All New Robin Volume 1 #3

Steadying himself inside the cockpit of the Batwing as it rose into the air, Tim quickly examined the entirety of the keyboard. Using his knowledge of the Batmobile’s control panel (from several experiences creeping into the tank-like vehicle to try and understand it better), he deduced which button to press to open the exit to the cave. As he pressed this, Tim raised his wrist-based communication device and connected it to a port on the control panel in order to quickly program the autopilot to Bruce’s last known location. Immediately after receiving its destination, the Batwing sped out the exit and into the night beyond. After a minute or so of numbing silence, Tim heard Alfred through his earpiece,

 

 

“Master Tim! I reached Bruce…the signal wasn’t strong enough to maintain contact but…”

 

 

“You did great Al, at least we know he’s…alive…” Tim said as he pressed a button to shut off the engine of the Batwing, sending it into a silent glide over the decimated warehouse where Bruce had gone offline. Now, outside the warehouse, a single figure was advancing on a mound of rubble. Knowing Bruce must be in the rubble, Tim thought quickly and pressed the button he thought would eject him into the air. However, the button made his seat shoot backwards in the vehicle before doors below him opened. The seat tilted forward and the seat belt clicked off, sending Tim into a free fall over Bruce’s position. Initially frightened, Tim composed himself and straightened himself and his cape into a diving motion whilst grabbing his staff from his side. He clicked the button on the side of it to extend it to its full length before seeing that the figure advancing on Bruce, a man in a red mask, had drawn two swords on the trapped man. This prompted Tim to yell out,

 

 

“Get away from him!” The militaristic assassin turned just as Tim landed on the ground, using his momentum and his staff to launch himself into a kick that sent the former backwards. Tim quickly looked back to make sure Batman was alright before holding his staff in a defensive manner, just in time for the assassin to say,

 

 

“A son…” Masculine yet surprisingly scared of Tim, this eliminated several of his immediate assumptions on who could be under the mask. However, he was still certain the assassin’s figure and stature seemed very familiar. Tim didn’t have long to think on it however, for the assassin was already reaching for his pistol holster, prompting the injured Batman to cry out,

 

 

“Robin look out!” Already planning a counter measure, Tim retrieved a small charge from his belt and threw it on the debris covering Bruce whilst diving behind more wreckage nearby. The assassin fired off several shots, none of them even close to a precise hit, allowing Tim to stay in a comfortable position behind his bit of debris while the clip emptied. In one fluid motion, once the assassin had stopped firing, Tim retrieved and threw a shuriken at him. As the weapon nearly collided with its target, Tim raced over to Bruce and detonated the charge. He helped Bruce to his feet before noticing the assassin readying another clip to fire at them. Running to cover, Tim pressed a button on his wrist and yelled,

 

 

“Pen-7 now!” Above them, the Batwing sprung to life, diving towards the scene and open firing on the assassin. Crouching behind cover next to his mentor, Tim asked, “You alright?”

 

 

“Nothing that can’t be fixed.” Batman replied through clenched teeth.

 

 

“Who is this guy?” Tim asked, checking over their cover as he did.

 

 

“That’s what I want to find out.” Behind them, the assassin quickly threw down a smoke pellet, disappearing into the darkness. Leaping out into the open, Tim activates his comm and commands,

 

 

“Al! I’m giving you the reigns. Search the area.” With that, the Batwing began to move without Tim’s commands and scan the river nearby. Batman walked out from behind his cover whilst saying,

 

 

“We need to get after him…he needs to pay for…ARGH!” Bruce had clenched his fist and nearly collapsed as Tim rushed to his side,

 

 

“Batman!”

 

 

“I’m fine Robin.” Batman slowly steadied himself as Tim retorted,

 

 

“No you’re not. Your right arm is broken.”

 

 

“It’s fine.” Batman was attempting to walk towards the river as Tim continually blocked his progress,

 

 

“Trust me it’s not. I’m taking you back to the cave. You’re in no shape to go after him.” Bruce had backed Tim up nearly to the dock’s edge before he answered,

 

 

“We can’t let him get away like this. Not after what he did to Lincoln.” Putting a hand up to block his mentor, Tim calmly said,

 

 

“We won’t Bruce. I promise. There’ll be another night.” Tim could tell Bruce was visibly annoyed by this, prompting him to say, “Hey, I gave up a lead and seeing my dad to save your life.” While Tim had intended this in a lighthearted way, and Bruce had taken it thus, it did make Tim realize something: his father, the Film Freak, and March’s assassin had all surfaced on the same night. Tim allowed Bruce to walk back to a pile of debris, which he decided to use as a seat for the moment, while he continued to look out into the water. The Batwing continued to scan the water for the assassin, while all that Tim noticed was just how similar the destroyed warehouse looked to the destroyed studio the day Stephanie’s parents died. Somewhere deep inside him hoped she was out of Gotham, far from the insanity. But elsewhere, he wished she was right alongside him, beating down the elusive assassin. Thinking on this for a moment, Tim pulled himself from the water’s reflection and called the Batwing, allowing he and Bruce to return to the Batcave.

Done