Disclaimer: Do we really have to go through this charade? Do you think if I owned anything, I'd be sitting here at 9:28 on a Saturday writing for you?
"Beware the creature from beyond." – way to set the mood, Paradox.
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
Wally was staring up at the dark ceiling as the red lettering on his digital, bed-side clock blared in the corner of his eye. With a sigh, he pointed it towards the wall so it wouldn't jeer him any longer. But its iridescence still glowed on the wall, though it was somewhat watered down, it still taunted him. He was so bored, and absolutely NOT tired. Having that much energy inside him didn't wear him out, but fazed him in the sense of prolonging sleep for as long as it could. He knew these to be the consequences of chugging three Monsters just to try and impress M'gann. . . Or Artemis. He couldn't really figure out which one. Whatever it was that drove him to drink the potent potables – it didn't matter now, not in the slightest. All that mattered was focusing on sleeping.
And that's when he heard it. It was when he let himself focus on nothing else but sleep, and it was that pure concentration that awakened his senses and allowed him to eavesdrop on another one of Robin's infamous, mawkishly sardonic laughs downplayed by the distance between him and the source.
"No, not 'till tomorrow . . . Haha, you're right, but sadly mistaken . . . Mhmm . . . Is that so? . . . I'm sorry . . . Honey, I've answered that question before . . . And so you know why . . . Yes, I know . . . I understand . . . Good . . . Oh, gosh . . . Haha, I have to go . . . I know, I know, but– . . . you said that an hour ago . . . I have stuff to do tomorrow . . . Is that a threat or a promise? . . . Haha . . .No, you hang up first . . .No, you . . . I know I'm the one who has to go, but I just– . . . Fine. I'll sing you a song and that will be goodbye.
To know her, is to love her
I'm goin' undercover
To catch a glimpse but not get caught
But to see her, could be worse
If I don't get my head straight first
On second thought I guess I'll not
She's almost brighter than the sun
Seems to me to be unfair
When you consider everyone
Who pales when they compare
When they compare
Can't hold a candle to her
'Cause all the moths get in the way
And they'll begin to chew her
Entire attire until it frays
She outshines anyone
Whoever might dare to bask in
The same candlelight
Oh please don't seat us in the back
With all the insects and the trash
She is a lady, I'm the tramp
Collecting stares from pairs close by
Then flutters in the butterflies
You, just a moth drawn to the lamp
She's like an ancient artifact
Something you're lucky to have found
She'll pinch the nerves in all the necks
When she turns those heads around
Those heads around
Can't hold a candle to her
'Cause all the moths get in the way
And they'll begin to chew her
Entire attire until it frays
She outshines anyone
Whoever might dare to bask in
The same candlelight
Who may dare to bask in
The same candlelight ?
She's almost brighter than the sun
Seems to me to be unfair
When you consider everyone
Who pales when they compare
When they compare
Can't hold a candle to her
'Cause all the moths get in the way
And they'll begin to chew her
Entire attire until it frays
She outshines anyone
Whoever might dare to bask in
The same candlelight
In the same candlelight . . . you liked it? . . . Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."
And just like that, the voices ceased to converse and silence emanated that dark hideout. But he surely wasn't bored anymore.
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
Come morning time, Wally had gotten three hours of sleep. When he walked out into the kitchen, where M'gann was cooking breakfast for the team, he heard a part of her and Robin's conversation.
"Fancy seeing you up this early," she gesticulated with a nod to the young vigilante who was wearing a forest green shirt with an onyx jacket and matching tinted shades, "When did you get here?"
"I spent the night." he replied casually, as if he was one of the few members who had to stay there. Truth be told, Wally didn't have to, but he was so tired after some missions he just crashed there. Last night, however, he just followed suit of repetition.
"Really?" she interrogated with a flip of the spatula that sent a half-baked pancake sailing through the air. She, of course, saw that it was aimed in the wrong direction and hurtling to the floor, so she used her telekinesis to prop it back on the burner.
"Hello, Megan!" she face-palmed herself with an innocuous expression illuminating her eyes, "He has a room in the hideout, duh!"
"Are you going to be doing that any longer?"
"I don't know," Wally interjected, coming in close to Miss Manhunter, "To know it is to love it, even when she doesn't have her head straight first, on second thought, I think I like it. Let's face it, she's almost brighter than the sun, it seems to me unfair, to those who can't compare. When you compare." He dusted off her shoulder, and she looked very confused as she pricked her eyebrow up in light questioning.
"The moths, I think they were eating your entire attire until it frays."
"I don't follow…" By this time she didn't have to, because Robin did. And when Wally's gaze left the green-pigmented girl, he saw Robin's glare (even through the ominous sunglasses) bore wholes into his skin.
"No. I don't suppose you would. You're too intelligent and thoughtful to part take in such thalamic ridicule that only a brain-dead, comic relief character, that no one gives a flying, flaming frick basket about, could be so euphorically proud about fishing out of violated privacy a confidentially personal matter to bring into satirical speculation of the whole household just because they have a volition to entertain himself with petty larceny of human decency, except it's not me he robbed, not in the long run." he headed for the door, "I'll be outside. Don't need me."
Once the sound of the door slamming reverberated through the cave and dissipated into eerie silence, Kaldur turned to Wally and astonished,
"You . . . you made him try to curse. Flying, flaming, frick basket? Robin's never tried to curse before. Not as long as I have known him. What did you do?"
"I – I don't know. I had a dream that. . . . I don't know," he shrugged, "I think it was all the Monsters getting to me, but Rob seems legibly mad."
"I'm going to pretend that was coherent for a second," Artemis scoffed, "And assume Robin's mad. I'm going to go check on him." She walked out the door and spotted the Boy Wonder sitting on the edge of one of the rocks that littered the mountainside. She put a hand on his shoulder and sat next to him.
"Robin, I haven't known you as long as the others and I'm not as observant as you or good at recon missions like you, but I recognize something's wrong. And it wasn't what Wally said. You and I both know that. Wally said he had a dream about something and–"
"Wait, he dreamt it?" he leapt to the skies with elated enthusiasm.
"Yeah…" she answered, dubiously surprised at how well placating him had gone, "Feel better?"
"Much so. Thanks!" he rebounded up the steps with a burst of energy. She shook her head, fairly confused about the kid's sudden bipolar behavior, but she shook it off and went back to join him inside.
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
A familiar, electronically discordant voice rang through the halls, alarming its inhabitants of the visitor RED TORNADO. They all rushed to where he would be beamed in and awaited confrontation.
"Got any missions for us, Red-T?" Wally, who *shockingly* was the first one there, inquired. As the rest of the team formed behind him, Red Tornado stared at him in a sort of silent, chiding manner in response to the nickname.
"It's recon today."
"Great," Wally sarcastically moaned, "My favorite."
"Yeah," Robin came up beside him, "it's going to be your favorite when you don't have to get stitches for it."
"Haha, touché." he laughed, tucking his hands behind his head.
"Don't assume this is some walk in the park. Kid Flash, if I remember correctly, you're not exactly the best at observing while staying out of sight. Especially in this case. You will be performing reconnaissance, undetected, mind you, at the ruins of Cadmus's lab. We believe there could be a clue as to what that thing in the desert was, and exactly what it means."
"We can take my bio-ship!" everybody stared at her and in turn she slapped her forehead again, "Well, duh, that was established. Hello, Megan!"
"Seriously, are you going to keep doing that?"
The bio-ship, on M'gann's command, was set free from its hibernation.
"All aboard!" she called.
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
The horned g-gnome took one last hit to the stomach from Superboy, and was down for the count.
"Who's next?" he yelled, his jugular vein jerking out of his neck. So to speak.
"Calm down, Superboy." M'gann soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "They're all gone."
"Hm?" he looked around, "Oh. Sorry."
"It's okay, I think we've gathered enough information and the surprise enemies have all been taken care of. Sounds like a mission completed to me."
"Yes," Aqualad agreed, "We can take these files and report back to the Justice League; surely they'll know what all of it means."
"Agreed," concurred Artemis, "Now can we call it a day?"
"And maybe order some pizza?" Kid Flash suggesting, speeding next to M'gann.
"Sure," she answered jubilantly, "I've never had "pizza" before."
"I'm telling you," he began, walking up the steps to the bio-ship that had just come out of camouflage, "you're missing out."
"Well, have you ever had vlorg?"
"No…" he replied as the ship strapped him in a tight bear hug.
"Then it is you who is missing out."
"Haha, sure. vlorg sounds delicious."
"You don't eat vlorg," M'gann giggled as she began to pilot the ship, "you have it."
"Well, that's a little vague but–"
"Don't knock it 'till ya try it." she smiled, "That's an Earth saying."
"So it appears."
"Hey, I don't see you speaking a language you've never heard of until a short while ago fluently."
"Megan is right," Artemis cut in, "I've seen you struggling in Spanish class."
"Pfft, who needs Spanish? It's all useless information anyways."
"You…es un idiota. Estoy tan contento que usted no me puede comprender. ¿Quizá puede, pero las únicas cosas que aposté usted recogería es "sí" y "dónde está el cuarto de baño"? Y estoy seguro agradecido el autor es 75% de cubano o esta conversación probablemente se inclinarían hacia el hecho Robin no está aquí. Realmente, espero que ninguno de los lectores pueda hablar español o ellos quizás consigan que rompo "the fourth law." Y esto sería un tiempo bueno como cualquiera decir te quiero, Wally."
"What?"
(A/N: Don't run that through a translator. It won't make sense because Wally's name in Spanish is apparently "Roncha," which means Bump. What she said really isn't all that important, anyways…:D)
"Never mind." she rolled her eyes. The bio-ship swooped down on the landing pad and the earth around it closed back up like a regen's wounds healing.
"Wally, why don't you pick up the pizza?" Kaldur asked.
"What do you mean, we didn't even order ye–" his eyes caught on the phone he had being snapped shut, "Be right back."
By the time the rest of the team was all assembled at the black couches, Wally had sped back with the pizza.
"What took you so long?" Artemis jeered, picking up a slice. M'gann took one bite out of her piece and placed it back on her plate,
"It is good."
"Glad you like it."
Artemis deviously whispered into M'gann's ear.
"Oh. Wally, what is 'truth and dare?'"
"Nuh-uh!" They both nodded.
"Fine. I'll do it for you, Beautiful." Wally purposely made sure Artemis knew the comment was not directed towards her.
"Can I go first?"
"Sure, sweethang."
"Alright. Kaldur, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever said in English without realizing it?"
"Well, this was when I first learned the language, a long while ago. I tried to ask where the bathroom was and it came out 'get that duck away from me.'"
"Haha," Artemis laughed, "Oh my gosh! It's your turn to pick, Kaldur."
"Okay…" he looked around the room decisively, "Superboy. Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Hmm…I dare you to…hmm…I'm not really sure to be honest."
"Alright, great. My turn. Megan, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Where's Robin?"
"What?"
"You have to answer truthfully. I barely saw him today."
"Wait –" Wally looked around the room, "Supe is right."
"And now that I think about it," added Artemis, "I don't remember him being on the mission at all."
"So Robin's missing and no one noticed?" Kaldur thought out loud.
"Well, Superboy did." Wally answered.
"That doesn't count."
"I think he finds that offensive."
"I didn't mean it like that–"
"Guys! Robin's missing. Wally stop trying to be funny for five seconds, Kaldur get your team together." Artemis ordered.
"She's right." Kaldur stood up, "Does anyone know where he might be?"
"Could be at school. It is a school day." Megan offered
"But Robin has off every other day. We all do, and today wasn't our day."
"Well, he was acting strange this morning. And he's never spent the night here before."
"What? Do you think he's foreclosed?"
"I doubt it." Artemis shrugged, "What did he say in your 'dream?'"
"He was saying something about answering a question before and 'not till tomorrow' and then there was his creepy laugh again, the one of which I'm sure you all are familiar with. Then he started singing a Relient K song."
"That's strange…"
"Do you think he's…" Megan started.
"In cahoots with the Joker?"
"Shut up, Wally."
"Hey, he went more than five seconds."
"Which Relient K song?"
"Candlelight."
"Is he talking to an agent for a record deal?"
"Who knows what Robin's up to?" Artemis scoffed, the others silently agreeing.
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
Robin stared at the ceiling and hummed the tune in his head again. But then that was his fifteenth time and he had to stop himself before he started singing again. Life really sucked for him. The grey of the walls were too depressing and the carpet was just as sadistic. The simplistic bed that was topped with a grey bed sheet and two white pillows was the only thing in the room at the time. But who could blame him? He was never home long enough to acquire anything else. His eyes traced back to the door and his train of thought drifted to that of wishful thinking. The house was empty even Alfred's niece wasn't home.
Daphne Pennyworth was a freshman in college and visiting from out of state. When she arrived a few weeks ago to visit her uncle, Robin couldn't help wanting to be in her presence. And it so happened she enjoyed his as well. Things only got better from there.
But he had attempted to skip a mission to take her to the fair at the pier, and, just his luck, Bruce was about to leave for a mission when he came home to pick her up. So now, he was grounded. (Or should I say picked him up, because he couldn't necessarily drive yet.) For the first time in his life, Robin was grounded, forced to stay in his own room like a child. It aggravated him deeply.
Downstairs, it wasn't so easy for Bruce, either.
"I don't understand," he commented out of the blue to Alfred, who was with him in the control room as he watched the surveillance tape with Robin's room in focus, "he's never done this before. Why would he skip a mission? He's never skipped a mission. He's always been so devoted."
"You're thinking of him as a robot. Not a thirteen-year-old boy, Master Bruce."
"I suppose you're right. But still, what I don't understand is why, why did he have to? He just doesn't skip a mission without reason."
"I don't know, Sir. But now that you mention it, I lost Daphne when we visited the art museum. She normally loves art. I found her sitting on the edge of the pier at Happy Harbor. Could it be spring fever?"
Bruce shrugged, "Who knows?"
"You might want to check on him, Master Bruce."
"I am checking on him."
"I mean in person, Sir."
"Hmm. I suppose you're right again." he got up from the chair and headed for his room.
A sharp rap on the door cut through the haze of Robin's thoughts.
"It's opened," he called flatly. The door creaked open and Bruce stood in the threshold. He awkwardly rested against the doorframe there for a moment, contemplating what he would say,
"We need to talk." It sounded simple enough. Considering he wasn't much of the parental type, what with no parents to give him advice or show him how, it was hard for him to give advice.
"What about?"
"I think you know." Again, empty words with empty meanings.
"Ahh," he sighed, falling back-first onto the bed, "I'm sorry, okay? I explained that a few hours ago. Do we have to go over it again?"
"I want to know why, Dick." He flinched a little at his civilian name. His old name. When he was a circus performer with his real family.
"I don't know." he replied bitterly, standing up from the bed.
"I think you do."
"Then maybe you'd have gathered I that wouldn't care to explain." he came closer.
"Well you're going to." he said forcefully.
"Who's going to make me?" By this time he was in his face and making an attempt to look intimidating, which would have worked, if it wasn't for his height. It made Bruce laugh. On this inside, of course. Something like that would really make him mad. Instead he grasped his shoulder, gave him a shake, and looked at him dead in the eye,
"I hope it doesn't come to that."
(A/N: I'm whelmed.)
ROBIN~*~IS~*~WHAT~*~MAKES~*~THIS~*~SHOW
Wally felt a little guilty about playing along with the team's new game. He had known Robin (as well as Aqualad and Speedy) for most of his sidekick life and it felt a little like betrayal, mocking him like this.
"Okay, Megan, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What color are Robin's eyes?"
"Um…"
"Black." Superboy answered, chuckling a little.
"I thought they were white." Wally laughed.
"Alright, Wally, truth or dare?"
"Um…dare?"
"I dare you to pick truth." Artemis said.
"Fine, truth."
"What's Robin's real name?"
"Uh…El Fonzo?"
"Haha, okay Superboy, your turn."
"Artemis, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Where does Robin live?"
"Haha, he lives with Batman."
"Pffthaha! Yeah, he probably sleeps on the matt in front of his bed."
"Curled up in a ball." Artemis added.
"Okay, Kaldur, truth or dare."
"Truth…" he rolled his eyes lightly. Robin was his friend too.
"Does Robin have a girlfriend?"
"I don't know. That's his personal matter. He has a right to or not to tell."
"Mhmm, sure. I'll pick for you, Kaldur. Megan…"
The conversation was drowned out by the sudden vibrating that took place somewhere near the side of the couch Superboy was sitting on. He reached under one of the sofa cushions and pulled out a metallic device. The cellular mechanism had a profile picture and ID to the text message it was receiving.
"Who's D.P.?" he asked.
AN:
So, guess what? New system. From now on my fics will work a little like this: I write a chappie and once I get a review, I write the next one. No reviews, I don't continue and I pull the plug. If I get several reviews, I'll write several chapters. Simple as that. If I get flames, I start picking off characters, one by one. Why do you think I killed Xion in Shattered Eclipse? Anywho, back to this genre, I feel this is going well. It's going to be confusing along the way, but the ending is priceless. Review and maybe we'll get there. :P