Wonder Boy (Robin Love Story)

I

The rain started to slow just before I left the dimly lit diner. It was way past closing time for The Circle but I stayed to sort out the stacks of paperwork someone left just outside the office. By the time I finished filling out the last sheet, it was  a few minutes past eleven.

I checked my phone with worry. My brother should have at least texted me by now but I suspect he was kept behind at work again. The wind picked up and I strained to keep my flying skirt down with one arm while holding my bag with the other.

To save some time, I started walking opposite from a small crowd going towards the city, making my way through the nearly empty alleyway besides the garbage-filled trashcans and a few active cats who were chasing a gang of rats. I have never been a big fan on walking strange grounds alone but I needed to get home soon and the ally was the only route I knew that was a shortcut to my apartment building.

The rain started off again, making my wavy brown hair slightly damp and a few stray pieces getting stuck on my forehead, shielding some of my sight. My ankles were twisting with every step I took due to the heels I stupidly decided to put on today and I could only pray the walk home would be uneventful.

I could vaguely hear heavy footsteps behind me, and believing it was someone going the same way as me, I payed no attention to it. But as the footstep began to quicken, I broke into a run still cursing at my heels. My spine ran cold and my heart beat faster as the footsteps became heavier and heavier, suggesting the person behind me was running as well.

Suddenly, a shadow jumped in front of me and grabbed me by the arm. My eyes widened in shock as I tried to break free but the death grip this man had on me was nearly impossible to get away from. I looked closer at my attacker and noticed he looked around seventeen, about three or so years older than I was.

"Why, hello gorgeous." He muttered darkly, "boys! I found ourselves a little birdie."

The stranger that was behind me finally caught up, he was also a man. I cursed in my head and made a silent pray. Please, don't let this to happen to me.

"Oh, what a pretty hummingbird. Light on your feet, aren't ya?" His raspy voice filled my ears and I shivered. A third man entered the scene, this time around fifteen.

"I hope you were planning on sharing, brother." I looked at him in horror, how could person so young already turn into this life? They all shared a wicked smile and creeped towards me, the one who had a grip on me put his free hand around my waist.

I then decided it was time to act. I balled my hand into a fist and swung it at my attacker. He stumbled back from the shock and the hit and swung his head to glare at me. I felt sorry for a second when I saw his nose slightly crooked but the feeling was long gone as a wild spark came to his eyes. I turned and started to run but slammed into the youngest brother.

"Where do you think you're going, princess?" He smirked coldly.

"P-please. You don't want this. Please let me go." I begged quietly to the green eyed boy, shivering in the cold. His smirk quivered for a second and his grip loosened but one of the other boys grabbed me before he could react. The oldest threw me to the ground. I wanted to scream, to cry, to fight back but he had a large hand over my mouth and the more I struggled, the more he pressed.

A shadow suddenly passed over the roof of the abandoned building beside this scene and a sinister yet comforting laugh filled the air.

"What was that?" The youngest asked, "you don't think it was..." he trailed off, his question was answered as the oldest attacker was pulled off me and punched to the ground. It seamed like only a few seconds before all the brothers were on the floor, two passed out and the youngest writhing in pain.

Two shadowy figures cautiously walked towards me. I could make out most of their features due to the dim lights around the ally. The taller one was wearing the mast of a bat as the smaller was bearing colours of green, yellow and red as well as a black domino mask. Realisation dawned on me as I noted my saviours were the Dynamic Duo; Batman and Robin.

The shock was still consuming me over the events that just occurred that I didn't notice the Boy Wonder ask me a question. I looked up at him with a blank stare and asked him to repeat himself.

"Are you alright?" He asked once again, taking a step closer to me.

"Yes, thank you." I reply softly yet gratefully.

"You're safe now," a deeper voice stated, "may I ask what you were doing alone in an alleyway?"

"I was heading home. I wanted to take to shortcut to the apartment building in Riverhead since it was already late." I answered the Bat.

"Robin will take you there."

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Robin had swung a hook  with a rope attached  to the sky and grabbed my waist. With a single click in his belt, we were launched into the sky. I widened my eyes and wrapped my arms around Robin's neck. I pulled myself closer to him, terrified he would loose his grip on me, receiving a small smile of reassurance in return from him.

After a while, we reached the top of my building. I lived on the last level of the apartment so all I had to do was climb down to my half-open window.

"You're safe now." Robin whispered and released me slowly, making sure I was back on my feet and steady before he then turned to leave.

"Wait!" I said, surprised at myself how I didn't want him to leave just yet. He turned to me once again.

"Thank you, Robin" I say quietly, taking a step forward and quickly kissing the corner of his cheek. His face crinkled in delight of my gesture and a smile crossed his face.

"Anytime." And with a toss of the hook, my wonder boy disappeared into the night.