Kill Order

Batman and Red Hood stared in horror at the creature in front of them.

"What are we going to do?" Red Hood asked.

"You're going to take care of it," Batman replied.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because I said so."

"You're the Batman," Red Hood insisted. "You do something about it."

"I am Batman," his mentor agreed. "Which is why I give the orders. Kill it."

"Whoa!" Red Hood looked at the hero in shock. "I thought we didn't kill."

"We don't kill people. This... this thing does not deserve to live."

"Well, then, you should kill it."

"No. It has to be you."

"Coward!" Red Hood said angrily. "Having me do your dirty work. That's low, even for you."

The creature in question moved forward an inch and both men recoiled in fear. "Now, Jason. Before it's too late!"

"I don't suppose we could just retreat?" Red Hood asked, rubbing his thumb over the metal of his gun nervously. The target was small, and if he missed the bullet would ricochet all over.

"We don't retreat. Batman doesn't retreat." The hero sounded as if he were trying to convince himself.

"We could call for reinforcements," Red Hood suggested desperately.

Batman shook his head. "No one is in the area. It's up to us."

"You do it. You're supposed to be in charge, so be in charge."

"I'm delegating. I order you to take it out."

"I'm not going to!"

"Afraid?"

"Heck yeah, as afraid as you are. I see you shaking in your boots."

"Kill it!"

"You do it!"

"Kill it now!"

Dick sighed. He had been watching from the stairs for the last five minutes. At first it had been funny, but now it was just pathetic. He pushed past Batman and Red Hood, a drinking glass and a piece of paper in his hands.

"Careful, Dick. You don't know what that creature is capable of!" Batman warned. Dick ignored him and put the glass over the spider. Then he slid the paper underneath. He stood, carefully bringing his prisoner with him.

"I'm going to take it outside. You two are ridiculous. It was probably more scared of you than you were of it."

"Not likely," Red Hood muttered.

Dick shook his head and went back upstairs to return the spider to its natural habitat. The other two men heard him say, "Two grown men. All the criminals in Gotham terrified of them, and they're scared of a little spider. How did a spider get in the Cave in the first place?"

Red Hood and Batman turned to each other, shame etched on their faces. "It wasn't little," Red Hood offered. "It was the biggest spider I've ever seen."

"Agreed," Batman said. "I don't think this needs to go in our mission reports."

"Right. No one hears about this."

The two men walked away, not noticing the teenage boy hiding in the corner with a phone in his hand. Tim stopped the video and sent it to his computer. This would be very useful blackmail for the future.

End