This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization.
This story contains depictions of consensual sexual acts between teenage males. It is intended for mature audiences only. If you find this type of material offensive or if you are under the legal age to read said material; please proceed no further.
Comments are always welcome at: hailcaesar2011@hotmail.com
Oh, I keep forgetting, Gotham Prep has an official theme song. It's called Shadow of the Day, by Linkin Park, and if you give it a listen I think you'll agree, it has Damian Wayne written all over it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H7ZwDawsb4
Gotham Prep, Season II
Episode 5: The Weiner Dawgs
"Get up," Damian ordered.
"Gimme a second, I can't breathe," Robbie wheezed.
He was sprawled out on the mat, flat on his back, struggling for breath. The last bit of oxygen exploded from his chest, when Damian flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. His chest burned from the lack of oxygen, his back stung from the hard impact, his gi was soaked with sweat and there was a tiny trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Damian stood over him, not an ounce of pity in his cold blue eyes.
"Get up, now!" Damian ordered.
Damian reached down, seized Robbie's gi and hauled him to his feet. Robbie wobbled at first but maintained his balance enough to keep from falling on his backside. There wasn't a moment to think, as soon as he was on his feet, Damian struck at him with a sidekick to the face. Robbie dodged to the right but Damian anticipated this and struck him with an uppercut to the chin. Robbie blocked the next blow with his forearm but then stepped back, holding his hands out in submission.
"Stop, I need a minute," Robbie panted, as he stumbled back on his rubbery legs.
"Do you think the Joker or Two Face will give you a minute?" asked Damian, as he approached Robbie, menacingly.
They'd been going at it for almost an hour, when they were training, Damian treated Robbie like an acolyte of the League of Shadows and there was never any mercy. These training sessions were brutal but Robbie knew they had to be, Damian was right, none of their enemies would go easy on him in a fight, if he were facing the Joker now, he'd be dead. Still, it wasn't all bad news, the first few sessions, Robbie's back hardly left the mat, now he was able to hold his own for a while, before Damian really unleashed on him.
Damian closed the distance between them and knocked Robbie to the ground with a sweep of the leg. Robbie rolled onto his hands and knees but couldn't force himself to rise to his feet.
"Please, just a sec," he panted.
"You don't have a second, if I were a Shadowman, I'd be cutting your throat right now," Damian reminded him, "now stand up and face me."
"Dude, cut him some slack," said Tim, from the bench press. Though he was no longer living at Wayne Manor, he came over several times a week to use the family gym.
"No one asked you, Drake," said Damian.
"I'm just saying, what's the point of training him if he has a heart attack on the mat?" said Tim.
"He doesn't need you babying him. I survived this training, he will too," said Damian.
Damian turned his attention back to Robbie, he moved to kick him in the face and missed by less than an inch, as Robbie hopped to his feet. Damian took a split second to grin at Robbie's new found strength and that was a mistake he wouldn't have made in a real combat situation, it bought Robbie just enough time to strike him in the jaw.
"Good, very good," said Damian, as he punched Robbie in the gut.
Robbie was already struggling to breathe and Damian's fist may as well have been a baseball bat for all the power he put into that punch. Robbie doubled over and gagged for air, even he thought he sounded pathetic.
"You should have seen that coming," Damian scolded, "you need to learn to anticipate your enemies every move. Maybe we should go back to basics."
"No, I've been working too hard," Robbie complained, between pants.
"You think some dirtbag is going to care if you can't breathe?" Damian demanded, as he shoved Robbie backwards.
"Lose your concentration for one minute in the field and you are dead!" said Damian, putting emphasis on the last word, "do you understand me, this isn't a game, this is life and death, every time we suit up and leave the cave, we face the possibility of never coming back."
"I, I, I," Robbie spluttered.
"You what?" asked Damian, as he slapped Robbie about the head and face.
He wasn't even striking hard, he was antagonizing Robbie, pestering him, showing him that he could strike where he wanted, when he wanted, just like a bully. Damian knew what he was doing, he was trying to piss Robbie off, and it worked.
"Back off," Robbie growled, through gritted teeth, as he shoved Damian back, with all his strength.
"And if I don't?" Damian grinned, this time he wasn't distracted, the grin was simply a device, he wanted to show Robbie how little he thought of his threat as he backed him into the wall.
"I'll, I'll," Robbie spluttered.
"You'll what?" asked Damian, giving Robbie one last hard shove against the wall.
Damian began to draw his fist back, there was nowhere for Robbie to go, he reacted without even thinking about it, it was like his mind was on automatic and his body was calling the shots. He grabbed Damian's gi and in one quick, fluid motion, he brought his knee up between the boy's parted legs, burying it in his balls. Damian's eyes crossed in stunned surprise and he collapsed to the mat in a heap, he lie there, curled up in the fetal position, his arms wrapped around his tummy.
"Oh shit, I didn't mean to," said Robbie, his eyes were wide and his hands were covering his mouth. There was an unspoken rule in the gym, no hitting below the belt.
"Ohhhhhhhh," Damian whimpered.
"That, was priceless," Tim cackled, he had to put his weights down, he was laughing too hard to control them.
"Damian, are you ok," asked Robbie, as he knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't touch me," Damian sniffled, even the gentle touch sent pain through his body.
"Should I get Dick or Alfred?" asked Robbie, "please don't kill me."
"Not going to kill you," Damian hissed, "but that was dirty pool."
"I'm sorry, you were coming at me and I just, it just, well, it just happened," Robbie whimpered.
Robbie was afraid that Damian would be furious with him but he relaxed a little when he noticed that Damian was grinning.
"What's the primary rule?" asked Damian, "what must we do above all things?"
"Do what you have to do to survive," said Robbie.
"Good, you are learning something, now help me up," Damian groaned.
Robbie took Damian's hand and helped him to his feet, he wobbled a bit but he was able to stand up straight.
"So, you wanna go again?" asked Robbie.
"I think that's enough for today, we better get cleaned up, Colin and Noah will be here soon," said Damian.
"Oh right, I almost forgot," Robbie grinned, "now I get to train you."
"We'll see," Damian grinned.
The boys made their way up to the shower, it was a little slow going, especially with Damian's noticeable limp. Robbie still felt bad about that but Damian was right, the number one rule was to survive and he'd done what he had to do. When they stripped out of their clothes and stepped into the shower, Robbie put his arms around Damian and squeezed him tight. That was another of their training rituals, it got pretty heated in that gym so after each session, they held each other for a few minutes and reminded themselves to leave any anger or animosity on the mat. They never apologized, what you did in the gym, you did to survive and there was no apologizing for that.
"I love you," said Robbie.
"I love you too, I just want you to be safe," said Damian.
"I'm getting pretty good, huh?" Robbie grinned as the water washed down his back.
"You're getting better but don't get cocky, you still have a long way to go," Damian reminded him.
"Still, I'm tougher than a girl scout now, right?" Robbie smiled.
"Yes, I think that's a safe assumption," Damian giggled.
The boys finished their shower and then got dressed, across town, while Damian and Robbie had been grappling in the gym, Noah and Colin were taking another step in their relationship.
Noah's mother and his brother Marcus had gone out for the day and when Colin arrived, the boys said a quick greeting, then started making out. Noah led Colin to his bedroom and started to unbutton his shirt, then made quick work of his jeans. Noah hadn't bothered getting dressed yet and when both boys were in just their underpants, they took their making out to Noah's bed. Colin was the larger of the two boys, he lay on his back with his arms around Noah as they softly kissed and aggressively humped against each other. Noah ran his fingers through Colin's fire red hair, then took a break from kissing to stare into his green eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Colin, his hands resting on Noah's firm backside.
"Just how much I love you," Noah smiled.
"I love you too," Colin grinned, "thank God for Damian."
"Damian, what's he have to do with it?" asked Noah.
"Well, if he didn't have such a bad temper, he would never have broken your cute little nose and we would never have met," Colin rationalized, as he rubbed his nose against Noah's.
"Yeah, I guess that's true, I'll have to send him a thank you card," Noah grinned.
Colin put his hand on the back of Noah's neck, then pulled him down to his lips. They kissed again, their tongues sliding against each other as they explored the warm confines of each other's mouths. Noah broke the kiss again and began to plant his lips against Colin's neck, then down to his chest where he rubbed the red heads pectorals, and kissed his creamy skin. Noah flicked his tongue at Colin's nipple, then resumed his kissing, he kissed down Colin's body until he was between his legs, face to face with the bulge in his boxerbriefs.
"Noah, what are you up to?" Colin grinned.
"I've wanted to try this for a while now," said Noah, as he reached out to gently pet Colin's bulge.
Colin purred as Noah felt him up, then lifted his bottom off the mattress as Noah hooked his thumbs in his waistband and pulled off his underwear.
"Wow, Coli I knew it was big but wow," said Noah.
"Um, thanks," said Colin, as he blushed as red as his hair, "I uh, want to see yours too."
Noah slipped out of his briefs and playfully tossed the green undies in Colin's face. His erection was smaller but no less beautiful in Colin's eyes.
"Not as big, but I'm happy with it," Noah grinned.
"I like it just fine," said Colin, as he reached out and stroked Noah's cock.
Noah giggled at Colin's gentle touch, then he started to kiss the red heads lower belly. He kissed under the belly button then followed the soft skin down to his pelvic area and finally he licked tentatively at the big cock. Colin was easily 8 inches and thick, Noah had never been this intimate with another boy before and he savored ever taste he could get. Noah licked up and down the big shaft, exploring the wide expanse, then kissing the pink mushroom head.
"That feels so incredible, Nono," Colin purred.
Noah wrapped his lips around Colin's knob and ran his tongue over it, then wiggled it at the tiny slit. He was rewarded with a spurt of Colin's precum on the tip of his tongue. Noah lapped up the natural lubricant then tried to take as much of Colin in his mouth as he could. He got four inches in his mouth before his gag reflex kicked in and he had to pull back. He sucked what he could and used his nimble fingers to jerk Colin off while he worked his mouth. It only took a few minutes for Colin's body to go ridged and pump copious amounts of his seed into Noah's mouth.
Noah swallowed what he could but a healthy amount dribbled out on his chin. When he was finished, he sat up, licked his lips and smiled at Colin.
"So you liked it?" asked Noah.
"Words don't do it justice," Colin smiled contentedly, "can I do yours now?"
"I would love that but um," Colin blushed, as he held up his hand to reveal it was covered in his sex droppings. He'd been jacking off while sucking Colin and the two climaxed as one.
"That's ok, next time," said Colin, as he pulled Noah against him and kissed his pouty lips.
"Mmm, we better get going, we're going to be late," said Noah, as he looked at his alarm clock and realized just how long they'd been having sex.
They took a quick shower and then dressed. When they were ready, Noah drove them to Wayne Manor, Robbie and Damian were just coming down the stairs, when they arrived.
"Right on time, well done Phillips," Damian greeted.
"Yeap, punctual to a fault, that's me," Noah grinned.
"Awwww, more training?" asked Colin, as he hugged Robbie and noticed a slight bruising around his eye.
"Nah, this is from sex," Robbie grinned, "Damian's an animal in bed."
"ROBBIE!" Damian exclaimed.
"Don't be so bashful," Colin grinned, "Noah's just as bad."
"Oh whatever," Noah blushed.
"Shall we go?" asked Damian, changing the subject.
"Yeah, let's," Noah agreed.
"Who is driving?" asked Colin, when they got out front.
"Noah's the only one with a license," said Robbie.
"I could get Charlie," said Damian.
"It's ok, I don't mind driving," said Noah.
"So we're going, in that?" asked Damian, looking disdainfully at Noah's little grey Civic.
"What's wrong with it?" Noah asked.
"Nothing," said Robbie, "don't mind him, he's never been in a hatchback before."
"Hatchback, they've named the car after its most unattractive feature?" asked Damian.
"Oh my God, just get in," said Robbie, with a roll of his eyes.
Damian climbed into the backseat with Robbie and managed to keep his condescension's to a minimum, as Noah pulled out of the main gate.
"You know, I can't help but notice, there's four of us, we all have different powers and abilities and we fight crime, we're kind of like the Teen Titans," said Robbie, as they sped down the highway.
"Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day too," said Colin.
"You mean Drake's ridiculous cronies?" asked Damian.
"Come on, you like Connor," Robbie reminded him.
"My tolerance for Kent aside, any organization that would have Drake as its leader..." Damian began.
"Oh shut up, you love your Timmy and you know it," said Robbie, shutting him down.
"I was just saying, we're better than them," Damian blushed.
"I don't know, my powers are kind of lame," said Noah.
"No way, you were awesome on that oil rig," Colin reminded him.
"Yeah, but I don't know how I did that," said Noah.
"You just need to train," said Damian, surprising everyone, he rarely missed an opportunity to mock Noah's "Waterboy," powers, as he called them.
"Back to my point," said Robbie, "we should have a name."
"We don't need a name," said Damian, rolling his eyes.
"Sure we do," said Colin, "like you've said a million times, to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies."
"I work with Batman and sometimes you guys tag along, isn't that scary enough?" Damian teased.
"I was thinking we could be like, I don't know, maybe the Fighting Four," said Robbie, ignoring Damian's joke.
"No," said Damian.
"Too much like the Fantastic Four," said Noah.
"True, what about the Gotham Gang?" said Robbie.
"No," said Damian.
"We could be the Flaming Foursome," Noah laughed.
"Definitely not," said Damian.
"Ok Mr. Negative, what would you have us be called then?" asked Robbie.
"How about Damian Wayne, that sounds pretty fearsome to me," Damian grinned.
"Damian was right Noah, we should have let Charlie drive us, there isn't enough room back here for me, Damian and his ego," said Robbie.
"I've got it!" Colin exclaimed.
The outburst startled Noah and he almost drove into the other lane, earning him an angry honk from a fellow motorist.
"Geez, Coli, what have I told you about shouting in the car," Noah giggled.
"Sorry," Colin grinned.
"Anyway, what was your idea?" asked Robbie.
"Right, well, we're all gay, what if we were the Weiner Dawgs, you know, because we like wieners and dawgs like d-a-w-g-s, like rappers say," said Colin, sincerely.
"Have you lost your mind?" Damian laughed.
"What's wrong with it?" said Colin.
"I think it's cute," said Noah, "good job Coli."
"Yeah, I like it too," Robbie grinned.
"I'd rather be a member of the Flaming Foursome then a Weiner Dawg," said Damian.
Colin caught Robbie's eye in the rearview mirror and they traded a wink. If there was one thing they loved as much as their boyfriends, it was harmless little things that got under Damian's skin. Colin knew that "Weiner Dawgs," would drive him nuts.
Before long, Noah's Civic pulled into the parking lot of The Mad Scientists Laboratory, a comic book slash game store that catered to nerds of all ages. Robbie loved the shop, when he wasn't working on one of his many projects, or spending time with Damian, you could usually find him roaming the aisles for some obscure game or the ever elusive Cerberus the Aardvark, Number 1. During his last trip to the shop, Robbie noticed a flyer on the bulletin board announcing a game day, there would be food, drinks and tables set up to play any board game you could imagine.
When Robbie mentioned the idea to Damian, his boyfriend rolled his beautiful eyes but Robbie kept working on him. Unbeknownst to Damian, Robbie had figured out his weakness, all he had to do was stick out his bottom lip, flash his puppy dog eyes and Damian's resolve would melt away. Damian was also out-numbered, Robbie told Colin and Noah about game day and they all pestered their raven haired friend until he gave in. Unbeknownst to Robbie, game day sounded fun to Damian too, he only protested because he thought Robbie was cute when he begged.
"Alright Weiner Dawgs, let's do this," said Robbie, as he excitedly jumped out of the car.
"Bloody Weiner Dawgs," Damian muttered, "what's next, a bloody theme song?"
"Oh I wish I were a Gotham City Weiner..." Noah began, melodically.
"...It's the only kind of Weiner, I would like to beeeee," Colin and Robbie, joined in.
"I am in desperate need of a better class of friends," said Damian, as he face-palmed.
"Come on grumpy, this is going to be fun," Robbie smiled, he grabbed the sleeve of Damian's hoodie and dragged him towards the entrance.
"It's about time you guys got here," squeaked a tiny voice.
"Give me a break, Scotty, I've been crammed in a hunchback for the last 20 minutes and I am in no mood for sass," Damian winked.
"HATCHBACK!" Colin and Noah exclaimed.
"Hey Scotty, what are you doing here?" asked Robbie.
"Damian said you guys were going to play some games, I told him I could beat him at anything," little Scotty explained.
Scotty was just 8 when he met Damian and the boys. Damian was recovering from surgery to remove his appendix and had to share a room in the pediatric ward with 3 small boys. Scotty was there for a heart transplant and the heart he was supposed to receive was almost stolen. It was only thanks to Robbie and Colin that the theft was thwarted, if it hadn't been for them, Scotty wouldn't be standing there. Damian had been rather obnoxious in his dealings with the hospital and its patients but he'd made a connection with Scotty, he promised to stay in touch with the little boy and though he didn't see him often, they emailed back and forth and Damian thought Scotty would enjoy game day as much as his older friends.
"Well if it isn't my best customer, I thought I'd see you today," smiled a large bearded and bespectacled man in a t-shirt that read "Trust me, I'm a Doctor." The t-shirt had a blue portable toilet on it, Damian had no idea what a portable toilet had to do with medicine, he was sure it was some nerd thing he'd have to ask Robbie about later.
"Hey Gus," Robbie smiled, as he gave the store owner a fist bump.
"Looks like you brought your whole entourage," said Gus.
"Don't leave home without em," Robbie grinned.
"This is Colin, Noah, Scotty and this guy here is my bodyguard, Damian," said Robbie, putting his arm around Damian's waist and pulling him close.
"What's a nice little guy like you need a bodyguard for?" asked Gus.
"Well..." Robbie started.
"He's a terrible smartass," Damian interrupted, "I've saved him from countless locker stuffing's."
"Yeah, I could see that," Gus laughed, "well I'm glad you guys could all make it today, as you can see there are a lot of other kids here, we've got tables set up, you can play any game in the store, have fun."
"Thanks Gus," Robbie smiled, "any recommendations?"
"I know you're a big Ticket to Ride fan but I've got..." Gus began.
"Robbie look!" Damian exclaimed, "he's got a Game of Thrones board game!"
"Oh sweet," said Robbie, "that's the one for us, can we try it out, Gus?"
"You got it boss," said Gus, as he pulled the game from the shelf and handed it to his little friend.
The guys took a table in the back, Robbie said hello to some of his fellow nerds that stalked the comic book section, then they settled in to play.
"I didn't know you liked Game of Thrones, Damian," said Noah.
"It came as a surprise to me too," Damian smiled, "normally Robbie's taste in entertainment is rubbish but..."
"Yeah, yeah, he bitched and moaned at first, as you might have expected," said Robbie, "but he loves it, don't you my Lion of Lannister?"
"Lannister, he looks like a Baratheon," said Scotty.
"Your parents let you watch Game of Thrones?" asked Colin.
"I'm mature for my age," Scotty giggled.
"He may look like a Baratheon but he loves Lord Tywin," Robbie explained.
"The bad guy?" said Noah, "you know, THAT, doesn't surprise me."
"Shut up, he reminds me of my grandfather," Damian giggled.
"In that case, you get to go first, Joffrey," Colin winked.
"Joffrey, ha, I would be a far more effective ruler then that pinhead, as I will demonstrate when I defeat the lot of you," said Damian.
The game was complicated and took a few minutes to set up, when they were ready, Robbie played for House Baratheon, Colin, House Stark, Noah, House Targaryen, Scotty, House Tyrell and Damian, of course, House Lannister. It was a game of diplomacy and warfare, Damian did great with the warfare but his diplomacy was lacking, after a four hour clash of knights, footmen and siege engines, it was little Scotty who sat the Iron Throne. Game day was an all-day event, the boys decided to take a break and refill their soda's before starting another round. Damian demanded another chance to defeat the usurper, Scotty, and take the throne for himself.
"I told you I could beat you," Scotty teased, as he and Damian grabbed a few slices of pizza from the food table.
"You're small and have a heart condition, I took it easy on you," Damian teased.
"Spoken like an arrogant Lannister," Scotty giggled.
Damian reached over and ruffled the little boys hair, he looked over to a corner and saw Colin and Noah making out, they thought they were so slick. Damian initially hated the idea of his best buddy dating Noah but Aqualad was a friend now and he was good to Colin which made Damian happy. While Damian didn't use the word cute very often, he felt it was an apt description of his two friends. Robbie was sitting at the table by himself, he was setting the board up for another round of play and looked up when he felt Damian's eyes on him. Damian was standing next to Scotty with a piece of pizza in his hand, while Scotty jabbered, all Damian could do was stare into Robbie's sea green eyes.
The two young lovers shared a smile and Damian felt his heart flutter. A year ago he hardly knew what love was, now he had a boyfriend who made his heart sing. Robbie felt much the same way, he'd been so lonely before he met Damian, Robbie was smarter than most everyone he knew and he wasn't shy about it, which could be something of a turnoff to his peers. Robbie had some problems with his self-esteem but that was a thing of the past, Damian was beautiful and the fact that he wanted Robbie, filled him with confidence. Damian never understood why Robbie didn't realize how perfect he was, with his shaggy blond hair, sparkling green eyes and slender frame, he was Damian's angel.
The boys would have been content to stare at each other all day but something caught Damian's eye and the trance was broken. A boy, an older teenager, was coming up behind Robbie, he was tall and skinny, he had bad acne and thick glasses, he was wearing a goofy comic t-shirt, like so many of the stores other patrons, but something about him screamed DANGER! He was moving fast and looking over his shoulder, like he was trying to get away from someone or something. Damian eyeballed him hard and that's when he saw it, a small remote control device, gripped in the nerds hand.
Damian's eyes grew wide, he dropped his pizza and stepped toward Robbie but before he could break into a run, the back wall of The Mad Scientists Laboratory exploded in a cloud of smoke and debris. He lost sight of Robbie, there was a massive chunk of cinderblock coming toward him, Damian turned on his heel and tackled Scotty to the ground. Damian felt the cinderblock smash into his shoulder, he let out a yelp of pain but used his body to shield Scotty from harm.
A moment later, Colin stood over Damian and rolled him onto his back.
"Damian, Damian!" Colin shouted, Damian could barely hear him, his ears were ringing, "Damian, are you alright?"
"Piece of the wall hit my shoulder," Damian hissed.
"Oh shit, I think it's dislocated," said Noah, noticing that Damian's left arm was hanging kind of funny.
"Feels like it," said Damian, "Scotty?"
"I'm right here," Scotty sniffled.
"Are you ok?" asked Damian.
"Yeah, you, you saved me, that block was gonna hit me," he squeaked.
"Where's Robbie?" asked Damian.
"I, I don't know," said Colin, frantically looking around the room.
"Alright, Colin, I need you to reset my shoulder," said Damian.
"I don't know how," said Colin.
"I'll walk you through it," said Damian.
"What can I do to help?" asked Scotty.
"Scotty, I want you to look away and cover your ears," said Damian.
"Are you going to be ok?" asked Scotty.
"I'm going to be fine, don't be scared," said Damian.
Damian waited until Scotty complied with his request and looked away, before turning back to Colin and Noah.
"Noah, put your body across mine and hold me down," said Damian.
"Like this?" asked Noah, as he lay across Damian's chest, pinning him under his weight.
"Yeah, that's it, now Colin, take my wrist."
Colin took Damian's hand, then wrapped his fingers around the boys wrist, Damian winced in pain.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," said Colin.
"It's ok," said Damian, "it's going to get worse in a second. On the count of three, I want you to yank on my arm then push up, ok?"
"Damian, I can't..."
"You can, it hurts Colin, I need you to help me," said Damian, "one, two, three!"
Colin did exactly as he was told, he pulled hard and then shoved upwards. There was a sickening crunch and Damian screamed as though he were on fire, but when it was done, he was sitting up and moving his arm, readjusting it to its socket. Noah took off his belt and made a makeshift sling to hold Damian's arm in place, then he helped him to his feet.
"Thanks," said Damian.
"Ok," said Colin, wiping tears from his eyes.
Colin is such a sensitive boy, hurting a friend, even so he could help him, was bound to make him cry. Damian was glad that villains didn't get the same level of sympathy from Abuse, he would not have Colin crying over crippling henchmen.
"Where is Robbie?" Damian asked again.
No one had an answer for him. The rest of the patrons was just getting to their feet, smoke and dust were thick in the air and where the back wall had been, there was a 6 foot wide hole. There was no sign of Robbie at the wreckage of the game table, the explosion wasn't strong enough to vaporize him, but it would have surely left him disoriented. There was also no sign of the boy Damian was sure detonated the bomb, it couldn't be a coincidence, Damian knew that if he found that boy he would find Robbie and right now, finding Robbie was all that mattered. Damian examined the hole in the wall and the alley beyond, that's when he spotted an open manhole cover.
"The sewer," said Damian.
"Huh?" said Colin.
"They took Robbie into the sewer," said Damian.
"Who?" asked Noah.
"I don't know," Damian admitted.
"Why would anyone take Robbie?" asked Colin.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," said Damian.
"Are you guys ok?" asked Gus, he'd been making his way to all of his customers, making sure no one was hurt, he got worried when he say Damian's arm in that sling.
"Gus, look after Scotty, call his parents, make sure he gets home safe," said Damian.
"Where are you going?" asked Scotty.
"I have to find Robbie," said Damian.
"The cops are on the way, let them handle it," said Gus.
Damian gave the shopkeeper a look, it wasn't angry but it clearly said, I am determined, I am on a mission, don't get in my way.
"Come on Scotty, let's go wait out front, out of this smoke," said Gus.
Gus, took the little boy's hand and led him and the rest of the assembled boys to the front of the store. Damian climbed through the gaping hole in the wall and strode into the alley, he sat on the rim of the manhole but Colin stopped him before he could drop down.
"Damian, maybe we should wait for the police," said Colin.
"Colin, someone took Robbie," said Damian.
"I know, but you're hurt and we don't know what's down there and..." Colin started.
"I will never be to hurt to help Robbie or any of you, he's our friend Colin, more than that to me, I can't leave him down there," said Damian.
"Coli, it's not like you to hesitate to help a buddy, what's the matter?" asked Noah.
"I, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you down there," said Colin, "I'm claustrophobic, what if I freak out?"
"Hey, you won't," said Noah, holding Colin's face in his hands, "Robbie is in danger and you're his friend, you're not going to let anything get in the way of helping him."
"Right," Colin sighed, "I'm ready."
"It'll be alright Colin, I have faith in you," said Damian.
"Let's do this," said Colin.
Damian dropped into the sewer, the water wasn't deep, it only came up to his ankles and Damian did his best not to think about what might be floating in it. Noah dropped down next and then, Colin took a deep breath and followed his friends.
"Oh, it's not so bad down here," said Colin, when he stood and realized there was plenty of room, even for a tall boy like him.
"Phillips, I know I've mocked your abilities in the past but if you could use your powers to keep poo away from us while we're down here, I would be most grateful," said Damian.
"I'm on it," Noah nodded.
"Ok, let's go," said Damian.
He pulled his iPhone from his hoodie and activated the flashlight app, it didn't provide much light but it would have to do. Robbie, where are you thought Damian, as he and his friends descended into the watery darkness.
"Oh man, what happened?" Robbie groaned, when he came too, "one minute I was playing a game with my friends and then, was there an explosion?"
"A piece of the wall hit the back of your head, when it exploded. I do apologize for that but there wasn't any bleeding, just a nasty bump," said a voice that hovered in the darkness nearby.
"My friends, are they..." Robbie began.
"Fine, all of them are fine."
"Where am I?" asked Robbie.
"Headquarters."
"Headquarters for what?"
"We are the Children of Bane."
"Ok, you're going to have to explain things because I have no clue what's going on here," said Robbie.
"My pleasure," the voice replied and a familiar face stepped out of the darkness.
"Kyle? Kyle Gains?" asked Robbie, now he was really confused.
"At your service," he bowed with a grin.
"You worked at Wayne Enterprises over the summer and then one day you just disappeared," said Robbie.
"I didn't really disappear, that job just ceased to offer me anything more than a paycheck so I decided to start my own venture," said Kyle, "follow me."
Kyle was easily six foot four but he couldn't weigh more than 150 pounds. He was lanky with long legs and gangly arms, he was 23 years old but had the acne of a 15 year old. His dirty blond hair was shaggy and unkempt, his glasses as thick as Coke bottles and his Converse sneakers had a hole in them. Obviously Kyle Gains wasn't pretty to look at but what was important about him lie on the inside. If you looked past the ungainly frame, and bad taste, and studied his eyes, you'd see genius there. Genius and a touch of mania.
Robbie hadn't worked with Kyle at Wayne Enterprises but he'd seen him in the lunchroom from time to time and knew his reputation. Genius that he was, Kyle was also lazy and when he stopped reporting for work, his supervisors weren't exactly sorry to see him go. Robbie figured Kyle had just gotten bored, it's an easy thing to do when you're smarter then everyone around you but relegated to the tasks they assign you. Genius needs room to be creative, it doesn't function well in the button down world of corporate America. Robbie didn't see genius in himself but others did, his experience at Wayne Enterprises was much different from Kyle's, great things were expected from the boy's future.
"Where are we going?" asked Robbie as he followed Kyle down a dark hall, he could swear he heard water running.
"Just through here," said Kyle, with a smile, as he pulled back a curtain.
"Whoa," Robbie exclaimed in awe.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
They were deep below the city in one of Gotham's original cisterns. The massive room was four stories high and at the center, water rained down from above, filling a large tank that was drained to meet the city's needs. Off of the cistern were large rooms with men working on computers, on further inspection, Robbie realized that they weren't men but rather boys. Boy's ranging in ages from 12 to 20, all of them dressed similarly, most of them wore cargo pants and fan t-shirts, lots of them had glasses and several of them had computer programmer butt.
"They're all kids, all...nerds," said Robbie.
"We prefer to call ourselves the Children of Bane," Kyle smiled.
"Bane as in..." Robbie started.
"This was his headquarters," said Kyle, "legend has it that he fought Batman, broke his back in this very room."
"What is going on here?" asked Robbie.
It seemed harmless enough, it was just a bunch of nerds playing on computers, eating junk food and drinking energy drinks but Bane's name sent a chill up Robbie's spine. Bane had held Gotham City hostage for almost a year, Batman saved the city and Robbie didn't want anything to do with anyone who spoke in such revered tones about the villain.
"Relax, we're not in league with Bane or anything like that," Kyle laughed, "we just call ourselves the Children of Bane because we found his old hideout and started using it ourselves."
"So who are all these kids?"
"Outcasts, kids too smart for the simpletons that populate our schools. You're looking at the victims of countless wedgies, swirlies, locker stuffings, pantsings. Here, they don't have to be afraid, they can be themselves, surely you can relate to that," said Kyle.
Indeed he could. Robbie might be better looking and better dressed then these boys but he'd been no less of a victim. Kids in school didn't like him because he blew the curve on every test, he talked over them and always seemed to know everything. Rather than hold him up as a role model, they strong always abuse the weak. Robbie knew all about swirlies and wedgies, the word alone made him instinctively pull his undies from his butt. That all changed when he met Damian, Damian loved him and respected him and together they made a good team. As much as Robbie was teaching Damian about love and how to be a normal kid, Damian was also teaching Robbie not to take shit from anyone. It was also a well-known fact of life at Gotham Prep, that if you messed with Robbie Matthews, you'd have to deal with Damian Wayne. It wasn't a prospect most students looked forward to.
"Yeah, I can relate," Robbie nodded.
"I thought so, that's why we brought you here," said Kyle.
"Kidnapped me you mean," Robbie interjected.
"I am sorry about that but I really didn't see any other way," Kyle explained, "we've been watching you, there was no way to get to you at Wayne Manor and anytime you left, you were with Damian Wayne, except when you went to the comic shop."
"My friends were with me today," Robbie reminded him.
"Yes, that was a surprise but our plan was already in motion, it was too late to back out," said Kyle.
"You blew up the place, what if someone was hurt, my friends could have been killed, Jesus, Scotty's only 10!" Robbie exclaimed, growing angry.
"Relax, I swear to you that no one was seriously injured, I give you my word. As for the bomb, I am sorry about that, I loved that shop, but I didn't see any other way," said Kyle.
"What do you want with me anyway?" Robbie huffed.
"I'm glad you asked," Kyle smiled, "do you know how much bandwidth Gotham City uses in a day?"
"Not off the top of my head but I'd imagine it's a lot," said Robbie.
"The amount is massive, all put to use feeding a corrupt system that feeds the greed of robber barons and leaves the rest of use struggling with our downloads, waiting for our videos to buffer and for our games to load," Kyle groused.
"Uh, ok..." Robbie agreed.
"But we, the Children of Bane are going to set things right. I call it Project Venom, we're working to break into every server in a 10 mile radius of Gotham City, we're going to shut down the internet," said Kyle.
"But that will affect everyone, banks, schools, hospitals, maybe even the power grid," said Robbie.
"Exactly, we're going to shut it all down and let the resulting chaos serve as a lesson to our decadent society. We're going to teach them to cherish the gift that our kind has given them, what nerds have given, nerds shall take away," said Kyle, "while the city descends into anarchy, we'll be here, safe underground, playing World of Warcraft."
"Yeah, the people will rejoice, I'm sure," Robbie replied sarcastically, but if Kyle got it, he didn't show it, "but you don't need me to do that."
"You're right, I don't, I have something else I need you to help me with," said Kyle, "When the grid comes down, I doubt that Batman and Robin will see things the way we do, they'll make a misguided attempt to save the city from itself and I'm under no illusions that they won't find us."
Uh oh, thought Robbie.
"I don't see what that has to do with me," said Robbie, trying to keep his face as impassive as possible.
"I followed your time at Wayne Enterprises with great interest, all everyone ever wanted to talk about was the 15 year old wonder boy that was working in applied sciences," said Kyle, with just a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"I just worked on the projects they gave me..." Robbie began to protest, but Kyle wasn't listening.
"The servers at Wayne Enterprises are extremely secure, so far we've broken through their access codes but there is one that eludes us," Kyle continued, "It's in a secret file but we've already cracked the code for servers that show sales to the military and the government, what do you think they're hiding?"
"I, I have no idea," said Robbie.
"When I worked at Wayne Enterprises, there was a guy in my section that said he came across a file one day that contained the blueprints for the Batmobile," said Kyle.
"No way," said Robbie.
"That was my reaction, but Stan said he stumbled upon the file by accident and when he tried to look at it again later, it had been removed, after that he was reassigned to a different division," said Kyle.
"It sounds like bullshit to me," said Robbie.
"Maybe so," Kyle agreed, "but I think Wayne Enterprises supplies Batman's equipment, I think if we can break into that server, we'll find out who Batman and Robin really are."
Oh shit, thought Robbie.
"Why do you care who Batman and Robin are?"
"When they come for us, I'm hoping to use their identities as leverage," Kyle explained, "it would be the news story of the century, it would make wikileaks look like the pentagon papers. Batman and Robin go to great lengths to protect their identities, I think it's a bargaining chip."
"You'd really reveal their identities?" asked Robbie.
"I don't want to hurt them, Robbie, but I don't want them hurting us either, you can help me, you can crack that server," said Kyle.
"Why on earth would you think I'd help you, after all the Wayne's have done for me, you think I'd betray them?" Robbie demanded.
"I know all about the Wayne's, Robbie. A bunch of spoiled little rich boys who got their billions through the hard work of people like us. They may have done a few things for you but they're just using you, one day you'll have to pay up on the investment they've made in you, who do you think is going to profit from that?" asked Kyle.
Robbie was seething, Kyle didn't know a damn thing about Dick, Tim or Damian. Dick was a great chairman, the employees loved him because he was fair and generous. Tim was quiet and shy, studious and reserved, aside from the occasional bad guy, he'd never hurt anyone. As for Damian, Robbie knew his heart, knew that he was good and decent. Robbie also knew that the Wayne brothers had bleed for the city they called home and sacrificed their safety, and their very lives, every night so that the citizens of Gotham could sleep peacefully in their beds. Robbie was also not a fool, Kyle was obviously out of his mind, he'd strong armed these weak willed kids with promises of safety and Robbie didn't know what would happen if Kyle didn't get the answer he wanted.
"What do you say Robbie, will you help us?" Kyle prompted.
If there was one thing that Robbie knew for sure, one certainty that he could bet his life on, it was that Damian would always come for him, he just had to bide his time.
"When do I start?" asked Robbie, a false grin spreading across his face.
"Great!" Kyle explained, then gave Robbie a powerful bear hug, "come on, I'll show you your work station."
In another part of the sewer, not far from Banes lair, Damian, Colin and Noah crept along, guided by the solitary light of an iPhone. The tunnels had narrowed and Colin was breathing heavy, doing everything he could to hold it together in the tight space.
"Hang in there Coli, I'm sure the tunnel will open again soon," Noah assured him.
"I hate tight places," Colin whined.
"Even Aqualads?" Damian quipped.
"Ouch," Damian yelped, when Noah slapped him in the back of the head.
"Not that it's anyone's business, but Colin and I haven't done that yet," said Noah.
"Why not?" asked Damian, suddenly curious about the mating habits of the other gay boys in his life.
"We just aren't ready," said Noah.
"How will you know you're ready?" asked Damian.
"You just, I don't know, you just know," said Noah.
"Intriguing," said Damian.
"How did you know?" asked Noah.
"What was to know?" Damian replied, "Robbie put his penis in me and after a moments discomfort, it was quite euphoric."
"Oh Jesus, the last think I want to hear about right now is you getting butt fucked," said Colin.
Damian and Noah knew that Colin must really be feeling out of sorts, he didn't swear, at least not casually.
"We don't say that, we call it making love and it's quite wonderful, it's not something you two should be afraid off," Damian reasoned.
"We're not afraid," said Colin, "I just don't need you giving me a boner right now, I'm tense enough."
Noah laughed and Colin giggled, the little joke made him fell a little less stressed out. He thought he'd add an element of humor and reached down to pinch Damian's butt. Damian hadn't expected the playful gesture and when it happened, he yelped, hit his head on the roof of the tunnel and dropped his phone in the grimy water. The current was swift and the phone left a trail of light to mock the boys as it drifted away, leaving them in the dark.
"Great, just great, are you happy now?" Damian demanded.
"Leave him alone, he was just playing, you didn't have to scream like a girl," Noah shot back.
"Does anyone else have a phone?" asked Damian.
"I left mine in the car, I didn't think I'd need it, I'm with everyone I call," said Noah, "what about you Coli?"
But Colin didn't answer, he was tense enough as it was but now, in the dark, he started to panic.
"Colin?" said Noah.
"I, can't, breathe," Colin panted, then he started to freak out, tearing at his shirt, trying to pull away the restrictive clothing.
"It's going to be alright, just close your eyes and try to take deep breaths," said Noah.
"Can't breathe!" Colin exclaimed, as he flailed his arms about, searching for space, desperate to get out of the tunnel.
"It'll be alright, just calm down," said Noah, he put his arms around Colin's waist but the red head was bucking like a raging bull.
"He's panicking, Damian help me," said Noah, as Colin tried to shake him off.
"Colin Wilkes, contain yourself at once," Damian ordered.
"Oh brilliant, why didn't I think of that," said Noah, rolling his eyes in the dark, "help me pin his arms down before he hurts himself."
"Can't breathe!" Colin shouted.
"Bloody hell," Damian exclaimed, then did his best to help Noah subdue Colin.
Damian went high, wrapping his arms around Colin's shoulders, Noah went low, pinning Colin's forearms against his body, but the big redhead couldn't control himself as he thrashed about in the confined space.
"If he turns into Abuse in here, we're screwed," said Damian.
"Don't say that, he just needs to calm down," said Noah.
But Colin couldn't calm down. He tried to break away from his friends and ended up taking them all down into the water.
"Oh God, some of it went into my mouth!" Noah spat.
"I think just touched poo!" Damian exclaimed.
"I can't breathe," Colin whined.
They couldn't see anything, all Damian and Noah could do is try to hold Colin down and hope that he'd calm down but it wasn't working, he was still fighting them. That's when Damian felt Noah grab his wrist and pull it behind his back.
"Phillips, let me go," Damian grunted.
"I'm not touching you, you let go of my foot," Noah demanded.
"I haven't got your bloody foot," Damian snapped, "Colin, is that you?"
"Can't breathe," Colin whined.
That's when someone grabbed Damian's other wrist.
"Noah, we're not alone," said Damian.
Just as the words left his mouth, Damian felt several hands grab him at once. He heard the muffled sounds of his friends struggling and splashing in the water, the hands holding him bound him to something and before he knew it, he was hanging from a pole by his wrists and ankles as the Weiner Dawgs were carried off in silence.
"Well, I hope you're happy now," Damian complained.
"Oh shut up, Damian," said Noah.
Robbie was given a workspace and a team of his own to crack the security at Wayne Tower. Little did his new friends know, Robbie had the password, the server they were trying to hack was linked directly to the Batcomputer. Robbie had to protect his friends, everything depended on his being able to fool these boys long enough for Damian to rescue him, fortunately, bright as they were, they were a little dense. All Robbie had to do was ask what their favorite Star Wars movie was, that set off a raucous about which was better, Star Wars or Star Trek. Fanboys, Robbie smiled to himself as he began to insert traps into the system, very soon Kyle's little project was going to come crashing down around him.
Despite everything that was happening, Robbie couldn't help feeling sorry for all these guys. He know what their lives were like, knew how much they probably hated school and how everyone treated them, hell he was even dressed like them. Robbie wore the same outfit, or nerd uniform, as he called it, cargo pants and a fan t-shirt, but in his case, the black and red Superboy t-shirt he wore had been a birthday present from Conner Kent himself.
"How's the progress coming?" asked Kyle, sticking his head through the door.
"It's coming, a little tougher than I expected but nothing I can't handle," Robbie assured him.
"Good, good," said Kyle, grinning wickedly, "your team is helping?"
Robbie couldn't help but notice that when Kyle came in, his team stopped their debate and went back to their screens. They were clicking madly at their keyboards as if they were afraid to be seen slacking on the job.
"Yeah, they're great," said Robbie.
"Excellent, then you have time for a break," said Kyle.
"Sure, I could use a Red Bull," said Robbie.
"Later," said Kyle, "I want to show you how we deal with intruders."
Damian, thought Robbie, thank God.
"Can you breathe now, Colin?" said Damian.
"Leave him alone, it's not his fault," said Noah.
"I didn't say it was," Damian replied.
"Then why did you ask all sarcastic like that?"
"I don't know, everything I say sounds like that," Damian quipped.
Robbie could hear them arguing and his heart sank when he reached the edge of the cistern and saw his rescuers. They were bound to stakes, ankles tied together, wrists tied behind them. There were three guards standing behind them, they were dressed like the rest of the nerds but they were built like linebackers.
"Silence!" Kyle commanded.
The shout drew Damian's attention up, that's when he saw Robbie.
"Robbie?"
"Uh, hi," said Robbie with a weak wave.
"These are your friends?" Kyle asked Robbie.
"Yes, let them go," said Robbie.
Before Kyle could offer a reply, Damian had to open his mouth again.
"You, geek-tard, release us at once."
"You don't give the orders here," Kyle shot back.
"Maybe not, but if you hold us against our will for one moment longer, I will break off your arm and beat you to death with it!" Damian threatened.
"Gag the insolent one," Kyle ordered.
One of his henchmen pulled a rag from his pocket and stuffed it in Damian's mouth, mid grumble.
"Kyle, please, they didn't do anything, let them go," Robbie pleaded.
"They found our lair, I can't just release them so that they can tell the police where we are," said Kyle.
"They're my friends, they won't..." Robbie started.
"A couple of dumb jocks and a soulless ginger, honestly, you can do much better," said Kyle.
"They are NOT dumb and Colin is NOT soulless," said Robbie, growing irritated.
"If you say so, but be that as it may, their kind has been tormenting ours since the dawn of time, I think it's time for a little payback," Kyle grinned.
"What are you going to do to them?" asked Robbie, suddenly afraid.
"Pants them!" Kyle ordered, to the raucous cheering of the nerds who gathered around the cistern to watch the show.
Kyle's guards wasted no time in following his orders, they stepped up behind the boys, unfastened their belts and yanked their pants down around their ankles. The stood there, tied to their posts, in nothing but their t-shirts and underpants. The crowd of geeky teenagers roared with laughter.
"Funny, what's next, are you going to give them a swirly?" asked Robbie, sarcastically.
"In a manner of speaking," said Kyle, "in a couple of hours, the cistern will flood nearly to the rim."
"But, they'll drown," Robbie exclaimed.
"And when the cistern flushes itself out, they'll be washed out to sea, all nice and neat," said Kyle, coldly.
"Kyle, that's murder, you can't..." Robbie began.
"KYLE!" shouted one of the nerds on the upper level, "it's started!"
"Excellent," said Kyle, looking at his watch, "right on time."
"What's started?" asked Robbie.
"Project Venom of course," said Kyle.
"But I haven't hacked into the server at Wayne Tower yet," said Robbie, trying to buy time.
"You didn't think we'd wait forever, did you?" asked Kyle, "I'll need you to keep working on it, as long as we have nothing to hold over Batman and Robin, we're vulnerable. Now, let's go see how Gotham deals with a total digital blackout."
"What about my friends?" asked Robbie.
"We'll talk about it later, come on," said Kyle.
He turned away from Robbie and started up the stairs, his nerds following close behind him. Even the guards in the pit withdrew, so that they wouldn't miss the show. Robbie was left alone at the rim of the cistern, when he was sure that every last one of Kyle's cronies was watching the mayhem they'd wrought, he jumped into the pit, he knew he didn't have much time. He raced to Damian and pulled the gag from his mouth first.
"I'm going to kill that dork," said Damian.
"Not now," said Robbie, "I've got to get you guys free, we don't have much time."
"Why, what's going on?" asked Damian, as Robbie, struggled at his bonds.
"They've been working on this for weeks, they call it Project Venom, they shut down the internet in effect putting Gotham on a digital lockdown. They're holding the city hostage so they can play videogames without all of the cities corporate interests hogging the bandwidth," said Robbie.
"That's, that's psychotic," said Colin."
"I know, Kyle is freaking nuts," Robbie agreed, still struggling with Damian's knot.
"What do they want with you?" asked Damian.
"Oh, that's the really fun part," said Robbie, "Kyle thinks that the secure server at Wayne Tower is linked to the Batcave."
"Which it is," Noah reminded him.
"I know, he wants me to hack it and find out who Batman and Robin are, he knows it's only a matter of time before they come for him and he thinks he can blackmail them into leaving him alone," Robbie explained.
Upstairs, Kyle and his cronies watched on large monitors as Gotham City came crashing down. They saw traffic lights go down causing major gridlock, they saw the stock exchange come to a halt when all electronic trading stopped, they saw basic communication stop as system after system was cut loose from its digital cord. Already, nerds were breaking out laptops and logging into different servers, beginning downloads of movies music and games, nerd candy. Then it all began to come crashing down.
An alarm sounded and as they watched the monitors, the streetlights came back on, and the beginning of a citywide panic came to an end, while the citizens of Gotham were left to wonder what caused the blip.
"What's happening!" Kyle demand.
"I, I don't know," answered one of his henchmen, "Venom, it's turned on itself, the program is collapsing."
"Impossible!" Kyle exclaimed.
"Well, you can see it here, on the screen, it's falling apart faster than we can make repairs," said the henchman.
"Robbie," Kyle hissed, and turned towards the door.
"I can't get this knot out," said Robbie, back in the cistern.
"Forget that for a second, what's that alarm?" asked Damian.
"Oh, well I couldn't very well hack our server for them, so I've spent my time down here tweaking their program," Robbie grinned.
"What did you do?" asked Damian.
"Well, basically I told the virus once it activated, to start reducing itself at an exponential rate until it was gone," Robbie explained.
"Genius, now get us out of here," said Damian.
"No shit, but these knots won't budge," said a frustrated Robbie.
"Look in my pants, my butterfly knife," Damian instructed.
"Right," said Robbie, he bent down and searched Damian's jeans but he came up empty, "it's not here, they must have taken it."
"Damn it, that was one of my favorites," said Damian, "Colin, what about you?"
"What do you want me to do?" asked Colin.
"Oh I don't know, maybe transform into your alter ego, break your bonds and get us the hell out of here?" asked Damian.
"I can't, I don't have Rory, what if..." Colin started.
"ROBBIE!" Kyle roared, he was running down the stairs, his cronies in tow.
"Oh shit, they figured me out," said Robbie.
"Relax, you know what to do," Damian assured him.
They're eyes locked on each other for a moment, Robbie nodded his understanding, then placed himself between the advancing nerds and his friends.
"What did you do?" Kyle demanded, as he leapt into the pit.
"What do you think I did, I couldn't let you just shut down the city, you can't play with peoples lives, this isn't a game," said Robbie.
"I could have used you, we could have done great things together, now I have to destroy you," said Kyle, as he pulled a broadsword from behind his back.
Robbie had to stop himself from rolling his eyes and stay focused. The sword was a prop from one movie or another, maybe Conan the Destroyer, thought Robbie, but more importantly, it was too heavy for Kyle and he obviously wasn't trained in its use.
"If that's what you have to do," said Robbie.
Kyle hefted the sword and swung wide, missing Robbie by a mile. The heavy weapon weighed down Kyle's arms and when he cleared Robbie, the tip struck the floor. While Kyle used all his strength to raise his weapon, Robbie stepped forward and jammed his fingers under Kyle's glasses and into his eyes. Kyle screamed at the blinding pain and dropped his sword with a clang against the ground. Robbie then bashed the taller man's nose with the heel of his hand and shattered the cartilage, sending a river of blood cascading down his face. Next Robbie worked Kyle's body with savage hooks to his left and right. Finally, when Kyle could take no more, Robbie grabbed his collar and pulled him down, before burying his knee in Kyle's crotch. In less than five seconds, Robbie had reduced Kyle to a quivering blob of weeping defeat.
"Holy shit, it worked," Robbie exclaimed.
"I told you, training isn't for nothing you know," said Damian.
"We're, we're free," said one of the nerds, peering over the edge of the pit.
"Wait a minute, what?" asked Robbie.
"We didn't want any part of this, we just wanted to get away from our parents and the bullies for a while," said the nerd, "he threatened to kick us out on the street if we didn't help him. We had no place to go."
Damian turned to Robbie, it sounded like a plausible story. Damian simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright, get out of here, all of you, go home or I'll, I'll tell on you," Robbie threatened.
It was a stupid threat but it was enough to send kids who were used to getting picked on and bullied, scurrying in every direction.
"Freakin nerds," Robbie sighed.
"What about him?" asked Noah, nodding at Kyle.
"Leave him be, the man's broken, he can't harm anyone now," said Damian, as Kyle crawled off to lick his wounds, "now get us out of here."
"Right, sorry," said Robbie, as he stood in front of Damian and reached back to work on the knot, "you know, under other circumstances, this would be pretty sexy."
Robbie ground his crotch into Damian and felt his lover bone up.
"Maybe later," Damian winked.
It took half an hour but Robbie finally got his friends loose. After an hour of stumbling through the sewer, they made their way back to Noah's car.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see your hunchback, Noah," said Damian.
"It could be the Weiner Mobile," Colin giggled, "Official transportation of the Weiner Dawgs."
"Oh not this again," Damian sighed.
"Let's argue about it in the car," said Robbie, "I don't know about you guys but after a day in the sewer, I need a shower."
The boys all voiced their agreement and climbed into the car. It was a cold night but the stench coming off the teens was enough to make them roll down all the windows.
"What the hell were you thinking?" the Joker demanded, "who told you to pick up that boy?"
"I, I thought you'd be happy, if I found out who Batman and Robin are then..." Kyle whined.
"FOOL! I know who Batman and Robin are!" the Joker shouted.
"I, I didn't k-know," Kyle sniffled.
"No, I suppose you didn't," said the Joker, in a sympathetic tone.
"You're not m-mad?" asked Kyle.
"Of course not, dear boy, a simple mistake," said the Joker.
"That's a relief," Kyle sighed.
"Harley, why don't you see our friend, Kyle, home safely, my dear," said the Joker.
"Sure thing Mr. J," said the woman, with a high pitched, girlish voice.
She'd been standing in a dark corner but when the Joker called to her, she twirled into the light. She wore a red and black body suit, motley and a black mask around her eyes, her skin was almost as pale as her master's. Harley Quinn led Kyle from the room and into a long dark hall, the Joker sat in his high-backed chair and stippled his fingers as he listened to them walk away.
"Wait, he said, I could go home," said Kyle.
"He said I was free to go, he said...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," thus ended Kyle Gains.
Two nights later, Robbie was in his room, playing World of Warcraft, with some friends online. He couldn't help but wonder if one of his online buddies might have been down in that cistern, when the whole city had been mere minutes away from total chaos. He was still reveling in his moment as hero of the day, he'd stopped the Venom virus, he'd fought Kyle and saved his friends, it made him feel almost euphoric. Damian reminded him several times, not to be overcome by the feelings of victory, it was one win, against a dork who couldn't beat up a girl scout, but still, Robbie was proud. He was just wrapping up his game for the night, when the intercom on his desk buzzed at him.
"Master Robert?" said Alfred.
"Yeah Alfie?"
"Would you be so good as to join us in the cave, sir?" asked the Butler.
"Sure thing, be right down."
Robbie thought he'd see Dick and Damian heading down as well, but he was alone in the house, they must be there already. Robbie worked his fingers across the keys of the old piano, waited for the secret passage to open, then followed the winding staircase into the Bat Cave. When he reached the work area, the room was pitch dark save for a pin light over the conference table. Everyone was there, in uniform, Batman and Robin, Red Robin, Superboy, Abuse, even Noah, who they'd taken to calling Aqualad.
Robbie couldn't help but giggle at his friends uniforms, nothing fit Colin, when he was Abuse, so he wore a trench coat and fedora over his tattered jeans. As for Noah, his uniform consisted of a black mask and matching speedo, he said it was a work in progress.
"Uh, what's going on guys?" asked Robbie.
"Robbie, are you comfortable here, do you feel like part of the family?" asked Batman.
"What? Of course I do, I couldn't ask for more," said Robbie, confused, this wasn't what he expected to be discussing.
"I'm glad you feel that way but sadly I have to disagree," Batman sighed, "you don't really blend in, you stick out like I sore thumb."
"I, I don't know what to say," said Robbie, feeling almost heartbroken. He loved his guardian, why was he saying these things?"
"It's not your fault, it's ours, there's something we've neglected for far too long," said Batman.
"I don't understand," said Robbie.
"Maybe this will help you," said Robin, pulling a garment bag from behind his back and handing it to his lover.
Robbie unzipped the bag and looked inside, then looked back at his family with excitement.
"Really?" Robbie exclaimed.
"You've earned it, go try it on," Batman smiled.
Robbie ran for the locker room, shedding his clothes as he went. A few minutes later, he emerged in his new uniform. It was a lot like Damian's Robin uniform, it had a black survival suit with a bulletproof tunic, but it was hunter green where Robin's was red. Instead of Robin's stylized R, Robbie's uniform bore a silver B/S for Backslash. There was no cape, instead, this uniform came with a backpack full of all the technical tools Backslash might need and his green domino mask incorporated the latest technology that Wayne Enterprises and Google had to offer.
"Boy's, let's hear it for Backslash," Batman shouted.
The family clapped and cheered and Robbie teared up, he'd wanted this for so long, now it felt real, he was part of the Bat Family.
"Thanks guys, this means so much to me," said Robbie.
"Batman's right," said Red Robin, "you earned it."
"Better then that old t-shirt I gave you," Superboy winked.
"Alright guys," said Batman, calming everyone down, "there are people out there right now, who wish to do harm to the citizens of Gotham City. What do you say we go beat the shit out of them?"
Another cheer erupted from the assembled hero's and then teams fanned out from the Bat Cave. Backslash of course went with Robin, and Batman pulled his sidekick aside for a moment before letting him go.
"He did great with those nerds the other night, but you know he still needs more training, watch out for him," said Batman.
"I wouldn't think of doing anything less," Robin replied.
"You know what I mean, if you get any action, call it in and wait for me to join you before doing anything," said Batman.
"Of course, I give you my word," Robin bowed.
Two hours later, Robin and Backslash stood high atop Wayne Tower. Robin stood at the very edge of the north corner, his toes sticking out over the ledge. It was windy atop the 90 story skyscraper and his cape fluttered behind him as he watched over the city. Backslash may have been an official superhero now, but he wasn't fearless, he hated exposed heights and clung to the wall, until Robin reached his hand back and gestured for him to come close. Backslash stood on wobbly legs and inched, ever so slowly, to his lover's side. He made the mistake of looking down at the street below and almost lost his balance, but Robin put his arm around his waist and held him close.
"Beautiful view, isn't it?" asked Robin.
"And terrifying, all at the same time," said Backslash, Robin just grinned.
"I remember when I first got my uniform," said Robin.
"Me too, now I know how you must have felt," said Backslash.
"Yes, I was very proud but I was thinking about that night, when we made love," said Robin.
"Oh, yeah," Backslash blushed.
"I didn't understand why it turned you on so much, now I do," Robin smiled.
Backlash smiled too and then they shared a kiss. When they opened their eyes, the Batsignal lit up the night sky.
"We better get going, Batman hates to be kept waiting," said Robin.
"Back down to the Red Bird?" asked Backslash.
"Nope," said Robin as he clipped his utility belt to Backslash's, "let's swing."
The boys tumbled over the edge and as they fell, Robin fired one of his lines into the building across the way, they swung low over the street below and as they came up, Robin released his line and fired another.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," Backslash screamed in terror.
"WAAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Robin screamed in delight.