Chapter 7
The batcave holds more than just the batmobile. There are several vehicle prototypes, all designed to maneuver around Gotham’s narrow city streets with optimal efficiency. Steve chooses a bat themed motorcycle that he can’t ever imagine Bruce actually using.
"Get in." Steve says, motioning to the sidecar that he assumes is meant for Dick. Krypto stares at him. Steve is neither Clark nor Bucky, the only two people Krypto usually listens to.
"You wanna see Clark?" Steve asks. At the mention of his master, Krypto perks up, his tail thumping on the ground.
"Come on. Get in and we'll go see Clark."
Krypto leaps into the sidecar, tail wagging. Steve straddles the bike. It's big, his toes barely reach the ground and he balances precariously. After a panicked moment where the motorcycle almost topples on top of him, he gets it started and takes off.
He zips through the crowded city streets. Besides him Krypto's tongue flaps in the breeze. At least someone is enjoying themselves. Worry grips at Steve's heart. The Joker is sick and twisted and with a madman like Mr. Freeze egging him on then he's capable of just about anything.
He pulls up to the old circus grounds, stashing the bike out of sight. Krypto follows, sniffing the air before issuing a low growl. Steve hushes him. They don't have much going for them, but they do have the element of surprise.
Steve skirts along the edge of the Big Top. Behind the main tent he finds a smaller, equally as colorful, one. He approaches, but the sound of footsteps freezes him in his tracks. At his side Krypto tenses. With a split second to make a decision Steve grabs hold of Krypto's collar.
"Up," he commands. Krypto rises into the air, easily lifting Steve up along the way. Gripping the collar with all his might Steve dangles precariously dozens of feet in the air. Below him, Mr. Freeze exits the small tent.
Steve's heart pounds, at any moment Mr. Freeze could glance up and see them. Steve prays that Mr. Freeze will continue on his way but he lingers outside as if keeping guard. Fingers screaming in pain and arms beginning to shake, Steve feels himself slipping. Ever the clever dog, Krypto must notice as well. He floats through the air, landing with a soft thump on top of the smaller tent. Steve releases his death grip on the collar with a grateful sigh. Flexing his hands, Steve peeks over the edge.
Clark and Bucky have been working with Krypto on various commands. With Krypto's powers and unusual intelligence for a dog, Clark has been hoping to train him in search and rescue. Additionally, his brief stint with Luthor has made Krypto a capable attack dog, much to Bucky and Clark's dismay. Privately, Steve hopes that Krypto remembers those lessons as he leans down and whispers in Krypto's ear.
"Attack."
Krypto tenses and whines. Nobody has given him that command since his rescue. For a second Steve fears he won't do it. Krypto stares at him with intelligent eyes, as if trying to read Steve's intentions with the command. Steve looks back evenly, holding his breath. Then, Krypto leaps off the tent and attacks the only other living thing in sight.
Mr. Freeze disappears under a mass of white fur with a shriek. His hand reaches for his freeze ray only to find his arm locked in the vice-like maul of Krypto. Krypto shakes his head, slobber flying as Mr. Freeze struggles to break free. Snap. Mr. Freeze's arm bends unnaturally.
"Up," Steve commands and Krypto shoots into the air, dragging Mr. Freeze by his broken elbow. He flies to Steve's position in the roof. Mr. Freeze blinks at him, in shock and pain. Steve can tell by the blankness on his face that Mr. Freeze doesn't recognize him.
Steve grabs some of the rope holding the tent together and wraps it around Mr. Freeze's wrists, not bothering to be gentle.
"Who are you?" Mr. Freeze demands to know, glancing warily at Krypto, whose teeth are bared. Steve ignore the question as he moves to bind Mr. Freeze's ankles next. When Steve is convinced that Mr. Freeze is properly secured, he searches him. There are several miniature freeze rays and ice guns that Steve disposes of and a set of keys he hangs on to, just to be safe. Satisfied that Mr. Freeze is no longer a threat Steve grabs hold of Krypto's collar and gives the command for down.
Good boy!" Steve takes a moment to scratch Krypto behind the ears.
Steve looks between the Big Top and the smaller tent. The Joker is dramatic enough to want the center stage feel that the Big Top provides, but Mr. Freeze had clearly been guarding something in the smaller tent. After some deliberation, Steve decides to check the smaller tent out first.
With Krypto on his heels, Steve pulls back the flap. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness within. He breathes in the faint smell of stale cotton candy. Steve creeps further inside. Krypto let's out a low whine.
In the middle of the tent sit two lion cages with peeling red and gold paint. Steve's eyes flicker over them, but stop when they catch the faintest green glow within one. Looking around, he can see even more kryptonite dotting the room.
Krypto whimpers pressing closer to Steve.
"I know boy. I'm not a fan of kryptonite either," Steve says reaching down to pat his head.
Keeping to the shadows, Steve crosses the deserted tent. At one point in history this tent had spent its nights entertaining with a variety of shows to thrill and amaze. Now it sits cold and empty. Dust lays thick on the stands that had once held bustling crowds and the lights above have lost most of their luster to the years. Steve steps over a poster advertising a long since retired juggler that lay faded and ripped on the ground.
Steve has only been to a circus once, back before the war. Back when he thought the most impressive show of bravery, he would ever see is a man taming a lion. It had been dazzling. And even now, its sparkle extinguished, there's still something hauntingly beautiful about the circus.
Steve stops in front of one of the cages and peeks inside. There, encased in a block of ice, lay Bucky. Steve gasps. He fumbles for the keys and with shaking hands unlocks the cage door.
"Oh Buck," Steve whispers, staring at Bucky's face. It has a look of fear frozen in place. Steve places his hand on the block of ice and feels the cold bite his skin.
"Krypto," he calls. Krypto flies into the cage. He cocks his head at the sight of Bucky and lands at his side. He barks and then barks again when he gets no response from Bucky. He looks back up at Steve and whimpers.
"I know boy. I don't like it either," Steve says. He pets Krypto as he thinks. There's nothing keeping the ice stable and even on a cool fall day like this, the ice will eventually melt without Mr. Freeze to maintain it. Yet that will take hours, unless...Steve glances at Krypto.
"Krypto," Steve says in his most commanding voice. He waits until he's sure Krypto is paying attention before continuing.
"Heat vision. Gently now," Steve says, pointing at Bucky. For a moment Krypto just stares and then a thin beam of red hot heat vision shoots from his eyes to the block of ice. Steam begins to rise as a puddle of melting ice grows. Steve would like to stay and watch, but he knows that Bucky isn’t the only one who needs help.
Trusting Krypto to keep working, Steve slips out of the cage. He pulls himself up, gripping tight to the bars, and looks inside the other cage. Through the gloom he sees the glow of kryptonite and, amidst the many scattered pieces, Clark. His pale face is bathed in the eerie green glow and his breathes come out in harsh short breaths.
"Superman!" Steve says, but Clark gives no reaction. Steve unlocks the cage door. He scrambles inside, skinny arms pulling himself into the raised cage. Once inside he gathers up the pieces, throwing them as far as he can out of the cage. It's a pathetically short distance, but it's enough. Clark groans.
"Superman!" Gently, Steve wraps an arm around Clark's shoulders. He leans Clark against the side of the cage as Clark blinks back into alertness.
"Cap?"
"It's me. What happened?" Steve asks as he checks Clark over. There aren't any injuries, but there's a green tinge to his skin that tells of prolonged exposure to kryptonite.
"Ambush. The Joker expected all of us."
"And Dick?" Steve asks, his stomach tightening.
"Alive last I saw. The Joker took them to the Big Top." Clark says and then grimaces. He fights through a wave of dizziness, "Sorry. The Joker has kryptonite everywhere."
Steve stands up and reaches out a hand, "Come on. Let's get you out of here."
Clark hesitates, but realizing that even sitting up is proving difficult, he takes Steve's hand. Steve slips an arm around Clark's waist, taking on the extra weight Clark's legs are reluctant to bear. Slowly, they head towards the cage door, Steve's back protests the added weight and his legs threaten to send both of them stumbling to the ground, but Steve soldiers on.
"Wait, Sarge!" Clark says.
"Don't worry, already handling it," Steve says. "Right Krypto!"
A cheery bark echoes from Bucky's cage, along with the sizzling sound of heat vision.
"You brought my dog on a rescue operation?"
Steve shrugs as best he can from under Clark's arm.
"I needed backup and Alfred was busy." He grins cheekily.
It's slow work moving across the tent and the kryptonite scattered about the room continues to drain Clark the longer he remains inside. Steve glances behind them at krypto guiltily. He doubts the poor dog is feeling much better, but loyal to a fault, Krypto stays by Bucky’s side. Steve would also prefer to stay. He wants to be there when Bucky wakes up, but Clark needs him more.
"Not much further," Steve promises, kicking a chunk of kryptonite out of the way. Clark nods, his eyes hazy with pain. They reach the tent flap and step outside. As soon as the sun hits Clark's face, he begins to heal. His headache recedes, his strength begins returning to his limbs. He takes a moment to soak in the rays before turning to Steve.
"Alright, what's the plan?"
"First we see what exactly we're dealing with."
The pair sneak across the circus grounds towards the Big Top.
"Use your x-ray vision. What do you see?" Steve says.
Clark stares at the red fabric. Nothing happens. He concentrates harder at seeing through the molecules of the fabric to the scene inside. His head gives a sudden throb and he winces.
"Sorry, the kryptonite is still messing with me."
Steve gives him an understanding nod and slips ahead. He draws back the flap ever so slightly and peeks inside. What he sees makes him shake with fury.
Bruce tied to the center pole, blood dripping down his face from beneath his cowl and The Joker in front of him howling with laughter, a switch blade in his hand. Though Bruce doesn't seem bothered by the blade, he's not even looking at The Joker. Instead his eyes look upward, a look of unabashed terror on his face. Steve follows his gaze. He gasps.
There on a trapeze bar high above the circus is Dick. He's struggling in a way Steve has never seen Dick struggle in the air before. His movements are slow and clunky and he fights to keep a grip on the solitary trapeze bar. Even from this distance Steve can tell, Dick has been drugged. And the longer they stand out here doing nothing, the more likely it is that Dick will plunge to his death.
Steve does a quick scan of the room. There's nobody else around. The Joker must not have wanted to share his moment of triumph.
Steve's mind races, taking in all possibilities. He glances back at Clark who is still unsteady on his feet. He can barely stand, let alone fly, and Steve can't discount the possibility of more kryptonite inside the big top. With Clark unable to help, Steve peeks back inside, searching for a way to bring Dick down safely. He eyes the trapeze. The bar is held in place by ropes which lead to a pulley attached to the top of the tent and then down to a towering platform. On the platform Steve can see levers that control the trapeze ropes. He pulls his head out of the tent.
"You distract the Joker and free Batman. I'll save Robin."
Clark straightens, a determined glint in his eyes tell Steve that no amount of Kryptonite is going to stand between him and Bruce.
"Be careful," Steve feels compelled to add.
"You too."
Then, almost as fast as a speeding bullet, Clark darts inside. Steve waits just long enough to be sure that the Joker's full attention will be on Clark before he too disappears beneath the flap. Keeping to the edges of the tent, Steve keeps his eyes firmly on Dick while his ears listen in on the fight.
He curses the fact that he was right; The Joker does have more kryptonite...but Clark isn't stopping. He delivers a bone shattering punch to The Joker's ribcage even as The Joker pulls out a second switchblade, one that glows green and bites through superhuman flesh.
Steve forces himself to ignore Clark's cry of pain. He reaches the bottom of the platform and looks up, it's a long climb. He hoists himself up onto the ladder. Years of neglect have made it rickety and unstable. Even under Steve's slight weight, the ladder creaks. Ignoring the groaning of the wood and the sway each movement brings, Steve climbs upwards.
Dick clings to the metal bar. His fingers, slick with sweat continue to slip, forcing him to continually readjust his grip. His arms burn and his head feels cotton stuffed. He tries to remember how he got here but can't. The only thing that comes to mind is The Joker's twisted grin and horrid laughter echoing in his ears. There's chaos around him, but Dick can't focus on it. All of his rapidly fading attention is directed solely on the slippery cold bar beneath his hands.
Steve crawls onto the platform. It wobbles dangerously and Steve prays it won't collapse before he's gotten Dick to safety. He looks at the levers, the labels on them long faded to illegibility. His fingers hover over one uncertainly. One wrong move on his part could jerk the trapeze and send Dick tumbling to his death. He glances at Dick, who hasn't noticed him yet.
Below the fighting has intensified. Someone, and Steve can't see who, crashes into the platform ladder, causing the whole structure to shudder. Steve squares his shoulders. He doesn't have time to waste. He tugs on one of the levers. It sticks at first before moving with a rusty creak.
The trapeze sways wildly and Dick shouts as he nearly lets go. Then he hears the clicking sound of the trapeze bar being lowered towards the platform. Inch by painfully slow inch, Dick moves towards safety. Steve reaches out, ready to grab him and pull him the rest of the way in. Neither notice, the rope above them fraying more with each movement.
"Almost there Robin. You're doing great," Steve says. Dick blinks at him, realizing that he's there for the first time. He swings, urging the trapeze to move faster. He wants to be off this horrible thing now.
"Steady," Steve says, "I can almost reach."
He stretches out as far as he can. He falls short by only a few inches.
Snap!
The rope breaks. For a heartbeat Dick feels like he's floating and then the full force of gravity grabs ahold of him. He's falling. He's going to die in a sick twisted parody to the way his parents died. He hopes Bruce isn't watching.
Steve doesn't think. He dives towards the edge of the platform. His fingers lock around Dick's wrist. The sudden weight pulls Steve's shoulder from his socket. He screams, but he doesn't let go.
"I've got you," he pants. Even to his own ears he doesn't sound very reassuring. Dick stares up at him with terror filled eyes behind his domino mask.
Now that Dick is no longer actively falling Steve realizes he has another problem; he can't pull Dick up. He reaches deep into reserves of strength that just don't exist anymore and comes up empty. His shoulder protests his weak attempts.
Steve looks around for a way out of the situation and draws a blank. If he were still The Captain he'd be able to lift Dick with ease, but he's not. He's just tiny Steve Rogers and tiny Steve Rogers can't deadlift over a hundred pounds of weight with a bad shoulder.
Steve feels himself beginning to slip off the platform, his chest slowly becoming exposed to open air and a 50 foot drop as he slides forward. He can see the exact second Dick realizes it as well. His eyes widen and his mouth twists with horror and regret.
"Let go," Dick says. Steve stares at him. Does Dick really think that's an option? That Steve can just let him plunge to his death?
"Let go," Dick repeats, "it's okay. I'm not scared."
That is a bold face lie. Fear covers every inch of his expression.
"Not going to happen," Steve grunts.
"Please, we'll both fall if you don't let go!"
Steve feels himself slip another inch. His legs kick, desperately trying to anchor him to the rickety platform.
"Then we're both going over," Steve says. Dick shakes his head.
"No!" He squirms in Steve's grasp.
"Stop it!" Steve commands. Dick ignores him.
"The Justice League can't lose The Captain!"
Stupid child, Steve thinks. Bruce can't lose a son. Alfred can't lose a grandson. Bucky can't lose a fellow cat lover. Clark can't lose the boy who loves to fly. Steve can't lose the only person who never stopped seeing him as The Captain. The world can't lose Robin, but more importantly the world can't lose Dick Grayson.
"It’s okay Cap," Dick says earnestly, "I've got some good people waiting for me on the other side."
Steve feels like he's been slapped. He clings tighter to Dick's wrist, even as Dick intensifies his struggling to break free. Grunting at the added pressure, Steve vows to have a long talk about the consequences of self-sacrifice with him later. If they get to have a later.
Steve slips further. A few more inches and they'll both go tumbling to their deaths. He wants to apologize for not being strong enough, but his lungs are beginning to seize up from the exertion. The platform sways. From somewhere, he can hear Krypto barking.
Suddenly there's a voice behind him, cursing. Then a metal hand grabs him by the back of his shirt and lifts him up. A second, human hand, reaches around to pluck Dick up as well.
"Idiots," Bucky grunts hauling them to the relative safety of the ledge. He eyes them both critically as if afraid one or both of them is about to fling themselves over the side. Steve takes his silence as an opportunity to check him out as well. He's damp and shivering. There's a tinge of blue to his lips that doesn't seem healthy. He's conscious though and Steve couldn't be happier.
Steve looks over the ledge to check on the others. Below, Krypto has The Joker cornered, snapping and snarling at him. Clark and Bruce look likely they are barely holding each other up, yet they are standing and that's enough for now.
"Buck, go tie up The Joker. Then call the police," Steve says.
Bucky looks hesitant to leave them. Steve gives him the reassuring smile he can muster. It's not very good, and the look on Bucky's face tells him so. Still, he moves to comply.
Steve turns to Dick, "Come on kid, let's get down from here."
He reaches over and ruffles Dick's hair, feeling nearly giddy with relief. They're alive. They're all alive.
The course of justice moves swiftly after that. Commissioner Gordon arrives with a troop of squad cars. The Joker is led away in handcuffs while Batman pretends that he isn't bleeding and gives his report. Then Steve ushers them into the batmobile, taking the driver's seat. Nobody argues with him. Bruce slips into the back seat, wrapping his arm protectively around his boy. Dick leans into the touch, drifting off to the familiar rumble of the batmobile.