Not Alone || Batman: Arkham Knight

Chapter Four

Their timing was perfect. Just as Robin clambered atop the building that held Batman, Nightwing appeared from over the other side.

"Are you ready?" Robin queried.

"Absolutely," answered Nightwing, cold determination evident on his face.

The building was about seven stories high which meant they didn't have too many levels to check, unless there were sublevels. They quickly made their way to the elevator, stepping inside to find out that there were, indeed, two sublevels.

Robin turned to Nightwing.

"Start at the bottom?"

Nightwing just nodded his head once in response, then pressed the button for the lowest floor. The doors slid closed, leaving them in the flickering fluorescent light that came from overhead.

As the silence grew awkward, they finally addressed the topic they had been avoiding all night. Nightwing was the first to speak.

"What are we going to do about Jason?"

"Whatever we have to." Robin had never met Jason, but knew that Nightwing and, obviously, Batman had had a very close relationship with him. He wasn't entirely sure that they could be objective when it came to dealing with the Arkham Knight. It might come down to him in the end. "Look, I can't even imagine what you're going through with this, but you have to realize that he isn't the Jason you knew."

Looking Robin in the eye, Nightwing replied, "I know. I just... can't believe it." Giving a half-hearted smile, he added, "Don't worry about me. I'll do whatever's necessary to save Bruce."

At that moment, the doors opened to reveal an empty room with several doors leading off of it. Pulling his escrima sticks from the holster on his back, Nightwing gestured them forward, leading the way into the darkness. Robin moved to the left-most door, turning the handle and inching it open with a slight creak. He glanced inside, but didn't need to go in because it was only a small, rectangular room. There were no places to hide. Scanning the room in an instant, he called over his shoulder to Nightwing. "Nothing."

Nightwing had started from the other side of the room and seemed to be having just as much luck as Robin was. Robin moved on to the next door. It was in the middle of the room and stood directly in front of the elevator. The handle turned, but when he pushed on the door, it didn't move. Somewhat nonplussed, he shoved harder and succeeded in opening the door a few inches, enough to see a light coming from inside. He heard Nightwing swear from somewhere off to his right and glanced back to see him moving on to another door. When he returned his gaze to the room, he saw something glinting from the floor. Suddenly, he realized what it was. It was one of Scarecrow's syringes, still attached to an unmoving hand.

"Nightwing, over here!"

Nightwing was beside him in a flash, ready for a fight.

"Help me open this door."

Between the two of them, they managed to force the door open. In front of them was Batman, illuminated by the blaring lights immediately to their right. He was covered in blood, with a good deal of it pooled at his feet. His arms were stretched out above his drooping head as he hung limply from the ceiling, one leg bent to the side at an impossible angle, the other buckling slightly at the knee.

Robin was the first to race forward at the sight of their friend.

"Bruce!"

Standing in front of Batman, Robin felt for a pulse. An erratic rhythm beat beneath his fingers. Batman was alive, but probably not for long.

"He's alive," Robin said with relief. When Nightwing offered no response, Robin turned back toward the door. "Nightwing—"

Robin's statement fell short as he looked first at Nightwing, who stood staring at the two bodies behind the door, then at the bodies themselves, until he realized that one of them was Jason. With a bullet hole through his head.