The Lair of the Huntress

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"No Robin, you mustn't let you emotions get the best of you!"the Batman urged to his furious partner. Despite the fact thathe'd injured his knee while he infiltrated the hide-out of theprotection mob boss Tony Zucco, he was readying himself to pouncethe instant Robin did anything that would seriously injure Zucco,or himself.

The young man turned sharply to face his mentor with a look ofpure venom. "Stuff your advice, Batman; you and your stone, coldheart. You don't know how I feel, how could you -"

Robin stopped himself in mid-sentence, his eyes wide beneathhis mask. He realized what he had said and he wished immediatelythat he could take it back. Here before him was his partner, hismentor, his friend. A man, just like himself, who had went throughthe pain, the suffering, the hellish nightmares over and over againwhen his parents died. The man was Bruce Wayne, who at a very young age, lost his parents when they were shot right in front ofhim as they were walking in an alley after an innocent night at themovies. Dick Grayson knew the pain that stayed with Bruce everydayof his life; the pain that drove him to adopt the guise of Batman,and Dick to be Robin. Tony Zucco, the man caught in Robin's vice-like grasp, cut the wire for the trapeze at Haley's circus, andDick's parents fell to their deaths right in front of him. Eversince that fateful day he had vowed revenge on the man who had donethis, the man whom he had at his mercy this very minute. Now,though, the young circus acrobat had other things on his mind thenrevenge.

Robin looked solemnly at his elder partner. "Batman, I...Ididn't mean...... I'm sorry." he said in a near whisper. Turningback to the captive Zucco in his grasp he felt the rage boil upinside him. For a few long moments it seemed to Batman that hisyoung partner was going to lose control over his feelings andmurderously kill Zucco in cold blood.

Instead, remembering his mentors words, Robin threw Zucco awayfrom the edge of the broken railing to land in the middle of thepier. With that last action, Robin turned his back to Batman, ranto the Batcycle parked awkwardly across the pier, and took off witha screech of tires.

The police arrived a few seconds later, but Batman didn't seemto notice them. He was left standing on the pier, with a coweringZucco at his feet, watching as his young protege roared off intothe night.

Commissioner Gordon of the GCPD walked up to Batman with ahandful of officers at his side. The police handcuffed Zucco andled him to the police van where he was shoved inside. Before thedoor was shut, he vowed revenge on the Boy Wonder, saying that hewould hunt him down and even the score when he got out of prison.

James Gordon and Batman stood in silence until the police vanleft the premises. "Well, old friend," the Commissioner said aftera while, "it's been a long nine years, but we finally have him."Batman remained silent. All he could think about was the hurt lookon his young ward's face as he drove off. Commissioner Gordon wasstarring at his friend and ally awkwardly. "You're especiallyquiet tonight. What's wrong?"

Batman shook himself out of his thoughts and turned his eyesto the Commissioner. "I'm sorry, Jim." he replied in anespecially low voice. "I'm just thinking about... something."

James Gordon looked closely at his friend and saw thatsomething was indeed troubling him, but he didn't bring the subjectup again. With a final congratulatory word, the Commissionerparted ways with the Dark Knight, who was once again lost in hisown thoughts concerning his partner.* * * * * * *

Five minutes later found Batman entering the secret Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. As he parked the Batmobile in its owndesignated parking spot among a series of other high classvehicles, he took off his midnight blue cowl and cape and onceagain saw the world through the eyes of Bruce Wayne, boybillionaire.

"ALFRED!!" Bruce Wayne's voice rang out in the spacious cavern, vibrating the walls and high ceilings, thus causing the nightly inhabitants to screech in protest and fly deeper into the cave.

Bruce's visage was contorted into a mask of concern as hewaited for his faithful butler and old friend to enter the darkrealms deep beneath the manor.

A light suddenly appeared at the top of a set of stone stepscarved into the rock. Then the image of a slim, grey-haired man intraditional uniform was seen descending the stairs in a hurriedfashion.

"Alfred!" Bruce Wayne greeted his friend in a concernedmanner. "Has Dick returned home yet?"

The proud British man tried to compose himself. "MasterBruce, it's good to see you home. In response to your inquiry yesMaster Dick was here; but he didn't stay home for long!"

Bruce rubbed a gloved hand over his face. "Did he say wherehe was going or when he'll be getting back?"

"No, sir. He neglected to tell me. Although something wasobviously wrong with the young master when he returned home."

"Why do you say that, Alfred?"

Alfred paused before continuing. "Well, sir, he was moving ina sort of agitated way, as if he were tremendously upset aboutsomething, an event perhaps, that has happened recently." Thebutler let in a deep breath. "I'm very worried about him, MasterBruce. Something is troubling him deeply, and yet he won't sharewith me his problems."

Bruce was puzzled at this point. "How do you know he wouldn'ttalk to you? Did you ask him what was wrong?" he asked Alfred.

"Of course, sir! As soon as I heard a noise in the cave Icame down and saw Master Dick. As I've told you before he wasmoving in a troubled and agitated sort of way, and when I tried toinquire as to what was going on, he told me that he didn't want totalk about it, whatever it was, and that he wanted to be left alone. Then he told me that he'd be going out and didn't know when or if he was ever going to return!" Now Alfred was becoming concerned. "You must find him, Master Bruce, before he hurts himself! In his state of mind there's no telling what he'd do!"

Bruce turned his back to Alfred and closed his eyes, his minddeep in thought. Thinking back to the years when he was sufferingfrom the loss of his family, he tried to remember where he had goneto just get away from life in general, to escape the pain he knewhe could have prevented. And then it came to him. Usually he hadgone to the place where they were murdered, as he does every yearwith Dr. Leslie Thompkins on the anniversary of their deaths. Maybe, just maybe, his young ward had returned to the exact same place where the tragic incident with his parents occurred when the circus was in Gotham.

With his mind made up he decided that would be the proper wayto search. Turning back to Alfred, who was quizzically staring athim, he said, "I know where Dick is. I'm going after him." Seeingthe blank look on his old friend's face, he added, "I'll explaineverything when I return." As an afterthought he added, "Don'tworry, I'm sure he's fine." I hope, he added silently to himself, not wanting to concern Alfred further.

He reached behind his head to put his cowl on again, but stopped himself. No, he amended. This is a job for Bruce Wayne,his guardian, not Batman. With that decided, he mounted the carvedstairs which led to Wayne Manor and humanity, Alfred followingclose behind.* * * * * * *

On a thin dirt path, surrounded by dense bushes and foliage inneed of pruning, walked a lone figure. The pebbled ground crunchedbeneath his feet as he slowly walked toward the abandoned lot ofthe Gotham fairgrounds. The bushes parted and he finally got aglimpse of the area. The pavement which loomed before him wasstill scattered with paper and confetti from the extravaganzas ofprevious years. A few homeless people were sleeping soundly on afew of the new benches constructed on the property, unaware oftheir nighttime guest.

Dick Grayson walked carefully over the hard pavement, thegentle wind blowing through his dark hair, his eyes glued to theground, searching for a certain place. He'd memorized the exactplace where the tragedy happened, and that was where he willedhimself to go.

Thoughts jumbled together inside his head, forming into imagesof his early youth, as he walked. The happy times he had when hewas with his parents and his friends at the circus. Dick sadlysmiled at the memories, allowing them to pull him into his pastlife as a circus performer. He rubbed self-consciously at hischeek with his hand, leaving a thin trail of moisture behind.

As he neared the area he stopped, hearing a barely audiblesnap, as if a twig had been stepped on. Dick didn't even turnaround, let alone raise his head.

Dick heard slow, even footsteps approach him. When theysoftly stopped directly behind him he said, "How did you find me?"

Bruce Wayne caught the flat tone to his young ward'sstatement. "You're just like me," he said finally, "Returning tothe scene where it all happened; not afraid to let the memoriescome back to you."

Dick didn't answer. After a few silent minutes he resumedwalking, Bruce following close behind.

"I'm really proud of you, today." Bruce said, trying to get some small conversation going between each other. "You did theright thing when you handled Zucco the way you did."

Dick still didn't say anything. He still continued walking.

Bruce grew tired of this. "Listen, Dick, I know what you'regoing through -"

Dick turned around sharply and stared at Bruce straight inthe eyes. "Oh, really Bruce?" Dick's voice was shaking withsuppressed emotion. "You know what I'm going through?" he challenged."You were never forbidden to go after your demon! Thesource of your nightmares! I was!! By you!!!" Dick started shouting at his mentor. "HOW DO YOUKNOW WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH?!?! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH!!! ADMIT IT!!!!" Dick's angry outburst caused the homeless people to arouse from their dreamy sleep and leave their beds for another quieter part of Gotham.

Dick continued to yell out his feelings which he had keptburied within him. "NINE YEARS, BRUCE!! I'VE WAITED NINE LONG YEARS FOR THIS CHANCE TO COME!! AND YOU'VE PRACTICALLY TAKEN IT ALL AWAY FROM ME!! "

Bruce was silent as Dick continued to yell at him. Maybe hedid deserve to be yelled at. As long as Dick was letting out hisfeelings then it didn't matter. "I... I didn't know that you feltthis way." Bruce said at last when Dick quieted down to catch hisbreath.

Dick answered with another heated response. "I do feel this way." He took another a deep breath to try tocalm down his built-up rage. "Why, Bruce?" he demanded. "Why did you do this to me? Were you afraid that I'd let my emotions get the better of me?" Then suddenly he quieted as if coming to a realization. "You're right." he said in a quiet voice. "That's the reason you didn't bring me along, wasn't it. You knew I'd take it to personally." Dick lowered his head to stare back down at the dirty ground, his anger subsiding within him, looking ashamed from all the things he had said to his guardian.

Bruce looked down at his surrogate son, seeing the boy he'dbefriended years ago. "No, Dick. That's not the reason I didn'tbring you with me." He paused to make sure his feelings were incheck. Dick continued to stare at the ground, but he listened toevery word with an open mind. "That's not the reason at all."

The older man walked a few paces away from Dick, contemplatingthe words to come. Finally he spoke, in a way that showed his truefeelings. "Zucco had taken so much from you,... caused you so muchpain. I... " he stammered. "I couldn't stand the thought that hemight,... " Bruce looked at his ward as he finished speaking, "takeyou too."

With these last words spoken Dick's face contorted into a maskof grief and tears started to stream from his eyes. Bruce lookedon, unsure of what his next actions should be, the sounds of Dick'scrying echoing in his ears.

His mind wandered back to the time when Dick was found alonein his room and within they had a heart to heart talk where Bruceconfided in him what had happened to his parents from so long ago.He remembered what he had done to confront the young boy. Pushingthat thought back into his subconscious, he approached the grievingDick Grayson and put his arms around him in a warm and gentleembrace. To Bruce this seemed like the right thing to do under thegiven circumstances. Just being there for him was the best thinghe could give to his ward.

Fifteen minutes had passed in the near silent fairground, withonly a few choked gasps emitting from Dick Grayson's throat. Hewas feeling a lot better now than he had all night. I guess I justneeded to let out my feelings, he thought as he felt the comfort ofthe arms of his fatherly figure.

When Dick had quieted down some, Bruce took his arms fromaround him. Putting one around Dick's shoulders, Bruce gave him agentle punch on the arm. "So how 'bout we go home, eh Dick?" heasked in a comforting tone. "I'm sure Alfred is worried about usby now. And we both know how he worries." he added with touch ofwhat was supposed to be light-hearted humour.

Dick managed a weak smile to the remark, as Bruce led him toa parked convertible on the other side of the bushes.

"Wait," Dick said, stopping.

Bruce halted in his tracks. "What's wrong, Dick?" he asked,with concern evident in his voice.

His ward was silent for a moment. Then he spoke up in answerto Bruce's question. "I... I just feel like walking hometonight... just to give me time to clear my head and think abouteverything that's been happening lately... "

His guardian understood perfectly. He didn't have to give himany answer. The two silently approached the dirt path and startedtheir journey home.

"So, how's the knee?" Dick Grayson silently asked.* * * * * * *

While all this was happening, in Gotham State PenitentiaryTony Zucco was serving time behind iron bars. His sentence: life,with no eligibility for parole.

It was dinner time for the inmates and all but Zucco wereeating. All night, since the moment he was captured by, what hecalled 'a freak in pyjamas', he was vowing revenge on the BoyWonder.

"If it wasn't for him I would have killed that cowl-headedcreep!" Zucco was muttering to himself over and over again in themess hall, as he stared dismissively at the soggy vegetables piledon his plate. "Just wait until I get out of this trash-hole. I'll make him wish that he wasn't even born!"

"Shut yer trap or I'll make ya wear the main course," one ofthe inmates who sat near him threatened. He pointed a cheapplastic knife at Zucco. "How can the rest of us concentrate on ourchow with ya flabbin' yer mouth back and forth like that! Yergiven us a headache!"

Zucco looked at him in a look of pure rage. "Don't you EVERtalk to me like that!" he yelled and threw a punch which connectedto the inmate's jaw. The thug still had a piece of food in hismouth and he immediately started choking as soon as the punch hit."And besides, I wasn't talking to you!" To make his point clearZucco stood up and, in a loud voice, shouted, "I WASN'T TALKING TOANY OF YOU!!"

The guards came over to the table as soon as they saw theinmate start choking. They physically restrained Zucco, pushinghim towards the cell blocks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" one of the guards demanded to Zucco. "This ain't no circus here! Now behave oryou'll never be allowed out of your cell again!" They pushed themurderer into his cell and locked the door.

Zucco gripped the bars and looked out at the almost emptycorridor. "Just you wait 'till I get outta this dump! No onemesses with Tony Zucco and gets away with it! NO ONE!!"

The guards just laughed at him and walked back to the messhall to help the others watch the hungry inmates.

Tony stood staring after the retreating guards. "No onemesses with Tony Zucco," he repeated to himself as he drew a roughsketch of a bird on the cell wall. He laughed maliciously tohimself as he drew a line through it.....
To Be Continued...

Next: Demons