Absolute DC Part 2: Robin's Reckoning by Red-Rum-18
The air was cold and dry for a Boston night. The winds quietly reverberate with droning music being listened to by the janitors sweeping up for the night. The Batman, shadowed defender of justice, dove into the area from his stealth aircraft to investigate the lauded “Falcon Island”theme park and zoo. The park is owned by Iceberg Entertainment, and is suspected by Batman to be the epicenter of a Massachusetts-based contraband weapons ring. Batman has the means to discover, at this very park, the hard evidence that proves, beyond all doubt, that Oswald Cobblepot, the CEO of Iceberg, is The Penguin, the head of the illegal weapons trade, and he intends to do that before this night ends.
Exploring the park and it’s various attractions, Batman reached the “Creatures of Shadow” exhibit, which is the last path between Batman and the main supply depository and the offices. Batman was attacked by a humanoid bat monster within the exhibit and he defeated it. It turned out to be an advanced animatronic intended for the park’s next Halloween event, but programmed to attack intruders, meaning that the Penguin knows that Batman is here. In the main offices, Batman discovered several paper files on the Penguin’s weapons deals, and the main depository was bustling with activity. Batman began filming the Penguin and his men loading up trucks for their next shipment, but he was attacked behind! The assailant shoved Batman out the window into the depository and jumped in after him. She turned out to be the Penguin’s assistant Tracey Buxton, now calling herself the Black Canary.
Batman battled the Black Canary until she knocked him out using her super-sonic scream attack, bestowed upon her by her cyborg implants. Knocked out, Batman was chained to the wall by Penguin’s men and stripped of his utility belt. One of them tried to remove his helmet, but was electrocuted by built-in defenses in the costume. Penguin said that removing the mask isn’t necessary right now, just to keep him out of the way until he has time to deal with the Bat…
As Batman’s communication relay went dark, his allies Oracle and Outsider began the process of triangulating his last known position, but they didn’t know how to rescue him. That’s when the voice of a young girl came on their communication channel and said she’s in Boston and will find Batman with the coordinates. The voice was that of Cassandra Kane, younger cousin of Batman’s alter ego Bruce Wayne. She received the coordinates and began suiting up, but then got a call on her phone. It was her father William Kane, Bruce’s uncle, calling to check on her since she said she was still in their home city of Pittsburg at a sleepover with her friend Stephanie. Bluntly put, William said that she’s grounded after saving Bruce. Cassie hung up, donned the rest of her costume, and sped off towards the park on her motorized bicycle. The evil of the night was soon to feel the wrath of The Robin!
Robin infiltrated the theme park more easily than Batman, since the Dark Knight dealt with any resistance ahead of her. She saw the Bat being chained against and beaten by the Penguin’s goons as their boss finished his latest weapons sale but a few feet away. She dropped a smoke bomb into the room, at Penguin’s feet, dropkicked Penguin in the chest, and tossed a few ‘birdarangs’ at the chains, freeing the Batman. They fought the regular goons until Black Canary got into the mix. After a few of her sonic screams, Robin showed her something. In the young vigilante’s hands was a remote switch that threatened to kill Canary if she ever disobeyed Penguin. Tracey took it and smashed it in her grip, kicked the cowering crime boss in his stomach, and left. The police finally arrived to arrest the Penguin, and this time it will stick. On the adjacent rooftops, Robin asked Batman how she did. He responded by pulling her hood her eyes and spun her around like she is about to go after a pinata.
”I’d teach you how to fight blind and dizzy, but I assume your father is grounding you for this. Other than that, good job.”
Notes:
* Falcon Island is a reference to the Telltale Batman series, where the Penguin planned to buy an island and name it after the late Carmine Falcone.
* The bat monster robot is a reference to Manbat.
* Tracey Buxton, the Absolute Black Canary, will return as a hero.
* Batman knows his friend and assistant Alfred Pennyworth is the Outsider, an alias he’s using in an investigation regarding president-elect Simon Stagg.
* Robin’s hood being pulled over her eyes is a reference to All-Star Batman and Robin.
