This is My Submission for the Ducklings Easter Day Challenge. It will be atlesat a 2-shot maybe more. Please Review if you like it! And even if you didn't?
(*)
Robin adjusted in his seat, looking up at the stained glass windows as the priest spoke. It was just after sunrise so they sparkled and let the colored light in in shifting patterns that distracted Robin so easily from the sermon.
He sighed as he refocused his attention. He was in a nice suit, but not something that Dick Grayson would wear at a public event. Those were usually the best of the best kind of suits that could be recognized easily. This was something he had bought on his own just for this. It was simply black slacks, a white button up shirt and black suit jacket, he forwent the tie today.
Robin wasn't sure if he could stay awake for any more of this. But he didn't want to leave, it was a tradition he wasn't willing to break.
Ever since he was little, his parents took him to whatever church there was in the city they were performing at. Always on Easter Morning and always before Robin could participate in the church Easter egg hunt then the circus Easter show.
It was a tradition that he held fast to, church didn't exactly fascinate him anymore like it used to, though at 6 A.M. in the morning who could it really fascinate anyways? As a kid, he used to try not to giggle while seeing his dad yawn or his older brother fall asleep and then get caught by their mom. It was hilarious.
When Robin had gone to his parent's funeral, he hadn't even looked at the caskets; staring instead at the stained glass windows he was so used to seeing. Trying to pretend it wasn't real. It was only Alfred on his one side and Bruce on the other that had kept him from running out of the church.
Since then, Bruce hadn't really set foot in a church with him. Robin knew he was Catholic just like the teen was. But he had never seen him go to the church. Robin guessed it had to do with his parents and that's where he stopped asking it was a taboo thing at Wayne Manor and Robin didn't want to press it. Though sometimes he found it funny how Batman always said that the best place to look out for thugs was from a church steeple.
Robin looked around, breaking from his thoughts when he saw the congregation rise and began speaking. He quickly stood up as well. He noticed something odd; there was a man down the pew from him, with bright white hair. He chuckled alittle and was shushed by some old lady in front of him. He apologized and continued with the chant, his eyes straying to the man a couple of times but all he could see was his hair. He sighed as they could sit down again and looked around, the man was gone. He shrugged and tried to pay attention again, but he couldn't help his mind straying again. He had to do this in the morning because the Titans had an event at the park for an Easter Egg hunt where the kids could dress up as them and go find lots of eggs, then there was a photo shoot with someone dressed up as an Easter Bunny and hopefully if there was no crimes, they could have their own little Easter egg hunt around the tower and island.
Once the Mass was over, he stood up and collected his coat, even living on the west coast it was cold in the morning and it being April it was still quite cold outside.
He followed the others outside and thanked the Priest, he was thankful that no one would recognize him this far from Gotham so he wasn't forced to look like he had a hangover by wearing sunglasses. He could walk around with his face clear.
He started the walk home; he had his bag with him, carrying his uniform and communicator just in case. It was almost a strange feeling, the different ways things looked when you walked by them without a mask or sunglasses. Or even just walking by them instead of flying, running or driving by, it gave him a chance to stop and relax, enjoy the scenery.
Robin found himself humming an old hymn his mother had taught him while he walked past the park he was going to appear at today. People were setting up the photo area and laying out the eggs. Robin chuckled a few were just lying out in the open probably for the younger kids while others were being hidden under bushes and tables and at the bases of trees. He was sure that Beast Boy would have fun playing with the kids.
He ran a hand through his hair. It looked like it would be a fun day, provided there were no emergencies. Robin glanced down on a whim and noticed something sparkling on the ground beneath a bush. Did someone lose a bracelet? He knelt on the ground, not minding the grass stains there would surely be on his knees and reached into the bush, frowning as he felt something hard and round and yet the outside felt bumpy. He pulled the object out and found he was looking at a large…Egg. It was clearly gold. Or Painted Gold? There were beautiful jewels all around it. Pink jewels that were connected by a golden thread design and the whole thing had a lattice design on it. He found a switch as he was turning it over in his hands and it opened, there was satin on the inside but the space was empty except for a folded piece of paper.
Robin looked around before opening it. "Happy Easter." It said simply in simple script. Robin hoped it wasn't real and there was no way that it was for him. He pocketed it though, not wanting to leave something so expensive looking out in the open. He would turn it into the police when he got a chance that afternoon.
Robin quickly left and headed home, placing his egg off in his safe, he would give it to the police after the event. He didn't want some idiot rookie to just walk off with what might be millions of dollars' worth of treasure!
A few hours later found Robin in full uniform as well as the rest of the Teen Titans at the park, doing their photo shoot with the Easter Bunny as well as some little kids dressed up like them. Robin got to call out when the hunt began and Beast Boy stayed with the little kids, sniffing around to help them find eggs right out in the open.
Raven and Starfire were left to count the eggs to see who got the most and Cyborg helped to reach the higher hidden eggs. Robin chuckled as he relaxed against a tree watching, occasionally taking pictures with kids. A flash of white hair caught his attention and he followed it. It appeared to be the same man from Church that morning, but it wasn't that odd, Jump wasn't a huge place and didn't have many Catholic churches. He followed the man's movements, he seemed to just be walking around the park and he didn't look as old as Robin thought he was at first. He actually appeared to be in his early 40's. Maybe younger? Robin had to look away for a nice picture for a little girl in a wheel chair, Beast Boy had been helping her collect eggs and he sat next to her in dog form while Robin sat on the other side. It was quite a cute picture and thankfully all of the Titans would get copies. After all, what fun was it to be a superhero if you couldn't see how happy you made some people?
When he could look around again, he didn't see the white haired man again. So he shrugged and went on with his day. When he went to grab a bottle of water from the T-car, he frowned as he saw something in the front seat. A wrapped up present, how did someone get into the car, especially without setting off the alarm? He quickly opened the door and the box, finding another egg. This one even more beautiful than the last! It was beautiful and white, a line around the middle where Robin could open it and saw a beautiful palace. Why did this look so familiar? He found another note at the bottom of the box. "A Time of New Beginnings." It said in the same script. This had obviously been left for him! Why else would it be left in the T-car of all places?
He quickly put it back in the box and hid it in the car. He would have to investigate this, but once they were done, if Robin left now, he would never hear the end of it from the rest of the Titans.
2 Hours later they were finally finishing up and Robin helped the kids collect the last of the eggs, who would put eggs in a hole? Honestly! He handed the last of the plastic eggs to a little boy who grinned and ran off to his mom. The other titans were giving out candy and taking more pictures and Robin walked over there. The kids all gathered up for one last picture before they left, the team checking in with the police to see if there was any sort of emergencies. With none, they headed to their normal pizza spot. Thankfully Lent was finally over. As a teenager as well as a Titan with barely any time to eat something healthy, giving up pizza that year for Robin was torture! He took a large slice of cheese from the dish and practically moaned at the taste. The other titans laughing at him.
"Dude I don't know why you chose pizza of all things to give up!" Beast Boy laughed as he relaxed back in the chair. "I mean it's a necessity!"
Robin laughed, "I had to give it up cause I like it. That's the whole point." He took another bite and moaned again.
"Stop having sex with the pizza Robin, seriously." Cyborg said with a loud laugh that made Robin blush alittle. "Oh shut it."
As they enjoyed their pizza, Robin looked out onto the street, enjoying his Easter Lunch when someone tapped his shoulder; he turned around seeing the waiter looking very nervous with a present in his hands. "Uh…This was… I was told to give this to you…" He said in a very shaky tone. He set it on the table and the titans all stared at it. They were used to gag gifts from villains so Robin carefully opened it. Inside was…another egg?
"Dude! That's huge!"
"Who would send you that?"
"Dear Friend, what is it?"
"Is that…a clock?"
Robin was shocked as he pulled out a beautiful blue egg shape on a stand. It held more jewels and looked like some sort of clock symbols going around the side. It was quite lovely and inside the box was another note. "Time changes everything."
"This is the 3rd one I've gotten. What do you think these are? Or who they're from?" Robin said as he quickly looked around, looking for an explanation. "Hey!" He called out to the waiter who was walking away quickly. "What is this? Who told you to give this to me?"
The man was shaking. "I don't know, he told me that I wasn't to ask any questions and he threatened me if I broke it. He paid me $100 to give it to you." With that the man took off. Robin was so confused why was he getting these?
"Do you guys think it's a trick?" He asked as he held the box. "Who could be sending these messages?" The other Titans stared at him without an answer. "What did the other notes say?"
Robin thought, "The first one said Happy Easter, the second said A Time of New Beginnings and this one said Time Changes Everything. Does that mean anything?" He asked.
"Maybe someone's apologizing to you?" Raven suggested. "Could be Batman?"
Robin shook his head. Bruce was never that big on apologizing or on Easter, or hell even gift-giving all together. "Maybe a villain who's reformed?" Cyborg suggested. That could be it; Red X was one such person. He worked with them sometimes, he was always a nuisance but sometimes he could help.
"He can't afford that man! It looks like it cost millions!" Beast Boy exclaimed, everyone trying to shush him at once. "But he can't…"
Robin realized that these eggs must have been stolen. There was no way someone could buy these or even make them with this much craftsmanship and these jewels!
"This is so weird man….do you think you should keep them?" Cyborg finally said. Robin didn't know why but he nodded his head yes. "Just for today, to see what happens."
So they decided to keep going with their day like usual. So they went about eating their food and when they arrived at the tower, they dispersed, each getting ready for the egg hunt on their island. Whoever found the most would get TV rights for a week. It was a small prize but it was fun. And all rooms were open except for their bedrooms.
Robin put the other two eggs in the safe and got on his computer, they looked so familiar so he began to search, coming up with 3 articles about famous Faberge Eggs being stolen from around the world. And he found that two more were missing as well. Would they show up?
He sighed and grabbed his basket. Thankfully, the maids that Batman hired to clean the tower once a week had hidden the eggs so there would be no cheating. They weren't allowed to go in their personal rooms, which would explain why Beast Boy's room was NEVER clean, so there was no invasion of privacy and each maid was trusted. So there the 5 of them stood. The rules were no Powers, no flying, no blasting and no stealing. Other than that, it was a free-for-all that began at the sounds of a whistle.
Robin ran off to search the roof while the others went their separate ways.
An hour in and Robin had found 14 eggs. Some were very obvious and others had to be searched for through some not so fun tight places. Currently he was down in the garage, searching all around the tools and finding another one, smirking as he added it to his collection in his basket. He opened the door to the outside of the island. He hadn't seen anyone searching here yet from the windows so he stared to look around, finding a few here and there but not too many.
He headed to one special spot. It was something that was special to really only him. After Trigon's battle, Slade had said goodbye to Robin in private at this spot. Almost 2 years ago. Robin had told him never to come back and Slade had only replied that he might show up sometime, "looking for more challenges." Robin had watched the man leave and had tried to track him but had found nothing. It was like the man had completely disappeared off the face of the earth…
He looked down, seeing something odd, a flash of blue among the rocks. No way…
He climbed down by the shore and found another box. He quickly opened it, revealing a deep red egg this time. Again a line of diamonds forming an area to open it and Robin did, now expecting to see the yellow rose bud within. He recognized it as another of the stolen eggs. It must have been, so there was still one missing. In the bottom of the box was another note. "To Start Something New is to Let Go of the Past."
What the hell did that mean?
Robin looked around and quickly collected the box and the egg and headed back inside, hiding it in his room and going back to the hunt, he would figure all of this out soon enough.
At the end of the hunt, it turned out that Raven had won and Beast Boy had groaned, because she didn't watch anything but the History Channel and those supernatural shows that were completely made up. Stuff that Beast Boy was either bored by or scared by, it would be an interesting week.
They settled down for dinner, something they had actually worked hard on, and ate together, sharing some memories from their childhood. Starfire actually had a variant of their holiday as they would hunt for some beast's eggs to eat as a delicacy on their planet. It wasn't the same but it was sweet all the same. Robin didn't share anything as usual, keeping his secret from everyone. He couldn't let anyone know.
When it came time for bed, everyone retired and some enjoyed the candy they had gotten during the day or the fun of the hunt.
Robin, took a shower and before going to bed, he looked at the 4 eggs he had been given. Each was invaluable and beautiful. Each easy enough to give back, he would just explain and hopefully the museums and the collectors wouldn't make a big deal of it. But it might be a fun field trip to deliver them to their rightful homes. Maryland, Monaco, and Russia! Dick Grayson might have some fun with the travelling.
As he lay down to sleep, he pulled off his mask and set it beside the eggs, might as well enjoy their beauty until tomorrow.
It was maybe midnight when he woke up. He had no idea why he was awake. He had been deep asleep a minute ago but something had shocked him into consciousness. He sat up and looked around, everything was in order. Except, there was a note by his pillow. He frowned and looked around, grabbing his mask and pulling it on. Someone was in his room and they could have seen his face! He quickly read the note.
"Come to the roof." Was all it said but he saw the familiar script. It was the one who was sending him the eggs!
He dressed in his uniform and quickly headed up to the roof, his bo-staff in his hand. He was shocked as he opened the door and saw a very large silhouette against the moonlight. It was a man, his body clothed in familiar armor of black and orange, except that there was no helmet and as the man turned, Robin recognized him. It was the man he had seen that morning. His bright white hair was slicked back and he had an eye patch over one eye. "Happy Easter Robin." That voice…
Robin held the bo-staff up, extending it. "What do you want Slade?" The man chuckled. "To give you your present of course." He said as he grabbed something Robin hadn't noticed from before. It was a box.
He set it down in front of Robin and took a few steps back, his steel grey eyes watching Robin as the boy slowly opened the box, his eyes staying on Slade as long as he could before he looked down, gasping at the dark blue egg in his hands. It was very beautiful and he recognized it instantly. It was one of his favorites of those who had been stolen. He opened it finding a satin lining surrounding something clearly not made for the egg. A key.
"I told you I would come back." Slade's voice forced Robin to look up again. "And now that I have your attention. I have a proposition for you."
"Don't even try the apprentice thing again Slade. It won't work." Robin cut him off.
"Of course it will work, if I change it." He said simply, smirking at Robin. "It's Easter Robin, a time for new beginnings and new life. You're a good little Catholic boy; you know that better than anyone." Robin frowned. "How do you-"
"Let's not get off topic, I will explain another time." Slade cut him off. "I am offering you a new apprentice deal. I have left you alone for 2 years to grow into your own and you have beautifully. You are no longer just some little teen wonder, you're a true leader and I think… now is the perfect time for you to come and learn from the best."
Robin snorted, "And you're the best?"
Slade shrugged in amusement. "Of course I am. You know it better than most. And I'm giving you the option of learning from me. How to truly lead on your own… as a true…Hero." He seemed to hesitate on those words. "Despite the fact that you would make a perfect villain."
"What's the catch Slade? If I don't go with you my friends will die? That didn't work so well last time you know." Slade rolled his eye. "No, in fact if you say no, that's it. We'll be done forever. No more offers. No more threats. I'll leave forever." Robin frowned at that, not buying it.
"But, that also means if you change your mind, sometime later, on down the road. I won't be there to help you. And if we meet as enemies again and you stop me from doing my job. I will kill you Robin, with no remorse or mercy. Am I understood?"
That got Robin's attention. Not the killing part, but the part that Slade would never offer this to him again. After all Robin was a curious teen. He would soon be giving up the Titans and going solo, the whole team knew it. And this was an opportunity to train with the very best…criminal he knew. He might gain more insight. More moves to take down criminals on his own. But could he do this?
Could he betray his friends by learning from an enemy?
"I'm waiting Robin." Slade's voice broke into his thoughts. "The key in that egg is to a private building on the docks near here. If you're serious about this meet me there tomorrow night at 10 P.M. don't worry about any emergencies. There won't be any." Slade said as he moved forward, Robin immediately put up his guard.
"And to sweeten the deal…" He walked over until he was standing before the boy, without his mask, Robin could see his face so clearly, every line, every scar. He stared up at the man's single eye and could see the detail of his iris how some of it was blue while some of it was grey. He could see the man's trimmed goatee and…wait why was it coming closer?
Robin stood shocked as Slade's firm lips pressed against his own, he was shocked and then he relaxed into it without thinking. It was like one of his fantasies. He felt those lips open and he opened his in return. Feeling that tongue run along his lips, he participated fully, slipping his tongue out to brush along Slade's. He heard a moan at the taste and realized it had come from him!
Slowly Slade pulled away, his hand on Robin's cheek. "Mhm… I think I would like to do that again…" Robin felt his fuzzy head start to clear as Slade stepped away. "Think about it Robin. Easter's over, decide by 10 p.m."
He stepped towards the edge of the roof and put one foot on the concrete. "By the way Robin, you're very cute when you're praying." He chuckled and jumped off, Robin rushing to the edge to see him land in a boat that sped away.
It took a moment for him to realize what Slade had said.
"Ah fuck me….Now what?"
(*)
The Eggs in order of being recieved ((just remove spaces for the links))
en . wikipedia wiki / Rose_Trellis_( Faberg%C3%A9_egg ) - The Rose Trellis Egg
en . wikipedia wiki / Gatchina_Palace_( Faberg%C3%A9_egg ) - The Gatchina Palace Egg
en . wikipedia wiki / Blue_Serpent_Clock_Egg#History_of_the_egg - The Blue Serpent Clock Egg
en . wikipedia wiki / Rosebud_( Faberg%C3%A9_egg ) - The Rosebud Egg
en . wikipedia wiki / Twelve_Monograms_( Faberg%C3%A9_egg ) - The Twelve Monograms Egg
The Rosebud and the Blue Serpent Clock don't have pictures on those sites so here are pictures for them :)
media . liveauctiongroup i / 12100 / 12171767_ ? v=8CECE462168D690 - Blue Serpent Clock Egg
artseverydayliving blog / wp-content / uploads / 2011 / 09 / faberge-Rosebud . jpg - Rosebud Egg