed you, you don't come anymore.'
'Sorry.' I grinned at her, flexing my jaw at the thought of the questions Bruce would ask me later.
'Shadow is really boring, she really is never around, you both just. . .' She looked at the floor. 'You leave me behind.'
'You don't behave like an AI, you know that you're nothing but a computer?' Batman stared at her coldly.
'I don't like you!' If an AI could cry, Mellioe was doing it on the inside, her expression was nothing short of heartbreaking.
Canary and Vanessa looked awkwardly at each other and I didn't bother saying anything to Flash,l who seemed a little bit weirded out.
I just crouched next to the table and looked under it, tossing up the cushions on the couch.
'What are you looking for?' Mellioe asked with a dragged out tone and a sniff, immediately appearing at my side.
'Nothing, I just wanted you to feel better.' I shrugged.
'You're so annoying.' She frowned but her eyes managed to smile at me. I wonder how Batman would feel if I told him Shadow created Mellioe herself. Mellioe was actually an acronym for something too.
'Did you open the file I sent you?' I looked the holographic girl in the eye.
She shook her head.
'Well, go and check it out.'
'Oh, I'm getting a present!' She grinned in glee then disappeared again.
'Alright, we can get going now.' I started up the stairs.
'What was inside the file?' Batman asked.
'Something to keep her busy.'
××
'I would have thought Shadow's room would at least have one guard.' Canary spoke up as we walked into an empty hallway.
'No one really cares.' Vanessa sighed as she opened the door to the room, letting us all in.
'So why do we need a password?' Flash asked, staring into the darkness of Shadow's room. 'We're already here.'
Vanessa switched on the light. 'Because,'
Shadow's room was a mess, everything was scattered, bookshelves collapsed with books strewn about, files turned over and a desk flipped over on the tattered bed. 'Because everyone has searched it and found nothing important, leading me to believe that there's a secret room somewhere and we need a password to enter it, the only clue Shadow gave were the words "my favorite place." '
'Theresa no secret room,' I started, walking carefully over the files, books and clothes. 'It's this one.'
'This is the room we need to open.' I elaborated seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces.
'It's missing something?' Canary echoed my thoughts.
'Then how is Shadow's room supposed to look like?' Batman asked Vanessa.
'Every time I entered it, it was always like this, black, dark and depressing, but in this version, a lot of the files and documents are missing.'
I picked up a file about shipment of heroin in Gotham and glanced over it. 'That's the same thing I see when I come here.' I added in agreement, putting down the file of blank papers.
'So, how do you know the password?' Oliver turned to me. 'Because when I think of Shadow's room, all I see a torture chamber.'
Immediately, at his words the color of the room turned to a glowing, pulsing red, all evidence of a mess gone and replaced with a chilly feeling.
'I see.' I turned back to where her bed was suppose to be and found a steel table with different sizes of daggers on it. 'The password is a thought.'
Shadow had really outdone herself this time. Was this entire set up made just for me?
If it is, I frowned at the crimson walls. Then the answer should be simple.
'Oh, lemme try!' Flash looked around a bit starry eyed. 'Shadow's room should be an ice cream themed adventure, with chocolate.'
××
'Oh, I'm so full.' Barry groaned on the floor.
'Maybe you shouldn't eat food conjured up by a magic room.' Canary sighed in resignation.
'This never happened before.' Vanessa frowned, staring at the speedster on the floor. I was also surprised though, slightly tempted to think of a pizza for so the room could make it.
'Regardless, we have all tried and nothing has changed.' Batman said, lost in thought.
'Yes, the room always reverts to it's normal state after three minutes.' Oliver huffed in annoyance. 'And we already know that we have to imagine a scene of Shadow's favorite place, but we don't know it.'
'All the places I tried were useless too.' Vanessa closed her eyes in exhaustion, seated on Shadow's bed.
'What about you Robin?' Batman turned to me.
'I. . ."'
'You said you knew her better than anyone.'
I frowned. 'But her favorite place, I've never seen it before.' There is no way it actually exists. . .
'So even he doesn't know.' Flash groaned again.
'I didn't say I didn't know!' I snapped, then bit my lips as I tried to recall what Shadow had to me. 'The view of a clear night sky in a daisy filled meadow by a pond of lilies, that's her favorite place it just can't—'
'Password accepted.'
I froze in disbelief as I watched the room get enveloped in pale blue light. Dragging my gaze to the ceiling I saw a beautiful, star speckled sky with vibrant galaxies floating about in between constellations.
'This,' Vanessa traced the lilies on the wall beside her then stared at the mesmerizing night sky painted on the ceiling. 'This is Shadow's house.'
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