*WARNING: VERY CLICHE!*

"Wake up!"

I groaned, rolling over to my side. "Five... more... minutes..."

"Allison!"

"Mom... I won't be late for school, I promise..."

He sighed. "I'm not your mom. Wake up."

My eyes shot open as the memories flooded back into my brain. I sat up and saw him.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Not long. 15 minutes tops."

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "Where is he?"

Robin shrugged. "He got away."

I gasped. "Wait, what do you mean? He got away?"

Robin nodded. "I fought him off, but before I could capture him, he was out of there."

"Well, where's Batman?" I questioned.

Robin looked away and shook his head. "I don't know."

We stayed silent for another moment.

"Do you think the Joker's going to find him?" I asked finally.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Robin said, not looking me in the eyes. "He's fought him off before, and he can do it again."

"Can't you use the Batphone?"

Robin stood up and started pacing the floor. I quickly realized something was wrong and stood up, forcing Robin to look at me.

"He took it." Robin said quietly. "He took the Batphone. He knows where Batman is."

I sighed. Somehow, I'd known.

"We have to rescue him." Robin said. "I mean, I have to rescue him."

"Okay. I'll come with you."

"We've been through this."

"Robin."

"Allison, you have to get home."

I gasped. "Oh God! You're right! Did I miss my flight?"

"Not exactly..." Robin said uncertainly. "But, um, it leaves in half an hour..."

"Shit! There's no way I'll make it to the airport in time!" I gasped and burst into tears.

"It's okay..."

"No! Stop trying to comfort me! I don't need it, Robin!" I sobbed, putting my face in my hands. "And I can't leave Batman in the hands of the Joker!"

"The fight will never end, Allison." Robin said, lifting my chin up to look him in the eyes. "We need to worry about getting you home."

"I can't just run away from my problems!"

"We don't have time to discuss this, Allison." Robin sighed. "Come on. Get in the Batmobile and we'll go to the airport."

"But..."

"If you don't want to go, we can turn around. But when you're on the fence like this, we have to go now if you have any chance of making it!" Robin told me quickly. "Hurry!"

"Okay, fine!" I cried. I ran after Robin as he jumped into the Batmobile. I grabbed the passenger seat as he started the car.

"I'm not sure if I want to do this." I said as Robin drove across the roads. I gasped. "Wait, you grabbed the plane ticket, right?"

"Yeah, I've got it." Robin replied. "Allison, listen... I..."

"How will I contact you when I'm gone?" I asked.

"You want to keep in touch?" Robin asked.

"Yes." I responded. "I don't want to forget about you, Robin... and how are you going to find Batman, anyway?"

"One thing at a time." Robin said, grabbing a piece of paper that was in the Batmobile. He handed it to me along with a pencil.

"Write down this number. 617-949-5302. Call that number if you need me."

"I thought you used a Batphone?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah, but I have a cell phone in case of emergency." He turned into the airport parking lot.

"That was quick." I marveled.

Robin nodded. "Come on. We have no time to waste."

"How will you find Batman?" I questioned.

"I'll... um... I'll find a way." Robin stammered.

"What do you mean?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Get out of the car or you'll miss your flight!" Robin shouted, suddenly angry at me.

"Geez, I'm sorry!"

"Just come on!"

IN THE SECURITY LINE

"I can't go past this point. I don't have a ticket." Robin told me as we waited.

I suddenly felt devastated.

"I don't want to leave you." I whispered.

"I know." Robin said with a sigh. "But you have to go. You'll be safe at home."

"But..."

"Please, Allison." Robin said quietly. "This is hard enough."

He leaned his head against mine. I breathed in his scent and sighed.

"Don't forget about me." Robin muttered.

"Never." I said quietly.

"Allison, I have to tell you something." Robin said, glancing around.

"What is it?"

"It's not safe to talk about here." Robin told me. "But as soon as you get to your house, call me. I need to..." he breathed out. "I need to know that you're okay."

"Robin..."

"NEXT!" a security guard yelled.

"I love you."

It slipped out. I didn't mean to say it. I really didn't.

"NEXT!"

Robin smashed his lips onto mine.

"I love you too." He whispered.

We kissed for a few more seconds, wrapped in each other's arms.

Until the security guard demanded that I go and stop "holding up the show."

I stepped up as they scanned my ticket, seeing Robin's sad eyes meet mine.

"Text me." He called. "No, call me."

"I will." I shouted, not caring about all the angry airport people waiting for me to hurry up.

And I didn't see him again after that.

The rest of security was boring. I walked to my gate, holding the paper with Robin's number in my hand.

"Excuse me, ma'm," a worker said, looking straight at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step aside, ma'm," the worker said.

I crossed my arms. "Why?"

"Come with me," the woman responded, putting an arm around me and walking me towards a security guard wearing sunglasses.

"Wait... what's going on?" I asked, starting to feel nervous. I'd never flown by myself before, and this had never happened. Was it normal?

"Here she is," the woman said to the security guard.

"Thanks, Debrah," the security guard said in a deep voice as he pulled my hands together behind my back. He started to handcuff me.

"Allison, you're under arrest."

I gasped. "What? Why? What happened?"

"Security cameras in Arkham Asylum showed you knocking someone out," the security guard told me. "That's against the law."

"Wait, I only did that because she was trying to kill us!" I yelled. "So was the Joker! They were..."

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court."

"There was more footage on the cameras, I bet there was! Robin was captured, so Batman and I went to Arkham Asylum..."

"That's not what the cameras showed," the security guard said as he escorted me out. I didn't resist.

He opened the door, and I got into his police car. He buckled my seatbelt before getting in the front seat and driving.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I swear I'm telling the truth," I said as he drove.

"Then what happened to the security footage?" he asked.

"Did you hear a scream?" I questioned.

He turned around to look at me for a split second. "What?"

"When I was in the asylum, I heard a scream," I said. "I ran into the room and Robin was tied up, being tortured by the Joker."

"The Joker is dead. He's been dead for years," the security guard said.

"No, he's alive," I insisted.

"Maybe we should put you in the asylum, Allison."

There was something about the way he said this that was really weird.

"I'm sorry?" I said.

"I think you're the one who's insane."

I rolled my eyes in the backseat before coming to my senses.

"Sir, I'm 14 years old. Isn't it illegal for you to just take me from an airport?"

"Everything's illegal in Gotham City, darling," he said with a smile.

"But you... OH MY GOD!" I screamed.

The Joker laughed. "Took you long enough!"

He took off his sunglasses and ripped off his wig. He also took out his fake teeth, and to my horror, I realized this had all been set up.

"But... How..." I was at a loss for words.

"Oh, this is too perfect!" The Joker laughed. "And I've got you all handcuffed and everything! This is going to be great!" He laughed evilly and rubbed his hands together.

I quickly realized that there may be a way to escape. If I could quietly shift myself to the other side of the car, I could maybe open the door and jump out...

"Don't even try it."

I sighed. "Why do you even want me? I'm not special."

The Joker chuckled. "Not special? Who put that idea in your crazy mind? Was it... Batman? Or... Oooh! I know! Was it Robin?"

My face instantly turned red.

"Yes, yes, I know all about the two of you," he said tauntingly. "Love at first sight, huh? You've only known each other for a couple days and you were getting ready to do the nasty." He laughed.

"No we weren't!" I shouted, my face burning up.

"Haha, whatever you say. But 14's too young to lose your V-card."

"Oh my God, we weren't doing anything!" I yelled.

The Joker laughed. "That's what they all say, darling, before..."

"I SWEAR TO GOD!" I yelled, not wanting to hear anything else about it.

The Joker threw his head back and laughed. "You're in no position to threaten me, Allison! Now, we're going to take down Batman together."

"I'll never help you," I said firmly.

"Yes, you will, special girl," Joker replied.

"What the hell is so special about me?" I asked.

"Language!" he said with an evil cackle. "That's not very appropriate for someone your age!" What would your mother think?"

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" I asked, hating the sound of my desperate voice. "I never did anything to you before you did anything to me."

"But you did, darling," Joker told me with a smile. "And you know it."

I clenched my teeth and shifted in the seat. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you think?" Joker said with a smirk as he held up the Batphone.

"I won't let you go anywhere near him." I said, glaring at the back of his head.

"Yeah? How will you get out of those handcuffs? Are you going to fight me?" He paused for effect. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No, I..." I sighed as I looked down. "I don't want to hurt you... I don't want to hurt anyone. I never wanted any of this to happen..." I blurted this out before realizing who I was talking to.

The Joker chuckled. "I knew you had a soft side. Didn't know you'd share it with me."

"I don't get why you came all the way to Florida just for me," I told him. "I'm just some 14-year old girl."

The Joker smiled as he pulled into a parking space. "You are so much more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"We're here!" he said in a sing-song voice. "Get out of the car. Oh, wait, you're handcuffed." He laughed loudly.

"You won't get away with this," I told him firmly. "Batman won't fall for any of your tricks."

The Joker chuckled as he shook his head. "If only you knew. Now, come on, you're my bargaining chip."

TO BE CONTINUED...