After Blood

A Teen Titans Fanfic

Summary: Someone is after the Teen Titans, but it's not clear who is responsible. Will they be able to figure it out and put a stop to it, before every last Titan is taken out?

Rating: PG-13 for violence and swearing.

Warnings: The violence will be rather extreme in some cases! Not enough to warrant an M rating, I don't think, but still, if blood makes you whoozy, turn back now.

Pairings? Nope! I might tease a little, but no actual ships happening here. Sail elsewhere if that's your jam.

When does this take place? After the end of the series, but before Trouble in Tokyo (NOTE: I don't watch Teen Titans Go, so nothing from that will have any effect on this fanfic. Why don't I watch it? ….they had Beast Boy WANT to eat meat…. in the very. first. episode. Nope. Not interested if you're gonna be breaking characters like that. It's like…. terrible fanfiction.)

Disclaimer: While Warner Brothers and DC are the owners of pretty much all of these characters, the plot of the story is mine.

Author's Note:

*peeks out from behind the door* Um… hi. It's me, Melimsah… Author of such lovely fanfics as Revenge of the Joker and Never Alone and Be Gentle With Me-

*ducks a tomato lobbed at her head*

I KNOW I KNOW OKAY I KNOW! I know what you're thinking, those of you who have me on author alert! What the hell, Melimsah? We don't hear from you in THREE FREAKING YEARS, and instead of, yknow, finishing Be Gentle With Me or updating the Revenge of the Joker sequel, you give us ANOTHER STORY that you might not finish? What in the actual crap?

I know, I know, I'm sorry, I know. *slumps over computer desk and gurgles* Animation school has kicked my butt, guys. Oh my god you don't even know. And I honestly should be working on a freelance gig right now, or applying to jobs, or doing an animation test... you know, real world grown-up stuff. But instead, I'm writing this fantastical work of fanatical fiction. SO YEAH! BE GRATEFUL! GARGH! *flails*

So this is actually a story I've been thinking about on and off for, oh, I dunno, five years now? I think I came up with the first chapter not long after I finished Never Alone, and I've toyed with the rest of it ever since. I'm tremendously out of practice when it comes to writing, so I figure why not try and get back into the swing of things here, eh? And hopefully I'll get reinvigorated enough to jump back over and work on the other fanfics. What do you say?

You're reading this in the future. WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK! MwahahahahAHAHAHAKJLHAGAGKALJHACKcoughsputter

My evil laughter is also out of practice, apparently….

On with the show! I really hope you guys like it. I really have missed this. Writing, reading reviews…. torturing Titans. ;)

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Jump City. One of those days that just felt right, from the temperature to the amount of clouds in the sky to the way the breeze felt against the skin. Everyone seemed to be taking advantage of it. Gaggles of teenagers walked the shopping avenues of downtown. Families had piled into their minivans and SUVs to go down to the beach or to the zoo or to the playground. People from every walks of life, jogging, enjoying food on restaurant patios, reading on benches the park.

It was such a pleasant day, Robin actually wondered if even the criminals would take the day off to enjoy it.

He straddled his motorbike at a stoplight, balancing from foot to foot as he waited for the long light to turn green. He took the opportunity to pull his helmet off for a moment and feel the rush of ocean air on his face. It really was such a shame he had to do patrol now. A barbecue would have been perfect today. He could practically smell Cyborg's grill cooking up some hotdogs and burgers.

There was a honk of a horn, and Robin jumped a little. At first he'd wondered if he'd missed the light, but it was still blazing red. His ear followed the source of the sound, turning his head to look at the SUV directly beside him. The man in the driver's seat waved sheepishly, then pointed behind him, where a group of younger kids were straining against their seat belts to wave at him through the open window.

"Awesome bike, Robin!"

"Get those bad guys!"

"Can I be a Titan too?! I know karate!"

Robin couldn't help but smile like an idiot at them before pulling his helmet back on, and after clasping it secure around his chin, gave them the thumbs up. They cheered and yelled at him, and Robin was suddenly grateful for the tinted glass of his helmet, obscuring his blushing cheeks from them. Even after an entire past life surrounded by cheering crowds and spectacle, he still got bashful being in the spotlight sometimes.

An impish smile tweaked his lips as he noticed the opposing light switch to yellow in the corner of his eye. He twisted his handlebars, revving up. When their light turned green, though, he waited. The vehicle with all the kids drove off, and Robin waited just long enough for them to get ahead, and he tore off with tires squealing. He came level with them and floored it, pulling the handlebars into a wheelie. The kids cheered through the windows as he passed. Another car honked. Robin swerved a little as he landed, but managed to keep the bike in his lane. The kids applauded and cheered, along with a couple teenaged boys hanging on the sidewalk.

Another voice shouted from behind him. "Stupid kid! You tryin to get yourself killed?" Robin glanced in his rear view mirror, seeing the man in the truck behind him leaning out his window and flipping him off. Robin just waved apologetically. He knew what he was doing and how to do it safely. He wasn't about to get himself killed.

Something slammed into his shoulder. Hard. He cried out before the pain even registered, the force of it yanking his whole arm back, pulling the handlebar with it. The wheels caught the road wrong, and the bike tore out from under him, wrenched from his grasp. He was down, rolling across the asphalt, the friction of it tearing at his skin and clothes, ripping away flesh, ripping away his cape. Around him was a cacophony of noises - tires squealing, horns blaring, passersby screaming. The sickening crunch of metal on metal.

Almost as quickly as it had begun, everything fell still. Robin lay sprawled on his back, staring at that beautiful sky in cold, numb shock. His brain struggled to piece together what had just happened, why he was now lying on the asphalt, but all that came up was dead static and his own heartbeat in his ears.

There were voices all around him. Faces began to appear, blurry and unrecognizable, above him.

"Oh my god, kid, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Robin's eyes focused on one floating face. It was the father from the other car, leaning in over him and grasping his wrist, checking for pulse. Another face joined his, purple with rage, eyeglasses askew. The man Robin had just seen in his rear view mirror, shaking with rage.

"You stupid piece of shit! Look what you did! You could have killed us all, you dumbass!"

"Hey, not the time. Let's make sure everyone's okay," the first man said carefully.

"Damn Titans think they can just do whatever the hell they want!" the man spat before straightening up and storming off. "I hope you have fucking good insurance! Just look at my damn truck!"

Robin just frowned at the sky, still numb. That wasn't right. He hadn't just lost control of his bike….

As though on cue, his shoulder erupted in pain. He moaned and grasped it with his other arm, folding in two on the asphalt, grimacing against the searing sensation.

"Oh geez, your shoulder. Hold still, you might have dislocated it."

No… that wasn't it either…. his shoulder hurting was why he'd crashed. He pulled his hand away dully, staring at his bloodied fingers through foggy vision.

…he'd been shot…

He'd been shot!

"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!" he screamed as the realization struck home. Panic overrode pain, willing him to move, to grab the man from the SUV and shove him to the ground. He turned to the angry man, their eyes locking just as blood splattered across his visor. The brief look of fear in those eyes dulled to emptiness, and the man crumpled, blood trickling from the wound in his head.

The air erupted with screams. Those who had rushed to help suddenly scattered in every direction like roaches fleeing the poison. Robin pushed the father, screaming at him to go as he staggered to his own feet. His mind was moving far too slowly. Where the man had been shot, where Robin had been shot, it could only mean the shooter was up high, to the east. He was already moving, running to get out of the line of fire.

His left thigh exploded and he crumpled back to the ground with a cry. But he forced himself to keep going, on hands and knees, scrambling to the safety of a large car. He sat there for a moment gasping for air, forcing back tears as his leg and shoulder both seared with pain. He forced himself not to look down, but he had already seen the torn flesh and spilling blood. His arms felt like noodles as he clumsily grappled for his communicator.

"Titan down, Titan down! Shooting on Drayton and 32nd! All Titans report!"

Cyborg's face appeared, ready to respond, when the communicator vanished from his hand. Robin gasped, watching the communicator leap away from him in a flurry of yellow pieces.

He was still in the shooter's line of sight. He twisted around to see, but the sun obstructed any chance of him seeing anything. Before another shot could reach him, he rolled under the car, true terror clutching his veins. He curled up in as tight of a ball as possible, as bullets shot through the car, causing oil to leak and exhaust to hiss. Then, the shooter turned his attention elsewhere. Robin struggled to breathe through the fear in his chest and the carbon monoxide surrounding him, listening to the screams. Watching helplessly as bodies dropped to the ground . Footsteps running by as people abandoned cars.

….a child's screams…

He army-crawled to get a better view from his hiding spot, staring out into the street. Horror gripped him. The father who he'd protected before now lay sprawled on the asphalt in a growing pool of blood, and hunched over him, one of his children. The smallest of the children, maybe only five years old.

…the father had tried to save them…

The little boy cried and shook the shoulder his lifeless father, screaming for him to get up. In the distance were the other boys, crouched behind a mailbox, shouting desperately for little boy to join them.

Horror filled Robin's veins as he saw the red laser, for a brief moment, on the small boy's forehead.

"NO!" he screamed, charging out of his hiding spot. He managed to make it to the child, scooping him up in his arms and tearing off toward the other boys. A gunshot hit the left side of his back, causing him to stagger, but he forced himself to keep moving, even as the pain and shock of it all threatened to pull him down.

Just short of his goal, the next shot hit his right knee, crippling him to the ground. He shoved the little boy to run. "Go! Go!" he screamed desperately. The boy did, waddling off with howling tears, embraced by his brothers and vanishing into hiding before Robin turned to face the threat, snatching out a birdarang.

It's me they want… just me…

A renewed explosion of pain rocked his shoulder, knocking him back to the ground with a cry. With great difficulty, he immediately forced himself to his hands and knees.

They could kill me at any point… but they haven't… they're playing with me…

…better me than innocent lives…

He lifted his head. He tried to look up at the rooftop the gun fire was coming from, but didn't have the strength. His eyes fell on the far side of the street.

Disbelief flooded him.

The street should be abandoned. Those who hadn't run for their lives were strewn dead on the ground. But just there, at the foot of the building the killer was shooting from, stood a small group of teenagers. They were were watching him. No horror. No panic. No sorrow. They were simply… watching.

But it was one in particular that caught his attention. Her blue eyes met his, and his mouth fell open. It couldn't be…

One last gunshot reverberated through the abandoned city street. His head slammed backward. Everything turned to darkness before he even hit the ground.

"Titan Down! Titan Down! Shooting on Drayton and 32nd! All Titans Report!"

It was the last thing they'd heard before communication with Robin was lost. They each hurried as fast as they could, coming from different corners of the city.

Raven tore between buildings and over cars, flying faster than she ever had before. She knew she was getting close as people were running the opposite way, shouting and screaming. Panic threatened her as she saw crushed cars and bloodied bodies. A familiar motorbike.

Robin…

"I found him!" she gasped into her communicator. She threw out her other hand, calling upon a force field to shield him from any further gunshots. She threw another around herself, landing and spinning around, taking in the scenery with a twisting stomach.

The place was deserted. Staring up at rooftops and windows, she saw no one. No indication anyone was still here. She couldn't even feel anyone except the frightened auras of those cowering in the buildings. The shooter was gone.

She turned her attention to the fallen Titan, panic threatening her as she hurried forward, slipping through her magical barrier as though it were nothing more than mist. She dropped beside him, the blood that had accumulated around him still warm to the touch on her knees.

"Robin!" she gasped, reaching out to him with shaking hands. She could still sense his presence - he was alive! - but she could also sense his strength fading. There was so much blood. She looked him over, frantically trying to figure out how many wounds he had. His shoulder, his thigh, and his other knee were torn apart from the force of the bullets. Blood pooling around his waist indicated another wound on his back. With a wave of her hand, tendrils of magic flew out and wrapped themselves around each wound, effectively cutting off the release of blood from his body.

Then, she noticed his helmet, dented and cracked from the force of a bullet ricocheting right off the center of his forehead. The sight of it made her veins run cold. That kind of momentum, even with the protection of his helmet, could be enough to do serious damage. She unclasped the strap and carefully pulled the helmet from his head - not an easy task, as warped as it had become from the bullet. Removing the helmet revealed an enormous lump on Robin's forehead. Her fingers grazed it gently, trying to sense if there were any skull fractures or damage to the brain behind it.

It was then that she noticed his eyes had opened. He didn't look at her, but straight ahead, past her hand at the sky above. She leaned closer, forcing him to make eye contact with her, but his gaze still seemed distant.

"Robin?" she asked softly. "Robin, can you hear me?"

His eyes focused on her for just a moment. She could almost see him trying to think behind those masked eyes. But any chance for thought was interrupted by pain, his eyes twisting shut and a whimpered cry escaping his gritted teeth. His whole body tensed, his uninjured arm grasped for his head.

"It's okay, Robin. You're going to be okay." She laid a hand on his, pressing down on it to add extra pressure to his throbbing head. She reached out with her mind, able to discern snippets of memory through the pain. The motorcycle falling away. The splatter of blood as a man fell dead. Hiding under a car, gunshots reverberating through the screams. The desperate cry of a child holding his father.

…a group of teens, watching from a distance…

…Terra?

Her head snapped up in disbelief. It was her. That was definitely her. She twisted, looking behind her to the place where Terra had been standing in Robin's memory.

There was no one there.

Robin's pained gasping fell silent as he slipped back into unconsciousness. The other Titans were arriving, running toward her force field with worried looks. But she just stared at the empty sidewalk, trying to make sense of it all.

…what was Terra doing there…?

What's going on?

Bottom Author's Note:

So? What did you think? Lob a review my way and let me know! I might be a bit rusty still, and for that, I apologize, but I really hope to get back on my game soon...

And I know, right? What's wrong with me? Knocking Robin out of the rink in the very first chapter? Clearly… I've got something up my sleeve. *rubs hands together* Come on. I mean, why should Robin get all the fun? :D

Also - for any Terra haters, cuz I know you're there - just wait. I never write what you think I'm going to write.

And for those of you brand new to my stories, I highly recommend you read some of my others while you wait for chapter updates on this one! Revenge of the Joker just broke 1000 reviews, even! How crazy is that? People like it for some reason…. As for those of you still around since those days, welcome back! I've missed you. :)