Robin let out a quick sigh, and let go of his aching stomach to reach the light switch, still clinging weakly to the wall for support. "Lights out, Slade," he whispered, and, as he had believed, the light cleared his mind. Glad that it was finally over, he took a deep breath but managed to continue to be vulnerable to the pain. Off the corner of his unharmed left eye, he spotted Starfire floating above him.
"Robin!" she called, obviously relieved that he was still alive.
"It's okay, Starfire," he replied gently as she landed in front of him. A sudden wave of pain shot through him, and trusting by the look on his face, Starfire could sense it. "It's okay…"
Knowing that he couldn't hold on to the wall forever, Robin let go, relieved to be caught by Starfire. She gave a warm yet worried, look at the exhausted Robin, who lay half-unconscious in her arms with his legs bent and his stretched arms hanging down. Finally, she gave a quick glance at Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven, who were watching from the doorway above.
The thunder rushed through to the horizon, and the rain poured as hard as hail. Robin was sitting on the side of the torn hospital bed in the med wing. He, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire (who was standing by the side of the bed), were staring at the monitor on a large screen in front of them.
"Well…" Cyborg said calmly to Robin, "It looks like Slade pulled off one last trick. His mask contained a chemical reagent that infiltrated your central nervous system."
"The dust!" Robin concluded. "It made me see, hear, and feel Slade, even though he wasn't there."
"And the more you fought," Starfire continued, "The more harm it did to you."
"Or anyone else who got in the way…" Raven said suspiciously, rubbing her chin in deep thought.
Cyborg grinned. "Sign says your all clear now, though."
"Well, just to be sure…" Robin got up, limped to the other side of the room, and flicked off the lights. He glanced around the room and past his friends, and then returned his gaze to them. He turned the lights back on immediately and sighed. "I've been fighting Slade for so long, it's hard to just let it go." He paused for a split-second, then continued. "But sometimes I feel like I'm the only one still looking for him… the only one who can stop him."
"Robin," Starfire said, "You are never alone."
"And if Slade really does come back, we'll be ready," Cyborg continued. "We got things covered here. Why don't you get some rest?"
The suggestion was satisfying. "Sounds like a good idea," Robin nodded. Before he knew it, he was in bed, sound asleep.