The Visitor

The Titans had just stopped a bank robber and were returning to the HQ. But when they did, they saw someone there. There was someone sitting on the couch playing Cyborg's favourite video game. They could only see long red hair and the top of the person's cowl. The cowl had pointy appendages on it, like ears.

Bat ears.

The person noticed them and turned around, she paused the game for a moment. It was girl. She looked about 21 to 22 years old. The top of her face was covered by a black mask and her eyes could be seen.

They were green.

Still facing them, she defeated her opponent and set a new high score on Cyborg's game. She put the controller aside and sprung herself off the sofa. She smiled, bit it was not at the Titans.

She was smiling at Robin.

At the same time, she revealed a yellow bat-like insignia on her chest. Her cape was quite short as it was only at her waist. She looked about a head taller than Robin. It was quite obvious who she was.

"The Batgirl," Beast Boy gasped.

Robin went forward. The other Titans followed but Robin raised a hand, signalling them to stand down. He stopped two metres away from Batgirl.

"Hello, Robin," Batgirl greeted him, still smiling but he eyes were not.

"Hello, Batgirl," Robin greeted back, his tone calm and flat and his face expressionless. "I'd like to know your business here."

"Can't an old friend visit?" Batgirl replied. Her tone and expression did not change.

"Is he here?"

"Oh, you mean Bats?" Batgirl asked. Her expression became curious and her tone sounded more like an innocent child. "Nope, he's not here. I came alone."

"In that case," Robin said, his tone was slightly colder now, "you can go home alone, now."

The Titans were shocked by Robin's words, how cold he sounded, as if he hated Batgirl so much. But Batgirl did not seem the least bothered by Robin's harsh words. In fact, she acted like he had not said it.

"Bats misses you, you know?" Batgirl went on with the same tone. "He's gotten a replacement but it's not quite the same."

"Pray tell me," Robin said, in the same cold tone, "who is he?"

"Starts with a 'J' and ends with a 'T'," Batgirl said. "Started by trying to steal Bats's tires and was ended by the Joker."

For a second, Batgirl's expression and tone became harsh. But she regained it a moment later.

"Now we have a third one," she said. "Quite smart, I have to admit. Calls himself 'Red Robin'. Uses the bo-staff too."

The Titans just stood there, listening to the strange conversation, hardly catching on to it. But Raven, who had entered Robin's mind before, had less trouble.

'Bats' was what they called Batman sometimes. After Robin left, he was replaced by another Robin whose first name began with a 'J' and last name began with a 'T'. The said person tried to steal the Batman's tires off the Batmobile and some events happened that led him to become the second Robin, but another event led him to be killed by the Joker, the Bats' worst enemy. Now, there was a third Robin, who was called the 'Red Robin' instead and was quite smart and fights with a bo-staff too, just like their Robin.

Batgirl was Robin's (former) best friend and partner. And Robin liked her before. Now, it seemed like the opposite. Robin seemed to hate her.

"Other than visiting me just for the sake of doing so," Robin said, "do you have another reason?"

"Why, yes," Batgirl replied. "For this."

It happened very quickly. Batgirl charged at Robin and did a roundhouse kick. Robin did the same. Their expressions were different now. Batgirl was no longer smiling. She had a very hateful expression now. Robin wore the same expression too.

Because they have been trained under the Batman for years and have sparred before, their moves were identical and could be predicted by the other.

Their moves were extremely fast, so fast that they could only see blurry colours of black and green. Then, they pulled out weapons. They both held a batarang in each hand. They did not throw it at each other, they used them like daggers.

The Titans want to help, but Raven stopped them.

"No," she said, "don't."

"What're you talking about?!" Cyborg said.

"We've gotta help Robin!" Beast Boy said. "That chick's no match for us if we team up!"

"No," Raven repeated, her tone firmer. "This is a duel we cannot interfere."

"But why, Raven?" Starfire asked. "Why can we not interfere in his duel?"

"Because this is meant to be between them and them only," Raven said. "And even if we did team up against her, she can easily take us all down. We have to leave her to Robin."

"You're a damn jerk, you know that?!" Batgirl screamed at Robin as they fought.

"Oh, I'm the jerk, huh?" Robin growled.

"Yeah, you are!" Batgirl screamed back. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! You never replied!"

"I had other things to take care of!" Robin replied. He threw a punch but was blocked. "I don't have time to answer text messages or calls!"

"'Don't have time', my foot!" Batgirl snorted as she kicked his shin, but was responded with knee to the side. "You seem to have a lot of time! Eating pizza, playing video games, playing basketball, and flirting with an alien!"

Robin's eyes widened. "You've been watching me!"

Batgirl punched him in the stomach. "On the contrary, it was Batman. He relays very little to me, but it was enough for me."

Robin grabbed her arm and tried to pin it behind her back. Batgirl pulled her arm back, throwing Robin off. Robin pulled out his bo-staff and swung it at Batgirl, who was able to block its hits with her own hands and legs. Then, she dodged a swing and grabbed the bo-staff. She tugged and pulled Robin towards her.

Beast Boy gasped. "Oh, no! Robin's gonna lose!"

But when Robin was near to Batgirl, she did not punch or kick or hurt him in any way. Instead, she had pulled him into a hug. Strangely, Robin was hugging back as if he had expected it.

The Titans jaws dropped, even Raven did.

"I… did not expect that," she said.

"God damn you," Batgirl said softly. "I really missed you."

"You think I don't?" Robin replied, just as softly.

Just as Beast Boy and Cyborg were about to say something incredibly stupid and kill the mood, Raven used her telekinesis to jam Cyborg's fingers into his mouth and his free hand's fingers into Beast Boy's.

Starfire, however, was burning with rage and curiosity.

Who is this Batgirl? she wondered. Why did Robin never spoke of her to us? To me? Why are they holding each other like that? Who is she to Robin?

Raven seemed to be able to feel Starfire's emotions, so she cleared her throat loudly. Batgirl and Robin frowned and broke the hug.

Cyborg spat out his hand. "Mind telling us what's going on?"

Beast Boy spat out Cyborg's other hand. "Yeah! What sort of relationship do your guys have? First you're just having a simple chat then suddenly you started fighting and now you're getting all cuddly!"

Beast Boy finally stopped and was heaving deep breathes.

"May I know who this Batgirl is and her relationship with Robin?" Starfire asked.

Robin spoke this time. "Batgirl is my ex-partner. Before then, I lived in Gotham and worked with Batman who we tend to refer to as 'Bats'."

"And you're here now, why?" Cyborg asked.

"I… left," Robin replied.

"Would you mind elaborating, Robin?" Starfire asked.

"I'm going to make some tea, then," Raven said. "What would you all like?"

"Milk tea, please," Batgirl replied.

"I'll take the same as Batgirl," Robin said.

"Green tea for me!" Beast Boy said.

"I want barley tea," Cyborg said.

"I would like some oolong tea, please," Starfire said.

Raven nodded and went to the kitchen. The rest of them turned back to Robin and Batgirl, but they were mostly focused on Robin.

"So, Robin," Beast Boy said, getting into Robin's face. "Why did you leave the Batman?"

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, also getting into Robin's face. "Tell us! You better not be vague or whatever!"

Robin, now cornered looked at Batgirl for help. Batgirl just gave him a look that meant 'Just tell them'.

"Well?" Starfire asked, getting into Robin's face too.

"I had an argument with Batman," Robin finally said. "I didn't like his methods, and I was tired of being his… sidekick. I mean, I'm his partner not some goofy sidekick!"

At the last sentence, Robin seemed very disturbed, as if he was going to begin ranting. Batgirl put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. By then, Raven had returned with a tray of the tea they had ordered. Everyone sat on the crescent-shaped sofa, each holding a mug of tea in their hands.

"I bet I'm not the only one," Robin said. "I bet there are other sidekicks who've left their mentors."

He took a sip of his tea. Then, he continued, "After the argument, I decided I didn't want to stay anymore. I'll be my own mentor. So, I packed my stuff and went on my way. Well, I went to visit Batgirl first and told her I was leaving."

Now, the attention was focused on Batgirl. It was her turn to talk.

"I wasn't surprise," she said, shrugging. "He told me this before, about he's sick of being called a sidekick. I'm not going to lie, I'm sick of being called a sidekick too. But unlike Robin, I couldn't just leave. Before he left though, he promised to keep in contact. Something he didn't do."

She glared at Robin, who was hiding his face in his mug. Finally, he looked up.

"Look, Batgirl," he said apologetically. "I didn't keep in contact not because I didn't care about you or anything like that. It's just… I was worried that Batman would come after me or something. But now that I know he's been watching me, I guess ignoring your messages and calls isn't gonna stop him… He's not watching us now, right?"

Batgirl shook her head. "No, I told him when I was going to visit you that he wasn't allowed to follow."

"You told the Dark Knight to not follow you?" Beast Boy said, shocked.

"And he actually listened to you?" Cyborg said, shocked too.

"Well, he understands and knows his boundaries," Batgirl replied, drinking her tea.

After finishing her tea, she got up from the sofa to put the mug into the sink.

"I'll be taking my leave now," Batgirl said.

"You're leaving now?" Beast Boy asked. He checked the wall clock. "It's so early."

"I only came here to see Robin and talk to him again," Batgirl replied. "And now that I've done that, I'm going back. Besides, Gotham City and Jump City are quite far from each other. It took me two hours to get here on my bike."

"Will you be visiting again?" Robin asked.

There was a moment of silence, as if Batgirl could not decide on her answer.

"Maybe," she finally said. "I'll try."

"Oh, okay," Robin said. He was quite hopeful but deep down he knew the chances were slim. "Bye, then."

"Bye-bye, Robbie," Batgirl said.

"Bye-bye, Batgirl!" Beast Boy and Cyborg said.

"We hope to see you again," Starfire said cheerily, although deep down she held a negative emotion against Batgirl.

Raven just gave her a simple wave goodbye.

Batgirl gave them one more smile before walking out of the door. There was the sound of a motorbike engine. The Titans rush out the door to catch one last glimpse of Batgirl before she truly left Jump City.

"I really hope she comes back," Beast Boy said. Then, he saw Robin's expression. "She… She will, right?"

"The chances are slim," Robin replied flatly. "But I'm not saying there aren't any chances, they're just… slim."

"Which means she will come back, right?" Cyborg asked.

Robin did not say anything, he just returned back into the tower.

Chapter 1 *END*