Memories of a Forgotten Age

Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

I do not own Teen Titans :( . Though I wish that I did...

Setting:

This story takes place right after the racing episode and Robin had just gotten his briefcase back.

Third Person POV:

That's it. The race was over, and now he had the briefcase. All of the fear, worry, and time that he had put into this venture had finally paid off. Now, the leader thought, no one can see what's inside. It'll stay hidden forever in this dusty, barren wasteland.

But as he looked around at his team... his friends. He saw the lumps and bruises that they had incurred all on his behalf. They had followed him blindly, and stood by him. Cyborg had lost his precious car, and the girls were in varying states of what appeared to be distress. And Beast boy was his usual chipper self, though even he seemed somewhat strained. As he looked at them all, he could see that they deserved an explanation. And a good one at that.

"Let's go home, guys," the leader said, leading them to his bike. No, they were not all going to fit, but thankfully it was not necessary to even try. In between this steering mechanism was a circular button with a large 'T' in the center. He pressed it and within a minute, the orange T-shuttle was in view. Soon after, it landed gracefully in front of them.

"Go on home guys. I'll bring back the R-cycle."

"Very well, Friend Robin," Star smiled, gently as though he were all of a sudden breakable. And from the way that he looked, he was vulnerable right now and needed their support.

"Just do me a favor... wait for me in the common room." The four friends looked at each other strangely. Obviously, he wanted a meeting, but after today, could he really handle it?

Yet they trusted him and were ready to do any and everything that he told them to do. "Bet man. See ya there," Cy said, helping the others get loaded up while thinking about how to salvage the parts of his precious car.

The young, masked hero watched his friends flying off, and waited until they were out of sight before throwing his legs across the bike. He took off in the direction of the tower, his mind stuck on the briefcase that was safely stashed under his seat.

The things it held... how they had raced to get it back. It proved how great his friends were. But then, he thought about himself. What kind of friend was he? He never shared. In fact, they knew so little about him that he was like a stranger. Perhaps it was time for him to finally make a change.

The hero continued pondering those thoughts until he arrived at the tower. He took a deep breath to calm himself as he entered the tower and the common room. He entered the door with his briefcase cuddled to his chest, seeing the expectant and concerned faces of his friends. He sighed gently, sitting down on the couch and placing his parcel down on the table in front of him.

"Dude, what's in there anyway?" Beast boy asked for about the thousandth time that day.

And he earned a quick slap from Raven. Ugh, Beast boy had no tact at times like this. "Quiet idiot!"

"Whaaat?" he whined. In his mind, they had traipsed all over the desert and he had a right to see. Though he knew that they would not be allowed to. "I just want to know."

Raven's hand was pulled back for another slap before Robin stopped her. "No, Raven. He's right. You guys should know."

"Oh Friend Robin, you do not have to show the case to us. We are just glad that it was safely returned to its rightful owner," Starfire smiled placatingly.

"Yeah man. She's right," Cyborg added.

The masked hero knew that his friends were giving him a way out, but this time he didn't want one. No, he had started this and was going to finish it. "No, I want you guys to know more about me," he replied, rubbing his neck in apprehension. "Just sit down, and... and I'll show you everything."

The team could hear the desperation in his voice. He needed to show them, and they needed to listen. Wordlessly, they all sat down with Starfire next to Robin and Cy on her other side. Raven sat on the other side of Robin with Beast boy on the outer edge.

This was it. It was now that he had to confess the truth of his past. With nothing more than a deep breath, he popped the latches that were holding the case shut. The four other Titans tried not to appear as enamored s they were. However, Robin knew them well. Well enough to know that they were burning with curiosity.

He reached in and pulled out two dolls. One was for Batman and the other of Robin. They were only about the size of a man's hand, and made of soft, teddy bear material. And ever stitch and design was perfectly in place as though they had the original suits on.

The hero smiled fondly at the plushies, his mind on an almost forgotten memory. "Alfred, our butler, made these as a gag gift when I was around nine. I thought it was hilarious, but Batman... he was pretty embarrassed." Ha, he remembered that Christmas, and how red the serious man's face had gotten. Robin on the other hand had loved them and slept with them every night when he was a kid. Not that he'd ever tell anyone about that.

"Duude," the green teen groaned. "You even have your own doll?" Of course, that's what he'd be worried about.

"You've been turned into a doll before," Raven pointed out, always the logical person.

"It's not the same. I need something for the ladies to play with."

"What ladies?:" the empath demanded in her monotone.

Before he could think of a response, Starfire interrupted. "Enough. Let Robin continue."

The green teen shut his mouth embarrassedly. After all, it was rude to keep interrupting. Not to mention the fact that he really didn't want to get slapped again.

Robin pulled out the next item. It was a picture of a man, woman, and child. "This is my mom and dad. I was about seven at the time. Turns out it was the last picture that we would ever take together." It was hard for him to say, but it would have been harder for him to keep it in. He missed his parents. He missed them so much. Especially at times like this.

Meanwhile, his teammates soaked up the sight that was in front of them. After all, they had never seen the boy's parents. To be fair, they had never even seen the real boy. The child stood in the middle, dressed in his best though his black hair was still arranged messily, almost too messy to match his clothes. The face was youthful and showed no hint of what his future self would be. The main feature of said face were his eyes. They were large and almost an unbelievably bright blue. They seemed to stare right through the photo and into the soul of anyone who was holding it.

To his right stood a tall, dark man. His hazel eyes seemed to be twinkling even from the depths of the photo. His body was strong and fit very much how one would expect his son to look at that age. It was easy to see where Robin's disorderly hair had come from. Though, his father's seemed more intentional. Like he had just ran his hands through it.

To his left was an extremely beautiful woman. Her clothes were simple and understated, but did not serve to cover the finely shaped body that was just underneath its surface. Her shoulders were covered by a thick cascade of chestnut brown hair that fell slightly into her face. Her face... it was exquisite. Her eyes were the same bright color of her son's, and her nose perfect and soft. Her cherubic lips, naturally red and quirked up into a mischievous smile. A smile that was meant to show that its owner was up to something.

The teens ogled the picture. Seeing their work-aholic leader as a child... it was fascinating. The idea sounded illogical, because most of the team saw Robin like Athena. In their mind, he had sprung forth fully grown and dressed in his uniform, ready to fight.

Robin examined the picture once again before gently laying it to the side. His hand found a bundle of newspaper articles next. He flipped through them, explaining each one. "This one's about my parents who were famous acrobats. The Flying Graysons." He smiled slightly remembering their amazing acrobatic routines before moving on.

As he looked down at the next article, he felt tears choke him. The title read. "Flying Graysons Finally Grounded." "My parents were killed in an awful fire that was set on purpose. It wasn't to kill just them, but everyone in the tent..." he trailed off, tears flowing from his eyes as he tried to keep the article from getting wet.

Raven, the empath, could feel his pain and tried to use her gift to calm him. While Starfire wrapped her arms around him. "It is okay, Friend Robin. We are here." And there was no getting around it. They were here for him. They had been there from the beginning and would never leave him. His mother and father may be gone, but he had a new family.

And just like that, the tears stopped slowly. After all, he really felt the need to get done with this chest of his memories. Once again, he set that article down and moved on to the next one. "The first time I appeared as Robin. It was... exciting and terrifying at the same time." He remembered the pumping of adrenaline, the feeling of his heart in his throat, and the fear of failing. It had been nerve wracking, but he wouldn't have traded it for the world because it made him who he was.

"You guys should remember this one," he chuckled, handing them the article. And of course each member of the team had it stashed somewhere in their rooms. It was the article detailing their first ever mission and their rise to success. It was the thing that reminded them why they did the job that they did instead of just giving up.

He pulled another item out of the case. It was one of his masks. A smaller version with a rip over where his right eye would be if he had put it on. "My first ever Robin mask. You should have seen my face when I first saw the uniform. As a circus kid, I automatically loved the bright colors."

"Dude, you still must," Beast boy chuckled looking down at the brightly clothed hero.

"Something wrong with it, Beast boy? the leader asked, his tone surprisingly light and playful.

"Hey, if the traffic light fits..." he teased.

"Look at what you wear, green bean," Cy laughed. He had always thought of his little friend's 'official' hero outfit as a bit...unnecessary.

"At least I wear clothes," BB muttered.

"Your wardrobe coulduse an upgrade," Raven added. No, she was not the type to think about fashion, but even she had to agree that BB could wear a better uniform.

The changeling turned to glare at his girlfriend. "I've never hard you complain before." He paused. "Besides, you can't really say anything, Ms. Raven."

Her eyebrows raised. "What's that supposed to mean, Garfield Logan?" Ooooh, the hero winced. She only called him by his whole name when he was in trouble. Like now.

However, he refused to back down in front of his friends. "You only wear a leotard, a cloak, and boots. Not exactly crime fighting or high fashion clothes."

"Well excuse me," she said, her voice ice cold. "What would you prefer I wear? A miniskirt, tank top, and high heels? Or maybe nothing at all?"

The hero gulped nervously. Just the thought of a naked Raven was enough to send him into a dazed silence. Finally, he managed to shake his mind out of the gutter. "Sorry Rae. I'm cool with anything you wear. You're always beautiful to me..."

Raven looked int o her boyfriend's emerald eyes. She watched them sparkle as he begged for forgiveness. "You're lucky that you're cute," she said with her voice back to her monotone. He laughed even harder if that was possible. Raven. She knew just how to tweak him to her will, and he didn't even mind. It was just another day, dating an empath.

Robin looked at the two. When they had first admitted that they were indeed dating, he had been worried. Worried that their relationship might fail and destroy the team. However, as time went on, he grew convinced that this was the best thing for their team. So much pressure was relieved, and everyone just seemed to get along better since the two were no longer at each other's throats. So, this time it was easy for him to admit that he had been wrong, and that maybe inter-team dating wasn't so bad.

He shook himself out of these thoughts, reaching back down into the briefcase and pulling out an ID card for Gotham's most premiere prepratory school. "This was me... shortly before I came to Jump."

Robin... or rather Dick Grayson looked like a normal teenager. His expression showed boredom and a certain dislike for where he was as was to be expected from a high school student. His hair was not spiky as one would think, but was still very messy in a 'devil may care' sort of way. To be honest, the boy on the card looked nothing like Robin. It was more like the typical teenager not the hero that they knew and loved. "Whoa, that's you?" BB demanded.

"Yeah. Mild-mannered Dick Grayson by day and crime-fighting Robin by night."

"Your secret identity?" Cy asked worriedly. He had never imagined that Robin would share such a thing.

"Yeah, and now it's a secret shared among all of us."

"We won't break your trust," Raven promised solemnly, to which Robin only nodded. He knew that his team... his friends would do nothing to hurt him. In fact, they would sacrifice themselves if it meant that they could save him.

"I know." His whole life he had been groomed to be a hero. That's what he was, but not all of what he was. And it was that thought that comforted him as he laid his old identity down on the pile of his memories.

The next item was a folded piece of white paper. When unfolded, it proved to be Grayson's last report card. Beast Boy groaned loudly as he looked down at the grades. "Awww man. All A's I should've known you were a nerd."

"My classes were easy," he shrugged.

"They're all AP," he was reminded but only shrugged. School had never been very difficult for him. It was just something that he had to do.

"And no sports? What's up with that, Spiky?" Cy asked. In his book it was almost a criminal offense to not play some sort of sport if you were able.

"It wouldn't have been fair." And that was all that he was going to say about it.

By now he was moving on to something else. It was another photo of Dick Grayson with a tall man, standing next to him. The man's gaze was serious, and seemed to brook no room for discussion. His shoulders were broad and muscular. Obviously, he was none other than the star recluse Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Industries and the real life Batman. "I remember taking this. Alfred took in the day that I got my learner's permit." That was so like Alfred. Always trying to remember the good old times. "I was so excited but after Bruce's lecture, I was sort of nervous. He took the picture to calm me down." Alfred. He had always taken care of his young master and would do so forever if Robin would let him.

He pulled out another photo. This one was of a tall, black, impassible home that sat at the top of a bluff."This was Wayne Manor. Suitably Gothic and suitably dark. It went perfectly with its owners personality."

His mind went back to when he had first entered the man's home. He was so terrified that he had clutched onto his mentor's large hands. Bruce had been so gentle, leading him through every room and allowing him to get acquainted at his own slow pace. As he remembered now, it was one of his few truly tender displays that he had received because Bruce was more of a tough love kind of person.

"Looks creepy," Beast Boy shuddered as he looked at the dark, jagged house that seemed rather determined to cut him through the photograph.

"I like it," Raven nodded in approval. After all, who was afraid of the dark? Well, besides Gar.

"Of course," her boyfriend rolled his eyes. "Moving on." he chuckled as he felt his girlfriend glaring daggers at him.

The next item was a photo of the broad shouldered Batman in all of his uniformed glory. Standing next to him was Robin with a slight smile on his face, though he seemed rather annoyed."Alfred took this one. It was probably a month before I came to Jump. I was getting tired of always being the 'sidekick', but still hadn't made up my mind on whether I was leaving or not." Yes, sometimes he did miss his old mentor, but he never missed being the assistant. Here he was the leader and they all worked together as partners. As it should be.

The penultimate item was a communicator. It looked identical to the Titan's except for the fact that it had an 'R' in the center instead of a 'T' "Batman gave this to me when I left. It's on a secure channel. If..If I ever need him then he's there to help me. I hope that we never have to use it," he said, remembering how he had found it and the note inside of his bag after arriving at the tower.

In the bottom of the case, there was only one item left. One of the things that was closest to his heart. It was a picture of his team.

Cyborg was laughing with his mouth wide open and an arm around his stomach. To his right, was a giggling Starfire, levitating with her legs curled beneath her. Robin was in the center, smiling at his friends' crazy antics. No, he wasn't doing anything ridiculous, but he was there and that's all that mattered. Beast boy was standing behind Raven with his arms around her waist. His tongue was out and his eyes were rolled. Even Raven had a slight glimmer of a smile on her usually apathetic face.

"I'm sure that you guys all remember this picture," Robin smiled. "It's one of my favorites." Everyone nodded. Each of the friends had a copy of said picture that they kept near their personal items.

Robin replaced all of his things in the order that he had taken them out in. He snapped the latches, and coded the lock. "These are my memories. The good, the bad, the ugly. They're roughly everything important that has ever happened in my life."

Starfire hugged his friend tightly. "Thank you so very much for sharing."

The hero nodded, his cheeks red. "I...I need to be alone for a while." His friends nodded, each one clapping a hand on his shoulder to give him strength. He stood and made his way into his room, pretending like he couldn't hear their worried murmurs. He entered the plain, beige workplace that he called a room. By most people's standard it was drab, but to Robin it was... home. He sat down at his study desk, opening the case once again. He took it slowly this time, looking and thinking of each of those memories. Some that he would have wished away. Some memories, that for his sanity should be locked away forever. Some memories that made him smile and others that made him cry. Either way, they were all just memories of a forgotten age.

A/N:

Well, there's my third Teen Titans fanfic, and my first real one-shot. I'm officially done with this story, and I really hope that you enjoyed it. I think it was pretty good, but I really want to hear from you guys. Okay, so check out my other stories. I'm working on a bunch of stuff right now and have just finished exams, so I'll try to type more. Sorry, but I'll definitely try to do a lot over the break.

Remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;)

Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!

Yours truly, madly, and deeply,

Einstinette