Bruce hangs, his arms twisted above him in an awkward, uncomfortable angle. His wrists rubbed raw by the intolerable, slightly rusted metal. He spits, releasing the salty, crimson liquid from his mouth, allowing it to drip sloppily to the floor.
"Batman?" a quiet voice calls from the darkness looming in front of Bruce, quivering with fear. "We- we are gonna get out of here, right?". Afraid, the Dark Knight looks up, craning his neck to see the bruised, bloodied boy before him.
God, he looks so small. So frightened. So alone.
"Yes. I'll get us out." Bruce lies. He has no idea how, or when he'll be able to move his arms again much less remove them from such a torturous environment.
Bright lights flicker on, revealing the blood spattered floors, and dingy paint chipped walls surrounding the Dynamic Duo. A man, with hair the color of emeralds, struts in, a long metal object in his hand.
Strolling toward the young boy, the green-haired man halts, revealing the object to be a crowbar. "No- no please! Not again!" Robin whines, just before the harsh article colliding swiftly with his jaw.
"Leave him alone, dammit!" Bruce screams. He needs to think of a way to escape. A way to leave this horrid place, but the pain wreaking havoc inside of his skull say otherwise. Sleep is what you need, his mind speaks. Just close your eyes, Bruce. It'll be over soon enough.
Another sharp snap echoes throughout the small dorm, ricocheting off of each wall, back into Bruce's ears. At the noise, adrenaline shoots through Bruce's body, overriding whatever pain, or drowsiness attempted to cloud his mind.
Fat tears careen carelessly down Robin's face, pain searing it's way throughout his body. "C'mon, the fun is just beginning!" The Joker cackles, "Smile!"
"B- Batman?" the boy wonder stutters.
"I'm here. You'll be fine."
"It hurts..."
"I know- I know it does."
The Joker dissolves into laughter, swiping a stray tear forming with his index finger. "Oh, you two are just too sweet!" He takes his gloved hand, and clasps it around the small Robin's face, pressing his cheeks together. "Just adorable! You know, Bats, if you want, I would be glad to take this little munchkin off of your hands."
Loud chuckles fill the room once more, drowning out the hushed sobs behind him. "I think that's enough for one night, I'm going to hit the hay now. The little one can have pudding or ice cream. Not both; and make sure he's in bed by nine. You two have fun tonight, you hear me?"
Without another word, he leaves, encompassing the duo in darkness once more.
"Dick..." the Caped Crusader whispers, the words flowing out of him.
"I'm sorry." the expression slides out, Bruce is unable to control himself. Emotions, adrenaline, and pain flood back all at once, trying desperately to shut down Bruce's body, make him loose consciousness and finally drift into sleep.
~~~~~
Without warning, the far wall crumbles, leaving nothing but rubble and debris. In the perforation, a silhouette forms. Tall, bulky, with a cape flowing behind him, the figure enters the small room slowly.
"Bruce! Oh thank Rao I found you!" Speeding toward the shackled man, the silhouette emerges, capturing Bruce in a tight embrace. Hearing slight grunts, the man pulls away, staring intently at the Dark Knight.
"Clark," Bruce mumbles, motioning toward Robin, "Get him out of here."
With a nod, the Man of Steel rushes toward the small boy, ripping his chains from the wall, cradling the limp, broken body close to him. "You'll be okay." He whispers, reassuring the lad that he'd help them.
Seconds later, the barred door swings open, an imperceptive amount of light filing inside the room, filling every corner. "Superman! So glad to see you!" The green-haired man stalks with a surprising amount of confidence toward his floating 'friend'.
"See, I have them for tonight, and I'm afraid you've just crashed my party!" The clown cackles, destroying the deafening silence like a wolf, devouring it's last sheep. A gun, an old revolver, is pulled from his belt, clicking the hammer into firing position.
A deafening crack pierces throughout the chamber along with a flash of light, crashing through the silence. The small bullet simply falls, crushed by Superman's invulnerable skin.
The clown paints a confused expression across his face, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Oh right, I forgot about that... I guess I'll have to go with plan B then!"
Another painful crack fires through the air, pressing a bullet straight into the Caped Crusader's chest.
"NO!!" the Man of Steel screams, practically dropping the boy in his arms, before rushing toward the cruel, green-haired jester in front of him.
**
Bruce slips finally, quietly into unconsciousness, finally welcoming the feeling. Just before his eyes close, circumscribing him in a dark tomb, he can vaguely make out the shape of his friend approaching him, Robin in one hand, and Joker in the other.
