Homecoming April 23, 2005 Naga's Shadow
It was rainy and gloomy out side, which was uncharacteristic of this time of year. At least at their home in the tower Starfire thought. Perhaps Gotham was always like this. She certainly hoped not as what fun would this weekend trip to see Mr. Wayne be if they were inside the whole time. The weather was also affecting her comrades adversely.
"Friends why are we so gloomy, we have a whole weekend of fun ahead yes."
"Hey its not my fault no one is talking Raven and Cyborg don't want to play my games. Beast Boy replied. "You didn't want to play either Star."
"Let it drop some people just don't want to talk." Raven finally answered.
Cyborg ignored them in the back of the T-car and kept driving while Robin continued to look out the window and sigh every now and then.
"Robin?"
"Yes."
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Starfire let it drop at that and looked back out the window. The city of Gotham was huge and ancient looking. The cloud cover gave the city a foreboding look, as the Titans approached the Wayne manor it really didn't look much nicer. Set up on a cliff the estate was three stories and from what she could se easily as long as the Titans tower was tall.
By the time the T-car pulled up in front of the steps the rain had tapered off to just a few drops here and there but the sky was still dark. A lone older man waited out front as the T-car came to a halt. Robin who had been in the front passenger door got out first and the older man step forward and opened the door for Starfire.
"Good day master T…"
"It's just Robin now Alfred."
"Oh well it is still good to see you master... Robin."
"Its good to see you too Alfred."
The two old friends first shook hands then embraced.
"Alfred you've meet Cyborg and this is Raven, Starfire, and Beastboy." Robin said while waving his had around the group.
"Hello" replied Raven. Beastboy gave a similar response. Starfire ran up and engulfed Alfred in one of her classic bear hugs.
"Oh hello to you friend of my friends, that makes you my friend as well yes?" She lifted Alfred slightly off of the ground.
"Yes, do let me go."
"Whoops sorry." Starfire smiled and backed away.
"That's fine, look may I get your bags?"
"That's ok Alfred we can handle them." Cyborg said as he hit something on his arm and the trunk popped open.
"No really I insist."
"If you say so but let me grab this first." Cyborg picked a large power converted out of the bags and slung it over his shoulder. "It's just a little heavy."
Alfred looked inside the trunk, which was much larger than it looked from the outside, and realized that each of them had brought more than one bag.
"On second thought perhaps I'll show you to your rooms first then I will go back and get your bags."
Starfire marveled at the inside of the Wayne manor as they walked thought the portal. The living room proper was several feet below, down a half a flight of steps. To each side of them staircases led up to the second floor that ringed this room with an impressive balcony. Alfred led the group up the right staircase and down the hallway at the top of the stairs. Every wall had a painting or a tapestry, or a pedestal with something no doubt expensive on it. The place was set up like her home on Tamaran, regal and far to concerned with appearances for her tastes. At the end of the hallway right as it turned five doors were open.
"Master, …Robin I was not sure weather or not you wanted to stay in your old room, it hasn't been changed since you left."
"No I'd rather stay here Alfred than on that side of the manor."
"Good then I will go bring in your luggage."
"Alfred were is he anyway"
"Oh, Yes master Bruce is down in his private study he assured me that he will be up shortly." Alfred told Robin. He turned to leave, and Raven walked after him. She said something but it was out of earshot already.
Robin took the room at the corner, Starfire took the room next door to him and Beastboy took the room furthest on that side of the hall. Cyborg took the inner room across from Starfire which left Raven the room across from Beastboy. The room she had ended up with was almost as large as here room back at the tower. A large walk-in closet a personal bathroom and a very large four-posted bed with draped curtains around it. Starfire joyfully jumped on the bed; she had been in the T-car scrunched up next to Beastboy for the last three hours. Surly after a night in a bed like this everyone would lose their grumpiness and be ready to have fun, after all this was a vacation. Starfire half skipped, half floated back to the stairs to get the two bags she had brought. She needn't have bothered as Raven had help Alfred by levitating all the bags down the hall and unceremoniously dropped them outside.
"Master Bruce says he will be up shortly could you please wait for him in the central living room?"
"Right, and Alfred."
"Yes Master Robin?"
"Thanks."
"Oh don't spend another moment dwelling on it."
It took everyone several minutes to bring their stuff inside and find their way back to the living room. Raven who was there first had to wait four or five minutes before everyone was sitting down. Mr. Wayne must have been watching form elsewhere as he timed his appearance just after Robin finally showed up and set down. While he wasn't wearing anything extravagant, a suit bottom and an unbuttoned collared shirt, Bruce Wayne was physically impressive. At several inches past six feet and with broad shoulders and a cut figure he could easily fit the bill of Gotham's most eligible bachelor.
"I'm sorry that I was held up, but some things must be taken care off."
Cyborg stood up and walked over with his had out stretched.
"To much work in your hobbies Bruce." Robin muttered under his breath, loud enough for everyone to hear. Starfire didn't get it and from the looks of it neither did Raven or Beastboy. Cyborg and Mr. Wayne both stopped dead in their tracks.
"Funny, coming form someone who hasn't ever taken anytime off." Mr. Wayne shot back.
Robin looked like he was going to say something else but Cyborg beat them both to the punch.
"Look I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for your support and what a pleasure it is to meet you again."
"Hmph." Robin made an exasperated sound and walked off. Starfire held on to his cape but he just tore it away from her and kept moving.
"Yes it's good to see you again Cyborg. I apologize now but I really must take care of something I will have to get to meet you during dinner." He nodded at the other Titans.
"Yeah dinner then." Cyborg backed off and plopped himself down on the couch.
"Cyborg." Beastboy began. "For us laypersons out there, what just happened?"
"Yeah I'd love to know the story behind that." Raven said.
"Yes why are these old friends like old enemies?" Starfire finished.
"Look I don't know the whole story, you'll have to ask Robin to find it all out, But form what I know Bruce Wayne, and his associate Batman trained Robin."
"Then…"
"Just wait until I'm done Star."
Starfire slouched back despondent.
"Anyway, Robin was Batman's sidekick and things were fine, for a while. But there was some sort of falling out between the two of them. " Cyborg paused for a second.
"I met Robin when he came to our city, the trust fund my father had for me started the Titans, but it was money from Mr. Wayne which really pays for all our stuff."
"Wait that's it?" Beastboy asked.
"Yep"
"You make us wait and hold are breaths for ask Robin."
"Hey its all I know."
"But Beastboy is right asking Robin about his past is a sure fire way to end a conversation." Raven finished.
Starfire had stopped listing to the begin of an argument by now and just kind of drifted away towards the stairwell that Robin had taken when he left. Raven Walked away, she had found out were the library was from Alfred earlier and Beastboy and Cyborg kept arguing and looking for Alfred or Mr. Wayne, after all the living had no TV. There must be one somewhere. By the time Starfire landed on the upper balcony the living room was empty. Robin had gone down the left hallway she just hoped he had not closed whatever door he eventually went in. He hadn't, Robin was just standing at the threshold of one of the rooms just inside the left hallway after its turned and headed towards the back of the mansion.
"Robin?"
"Not now."
"Please tell me what is troubling you?" No response.
"Please Robin?"
"I SAID NOT NOW!"
"Oh." Starfire took a step back deeply hurt.
"If you don't want to talk I guess I will…"
"Look, 'sigh' I'm sorry for yelling Star I just need some time to myself." He paused and looked at the ground for a second.
"I cant talk now because I'm not sure what I will say, I promise that I'll tell you what this is about once I figure it out myself."
"That is a promise I will hold you to Robin." Starfire turned and floated away, some vacation this was turning out to be. She wondered if perhaps she had the meaning of the word mixed up.
The ringing of a bell reminded Starfire that dinner was ready; she had been seated on her bed practicing one of the calming techniques that Raven had shown her. Getting up and floating down the hallway she quickly found the dinning room nestled back behind the living room, next to the ballroom. Everyone was already there, well almost everyone, Mr. Wayne and Robin were nowhere to be found.
"Friends I apologize for my lateness."
"Doesn't matter Star, Alfred wont start serving until Robin and Mr. Wayne show up anyway." Beastboy replied. "And it's so unfair Alfred made something I can eat."
"Wouldn't be a problem if you didn't always want tofu this and tofu that." Cyborg cut him off. "I mean really what's the point of a tofu burger, just eat a real burger" Cyborg looked around the table for support while Beastboy glared daggers at him. "Anybody, …Come on don't leave me out hanging."
"Drop it Cy." Raven finally said.
Starfire took her seat and then waved and called out to Robin who just entered the room.
"Come sit down friend Robin, we are waiting for you."
Robin quietly took his seat on one end of the table. Just as he sat down Mr. Wayne appeared from around a nearby corner and quickly sat down. Starfire wondered if he was just standing out of sight waiting for Robin.
"Sorry I'm late, I'm sure your hungry so lets just skip the formalities and start eating. Alfred"
"Right away master Bruce."
Alfred had indeed made something for Beastboy, not that steamed rice and vegetables look good at all when compared to the ham he brought out. Cyborg couldn't help but say something.
"Look what we got a lovely ham for us and a nice piece of asparagus for you."
Beastboy kicked him form under the table and Raven made a show of asking Beastboy to pass the vegetable platter when he was done severing himself.
"Oh e tu Raven, I'm hurt." Cyborg responded massaging his human leg.
While the dinner was good Robin and Mr. Wayne said nothing during the meal and promptly excused themselves afterward. Starfire got up to follow Robin but was stopped by Raven.
"Let him go Starfire he needs time alone now."
"But Raven I was just going..."
"…to try and help Robin right?" Raven finished for her.
"How did you know what I was going to say, you read my mind didn't you?" Starfire said in an accusing voice.
"Why read your mind when it's written all over you face."
Starfire started to walk past her but Raven stopped her.
"Look I've seen Robin's look before, I've been there before its really best if you just let him blow off steam or else you will just end up being his target."
Thinking back to earlier today Starfire understood what Raven was talking about.
"You are correct, thank you for your advice friend Raven."
"Eh don't mention it."
The boys, totally un-a where of their conversation called them over,
"Raven, Starfire, you have got to come see this."
"The entertainment system here is huge." Cyborg chimed in.
"Ok well be on are way." Raven smiled and waved.
Starfire let Raven guide her over to where Beastboy and Cyborg where ogling a huge plasma screen television, but her mind was miles away, she was worried about Robin, he hadn't been himself since they got the invitation to the Wayne Manor several days ago and the closer they got to Mr. Wayne the worst it was. Robin had promised to tell her what was up but he wouldn't say a thing until he was over it. By then it would be to late to help him.
"Just to remind you," Alfred interrupted, "it is suppose to rain tomorrow afternoon but the morning is supposed to be the only time this weekend that it will be sunny and a good day to swim in the pool."
"Thanks Alfred we will remember that and get some rest at some point." Cyborg replied.
"Very well good night."
"Night Alfred" the group called after him.
Starfire checked her watch it was almost mid-night, she had unknowingly spent five hours watching Beastboy get creamed in various games.
"I think I will turn in as well." Starfire turned and left the room nodding at the parting calls of the other titans. The mansion was dark and gloomier than when they had arrived in the late afternoon. She paused outside of her room for a second looking at Robins door and thinking. After a moment of indecision she went over to his door and knocked softly.
"Robin… Robin are you in there." She knocked slightly louder and then opened the door. "Robin."
But Robin was nowhere to be found. His bed had not been touched and none of his luggage had been unpacked. He hadn't used this room since he got there. Starfire got the urge to try the door far down the other hall that she had seen Robin enter before. Then she remembered Raven's advice.
"Goodnight Robin," She closed his door and went back to her own adding, "where ever you are."
The next morning was indeed bright and sunny, the titans made there way to the pool over about an hours time. By the time Starfire arrived Beastboy and Cyborg were already they're both showing off their best cannonballs and any thing else they could think of.
"Jump in the waters fine." Cyborg called up from on the diving board. "Look out bellow." He jumped off and landed with a huge splash that got water on Starfire who was standing several feet away from the edge of the pool.
"Oh this looks most enjoyable." Starfire tossed her towel aside and with a running jump dived into the water. She came to the surface and shook the water out of her hair.
"How did I do?"
Beastboy and Cyborg slowly closed their jaws and started to congratulate her. Starfire's swimsuit was a very skimpy two-piece. Even less so than the miniskirt she usually wore.
"Friends is there a problem?"
"No problem at all Star." Replied Beastboy who was rushing out of the pool to deal with a sudden nosebleed.
"Wonderful." Starfire flew back into the air and copied Cyborg's cannonball this time.
Raven walked out side and sat down in one of the many lounge chairs around the pool. She was wearing a simple blue swimsuit that wasn't much more than her normal outfit minus the cape.
"Your coming in the pool right, Rae?" Beastboy asked, once again in the water.
"No"
"Sure you are right?" He had swum up to the edge closest to Raven.
"No I'm just going to sit out here and read."
"If you don't come in I'll splash you."
"If you do you'll regret it." This time her voice contained a slight bit of menace.
"Suit yourself."
"Good…Ah…Beastboy…'Cough'…stop it." Raven's eyes glowed as she called her powers around her to create a shield that stopped all the water that Beastboy was throwing her way.
"Hey not fair."
Raven dropped the force field but her eyes didn't stop glowing, Beastboy paid that no mind and kept splashing water on her.
"Beastboy," Starfire cut in with a very timid voice
"Yeah Star."
"Maybe you should stop."
"Why?" Beastboy ask looking back at Starfire, but still splashing Raven.
Starfire just pointed up. Above Beastboy a growing black vortex had been siphoning water from the pool and had been collecting over Beastboy's head for a few seconds now.
"Hey that not c…" Beastboy's voice was drowned out when Raven released a couple gallons of water directly on top of Beastboy. Water flew all over getting Raven wetter than Beastboy could have ever managed, but she thought in hindsight, it was worth it. The blast of water had caused him to lose his grip on the edge and go under, he came up a second later coughing and gasping for air.
"That was so not…'cough, cough'…cool Rae."
"You deserved that." Cyborg added trying hard not to burst with laughter. If looks could kill Beastboy would have roasted Cyborg on the spot. He didn't mange though when Starfire and Raven both started to laugh he couldn't hold in any longer.
"Whoa I better get out before I drown myself." He managed between boughs of laughter.
Raven now totally soaked slipped into the pool and set down on the pool steps.
"Well it was kinda funny." Beastboy finally said as he stopped glaring at Cyborg.
"If only Robin was here to share in the fun."
"Speaking of which I haven't seen him all day" Cyborg said to Starfire.
Starfire looked at the mansion behind her, not really seeing but just looking as like she was trying to see something that wasn't there or someone that wasn't anywhere to be seen.
At that same moment Robin was in his room, not the room that Alfred had set up for him so he could be closer to his friends, but the room where he had lived for three years while he was Bruce's ward. And sidekick he reminded himself. He had taken much of his things with him when he left but the reaming pieces were still here the photos of him as a boy and the pictures while he was living here. Starfire had frequently asked him about his past but he had kept quiet and never given her an answer. It was because his past was back here and he didn't want to take that long lonely walk down memory lane. Yet he was here looking at trinkets of his past life instead of being out side. The rest of the titans were out by the pool, Alfred had told him at breakfast. He could just make up with Bruce put the past behind him and go on. No that wasn't going to happen, maybe if that stuck up ass wanted to apologize first, but who was he kidding that would never happened. That man had made it his business to not give a rat's ass about anyone else for his entire adult life. His poorly hidden alter ego would never allow that, which was why alter egos were a waste of time. Robin reaffirmed his promise not to be two people at once ever again. Then he stormed out of his room slamming the door behind him.
The peel of distant thunder reminded Starfire that it was going to rain soon. She had been lying on a lounge chair for the past half an hour. Raven worrying of sunburn had gone inside over an hour ago and Cyborg had just gone in to find some food. Beastboy was still in the pool swimming laps but he looked up now at was defiantly approaching rain.
"Its going to rain are you going to come inside?"
"Yes, I guess I must friend Beastboy."
Even after several hours of swimming Beastboy jumped put of the water and landed without falling on the deck, he hadn't even transformed. At which point he slipped and fell back in the water.
"Friend why do you not simply fly out?"
"Can't." Starfire looked at him puzzled.
"Why?" Beastboy climbed out on one of the conventional ladders.
"Ever wonder how I can change into animal and when I change back my jumpsuit still fits?"
"No, but I shall right now." She picked up her towel and wrapped it around herself. "No friend Beastboy I still do not understand."
"My jumpsuit is a specially made suit that can do that, while these," he pointed to the swim trunk he was wearing as he grabbed his towel, "can not."
"I still don't get it."
"Never mind." Beastboy shook his head as he walked inside.
Starfire found her way back down stairs after getting dressed again. Beastboy and Cyborg were in the same place they had been last night, after raiding the rather well stocked pantry. Alfred didn't stock their choice of junk food, but they did find enough crackers and dip to feed a small army. Raven sat nearby reading, and Robin was once again nowhere to be seen. Starfire set down on the couch by Cyborg.
"May I have then next game?" Cyborg grumbled an affirmative. He wasn't doing very well at the moment.
Some one cleared their throat and the titans looked to the doorway where Alfred had just come in.
"Excuse me, but master Bruce would like to know if you will be joining us at the charity gala tonight?"
"Gala, gala, oh right you asked about it before we left Jump city right?" Cyborg replied.
"Yes, it's tonight."
"We'll be ready by seven, thanks for reminding us."
"Excuse me, what is a Gala?" Starfire asked inquisitively.
"It is a formal party." Alfred answered.
"Oh but I don't have anything formal to where."
"But Star I'm sure Robin told us before we left." Beastboy added.
"Opps."
Beastboy just smacked himself in the head and made an exasperated sound.
"Well master Bruce has been collecting formal wear in the closets of the guest rooms for a few years now, I'm sure you can find something that fits you."
"Oh thank you friend Alfred, may you please help me find this formal wear?"
"I guess I can."
Starfire let out a half laugh half giggle and jumped up to follow Alfred.
"I wonder some times." Cyborg said as he unpaused the game.
"Hey wait until I pick up my controller!"
"Snooze ya lose BB."
"Your gona pay for that."
"Hey…ouch…cut it out."
Raven sighed and walked off.
Robin was in the observatory, where few of the titans had even explored. The door quietly opened and closed.
"Hello Mr. Wayne." Robin said without turning around.
"How did you know it was me?"
"No one else closes doors like a thief in their own home."
'sigh' "You don't plan on ever letting go do you?"
"No."
"Well I came to remind you about the charity gala tonight."
"I changed my mind I'm not going."
"But all you new friend will be their, along with some old ones."
"If you haven't noticed I'm trying to get rid of my old friends."
"Even the ones that didn't know the boy wonder."
"That other me, he died."
"If you're not going to show up for my sake then do so for your friends." He turned and left. "Think about it." The door closed just as silently as it opened.
"What do you think I've been doing?" Robin said to the empty room. The rain outside intensified, a signal of things to come, perhaps.
At 6:55 Cyborg was pacing up and down the hallway. The point of being forward to be ready at seven was that they should be ready to leave at seven, not just getting dressed. 'tap, tap, tap,'
"Hurry up guys it's 6:58 we need to go now." He called out, there was no answer.
What could possible be taking so long? He walked back to the living room to find Robin sitting there waiting for him. Robin was wearing a full tuxedo but he was coving his eyes with a pair of sunglasses, mirrored and large, the wraparound kind.
"Dude those sunglasses don't go with that tux at all."
"Doesn't matter, where is everyone else."
"Their still primping or whatever." Cyborg glanced at the hallway, still no one, then at his watch, 7:02.
"Dam no we're going to be late."
"Relax Cy, Bruce always likes to arrive early so he gives everyone the wrong time, we could leave at 7:30 and still be early."
"Oh." Cyborg sat down on the couch.
"What changed you mind?"
"A promise I made." Cyborg was going to ask him more but decided against it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, give a huge welcome for Beastboy, wearing a lovely…" He came around the corner where he could see who was bellow.
"Oh, no ones here." He walked down the stairs and sat down next to Cyborg.
"No one?"
"No one worth impressing." He was impressive, a little. Beastboy was wearing a purple suit and a lime green tie that was just a shade lighter than his own.
"Gah…" Robin explained when he caught sight of the tie.
"Fashioned challenged I see."
"This from the Terminator."
Cyborg just laughed why Beastboy made a hurt face.
"What's so funny?" Raven was coming down the steps.
"Rae…"
Raven was wearing a black gown that went down to the floor with a slit in the side so she could walk, low cut front and back sleeveless affair. She was wearing heels, which were unheard of for her, and long black gloves that came up almost to here shoulders. The most noticeable piece of her outfit was a large blue silk shawl or scarf thing that she had wrapped around her neck and had both ends wrapped around her arms. Without her customary hood on she had left her hair as is but was wearing pearl earrings.
"Wow." Was all Robin could manage.
"You know you just reminded me why I wear a hood and cloak." Raven growled.
"Robin just has problems." Beastboy got up and waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. "I think you look lovely."
"Th…thanks." Raven blushed.
"Uh Raven could I uh have the honor of escorting you to this party?"
She smiled this time and chuckled a bit.
"Yes, but you have to lose that awful tie first."
Beastboy had the tie undone and in one of his suit's pockets in seconds.
Raven offered Beastboy her hand and he escorted her down the last step.
"Oh I am glad everyone is here, I was worried that I might have been left." Starfire had appeared at the top of the balcony. Once again another intake of breath from the men, Starfire had found a voluminous purple gown that flared out like a Victorian dress at the bottom. The top was a simple white affair, sleeveless, with a turtleneck top. Correction not sleeves the sleeves were separately attached like gloves but flared out at the writs with more lavender and purple fabric. She came down the stairs with a look of regality, and royalty that Raven would not have been able to match had she spent weeks practicing.
"Do you like my dress Robin?"
"Yeah."
"When Alfred pulled out this one I just knew I wanted to wear it, it reminds me so of the fashions on Tamaran."
Robin finally managed to regain his composure.
"Wow you look great." Seeing Beastboy and raven standing together, Starfire hurried over to Robin and latched onto his arm.
"Oh you must be my date for tonight, yes."
"Ok sure Star." Robin stammered.
Starfire looked at Cyborg who was still pacing and looking at his watch.
"Oh friend Cyborg do you not have a garment for tonight's occasion?"
"Star." Robin hissed.
"No Robin its fine and yeah I do have a suit tonight just was waiting for everyone to show up." He tapped a switch on his arm and in a flash of light Cyborg was replaced by the holographic construct that Cyborg made when he had infiltrated the HIVE Academy. Except this time non-mechanical Cyborg was wearing a sky blue tuxedo.
"Oh very nice." Complimented Starfire.
"Thank you."
Mr. Wayne walked in form the other upstairs hallway in a standard black tuxedo and motioned for them to follow. Alfred had just pulled up in the short limo Mr. Wayne had.
"I'm going to ride in the front with Alfred you guys can have the back to yourself."
"Thank you Mr. Wayne." Starfire said as Alfred helped her into the vehicle.
"Told ya Cy, no rush at all well be there in a few minutes."
The rain did not lighten as the drove, luckily the hotel where the gala was had a covered driveway. As they pulled up Starfire insisted that she and Robin get out first. Raven and an awkward Beastboy followed.
"Sorry man looks like you're by yourself tonight." Beastboy said to Cyborg as the group walked inside. Cyborg chuckled a bit.
"Naw I think I'm covered." He turned off and Beastboy watch as two beautiful women embraced him and the chatted for a few seconds, Beastboy couldn't hear, and then they turned and walked back in front of Raven and Beastboy.
"Beastboy, Raven, met Kimberly and Shana, their old friends of mine."
"Pleased to meet you." Raven said.
Beastboy didn't manage to say anything.
"Oh BB I think this calls for a Boo-Ya." He called out as he walked in.
The party was boring, Bruce paraded the titans around, sans Cyborg they couldn't find him, to the rich of Gotham who owed and awed as expected. The whole group had plans to blow the party in about half and hour and hit a night club when Bruce called Robin away from Starfire.
"This better be good old man."
"It is, a police informant just let Bats know of a deal going down in the warehouse district."
"What's that got to do with me Bruce?" Robin asked the ire rising in his voice.
"Normally nothing, just Two-Face and a few of his mob connections. But he's brought in extra firepower and the police aren't willing to move in without assurances."
"What extra firepower could possibly scare the dark knight?" This time Robin was into full sarcasm.
"The kind that's importuned." Bruce pulled out his cell phone and brought up a photo viewer. "These were taken by a surveillance drone fifteen minutes ago." The photo was a picture of Two-Face shaking hands with an all to familiar man in red.
"Brother Blood."
"Yes and he brought some of his best apprentices with him." Bruce said pointing to the three figures behind Blood.
"I could take Two-Face alone or any of the HIVE students without help, but all of them at once." He sighed. "I hate to admit it Robin but I'm getting old."
"Fine just this once I'll help you out but I'm calling the shots."
Bruce laughed.
"You don't know the first thing about the building layout, or the number of guys. How about we do this as a team for once." He offered Robin his hand.
"Fine, but we still need to talk after this." Robin shook his outstretched hand and the two hurried off.
"I'll need to change, I'll be out around back. My car can only hold three."
"We'll manage."
"Oh no." Cyborg touched something on his cufflink to turn on the com system.
"Its are night off what can be so important."
"Brother Blood." Cyborg stopped walking.
"What's wrong?" Shana asked.
"I'm really sorry girls but something's come up and I have to take care of it. I'll make it up to you I promise." Cyborg hurried outside to the back alley, where the Batmoblie was sitting revving up. Cyborg hoped in taking the cramped back seat. Robin was already in the passenger seat and Batman was obviously tired of waiting. Raven, Starfire and Beastboy rushed outside, where Robin quickly brought everyone up to speed.
"You three can fly right?" Batman asked them.
"Yeah, about that can one of you girls carry me I don't want to mess up my suit." Batman had closed the roof and took off as soon as he heard yes so Starfire picked up Beastboy and the three flew of trying to keep up with the jet-powered car. Luckily the rain had stopped, but it was still cloudy and the moon was not out tonight.
As the Batmoblie pulled up to the police blockade Batman rolled down the window to speak with the police officer in charge, they talked for a minute then they were waved through. By this time Starfire and Raven had caught up and landed next to the Batmoblie.
"Thanks Star."
"Not at all friend Beastboy, after all you are a lot lighter than Cyborg."
Beastboy took off his suit and tossed it into the Batmoblie, Cyborg had disengaged the hologram, Robin had taken off his glasses and replaced them with his mask, and he was still wearing his tuxedo. Starfire and Raven couldn't really carry anything more maneuverable so they were still in their gowns.
"The officer in charge says the targets have noticed the police and have bared themselves in." Batman pulled up the plans of the building on his portable readout device.
"There's a small entrance here," pointing to a vent, "but the targets are arranged like this." He pushed another button bring up a real-time heat sensor.
"As you can see most of the targets are in this large room while a few are in the office. If we all came through that small vent we'd end up surrounded. So I proposed that the majority of us crash through the front and in the confusion a small group can get in to the offices."
"Batman and I will go around through the vent, the rest of you should hit the doors. Wait for my signal!" The titans hurried off to their positions leaving Batman and Robin standing there.
"You still want to work with me?"
"I've become like you more than you know, I've got to take the most dangerous job or I wouldn't feel right." Batman just shook his head.
"We have to hurry then."
"Right."
Two minutes latter Batman and Robin hung upside down from the ceiling of the air ducts. The vent in question was two feet bellow them but a laser alarm grid bared their way.
"No choice we'll have to wait for your friends to trip the alarms."
"Right." Robin clicked on his comlink. "Titans Go!"
Jinx was bored, she Gizmo and Mammoth had been ordered to watch the door of this broken up warehouse that freak Two-Face called his office. That was twenty minutes ago. The three of them and about twenty of Two-Face's men were set up behind boxes weapons ready. The Gotham police were arrayed about a block away but they hadn't attempted to talk or to attack. The local guys, beyond hooting at her, were freaked out about some Batman. He had apparently trained Robin so this master must be dangerous but then that was why Two-Face called in the HIVE Academy to deal with him.
"Valero don't yet your guard down." She snapped to a thug who had put his gun down.
"Sure thing sweetie."
Jinx just hissed at him.
"Quiet did you hear that." Some one said. The room fell deafly silent, and there was something a creaking or groaning. Jinx held her breath and listened. Then the braced door exploded inward scattering dust all over the room. Shapes that resoled into four far too well know figures. The men didn't wait and opened fire, right into a far to familiar black shield.
The other door had been huge, Beastboy, in gorilla form, and Cyborg had taken each side and Raven had telekinetically pushed in the center. When Robin gave the signal they heaved and the door exploded inward. Before the dust had even cleared shots rang out, as close to twenty men with machine-guns opened fire. Raven raised a black shield that had reflected the barrage and a few of the attackers went down as they took hits from the friendly fire. Raven stayed where she was by the entrance using her magic defensively. Cyborg and Starfire ran across the room firing at the right flank but were eventually pinned behind some boxes just inside. The mobsters had set up their men in three groups each behind a section of boxes, five on each side and seven in the center. Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth were on the right side. Beastboy transformed himself into a leopard and charged the men in the left group of boxes. They were ready for a man and weren't able to track the cat's fast movements. Beastboy jumped into the air is if to pounce but transformed into a gorilla in mid-flight. Coming down hard on top of the men's makeshift fort. The boxes splintered and the force sent the men flying backwards, one hit something and stayed down but the others lifted their guns and fired. They would have hit him, had he still been there, instead one just managed to shoot his own guy. Beastboy hurled himself at the closest guy as soon as he landed and transformed into a snake wrapping around his prey and squeezing the man's arms to his sides. The man cried out and dropped his gun, Beastboy reformed into himself behind this man and stuck him in the back of the head, and he went down silently. The two remaining guys opened fired only to strike a turtle, the bullets bounced off his shell harmlessly. One man stopped to reload and look down as he did so, couldn't have taken more than three seconds, but when he looked up he faced not a turtle but a tiger. Beastboy jumped on that man knocking him flat and out with the force of his attack then he clawed the man standing next to his fallen partner. The swipe knocked the gun out of the man's hands; he screamed backed up and then tripped over the body of a fallen comrade, he then fainted. Beastboy retreated to another box as he started to draw fire from the central group of guys.
Raven had been staying out of this fight, mainly making shields to protect Cyborg and Starfire, but now she started picking up objects and rather than throw them she was pulling them together and spinning them around. Raven miniature tornado lashed out at the guys in the middle hurling their cover out of the way and battering them with debris. Jinx stopped throwing her hex bolts at Starfire and directed them at the force storm and at Raven. Whenever one of her hex bolts stuck something that Raven was controlling them magic was disrupted and it fell to the ground, but Raven kept adding more to the mix. Jinx jumped up from her cover and sprinted towards the center, flipping over starbolts and sonic blasts as she went. Raven was able to block most of the hex bolts shot at her but was hit in the chest by Jinx's last shot, Raven fell over the railing outside and all the objects she'd been levitating stopped.
"Raven!" Beastboy called out as he jumped over the create he'd been hiding behind, he hit the ground as a rhinoceros and charged the center group of boxes fling men and creates all over the place.
Starfire flipped up out of her hiding place catching to gangsters with starbolts, they flew backwards and slumped to the ground, at the same time her eyebeams caught one of Gizmo's four mechanical legs/ arms. She slammed right into Mammoth with a vicious spinning kick. This probably would have killed anyone else but Mammoth took was just knocked back stunned for a second. Cyborg took the interruption to jump over the crates and charge, to sonic blasts took out the last guy on this flank and then he ran his shoulder into Mammoth. Starfire blasted two more guys and then focused on Jinx who was to fast and agile to get hit by a starbolt. Starfire led with a punch combination but Jinx dogged throwing hex bolts at Starfire, they missed her but ate away parts of her oversized dress bottom.
"Oh have I made the princess made, she goanna cry now." Jinx mocked as she flipped back out of the way of another starbolt.
Starfire uttered a rather nasty curse in her home language and flew up close to Jinx, Starfire kicked out and Jinx misread the attack not being able to see Starfire's feet because of the dress. Jinx blocked to low and to early, Starfire pulled her kick and punched Jinx in the stomach. Jinx coughed and fell backward, getting to feet just in time to meet Starfire's follow up punch. Jinx hit the floor and was out.
By this time Beastboy had silenced the last of the gunfire and had transformed into a raptor, as he now squared of against Gizmo. Gizmo had only three of his tentacle weapons working now; he was using two to stand up and one to keep Beastboy back. Gizmo stabbed outward with the sharp pincers of the tentacle but Beastboy dodged and bit it. He broke though and bit something important and electrified, Beastboy flew back as the current shocked him he reverted to his normal self and landed in a pile of broken boxes. Gizmo's suit short-circuited, and he was forced to shut it down. Without his suit the diminutive four foot tall boy was little threat, he looked to Mammoth to see if would have any help. Mammoth was engaged with Cyborg and for the most part they were even, up until the point a crate that had been undamaged in the back lifted up on its own accord and crashed down on Mammoth's head.
"Raven you are ok, yes." Starfire asked as she closed in on Gizmo, the only conscious bad guy in the room.
"Wait stop I give," Gizmo raised his hand slowly.
Cyborg notified the police and the paramedics to move in and took stock of the situation. Raven had finally levitated herself back into view. The hex bolt had burnt her in the shoulder, and she was no longer wearing the shawl, scarf thing, she had worn earlier. Starfire look horrible, her dress was torn in multiple places, she just looked like a total wreck, but her high spirits showed she was unhurt. Beastboy on the other hand looked very messed up, from the amount of blood he had on him Cyborg was sure he had taken at least one bullet and that last blast of electricity had not helped him at all.
"Raven stay with Beastboy, Paramedics are on the way." Cyborg instructed. "Starfire and I will go help Bats and Robin."
Cyborg didn't wait for an acknowledgement and ran towards the door. Checking his power readouts he swore, twenty five percent power. He'd have to conserve his shots or he'd be in worse shape than Beastboy.
Meanwhile Batman and Robin dropped silently to the floor amid the sounds of not so distant gunfire. The idea was no one could check out the alarm they had tripped in the middle of a firefight. The two-caped crusaders landed on the bottom floor of an empty room. The doors were all on the second floor, which ringed this level with balconies and one set of stairs. A perfect place for an ambush Robin thought, but no one rushed out to shoot at the duo as they mounted the stairs, or went to the office door. Batman kicked the door in and dived into the room coming up in a crouch throwing a batmerang at the closest guard. The flying weapon knocked the gun right out of the man's hands, and Batman charged him. There was a second guard in the room and as he raised his gun to track Batman, Robin threw one of his weapons; the bladed throwing knife sliced the barrel of the gun right off. Batman caught the surprised crook with an uppercut that connected low, right in the solar plexus, followed by a left straight sending the man sprawling on his backside unconscious. Robin whipped out his collapsible rod and used it for balance as he delivered a sharp full-bodied kick to the man he was fighting. The two crime fighters picked themselves up and moved towards the back of the room, where two startled figures now stood by a desk.
"There's the Bat that's your cue Blood." Two-Face snarled as he pulled a gun.
"I don't remember anything in our deal about a partner…" He stopped short as he recognized the masked figure. "I travel this far to avoid you and yet you still follow, why?"
Blood threw of the cowl and cloak he was wearing rushed the two. Batman was forced to dodge to the right avoiding shots from Two-Face while Robin and Brother Blood both went to the left. Batman tossed another batmerang at Two-Face, the bladed end missed the gun but caught the villains hand, slicing several tendons and causing him to drop the weapon and clutch his hand. Two-Face cursed and pulled a knife in his left hand. He slashed twice at Batman, one vertical and one horizontal, at which point Batman spun around letting the knife slice into his cape, Two-Face didn't realize he'd only slashed fabric and stabbed forward getting his hand caught in the cape. Batman pulled him in punched him first in the wrist to disarm him and again in the head to send him sprawling. As the crazed man got to his feet Batman delivered a roundhouse kick upside Two-Face's head knocking the man senseless. By the time he had recovered Batman had bound his hands behind him and hung him by his arm on a rafter so the villain dangled just off the ground.
At the same time Robin squared off against Brother Blood.
"I see that Tuxedo Mask has finally revealed himself." Blood slashed downward with his hands flat like blades; the mechanical hands split the air and were barley blocked by Robin's staff. Robin backed away regarding Blood, his staff had slight dents where he had stopped Bloods attack and his arm hurt, Robin would defiantly have to dodge Blood's next attack.
"What do you mean?" Robin feinted with his staff then reversed it and aimed a heavy attack at Blood's head. He was ready; Blood grabbed the staff and wrenched it from Robin's hands.
"He was from a TV show when I was a child, a second rate hero who always saved the day, but had to rely on someone else to finish the job." Blood delivered a flurry of blows, Robin dodged or deflected most of them but took a kick to the gut and flew across the room, hitting the wall and falling to his knees. "More similarities than just the outfit, yes?"
"No." Robin tossed a pair of explosive weapons at Bloods feet, rather than jump backwards Blood rushed to close with Robin jumping over the two mini bombs and landing a solid punch, through the wall. Robin had rolled as soon as he threw them. Robin stood noticing that Batman was finished with Two-Face, and was circling behind the cybernetic martial arts master.
"How did you get out anyway?" Robin asked as he pulled out another staff and unfolded it.
"Simple, when your over sixty percent mechanical it's very easy to transfer you conciseness to another metal body while the original is taken care of by the state. I've been free since I became a vegetable two months ago." Blood launched another series of attacks at Robin and then flipped back over Batman firing sonic blasts from his arms. Both heroes dodged and found themselves side by side facing Blood rather than surrounding him.
"But now its my turn to ask a question, why the hell are you in Gotham ruining my plans?"
"This was supposed to be a vacation lunatic!" Robin and Batman charged, Robin wielding his staff and Batman had pulled a pair of bladed batmerangs and was wielding them like knives. Blood back peddled and blocked Robin's vertical staff attack, he countered with an open palm strike but robin dodged. Batman's cross swipe slash was blocked too though the twin blades made long scars in Blood's skin.
"Thought you've hurt me eh." Blood fired a sonic blast at Batman, the dark knight took the blast to his shoulder and stumbled backwards.
"My body's all metal the skin is just for appearances." Blood jumped forward corkscrewing through the air, landing a glancing blow to Robin's midsection. The boy wonder fell over backwards, but not before striking Blood with a crushing blow to his back. It would have snapped bones on a human but Blood didn't even blink. Blood slashed downwards with his open left hand, a menacing red aura surrounded it. Robin blocked with his staff, but Blood didn't pull away to strike again instead he just pushed and the staff began to melt. Robin flung the breaking staff away and flipped backwards, but fell to the ground again, Brother Blood had grabbed Robin's jacket.
"If I had know you were so easy to kill I would have done so sooner." Blood lifted Robin up by his coattails and slashed sideways with his still glowing left hand. Robin started to flip away but he was to close. "Die r…" Bloods voice trailed off and the searing blade that was his hand stopped inches from Robin's neck. Robin ripped his jacket off and scrambled away from Blood who was starting to spark as energy arced over his body, his clothes caught on fire and the android fell forwards to the ground. Sticking out of his back was an oddly shaped batmerang.
"I didn't know you had one of those." Robin said getting to his feet.
"I have one of these for everything." Batman pulled Robin's singed jacket from Blood's burning fingers.
"Catch."
"Thank you." Robin slung the jacket back on, it was shredded in the back were Blood had grabbed it, and had burn marks over the rest of it.
"You ready to talk yet?"
"Yeah…"
"Robin, Batman are you two ok?" Cyborg asked as he and Starfire opened the door.
"Were fine but we need to find Two-Face a doctor soon." Batman pointed to the daggling mobster and his two men both tied up now. Robin almost did a double take when he noticed that the two henchmen were tied up, when did Bruce have the time to do that?
Starfire ran up in her now tattered dress and dragged Robin and Batman into a bone-crushing hug. Batman quickly disengaged himself and moved to a window.
"…but latter." Robin finally finished.
"But latter what?"
"Nothing Star."
"Hey where'd he go?" Cyborg asked looking around the room.
"He never did like to stay around for the police." Robin answered pointing to an open window.
"What happened to Blood?" Cyborg asked poking the burning robot with his foot.
"It was an android, the real one's still locked up."
"Enough of this come friends let us go and check on Beastboy."
"What happened to Beastboy?"
"He and Raven took the brunt of the damage, Starfire is right lets go get them and leave."
"Sounds like a plan."
When the titans got back to Wayne manor is wasn't even that late, but the teenage heroes were bone tired, at least most of them were. Cyborg had to recharge and bid them good night. Beastboy assured them that he wasn't hurt that badly and just needed rest. Raven would need to go into a healing trance to be completely better. And Robin, Robin disappeared as so as the titans got back. Starfire was once again alone; she hadn't even changed out of the ruined dress yet. No worry she told herself only to oversized bottom and parts of the sleeves were messed up, but she still felt bad she had in fact borrowed the dress.
"Alfred, Alfred."
"Yes."
It took Starfire several minutes of wandering to locate the butler.
"I first wish to apologize for messing up such a lovely dress."
"Don't worry, no one was going to wear that particular dress anyway."
"How do you know that friend Alfred?"
"I…I don't just a…uh…guess."
"Oh," she turned to leave, "Oh I almost forgot the other reason I was looking for you."
"Yes."
"Have you seen Robin?"
"Well master…Robin is…well it couldn't hurt to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
Alfred pulled the chime on an old grandfather clock he had been cleaning and it moved aside, revealing a passageway.
"Master Robin is down there, please don't touch anything."
"Thank you, thank you so much friend Alfred." Starfire hugged him, not as hard as before but still very tight. Then she floated down the stairs looking for Robin. At the bottom of the staircase Starfire found herself in a large cavern, it must be bellow the manor, it was built on a cliff after all. A few computers and various pieces of equipment were in a corner but her Starfire ignored all of that and flew up to the solitary figure sitting out on a ledge. Robin was sitting with his feet dangling over the edge, still in the tuxedo from earlier, though she suspected he'd not be able to wear it out again. Much like her dress.
"Robin?" Starfire asked putting her hand on his shoulder.
Robin spun around he'd clearly not expected company.
"Starfire, what are you doing here?"
"Alfred told me where you are." Robin pondered that for a moment before nodding ok.
"May I sit?"
"Uh, yeah."
Starfire sat down beside him on the edge looking down into the darkness then she turned to him.
"Robin you promised me you would tell me what was troubling you."
"I did, but…"
"No Robin you will tell me now."
"It's a long story."
"Everyone else is asleep we have nothing but time, now please tell me."
Robin just sat there for a moment before nodding.
"Well it's really complicated where should I start?"
"At the beginning please?"
Robin took a deep breath and sighed.
"I, I never knew my parents I was orphaned at an early age, whether they simple died or left me I don't know. I livid my life on the streets, I was a pickpocket and a thief. It was these abilities that eventually bought me to Batman, or brought him to me. Did you know there has been more than one Robin?"
"No, I thought it was just you."
"That's what he wants the world to think the first Robin left and I was the second. Anyway I did a good job we became friends, I guess, that man pushes away anyone who gets close. He became like a father to me."
"Then why do you not want to speak to him?"
"Like I said it's a long story. Batman had another sidekick at the time Batgirl; she was…'sigh'…I really liked her. I mean I had a huge crush on her; she was much older than me and thought it was funny. And then Slade and…"
"Wait Robin you are not making any sense, how can you go from childhood infatuations to Slade?"
"Ever wondered why I dislike Slade so?"
"He blackmailed you into working for him?"
"No that's not it, every other criminal I've ever encountered, with Batman and by myself, I have flat out won or they retreated. Slade beat me and not just once, do you realize how many times I've lost to Slade?"
Starfire held up her hands trying to take stock.
"I can remember nine times that we have encountered the Slade. But we won…"
"First off we never won because we never captured him, never stopped him, even when he lost it was part of a plan. Second while the titans have only faced him nine times I've faced him more. Here in Gotham Batman, Batgirl and I faced off against a man, same voice, same attitude, same skill. Batman was better than him and quickly beat him, but he had a trump card and I was left with a choice. I could save Batgirl or I could call his bluff and disarm a bomb. I went for Batgirl and nearly lost both. I should have taken care of the bomb and trusted Batgirl to be able to fend for herself. But I was weak and followed my heart over my head."
"Sometimes, no most of the time your heart will lead you the right way."
"Not this time I knew it but I did it anyway. The only reason we all weren't killed was because Batman hadn't trusted me and had a backup plan." Robin reached up and removed his mask. A thin scar went from under his left eye across his nose and up above his right eye.
"That is not a serious or disfiguring injury."
"I got his from Batman, for letting him down. I fought him at the moment and left because I couldn't believe that he didn't trust me after all of this time together. But I realized that he had done the right thing and that I had been at fault. I wouldn't admit it but that's when I asked him for money to create the Teen Titans. And Slade, he got away because of me, I have never beaten him and he knows that."
"Do not give up hope we will beat him one day." Robin started to reattach his mask.
"Wait now that I know there is no reason to hide your scar, your eyes are very nice without the mask on." Robin didn't stop though.
"I don't wear this mask to hide this scar Starfire, I wear this mask to hid who I was. With that blow I killed myself, the old me and became Robin. I let him come through time-to-time when trouble is not around, but he is just buried beneath me when anything happens. I wear this mask so I don't ever have to face him again."
"Robin that's not healthy."
"Perhaps one day, when Slade is gone and things are peaceful I'll let him live again but until then he just has to live through me."
Robin stood up.
"That's it."
"Your whole story."
"Basically."
Starfire got up and took a look down the chasm.
"You know we never did get to dance."
"What?"
"At that party there was dancing and you said you would dance with me."
"Oh, well I'm sure there will be another time."
"We still have our finery on let us dance now."
"But this tuxedo is messed up and your dress is…"
Starfire walked up close and took Robin's hands.
"No one is here but us, please show me how."
Robin showed her how to place her hands and they started to waltz. Robin was impressed that for someone who had never done this before, she did not step on his feet once. Perhaps she was floating, he couldn't tell the dress was in the way.
"Look we don't have any music this is dumb."
"I will sing then."
"Wait Star you don't have to…" Robin said as he remembered he people horrible songs for occasions. But she didn't listen and started to sing, and Robin stopped complaining when he heard her.
"Star that's beautiful I didn't know…"
"Shush." Starfire continued to sing in her own language but rather than the loud shrieks he had come to expect it was a soft mournful melody that entranced Robin, the two stopped waltzing and just stood together swaying in time with Starfire's voice. She held him close and rested he rested his head on her shoulder. They danced like this long after Starfire had finished her song.