"Have you ever seen things so horrible, you couldn't sleep for weeks?" she asked, looking at the boy beside her. "I don't sleep- not because I don't need to, though I don't- but because if I do, things I don't want to remember come back."
He remembered that day whenever Wally asked him why he couldn't sleep. Whenever Artemis said something dark. He had been seven years old, that day.
Cassandra. Cassandra Juliet Eloran. She had been in the circus with him, been his age. She was the daughter of the lion tamer. She had had a sister, older than them, and watched her die when the lions got rough. Her father had died in a car accident when she was four. By six, she had met the Joker, when he had showed up at the bank while she and her mother were making a deposit. She had seen horrors unimaginable by the innocent seven-year-old boy. He often asked her why she never slept- she spent the nights wandering.
She had told him. Memories. He hadn't understood.
"When I have bad dreams, my mom and dad make them go away," he had told her. She had shaken her head with a small smile, and told him he didn't understand.
"I understand," he whispered. "I understand." Even though it was impossible, he could've sworn he'd seen her earlier in the day. It had dredged up old memories, re-opened old wounds.
"Understand what?" Connor asked. Robin jumped- he had forgotten about the clone's super-hearing.
"Memories," he responded. Connor gave him a confused scowl, but let it be.
"What's up, Rob?" Wally asked.
Robin sighed. "Nothing. Just tired."
"Well, then go sleep! It's like, ten o'clock at night!"
"Can't."
"Why not?"
"'Cause Cassie said so."
At this, the team stared.
"Uh... Are you feeling okay?" Artemis asked tentatively.
"Peachy."
"Who's Cassie?"
"Friend of mine. An old friend."
"What did she say?"
"A lot. The girl never stopped talking." If she had been there, she would've hit him (albeit teasingly), but she was not there.
"What did she say about sleeping?"
"Memories. Too much going on to sleep," Robin said, knowing full well he was confusing people and, quite frankly, enjoying it. "Too dark tonight."
"Too...?" Wally paused, and Robin could practically hear the click! as his eyes lit up. "Oh! Oh..."
"Tell us about her?" M'Gann asked.
"Who, Cassie?" Robin asked, and she nodded. "She was my friend when I was little. Her-"
"Now, now, Robin," a voice said from above. The team froze. "It's not nice to talk about people behind their backs."
A girl dropped down from the high ceiling, landing on her feet in front of Robin. She had long red hair, and her eyes were hidden by a domino mask not unlike his. "Miss me?"
Needless to say, Robin was stunned.