That's really good art :0 ^
And the people have voted! Long chapter it is. Good choice by the way ;)
P.S., I'm even doing a double update!

Confused was not enough to describe how Barbara felt right now. Worried wasn't even close.

How could this happen again? Barbara had seen Dick go to the car line area, and there must've been a ton of adults watching there, so how could he go missing? He wouldn't just enter a stranger's car, right? The staff who claimed they saw him get in Bruce's limo had to be wrong.

Especially because Bruce had been at work when Alfred pulled up at school, only to find out that Dick had already left.

Ding.

Barbara ignored her phone. Now was not the time to be responding to texts. She was in the cafeteria with a couple of other children, so maybe she could listen to their conversations and catch some information. If they had any, that is.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

"Ugh," Barbara groaned and she finally pulled out her phone from her pocket. Who was spamming her?

The messages on her screen were from Artemis. They read:

Babs, Dick hasn't replied to any of my texts

I NEED to talk to him

It's IMORTANT.

Okay, so maybe this was the time to be texting.

Wdym??

Is Dick near u?

No
Just tell me Arty!!

If I tell u, youll try to help. I know u.
And it's too dangerous for that

Arty, Dick has gone MISSING! You can't text him !!
If you KNOW something , TELL ME

Dang it!!
Two Faces gangs are after Dick
They r gonna hijack his car and take him
DO NOT DO ANYTHING, JUST TELL UR DAD
You'll get hurt if u try to help, Babs. PLS.

I gtg

Barbara stared at the floor with her eyebrows drawn together. Could it be Two Face's gang that took Dick? That didn't really make sense since Dick wouldn't go in a car with a bunch of random men. Not without struggling and making a scene.

Well, then maybe the person who took him was someone he knew?

She shook her head. Enough theorizing. She had to tell Bruce, the actual detective, what she knew. She could worry about the culprit later. She'd also ask Artemis to spill what she's been up to lately once Dick was safe.

She got up and headed to the bathrooms where she checked to see if anyone was in the stalls. They were all empty. Good. She got in one and dialed Bruce's number.

After a moment of waiting for the billionaire to answer, he picked up and said, "hello? Barbara, are you safe?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she quickly assured, her phone pressed against her ear. "It's about Dick. Two Face's gangs—they're after him. I don't know if they're the ones who have him, but it's a start. Do you think Penguin's involved?"

Bruce sighed on the other end of the call. "I don't know. I'll call him right now. Thanks for the information. How'd you know?"

"I'll explain later. But Bruce, if you find out anything, tell me. I wanna help," Barbara said.

"I have his location," Bruce informed, "but if Two Face's gang's are involved, I don't want you joining."

Barbara was quick to retort, "Bruce—"

"I want to bring Penguin along since he's the one Two Face really wants," Bruce interjected. "He's most likely going to bring his own gangs of henchmen for protection and offense. In fact, I want him to. I also think there's a third party involved. The person or group that took Dick. There's going to be too much going on, and I don't want you to be in the possible crossfire."

The redhead opened her mouth to speak but Bruce ended the call with a beep.

Barbara rolled her eyes. So much for being partners, she thought.

How did Bruce know where Dick was? Dick didn't bring his costume with him, so there was no tracker to locate. The only thing Dick usually brought to school was his backpack and phone. And—

Oh... oh!

Barbara went to Dick's contact and—yep! There it was. Dick was a quick thinker, she'd give him that.

Because under his name in her contacts, the location setting was on, revealing that he was in... The Narrows? In a hospital?

Barbara didn't know what to expect out of that, and it only fueled her worry. Was he hurt?

Batman had said that he didn't want her to follow but... she wouldn't just do nothing if she could help. She had to help. Dick would do the same thing for her.

So she zipped opened her backpack and dug through her stuff. Unlike Dick, she did bring her suit with her. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but hey, she liked to be prepared; and in this case, it was a good thing she had it.

Don't worry, Dick. I'm coming for you.

- - - - - - - -

The Iceberg lounge was busier than ever. And, no, it was not because there were a lot of visitors today.

The Penguin was in the middle of organizing all of his henchmen when Batman and Catwoman burst through the entrance, a few guards sprawled on the floor behind them.

The people eating at the tables gasped at the appearance of the two masked adults, but Penguin shrugged it off. His business might suffer today but that was the least of his concerns for now.

"Really, Batman? I told the guards to let you in. There was really no need to be hostile," Penguin scolded the Dark Knight.

"You really can't be talking, Oswald," Catwoman countered. "What was your latest cat-astrophe again? Oh right, kidnapping and torturing. Yeah, totally not hostile."

"It's swell to see that you haven't lost that lovely sense of humor of yours," The mobster said wryly.

"Enough, you two," Batman cut in. "Penguin, you're coming with us. Now."

Penguin took a step back while many of the henchmen behind him braced a hand on their guns. "And why should I? You haven't explained anything to me other than that Two Face has summoned a majority, if not all of his gangs, somewhere. Oh, and that Dick is in danger. What a shame."

Catwoman hissed. Batman put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Dick has been kidnapped. There is no confirmation on who did it but I have my suspicions. I believe it was someone who's been after Dick before: the shapeshifter Madame Rouge. Originally, Two Face wanted his gangs to take Dick when he was getting up from school, but obviously this third party has interfered. There's still a possibility that they followed the car with Dick inside. You are coming with us because if we run into these gangs, we could use your gangs help fighting them. Also, they are after Dick because of his past relationship with you. They want to use him as bait. If he gets hurt by them, it's your fault."

Penguin idly thrummed his fingers on the handle of his umbrella. "So if I come along, I'm to play the role of worried friend? No thank you. However, I will come to destroy Two Face's gang's once and for all. I would be a fool to miss such an opportunity."

He turned to his henchmen. "Stock up on bullets. You're going to need them."

"No. This isn't going to be a battle field. Do not arm your men," Batman ordered. "If you forgot, Catwoman and I are here to save Dick. We do not need him to see the floor littered with bodies."

Penguin shot him a dirty look. "I no longer care about what could possible 'traumatize' Richard," he spat. "You should be grateful that I agreed to bring my henchmen in the first place. But, fine. They'll fight unarmed if Two Face's gangs are as well. Even then, if there is an emergency, they'll use their weapons should it be needed. Does that satisfy you?"

Batman nodded. "Yes."

Penguin muttered a quiet insult under his breath and turned to his henchmen again. "What are you waiting for? Get ready!"

- - - - - - - -

Dick took a moment to quickly observe the room he was in. There was only one exit and no windows. Several drawers and one very large closet that most likely only held medical supplies.

His focus returned to the nurse who began to walk towards him. Madame Rouge watched from the door threshold.

"Please don't..." he began, his breath hitching. Was he going to die here?

The woman put a gloved finger over her lips. "Shh, quiet now."

Determination and fury suddenly returned, replacing his fear. He wouldn't keep quiet and obey this stranger like a dog! Dick glared at her. "No! Let me go! LET ME GO!" He pulled at the straps around his wrists and ankles yet again despite the pain it caused. Maybe if he annoyed them enough they'd let him go.

The nurse exhaled impatiently and turned to Madame Rouge. "I can't work on him if he yelling and moving. Maybe while I check his temperature and such, but not as I draw blood and do more delicate procedures."

"Are you unable to put him to sleep?" The shapeshifter questioned.

"I can, but I'd rather not. I want him awake so I can see the behavioral effects of some of the serums. Besides, if there something that goes wrong, I won't be able to tell if he's unconscious or drowsy."

Madame Rouge contemplated what to do. "Boy, let's make a deal, shall we?" She declared at last.

Dick paused his squirming. He watched her suspiciously, and cautiously asked, "what is it?"

The short haired woman approached him, the steps from her heeled shoes echoing the silent doctor's office. She hovered over him and looked down at him, and it only served as a reminder to Dick at how vulnerable he was right now.

"I could call four guards up here and have them pin you down to stop your idiotic struggling," she stated slowly, "or I could allow you to say farewell to an enemy of yours. What will it be, hm?"

Dick wrinkled in nose in confusion and lifted his head up as she walked towards the closet that was across from them. "What enemy?"

She opened the closet door, and it took Dick longer than it should've to realize that he was looking into the eyes of Tony Zucco. The man was lying on his side, his mouth gagged with a cloth and his arms and legs bound with rope. His eyes widened with recognition.

Dick gaped at him. Then he snapped his gaze back to Madame Rouge and said, his voice filled with disgust, "what are you doing to him?!"

The villain arched a brow. She let out a small huff of laughter that was mixed with amusement and confusion. "He is the murderer of your parents, is he not? I thought it merciful to let you see him one last time knowing his life would end at last."

"What the heck? Yeah, he killed my parents, and I don't think I'll ever forgive him for it, but I don't want to see him like this! I don't want you to kill him!" Dick protested. "I want to see him in jail! Not tied up like—like... like me!"

Madame Rouge's smile was beginning to morph into a frightening, downturned frown. "This was a generosity. I ran into him after completing a small mission and decided to take him with me. I could have killed him but I kept him in case he'd be useful. In case you'd want to be there when he is discarded. But, instead, you reject my offer?" Her stare was cold; it made Dick feel like there was ice skidding down his spin. She turned to the nurse. "On second thought, bring the guards. And bring the doctor while you're at it."

The nurse nodded and headed out of the office.

Dick let out a frustrated whimper. "Why can't you just leave me alone?! Bruce has a lot of money; he can pay you if that's what you want!"

Madame Rouge's face was hard. She left Tony Zucco on the closet floor and walked towards Dick again. The nine-year-old tensed, expecting her to hit him. She didn't, though, and instead unstrapped his left hand. The fist that he aimed at her the second it was free was easily caught in her palm. Her grip was firm and tight. Strong. Experienced.

She leaned down and said in his ear, "I do not care for money. My only goal is to please The Brain and complete this damned mission. That is why I can not 'just leave you alone.' You are the whole point of my mission. I will not have a child, inhuman or not, ruin my prestigious reputation."

She released his fist and started to unstrap his left leg. Dick's one free hand curled at the edge of the examination table.

"Now, when you are no longer strapped to the table, you will remain seated on it so that the guards can return and slam you right back onto it. And trust me, they are large men. They will not permit you to struggle, or attempt to. And if you move before the guards get here, I don't care what that nurse says. I will have you unconscious," she informed sharply. "Do you understand."

Dick didn't trust his voice so he just nodded stiffly.

They were both silent as she unstrapped his other limbs. And when he was unbound, he slowly raised into a sitting position instead of a lying down one. The woman didn't complain.

Dick eyed Tony Zucco still resting on his side, tied up. It was so weird. He was too worried about not dying and getting experimented on that he wasn't angry upon seeing the criminal. What was weirder was that he felt empathetic towards him. He felt appalled at seeing Madame Rouge take a person and leave them like that, like they were trash.

He supposed that he had that in common with Zucco as of now.

He wanted to untie Zucco.

"Could I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a guard threw the door open. "Intruders! Lots of them! They say that Two Face sent them and that they're after the boy!" He informed breathlessly.

Madame Rouge appeared surprised by the information. "They—What? I made sure there were no cars following us."

The guard looked behind himself in a distraught manner and said, "I don't know how they found us, Miss, but what do you want us to do? Evacuate and relocate?"

The villain gritted her teeth. "No. We have worked too hard to get to this stage. Send all the guards to help fight. I will follow you and see just how many intruders there really are. Nothing I can't handle, I'm sure."

Then, to Dick's joy, she walked out. The guard locked the door with a key before following her.

He slumped as he watched him lock the door but still hurried off the examination table and twisted the door knob just to make sure once the guard was gone.

It didn't turn all the way. Locked indeed.

Dick sighed disappointedly and thudded his head against the door. What was he going to do? He had to get out, but then he'd worry about Two Face's gangs. And Madame Rouge was strong and determined. A dangerous combination for a villain. She wouldn't let him slip through her fingers again.

But Dick was determined, too. And maybe not as strong as Madame Rouge, but he had his strengths. He would fight for as long as could, even if it meant until they put him under.

Because Dick was Robin, and Robin was a hero. He wasn't the only one in danger. Tony Zucco was, too. And Robin promised to save people in danger.

So he would get himself and Zucco would of here. He had to.

Though it would be nice if Batman could come help out, too, already.

"Mgh!" Tony Zucco's muffled voice cut through Dick's thoughts.

Dick turned around and approached the man. "Yeah, okay, I'm coming," he said exasperatedly yet sassily.

He leaned down and pulled the gag out of Zucco's mouth. "Better?" Dick questioned.

Zucco let out a cough before inspecting Dick's face apprehensively. "Yeah. Untie me, would you?"

"Uh, no. Sorry, but you're still a criminal and need to be arrested. I can't risk you running away," Dick explained. "I mean, I could move you if you want. So that, y'know, your face isn't on the ground..."

Zucco avoided eye contact out of embarrassment of his helplessness. "Yeah, do that."

Dick shifted him upright so that he was out of the closet and now against the wall. Then the boy got up and looked the door, his hands on his hips. "Now it's time to open this door. Do you any ideas?"

Tony Zucco shook his head. "Nah—wait. Actually... yes. Come here."

Dick crouched down in front on the tied up man.

"There's something in my pocket. My shirt pocket. Yeah, that one."

Dick looked at the device. "A remote?"

"Yeah, it'll help us get out of here," Zucco guaranteed. "Click the button."

Dick gave him an unconvinced look.

"Listen, trust me, kid. I wouldn't tell you do something that'd kill us," the man stated.

"Hmm... okay, fine," Dick agreed. He clicked the button.

Nothing happened.

Dick blinked and looked at Zucco expectantly. "How was that supposed to help us?"

"I lied," Zucco admitted with a lopsided smirk. "You just activated a timed bomb."

Dick stammered incoherently with his eyes bugged out.

"You see, when that Madame Rouge lady took me, I was on my way to give that bomb to Two Face himself. We're allies," Zucco revealed. "Hey, maybe his gangs will save me!" His grin fell a little. "Nah, probably not. Our alliance was about to collapse, anyways. I actually considered making the bomb go off once I going to give it to Two Face. I've been more on a friendlier basis with Riddler, but that meant also having to be considered an ally with Penguin. You know how Two Face feels about Penguin. It was only a matter of time until he found out. Anyways, I'm rambling. When Madame Rouge tied me up, she was stupid enough to bring my luggage that had the bomb inside with her somewhere. So, wanna open the door now before the bomb goes off?"

Dick's jaw was on the floor. "Are you crazy?! You're going to kill us, and everyone in this building!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That was you not me, remember?" Zucco reminded. "Besides, we won't die if you find a way to open the door and get help. I'm starting to understand the way you work you, kid. You've got connections. Plus, you're a little clever, I guess. So do us a favor and don't let us blow up in pieces, eh?"

The nine-year-old's nostrils flared as he glowered at Tony Zucco. "I can't wait until you're put in jail."

Tony snorted. "Keep dreaming, circus boy. Keep dreaming."

Oh now Dick was getting angry. He kept his hands to himself, though. There wasn't enough time to let himself get distracted. People's lives were on the line. He got up and searched for something to open the door with.

He gasped happily when he found a pen.

"Oh, hurray. A pen is gonna help us out of here," Zucco sarcastically remarked.

Dick rolled his eyes. He pulled the pen apart and took the curly wire part out. Then he straightened it out and inserted it into the key hole.

Thank you forever, Selina, Dick internally said as he fiddled with the wire. This one trick had always come in handy. He didn't know where he'd be without all of the things that Selina had taught him.

Click.

Despite his need to rush, Dick spared a moment to send a smug smile in Zucco's face. The expression practically said: ha, and you doubted me.

"Great, now untie me so we can get out of this building," the criminal ordered.

Dick opened the door. "No, you're staying here. I need to stop the bomb."

"What? There's no way you could do that. UNTIE ME!" Zucco yelled. "What if the crazy lady returns and tries to kill me, huh?"

"I could let you die," Dick snapped, his blue eyes narrowing. "You killed my mom and dad in case you forgot."

Zucco's Face held restrained fear.

Dick sighed. "But I won't. Because she won't come here. When she sees that the door is open, she'll know I got out. She doesn't really care about you. Just saying."

And with that, he ran out of the doctor's office and went searching for the bomb.

He went by every room, looking for a luggage bag that'd have the bomb. He probably should've asked Zucco how the bag looked like, but he didn't have enough time.

Most rooms were empty but some of them had people getting checkups in them. Dick warned them to get out of the hospital. Even though he planned on stopping the bomb and saving everyone, he didn't want to keep innocent civilians in here while there was chaos.

Dick could hear fighting occurring all the way downstairs. He couldn't tell which side was winning, or even which side was which, but at least Madame Rouge and the gangs were occupied. Though as time went by, it sounded like even more people had joined the fight. Maybe Batman had finally arrived.

Dick wanted to go and check if Batman had actually come to save him, but if he didn't stop this bomb soon..
Well, he didn't want to consider that. It didn't help that he wasn't aware of how much time he had left.

It was when Dick went a floor down and entered a boiler room that he found a navy blue luggage bag besides other clutter. He quickly lowered himself into a crouch and zipped open the bag. it held clothing, money, rope, and weapons. There were some small pistol guns and ammo to match, and then there it was: a square-ish bomb the shape of a chapter book, covered with different colored wires. In the center was the timer, and the glowing red numbers read: 14:27

Okay, that was fine. Great even! Bruce taught Dick how to safely stop a bomb during his time training. All he needed was scissors or something sharp to cut a wire. He had even time left to do so.

Hey, this was a hospital; he could find a scalpel and use that!

Dick got up and left the boiler room to find an operating room or even a front desk that would have something sharp. A woman ran past him while he walked through the halls, but other than that, the floor was relatively empty.

That's what he thought until he walked face first into the Penguin.

Dick fell onto his butt with an, "oof," and put a hand to his forehead.

"Richard? Oh right, I forgot you'd be here," Penguin said disinterestedly with a blank stare.

Dick looked up at him in confusion until he snapped out of it and jumped up to his feet with raised fists.

Penguin went wide eyed and put a hand up in defense while the other hand held onto his umbrella. "Woah, there. I didn't come here to start a fight. Not with you, at least."

The ebony haired boy ignored his comment and said, "you can't trick me anymore."

He was getting ready to kick him in the face when Penguin rapidly responded, "Richard, are you talking about the shapeshifter? She's not here right now. I'm the real Oswald!"

Dick faltered. He then squinted his eyes at the man. "Prove it then."

Penguin shook his head. "How am I supposed to prove something like that? Listen, I don't have enough time for this nonsense. I need to destroy Two Face's gangs. Good day."

Dick stepped in front of Penguin's path. "I won't let you get away after everything you've done. So either fight me or turn yourself in."

The criminal blinked. "You're asking me to fight? I—oh. Richard, really? I am not that damn shape shifter!"

"Then tell me something only the real Oswald would know," Dick demanded. He was still in a stance that meant he could jump into action at any second.

Penguin grimaced, thinking of something that Dick knew that only he would know. "I-I... argh, this is stupid! Why should I prove my innocence when I could zap you to oblivion with my umbrella?" He gestured towards the object in his grasp.

Dick looked at the umbrella and raised his eyebrows. Then he gave a satisfied nod of the head. "Hmm, okay you're the real Oz—Penguin. Only you would carry an umbrella with you everywhere. And you're the only one I know with that kind of attitude."

Penguin smiled sardonically. "And only you would try to fight me when my men are surrounding the whole building."

"Huh?" Dick uttered. "Penguin, what is even going on? Why are you here?"

"The Bat and Cat came to rescue you. They dragged me along but I came to destroy Two Face's gangs," the man explained. "They're downstairs. It's war down there. It's my men against Two Face's, and for some reason the security guards are fighting, too. A poor attempt at that, if I may add."

Dick grinned. Batman and Catwoman were here! It was an amazing feeling to know that he was no longer doing this all alone. Then his smile fell. "Oswald, there's a bomb—"

"Look, it's the kid!" A man shouted from down the hallway. Dick and Penguin turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, three men came running at him. Dick presumed that it was some of Two Face's gang members.

Penguin raised his umbrella but Dick held his hand up for him not to do that. He ran towards the men—to their surprise—and momentarily slid on the floor, swiping a leg at one of the men's feet, causing him to trip onto the floor. The other man threw a punch at the boy, but he just ducked and dodged it. Another man who had been behind him received the blow instead. Dick then elbowed the remaining gangster in the face, watching the man fall to the ground. All of it done within seconds.

Penguin shut his ajar mouth when Dick turned to him. "Of course," he said as the boy walked back to him. He lowered his voice. "I should have expected no less from the boy wonder."

Dick didn't react to the comment. "Back to what I saying, Penguin, there's a bomb in here." Wrinkles folded on Penguin's forehead. "And I need to stop it. I found it but I need to cut a wire. So if you're with Batman on this one, then please tell him and Catwoman that I'm okay."

The man forced his lips into a firm line as he closely monitored Dick's face. "Fine, I will," he replied. "But it's only so that their minds aren't distracted about saving you as they fight against the shape shifter."

Bruce and Selina were fighting Madame Rouge? Dick almost wished he could see it. He hoped they were winning and beating her butt.

"And here, use this to cut the wire," Penguin insisted. He pulled a knife from a pocket in his suit and handed it to Dick.

"Ah, thanks," Dick said. He briefly observed the knife and then looked back up at Penguin. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and Dick realized how long it's been since he last saw him. Since the day of the fight that changed him... for the better.

Penguin uncomfortably looked away and Dick copied the action.

And then Dick walked away to stop the bomb, and Penguin turned to report his findings to Batman and Catwoman.

Dick tried to shake off the strange feeling he got from seeing Penguin again and focused on stopping the countdown of the bomb. He must've been too focused—too distracted—to hear the footsteps behind him. Right when he was about to cut a wire, a hand grabbed him back by the collar of his uniform shirt.

Dick yelped and dropped the knife in surprise, the action creating a loud clattering sound. He looked over his shoulder and found a group of familiar men. There were about eight of them.

One of them cocked a gun and aimed it at Dick's temple. "Remember us?"

Dick could've replied with a simple, "yes," but he was feeling snarky. He had to deal with way too much stuff today. So instead, he retorted with, "yeah. Like, you're the guy who got all tangled up in Ivy's plant. How could I forget that?"

The man growled, and one of the other gangsters without a gun gave Dick a good wack in the head.

"Got a sharp tongue, huh?" The man with the gun noted. "Well, let's see how long that's gonna last." He looked at his companions. "Whad'ya say we do with him?"

"I say we get rid of him," a smaller man suggested. "I mean, look at this place. We got Batman and even Catwoman on our tail, and then there's Penguin who scares the living shit out of me. This kid's more trouble than he's worth, let's just be honest."

They all murmured their agreements. "Look over there," one of them pointed out.

They all looked to the direction that he was looking at.

"The hell? Is that a... a bomb?"

The man nodded. They all looked at Dick at once as if getting the same idea.

That was Dick's cue to get out of this situation. He moved to disarm the gun but before he could actually do it, one of the most muscular men shoved him against a boiler. The male adult quickly said to the group, "find something that I could use to tie him up."

The gangsters searched the cluttered area. Dick kicked the guy holding him back where the sun doesn't sun, and the man jumped back with an angry and pained exclamation.

Having been distracted with the man in front of him, Dick didn't noticed another person wrap the rope from Tony Zucco's luggage bag around the boiler behind him. The guy in front of Dick threw a punch, and Dick sidestepped it, but the man behind him snatched him and coiled the rope around his torso and arms, too, before he could worm out.

"Hey! Let me go!" Dick yelled. He had to have the worst luck ever. He had finally escaped Madame Rouge only to get trapped again.

"Heh, who's the one tangled up now?" The leader ridiculed as he observed the tied up child. "Oops. Can't forget the finishing touch." He gently placed the bomb in between two pieces of rope that were around around Dick.

"Do you think Two Face will be mad if we let him die, though?" One of them questioned.

"Nah, he'll probably be glad. It'll make Penguin suffer," the other answered.

Dick didn't bother trying to tell them that Penguin probably wouldn't care if he died. And that if this bomb went off, Penguin would also die. He just squirmed with clenched teeth, trying to free at least an arm.

The men looked at the time left on the timer. "We should go, it'll blow soon."

"Yeah. Feel kinda bad for the other guys working for the boss, though."

A gangster rolled his eyes. "There the idiots who're wasting their time fighting Penguin's guys."

"Anyways, bye, kid," a guy said unsympathetically.

"No!" Dick shouted. "Please! I'll let you do whatever you want with me but please don't let other people die!"

"Oh, that reminds me," the small guy mentioned, disregarding what Dick said, "we gotta make sure no one can come in and save him."

"I got an idea," the strongest one stated. He left the boiler room for a minute and came back with a chair. He leaned the chair against the open door so that it was balancing on two legs.

Dick pleas fell on deaf hears, and the gang left and closed the door, causing the chair to shift underneath the doorknob and the back legs to snug against the floor.

The boy looked down at the timer which read: 5:56

Dick's breathing became rapid. He screamed, as loud as he could, "SOMEBODY! EVERYONE, EVACUATE THE BUILDING! PLEASE!"

There was a knock on the door a few moments later. "Richard? Richard is that you?"

"OSWALD!" Dick cried, his voice cracking. "OSWALD, RUN!"

The door shook as if Penguin was trying to open and push it, but the chair kept it in place. Jammed. "What's happening?!"

Dick let out a gut-wrenching sob. He failed. He wasn't able to stop the bomb, and if everyone didn't run out in time, they'd die. Bruce, Selina, Oswald. The innocent civilians that still most likely remained. Even the gangsters who were just following Two Face's orders to get enough money to live.

Tony Zucco was still tied in that doctor's office room. Dick had left him there.

"A group of gangsters tied me here," Dick explained as tears tickled his cheeks. "The timer is still on and running. Oswald, you need to go. You need to warn everyone to get out!"

Penguin pounded against the door. "Richard, why isn't this door opening!?"

"Oswald, listen to me!" Dick shouted frustratedly. "I'm stuck and the door is blocked! You can't get in! You need to warn everyone and run out of the building before it explodes!"

"I-I—Dick, you can't just let yourself die like this," Penguin insisted from the other side. "You have to find a way. You always find a way."

The boy shook his head even though he knew no one could see it, his hair sticking to his sweaty and teary face. "I know, but I don't have a way. Not this time. I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Please. Please go now. Time is almost up." He looked down at the timer. "There's only four minutes left! GO! PLEASE!"

There was a moment when there was no sound, and Dick heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe everyone could run out in time. Maybe—

The sound of thumping echoed through the air.

"OSWALD! OSWALD, LEAVE!" Dick demanded desperately. "Why are you still here?! I thought you HATED me!"

The thumping halted abruptly. "No. Dick, I don't—I do not hate you," Penguin expressed.

"Yes, you do. You said that, and you said that you wanted to kill me. You said that you should've me left to to die so DO THAT NOW! LEAVE ME TO DIE!" Dick screamed frantically.

On the other side of the door, Penguin clenched his fist that was pressed against the door. "I—damn it, Dick, you're right! I did say that! And I regret it more than you can imagine. Dick, I never hated you. All those things that I said that day... damn it. I was mad. I was livid."

Dick only bawled in response.

Penguin's chest tightened painfully at the sound. His brows furrowed together and his eyes burned. "Dick, I was a fool. You... you were the first person to show genuine kindness towards me. You were friendly, and you were smart, and you were lost. I-I saw myself in you. As much as I tried not to, I ended up having a soft spot for you." He laughed weakly. "Could you imagine that? The Penguin, a cold monster, caring for an orphan child?"

The man sighed as silver lined his eyes. "And maybe you were right. Maybe I was lonely. I hated that you could be right about that. Still, gradually, I grew a liking to you—more than I would ever admit. I... I began to trust again. Not everyone, of course. Only you. And—" he felt a lump in his throat "—for some stupid reason I thought that meant you needed to tell me everything. I was a hypocrite! I kept many secrets from you but when you didn't tell me one thing, it felt like the ultimate betrayal! And the pain I felt when I thought that trust had been broken... it was overwhelming. And familiar. I had only felt that pain before when I had not yet become Penguin. When I allowed myself to get hurt.

"I act irrationally when I'm upset. You know this well. I say things—horrible things, Dick. After all your kind efforts to help me, I treated you terribly. I abandoned you and destroyed our friendship. Friendship," Penguin repeated quietly, "you loved that term—the whole aspect of it—and I shattered it. Im sorry. I'm the one who's sorry, Dick. I—"

He paused.

And then faced the door with a sad but firm resolution.

"I left you alone once... I won't leave you again."

A tear drop hit the floor besides his feet.

"Oswald..." Dick croaked from his side. "I... never thought..." He swallowed. "Oswald, I forgive you. You don't need to die with me."

"It's not that I have to, Dick. It's that I want to," Oswald decided, a tear streaming down his face. He leaned his back against the door and slid down. After all the awful things he'd done in his life, he wanted to do something that meant more than greed of wealth or power. He owed it to the boy.

"No," Dick rasped. "No, Oswald. OZZIE, PLEASE. YOU CAN'T DIE, TOO!"

"I'm here by your side, Dick. Don't be scared," Penguin only said. "I will not leave you again."

"NO! NO, PLEASE!" Dick wailed, his eyes squeezing close as if not seeing anything meant it wasn't real. He squirmed and pushed with everything he had in him. "PLEASE... PLEASE, DON'T LET HIM DIE. DON'T LET ANYONE DIE!" He didn't know who he was talking to, but he just wished they would listen.

And they did.

Or she did, to be specific.

From the corner of the room, a hardly visible plant grew. It grew larger and larger until it became a vine with thorns rather than a plant. Dick watched in shock as it inched towards him and wormed up his leg. Then it slithered through the crevices of the rope and ripped the material with its thorns.

Dick pushed against the rope and felt the fibers weaken with the help of the thorns. He let out a tearful laugh as they worked together.

"Dick?" Penguin said from behind the door.

The nine-year-old didn't respond. He just kept pushing and pushing until—

Rippp!

Dick fell onto the floor as the rope finally tore apart. Catching the glint of the knife, Dick half-crawled, half-stumbled towards it as fast as he could with the bomb in his hand. He hastily grabbed the knife, and slashed through a bright colored wire.

The red numbers froze and then dimmed out until there was no longer the reflection of red light on Dick's face.

The boy exhaled in utter relief, the sound the only noise in that dark boiler room.

Then he forced himself to his feet, regardless of how much he wanted to lie down in the floor and cry from stress and joy, and moved the chair away from the door.

He wrenched the door open and found himself face to face with Oswald Cobblepot.

They tackled each other in a powerful embrace.

"How-?" Oswald tried to ask.

"Ivy," Dick revealed through a sniffle. "I don't know how or when or—" he shook his head and grinned despite his red face and wet eyes. "She saved us."

"You sure betcha!" A female hollered.

Dick froze. He knew that voice...

He and Penguin craned their head to see who said that. Dick's eyes widened and his grin grew even more.

From down the hall a group of teenagers, a green woman, and a female in a red and black jester outfit stood and waved them.

Dick giggled and raced to them, Penguin following him from behind.

"Hey, Dick," William, the co-leader of Dick's gang, said casually. As Dick got closer to them, they noticed his red eyes and tear tracked face.

"Woah, are you okay?" Another one of the gangsters questioned worriedly.

"He almost died tied with a bomb," Poison Ivy answered for Dick. "I'm sure he's feeling much better now than he was a few moments ago.

Dick smiled gratefully at her. "Yeah. I can never thank you enough, Ivy."

The redheaded beauty offered him a small, comforting nod of the head.

"So, this is the kid you were telling me about! Huh, sure, he is cute," Harley Quinn cut in with her bubbly personality. "Worth playin' hero for I guess if you like him so much. Hey, you know, this savin' people thing is sorta fun, to be honest!"

Dick arched a brow in the form of a silent question.

"She helped knock out some goons," Ivy explained. She smirked at the other female. "It was 'awesome'."

"You got that right!" Harley exclaimed proudly. "They got nothing on me and my trusty hammer!"

"Hey, we helped, too!" A gang member declared. "And I think you'll be quite happy to see who we caught."

The teenager opened a nearby door and showed the men that had tied Dick to the bomb unconscious and tied up with plants.

Karma was a sweet thing indeed. Dick fist bumped his gang.

"I hate to interrupt the moment," Oswald spoke up, "but I think Batman and Catwoman would be very relieved to see you."

Dick gasped. "Bring me to them, please!"

The man nodded and moved to lead the way.

"Wait," Dick shortly said. He turned to Ivy, Harley, and the gang. "Come with us! You deserve credit for helping. Maybe Batman will be less harsh on you guys in the future because of it."

"We don't want any credit," Will said. "We're just glad to help you. We're gonna head out and take advantage of the fact that Two Face's gangs aren't out in the streets."

"And we don't want Batman to think we're heroes now," Ivy informed.

"Yeah, this was a once in a blue moon sort of thing, ya know?" Harley added. "I don't really want Mistah J thinking that I'm getting close to Batsy."

"Oh.. okay then," Dick said. "Well, thank you all so much for helping me. I will never forget it."

The gang said their: "no problem"s and "your welcome"s and "anytime"s, and headed out through the back exit.

"By the way, Ivy," Dick whispered when Harley was busy talking to an annoyed Penguin, "does she know about me being, y'know... Robin?"

"I didn't tell her," Ivy assured. "But she's not as oblivious as she makes herself seem."

As if sensing that they were talking about her, Harley glanced at Dick. Her eyes twinkled knowingly and she winked.

"We should leave now," the green female stated. "Stay safe, Dick. And, also, tell Selina that Harley and I say hi."

Dick nodded vigorously. "I will."

Ivy and Harley left in the same direction as Dick's gang.

"Are you ready now?" Oswald asked. His words were gentler than any he would use towards anyone else.

Dick smiled. "Yeah. Let's go, Ozzie."

- - - - - - - -

"Oh wow..." Dick uttered as he observed the dozens of unconscious men on the floor.

Oswald sighed. "Some of them are my men."

But while some of Oswald's gang was knocked out, it appeared that most of them managed fine on their own because they were grouped up, waiting for Oswald.

"I'm going to catch up with my henchmen," the man said. "You'll be fine without me, correct?"

"Yep," Dick said with a smile. "You go ahead."

Oswald inspected his face and returned a miniature smile of his own. It instantly warmed Dick's heart. He then waddled to his henchmen.

Dick approached Batman and Catwoman who were talking to a handcuffed Madame Rouge. Power-dampening, metahuman handcuffs, most likely.

Batman, who heard his footsteps, turned to him. Dick knew he'd hug him if he weren't dressed as Batman in front of a villain.

Catwoman, meanwhile, didn't care. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Oh gosh, Dick, you're gonna kill me one of these days."

"Air!" Dick wheezed.

She reluctantly let go.

The nine-year-old sucked a breath. When he had enough air for his liking, he mentioned, "Ivy says hi. Oh, and Harley."

Catwoman chuckled and sent a look Batman's way, knowing full well that he was going full Daddybats in his head.

"Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn were here?" Batman interrogated.

"Yep, they saved me," Dick informed. As he opened his mouth to speak, he faltered with wide eyed. "I need to go back and get Tony Zucco."

"Huh?" Catwoman voiced in a not-so-eloquent manner.

"He's here!" Dick elaborated. He pointed his chin at Madame Rouge. "She brought him here. And he's tied up. I'm gonna go get him."

"Be careful," Batman warned.

Dick began walking backward. "Yep, I will." Oh, he would. He had more than enough action for today.

"I'll come with you," Catwoman claimed. Maybe it was to ease Batman's worries, or maybe it was to ease her own. 

They went up a few floors and strolled through the hallways. Dick took a deep breath in and out. The worst was over with. There was no bomb, Two Face's gangs were defeated, and Madame Rouge was caught. All that was left was a powerless Tony Zucco.

In what felt like a lifetime ago, Dick struggled between choosing revenge or justice. Now, it was clear what choice he'd choose. His heart felt lighter than it did all those months ago. Maybe just living with Bruce and being Robin helped him see things a different way.

Dick opened the door to the doctor's office.

"You've got to be kidding me," he breathed.

Cut pieces of rope was the only thing remaining lying on the floor in front of Dick.

He was really starting to hate rope.

"He couldn't have gone far," Catwoman said after catching Dick's tense face. "Come on, let's look and see if the guy is any good at hide-and-seek."

They rushed out of the room. The hospital air brushed against Dick's face as he dashed from door to door, wondering where the heck the man went. They went a floor down and—

He heard it before he saw it.

A female shouted a warning.

A gunshot reverberated through the long, empty halls.

Then a cry of pain.

Dick zoomed through the halls, leaving Catwoman behind his trail of dust, almost slipping on the smooth floor tile, and found Batgirl crouched over a blonde female with Sportsmaster's mask. The same girl who tried to kill them the other day.

Tony Zucco and a random henchmen were running away from the scene... Dick had to choose between catching Zucco or helping this girl.

So of course he chose to help the girl.

Dick was by the blonde's side in an instant. "Bar-Batgirl, what happened?"

Then he noticed the growing blotch of red staining the Mini Sportsmaster's dark suit at her upper stomach. He and Batgirl put their hands over it, an attempt to slow the blood loss. It earned them a sharp hiss.

"She was here to—to help you," Batgirl stammered. "It's a long story, but, basically, she and I were taking down some of Two Face's men. We were working together. Then, when we thought it was over, we were talking and, suddenly, Tony Zucco comes out of nowhere with this guy with a gun, and—well, the rest is clear."

"If she's on our side, we need to bring her to a hospital now," Catwoman urged.

"No," Artemis gasped, "I c-can't. They'll find out who I am and—" she winced in pain "—then my dad will know I helped you. Then I'm—I'm—ah!"

"Shh," Dick cautioned softly, "it's okay, your dad won't find out. We'll find another way. Try not to talk or it'll hurt more."

"This is a hospital. Are there no doctors anywhere?" Batgirl questioned.

"They all evacuated," Catwoman responded.

"Then can't we bring her to Doctor Thompkins?" Batgirl suggested.

Catwoman's eyes widened at the idea. "We'll do that." She took out her phone, which made Batgirl raised her eyebrows at Dick teasingly, and Dick frowned playfully, like: fine. You win this one. I still think bringing your phone with you while in costume is a bad idea, though...

While Catwoman dialed Leslie's number, The injured girl extended a hand to Dick. "Dick, I'm sorry for leaving you and putting you in danger in the first place."

Dick furrowed his eyebrows and held the girl's shaky hand gently. He asked, "what do you mean?"

The blonde retracted her hand and brought both of them up to her mask. Then she slowly removed the mask and revealed...

"Artemis?" Barbara exclaimed as she brought her hands to cover her mouth.

Artemis eyes were glossy and confused. "Do I know you?"

Dick quickly returned the attention back to him before Batgirl accidentally revealed her identity. "Artemis? Your father is Sportsmaster?"

The blonde looked at Dick sadly and nodded, the action a hard task for her. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "I didn't want to be his spy, I really didn't, I swear. I didn't want to be his assassin. But he made me, Dick, you have to believe me."

Catwoman watched the children with an anxious expression as she spoke on the phone with the doctor.

"I do, Artemis," Dick assured. "I believe you. You don't need to apologize; you came here to save me even though you knew that your dad would get mad if he found out. Thank you. As far as I can see, you're nothing like your dad. You're Artemis."

Artemis burst into tears at those words. To be her own person—somebody that she wanted to be... it was an amazing thing.

Catwoman stepped into the conversation. "Kids, listen up. Doctor Thompkins agreed to treat Artemis's injuries. She said to meet up at one of her clinics here in The Narrows before the police bombard this place." She winced and looked at Dick. "Too soon?"

"I'll come with you," is all Dick said to that.

"No, no, no," the catlike woman protested. "You're staying here with Batman, and you're gonna catch Tony Zucco once and for all."

"But—"

"Tracker, remember?" Catwoman winked. Her smirked quickly melted as she turned to Batgirl and Artemis. She leaned down so that her shoulders were in front of Artemis. "You're a strong one, you know that? Come on, I know it'll be tough but I need you to hop over and hang on tight. A little help, Batgirl?"

"On it," the redhead said as she helped Catwoman get a hold of the weeping Artemis. She glanced at Dick, who was watching unsurely. "Go, Dick. Go get him."

Dick pursed his lips and nodded firmly before heading downstairs to meet up with Batman.

- - - - - - - - - -

Robin and Batman found Tony Zucco at a bar, already half drunk.

Batman let Robin do the deed. He trusted that his partner would do the right thing, and believed that the boy deserved to be the one to do it, so he just supervised from behind.

Everyone at the bar paused their conversations and drinking to stare at the dynamic duo as they walked through the door. Batman leaned against a counter as Robin said, "Tony Zucco, you're under arrest for the multiple crimes you've committed, including the murder of The Flying Grayson."

Robin had practiced that line for the longest time now.

Tony Zucco stumbled out of his chair, drink still in his hand. "No..."

The hero approached him until the man backed himself into a wall.

"You can't..." Zucco trailed off. He looked around for an exit—for anything—to get away and stall more time. "I can get away. I always get away!"

Robin out a hand on the man's shoulder. "Not this time. Now it's time for you to pay for your crimes," he stated, his voice leveled and calm.

Then he locked a pair of Bat cuffs around the murderer of his parents' wrists.

"Your time of running away and hurting people is over," Robin said at last.

And for the first time since his parents death, he feel like he did them justice.