12Well, it's been a while has it not?
This is another instalment of this series! I am welcome to more ideas if you wish to give me them. I would credit you for it. Well... read?
'Film de Noapte' means 'Movie Night' in Romanian.
Robin made his way into the main lounge of the cave and sat down next to the other team members. Movie Night – sometimes he failed to see the point of it. He'd much prefer to be in Gotham sometimes or in bed at others. But this time he almost had hopes.
Wally was picking the movie. This meant that it was probably something positively awful or something amazingly great – it was one or the other. No in-between.
Truth was, tonight he didn't mind as much, he was well rested and they had managed to catch the Joker – again – so he was almost relaxed.
That was until Wally walked in with that grin on his face.
"Oh God, what have you done?" Robin muttered, face in his hands.
"Don't be like that, Robbie!" Wally's grin grew wider. "You'll love the film!"
He stopped in front of them and spread out his arms. "Today, my friends, we will be watching an old movie night classic!" He paused, but failed in making it dramatic. "A werewolf movie."
Robin's jaw dropped slightly.
He sunk into his chair as the red-head put the DVD in. There went his good mood.
Wally sat next to Robin as the movie started. Robin sent the older boy a glare, a glare that looked as if it belonged to a death omen.
'Damn, if looks could kill.'
"I hope you know I am going to kill you for this." Robin whispered. "I'm going to rip you apart, do you understand?"
"Don't be like that." Wally whispered back. "It's going to be amazing!"
"I am going to gut you and leave you in the forest for the normal wolves." He muttered. "You have any idea how much I hate you right now?"
"I think I get the picture."
Robin sunk lower into his chair. "I hate these movies."
"No! Y-You can't kill him!" The girl pled, fighting against the other two men that held her. "John! No, you can't!"
"Felicia, he's a monster – a creature that needs to be put down." He placed the gun into a case and snapped it shut.
"He was your best friend, John; for goodness sake, your best friend!"
"He's not my best friend anymore, Felicia. He's not human. No matter how many years I've known him, he is a freak, a thing that doesn't even deserve to live on this planet. He is a mindless killing machine and it is my duty to put him out of my misery."
John grabbed the case and turned around, walking towards the door and past the hysterical girl before he turned to her one last time.
"And you should thank me."'
When the movie reached around the halfway mark, M'gann was curled ageist Conner, Artemis was eating popcorn with a bored expression on her face, lying on the floor propped up on her elbows, but watched the screen with unwavering attention, Kaldur was confused about the whole idea of the 'werewolf' – though enjoying it, none the less – and Wally was listening to Robin.
"Dude, that's not even…" Robin muttered. "And you don't… did he just…" He was muttering curses under his breath at the film and pointing out everything that was wrong with it. "He just transformed on will then. He can't have done that – that's impossible. You need to practice for that skill. What on Earth is he trying to do? That's not how the moon works. You don't act like that in May!"
"Will you shut up and enjoy the movie?" Wally quietly asked.
"No. This is stupid… and unrealistic… and dumb."
Wally rolled his eyes. Robin scowled.
"I am going to kill you." Robin whispered in a monotone. "As in brutally murder; if I can't get away with it, then I'll lock you in one of the cells in the Batcave and conveniently forget to feed you."
"You do not have cells in the Batcave."
"You'd be surprised. We almost have a dungeon in there."
Wally gulped.
The first time they saw the werewolf transform, Robin was clenching his fists.
"It's so scary, isn't it?" M'gann asked. "The idea that a human could be a monster and not even know it, or mean to do what they did?"
Robin winced slightly.
'A monster.'
"I don't know." Artemis answered, head not even turning to face her. "I mean, is it really a monster if it has no control? Or is it just misguided? Or… or broken."
"That is an interesting thought." Kaldur commented.
"Anyway," Artemis used this word to signal the end of the conversation. "We've seen weirder."
Wally tossed a look at Robin who actually looked sort of surprised at the girls comment.
'Misguided or broken.'
'But not a monster.'
Robin always hated how in Werewolf movies they ended in a few different ways. Sometimes they would end with the wolf just disappearing or with them finding out about their secret and fleeing in shame.
But with most it ended with the werewolf dying.
Sometimes they took a silver bullet to the heart trying to protect somebody but most of the time the 'main characters' or the 'hunters' would murder it. Kill it.
Robin wouldn't even deny that when that part came he sunk into the couch a little bit.
It was always sort of corny how the love interest for the werewolf would always seem to lean above them and cry nonsense.
"It's going to be okay."
"We'll get you help."
And the hunters would all look really sad and 'realize' that they were wrong; or feel disgusted with themselves.
Then, as the wolf slowly and dramatically shifted back to human form, it would rise up their hand and touch the love interests cheek and mutter something along the lines of: "I love you."
And then quietly die.
Unfortunately, that's how this movie ended.
"Thomas!" Felicia ran up to the wolf that had fallen to the ground. "No, no! Thomas! You can't! Come on, just hold on!" The girl watched as hair started to fall out in clumps as his body turned back to normal. "Tom!" She shook him as sobs racked her frame, putting his head onto her lap.
Searching for the bullet wound, she started to push on it to stop the bleeding, instead only causing the man to howl out in pain and flinch away from her touch.
"F-Felicia?" Thomas asked softly, opening his eyes to look at the blonde that hovered above him.
"Just hold on, Tom!" She turned to look around her, only finding the hunters that stood meters away, partly in shock. "Everything will be okay! You'll be fine, just hold on!"
"F-Felicia…" He whispered, opening his eyes even wider as a small smile spread across his face. "Y-You're h-here…"
"Yeah, I'm here – come on. Stay awake! Don't you dare die on me!" She started to cry even harder, one hand cupping his face.
"I…" A shaking hand reached up to touch the girl's cheek, a watery and weak smile adorning his face. "I l-love y-y-you, F-F…" His arm went limp and fell down to his side, his jaw went slack and his ever shining green eyes lost that spark.
Felicia wailed.
M'gann started sobbing into Conner's chest who looked slightly less stoic than normal, a frown dipping on his face. Artemis simply popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth and shifted her weight onto one of her elbows. Kaldur looked slightly sad but his face stayed quite neutral. Wally, who had seen this film a million times, looked unfazed by the slightly bad acting and Robin's hand silently and subconsciously glided to the left side of chest and gently clawed at the area above his heart before he forced it back down.
When the credits started playing after the last ten minutes of the film – which was a funeral, Felicia forgiving John and dramatic voice overs and music – Robin silently got up and left, not caring about the stares that followed him. The movie was over; he had no reason to stay here anymore. All he wanted to do was go home and sit in his room for the rest of the night and eat some of Alfred's cookies and talk with Bruce or something.
And plan his revenge for Wally.
He barely noticed the 'Recognized: Robin B-01' wash over his ears.
When he walked into the Batcave, he just sort of gave up. He didn't notice as he fell to his knees, nor when a surprised yell echoed around the cave and the ever faithful butler rushed to him, calling out for his adopted father. He looked up as the man that had taken him in gently picked him up and carried him out of the cave.
Bruce knocked on Dick's bedroom door and waited until the boy mumbled a "Come in."
Opening the door, the billionaire walked into the boy's room and noticed said boy laying on the bed with his hands folded behind his head.
"You okay?" He simply asked, sitting down beside him.
"Don't know."
Bruce sighed. "What happened?"
"… Wally was being an idiot."
"Isn't he always?"
Dick smiled slightly. "Yeah; I guess."
"What did he do?"
"… He picked a Werewolf movie for movie night." He muttered. "I know, stupid right? Getting this worked up about such a stupid thing like that?" He laughed hollowly. "I-It's stupid…"
Bruce frowned. "It isn't stupid."
"A-And they m-made the hunters out to be the heroes and… and…" He just sort of cut himself off and hung his head. "And t-they sh-sh-shot..."
Bruce's frown grew slightly deeper as he pulled the boy up and hugged him. "Dick," He started, slightly unsure of what to say. "Dick, you might be different but that doesn't mean you're bad or evil – you're one of the most happy, kind and amazing people I've ever met. Never doubt that. Some people might call you a monster for being what you are, but really, are you? You're doing no harm to anybody and you always make sure you are safe. Who's the real monster here? You, or the people shouting abuse?"
Richard smiled, face in the crook of Bruce's neck. "T-Thanks, dad."
Bruce's heart skipped. He'd never get used to that word. Ever. Ever.
"I have an idea." Bruce whispered, pushing back as to see the boy's face. "Why don't we go downstairs and have some of Alfred's cookies, hot chocolate and watch a movie. Something sickly sweet and cheesy."
Dick nodded and slowly got up, walking towards the door as the older man followed.
"Hey, Bruce?" Dick asked as they made their way down the hall.
"Yes?"
"Could I bring Wally to the Batcave? I think he'd really like the dungeons."
Well! That is that, I guess!
I don't really know if all the characters are in character... maybe I made Kaldur a little too stoic... not sure...
**Warning: Rant ahead. Nothing to do with story. Skip if you would like to**
Alright, by now people must know that I am a major Chalant follower. I'm pretty damn sure it's my OTP. But there are some things I've got to say.
Barbara is not a bitch. For goodness sakes, guys! Stop writing her like one! Sure, I think there was some at least minor one-sided Dibs floating around Barbara's head, but just because Chalant happened doesn't mean she wants to murder Zatanna. She might be vaguely jealous at first but after a while I think she and Zatanna might actually become friends. Barbara Gordon is not a bitchy character; get that through your heads.
That same comment, reversed, applies to Dibs followers as well. Zatanna is also not a jealous bitch – get over your damn differences.
So, followers of both Chalant and Dibs, understand this: While I am majorly on the Chalant side of this argument, I love Babs as a character. She's smart, reasonably funny and, well, a Bat.
Zatanna is the same (Apart from the Bat comment, then again, she is a magician). Get over it.
Thank you for reading my rant.
I am aware not everybody thinks like this, but I needed to get it out. I'm just sort of sick of seeing things like that in stories.
*Breathes*
Alright,
Review and/or PM me,
- Cat =^.^=