The girls watched the skinny boy through the Plexiglas screen as he attacked the plastic dummy. Fake limbs flew everywhere and he didn't even seem to notice that all he was sounding now was a stub that might have had arms and legs once. His staff was worn down, the clean polished wood now rough and worn. But he paid no attention. He hit the plastic man harder and faster with each hard 'WHAP'!
"Aghhhh!" he screamed. With a final blow his staff snapped in half as he smacked the head of the dummy. The head snapped off just as his staff split in two. With another wild yell he picked up the splintered stick and turned to break down the next plastic person.
"Should we stop him?" asked the blonde girl outside the room.
The green skinned girl shook her head. "I don't think that's best."
"What's going on?" a red and yellow blur stood next to the blonde girl. "Artemis?"
"He's attacking the dummies." Artemis said.
"What?" Wally plastered himself on the Plexiglas and watched his best friend continue to attack the plastic man.
M'gann looked up at the red head boy with big sad chocolate eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice catching. "Why is he doing this?"
Both girls looked at him, begging him to answer. But Wally only shook his head. "I've never seen him like this before." And it was true. Robin had showed a range of emotions, from sad too exhausted to joyful.
But never in the history of their friendship had Robin ever shown such intense fury.
Artemis put a hand on Wally's shoulder and looked him straight in the face. "What are we going to do? I'm... terrified."
Wally opened his arms and held her close, an experience he knew he could never top. "I don't know."
Inside Robin continued to pound on the artificial being. His hair was drenched in sweat and- had he not been wearing gloves- the splinters form his broken staff would have cut his fingers to ribbons.
"How long has he been like this?" asked the speedster watching his friend let loose.
"He came in about two AM and he hasn't stopped since." M'gann covered her face and her shoulders shook. "I've tried to contact him through the mind link but he can't hear me. He's yelling in his head. I can't tell what he's staying though. He's just so angry."
Artemis stood by M'gann and squeezed her shoulders. "He's going to be fine. Wally, will go and talk to him." She gave her boyfriend a pointed look.
"What?" Wally backed up. "As much as I love my bud I'm not going to stand there and let him hit me with his stick. Why don't you go in?"
Wally began to stutter, trying to come up with a valid excuse. "A-as much as I like Rob I like being alive better. Curiosity k-killed the cat y'know."
"He's your best friend!" Artemis let go of the Martian to accuse her boyfriend.
"Do you see him?" Wally became defensive. "If I go in there he'll take my head off!"
"Well you have to do something!"
Wally backed up from his furious girlfriend. "Then go in there yourself."
Artemis gave him a knife sharp reply to which he countered easily. While they squabbled like an old married couple M'gann took another worried glance at Robin. He had ruined his newest enemy. Its neck had splinters and the limbs were once again strewn around the floor.
'Robin?' she spoke through the mind link attaching all of her desperate feelings.
A blast of red hot emotions poured into her brain along with scattered images of a dark cave. A man's deep voiced yelled incomprehensible words and a higher voice screamed back.
The green girl backed from the link with tears welling in her eyes. The figure through the training room glass was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. With trepidation she opened the door.
Her nose wrinkled when she smelled the stale sweat, clean wood, friction burned plastic and something slightly heavier. Something in the air felt darker. Cautiously she took another large whiff. Blood.
She watched the boy, still attacking the dummy. There were small details she hasn't caught from the other side of the glass. The edges of his cape were ripped, his knees and elbows scrapped and dirty. He had small cuts on his arms and legs, a large gash over his eye. He had stopped bleeding, a small scarlet stain on the white lens.
"R-Robin?" she hovered slightly, inching forward.
The child turned to her, as if just noticing she was there. His lips were pulled tight and without hesitation he threw a piece of his shattered staff at her.
She barely avoided it. With a tiny gasp she ducked and looked on as, behind her, the wood hit the glass and clattered to the floor.
He stood stone still, the whites of his mask filling his entire face.
Outside the room Artemis and Wally jumped when a broken piece of wood smacked against the window. Their argument faded into nothingness and their mouths hung open watching the figures inside.
"What does she think she's doing?" squeaked Wally.
"Something stupid," the archer lunged forward. But before she could move to the door the speedster grabbed her elbow.
"Wait," he watched green eyes intent. "I want to see what happens."
"Wally..." she trailed off, also intrigued by the scene.
Inside Robin watched the startled green girl and fro the first time in five hours he felt the exhaustion begin to take over his limbs. No, he wouldn't let it. Recovering from his shock he pulls open his stiff jaw.
"I..." I'm sorry, he wanted to say it so badly. But as soon as the small noise escaped lips emotions began to overwhelm him. "I..." He tried again but behind the mask tears pooled. "I..."
He turned and ran to the small gymnastic set. On the way there his numb fingers scrambled at the ripped cape. It didn't come off. He bit down on the fingers of his gloves and spat them out. They slid across the floor and landed in a heap against the vertical stone structure. With another strong tug the cap of his shoulder ripped off, the clasp clattering to the floor. There was no way to repair the strong rip going through the fabric. When the silky fabric didn't instantly fall to the floor, but caught of his fingers he pulled to get it into small pieces.
His fury was fading, begin replacing with something stronger. But he couldn't let it. Anger was the only thing he needed. It was the only thing he needed for the rest of his life. He could survive with the volcano blowing over the top. If he allowed the flood gates to open then he was scared hed never get them closed.
Dropping the strips that had once been his cape he ripped off his boots, not to see bare feet as most would expect. The plastic grips on the bottom of his thin undershoes attached to the blood red uniform.
Blood. He concentrated on the color and stormed to the gymnastic set at the back of the room, his bare hands slapping on the metal poles.
"Robin," worry touched M'gann's tone.
He reached the top and paused for half a second to catch his breath. Then he took a step and threw himself violently from the platform.
"Robin!" the Martian screamed. She moved to help but the panic in her wouldn't let her connect to her powers.
But there was no need. With little effort Robin reached out a hand and grabbed a rope, throwing himself into the air again, far above the platform. He looked like a bird, a graceful figure hung by a spiders thread to hang in the air until time took hold. Gravity grabbed him and he dropped again. He pulled in on himself, curling to a tiny ball before his hand shot up, swinging in a different direction.
M'gann watched, frozen still as the lithe creature danced amount the thin wires. But she had the nagging doubt it could've been even more incredible if every movement wasn't fueled by a burning rage.
Artemis and Wally took this opportunity to inch forward careful, coming to stand by the green girl.
"What's wrong with him?" her voice, torn by her scream was now quiet and ragged.
"I don't know."
The trio watched, entranced as the dance grew more intense, out of control until his palms burned from the sharp wires and his whole body begged to be put to rest. But the heat in him wouldn't cooperate.
In a last act of betrayal his numb fingers slipped, sending him down to the mat. Only human instinct had him rolling so he wouldn't shatter on impact.
His audience waited to see if he would get up and his soul pushed him to his hands and knees before he dropped, shaking.
"Robin?" M'gann was gentle and crept forward as slowly as she could.
The choked noise escaped from his throat. A sob.
His physical body couldn't take any more abuse as the fire in him was trying to eat him alive. He had no more energy to fuel the flames. There was only ashes and whatever was left of the broken bird. His flight had ended and now he was stuck on the ground.
Gravity had won and the flood gates had burst.
Warm hands lifted the shattered body from the mat and into a tight embrace.
He didn't try to escape. Tears poured down his cheeks and he pulled off the mask, eyes tight shut and tears clinging to his dark lashes.
The two other observers were still frozen their eyes on the tiny shaking body.
No one in the room had any idea how long it took for the strangled cries to slow but when they did they didn't leave the boy wonder. All they left was a little boy, clinging to the woman who had claimed a motherly role.
"I'm sorry," Robin managed, head resting on M'gann's chest.
"It's alright," she soothed, gently something his swat streaked hair out of his face. "Just tell me what happened."
"We fought…" he began slowly.
Oh my gosh I don't know what happened to my writing style near the end. Excuse my pretentiousness. I'm sorry
By the way review make better stories :D