Chapter 24 Hero

"Nothing's happening," Joker muttered. "Why isn't anything happening?"

"Because I loosened the wiring," Robin sneered. There was a sound of someone hitting something and then silence. Everyone sat holding their breaths waiting for something to happen. Waiting for Robin to beat up Joker.

After a minute, the PA system came back on. "Get home to your families," Robin said muttered. The system clicked off.

A sigh of relief ran throughout the tent before a cheer erupted. Tears of joy ran out of everyone's eyes. They were safe. Lindsey fell to the ground. Her knees buckled underneath her as she cried.

He did it, he saved everyone. He was coming back to Lindsey.

Lindsey looked up as arms wrapped around her, Ryeanne was cheering loudly, shaking Lindsey. Her friends were all celebrating, Blaine taking the mask off Donte, the little boy, wriggling around in her arms. Abigail was starting to breath normally again. Logan and Juliet were passionately kissing each other.

The PA system came alive once again among their celebration, "This is the GCPD. We're going to ask that everyone stay where they are. We'll have officers escort you all back to your vehicles. Thank you for your patience."

"Lindsey, if we can't find Damian, one of us can take you home," Giovanni said, kneeling next to me.

"Thanks," Lindsey said, wiping her eyes. "But I kind of need Damian, right now."

"I can understand that you want him near, to feel safe. But he's supposed to stay where he is," Giovanni said. "He'll probably meet you at his bike. Or you could text him and let him know we're giving you a ride."

"I need to see Damian," Lindsey said. "He needs to know I'm safe."

"It's okay to text him," Ryeanne said. "That way he know you're alright until he can see you."

Lindsey nodded and went to pull her phone out of her bag. In doing so, she saw the Robin plush. She pulled it out and looked at it. All that went through her mind was she was so glad for Damian. Her hero.

After sending a quick text to Damian, everyone waited for the police to come to the tent to escort them away.

It was about an hour before an officer entered the tent. After seeing the large group of people, he called for more officers to help escort the group of nearly one hundred people back, minus the circus folk, they would be given a detail to protect them since they were staying right behind the tent.

The group began walking back, Lindsey and her friends being towards the back. Lindsey saw what the panic caused.

All around the grounds, booths were knocked over, food was all over the ground, gates were knocked over. Everything was in disarray. No one was speaking, it was dead silent. The only sound was the footsteps of groups making their way back.

"It doesn't even feel like the same place," Kelsey whispered.

"I know what you mean," Noah muttered. "Just a few hours ago we were having such a good time."

"This is the power evil people have," Ryeanne said.

"Lindsey!" Damian's voice shouted through the silence. Lindsey whirled around to the sound of her boyfriend's voice. Another police officer was escorting him and a small group of people down the pathway.

He separated from the group and ran up to her. He picked her up by the waist, holding her tight to him. Lindsey squealed, wrapping her legs around his waist. Damian placed a kiss to her cheek.

"You did it," Lindsey whispered in his ear. "For a second I thought that you didn't. But you do it."

"I have someone to come back to," Damian whispered back.

"Hate to break up the reunion, but we need to continue out," an officer said.

Lindsey went to remove her legs from Damian, but he gripped her thighs. He kept her legs around his waist, holding her onto his body. He began to walk, meeting up with the group from the circus tent.

"Damian, let me down," Lindsey said as they reached their friends.

"Just a few minutes," Damian said. "I want to hold you."

"This is so sickly sweet," Ryeanne said. "Can you two not be cute for a minute?"

"We both thought we were going to die," Damian snapped. "Let us be."

"How are you so strong?" Noah asked, staring at Damian's biceps.

"Yeah, how can you carry Lindsey so easily?" Kelsey asked.

"She's really light," Damian shrugged. "And I bench press her body weight on a daily basis."

"No need to show off," Logan muttered, gripping Juliet's hand.

"What happened between you two?" Damian asked.

"Juliet kissed Logan," Blaine spoke up. "They're dating now."

"It's obvious," Damian said. "I was wondering when you would kiss him, because he sure as hell wasn't going to."

The group of friends laughed at Logan's reaction. Damian on the other hand looked completely serious. Lindsey couldn't help but giggle into Damian's neck.

"Wait a minute," Logan started. "What do you mean?"

"You're an extrovert, but not with your feelings. You keep all your feelings bottled up. You would never tell Juliet how you feel about her if she didn't first," Damian said.

"He's right on the nose," Juliet said. "Ever since we met, you've been like that."

Logan looked at Juliet with his mouth hanging open.

They reached the parking lot by now. Officers were all around, guiding civilians to leave the grounds. Blaine was taking Donte to where the police had an area set up for missing family members, or friends to wait for their loved ones.

The rest group of friends found their cars - and motorcycle - parked next to each other where they left them. Damian put Lindsey down on the bike.

"This has to be the most eventful last day of school, ever," Noah said, leaning onto Giovanni's car.

"I think we're going to remember this for a long time," Kelsey said.

"I'm going to need therapy," Abigail muttered. "And a lot of sleeping pills."

"So what did you end up doing out there, Damian?" Giovanni asked. "Where did you end up?"

Lindsey looked up at Damian. He had his usual blank face one, but Lindsey could tell by looking in his eyes that he was thinking of an excuse.

"I went back the way we came looking for anyone who might need help," Damian said, coolly. "There was a family with children. The children were to scared to run and the parents had their hands full with some of their other kids. So I grabbed the children and hid with them."

"I didn't know you were good with children," Juliet said, tilting her head.

"I'm not," Damian said. "They punched and kicked me as I picked them up and held them. Got a few bruises as well-"

"Is there were the bruise on you jaw came from?" Kelsey asked.

"Yeah," Damian muttered. "We found an abandoned ticket stand. Closed all the windows and doors, and hoped Batman and Robin would win."

"Guys, look," Logan whispered, pointing down the hill, away from the road.

A police van sat at the bottom of the hill. Officers wearing riot gear were lining the way for a line of men wearing clown costumes to be lead inside the van.

Lindsey watched as they shut the door and the van drove off only to have another van with Arkham Asylum written on the side.

That's when the laughs reached their ears. Horrible, manic, spine-twisting laughs could be heard from up the hill. Abigail covered her ears and buried her face in Giovanni's chest. The group cringed away from the edge of the hill. Lindsey reached for Damian's hand, gripping it tightly in her own.

Damian stared down at the maniac with loathing and hatred searing from his eyes. His mind ran back to when he -as Robin- beat him.

~

"Nothing's happening," Joker muttered as he flicked the switch back and forth. "Why isn't anything happening?"

"Because I loosened the wiring," Robin sneered as he stepped threw the hole in the wall he was thrown through. He ran up to Joker, punching him in the face. Joker fell to the floor. It didn't knock him out like Robin hoped. Instead Joker only laughed.

"Do it again," he laughed in Robin's face. So Robin did, going to kneel on the floor. He hit him harder than the first.

Joker's nose cracked and bent awkwardly. Blood spurted out, dripping down his face into his mouth. This only caused more laughs to erupt from his mouth.

"Again, pipsqueak!" Joker laughed. "Again!"

Robin jerked his arm back to let out a series of blows to the maniac's face. Robin wanted to kill him. Maybe if he punched him enough times, or hard enough, he would die. This clown's rain of terror over this city for so long could come to an end. But something stopped him.

Lindsey's face flashed in his mind. Her wide, dark, eyes that gazed at him in innocence. Her beautiful dark blonde hair that was so soft in his fingers. Her beautiful smile, that made his heart want to burst. The cute freckles dusted across her cheeks, he wanted to kiss every single one. Her delicate, soft hands that always held him. Lindsey. His Lindsey.

He stood up, going over to the microphone. He clicked it on saying, "Get home to your families." Like he was going to return to his home, to Lindsey. He turned to leave the room, before his father stopped him.

"Robin," Batman said.

"You can finish this up, right?" Robin asked. "I have somewhere to be."

"It's her isn't it?" Batman asked.

Robin said nothing as he left the room, Joker's laugh following him.

~

Damian stared down at the Joker, being lead to the Arkham Asylum van in a straight jacket.

"How are you not scared, Damian?" Ryeanne asked. "Just hearing his laugh makes me terrified. Let alone seeing him."

"The police have him in custody," Damian said. "He can't hurt us. Besides Batman's watching."

He pointed to a ticket booth a few cars away. Batman stood, staring down the hill. It was dark where they were, most of the lights having been shut off. The only lights were near the entrance and where the police were set up. They hadn't even noticed the Dark Knight.

The group gasped. There was a slight movement in Batman's head in their direction. But just as he did, Joker was shut into the back of the Arkham van. Batman heard the doors slammed closed and jumped off the ticket booth before swinging into complete darkness.

"I've never seen him that close before," Noah said after Batman had gone. Lindsey looked up at Damian with a knowing look. If only they knew who was under the mask. Damian didn't look at Lindsey. He continued looking at the friends going crazy over seeing Batman.

"I can't believe he was just standing there," Abigail muttered, staring at the ticket booth.

"What are you guys talking about?" Blaine asked walking up to them.

"Batman was on that ticket booth," Juliet exclaimed, pointing to the booth. "We saw him with our own eyes."

"Why was he standing there?" Blaine asked.

Ryeanne pulled her to the edge of the hill to see the police and the Arkham van disappearing onto the road.

"That's cool," Blaine said. "You guys saw all of that?"

"Yeah, but did Donte find his mom?" Lindsey asked, wanting to change the subject from Batman to something different.

"He did," Blaine said. "His mom was crying so hard. And Donte wants to play action figures soon. So I gave his mom my number. He's a sweet little boy."

"That's so cute!" Kelsey squealed.

"My parents just texted saying they want me home," Giovanni muttered. "They saw the news."

"Our parents must be worried sick!" Abigail exclaimed pulling out her phone.

"Noah, Ryeanne, Abigail. You all live closest to me, why don't I take you guys home?" Giovanni asked.

"I'll take Blaine, Kelsey, and Logan home then," Juliet said.

"Shot gun!" Blaine shouted.

"My girlfriend's driving, I get shotgun," Logan said, running to the passenger side of Juliet's car.

"No fair!" Blaine shouted as she ran.

"Damian, you're fine to take Lindsey home, right?" Juliet asked.

"The only time I won't is when we're fighting," Damian said.

"Let's meet up soon!" Ryeanne shouted as she got in Giovanni's car. "Next time, no clowns."

"I agree," Noah said.

"Bye, everyone," Lindsey shouted as Damian got on the bike.

Lindsey swung her leg over. She put on her helmet and wrapped her arms around Damian as the motorcycle roared to life.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone to the circus," Damian shouted over the engine.

Lindsey laughed as Damian pulled out of his parking spot and sped down the road.

{}~{}~{}~{}~{}

Damian parked his bike in front of the Holling Mansion. Lindsey hopped off the bike, pulling the helmet off.

"Want to come inside for a second?" Lindsey asked.

"Yeah, I want to talk to you about tonight," Damian said.

"Don't you have to get back? Won't Bruce want-"

"Father probably isn't back yet," Damian cut Lindsey off. "Besides he knows I'm here. He would be able to find me if he really wanted back."

"Okay," Lindsey muttered. She walked up the steps before entering the mansion. Damian followed silently.

"Lindsey is that you?" Grandma Holling shouted from the sitting room.

"Grandma? You're still awake?" Lindsey asked, walking into the room. Her grandparents were sitting near the bookshelf wearing the pajamas.

"I'm here too," Grandpa Holling said. "We heard about the attack at the fair. You sent Grandma a text that you were going there."

"I don't reme-"

"I did," Damian said from behind Lindsey. "I sent it from your phone. I thought they should know where you were going."

"Ah, Damian. It's been a while sweetie," Grandma Holling said with a grin.

"Don't think you're going to be stay over here, young man," Grandpa Holling grumbled before taking a sip from his teacup.

"No, I just wanted to talk to Lindsey," Damian said. "A lot happened tonight, and I want to make sure she's okay."

The elders looked at each other before nodding to one another.

"I think it's about time that all four of us have a talk together," Grandpa Holling said. "Why don't you both sit down."

Lindsey shot her glance to Damian, who was staring at the Hollings with wide eyes.