I may have gone overboard with this..

This is in response to the "WHUMP go the mentors" challenge by Jimmy Candlestick over at the YJ forum. I partially blame this on the song "I Need A Doctor" by Eminem and Dr. Dre, since that beeping of the heart monitor is what got me started.

Rated K+ for mentions of some blood, "off-screen" death and Victor Zsasz.

"Robin, we need to hurry. Zsasz disappeared into the woods just west of Arkham. He took a staff physician with him."

The duo jumped from the rooftop of the Arkham medical facility and hurried toward the Batwing. Victor Zsasz had been treated there for some minor bruises and abrasions after he picked a fight with another inmate. What the Arkham Asylum staff thought was just another fight between inmates was actually a plan carefully orchestrated by Zsasz to escape and continue his murderous spree through Gotham. Sadly, they had figured that out only after Zsasz slit the throat of a rookie doctor who had been on staff for a week. Before he disappeared, he carved another tally mark into his already ridiculously scarred skin to mark the occasion.

No one had any idea where he'd been hiding the scalpel he'd used to murder the doctor. No one wanted to know, either.

"Do we have any way of knowing exactly where he's going? Did anyone hear him say anything before he disappeared?" Robin scanned the treetops below, frowning at the lack of visibility. Zsasz picked the perfect evening to escape; Mother Nature decided she had one last surprise up her sleeve and dropped six inches of heavy, wet snow, blanketing Gotham City entirely and reducing visibility to fifty feet at best.

It was April.

"Gordon found a stack of notes in his cell a short time after the police arrived. No one has been able to decipher any of it yet," Batman replied. "He's got his best people working on it, but by the time they finish that doctor will likely be dead." He flicked a switch on the dash, turning on the infrared scanner. Robin smiled grimly.

"We're lucky it's been snowing. It should be easier to track him that way."

Batman nodded.

"Easier to track him, perhaps. But not any easier to catch him. You know Zsasz and what he's capable of."

Robin absently traced the scar along the inside of his left arm. It ran nearly from armpit to elbow. Eight months ago they had been tracking Zsasz along the Sprang River; by the time Robin caught up with him, he had killed five people.

Zsasz had the nicks in the flesh of his neck to prove it.

Batman had been circling around to the north to try to cut Zsasz off from any sort of escape route. Robin was the only obstacle between him and his freedom.

Without any warning Zsasz had charged at Robin with a six-inch blade in his right hand. Robin evaded the charge, or so he thought. As Robin vaulted up and over him, Zsasz deftly slashed at Robin's arm, cutting him deeply. The wound was so deep it nearly severed Robin's axillary artery. Had Alfred not located such a dedicated surgeon, Robin would have lost the use of his left arm permanently. As it were, he needed several months of rehab to strengthen the muscles in that arm before Batman let him out on patrol again.

"How would he even get off the island?" Robin shook his head and turned to Batman, who shrugged one shoulder.

"How does everyone else get off the island? By road or by boat."

"But the roads are all closed off. He won't be able to escape that way."

"Then that only leaves one other option," Batman replied. He pointed at the infrared scanner's screen. Someone was sitting in a tiny boat in the harbor about half a mile

from the shores of Arkham Island. Robin smiled.

"Now who would be out fishing this time of night in weather like this?"

"My thoughts exactly," Batman answered. "We need to stop that boat before it gets to shore." He glanced at Robin for a moment, watching him look out the window. Although his gut was telling him something was wrong tonight, he pushed the thought aside. "How do you feel about taking the lead on this one? There's a harness about your size in the back." Robin's expression morphed from serious to ecstatic in less than a second. Batman raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

"Are you serious? You're going to let me do it this time?" Robin quickly unbuckled his seat belt and crawled into the back of the Batwing. A small red harness sat atop a coil of one-sixteenth-inch wide steel cable. Several other necessary accessories were neatly arranged next to it.

"Take a moment and hook everything up. By the time you finish we should be in position." Batman turned back to the dash, flicking several switches and turning the aircraft around.

Robin quickly stepped into the harness, carefully tightening the straps and buckles. He attached one end of the cable to the clip on his chest and the other to the large spool of cable mounted to the side of the Batwing. He checked each connection one more time.

"Are you ready?"

"Just waiting for your signal." Robin had one hand on his hip and his other hand wrapped around the clip on his chest. He locked eyes with Batman and nodded once. Batman nodded in return, opening the hold. Robin dropped into the opening and disappeared.

Batman frowned, unable to shake the feeling something was very wrong. With the howling wind and snow, he lost sight of Robin as soon as he jumped from the Batwing. The camera mounted on the underside of the aircraft was useless tonight. He touched a finger to his ear, activating the communicator.

"Robin, you alright?"

"Ten-four," Robin said quietly. Batman could hear the rush of the wind.

Outside, Robin continued his descent, carefully lowering himself toward the boat forty feet below him. The boat's occupant had no idea who was above him. He had an old walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Victor, you copy?" The man asked, his voice barely reaching Robin's ears.

"Yes, you idiot. I'm here when I said I would be. Where the hell are you?"

Robin tensed at Zsasz's reply. This guy had no idea that the minute Zsasz got into the boat, his role was finished. Since he was no longer necessary, he would likely become fish food. Robin lowered himself until he was ten feet above the boat. He gripped the cable with his right hand then released the catch with his left so he could drop down. A gust of wind sent the cable swinging wildly, and he had to grip it with both hands so he wouldn't plunge into the river below. As soon as it stabilized and he was once again hanging directly over the boat, he let go.

Robin dropped onto the man's shoulders, catching him completely by surprise. He wrapped one arm around his throat, the other arm pulling it back just hard enough to render him unconscious. Robin felt him tense as he tried to fight, but a minute later his arms went slack, and he collapsed onto the bottom of the boat with a thud. Robin tied an anchor to the cleat on the side of the boat and silently lowered it into the water. He secured the man's hands behind his back with flex cuffs.

"Robin to Batman. The captain of this cruise ship has been subdued. All clear."

"Well done. Look up. The cable should be within reach."

Robin looked up to see the cable drop. He fastened it to his harness once again and gave it a tug.

"Alright, pull me up. It's freezing down here!"

"I told you to wear the insulated suit tonight," Batman deadpanned. Robin smiled as the cable brought him closer to the Batwing.

"Yeah, yeah. At least I brought it along."

Batman reached out a hand and pulled Robin back through the hatch. Robin pushed the button on the wall behind him, closing it.

"I tagged the boat with a tracking beacon so Gordon and his boys can find him before he freezes," Robin said, taking off the harness. He shook his head quickly, snow flying from his dark hair. "It's really coming down now."

Batman glanced at him and handed him a towel to dry the snow from his head and shoulders.

"I think now would be a good time to get into your other suit." He turned and climbed back into his seat in the cockpit.

Robin opened a small locker and pulled out the winter version of his suit. It had long black sleeves and was made of an ultra-light high-tech material recently developed by Wayne Tech. The slightly thicker material also made the Kevlar inserts much more comfortable. He finished changing and grabbed his boots, heading back up to the passenger seat.

"What now?" He shivered as his body temperature warmed to the temperature inside the cabin. Batman noticed and adjusted the heater.

"See for yourself." He pointed to the infrared screen. There was a lone figure standing on the beach. "That's Zsasz."

Robin started at the image, cocking an eyebrow.

"How can you be so certain?" The image on the screen was simply a red blur, though a very skinny red blur.

"You heard Zsasz talking to our unconscious friend below. He's waiting for his ride." He glanced over at Robin who was now smiling.

"Then let's give the man what he wants."

Victor Zsasz hated waiting.

He had taken so much time planning, only for the one person he needed to fail him.

Heads will roll for this.

Well, at least one head will roll. And he'll have one more mark to carve into himself somewhere. He grinned, one eye twitching.

I'm running out of places to keep score.

He anxiously paced up and down the beach, glancing out into the water every few seconds. This guy was keeping him from his mission: kill as many people as he can. Free them from their miserable "lives". Zsasz stopped pacing when he heard the telltale signs of an outboard motor churning toward him. He scrubbed a hand through his filthy blonde hair, the other flicking a switchblade in and out.

"It's about damn time you showed up," he said, raising his voice to be heard above the wind. The boat glided toward him, but it wasn't until it ran aground that he could see there was no one in it. His captain was gone. Peering into the boat he saw his captain wasn't gone, but unconscious and therefore useless. He frowned when he noticed a message burned into the wooden seat near the motor.

Look behind you

Zsasz quickly spun, switchblade ready in his hand. A large shadow emerged from the tree line flanked by a second smaller shadow.

"You're not getting off this island, Victor. You've killed one person tonight. We won't let you kill any more."

The shadows were close enough to be identified now. Zsasz rolled his eyes and cocked his head, sighing when he recognized Batman. Robin was just a couple of steps behind him holding a pair of glossy black sticks.

"I have a mission and I plan on sticking to it," Zsasz replied. "These... voices won't leave me alone until I kill them all." He clapped his hands together, still holding the switchblade. "I'll have to find a special place to mark each of your deaths." He smiled a lopsided grin, one eye still twitching. "This should be fun."

Robin glanced at the knife in his hands. The blade was coated with blood.

"Hey, Zsasz. Where's the doc?"

Zsasz looked at Robin then at the knife. A sick grin crept across his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He wiped the blade on his pants, the blood leaving a dark stain on the pale green material.

"I'm not really in the mood for this," Robin fired back. "It's cold, it's late and I have a test tomorrow. Cut the crap. Where is she?" He spun the escrima stick in his right hand. Zsasz watched it for a moment.

"I only needed her thumbs to get out of Arkham, past the biometric locks." He reached into his pocket and produced both the doctor's thumbs. The fingernails were painted a bright pink. "She'll never be a surgeon again, that's for sure." Zsasz tossed the digits into the snow. "Man, did she scream."

Robin stepped forward.

"One. More. Time. Where's the doctor?"

Zsasz sighed and held up his right arm. Robin noticed the small wound near the inside of his elbow.

"I added her to my collection," Zsasz laughed, poking the palm of his hand with the tip of the knife. "Right after I cut off her thumbs, she screamed so loudly I had to shut her up."

Batman gently pushed a seething Robin aside.

"Zsasz, I'm warning you. Drop the knife." Batman's voice carried easily through the wind.

"Afraid not, Bats. I have work to do," he gestured to the Gotham skyline behind him. "They're all waiting for me."

"The only thing waiting for you is a padded cell in the deepest, darkest part of Arkham," Robin muttered. Batman drew a batarang from his belt, the razor-sharp metal glinting in the moonlight.

Zsasz cackled and slid a second switchblade from his pocket, the blade barely making a sound as it flipped open. With a flick of his wrist he sent the knife flying through the air directly at Robin. Robin leaned to his left, one of his escrima sticks deflecting the blade easily. It landed noiselessly in the snow behind him. Robin threw himself at Zsasz, one escrima stick striking Zsasz's forearm as he blocked Robin's assault. Every swing Robin took Zsasz blocked, which was unusual. He hadn't been so quick the last time. He latched onto Robin's right wrist and wrenched it upward, forcing Robin to open his hand. He cried out in surprise, the escrima stick dropping into the snow. With Robin now off-balance, he used his other hand and landed a fist against Robin's right ear.

Robin countered both moves, avoiding a serious injury, and pulled backward to free his arm, but not before Zsasz lunged and slid the blade across his forearm. It cut through the fabric easily, marking Robin's arm with a three-inch long gash. He landed in a crouch at Batman's feet and examined the wound. He felt Batman's hand on his shoulder, silently asking if he was alright. He shrugged the hand off his shoulder and ripped a small roll of gauze from his belt. Never taking his eyes off Zsasz, he wound it around his arm and knotted the end. Zsasz was laughing all the while.

"I had to add to your collection too, you know. Now you'll have one on each arm."

Robin had no time to react as Batman stalked toward Zsasz. He backed away from Batman and took a defensive stance before swinging the knife at Batman's throat. Batman leaned backward and caught his arm, smoothly bringing his elbow down on it. Zsasz shouted and dropped the knife, the blade disappearing into the snow.

"That was my favorite knife," he whined. "Now what am I going to do?" He swept one of his long legs out, knocking Batman off his feet. Wasting no time, Zsasz pounced onto Batman, pummeling his head and chest with his fists. Batman easily shielded himself from the blows, watching Robin approach from the corner of his eye.

Robin managed to find the escrima stick he dropped minutes earlier. He took his place behind Zsasz and raised them in front of him.

"I'm a bit disappointed in you, man. Only having two blades? That's not like you."

Zsasz immediately stopped his assault on Batman, turning around to face Robin. He swung the sticks down, striking Zsasz in the arm and chest. Zsasz stumbled a bit as Robin connected with the side of his head.

"You should know me better than that, my young friend." Zsasz smiled, blood oozing from the gash in his lip. "My planning could rival a Boy Scout." Robin watched in surprise as he drew two blades from hidden sheaths against his outer thighs. "I owe one of the guards big time for this favor." The knives were easily five inches in length, not counting the length of the handle.

He lunged forward, jabbing one of the knives at Robin. The attempt was dodged, barely, as Robin dove to his left and rolled through the snow. Robin crouched and waited for Zsasz to advance. He watched as Batman approach Zsasz from behind to try and subdue him.

"You're quick, I'll give you that. And you're smart," Zsasz said. He ran the blades together, flicking one of them against the other. Several sparks jumped from the blades and vanished into the snow. Robin backed up several more feet as Zsasz stepped closer. "But you know who's smarter? Me."

Zsasz spun quickly to meet Batman face to face. As Batman jumped forward to try and tackle him, Zsasz drove his right hand directly into his lower abdomen, his left hand slashing at Batman's right thigh.

"NO!" Robin cried, rushing forward. Zsasz held up both blades, keeping Robin at bay. They both watched Batman fall to the ground, instinctively covering the abdominal wound with one hand and clutching at his thigh with the other. He looked up at Robin.

"Robin, stay back. I'm fine." He moved to get up and his right hand slipped. Robin recoiled in horror at the spurt of blood coming from the leg wound.

"Oh, did I nick an artery? These things are so sharp, I should really be more careful," Zsasz cried gleefully. Looking at Robin, he held up both blades again. They were coated in crimson. "While you try, and likely fail to save him, I'll be making my way across the harbor." He stepped back and lowered the knives, wiping them on his pants again. "I'll be watching the papers so I know when to add your mark to my flesh, Batman."

Zsasz backed up several steps before turning and running down to the boat. He climbed in, started the motor and took off. Robin turned back to Batman, kneeling next to him.

"I think you'd better call the Batwing. I need to get you out of here before you bleed to death from a leg wound," Robin rambled nervously. He tugged a length of nylon rope from his belt and began tying it around Batman's leg as a tourniquet. He tried to ignore the blossoming spot of red in the snow and pressed his small hands against the wound.

"Robin," Batman said quietly, "I already called the Batwing. But if it doesn't get here fast enough, I might not be able to board on my own."

Dick looked at Bruce's face, shocked at the admission of weakness. His stomach churned at the thought of being out here alone, not being able to get Bruce to a hospital.

"You'll be fine, it's just a leg wound. I know he nicked an artery, but with you being out here in the cold and the tourniquet, that should help until it gets here." Dick glanced out over the water, refusing to look down and acknowledge how serious the situation really was.

"Robin, look at me."

Dick bit his lip and looked down to make sure he was applying enough pressure.

"Dick."

He flinched at the use of his name and looked up at Bruce, noticing how pale his cheeks were now that he had removed his cowl.

"It isn't just a leg wound."