The Saga of Batman, Robin, & The Coreys (Part One).

Chapter I: In Which Contemplation is Plentiful

Robin could hear the throbbing rhythms. He felt them pulsing in his veins. He remembered the last time. The feelings of freedom - of shamelessness.
He wondered if Batman would say yes.

Robin glanced hesitantly across the room over to his superior. The dark masked bat knight was deep in contemplation. Robin thought he rather looked like a painting of Atlas he had once seen.
"Batman?" Robin said, not wanting to break the bat's concentration but yearning so badly for the beats and rhythms that he could not help it.

Batman slowly looked up. "Yes, Robin?" His rubber suit squeaked with his movement. A surge of - something - he couldn't quite place the feeling - went through Robin.

"Batman...I was wondering..." Robin stumbled over his words.

"Yes, young Robin?" Batman said kindly.

Robin sighed. He felt Batman's eyes on him, and took his tone as slightly patronising, which Robin disliked. But there was that feeling again. The feeling that maybe he liked it.

Robin pushed his feelings aside and willed the words out with all the force he could muster. "Batman, I was wondering if we could maybe go to a rave."

"A rave?" Batman said in surprise. "A...rave?"

Silence fell.

"What is this...rave, Robin?"

Robin broke eye contact with Batman. How could he explain it, really? It was the most magical thing...place...experience on earth.

"Well, Batman, it's a place where many people gather to...dance, and they wear fluorescent boots, fluorescent weaves, fluorescent make up - " the excitement was building in Robin's voice - "Fluorescent hot pants, fluorescent...GLOW STICKS!!" He gasped for breath, ready to describe more of the wonder to Batman.

"Robin. Robin."

"...yes, Batman?"

"How...how did you know about this, this so-called "rave", Robin? Have you been sneaking out behind my back? Behind Alfred's back?"

Robin thought that this might happen. How could he allay Batman's suspicions while keeping his good temper?

He thought fast. "Batman, Batman," Robin chuckled reassuringly, "of course not! I would never crawl out of our bed, unauthorised, before or after the witching hour!"

Batman smiled with relief.

Robin was even more relieved. He was glad that Batman had bought his story - when in truth, Robin had actually once spiked Batman's nightly English Breakfast Tea with a pill from a bottle he'd found, labelled "Rohypnol". It had sent Batman into a deep slumber, as Robin had hoped it would; he quickly sneaked out into the night. Curiously, the bottle also had "ROBIN" scrawled on it, but Robin himself thought nothing of it at the time and continued to do so.

"So...how do you know about it, then, Robin?"

"Oh, I, ah - many places, really, the television, you know, rumours and things."

"Ah," was Batman's single response. He sipped his tea, letting the tension behind Robin's unanswered question mount.

After staring out of the huge window of his immense study for several moments, Batman finally turned to Robin and answered.

"Sure, I mean...I guess," Batman shrugged and put his tea down. "Alfred is always saying that I must try new things."

Robin gasped with delight. "Oh Batman, it would be ever so wonderful! Well then...let's get some outfits!"

"Will we have time?" Batman frowned.

"Of course!" Robin squealed. "We don't even have to go to the mall. Do you have any old Batman suits, Batman?"

"Well, yes, I have many..."

"Fantastic. We'll get Alfred in here and alter the old suit so that no one will know it was originally a Batman suit. Oh, they'll think you're being delightfully camp!" Robin giggled.

Batman raised an eyebrow at this last word, but let it pass.

Chapter II: In Which A Rave Costume is Born

"Right!"

Robin flung the doors of Batman's spacious closet open. Black rubber suit after black rubber suit came into view, as well as a solitary tuxedo. Batman entered, and stood beside Robin. He could feel the heat emanating from Batman's rubber-clad body, but chose to put it out of his mind for the moment. He had a mission.

"Batman!" Robin exclaimed. "Which of these can we cut up?"

"Errrm..." Batman went straight to the back of the closet and pulled out a box labelled "OLD BATMAN SUITS."

"Wonderful!" Robin clapped his hands gleefully. "Now, do you have any...fluorescents?"

"What do you mean?" Batman asked, frowning slightly. It was somewhat odd to see Robin so excited and enthused. He was usually so quiet and inexpressive.

"Well, you know, like...fake fur, hair mascara, extensions ?" Robin asked.

"I believe I have something."

Batman and Robin turned around to where the voice was coming from. A small, stout, tuxedoed man stood in the doorway.

"Alfred!" They exclaimed in unison and went to greet him.

The older man smiled. "Yes, sirs. I believe this might be just the ticket."
From behind his back, Alfred revealed a large box covered in fluorescent stripes of all colours. Robin gasped. It couldn't be...

And yet, it was. Alfred removed the lid of the box, revealing bright fluff for Africa. There were hair extensions, fluorescent eyeshadow, hair mascara, some E, bright stockings of all colours, and many accessories made of plastic.
"I was quite the raver in my time," Alfred chuckled confidentially.

He exhumed a pair of bright orange fluffy raver boots from the box and held them as if they were a treasured teddy bear. "My, I had a lot of fun in these," he said fondly.

Robin, and especially Alfred, cut, sewed and glued away until the transformation from old crime-fighting suit into hot new ravesuit was complete. Finally, its formerly completely black surface was covered in fluorescent gemstones, sequins, faux fur, plastic accessories, and many other wonders from Alfred's Rave Box.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come?" Batman asked.

"Ohh, no, Batman, don't be daft!" Alfred laughed kindly. "I think we can both agree that I'm a bit long in the tooth for this lark. Now, get undressed and I'll help you into your outfit."

While Batman uncertainly slid into his new suit with the aid of Alfred and some talcum powder, Robin was getting ready in the en suite bathroom. Although they lived in a very large house, he and Batman shared a bedroom and bathroom, and therefore it was very familiar to him and contained all his things.

Robin ended up by taking even longer than Batman to get ready, and after about an hour, Alfred and Batman were calling him.

Robin stepped out to their calls in full rave regalia. They gasped as they beheld his astonishing body. He was donned head to toe in fluorescent green, yellow and pink - it could have been red - complete with pink fluffy fairy wings. His incredible hair extensions almost seemed to glow in the fading evening light. They drew the eye down to his breathtaking make-up, which he had proudly applied himself. His faux eyelashes made him look androgynously beautiful, and they drew attention to his eyelids, which were coated in thick black eyeliner and stripes of fluorescent yellow, green and pink. Finally, one was able to comprehend his actual outfit. His amazing clear-plastic corset was a shockingly bright green, and had pink laces. It was truly a sight to behold, and it complimented Robin's figure so nicely, as did his matching hot pants. So short were they that Batman blushed under his mask when he caught sight of them. Grandest of all, however, were Robin's absolutely stunning fluorescent pink fluffy raver boots. Although it was not in the centre of the outfit, it was certainly the centrepiece. Robin was very proud of his choices, and this pride showed in the care with which he had applied his many adornments.

However, what Robin had failed to realise when he purchased the outfit was that it was actually for a female. As an experienced raver, Alfred had noticed this immediately, and Batman was also soon aware. However, neither of them uttered a word, as it surely would have humiliated Robin more than they wanted to see, and they certainly did not want to be the cause of it.

Finally, they were ready to go. For some reason, Robin felt as if he would perhaps meet his destiny tonight. All he had to do was let it happen.

TO BE CONTINUED
WHEN I CAN BE ARSED