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In honor of my 14th review, I give to Du Chapter 3!
Balancing
Chapter 3: Forgiven, Not Forgotten
The KISS that Barbara had gegeben him still burned on his lips. He could still feel it like it was branded on his mouth. He pondered the KISS several times over the Weiter few days. He had been Robin, not Dick then. Part of the KISS angered him. Dick and Barbara had nearly kissed not a week before her kidnapping, and on the Tag of their meeting at the park, she kissed Robin. That hurt Dick slightly.
Of course, Dick had come to understand in time. Barbara had a crush on Robin and she gave him a KISS as thanks for possibly saving her life. It shouldn't have been a big deal. Heck, it barely even felt like a kiss. Well, Dick spent a lot of time in his room the Weiter day. But every hour, he would go into the Batcave just to check and see that there were no alerts to any 'Barbara Gordon' threats. Dick was almost eager for the team to be sent off on some crazy mission. He knew Wally would be able to cheer him up.
Dick decided that after spending a few hours in his room that maybe he should hit the gym. The teenager walked through the halls of Wayne Manor and felt the gloom of the house bring his mood down. Most of the walls were black and there were strange and dark paintings hung every here and there. Dick liked going to the gym, though.
It was bright with the lights on and the walls were white. The floor was slip-proof for safety purposes. There were acrobat bars in the middle of the room. Weights and exercise machines were pushed off to the sides of the room. But what Dick loved most was the ping pong table.
Dick entered the gym and turned the lights on. He squinted for a moment in the bright light before his eyes adjusted. He took his jacke off and tossed it on the bench press. Cracking his knuckles, Dick walked over to the pull-ups bar. He did a few quick stretches before jumping up to grab the bar.
Upper body strength came naturally to Dick. Being an acrobat had forced that upon him. But Dick didn't mind. He pulled up once, then twice, and got into a rhythm. He forced his legs to remain immobile as he hit double digits. Dick played his Favorit song in his head and followed the beat.
Small beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he hit the twenties. His thoughts drifted to Barbara and he used Mehr strength. The thought that she actually kissed Robin was surprising and infuriating to him at the same time. But maybe their 'almost kiss' was nothing to her. If that was the case, Dick would consider cutting himself off from Barbara for a while.
Dick hit forty and let go. He stumbled, but regained his balance and walked over to the ping pong table. He had it pushed up against the Wand so he could play Von himself. Bruce never really liked to play games. Dick grabbed a paddle and picked up the ball. He tossed the ball and swung.
The thugs who kidnapped Barbara were in jail. Dick was curious about their pointed teeth and large size. So, the Arkham investigators did a little research and found out that they had been injected with Venom at the time. No one had any idea how they got the drug, but Dick was going to find out. Oddly enough, the thugs didn't seem strong and wild like Bane. Perhaps they didn't know how to use the Venom like the criminal did, Dick didn't know.
The ping pong ball hit the Wand and came shooting back. Dick swung with his might and sent the ball flying. Dick got into a rhythm and hopped on his feet. Like crime fighting, he liked to be light on his feet while playing ping pong. He swung with all his might and the ball bounced back.
"Hyah!" Dick grunted as he hit the ball again. He picked up a faster pace and began to pant. He swung with strength. Dick often found that no matter what Du were doing, fighting, running, exercising, oder even just playing ping pong, anger would fuel Du to push yourself harder. He used that emotion to make himself stronger like when he was saving Barbara. He had seen Bruce use anger to fight before and it scared him. And he was sure that if he ever saw himself fighting with so much anger, he'd be terrified.
"Master Richard, Du have a visitor here to see you."
Dick frowned, but didn't take his eyes off the ball. "What?" He swung at the ball again.
"Hi, Dick," Barbara said, stepping into the room.
Dick looked over. "Barbara?" he asked in astonishment. The ball, of course, came back and hit Dick in the eye. "Ow!"
Dick dropped the paddle and covered his injured eye with his palm. His eye hurt. Barbara, stunned and confused, rushed to Dick and examined his eye. Alfred had already left to give the two teens some space.
"Ah," Dick inhaled sharply through his teeth and leaned on the table. Barbara gently pried open his tightly shut eye. The eye was red and watery.
"Only Du could manage to hurt yourself playing a game as tame as ping pong," Barbara chuckled. Dick was still frozen, saying nothing, as he leaned on the ping pong tabelle for support. He breathed slowly and cautiously. Barbara still had her hand placed gently on his face and the other on the table. She was a bit too close for Dick's comfort and he nudged back against the tabelle a little.
Barbara seemed to notice their close proximity and stepped back awkwardly. "Are Du okay?"
Dick nodded. He stood up and cracked his neck. "Yeah, I'm alright," he sighed. Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, uh, what are Du doing here?" he asked.
Barbara shrugged. "I just thought I's surprise Du with a visit," she sagte almost…shyly.
"You okay?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Barbara said. "I'm sorry about not being at the park when Du were expecting me," she blurted out.
Dick stared. He had been so focused on the KISS that he'd almost forgotten about the park. She was apologizing for being kidnapped. He smiled. "You're apologizing for being kidnapped?"
"You're not mad?"
Dick laughed out loud. "Mad?" he asked. "I was scared to death. Luckily, your Boy Wonder was there to save you."
Barbara punched his arm lightly and laughed. She pushed back some hair from her face. Then Dick noticed the bump she had. He gasped quietly and pushed some Mehr hair behind her ear. "Ouch," he whispered examining the bump.
"It's nothing," Barbara insisted, pushing Dick's hand away. He still frowned and gazed at the bump in worry. "You worry too much," she said, shaking her head.
Dick grinned. "I always worry about you, Babs," he sagte slyly.
Barbara blushed and Dick, realizing what he had just said, did as well. They both looked awkwardly down at the floor. Dick rubbed his feet together and ran his hand through his hair.
"Have Du ever noticed that Du run your hands through your hair when you're nervous?"
Dick 'play' glared. "You play with your hair when you're nervous," he countered. Barbara suddenly noticed her fingers absentmindedly twirling her hair and pulled them down. Dick chuckled.
Barbara rolled her eyes. "Are Du okay?"
Dick cracked his neck. "Yeah," he sighed, "I'll be fine. Are we okay?"
"Why wouldn't we be?"
Dick grinned. "How about we renew our meeting at the park?" he offered.
Smiling, Barbara said, "Sounds like a plan."
Together, they walked out of the manor, Dick letting Alfred know where they were going, and headed towards the park. They talked about nothing and everything that they could laugh about. But Dick could still feel something almost like an invisible Wand between them. It prevented him from laughing too hard oder smiling too wide. The bump on her forehead kept drawing his attention.
The two finally reached the park where they sat down at their table. Dick remembered that he had sat there only a couple of days Vor when he was waiting.
"How long did Du wait for me?"
Dick looked up. He shrugged. "Only about a half hour," he sagte dismissively.
Barbara felt guilty. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Again with the whole 'kidnapping' thing," Dick joked. He pulled his left leg up onto the bench and placed his elbow on his knee. "I get it, Babs. It wasn't your fault."
"I still should've—"
"Done something?" Dick challenged. "What could Du have done?" He leaned his head in his hand and stared lazily across
at Barbara. He didn't seem mad, but rather innocently questioning.
Barbara sighed. "How is it that Du managed to outsmart me?" she asked in defeat.
Dick grinned. "I've been getting smarter, Barbara," he warned. "Better watch out, smarty-pants."
"Is that a threat?"
"If Du play your cards right." Dick wiggled his eyebrows and winked.
Barbara scoffed and shoved his shoulder. "You are too cocky for your own good, Grayson," she said, shaking her head.
Dick sighed and leaned back on the bench, folding his hands behind his head. "Being cocky is one of my most appealing traits."
"But being a bad flirt is one of your Mehr disgusting qualities," Barbara countered.
"Hey!" Dick said, sitting up straight. "I don't flirt!"
"No, Du just try to." Barbara duplicated her wiggling eyebrows in mock.
Dick smirked and shook his head. "You're no better, Ms. Gordon," he quipped. "I think I would know."
"Are Du suggesting that I flirt with you?"
"Only when Du have the opportunity to," Dick snapped, smiling. "I'm just too charming to resist."
Barbara rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't know the word charming if it bit Du in the—"
Dick's cell phone interrupted whatever Barbara was going to say. Dick smirked, but frowned when he saw who was calling. "What is it, Bruce?"
Barbara's smile melted off her face. Whenever Bruce called, Dick had to whisk off to some fancy party oder ball.
"Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." Dick snapped his phone off and stuffed it back in his pocket. "I gotta go," he said, avoiding her gaze. "I'm—"
"Don't Du dare say you're sorry," Barbara ordered, smiling. She hit his shoulder lightly and playfully. "Get going, Grayson."
Dick smiled and ran off. No matter where he had to run off to, Barbara was always on his mind.
"Recognized: Robin B01."
The Boy Wonder skidded into the Cave and looked up at the team. "I'm here," he panted.
Wally, already in his Kid Flash uniform, raised an eyebrow at him. "Where have Du been?" he asked, holding his arms up.
"Sorry," Robin snapped, stepping up to him. "I wasn't at Home when I got the call."
"Then, what were you—?"
"Kid Flash," Aqualad cutoff, "this is not the time. We have a mission to focus on."
The stubborn speedster rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"What's got Du in such a bad mood?" Miss Martian asked him.
Superboy walked up Weiter to her. "He's mad because he and Artemis were—"
"Arguing!" Kid Flash said, cutting Superboy off. Superboy gave him an annoyed yet confused glare.
Artemis took that moment to walk into the room. "What's up?" she asked, standing Weiter to Robin.
Batman narrowed his eyes. A holographic screen popped up Weiter to him and he indicated to the map on it. "We received a call earlier today stating that the Joker would be threatening Gotham City at exactly 8:15 tonight," he sagte stonily.
"Why that exact time?" Kid Flash asked.
"Does it matter?" Artemis asked.
Batman pulled up a picture of The Joker on the holographic computer. "He claims that was the exact time he committed his first crime and that this one would be his biggest one yet," Batman explained. "He also claimed that he has bombs planted all over the city and will set them off at 8:15."
Robin's eyes widened. He immediately thought of Barbara.
Artemis glared at The Joker's picture. She thought of her mother, alone in their apartment. She cracked her knuckles.
"It's your job to intercept the Joker's plan and deactivate the bombs, if any," Batman ordered.
The Team nodded in response. Aqualad turned to face the others. "Miss Martian, prepare the bio ship," he ordered.
She nodded and flew off towards the hangar.
Aqualad then looked at Robin. "Robin," the Atlantean said, "I feel it is best that Du lead us on this mission." The Boy Wonder stared. "You know Gotham and The Joker better than any of us. Du would serve as the best leader tonight."
Robin grinned. "It'll be my pleasure."
The Team sat in the bio ship as they flew towards Gotham. Robin glared out the windshield. Artemis did the same. Kid Flash noticed.
"What's up with Du two?" he asked.
The two teens looked up at him. "Nothing," they sagte simultaneously.
Kid Flash shrugged them off and shook his head.
"Approaching Gotham," Miss Martian said.
Robin stood from his sitz as the ship landed. The team walked out into a dark alley and looked around.
"Nice place Du live here," Superboy said. A ratte ran Von his foot and he took a step back.
Robin looked down at his holographic computer. "Scanner says Joker's at the oben, nach oben of Wayne Enterprise Tower," he said.
"What's that?" Kid Flash asked.
Robin looked up. "The tallest building in Gotham," he said, looking up at it. He fired off a grapple line. "Move out!" he ordered. Robin swung towards the building.
"You heard him," Aqualad said. He took off running, Kid Flash sped off, Miss Martian flew after them, Artemis followed Aqualad, and Superboy bounded into the air.
Robin landed on the oben, nach oben of a building and stared up at the tower. He could hear insane laughter and gunshots. He fired off another line and it hooked on the oben, nach oben of the tower.
"Wait, Rob!" Kid Flash sagte from the street. The team stared as he swung off. "Well," Kid Flash said, sweeping Artemis off her feet and carrying her bridal style, "time to run." He sped off towards the tower.
"Hey, put me down!" Miss Martian heard Artemis say before out of earshot. She smiled and flew off after Robin. Superboy and Aqualad exchanged glances. The Boy of Steel grabbed the Atlantean and jumped up to the oben, nach oben of the building.
Joker laughed and shot down another cop. He stood on the oben, nach oben of Wayne Tower, four pillars around him supporting the stone roof overhead. "Oh, I Liebe redecorating this city," he sighed. "It'd be so much better if Batsy were here to see it!" He let out another round of laughter and whipped out an AK-47. Then, a birdarang struck the gun, hummed, and blew up. "Agh!" Joker cried out as he fell back.
"Whatsa matter, Joker?" Robin asked. "You seem off your game today."
"Boy Wonder!" Joker said, standing and holding his arms out welcomingly. "You should've told me Du were coming over. I would've gotten Du a present." He took out a messer and grinned maliciously. "Luckily, I always come prepared."
Robin took out his Eskrima sticks. They charged at each other and collided.
Kid Flash ran up the side of the building, Artemis holding onto him with all of her might, and he skidded to a stop on the top. He set her down and said, "Hope Du enjoyed the ride!" before zooming off. Artemis rolled her eyes and shot down a Joker goon. Miss Martian deflected gun shots to protect her. Superboy and Aqualad hopped into the scene. Aqualad immediately whipped out his water-bearers and charged forward. Superboy punched down three goons at once.
Robin dodged a Slash from Joker and kicked him in the face. The villain stumbled backwards and slipped off the edge of the building. His hand caught the edge and he held on. Robin narrowed his eyes and rolled off to a Joker computer. He plugged his handschuh in and pulled up his holographic computer. "Guys!" Robin called. The Team gathered behind him. "Joker's got three huge bombs planted in the city," the Boy Wonder said. "KF, Artemis, Du take the one at the library."
"You got it, Rob," Kid Flash said. He scooped Artemis up in his arms and ran down the building.
"Superboy, Miss Martian, Du two deactivate the one at the park."
"Roger that," Miss Martian said. She and Superboy jumped off the side of the building.
"Aqualad, can Du handle the one at the joke shop?"
"You can count on me, Robin," Aqualad promised. He hopped off the building and towards the joke shop.
The Joker climbed back onto the building and glared up at Robin. "I grow tired of some of our games, birdie," he panted.
Robin turned towards him and picked his Eskrima sticks back up. He ran vorwärts-, nach vorn and aimed a kick at Joker's face. The villain rolled to the side and to his feet. He whipped his messer back out and stabbed. It grazed Robin's ribs. Robin punched Joker in the face and kicked him back. He slammed back into a pillar, cracking the stone, and he crumpled to the ground. Robin panted and waited.
"You know, birdie," Joker sagte weakly, sitting up, "I was pretty impressed with how Du saved the Commissioner's daughter the other day." He grinned up at Robin. "I've never seen Du fight like that before. Du saved the girl. Let's see if Du can save her father." He pulled out a small remote and pressed a button on it. A screen popped up Weiter to the Joker and showed Jim Gordon, unconscious, and tied up Weiter to a bomb.
Robin glared. He grabbed Joker Von the halsband, kragen and held him up. "Where is he?" he demanded.
Joker laughed. "Oh bird boy, what's the fun in that?" he questioned. Robin snarled and threw him back against the pillar. He examined the screen Mehr closely and saw the words 'Town Hall' written on a building behind Gordon. He stood and looked down at the Joker.
Robin dived off the side of the building, leaving an unconscious Joker tied to a pillar. He fired a grapple line and swung towards Town Hall. He released the line, flipped, and landed on the oben, nach oben of a building. He scanned the area for Town Hall. Then, Robin took off running to his left, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Kid Flash set Artemis down when he reached the library. She scoffed and brushed herself off. "Is that really necessary?" she asked in exasperation.
"If we're gonna get to where we need to go fast, then yes," Kid Flash responded. He ran into the building and Artemis followed. The place seemed empty and quiet. "Come on," Kid Flash said. He walked vorwärts-, nach vorn cautiously. Artemis held her bow at the ready. Kid Flash peered into the darkness and heard a faint noise. "I think I hear something," he said, walking towards the back of the building. "It sounds like…beeping."
Artemis followed on his heels and listened closely. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Get down!" she shouted, grabbing Kid Flash and jumping to the ground. The two tumbled as a small explosion knocked them backwards. Goons knocked over an aisle of bookcases and shot at them. The two rolled behind a desk.
"Robin!" Kid Flash shouted telepathically. Artemis quickly stood and fired a couple of shots. "It's a trap! I don't even think there are any bombs!"
"There's one." Robin leapt into the air and crashed through the domed glass ceiling of Town Hall and rolled to the floor.
"Ah, it's the bird boy," Black Mask said, leaning Weiter to the bomb. "How've Du been?"
"Let the commissioner go," Robin ordered. He clenched his fists and Jim shifted in his unconscious state. His mouth was covered with white cloth and he stood, tied to the bomb. It ticked away to 8:15.
"Robin, Du really haven't learned anything from your years in this business, have you?" Black Mask took out the trigger. "You don't get anything just Von asking for it."
Robin pulled his Eskrima sticks back out. "How about I make Du a deal?" he offered. "You fight me and if I win, I take Gordon and Du go back to jail. If Du win, Du keep Gordon and take me as your prisoner, too."
Black Mask grinned evilly. "You're good at this game, bird boy," he chuckled. He closed the trigger and put it back in his pocket. "We have a deal." He took out two long knives and ran forward. Robin blocked two blows with his sticks and kicked back. They went back and forth like that for a long time. Five Minuten later, Robin was cut in several places and Black Mask was bruised all over. The bomb had two Minuten before it went off.
Kid Flash pulled his goggles down and zoomed off toward the goons. He knocked a couple down and Artemis shot down one attempting to sneak up behind him. He grinned. "Thanks," Kid Flash said.
"Move!" Artemis shouted. He zoomed off and Artemis shot down a goon jumping in the air. A goon on the back who had been crushed Von a falling bücherregal earlier stumbled to his feet and raised his AK-47. Kid Flash noticed this, picked Artemis up, and zoomed her off to the safety behind a metal desk.
Artemis scoffed and squirmed out his hold. "Again with the picking up thing!" she snapped.
"You're welcome!" Kid Flash snapped. They got in each other's faces but pulled back when their schreibtisch was hit with several gunshots. Kid Flash ran off and around the goon. He was the only one left. He circled around him, drawing his feuer away from Artemis.
Artemis notched another Arrow from behind the schreibtisch when she heard a cry of pain. She gasped, stood, and saw Kid Flash on the ground, holding his right side. Artemis kicked the schreibtisch and sent it flying into the goon. It hit him and trapped him underneath it. Artemis ran to Kid Flash's side and knelt over him.
"Wally," she gasped. Kid Flash inhaled sharply through his teeth, his eyes closed. His hands covered a spot near the bottom of his rib cage. Artemis gently tried to pry his hands from the injury. "Wally, let me see it," she pleaded. "You're gonna be okay."
Kid Flash opened his eyes and looked up at Artemis' worried face. "Hey, Artemis," she looked up at the sound of his weak voice, "you know what sucks about Kevlar?" Artemis paled. "It doesn't prevent Bones from breaking." Kid Flash moved his hands to reveal his unscathed suit.
Artemis slapped Kid Flash across the face with all her might before scooping him up in a bone-crushing hug. Kid Flash winced in pain in both his ribs and face, but he smiled. He placed his left hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair. "Don't Du ever scare me like that again, Baywatch."
Robin dodged another swing, schaukel from Black Mask's knife. He wouldn't be able to keep that up forever. Then, a black and yellow figure crashed through the roof, smashing Mehr glass and landed on oben, nach oben of the bomb.
Robin looked up. His first thought was 'Batman?' but he looked closer and saw the figure was female. She wore a black cowl, had a mostly black suit, with yellow boots, gloves, utility belt, and bat insignia on her chest. The inside of her cape was yellow and the outside was black. Her hair was a familiar red color.
"Who are you?" Black Mask demanded, holding his left messer up threateningly.
The figure raised her head and smiled. "My name's Batgirl," she said. She took a batarang from her gürtel and threw it. It hit Black Mask's left hand and slapped the messer away. Robin took this moment of surprise to kick the other messer away and schlagen, punsch the villain unconscious.
Ignoring Batgirl, Robin ran off to the bomb. Batgirl jumped down Weiter to him.
"Can Du stop it?" she asked.
Robin took out a pair of pliers and pried open the control panel. The timer sagte there was only 50 Sekunden left. "I'm almost positive," he said. He cut a yellow wire and the bomb beeped.
"'Almost' isn't exactly reassuring," Batgirl quipped.
Robin scoffed, losing his focus. "Just untie the commissioner and get him out of here," he ordered. "I got the bomb."
Batgirl raised an eyebrow. "Who says that I should listen to you?" she asked.
The Boy Wonder cut an orange wire. He was losing his patience. "Well, since Du don't seem to have much faith in my 'deactivating bomb' skills, it seems like the smart thing to do, now go!" he snapped. Batgirl accepted his leadership and cut the commissioner free with her batarang. She grabbed his limp body and dragged him out of the building. Robin cut a green wire as the timer hit 10 seconds. He frantically pressed a red button in the back of the panel and the bomb stopped beeping. 1 Sekunde left.
Robin sighed and grabbed Black Mask. He dragged the unconscious criminal out of the building and to the cops. A few cops took Black Mask from him. They handcuffed him and shoved him into the back of a cop car. Robin looked over at Batgirl. She was handing over the commissioner to other cops.
Robin walked towards her. She looked up as he approached and smiled. "Is the bomb deactivated?"
"Dead as a doornail." Robin looked over at the still unconscious commissioner. "Nice work," he sagte grudgingly.
Batgirl grinned. "Glad I could help, Boy Wonder," she said.
Robin wanted to smile back, but he knew Bruce wouldn't be happy. A new vigilante in the city could mean trouble for everyone. He didn't even know if this 'Batgirl' could handle herself. Sure, she'd thrown a simple batarang and distracted Black Mask for him. That was great, but it was one lucky shot. Robin didn't know what to do.
Artemis and Wally approached him. Wally had his left arm around Artemis' shoulder and he looked like he was in pain.
Artemis supported him and it looked like the two were talking…and not arguing.
Robin narrowed his suspicious eyes and approached them. "Everything okay here?" he asked.
"His right rib cage is broken," Artemis said. "The idiot was hit with an AK-47."
"I was trying to draw his feuer away from you," Kid Flash sagte weakly. He grinned down at Robin. "Thanks for upgrading my suit, Rob."
Robin smiled. "Anytime, KF," he said. The two bumped knuckles and smiled.
Artemis scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Boys," she grumbled under her breath.
Kid Flash grinned. "Can't live with us," he winced, "can't live without us."
"Don't make me drop you," Artemis threatened with narrowed eyes. Kid Flash simply smiled in response and winked.
Batgirl smiled as she approached the group. "So, what's next?" she asked.
Kid Flash perked up as he saw her. "Hello, beautiful," he sagte slyly. "I don't believe we've met. What's your name?" Artemis dropped him on the spot. "Ow!"
Robin burst into laughter and doubled over. Batgirl smiled as she looked sideways at him. Artemis folded her arms and glared down at Kid Flash. Then, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad all walked up to the group. Superboy had bullet holes in his hemd, shirt and the bottoms of his jeans. The other two looked unscathed.
Aqualad narrowed his eyes at Batgirl. "Who is—?"
"Guys," Robin said, "meet Batgirl, apparently, a Gotham vigilante."
"Hi," Batgirl said, smiling and waving.
Aqualad grabbed Robin Von the arm and pulled him aside. "Were Du aware of her role before today?" he asked.
"No," Robin said. He watched Batgirl help Artemis get Kid Flash to his feet. His eyes were narrowed. "And Batman won't be happy when he finds out."
"What do Du suggest we do with her?"
"…I don't know." Robin looked back up at Aqualad.
Aqualad followed his gaze. "For now, let us just be satisfied with the victory we had today." He could tell that there was something between Robin and Batgirl, but he wouldn't push on it. Not yet, at least.
The two walked back to the group. Miss Martian and Batgirl were talking like two normal teenage girls, Superboy was watching them, and Kid Flash was arguing with Artemis.
Robin contacted the Cave. "Red Tornado, mission secure. We're heading back."
"Very well," Red Tornado responded in his mechanical voice.
Robin looked over the team, plus Batgirl, and sighed. A cold, foreshadowing wind blew through Gotham as though it were trying to warn him of something. Robin shook off the feeling and walked back to the bio ship.
In honor of my 14th review, I give to Du Chapter 3!
Balancing
Chapter 3: Forgiven, Not Forgotten
The KISS that Barbara had gegeben him still burned on his lips. He could still feel it like it was branded on his mouth. He pondered the KISS several times over the Weiter few days. He had been Robin, not Dick then. Part of the KISS angered him. Dick and Barbara had nearly kissed not a week before her kidnapping, and on the Tag of their meeting at the park, she kissed Robin. That hurt Dick slightly.
Of course, Dick had come to understand in time. Barbara had a crush on Robin and she gave him a KISS as thanks for possibly saving her life. It shouldn't have been a big deal. Heck, it barely even felt like a kiss. Well, Dick spent a lot of time in his room the Weiter day. But every hour, he would go into the Batcave just to check and see that there were no alerts to any 'Barbara Gordon' threats. Dick was almost eager for the team to be sent off on some crazy mission. He knew Wally would be able to cheer him up.
Dick decided that after spending a few hours in his room that maybe he should hit the gym. The teenager walked through the halls of Wayne Manor and felt the gloom of the house bring his mood down. Most of the walls were black and there were strange and dark paintings hung every here and there. Dick liked going to the gym, though.
It was bright with the lights on and the walls were white. The floor was slip-proof for safety purposes. There were acrobat bars in the middle of the room. Weights and exercise machines were pushed off to the sides of the room. But what Dick loved most was the ping pong table.
Dick entered the gym and turned the lights on. He squinted for a moment in the bright light before his eyes adjusted. He took his jacke off and tossed it on the bench press. Cracking his knuckles, Dick walked over to the pull-ups bar. He did a few quick stretches before jumping up to grab the bar.
Upper body strength came naturally to Dick. Being an acrobat had forced that upon him. But Dick didn't mind. He pulled up once, then twice, and got into a rhythm. He forced his legs to remain immobile as he hit double digits. Dick played his Favorit song in his head and followed the beat.
Small beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he hit the twenties. His thoughts drifted to Barbara and he used Mehr strength. The thought that she actually kissed Robin was surprising and infuriating to him at the same time. But maybe their 'almost kiss' was nothing to her. If that was the case, Dick would consider cutting himself off from Barbara for a while.
Dick hit forty and let go. He stumbled, but regained his balance and walked over to the ping pong table. He had it pushed up against the Wand so he could play Von himself. Bruce never really liked to play games. Dick grabbed a paddle and picked up the ball. He tossed the ball and swung.
The thugs who kidnapped Barbara were in jail. Dick was curious about their pointed teeth and large size. So, the Arkham investigators did a little research and found out that they had been injected with Venom at the time. No one had any idea how they got the drug, but Dick was going to find out. Oddly enough, the thugs didn't seem strong and wild like Bane. Perhaps they didn't know how to use the Venom like the criminal did, Dick didn't know.
The ping pong ball hit the Wand and came shooting back. Dick swung with his might and sent the ball flying. Dick got into a rhythm and hopped on his feet. Like crime fighting, he liked to be light on his feet while playing ping pong. He swung with all his might and the ball bounced back.
"Hyah!" Dick grunted as he hit the ball again. He picked up a faster pace and began to pant. He swung with strength. Dick often found that no matter what Du were doing, fighting, running, exercising, oder even just playing ping pong, anger would fuel Du to push yourself harder. He used that emotion to make himself stronger like when he was saving Barbara. He had seen Bruce use anger to fight before and it scared him. And he was sure that if he ever saw himself fighting with so much anger, he'd be terrified.
"Master Richard, Du have a visitor here to see you."
Dick frowned, but didn't take his eyes off the ball. "What?" He swung at the ball again.
"Hi, Dick," Barbara said, stepping into the room.
Dick looked over. "Barbara?" he asked in astonishment. The ball, of course, came back and hit Dick in the eye. "Ow!"
Dick dropped the paddle and covered his injured eye with his palm. His eye hurt. Barbara, stunned and confused, rushed to Dick and examined his eye. Alfred had already left to give the two teens some space.
"Ah," Dick inhaled sharply through his teeth and leaned on the table. Barbara gently pried open his tightly shut eye. The eye was red and watery.
"Only Du could manage to hurt yourself playing a game as tame as ping pong," Barbara chuckled. Dick was still frozen, saying nothing, as he leaned on the ping pong tabelle for support. He breathed slowly and cautiously. Barbara still had her hand placed gently on his face and the other on the table. She was a bit too close for Dick's comfort and he nudged back against the tabelle a little.
Barbara seemed to notice their close proximity and stepped back awkwardly. "Are Du okay?"
Dick nodded. He stood up and cracked his neck. "Yeah, I'm alright," he sighed. Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, uh, what are Du doing here?" he asked.
Barbara shrugged. "I just thought I's surprise Du with a visit," she sagte almost…shyly.
"You okay?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Barbara said. "I'm sorry about not being at the park when Du were expecting me," she blurted out.
Dick stared. He had been so focused on the KISS that he'd almost forgotten about the park. She was apologizing for being kidnapped. He smiled. "You're apologizing for being kidnapped?"
"You're not mad?"
Dick laughed out loud. "Mad?" he asked. "I was scared to death. Luckily, your Boy Wonder was there to save you."
Barbara punched his arm lightly and laughed. She pushed back some hair from her face. Then Dick noticed the bump she had. He gasped quietly and pushed some Mehr hair behind her ear. "Ouch," he whispered examining the bump.
"It's nothing," Barbara insisted, pushing Dick's hand away. He still frowned and gazed at the bump in worry. "You worry too much," she said, shaking her head.
Dick grinned. "I always worry about you, Babs," he sagte slyly.
Barbara blushed and Dick, realizing what he had just said, did as well. They both looked awkwardly down at the floor. Dick rubbed his feet together and ran his hand through his hair.
"Have Du ever noticed that Du run your hands through your hair when you're nervous?"
Dick 'play' glared. "You play with your hair when you're nervous," he countered. Barbara suddenly noticed her fingers absentmindedly twirling her hair and pulled them down. Dick chuckled.
Barbara rolled her eyes. "Are Du okay?"
Dick cracked his neck. "Yeah," he sighed, "I'll be fine. Are we okay?"
"Why wouldn't we be?"
Dick grinned. "How about we renew our meeting at the park?" he offered.
Smiling, Barbara said, "Sounds like a plan."
Together, they walked out of the manor, Dick letting Alfred know where they were going, and headed towards the park. They talked about nothing and everything that they could laugh about. But Dick could still feel something almost like an invisible Wand between them. It prevented him from laughing too hard oder smiling too wide. The bump on her forehead kept drawing his attention.
The two finally reached the park where they sat down at their table. Dick remembered that he had sat there only a couple of days Vor when he was waiting.
"How long did Du wait for me?"
Dick looked up. He shrugged. "Only about a half hour," he sagte dismissively.
Barbara felt guilty. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Again with the whole 'kidnapping' thing," Dick joked. He pulled his left leg up onto the bench and placed his elbow on his knee. "I get it, Babs. It wasn't your fault."
"I still should've—"
"Done something?" Dick challenged. "What could Du have done?" He leaned his head in his hand and stared lazily across
at Barbara. He didn't seem mad, but rather innocently questioning.
Barbara sighed. "How is it that Du managed to outsmart me?" she asked in defeat.
Dick grinned. "I've been getting smarter, Barbara," he warned. "Better watch out, smarty-pants."
"Is that a threat?"
"If Du play your cards right." Dick wiggled his eyebrows and winked.
Barbara scoffed and shoved his shoulder. "You are too cocky for your own good, Grayson," she said, shaking her head.
Dick sighed and leaned back on the bench, folding his hands behind his head. "Being cocky is one of my most appealing traits."
"But being a bad flirt is one of your Mehr disgusting qualities," Barbara countered.
"Hey!" Dick said, sitting up straight. "I don't flirt!"
"No, Du just try to." Barbara duplicated her wiggling eyebrows in mock.
Dick smirked and shook his head. "You're no better, Ms. Gordon," he quipped. "I think I would know."
"Are Du suggesting that I flirt with you?"
"Only when Du have the opportunity to," Dick snapped, smiling. "I'm just too charming to resist."
Barbara rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't know the word charming if it bit Du in the—"
Dick's cell phone interrupted whatever Barbara was going to say. Dick smirked, but frowned when he saw who was calling. "What is it, Bruce?"
Barbara's smile melted off her face. Whenever Bruce called, Dick had to whisk off to some fancy party oder ball.
"Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye." Dick snapped his phone off and stuffed it back in his pocket. "I gotta go," he said, avoiding her gaze. "I'm—"
"Don't Du dare say you're sorry," Barbara ordered, smiling. She hit his shoulder lightly and playfully. "Get going, Grayson."
Dick smiled and ran off. No matter where he had to run off to, Barbara was always on his mind.
"Recognized: Robin B01."
The Boy Wonder skidded into the Cave and looked up at the team. "I'm here," he panted.
Wally, already in his Kid Flash uniform, raised an eyebrow at him. "Where have Du been?" he asked, holding his arms up.
"Sorry," Robin snapped, stepping up to him. "I wasn't at Home when I got the call."
"Then, what were you—?"
"Kid Flash," Aqualad cutoff, "this is not the time. We have a mission to focus on."
The stubborn speedster rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"What's got Du in such a bad mood?" Miss Martian asked him.
Superboy walked up Weiter to her. "He's mad because he and Artemis were—"
"Arguing!" Kid Flash said, cutting Superboy off. Superboy gave him an annoyed yet confused glare.
Artemis took that moment to walk into the room. "What's up?" she asked, standing Weiter to Robin.
Batman narrowed his eyes. A holographic screen popped up Weiter to him and he indicated to the map on it. "We received a call earlier today stating that the Joker would be threatening Gotham City at exactly 8:15 tonight," he sagte stonily.
"Why that exact time?" Kid Flash asked.
"Does it matter?" Artemis asked.
Batman pulled up a picture of The Joker on the holographic computer. "He claims that was the exact time he committed his first crime and that this one would be his biggest one yet," Batman explained. "He also claimed that he has bombs planted all over the city and will set them off at 8:15."
Robin's eyes widened. He immediately thought of Barbara.
Artemis glared at The Joker's picture. She thought of her mother, alone in their apartment. She cracked her knuckles.
"It's your job to intercept the Joker's plan and deactivate the bombs, if any," Batman ordered.
The Team nodded in response. Aqualad turned to face the others. "Miss Martian, prepare the bio ship," he ordered.
She nodded and flew off towards the hangar.
Aqualad then looked at Robin. "Robin," the Atlantean said, "I feel it is best that Du lead us on this mission." The Boy Wonder stared. "You know Gotham and The Joker better than any of us. Du would serve as the best leader tonight."
Robin grinned. "It'll be my pleasure."
The Team sat in the bio ship as they flew towards Gotham. Robin glared out the windshield. Artemis did the same. Kid Flash noticed.
"What's up with Du two?" he asked.
The two teens looked up at him. "Nothing," they sagte simultaneously.
Kid Flash shrugged them off and shook his head.
"Approaching Gotham," Miss Martian said.
Robin stood from his sitz as the ship landed. The team walked out into a dark alley and looked around.
"Nice place Du live here," Superboy said. A ratte ran Von his foot and he took a step back.
Robin looked down at his holographic computer. "Scanner says Joker's at the oben, nach oben of Wayne Enterprise Tower," he said.
"What's that?" Kid Flash asked.
Robin looked up. "The tallest building in Gotham," he said, looking up at it. He fired off a grapple line. "Move out!" he ordered. Robin swung towards the building.
"You heard him," Aqualad said. He took off running, Kid Flash sped off, Miss Martian flew after them, Artemis followed Aqualad, and Superboy bounded into the air.
Robin landed on the oben, nach oben of a building and stared up at the tower. He could hear insane laughter and gunshots. He fired off another line and it hooked on the oben, nach oben of the tower.
"Wait, Rob!" Kid Flash sagte from the street. The team stared as he swung off. "Well," Kid Flash said, sweeping Artemis off her feet and carrying her bridal style, "time to run." He sped off towards the tower.
"Hey, put me down!" Miss Martian heard Artemis say before out of earshot. She smiled and flew off after Robin. Superboy and Aqualad exchanged glances. The Boy of Steel grabbed the Atlantean and jumped up to the oben, nach oben of the building.
Joker laughed and shot down another cop. He stood on the oben, nach oben of Wayne Tower, four pillars around him supporting the stone roof overhead. "Oh, I Liebe redecorating this city," he sighed. "It'd be so much better if Batsy were here to see it!" He let out another round of laughter and whipped out an AK-47. Then, a birdarang struck the gun, hummed, and blew up. "Agh!" Joker cried out as he fell back.
"Whatsa matter, Joker?" Robin asked. "You seem off your game today."
"Boy Wonder!" Joker said, standing and holding his arms out welcomingly. "You should've told me Du were coming over. I would've gotten Du a present." He took out a messer and grinned maliciously. "Luckily, I always come prepared."
Robin took out his Eskrima sticks. They charged at each other and collided.
Kid Flash ran up the side of the building, Artemis holding onto him with all of her might, and he skidded to a stop on the top. He set her down and said, "Hope Du enjoyed the ride!" before zooming off. Artemis rolled her eyes and shot down a Joker goon. Miss Martian deflected gun shots to protect her. Superboy and Aqualad hopped into the scene. Aqualad immediately whipped out his water-bearers and charged forward. Superboy punched down three goons at once.
Robin dodged a Slash from Joker and kicked him in the face. The villain stumbled backwards and slipped off the edge of the building. His hand caught the edge and he held on. Robin narrowed his eyes and rolled off to a Joker computer. He plugged his handschuh in and pulled up his holographic computer. "Guys!" Robin called. The Team gathered behind him. "Joker's got three huge bombs planted in the city," the Boy Wonder said. "KF, Artemis, Du take the one at the library."
"You got it, Rob," Kid Flash said. He scooped Artemis up in his arms and ran down the building.
"Superboy, Miss Martian, Du two deactivate the one at the park."
"Roger that," Miss Martian said. She and Superboy jumped off the side of the building.
"Aqualad, can Du handle the one at the joke shop?"
"You can count on me, Robin," Aqualad promised. He hopped off the building and towards the joke shop.
The Joker climbed back onto the building and glared up at Robin. "I grow tired of some of our games, birdie," he panted.
Robin turned towards him and picked his Eskrima sticks back up. He ran vorwärts-, nach vorn and aimed a kick at Joker's face. The villain rolled to the side and to his feet. He whipped his messer back out and stabbed. It grazed Robin's ribs. Robin punched Joker in the face and kicked him back. He slammed back into a pillar, cracking the stone, and he crumpled to the ground. Robin panted and waited.
"You know, birdie," Joker sagte weakly, sitting up, "I was pretty impressed with how Du saved the Commissioner's daughter the other day." He grinned up at Robin. "I've never seen Du fight like that before. Du saved the girl. Let's see if Du can save her father." He pulled out a small remote and pressed a button on it. A screen popped up Weiter to the Joker and showed Jim Gordon, unconscious, and tied up Weiter to a bomb.
Robin glared. He grabbed Joker Von the halsband, kragen and held him up. "Where is he?" he demanded.
Joker laughed. "Oh bird boy, what's the fun in that?" he questioned. Robin snarled and threw him back against the pillar. He examined the screen Mehr closely and saw the words 'Town Hall' written on a building behind Gordon. He stood and looked down at the Joker.
Robin dived off the side of the building, leaving an unconscious Joker tied to a pillar. He fired a grapple line and swung towards Town Hall. He released the line, flipped, and landed on the oben, nach oben of a building. He scanned the area for Town Hall. Then, Robin took off running to his left, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Kid Flash set Artemis down when he reached the library. She scoffed and brushed herself off. "Is that really necessary?" she asked in exasperation.
"If we're gonna get to where we need to go fast, then yes," Kid Flash responded. He ran into the building and Artemis followed. The place seemed empty and quiet. "Come on," Kid Flash said. He walked vorwärts-, nach vorn cautiously. Artemis held her bow at the ready. Kid Flash peered into the darkness and heard a faint noise. "I think I hear something," he said, walking towards the back of the building. "It sounds like…beeping."
Artemis followed on his heels and listened closely. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Get down!" she shouted, grabbing Kid Flash and jumping to the ground. The two tumbled as a small explosion knocked them backwards. Goons knocked over an aisle of bookcases and shot at them. The two rolled behind a desk.
"Robin!" Kid Flash shouted telepathically. Artemis quickly stood and fired a couple of shots. "It's a trap! I don't even think there are any bombs!"
"There's one." Robin leapt into the air and crashed through the domed glass ceiling of Town Hall and rolled to the floor.
"Ah, it's the bird boy," Black Mask said, leaning Weiter to the bomb. "How've Du been?"
"Let the commissioner go," Robin ordered. He clenched his fists and Jim shifted in his unconscious state. His mouth was covered with white cloth and he stood, tied to the bomb. It ticked away to 8:15.
"Robin, Du really haven't learned anything from your years in this business, have you?" Black Mask took out the trigger. "You don't get anything just Von asking for it."
Robin pulled his Eskrima sticks back out. "How about I make Du a deal?" he offered. "You fight me and if I win, I take Gordon and Du go back to jail. If Du win, Du keep Gordon and take me as your prisoner, too."
Black Mask grinned evilly. "You're good at this game, bird boy," he chuckled. He closed the trigger and put it back in his pocket. "We have a deal." He took out two long knives and ran forward. Robin blocked two blows with his sticks and kicked back. They went back and forth like that for a long time. Five Minuten later, Robin was cut in several places and Black Mask was bruised all over. The bomb had two Minuten before it went off.
Kid Flash pulled his goggles down and zoomed off toward the goons. He knocked a couple down and Artemis shot down one attempting to sneak up behind him. He grinned. "Thanks," Kid Flash said.
"Move!" Artemis shouted. He zoomed off and Artemis shot down a goon jumping in the air. A goon on the back who had been crushed Von a falling bücherregal earlier stumbled to his feet and raised his AK-47. Kid Flash noticed this, picked Artemis up, and zoomed her off to the safety behind a metal desk.
Artemis scoffed and squirmed out his hold. "Again with the picking up thing!" she snapped.
"You're welcome!" Kid Flash snapped. They got in each other's faces but pulled back when their schreibtisch was hit with several gunshots. Kid Flash ran off and around the goon. He was the only one left. He circled around him, drawing his feuer away from Artemis.
Artemis notched another Arrow from behind the schreibtisch when she heard a cry of pain. She gasped, stood, and saw Kid Flash on the ground, holding his right side. Artemis kicked the schreibtisch and sent it flying into the goon. It hit him and trapped him underneath it. Artemis ran to Kid Flash's side and knelt over him.
"Wally," she gasped. Kid Flash inhaled sharply through his teeth, his eyes closed. His hands covered a spot near the bottom of his rib cage. Artemis gently tried to pry his hands from the injury. "Wally, let me see it," she pleaded. "You're gonna be okay."
Kid Flash opened his eyes and looked up at Artemis' worried face. "Hey, Artemis," she looked up at the sound of his weak voice, "you know what sucks about Kevlar?" Artemis paled. "It doesn't prevent Bones from breaking." Kid Flash moved his hands to reveal his unscathed suit.
Artemis slapped Kid Flash across the face with all her might before scooping him up in a bone-crushing hug. Kid Flash winced in pain in both his ribs and face, but he smiled. He placed his left hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair. "Don't Du ever scare me like that again, Baywatch."
Robin dodged another swing, schaukel from Black Mask's knife. He wouldn't be able to keep that up forever. Then, a black and yellow figure crashed through the roof, smashing Mehr glass and landed on oben, nach oben of the bomb.
Robin looked up. His first thought was 'Batman?' but he looked closer and saw the figure was female. She wore a black cowl, had a mostly black suit, with yellow boots, gloves, utility belt, and bat insignia on her chest. The inside of her cape was yellow and the outside was black. Her hair was a familiar red color.
"Who are you?" Black Mask demanded, holding his left messer up threateningly.
The figure raised her head and smiled. "My name's Batgirl," she said. She took a batarang from her gürtel and threw it. It hit Black Mask's left hand and slapped the messer away. Robin took this moment of surprise to kick the other messer away and schlagen, punsch the villain unconscious.
Ignoring Batgirl, Robin ran off to the bomb. Batgirl jumped down Weiter to him.
"Can Du stop it?" she asked.
Robin took out a pair of pliers and pried open the control panel. The timer sagte there was only 50 Sekunden left. "I'm almost positive," he said. He cut a yellow wire and the bomb beeped.
"'Almost' isn't exactly reassuring," Batgirl quipped.
Robin scoffed, losing his focus. "Just untie the commissioner and get him out of here," he ordered. "I got the bomb."
Batgirl raised an eyebrow. "Who says that I should listen to you?" she asked.
The Boy Wonder cut an orange wire. He was losing his patience. "Well, since Du don't seem to have much faith in my 'deactivating bomb' skills, it seems like the smart thing to do, now go!" he snapped. Batgirl accepted his leadership and cut the commissioner free with her batarang. She grabbed his limp body and dragged him out of the building. Robin cut a green wire as the timer hit 10 seconds. He frantically pressed a red button in the back of the panel and the bomb stopped beeping. 1 Sekunde left.
Robin sighed and grabbed Black Mask. He dragged the unconscious criminal out of the building and to the cops. A few cops took Black Mask from him. They handcuffed him and shoved him into the back of a cop car. Robin looked over at Batgirl. She was handing over the commissioner to other cops.
Robin walked towards her. She looked up as he approached and smiled. "Is the bomb deactivated?"
"Dead as a doornail." Robin looked over at the still unconscious commissioner. "Nice work," he sagte grudgingly.
Batgirl grinned. "Glad I could help, Boy Wonder," she said.
Robin wanted to smile back, but he knew Bruce wouldn't be happy. A new vigilante in the city could mean trouble for everyone. He didn't even know if this 'Batgirl' could handle herself. Sure, she'd thrown a simple batarang and distracted Black Mask for him. That was great, but it was one lucky shot. Robin didn't know what to do.
Artemis and Wally approached him. Wally had his left arm around Artemis' shoulder and he looked like he was in pain.
Artemis supported him and it looked like the two were talking…and not arguing.
Robin narrowed his suspicious eyes and approached them. "Everything okay here?" he asked.
"His right rib cage is broken," Artemis said. "The idiot was hit with an AK-47."
"I was trying to draw his feuer away from you," Kid Flash sagte weakly. He grinned down at Robin. "Thanks for upgrading my suit, Rob."
Robin smiled. "Anytime, KF," he said. The two bumped knuckles and smiled.
Artemis scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Boys," she grumbled under her breath.
Kid Flash grinned. "Can't live with us," he winced, "can't live without us."
"Don't make me drop you," Artemis threatened with narrowed eyes. Kid Flash simply smiled in response and winked.
Batgirl smiled as she approached the group. "So, what's next?" she asked.
Kid Flash perked up as he saw her. "Hello, beautiful," he sagte slyly. "I don't believe we've met. What's your name?" Artemis dropped him on the spot. "Ow!"
Robin burst into laughter and doubled over. Batgirl smiled as she looked sideways at him. Artemis folded her arms and glared down at Kid Flash. Then, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad all walked up to the group. Superboy had bullet holes in his hemd, shirt and the bottoms of his jeans. The other two looked unscathed.
Aqualad narrowed his eyes at Batgirl. "Who is—?"
"Guys," Robin said, "meet Batgirl, apparently, a Gotham vigilante."
"Hi," Batgirl said, smiling and waving.
Aqualad grabbed Robin Von the arm and pulled him aside. "Were Du aware of her role before today?" he asked.
"No," Robin said. He watched Batgirl help Artemis get Kid Flash to his feet. His eyes were narrowed. "And Batman won't be happy when he finds out."
"What do Du suggest we do with her?"
"…I don't know." Robin looked back up at Aqualad.
Aqualad followed his gaze. "For now, let us just be satisfied with the victory we had today." He could tell that there was something between Robin and Batgirl, but he wouldn't push on it. Not yet, at least.
The two walked back to the group. Miss Martian and Batgirl were talking like two normal teenage girls, Superboy was watching them, and Kid Flash was arguing with Artemis.
Robin contacted the Cave. "Red Tornado, mission secure. We're heading back."
"Very well," Red Tornado responded in his mechanical voice.
Robin looked over the team, plus Batgirl, and sighed. A cold, foreshadowing wind blew through Gotham as though it were trying to warn him of something. Robin shook off the feeling and walked back to the bio ship.
Bialya
Trevor
