Chapter Text
The words had been clear, ‘Robins time has come to an end’ the phrase repeating in his mind as he embraces the alley around him. The feverish streets of Gotham closed in on him as he swayed in the low buzz of the city.
The bright lights around him never brought as much of a headache as they had before, the blaring of them seeping into his eyes. The wallowing of the clubs around him pounding harder against his head as his tears stopped leaking.
Slowly bringing his hand towards his ears, shutting them tight along with his eyes he lives in silence for a moment, a second. Peace overcoming him as all of the bad things that had happened to him slipped away for that single moment.
A crashing noise beside him startled him, opening himself up again to the world as he sees a bright light flashing in the alley beside him. The colour unlike anything he had ever seen, a fluorescent glow slowing overtaking the night’s darkness and the city’s buzz.
Too many thoughts pass through his mind, racing as he thinks what to do. He wasn’t robin anymore, it was clear to him he had failed at that, never again would he disappoint Terry, but the idea that he didn’t do anything that he could have stopped scared him more.
Matt took a step forward, stumbling as he did so, making his way around the corner. He held himself against the cold metal walls of Neo-Gotham, for the first time in hours he let himself breath. Preparing himself for what to see, letting weakness show only hurt the people around him, he couldn’t let it happen. Never again.
His hand slid down the metal wall, brushing it past his leg. Matt didn’t have an idea of what to do or what lied in that alleyway, a chemical? A weapon? All he knew was that he needed to prove to himself, that he wasn’t a degenerate. He wasn’t just like any other ‘kid’ no matter what Dick had told him, his sibling was Batman for crying out loud, past that point when had he been a kid. His parents dying? His night life? None of it made sense to him.
He closed in on the alley, eyes scanning cautiously, looking from above and behind him. Silence filled the alley as he stepped through it. The breeze leaving his hair messy, the curls slicking back as he trudged forward.
Matt’s head was screaming, the hours of stress and turmoil were catching up. He couldn’t stop now.
He sees it.
The door stood out compared to most of Gotham, the slick white curve contrasting against the grit of the alley. It was clearly left unattended, the door flung open wide, with the lights turned on inside of the machine.
Matt didn’t know what to think of it, the glass around the machine, the soft lights flaring from the inside, it peaked his interest.
It might not have been the smartest idea, but what else could he do with it? Carry it to the bat cave? As if!
He lifts one foot off the ground, lifting himself into the door. He had begun to bring his second foot into the machine, turning himself to see his action, within an instant, his body fell, his head falling into the brightly coloured controls while the rest of his body flailed as the door shut on him.
The world around him began to shake in his disoriented state, spinning, hitting his head on the glass container he was stuck in and trying not to cry. His whole week had been tiring, after being taken by the joker he knew it could never be the same, the restless nights were catching up to him.
Softly he laid on the floor, trying to secure himself as the machine tumbled. He squeezed his eyes shut one more time and roughly put his hands against his ears.
Once again he was alone with thoughts, his fears and his failures. If he chose one thing to have with him right now, he’d ask for Terry. He just wanted his sibling, running away from the cave was a bad idea from the start, he was an idiot.
Once again tears leaked from his eyes, his hands shaking while he held them tightly against his ears. Matt didn’t know what was happening, but he knew he wanted to go home.
Moments after his tears stopped, his eyes grew heavy. Succumbing to sleep was the last thing he wanted but his face against the cold floor welcomed his slumber. They bright yellow robin cape wrapped around him, allowing for the small amount of warmth to bring him closer to unconsciousness.
While the brightness on the outside of the machine dimmed down with a flash. Matt dreamed of his family.
Dick had never expected his Saturday to be eventful, Damian and Steph wanted to be trained today so that’s what they did.
Before the sparring he let Steph and Damian choose who initiated the fight, between the two they insisted to do rock paper scissors (with Steph winning).
Damian and Steph sparred while Dick critiqued their motions, faulty foot work, posture, defensive positions, the whole shebang.
“Steph! Fix your leg work, Damian could push you over! Try that move again ok?” They had been practicing defensive techniques, they both enjoyed to jump straight to attacking so he thought it would be a good idea to get them to practice.
A groan left her mouth as he did what he suggested. If you asked him, this is their usual Saturday, letting Damian and Steph train while he got to lay back and watch.
A loud blaring alarm from the batcomputer interrupted them, it was unlike for any major crime to happen in the day? Duke was normally alerted for them. His attention was driven away when a loud crash happened behind them. He did not expect a large round machine to enter the cave, almost blinding him as a flash entered when the alarm stopped. The bright flash mixed with the loud bang startled him.
The first to say something was Steph, “What the fuck?” A question they were all asking truly.
“Language Brown.” Damian turning his calculator glare from the machine to Steph.
The door on the machine had opened, harshly, bashing into the machine once again making a loud bang. The three of them got into a defensive position, spreading out equally. Dick slowly took out a wingding while he waited for something to happen.
A small boy jumped out from it, his costume felt oddly familiar, a mixture with yellow, green, red and black. The black haired boy stood there for a moment disoriented, swaying from one side to another as he went back to the door, his back facing Damian.
He held into the doors edge while he brought his head down, a noise filled the room, a gagging and a liquid dripping. The boy in an elegant fashion has promptly thrown up in the machine.
“Ew.” Damian’s hands lowered as a face of disgust replaced his once stoic expression, his eyebrows raising as he frowns.
Stephanie faced away from the machine, instead walking to Damian and whispering something in his ear, a face of judgement landed towards Steph as she exclaimed in a taunting laugh. Could either of them be serious with each other?
Dick made himself aware to the boy, stepping forward and breaking free from his once defensive position. “Excuse me? Um, are you okay? Also how did you get in here.” The small boys face fell as he turned to Dick, his figure shaking. “I just want to help okay? Do you remember what happened?” Softly speaking to him, the bot couldn’t be older than 13? Barely Damian’s age.
Again the boys head roughly turned into the machine, throwing up again. His head bashing against the yellowish liquid while his eyes fell shut.
Shit.