The Aster {Book 1 & 2} (Batman/Joker/Robin/Batgirl story)

2.14. Stolen

Dick reacts instantly, leaping off the bed feet first into two of them, knocking them down, cracking their heads on the wall.

"Dick, no!" I scream as a gunshot is fired into the air. Instinctively I throw my hands over my head as bits of plaster crumble down everywhere from the ceiling.

The third man with tattoos on his face jumps up onto Dick from behind, bringing the handle of his gun down hard onto the back of his head, over and over again, forcing him down onto his knees.

"Don't hurt him!" I yell, springing off the bed and throwing myself over him, shielding his body with mine. I hold onto him tight as the gun smashes down onto my shoulder blade, his bleeding face pressed into my neck.

"Hold it!" One of the first two men leaps up and knocks the gun out of the tattooed man's hand. "It's more than our life's worth if we bring her in injured."

"Bitch," the tattooed man spits at me before grabbing me by the hair and pulling me off Dick and onto my feet.

The baby is crying in the room, oh, please God, no, not the baby.

"Leave the brat," the second man says, almost reading my mind. He grabs Dick by the collar and pulls him up onto his knees, he quickly realises he isn't gonna be able to make him stand. His head is bleeding badly, his eyes are glazed over, he's barely conscious.

Neither of us try to fight as they drag us out of the apartment, Dick because he can't and me because... there's no point. I couldn't beat these three guys, and even if I could there'll be more of them, oh God, we're so outnumbered.

As soon as we're out onto the main landing they push me over to the bannister, are they gonna push me over?

Now I try to fight, fight as I'm forced closer and closer to the edge, the man holding me pushes my head over the woods railings, forcing me to look down into the hallway below.

The Joker is standing there, his arms stretched wide open like he's waiting to catch me. Waiting for me to fall. Alfred is lying at his feet, bound and bleeding, a long rope strung from one side of the hall to the other, meeting in the middle around his neck like a dog.

"Oh, look at you, look at you, look at you and the boss' son," the Joker leers, leaning back and slowly clapping your hands. "I wonder what Mr Wayne would make of this. Where is he by the way, I hope this isn't the way he treats all his guests."

I feel like all my nightmares have all suddenly come true into a sick and twisted reality. I don't know what he wants but I know why he's here.

"You're sick," I yell so loud my words echo through the wooden arches high up in the ceiling.

My punishment is swift, instant. The tattoo man lunges at me and before I can move, picks me up and throws me over the banister. I scream, I'm falling, but suddenly I stop with an agonising jerk. He's dangling me twenty feet above the hallway by my wrist.

"Apologize," he hisses down at me, the veins in his tattooed forehead look like their about to explode.

"You'll have to kill me first!"

"With pleasure."

His grip on my wrist loosens, I scrabble to keep a hold of his coat sleeve but he's forcing my hand to let go.

Suddenly there's a roar from the hall below, it's so terrifying I almost lose my grip.

"No! Harm one hair on her head and you're dead."

Tattoo man glares down and at me for a second before reluctantly pulling me back up. I yelp as my knees scrape over the banister and he throws me down onto the ground.