A/N: For this little series of One-Shots, it's slightly AU-ish because of how I have Commissioner Gordon's life running. I am very familiar with his life's story, but in order to make these one-shots work, it's a little miss-matched. Nothing noticeable unless you're A) obsessed with Gordon like I am or B) Squint really, really hard, and do some research. It's nothing to worry about, just letting you guys know because I know somebody out there would have made a comment about it. Situations can vary between One-Shots, but it really doesn't matter.
Imagine the Young Justice TV series Robin, 13 years old. That's how I see him here and that's how I set his personality in this story. The team themselves will be in some of the one-shots.
Also… I do not own Young Justice. All DC Universe references rightfully belong to my Bros, AKA: The Warner Brothers, and whomever else helps them make the comics, shows, etc.
Now, on with the story!
One-Shot #1 Title: Independence Day
The fourth of July is a none-to-happy date for the dynamic duo. Believe it or not, but most people in Gotham tend to ignore firework restrictions, particularly the bad guys. And Bane, you see, liked his explosives. Nicely enough, Joker though it would be too unoriginal to make a show on the fourth of July so there would be none of him tonight.
That was okay though, Bane was plenty enough to handle on top of the burning buildings. Just as another building came down, Robin spread his cape like wings and tumbled out, a young man and woman beneath the cover of his fire-proof cape. Hopefully, that had been everyone.
"T-Thank you!" The young man, about 23 years old, said through tears. Robin nodded politely and took off for another burning building. There had been, in fact, a total of three large-scale fires so far that night. Hopefully, with the un-Godly hour of three weaning, the fireworks would be put to rest soon.
Batman, like the glory hog he was (as far as Robin saw it) was out fighting like a real hero should. He sent Robin to the burning buildings while the Batman himself got to fight Bane. When the headlines came around tomorrow, who do you think will be on the front? Not the always-expected fires or our colorful bird.
'I don't really mind the fact that Bruce has a super ego and likes (though he won't admit it) to be on the front of newspapers. What I can't stand' Robin thought bitterly 'is the undeniable truth that Batman sent me to take care of the fires NOT because someone had to, NOT because of just his ego, but because he didn't want me fighting in the big leagues with him! I've fought Bane plenty of times! But, time after time, he always jumps at the chance to keep me out of the bigger fights.'
Robin glared at a smoldering building bellow. Not in surprised, but more like 'chalantly,' Robin stared at the burning orphanage below, The Orphanage of Gotham. 'Great…'
Robin's heart beat quickened as the building groaned and a section of the third floor collapsed. Fearing that there may still be children inside, and almost certain that there are, Robin glided down and into a third floor window.
The walls were ablaze, both dizzyingly bright and darkly dangerous at the same time. A scream echoed through the third floor, and so Robin turned on his heels and ran to the source of the outcry. In a room just besides the corner that collapsed in was a small boy, no older than five or six. He cowered in the corner, screaming every time the fire came to close or more roof fell to his feet.
'If he had been in the room right to the left of this one.' Robin shuddered inwardly, knowing that it would have been a certain death for the boy.
"Are there any others on this floor?" Robin asked as he lifted the boy and carried him to the safer hallway.
"I…" The younger boy paused to sniffle as Robin set him down and pulled him with a gentle hand. "I don't thinks so. The adults came and took the others down." Robin nodded his understanding, but still checked the rooms as they went by. The stairs appeared to be safe, so the two boys cautiously made their way down. Robin could hear sirens outside now, and by looking through a second-story window could see two police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck.
The child Robin had been gently leading down stairs began to cry heavily and seemed incapable of standing. He fell to his knees and sobbed great crocodile tears. "I-I…" The boy sobbed, "I…want…my…blankie!" The young brown-haired boy sobbed harder and was refusing to stand. Robin (secretly being an orphan himself) understood what the boy must feel. That blankie may be the only thing the small boy has left from a better life. A life before Gotham's cruel fate. However, this kid wasn't going to survive if Robin didn't do something fast, and going back for a blanket wasn't an option. The smoke of the second floor was gathering quickly, and Robin still didn't know if there were others inside the building. But, one task at a time, so…
"Hey kid," Robin said as he leant down with a warm smile on his face. The boy opened his teary eyes to look at the brightly colored hero. "Do you like fire trucks?" The boy stared at him for a moment before nodding somberly. "I don't have your blanket, but I'll let you hold this," Robin said as he set the corner of his cape in the boy's hand "and I'll take you to see a great big, red fire truck. Okay?" The small child nodded eagerly and clutched the black and bright yellow cloth in his hand. He stood shakily and followed Robin down more stairs.
The bottom floor was almost completely set ablaze, and the front door had completely caved in. Seeing no other choice, Robin wrapped himself and the boy in his protective cape and jumped through the first floor window, flames following them out as the fire met fresh oxygen. There were instantly medics there, and before any of them could get their hands on him, Robin dove back into the building the same way he left it.
Robin checked the second floor, finding no one present. While Robin was checking the last room on the second floor, a sudden rocking shook the building and the whole thing threatened to collapse. Smoke had filled the air and forced Robin to slip on his mask to help him breathe easier.
He soon found that going back down the stairs was impossible, so he instead found a hole in the floor that had been created by the last rocking of the building. He glanced around the first floor with careful attention.
There was a small kitchen in the corner to his right and, unlike the other floors, this floor had only the very large room with different sections. There were only two doors. The front door, which as previously mentioned was no longer existent, and another door that had a large fallen support beam holding it closed. This door didn't look like it went anywhere in particular, so Robin had to guess that it went to a basement. Gotham orphanages tended to have basements, in case of break-ins or maniac bombings. The normal Gotham works.
Robin couldn't risk using an explosive to move the large support beam of concrete that had lodged itself in front of the door because an explosion at this point could send the whole building down. Instead, he carefully positioned himself under it, hoping that it wouldn't decide to slip suddenly and fall on him, and pushed upwards. Flames licked at his neck and side as he tried to lift the concrete pillar. At first, it didn't seem like it was going to budge, but after a brute force of strength he applied, meaning all the strength his small body had, it did move. It wasn't like he lifted it, per say. More like he shifted it so that it could tumble away. Not before applying a great weight onto him, but he managed to let it roll aside.
He opened the door cautiously. There were no flames, only concrete stairs leading down to a basement, like Robin had expected. He cautiously made his way down, still feeling no heat, but instead nice cool air. Turning the corner, he could see now that the room had three occupants.
One a young woman, only about twenty or so. And the other two were children. One girl was coughing and breathing regularly from an inhaler, about twelve years old. The other, a young boy. By young, he meant of course only two years older than the Boy Wonder himself. A fifteen year old boy who also happened to be seated in a wheelchair.
'Okay…' Robin thought 'what now? Three people, two kids. One immobilized.'
Robin took off his mask and walked over to the little girl with the pigtails. "Hi there," he said with a big smile. "You want to get out of here?" She nodded. "Alright then. Take this, it'll help you breathe easy." He gently positioned the mask onto her face and tightened it so that it wouldn't fall off.
"Mr. Robin, don't you need it?" He shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, kay? You and Ms. Here are going to go out together, okay? There are people waiting outside to help you once you're out." She and the woman nodded. He took his cape off and draped it over the woman. "It's resistant to flames. Cover yourselves and go out the window to the left of the door." She nodded and he took them to the door that lead to the first floor.
"Thank you," the woman whispered before going off towards the window. She disappeared beyond the flames and Robin could only trust that she and the girl would make it.
"Alright, your turn." He turned to the boy in the wheelchair who, to Robin's dismay, was glaring at him.
"You should just leave me here," the teen said. He sounded… pissed off, really.
"Tsk, as if kid. Like I'm going to leave you here." Robin came over to him and lifted him out of the chair, holding him bridal style.
"Who are you calling a kid, birdy? I'm probably five years older than you!"
"Two!" Robin complained. "Like two years, max!" He said, sufficiently distracting the boy until they made it to the entrance of the flames.
"So, what now, hero?" He glared daggers at the younger teen. "You should just leave me here for God's sake! You're going to get yourself killed over me! I'm not worth it. Here in Gotham, cripples aren't exactly worth much. I've got to die some time." This kid was starting to sound legitimately depressing, and Robin wasn't liking it.
"Dude, you're SO killing the asterous moment here." The older gave him a strange look that Robin gladly ignored. Robin sighed. "If I thought like you, I'd be dead by now too, so just, like shut up and…" He didn't finish as the building shook again.
'Crap. Well, guess there's no time left to think anymore.' Not caring much about what would have to happen to him next, Robin ran out into the flames.
oXoXo Commissioner Gordon's POV oXoXo
The kid, Robin, dropped an orphan boy off with us and, just like his mentor would often do, dove right back into the burning building.
"Why aren't we getting people in there to help him?!" I demanded. A Fire Fighter took a moment to answer.
"Sorry Commissioner, but we haven't been given the clear. The building's too unstable. Any guys we send in would be at too great of a risk!" I could see why Batman and Robin worked out of the law. They didn't have restrictions. If I was told not to go in, I couldn't. So, here I have to stand while that poor kid was inside, saving any people he could find. Sure enough, five minutes later, two more came out.
An adult; blond woman. And a young girl with asthma. The girl wore what I recognized as a gas mask, most likely given to her by the Boy Wonder, and they were both draped in Robin's fireproof cape. But he didn't come out with them. Why?
"Please!" The woman begged. "Two boys are still in there!" The officers and paramedics were trying to calm her down. "Please, Robin and Mike are still in there!"
Moments later, the building began to shake again. Someone tumbled, or more like was thrown through the window. A kid rolled on the ground and tried to stand frantically, his legs not moving. He stared back at the building in panic.
Sure enough, I watched as the building's top floors came tumbling down. Flames still spilled from the rubble. The bottom floor only semi-collapsed and the walls all still stood, along with half of the roof. The floor of the first floor seemed to crumble as well, leaving walls with half a roof and a burning inferno, no longer a second or third floor distinguishable. I turned to the fire fighters.
"And what about now? Can't we get anyone in there to help him?!" The men looked at me sadly, clearly meaning no.
"I'm sorry. It's still too dangerous. As long as the walls and roof remain of the first floor and as long as the fire burns, anyone in there is in danger."
"And what about the kid who's in there?!" I sighed heavily. I guess, when it came down to it, no one could save him.
At least, not without breaking the rules. I had never been one to disobey orders, but this once I'll have to make a rather large exception. It was, after all, the least I could do for the kid.
I had a number programed in my phone. Specifically given to me by Batman in case I really needed to contact him. The number would only be good once, though I assume that Batman will just give me another number.
I made the call. As the phone was 'picked up' I only heard a grunt over the line, telling me that Batman was at least listening.
"I hope you appreciate this someday. You might want to come get your partner, if he's alive. Burning building on Second Street. Might want to hurry." I hung up the phone, feeling that nothing more was required. Then I made a run for the burning building.
Several people called my name as I went in through a hole in the left wall, but none of them came in after me, and none had been fast enough to keep me from entering.
Now all I had to do was find the thirteen year old boy amongst the flames. And, of course, hope that he's still alive.
oXoXo Third Person POV oXoXo
His lungs burned, hot fluid seeping its way through his mouth and boiling away in the heat of the flames below him. Somehow, and, almost luckily, he had found himself pinned against a wall about five feet above the basement floor. Beneath him was ruble and the remains of the basement roof/first floor through third.
Robin tried to take in a deep breath, but found it extremely difficult. The concrete that pinned him to the wall restricted his lungs and, therefore, breathing. Also, it seemed that he had been impaled by a piece of metal.
'Crap. Totally not feeling the Aster. What's Batman going to say?' Robin coughed, splattering blood into his cupped hand. 'I have to get unpinned from this wall.' He struggled to move the concrete slab that was once a roof, but now pinned him. In the state he was in, he couldn't make the section of building move even a centimeter, not to mention the fact that it was six times his size and several more times his weight.
The thick smoke was suffocating, Robin couldn't see five feet in any direction. 'Should I risk using an explosive? This building could theoretically do some more collapsing. But, now that there's no other persons in here…' That idea was cut as he saw what appeared to be Gordon searching through the burning remains of the building. 'Now how am I going to get him out?! What the heck man…'
The building shifted again and Robin found himself on the ground moments later, still pinned down by the same large slab of concrete. His head was badly bleeding, and his vision began to blur by lack of oxygen. He was struggling by now just to take in breaths and not pass out, the blood loss from his head injury and impalement making it extremely difficult to stay awake.
"Robin?" He looked up to see the Commissioner stumbling towards him, both persons coughing harshly, though Robin's were quieter and more strangled.
"What… the hell, are you doin'?" Robin slurred out between gasps, a hint of anger seeping into his voice.
Gordon rolled his eyes. "Don't act all tough now. I'm here to get you out." He positioned himself by the edge of the concrete slab and lifted.
'I think I know how that disabled kid felt, having someone come in after him. It sucks.' Robin thought as he made an effort to help move what was pinning him down. It shifted, just as the rest of the building came down.
Gordon tried covering Robin the best he could, but the ash that was stirred up did the most damage, suffocating both of them with every inhalation of breath they took. When Gordon stood, he was alarmed by the amount of blood left on his shirt.
'Am I bleeding?' Gordon wondered. It only took a moment though to take note of the jagged metal piercing Robin's side, and the fact that Robin was barely still conscious.
"Hang in there kid." All Gordon received as reply was a grunt.
"You shouldn't be here," Robin commented.
"Why not?" Gordon went along with the conversation, hoping to give the boy a distraction from the pain he must feel.
"Where are the others? The police, the fire fighters? You don't have permission to be here." Gordon sometimes forgot just how smart the kid was, and the fact that he was trained by the world's greatest detective. Gordon decided not to reply this time and to instead attempt at freeing the boy again.
It moved enough for Robin to crawl his way out from under it. The boy immediately tried to stand, and fell to the floor just as quickly. Gordon came by his side and supported him as they attempted to get clear of the surrounding fire and rubble. The flames had died down considerably with less being left to burn, and the smoke was dispersing.
Robin flinched as he took a step, so Gordon continued their conversation for the purpose of a distraction once again.
"Since when has permission ever mattered?"
"To you?" Robin wondered. "Always, as far as I know."
"Well, then I guess you don't know."
"You're going to get fired. You know that right?" The Commissioner sighed in frustration.
"You know, you would have died. You could just say thank you. You know that right?" Gordon asked, ending with the same question Robin had asked. Apparently they were in the business of stating the obvious now. Anything to keep the kid moving.
The Boy Wonder sighed in a type of defeat. "Thank you," he said. It was getting harder to think clearly, and he found himself unable to take another step. If the Commissioner hadn't been supporting him he would have fallen. "I guess… I might still die, huh?" He asked in a quiet, pained whisper.
"No kid, you'll be alright. I already called Batman." Robin groaned, clearly dreading what Batman's reaction would be. Gordon chuckled. "Our medics can look you over. Then we can get you to a hospital."
Robin shook his head, the ambulance coming into view and nothing standing in their path to safety any longer. "I'm not going to the hospital," Robin said factually. As he did, Batman jumped down from a nearby roof top and landed in front of the two. He snatched his partner up and carried him away bridal style.
Before leaving, Batman stopped for no longer than two seconds.
"Thank you," he said, not looking at Gordon, then he and his bleeding partner disappeared into the shadows.
Gordon stood still for a moment, a little shocked. 'He thanked me.'
The Commissioner scoffed. "He'd better, I saved his damn partner." Gordon returned to the line of police cars and answered his police radio.
"Damn it Gordon, what the hell did you think you were doing?" His angry supervisor yelled through the radio. One might think that the Commissioner of Police didn't have a higher-up, but while Gordon was at the top of the police department ranks, there would always be someone above him. Simply because in this city, a lot of corrupted people didn't like the way Jim Gordon did things, so they always made sure they had someone above him to keep him in check, and to get rid of him if he became too much of a threat.
Either way, Commissioner Gordon spent the next half hour hearing form his 'Higher Up' about how if he had died it would have cost them money, and the insurance, and on and on about things Gordon didn't care about hearing. In the end though, Gordon walked away alive and his job title intact. The next day, the front of the newspapers didn't, in fact, read "Batman Stops Bane," but instead read "Hero's Band Together."
Someone at the site of the fire must have taken some pictures, because on the front cover was a picture of Robin leaning on him as they exit the burning rubble of the fallen building. The article included interviews from the woman and children Robin saved, and of firefighters and police who were there. It even included a few quotes from Gordon's radio conversation with his supervisor which had obviously been eavesdropped in on.
Some reporter out there worked really hard on this piece and, in Gordon's mind at least, this was one of the best front covers of the Gotham Newspaper that has ever been. Out of all the papers he's read in the years he's lived in this damned city, this was one of Gordon's favorites, second only to the newspaper cover that announced Dick Grayson as Bruce Wayne's new ward.
Three days later, Robin was back on patrol, fighting criminals like nothing had happened.
That night as Gordon came to cuff a criminal and the Dynamic Duo went to leave, Robin stopped and called out to him with a wave: "See ya later Commissioner!" Then he disappeared along with his mentor.
'I guess I won his favor,' Gordon thought sarcastically as he gave a small wave to the shadows. He smiled. 'How did Batman get a kid like that?'
A/N: If any of you have any suggestions for One-Shots for this little One-Shot series, let me know. Your idea may become one of these stories. X) Requirement… It has to include both Richard/Robin and Gordon/The Commissioner. Robin can be any age. If you don't specify an age, then I'll just use the Robin as set in Young Justice (13 years old).
Hope you liked the story.
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