BirdFlash

A Fallen Bat

    This wasn’t suppose to happen. I wanted to know Robins Secret ID. I did. But not like this. I never wanted to see this. Robin always seemed so strong, so invincible. Sometimes you would forget that he was the youngest on the team. Batman had taught him to hide his emotions. That the enemy could use them against you. And Robin never showed when he was hurt. He pretended that none of the violence and death around him hurt. He would always hold his emotions back.

    He wasn't holding them back now.

    This had all started out as a normal mission. A simply one even. We were just supposed to go to banquet Bruce Wayne had thrown in out honnor. We were also acting as security. It was suppose to be fun. But something was bound to go wrong. Nothing ever goes right for use.

    Bruce was calling a toast. The members of the team standing just a few feet behind him as he addressed the crowd, his glass held up in the air. He spoke of our heroics and how we were saving people. Robin looked so proud at his praises. I had only ever seen him like that when he was with Batman and I had wondered how the millionaire had induced a similar response. I suppose that makes sense now…

    “To Young Justice!” He called out with a glance back at the boy wonder. He also wore a look of pride as he smiled at Robin. Robin returned the smile but his expression soon became on of pure horror. I heard him cry a no and then everything moved in slow motion.

    I saw the Joker snicker and run out of the back entrance. I saw the bullet fly through the air and price our host in the chest. I saw him fall, the glass he had been holding shattering as it hit the ground. The cameras brought in to film the event caught my eye. They were broadcasting live and I was going to run and power them all down but Robin’s heart wrenching scream stopped me in my tracks.

    I had never heard so much emotion in the birds voice before and I just stared at him for a good few seconds. His lips were quivering and his whole body was shaking as he struggled to put pressure on the wound. He looked like he was going to cry.

    And that’s when Bruce lifted his hand to touch the boys face. He smiled and choked out a few words that caused Robin to finally let go and bawl.

    “I’m proud of you my little bird….So proud…” He grabbed ahold of the dynamo mask Robin was wareing. He closed his eyes and his hand fell limp pulling the mask off as it fell. The indescribable blue eyes widen as he starts to cry out things like ‘don’t leave me alone again’ and repeatedly apologizing as though this was all somehow his fault.

    I didn’t know what to do. He had stopped talking and was just sitting there sobbing. The others had gone after the Joker and I was the only one left to comfort him. I had to do something! By this point I had connected the dots that Bruce Wayne was the Batman, but that only made it harder. Robin had lost a mentor and a father and I had no way of helping him.

    I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I staggered over to fall to my knees beside the boy wonder. I did the only thing I could. I hugged him. I pulled him close so my chest and held him there as he cried into the fabric of my costume.

    I tightened my grip as I began to cry along side him. We did not cry for the same reasons. He cried for the lose of a life, a mentor, a hero, a father. I cried for my best friend. For The boy who had lost everything in the span of a few seconds. I cried because I could do nothing but hug him. I cried because he meant everything to me and I was useless to him.

    “W-wally..pease d-don’t leave me al-lone...please.”

    “Never.” I hold him tightening my grip slightly,  forcing my words to be strong. I must be strong. For him. I wanted to be there to wipe away the tears. I want to be there when he smiles again, when he laughs again. Because of all the reasons I gave for crying there is only one that matters now.

    I was crying because I loved him.