Black Robin

I took it, her old training uniform. She saw it on my hand, but didn't say nothing. Mission is over, I saved the Oracle ... She will keep Earth safe ... I no longer have a purpose ... So I indulge myself ... Wearing black, pretending that I am like them ... it feels so different ... They trained their whole lives to be perfect ... I was born perfect ... Using this uniform is a tribute to her ... Fighting like her, without using my powers is not a challenge ... Damian trained me for that. I also took one of Drake's discs ... the red robin insignia is dark burned by the fire ... I open my eyes for an instant and cut the blades he added. Now my disk can only do blunt damage, less dangerous than a rock. Without any bat-tech. I put it on my belt. Barbara is entering Jim's car. Her instincts kick in, she looks up and see me ... Wearing one of Cassandra's old training uniforms. I use the cape like Bruce, covering all my body. I put the hood on, and become a shadow. Barbara lifts her thumb up of approval, in a gesture of respect. And I move. I don't jump in the roofs, or fly in the sky. I move from within the shadows.

I can hear the thugs talking, hidden in the alleys ... hunters looking for prey. Bruce tried to stop them, coming form the shadows, making them fear the shadows ... He failed, Damian told me why. When you see a monster, they know how big you are. When you hurt a monster, they know that they can win. It ends now.

A woman walks to an ATM to get some money to pay her rent. I hear her talking on the phone promising that the rent will be payed tomorrow. That's how business is made in Gotham, live cash to pay a small room without contract. She is pulled by a man, to the alley. His friends wait for them with knifes, convincing her to keep her mouth closed and enter the van. A short-circuit happens. One by one they fall, the woman only see silhouettes of the criminals dropping. She is smart and uses the chance too runaway with her money to the nearest police car. When they return the short circuit is already repaired and they see that all criminals have the same wound. A disk mark on the face. The criminals try to get up and run, but fall again. The oldest of the police duo looks to the nearest thug ankle. It's not broken, the disk mask is not penetrating. In a couple of hours they would be able to run ... But not now. A quick search inside of the van and in his pockets found the white stuff, that I could see before I trample them. The old police man covers his mouth with his hand. He is religious, and offers a small pray for someone saving this woman from a dark future.

The scene is repeated all over the town. All alleys, corners and dark places, have their criminals activities interrupted. I am moving too fast. Damian told me that sooner or later they will hunt me, so his plan is simple. Let them see you. Red Robin stands with his stick facing me, he recognised the disk mark and tracked my linear pattern. A simple way to move, without showing my real speed. He can't see me, but knows that I am there.

" Show yourself. I caught you. You're careless. "

I reach my hand out of the shadows and hand him over his disc. He pretend to not be surprised. Damian told me that he was proud that no one could get on his back, not even the Bat.

" You're trained ... I didn't caught you .... You did it on purpose ... It's a trap. "

Red Robins turns around, no one is there. He spins in a defensive stance and see that my gloved hand didn't move.

" Not a trap ... not a duel ... you're saying hello ... "

He grabs the disc and see that the blades were cut, and the symbol is burned.

" Keep it ... Black Robin ... If you cross the line I will come for you ... For tonight you've done plenty. We are fishing, and your little crime fighting is scaring the fish. "

I point to the fallen thugs, to the doll next to them and to the van, in the end of the street a child is getting near, crying while being carried by the police. She is screaming that they are going to save the mommy from the bad guys. Robin voice shutters.

" I get it ... We can't be in all the places ... Child traffic makes me sick also ... Ok, continue ... this side only ... Don't go near the docks ... In fact, go the opposite direction ... We get the big fish ... You get ... what you can. Keep the disc ... You earn it ... Black Robin. "

He doesn't look back, shoots the hook and gets pulled to the rooftops. Before he starts talking, I already know that he knows all.

" Batman ... We have a situation ... I tracked the new player. Only could see the glove. A glove that was used by Siva's daughter, when she was training here ... "

" Got it from Oracle's house ... After opening the secret door ... And saved her ... "

" The weapon used, is like I told you ... One of my discs ... burned ... black ... I gave the player that name ... Black Robin, after it got behind me. "

" Behind you ? The disc is also from the room, burned from the fire ... I talk to Oracle ... Someone with that level of training needs to be tracked ... "

" Already on it, I planted a tracker on the disc ... but ... "

" You did it perfectly, distracting with some hero speech ... and still got the feeling that you got caught. I know how it is ... This new player is good. Too good. Showing itself before we hunt it, and allowing us to track it ... I deal with it ... Focus on the job. "

Everything like Damian said ... They are chess pieces ... I hear him, and turn my head. I read his file. Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc, pulling a garbage can. to an alley. I move, he can't see me but his animal senses tell him I am there. He freezes. He was once a human, with a mutation that only gave him a skin disease. Years after he was promised a cure with the bad people, he changed ... the mutation evolved ... He became more animal. And his animal instincts says that he is in lethal danger.

" Stay away ... I'm not bad ... I'm just hungry ... please go away. "

I grab a garbage bag and throw it at him. He puts it on the head. I apply pressure with my fingertips in his throat. He gets knockout. I turn my head, found her and I move. Jim Gordon's house. Barbara is upstairs, her old room. I knock on the window.

" I was waiting for you. You are a better shadow than the last one that dressed that uniform. Here have some cookies. I know how hungry you must be."

She hands me over a plate of cookies, I point my hand down. She didn't see it at first, and almost freezes when she sees him. With a closer look she sees that he is sleeping.

" Great job ... I will call ... "

I move slowly down. Like she used to do, when she was in uniform. I seat near Waylon Jones. She makes the call. A few hours later he arrives, with a truck. The first Robin, now cosplaying Batman makes a joke about Arkham. I don't let him finish his sentence, and stand up. The Bat looks at me, Red Robin is there also. I hand him my plate of cookies. Red Robin grabs it.

" You want to feed him ? Are you ... Wait ... that might be the best idea ... I wonder what he had been eating ... "

I move my hand again, to the garbage cans

" Garbage ... ? I don't know if feeding is going to work ... but no one deserve to eat that " Red Robin scratches his head. Batman steps forward.

" It will not, he is a killer and ... " Batman stops talking when I stand between him and Waylon. I can hear Barbara asking to try it, on the radio.

" Oracle, it's on you. There is an old dock, I will move him there. It's yours now. If he got spotted or someone gets hurt, you deal with it and this ... Black Robin is out. What do you say ? Are you willing to end your career, before it starts to save him ? "

He looks at me, all of them are. Damian is not with them, he is already checking the loose ends. I nod, before Damian radio reaches him. It's not luck. Even with my eyes closed I can see all waves .., even the ones coded by the Cave.

" I found his lair, no blood. The stench is terrible, but is garbage ... and vomiting ... Rotten food. From the look of it, he didn't give up ... he continue eating garbage ... Even if sometimes it make him vomit. And it gets worse ... I found the place of the fight ... but it's not a fight ... There is another smell here ... Killer Croc crapped his pants when he saw Black Robin ... His animal instincts kicked in and got something that we are not seeing ... Even Siva had too fight against the Croc ... We need to interrogate him. "

Batman looks at me, even with all his control his heart starts racing, after hearing Damian's words.

" New plan, we keep him and ... "

I step forward. I continue between him and Croc, but now closer to him. He thinks for a second.

" Oracle keeps him. At the dock for now, we will find a more suitable **accommodations** after. We keep him fed. You do not have permission to get near him anymore and ... "

I surprise him, he was expecting a negotiation. I step back, kneel on one knee and place the cookies plate on his huge hands. And step several steps back. I don't need to turn my head to see Damian at the Cave. Seated in front of the computer, wondering how a light weight like me can carry Croc to Barbara's backdoor. After standing before the Bat, he saw the live feed they all carry. He knows my measures and knows that's impossible for a human being to carry Croc. He is now looking for trucks and helicopters in the traffic cams. And finally sees it. I come out of the shadows with Croc. I timed it perfectly, there is no cars passing and the alley where I emerged as no cameras. He is now thinking about teleportation or something similar. My speed and strength is his last chance ... but he will not ignore it.

Red Robin and the others use the strength of the hooks to get him inside the truck. Batman prepares to talk facing me, but the sky saves me. The wave spectrum only shows a ball of light, I can't see the bat-signal, but the radio says all. Batman looks down.

" I must go now. Don't interfere ... Talk to Oracle, she will keep you away from us. I wish you are right ... Truly ... But this is not Metropolis ... Your good will will not last long here, and if it is corrupted or you cross the line** ... I will come for you. "**

Damian told me that this menacing threats is the only compliment you can get from Him. At first I din't understand, but he told me that is he's armour. Without it he is just another orphan, without purpose. Without the bat mask, he is nothing. I look up, Barbara is waving at me. I climb to her window.

" Facing the Bat on your first night, you are brave Black Robin. and ... "

I come in trough the window, moving at human speed ... top human athlete speed ... the best I can do even with my Father's glasses. I open her computer. Oracle looks at me and thinks that I am going for her files. I just open a news journal on the internet browser without words, just writing the code. The article talks about a super-villain ... Silver Banshee ... She can kill just saying the name of the target.

" It ... I get it ... So your name is ? "

She opens the code page again, the cursor blinks, and she types black robin. I move closer and delete it. She writes shadow. I delete it. She writes team and looks at me.

" Without a name you can't join a team and ... "

I delete it, she takes her hand of the keyboard.

" No name, no team, always in the shadows ... You're even more paranoid than the Bat. "

I bow, she laughs.

" It wasn't a compliment, dummy. So be it, no name, no team. Here, get this buttons. One is video the other Radio. For you to hear me, and stay out of their way. He would love to hear about this silver banshee thing ..."

I look at the clock on the computer, it's midnight. It's time to follow the plan. I open the window of the clock.

" Midnight ? What happens at midnight ? "

Barbara looks surprised, and before she opens her police scanner, I point to the bed.

" Oh, you sleep ? Hahaha, under all of that you're still like us. You must train harder to be like him ... **Or don't, don't be like him, please. **Go, I will ring tomorrow after sunset ... before if it's needed. It's part of the job, and comes with the cape ... You know how it is ..."

I come dow out of the window carefully, and vanish into the alley's shadows. My robe is there, I put it on, just another beggar on the street. I pass the pizza place, a group of beggars is already there. All dressed with robes and winter coats. I join the line. I don't need my senses to know that Barbara, Bruce and Damian are surprised to see me grabbing a bag from the van. The beggars don't know me, but there is plenty of food on the van sponsored by the Wayne Foundation, so no one needs to fight for food. I stay between them, a wind blows colder. All beggars adjust their coats, I do the same, covering the buttons. Oracle can't hear or see anything more. Damian is not worried, he can see my location. The bug on my disc does not have radio or camera, just a signal that feeds directly to the Cave. I know. I can see it. My robe hood covers my face, still covered by the mask, It's not unusual. The majority of the beggars do the same. They hide, afraid to show their face to the world that crushed their dreams.

I don't need to eat, or sleep. But Damian taught me to hold back, to look like one of them. The beggar role was created by him, no need for any excuses to leave work like my Father, or having the press following me and pretending to have another live, like Bruce. No, just another beggar, that sometimes sleeps here and there. No name, no face, invisible to all. Except Damian ... it's his plan, I could hear him laughing when I joined the line of the homeless. This was all he needs to reach the conclusion. He knows. I was trained by him, to fight, to hide, to be a tree in a forest. Everything that he wants to be, when he got the time to use the cowl. Soon he is going to talk with me, test me, see if I am worthy ... Soon.

I stay in the alley, with the others. Some are seating, others are standing. There is code between them. No one is to talk or listen. To join a conversation, one just needs to get close to the garbage can transformed into a fireplace and talk. To listen others, just join the fireplace and listen. Some do that, others don't. Being here and not joining the conversation is normal, so I don't standout. My clothes and robe, hide who I am and with my height, I am just another low life. They stay in groups for safety, the police knows it and tells them where to go.

A bag with food is not enough to clean the streets. Damian told me, now I can see it. Wayne's charity is a bad joke, an excuse for a rich playboy pretending that he is helping a city. The Bat car buns more money in fuel, that would be necessary to give them a place to sleep. Bruce owns half of the town's buildings officially, and the other half using ghost companies. When he says that this is his town, he speaks the truth.

The majority of the buildings are empty. Bat safe houses, that he can enter at any time, too disappear. That's his secret, when chased, he enters a building and rests. All this houses are empty and fully equipped. And this group of honest people is sleeping in cardboard houses. Damian trained me to ignored it. So I do it.

I roll myself in the robe, lean against a wall and stay still. I don't need to eat or sleep. Damian trained to stay still and make plans. To review all the threats and how to neutralise them. To track Father and the others, to see if someone is in lethal danger.

It's not luck that helps them escape on the last minute, it's me. At normal speed. No sound, no wind, no blur. I move invisible ... even to their best camera in the future ... Human technology is so ... raw. And Kara and my Father don't do nothing ...