In Trouble With Nightwing

Chapter 4

We were hardly in the cave when Batman ordered my upstairs to his office with a really hard smack. Usually if I mess up as Robin I was spanked there and after told to change. It scared me a bit that he wanted me up in his office right away, it meant I had really, really, really messed up. 

I watched for a moment as he got Nightwing out of the car, he didn't wake up the whole ride. He could be seriously hurt and it would be my fault for not taking orders. Why couldn't I have just listened?

Sticking around was only going to make him angrier so I ran upstairs. Nervously I paced around in his office. Sometimes it was fun to sit on the big couch and read while Bruce worked. But right then wasn't fun at all.

I was so stupid. I should've just let Nightwing tell Batman the real reason why the Joker got away. I wouldn't been out tonight with them, but at they would've caught him by now. It's all my fault that Gotham most dangerous criminal was out lose.

Batman slammed the door behind him, something he always yelled at me for. I watched him, waiting to see what he wanted me to do.

"Sit and explain now," Batman demanded, taking a seat at the desk. "Do not forget anything."

"Um," I took the seat across from him and froze for a moment. There was so much I could say, where was I supposed to start! "When Joker got away from Nightwing the other night...that was kinda because of me." I said wincing.

"How?" He growled out.

"Dick told me to stay in the car, but I followed him anyways." I admitted, trying hard not to start crying with the way he was looking at me. I didn't even get to the really bad stuff yet either. "Joker used me as a distraction and took off."

"So you lied to me," Bruce said, sounding real angry. Like even more than the time that Catwoman stole his utility belt. Or when Superman 'borrowed' the batmobile and destroyed the front of it. Or like any other time.

"Yeah, I guess so." I mumbled trying really hard not to lose my voice. I guess that made me a bad partner if I lied to him so much. He doesn't keep stuff from me, right? "I didn't want you to ground me from being Robin, so I sort ...talked Dick into letting me get off." I didn't want to tell him the next part, but if I omitted anything I would still be lying. At least that's what Bruce always says. I don't think so, but I wasn't in a position that I could argue right then. "I, um, got him to ah-punish me instead."

I knew my face was red and I wasn't even sure if he could hear me, but I continued on before he could ask me anymore questions. "And tonight, I touched something that Dick told me not to. Something fell and hit him because of that and then the criminals showed up."

"Are you done?" He asked, looking like he was done with this conversation already. Usually he made me explain it like a billion times, probably because I don't usually make much sense when I'm put on the spot like this.

"I-I think so," I mumbled, unable to look anywhere but my hands. "I'm really sorry."

"Go bend over the couch." He said getting up.

Awkwardly I took down my pants and laid over the arm of the couch. At least it was soft, the desk was kinda too hard last time. Usually I wasn't in so much trouble he made me bend over though.

I wanted to take my spanking and act like it didn't hurt. I couldn't though, so I grabbed one of the decorative pillows and held it, so I didn't want to reach back. If I did that it really wouldn't be good for me. Bruce wasn't in the mood to let me get away with anything.