“Three minutes until-”

He wouldn’t listen to that. The security system shouldn’t have been telling him that. Then again, Robin wasn’t used to such levels of technology. He also wasn’t used to being told how long he had to solve a puzzle. Actually, what he was most used to was having to pull Jay out of a sticky situation. Failing this time, however, would lead to his death. Jay’s death. Something Robin didn’t think he could handle. Too much responsibility. For someone who was his boss, his best friend.

“Thimba, was it? Are you still there?”

Nothing replied to Robin’s tentative call. Perhaps it was just a computer talking now and this Thimba was long gone. Jay should have explained this a little more than not at all. Jay had never spoken about his past, now that Robin thought about it. Though he and Thimba seemed to share some sort of knowledge of each other, whatever that might be. Whatever that would lead to this right now. Robin was fairly certain Thimba was an escaped convict that Jay had helped catch at some point, before Robin had met him. That made the most sense. No one else other than a criminal would go through this to kill someone!

Well, that was the definition of a certain type of crime, anyway. Murder certainly wasn’t legal anywhere.

Jay was much better at keeping calm in situations of great stress. Robin would have put his life in Jay’s hands any time. Now he was worried he wouldn’t be able to return the favor. “Jay?” he called down, hoping the other would be able to hear him. Or was awake. Maybe not, maybe if everything was going to go badly it was best that he was unconscious. Robin couldn’t see him, but he knew he was there. The hatch was stuck and it would be a hassle opening it further. Especially with the limited time he had left.

There were two options. Stop the machine or get Jay out. Robin didn’t know how to work the compactor. He also didn’t know how to open it up properly and where to find a rope or something to toss down. He had three minutes to figure out one of these options and if he chose the wrong one he wouldn’t have time to figure out the other one.

“Jay?” Another useless call out to the person he needed to save. Unless Jay was already dead down there. Robin couldn’t stand it. He tried not to panic, but it wasn’t a decision his body wanted to allow.

There was nothing for it. Robin made a decision.