Teen titans: Judas among us.
Chapter 01: inside looking in.
'My name is Richard Grayson, to the general public I'm the adopted son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, however I'm one of the original flying Graysons, a family of acrobats which fate decided to send into early retirement. Well at least two of them, the two that really mattered to me….' , that is the most persistent thought that crosses Richard Grayson's mind every morning since he dawned the persona of Robin, former sidekick to the mythical Batman and current leader of the Teen Titans, a group of young heroes situated in the metropolitan area of jump city; although he is neither Robin nor Richard Grayson at this very moment, he is Jonathan 'johnny' Gray, a well established crook from New York dealing with motor vehicle thefts and chop shops across the east coast, looking to expand is reach into California as well. Now that the who and the what has been established it is about time to address the why.
Titans tower, the week before, early morning.
If people were to ask who or what the titans were, they would've said the following, Beast boy would be the funny guy, Raven would be the goth, Cyborg would be the jock, Starfire would be the bubbly super model and Robin would be a workaholic and believe it it's not the usual punchline of 'every time you mention work he gets drunk' rather the fact that he never stops working, case and point? He converted his quarters into a P.I's office out of a Raymond chandler's Novel completed with a fold out bed disguised as a filing cabinet.
Now being a leader of a super hero group you'd expect a certain amount of order out of a guy but nothing could be further from the truth, each wall on his room were covered with x-rays of past and present injuries he sustained on the line of duty, actual cabinets of files of solved and unsolved criminal cases not to mention piles upon piles of other cases yet to be organized and prioritized ready to topple over even if one breathes the wrong way, an office desk containing a single laptop with at least three browsers currently being pulled up with at least ten tabs being currently active and a murder board being currently used to track down a super villain named Adonis, no alias or real name attached yet, just a regular looking guy using a mechanical suit fashioned out of various car parts.
We currently find Robin laying on his bed with a condensed file with every available info currently summarized on Adonis, everything from behavior patterns, fighting techniques…. yes even dumb brutes have those surprise surprise…. and even sexual preferences, going over it again and again trying to formulate a clean and efficient way to take him down with the minimum of fuss.
As mentioned before his quarters is anything but ordinary however due to his immense concentration on this specific case he was currently sifting over his files in nothing but his domino mask and a pair of skin tight underwear while on each side of his bed is lined with rows and rows of coke, any kinds of coke whether its glass bottles of coke, plastic ones or crushed cans all amassed from an all night session of research from the previous day…. or was it from two days ago? For the life of him he couldn't remember, well he couldn't concentrate long enough to start remembering not that it mattered any way.
' Christ I need to sleep… but I can't I still need to find a solution to this case. Looking out of his bedroom window his mind started to flood. 'damn it, it's too late to fall asleep I need to get up to train with the team…. oh fucking hell, am I too late?' he immediately wanted to find the closest thing he had to a clock since trusting his internal one was like trusting a blind man in a dynamite factory, but before he could do anything else he heard a soft knocks on his door. Recomposing himself he replied with, " coming…. hold up." he got up from his bed to answer the door but since the world had a funny sense of humor the moment he started to walk or rather drag himself to the door both of his legs went numb and he fell face first to the floor, luckily he remembered to furnish his floor with a modest looking carpet not to mention he fell on the pile of plastic cokes. not one to waste precious time he started dragging himself to the door until he felt his legs regaining function once more, managing to stand up he opened the door to find his alien teammate and sweetheart Starfire although he could not treat the latter part of the statement as casually as he would like to.
Now as a teenage girl Starfire was about as close as to perfect as a girl could get, she was healthy, attractive and had the personality any teen aged boy could fall in love with she is kind, sweet, and innocent without being disgustingly naive or hopelessly stupid, in fact she is as sharp as Robin can be and on occasion even sharper than him which is the reason why he can't fall out of love with her, which is the precise reason why he doesn't mind falling into a silent conversation with her as he does now.
The silent conversation dragged for a few pleasant moments before Starfire reminded herself why she was seeking him in the first place.
"good morning Robin…. if I'm not mistaken you requested to be reminded to be woken up early so we could take part in the….. how did you say it? Morning exercises?" Robin now couldn't contain his smile since he loved to hear his most trusted friend talking as formal as she did continued the conversation with an occasional yawn in between and the occasional wince since his 'make out session' with the floor.
"thank you star… it really means a lot to me…. can you do me a small favor though"?
As cute as Starfire could be she always found it amusing to lightly tease her team leader and most trusted confidant beginning with his upper arms and shoulders.
"now if I didn't know any better…. with your current state and all…. one might think that you are…. how does the phrase go?, flirt with me around the office?, giving him a soft smile and laugh while winking, robin now grinning like a guy who won the lotto replied back.
"you know if I could left my work in the office I would do more than just flirt…. but my…. or our job doesn't let us rest… at least not in a way we can desire…." the last part of the statement was said in a small whisper either indicating it was a confession of a love struck teen or a melancholic confession of a teen boy who sadly had to 'grow up' too soon. Now being someone who understood both meanings too well Starfire took a few moments of silence before giving her reply.
"I understand dear friend, how may I assist you?", taking a moment to concentrate Robin requested the following…. "can you make sure the team exercise properly?… I'm no good to anyone in my current condition". giving a quick glance over to the boy… or rather young man according to her observation she closed the conversation with the following. "first dear there is nothing wrong with your condition as you are quite aware with it… being a bit more mischievous than she usually can be…. secondly since I'm doing as earthlings would say it… a solid… you would do something for me…. you would escort me to the roof and keep me company while I soak in the morning sun…".
Now at this moment robin's expression could be read as a genuine smile. " well if I didn't know any better I could swear that's a royal decree… Starfire now smiling bashfully since she felt a bit self conscious for sounding perhaps a bit too full of herself than intended…. " oh I'm most sorry, I let myself become as bold as you are…" winking apologetically she left robin to be left alone with his thoughts not before giving him a passionate kiss on his forehead.
Feeling mildly confused robin stood at the door to his room for a few seconds before glancing down to realize to his discomfort that he stood there practically in his birthday suit…. 'Jesus Christ dick old boy…. you might as just well wore a speedo the entire time… now to get a well deserved sleep…. or maybe a shower first?… damn joints are too stiff to relax anyway…. looking at the state of his room he started to think again… 'OK first clean out my room… then shower…. and then bed.'
After a few minutes of basic cleaning and organizing to his room, Robin miraculously made his way to his private bathroom to take a long, frankly much needed shower, now on principal he hated taking unnecessarily long showers but since the fatigue catching up to him he could feel himself falling a sleep while standing,
Which to him was out of the question since he would be facing the number one threat to any one…. the water bill, therefore he gathered himself together and dragged himself to bed, collapsing like a log and slowly closing his eyes beneath the mask.
' if Batman would've seen me right now, he would kill….. scratch that that's not is M.O, he would probably let Alfred sarcastically jab me to death with dry remarks before getting back to business as usual….. oh got what the hell is wrong with me even while sleeping it's business as usual?…. workaholic doesn't cut it any more.'
Early noon was rolling in pretty soon but Robin couldn't care less, the sleep he was currently in was of those rare instances where it was sound and uninterrupted but even if one even thinks it, it doesn't mean it has to stay that way, case and point, the sudden noise that engulfed Robin's room coming from the titan's living room, effectively waking him up…. to effectively for his taste.
Changing into something more appropriate and comfortable Robin exited his room and was heading to the vicinity of the common room, expecting cyborg to be the cause of the racket…. 'I mean who else could it be?…. well other than Beast boy?' which surprised him to witness Raven in front of the TV without a book insight yet still with her favorite tea in reach. A few minutes of awkward silence past by since it seemed she hasn't payed attention to him being in the room, however before he could catch her attention she has beaten him to the punch.
"Back to the land of the living I see", Raven said in her monotone and dry manner without even once making eye contact…. Robin in a little more than an impatient mood, not that he would take pride in it has replied. "and livid….." Raven not one to mince words…. "you're not angry, you're confused…. now what's so confusing?"
Robin looking around for an answer, referred to the whole TV thing. "Well first of all I find you watching TV instead of beast boy or Cyborg… without a book nearby and more importantly"…. now focusing on what's actually being played… " Miami Vice, the TV series of all things?…." Raven now pausing the TV, turned her attention to Robin, looking him dead in the eyes….. "you know what's the biggest problem with my powers?…. I can't rely on my emotions to get by in my daily life…. Robin nodding her to continue…. which means I have to constantly rely on my logic… keeping my brain working overtime…. so excuse me if I want to numb it every once in a while."
Robin now sporting a small grin on his face, "well don't overdue it we still need that sharp mind of yours fighting crime." Raven in return, "not gonna happen"…. with that the conversation ended and the two took the opportunity to enjoy the show… well at least for about 15 minutes before the next distraction happened.
Said distraction was the titan's resident goofball Beast boy, strutting into the living room wearing a bright purple Italian sports jacket and purple linen pants, while wearing underneath a black t shirt with green floral prints. Completing his flashy entrance was probably the most ironic music choice… at least for Robin anyway, Raven's reaction was unreadable as usual, no doubt coming from Beat boy's room We close our eyes by the band Go West, Beast boy being in an oblivious mood strutted towards the kitchen occasionally dancing to the music playing from his room, however that effectively stopped in his tracks when he felt two sets of eyes staring at him like a martian….
Well the silence was too much for Beast boy…. "what?…. I know I'm too much of a hunk too look away from…. but you guys just overdoing it…."
'says the guy walking around like an Armani ad campaign ' Raven thought sarcastically to herself, while Robin was more audible with his questions, "who is your stylist?, did you fire your stylist, who did pay for all of this and more importantly how is it gonna be paid for all of this?"
Beast boy feeling quite offended from the questions answered as followed, I'm my own stylist thank you very much, no I will not fire myself…. as for the other two, I payed for it with some of our collective savings… feeling smug from the rapid fire comeback not noticing Robin growing quite frustrated about this… "Beast boy, what did I say about our savings?….. its for making sure our tower staying operational… not to make a fashion statement". that part was said now a little more loudly than it should have been. Beast boy now feeling more confused than ever asked the following, "why do you worry about our money so much?, you work for the police as an undercover cop… with a paid salary no less…" Robin trying hard not to lash out on Beast boy gave this answer instead.
"do you know how much a cop makes in a month? Less alone a year?….. more importantly I don't work for the Jump city PD…. I'm doing this as a favor for them so they wouldn't throw us in jail for being vigilantes… regardless if we're being heroic or not…. now before finishing his answer Robin got up from the sofa towards his room to set up a sting for this week's illusive target…. "by the way it's not about the money… it's about me expecting you to be a little more responsible." with that said Robin addressed Raven, "thanks for the distraction…. I needed that", Raven did not respond with words but with a small nod in return. Beast boy was left alone with this lingering thought ' responsible huh… well I guess I can apologize to him by getting Donna to cover me for a while until I return.'
Adoni's show room, mid afternoon, present day.
Robin assuming the role of Johnathan Gray was waiting for his appointment with his would be suspect in a lavish car showroom showcasing the latest models of Ferrari fresh of the factory, the latest in Lamborghini concept cars and a few modded and custom Lancia's for the specific reason to draw in even the car enthusiasts to make a show look like a grant spectacle and to ensure that the venue itself was held in a big open lot while the main offices were visible to the entire public via showcase windows from every possible direction shinning enough to make out a full reflection, however at this point for Robin, they also function as lenses reflecting and magnifying all possible heat on to him.
'you got to be kidding me, where the hell is this bastard?, it's one thing to wait for a business man to show up late to his own meeting, but to make me feel like an ant under more than one magnifying glass?, if I wasn't in control right now I would have murdered the little fucker by now'.
As if on Que said fucker came downstairs from a floor above the main showroom wearing so much leather on him to the point that Robin was contemplating if that was sort of a punchline to a twisted joke only he was aware of, however he chose to keep his mouth shut and study his 'mark', he was slightly taller than him, sporting messy jet black hair, a face that fully showcased a bastard full of himself, a few bruises and cuts across his face and neck clearly telling that the guy was a twitchy fuck who couldn't care less of minding doing his own dirty work, and dominant bags under his eyes suggesting the man had no conduct or moderation either on his behavior or vices, Robin was hoping at this point it's not both.
"Sorry for making you wait johnny my man…. had to take care of something…. private if you catch my drift…"
Robin took another moment to case study him before continuing.
"If I may be frank here?…. I don't give a fuck about you or your sorry excuses….. now that you wasted my time more than I could care…. let's get straight to business… or do you want to fuck me over some more?…."
What happened next took Robin by a small but noticeable surprise, Adonis started chuckling like an addict on laughing gas, however Robin continued waiting for an explanation to what was so funny to Adonis.
"You're a regular asshole you know that pal?…. but I don't mind…. you see I like a direct asshole like you, much better than those ass kissers I get to deal on a regular basis… so what are you in the market for… friend?….. local or exports?"
Robin for the first time started grinning at the guy knowing he could lead and egg him on said, "neither…. you see I'm looking to invest in something on the side… your side business if I may be blunt…."
Adonis now raised his right eye brow either in suspicion or curiosity opting to ask, " how do you know about my side business?…. or better yet how much"?…."
Robin gaining now confidence with momentum. "I have sources…. so I know you make advance armor and robotics to help people commit crime sprees… I also know you use the suits you make for yourself…. now I won't say I'm a hot shot like you… I just represent a few clients who would love to advance your project with a down payment… interested?"
Adonis now looking like the cat who ate the canary felt like he made the deal of the century. "well first of all call me big A…. Everyone around here does…. second of all let's head to my office above to discuss a price tag."
Robin replied the following…. "I am afraid I can't do that just yet…. I'm sure you can see a man in my position… has to worry about quality control of said product…"
"do you doubt me friend?", Adonis asked seemingly hurt while he gripped Robin's shoulder in a vice grip. Robin as Jonathan Gray unphased by the subtle display of force deflect the grip from his shoulder and replying the following….
"if I had any doubts we wouldn't be talking…. I just do it on principal cause I know for a fact if either of us screws up…. there is no doubt my clients will treat the both of us like cars in a chop shop… so for both of our sake…. humor me, won't you…. friend?"
The only reply that came next was "follow me…."
As it was said Adonis made a physical gesture towards his new friend to follow him upstairs and as it happened Robin was expecting some clever reveal to the criminal's crown achievement, I mean it stands to reason, then again from what he's seeing reason just went out the window, the mechanical suit itself stood on a manikin like a window display, showing off the piece like a modern day statue of David, the only difference was the materials and level of detailing, ranging from chrome parts, grills, vents and body work.
Adonis looking pleased with himself said, "what?…. did it really strike you like I'm the kind of jumped up asshole who would waste a fucking fortune on fancy security measures?…."
Robin now getting out of the funk he just witnessed threw right back, "well you'd prove you're a fool if you let any fucker from the streets just waltz up in hear and steal your armor…."
Adonis who by this point made his way to a top of the line office desk reached out towards a drawer and produced a Glock 45 out of it and laid it on the desk with the barrel pointing in the general direction towards Robin.
"right… I forgot for a sec that Gotham spit you right up…. but just remember this city right here…. this ain't it…. and nothing is more simple and to the point like a pistol…. so do you mind getting back to…. business?"….
Adonis was thrown off to see mister Gray not only unphased by the little show of machismo, but also not paying attention to the conversation, but more to the suit itself like an appraiser inspecting a Ming dynasty vase, now with a new found sense of respect to the business man in front of him he stated, "my starting price for an individual is 50 grand , for a small militia of 10 it's 500 grand…. can you approve…?"
Robin started chuckling lowly which started to piss Adonis off until he caught the next statement… for this particular model you used parts from Yugo's and AMC gremlins, so I wouldn't pay even 10 grand for this cheap junk… but if you can produce suits from better materials you'll get 250 grand in advance, while the rest will be delivered pending customer approval… can you live with that friend?…?
Adonis started laughing at this point….. "ha ha ha… customer approval….. hahaha….. I'm starting to really like you right now…. but seriously you'll get three days to come up with the money…. I'll tip you in on the location and time…"
Robin smirking he got the jackass in his trap, took the lead with the tip thing…..
"here's a tip on the house, change your nickname from big A to Capitol A…"
Adonis was now really curious and confused so he opted to ask why but Robin didn't give him the opportunity.
"simple really….. what's more catchier than…. 'bringing the capitol back into capitalism'. Now at this point Robin didn't need to see Adoni's reaction to that comeback because either way he had all lined up like bowling pins for the strike, so instead he showed himself to the exit, hoping onto a motorcycle he brought, a Kawasaki 600 R Ninja matching coincidentally to the colors of his suit, a blue suit with black underneath with golden trims.
Robin pulled away from the lot and after gaining some distance he immediately dropped all pretenses and reverted to his Robin persona, the 24/7 kind.
' I need to get out of this monkey suit fast…. it's killing me….. let's hope it will kill me faster than that prick Adonis could kill me…. okay let's refocus here…. first I need to get to the bank and withdraw 250 grand…. so let's see… I could access my personal account, but that would raise too many eye brows…. I could try Beast boy's but….. knowing him he invested most of it on property on the moon…. so that leaves the savings account for the Teen Titans…. let's just hope there is something left…. I'm on thin ice with the cops anyway…'
Titans tower, late afternoon.
Robin has just arrived to the main ops room and saw cyborg cooking up a storm in the kitchen and since he would probably forget about late lunch if no one would remind him, he made a detour towards it, cyborg noticing his peacock of a leader had a different idea in mind.
"now hold up mister boss man since I'm cooking…. you tell me what you want, and I'll serve it… providing you don't forget to kiss the cook in the end…" he added that last part jokingly. Robin having nothing better to do than laugh at his friend's oddball humor replied with…. "yeah the last part I'll leave to your lady-friends Casanova but since you're insisting I'll have a grilled sandwich, heavy on the grated cheese but light on the butter and the ham slices…" cyborg now giving him a thumbs up continued with business as usual while preparing dinner for the rest of the team minus Beast boy… which prompted Robin to ask…. "anything good happened while I was away?"….
Cyborg countered with…. "you know the usual… a few robberies… the occasional nut-job…. nothing we couldn't handle… though Beast boy got shot in the ass at one point…".
"any chance it's something severe….?" Robin inquired, cyborg nodded a no while continuing…. "nothing he can't walk off… although as you can imagine sitting is a whole different story…. besides he gets tender loving care from nurse raven as we speak…" a goofy grin spreading from ear to ear. Robin started grinning as well for a different reason.
"you know that she would have killed you… if she heard it, right….?", cyborg could only reply with, "that's why she's not gonna hear it…. right?, at this moment the grilled sandwich was steaming and ready, cyborg just got it on the plate while a few moments passed by.
A few more moments passed by before cyborg got irritated but he didn't let it on opting to use sarcasm… "service is not included sir…. now a compliment to the chef wouldn't be out of the question."
Robin in a sarcastic tone of his own only said thanks before sitting down near the couch, while eating and surfing through some channels on the telly, after finishing his meal he got up to wash the dishes, gone back to his room to change into his uniform before returning to the couch to lay down on it, cyborg bemused by his leader's rare care free attitude asked. "don't you have work to do?…. you know…. with mister car parts?….", Robin too tired to care if he states the obvious only replied with a yawn.
"i did….. I'm just waiting for the lazy bastard to do his part… so I, or rather we could make a move on him…." at this point Beast boy came walking…. or rather limping into the room which prompted Cyborg and Robin to say simultaneously "Beast boy… you could use some rest…. please don't just stand there on our account…" while stifling some laughter, which in return beast boy started staring daggers into both of them while flipping them both off.
A couple of hours went by and everyone minus starfire were preparing for dinner, Robin setting out the plates and silver wear, Cyborg and Beast boy preparing their own meals according to their specific diets while Raven keeping a close eye on each of them, so world war III wouldn't break loose.
A few more minutes have passed by and Robin by all accounts started to worry for Starfire and to distract himself he retreated into his own mind counting the reasons why he shouldn't worry so much…. which of course defeated the point of the distraction so he waited to approach the other female in the group he knew he could count on, Raven, but being herself, she beat him to the punch…..
Before you ask…. Starfire called ahead of time…. said she will be having dinner with Donna and her boyfriend Terry…. and you're welcome." she finished off while rolling her eyes without bothering to hide it, Robin having known Donna for a while has visibly releasing the breath he's been holding, yet him just being him couldn't ignore the eye roll Raven gave.
"A penny for your thoughts?"….. Robin started and anticipating the following response, "my thoughts aren't cost affective…. so you'd have to reach deep for your wallet…. do you think that having a status qua helps us?…. Robin knew all too well the answer to that question but since his stomach began churning he opted to answer with this response…. " for now yes… but since dinner is ready let's talk about it more after we eat….. agreed?"
All he received in return was Raven's signature curt nod, meaning that even without an actual lengthy conversation he made himself very clear….
"by the way Raven, remind me to thank Beast boy for reaching out to Donna…."
Raven raised her eyebrow in curiosity asking silently 'how did you know it was him'? while Robin pointing out the following, "first of all I didn't, and Cyborg like me has barely a minute to himself around here….. and Beast boy…. being himself is mostly lonely… so he would jump at the chance of having friends over.. especially girls"…
"well done Sherlock…. Robin never really minded a complimentary nickname shot back… "you're most welcome my dear Watson…" and with that said and done dinner has officially commenced, and went incident free…. well as far as teenaged superheroes are concerned anyway…. though with no big surprises attached Robin couldn't concentrate on the here and now since his mind set works like a chess player…. thinking three moves ahead of the opponent.
'Truth and honesty, what can you say about them that hasn't been said before?….. apart from that truth has it's basis in facts, and honesty can be manipulated by any sorts of people?…. well you'll have to own up to the responsibility and the repercussions of your actions once both strike back at you that you find yourself unable to manipulate them to your own needs…. case and point?'
Over the next few weeks after Robin's return to Titans tower, crime rates has risen exponentially, and although it didn't concern any major super villain or serial murderers, it was concerned as a priority, since it involve a surge of bank robberies, large scale Grand Theft Auto's and smuggling of high tech equipment that any local government or politician would've liked to keep a privilege of the general population or private citizen a like. To the Titans it was nothing new… where there was an opportunity, there was motive… take Beast boy for example… his motive for being a hero was to be accepted and adored by the public…. and if it meant getting punched by unruly or just plain desperate assholes, he'll take it every day of the week and twice on Tuesday.
However during that time something felt off to him and it was non other than the Titan's leader Robin… not off by any means of if his leader kept in shape or used crooks as living and moving punching bags…. it was the fact that he swore that Robin let some of those crooks escape on purpose, which that was odd since Robin always gave the impression he was wound up tight when it came to being a hero….
At first he thought it was the stress of not having room to breathe between missions…. or previous injuries 'deciding' to act up on the worst possible time but having your powers connected into virtually manipulating your DNA structure to your will gave Beast boy added advantages over a normal human, such has sensitive hearing so you could catch clearly someone's mumbled thoughts while he's not paying attention…. speaking of paying attention he was currently on a shopping run with Cyborg, trying to decide amicably what's going into the fridge for the next month or so….
"Ground control to Beast boy…. anyone there?"…. Beast boy now more aware of his surroundings got confused for a second before replying, "sorry can you rewind for a sec I completely lost you man…"
'no fooling' Cyborg thought to himself, rubbing his eyes before continuing….
I was saying we're almost at the vegetable aisle so you better go on ahead and get whatever you feel like getting…. before I change my mind and leave you here…. and non of that tofu crap neither….. seriously I don't mind cooking vegan stuff if it's actual vegetables….." Beast boy replied halfheartedly with…. "sure Cy whatever you say…."
At this point if you ask Cyborg what's his best quality, without a single shred of ego, he would answer his ability to keep a leveled head and a straight face, at this precise moment however he was starting to get confused by his friend and angry for getting confused to begin with, so he had to put a stop to it.
"Hold up BB mind telling me what's up with the silent act and spacing out in broad daylight?"…. Beast boy being caught off guard by the question plus not knowing how to dance around the question lost patience completely and just went for broke.
"Does Robin trusts us as a team at all….. heck is he being even honest with us lately…?", Cyborg now completely stumped was trying his best to give his friend and teammate an honest answer he could understand….
Beast boy honesty and trust is much like respect… you can't expect it… or demand it… you have to work towards it…. like a skill you develop over time…. like you with people skills…." cyborg began chuckling quietly while Beast boy gave him a look that says, 'really?, you went there of all places'?, Cyborg however continued the conversation. That question has something to do with Robin right?…. " Beast boy nodded and elaborated… "yeah… besides acting weird I picked up a scent of gun powder under his nails recently…. did he ever tell anyone he's using guns or had like special training with them or something?…. at this moment everything clicked into place for Cyborg cause honestly Robin would brush off a question like that with no response or comment…. Cyborg gave him an answer with a look that says 'your guess is as good as mine'. now both heroes continuing with grocery shopping went on while Beast boy started talking.
"to be honest as a young kid…. I really loved eating meat… but since my senses are constantly turned up to 11…. can you please make sure I'm not around while you cook?…. the smell drives me nuts…", Cyborg now pleasantly surprised gave him a look that said 'thanks for letting me know man'.
'The thing no one knows about us performers or simple circus folk is that there is a rhythm to anything we do…. a since of timing to start and fold a show so there will be no delay on the one to come next… in a sense that's how I view the sting I pulled on that dumb ass Adonis a while back.… however there is one big delay with said show, care to guess who?…. if your guess starts with an A it means we think a like…. however the waiting is driving me insane…. I even broke a few rules just to make sure that he'll be able to make good on his promises… making it idiot proof that I'll catch the asshole red handed… making it an open and shut case….' that was what ran through Robin's mind that day while he spend most of it on the beach near Titans tower, in hopes that the sound of the waves would calm him, or at the very was the kind of guy who would spend 50 hours in an office straight…. speaking of the office.
'Damn it Bruce, you taught me every martial arts known to human beings, you taught me every thinking technique to crack and solve any puzzle…. you even taught me the art of manipulation…. but was it too fucking hard to teach me to relax like a normal human being without tensing up every time some one's passing a fart…..?'
Not that it will help any, as he said it best there is a sense of rhythm in his world, and if there was something he really despised it was getting out of sync with his own rhythm, although there is one thing or rather someone who could really help him find his more sociable self, so he made a quick detour towards that same person…
Towards Titans tower…
Titans tower, a few minutes later…..
Robin arrived at Titans tower a bit winded but in a good way to be pleasantly surprised not to find the person he was looking for Starfire…. but also one of his long time and dear friend… Donna Troy in the flesh.
' I haven't seen Donna in quite a while…. and to be honest…. I could probably wish right now to disappear instead of getting stuck in the middle of all this like a deer stuck in front of incoming headlights….'
Now the woman simply known as Donna Troy was more than just one of Robin's lady friends, she was the closest thing to him as an adoptive sister and immediate family member, well outside of Gotham anyhow and pretty much anyone can vouch the same kind of line of bullshit that can work on a stranger…. or an awestruck fan will never work on a family member, and honestly for Robin those kinds of realizations are more stress inducing than dealing with the nutcase of the week… 'in fact I wish I was dealing right now with a Mammoth type of villain, right about now….. but no such things as wishful thinking for my types… joy.'
Thinking quickly Robin could only come up with the old but classic ice breaker routine. Donna, it's good to see you again…. but I really wish you would've called…. I would have tidied up the place a bit… make it more like a country club, rather than a commune."
Donna in return only chuckled a bit while trying to maintain a sly grin, "oh little Rob… forgot already?…. I don't mind a messy place… nor does it bother me a show of immodesty… as I remember correctly… when you were younger you used to strut with your underwear exposed in public… adding a wink to complete the teasing affect…. Robin's face now resembled a ripe tomato tried with a chocked voice to rebuttal that while Donna tried her best to keep herself together while Starfire began to get curious while holding a modest blush from random and suggestive thoughts about her leader and favorite person.
Robin now fully focused countered with, "I believe the key word was 'used to…' not to mention that I was a clueless boy back then." donna never one to miss an opportunity countered with, " oh sure now you've grown up to be a clueless teen"
Robin getting visibly frustrated asked, "is there a point to you actually being here?…. other than to roast me?"
"Well if you insist on knowing… prepare for a long winded story…" and with that she began regaling what had happened to her for the last six months or so.
"So there's the gist of it…. I'm a freelance photographer, so I begged Kory to do me a favor and be my model at my next photo-shoot…. if that's not a problem with you… is it?" Robin at the moment absorbed the info Donna gave him like a sponge, but still had time to react to her question with a raised eyebrow that said, 'don't worry I got it', however being him he found a way to make a stipulation.
"hold up a sec…. you ask me for a favor…. so I got to ask you for a favor…."
Donna was getting suspicious so Robin quickly explained…. "lately I've been doing favors for the police of all people…. so I'll need you to take charge for me with the team… since you can imagine how favors like those interfere with my already busy schedule…. so what do you say?… for old time's sake?…."
Donna knowing full well what she's getting into had just this to say….. "I know you all too well…. there's something you won't let on…. and I'm fine with it… but if you make me regret this decision…. well, I hope you haven't forgot how to run…". Robin in return only gave a slight nod before fighting a shiver of fear going down his spine, luckily for him the rest of the titans came back to the tower and the rest of the day went fairly normal.
Titans tower, Robin's quarters, Early evening
Since it was a fairly slow day, Robin not one to miss a beat, made sure to do something to keep him occupied, reading, filling and organizing said files in alphabetical and numeral order, however for the sequence of actions… that wasn't done in a particular order….
The bottom line is Robin kept himself busy until he noticed an incoming message on a burner phone with the Moniker of Capital A, 'boy what's more surprising?…. that he knows how to spell or write?…. or the fact that he took my suggestion to heart?'
But before getting to sidetracked he read the message carefully as followed.
'sorry for the delay…. having trouble with supply and demand due to pest control…. either way I got your purchase up and running…. meet me at the abandoned drive- in theater to make the exchange, the day after tomorrow, at dusk… come prepared Big Brother and his little snitches are watching everywhere up to Caracas…. 'scoffing at the cheesiness of it all Robin wrote back.
'message received and understood… over and out'
A while later after Robin was finishing formulating the eventual take down of Adonis, he checked his laptop clock to see what he can start right away.
'8:00 pm… hmm… a little too late by now for a training session… even a short one…. and I doubt any on the team aside for a few could really concentrate on strategising at this hour…. best I could do right now is letting them know…'
With that mind set Robin exited his room and headed towards ops room to let every one know about tomorrow… he didn't expect this to be easy, since most of the Titans by now would be in their private rooms… besides Robin would've rather tell no one but…. he finds it difficult to talk to someone in person instead of a group… a flaw he subconsciously picked up from Batman his mentor, however what he saw next pleasantly surprised him, he saw his old friend Donna with his team chatting on the living room sofa in a format of a game, smiling a little he approached them and asked.
"Mind if I join on the fun guys?"…. everyone looked at him like he had been in Chernobyl recently and for that he gave them a look that said 'gee don't look surprised… I love fun as much as the next guy'…. it went quiet for a few moments until Starfire chimed in and said. "it will be delightful if you could join us…. we are telling stories about friends we used to know…. and I believe it was Beast boy's turn to share", thankful for Starfire's quick reaction he just as quickly took a seat while Beast boy started talking….
"gee thanks guys but I don't know where to start…." he began with a chuckle, "start at the beginning" he heard a dry response that sounded like a sarcastic roast coming from Raven, which earned a stifled laugh from everyone, except beast boy who mouthed with the same amount of sarcasm 'thank you' to no one in particular.
"well I used to have a friend who traveled the world with his family on adventures…. sometimes to Europe…. Sri lanka… and even the Amazon on occasions… his parents were world renowned scientists and he was enthusiastic about animals…. in fact he wanted to be an expert on animals when he grew up…. any way last I heard of him he wound up in Africa with his family… he tried exploring the local wildlife… only to get attacked by them…. luckily his parents could save his life but he never was the same again… to add insult to injury, awhile after that my friend's parents went missing… never to return…. and my friend?,…. last I heard he disappeared too… after winding in Eastern Europe of all places…. never knew what happened to him after that… Beast boy started quietly sobbing while muttering softly…. 'I really miss my friend….'
Every single Titan in the room fell into a deafening quiet while giving Beast boy a pitying look which simply said 'Jesus', while the game continued on starting with Donna retelling a story about a small child disappearing into a towering inferno of a building, never to be found again… followed up by Raven who told a story about a little girl who escaped her father before driven into insanity…. after a short pause Starfire continued, telling so far the most interesting of all the stories about an aristocratic girl, saving her family by offering herself into servitude for another noble home to repay a huge debt… while lastly but not least, Cyborg told a much more optimistic story about a disabled athlete which on the brink of death fought against the odds to keep on living for his family…. and for himself…. Robin being sharp as he was deduced that most of the stories he heard were only half fiction while the rest of it were memories being recounted due to how much detail those contained and when it was his turn he started with the following….
"I know someone who was once innocent and pure…. however he was thrust into a reality he didn't want when his parents were murdered as a part of collateral damage…. the guy was angry and livid at this…. he wanted to kill the bastard responsible for this…. for some peace of mind…. everyone acknowledged they were listening so Robin continued…. but in a weird twist of fate he became an undercover cop…. Transferring all over the country…. last I heard he was stationed in our city…. working on a large scale case involving someone we know called Adonis… now I know this guy very well… and he's extremely prideful…. so I reached out to him… I warned him about the danger he's heading in but with no luck….."
Before Robin could continue Beast boy interrupted…. "and let me guess… you want all of us to help this friend of yours?…." Robin without flinching gave a firm and quick nod saying 'exactly' while in the mean time Cyborg chimed in with. "what's our window of opportunity?", Robin replied with.
The day after tomorrow… so please I want… no… I need everyone in sync for tomorrow when we come up with a plan and train on it…. please guys…. that goes without saying but I don't have a whole lot of friends…. and I'm sick and tired of losing them…."
At this point every Titan gave a squeeze on the shoulder for a show of solidarity… except for Starfire who tackled him with a hug that said 'I strongly share your sentiments', which made Robin hate himself even more than usual…. because at that precise moment he felt himself become a clone of Batman… the worst that Batman represented…. someone who relies on half truths and a guy who would go so far as to use his friends…. on the pretense that it is necessary for the greater good….
'no… this is unacceptable I am not him…. no more…. tomorrow I come clean…. damn the consequences… damn them to hell'
That decision is harder to live with as much as declare it… that same night Robin tuned in as early as 01:00 am as to catch at least 7 hours of sleep in order to wake up and use as much time as possible without having to rely on caffeine… however planning ahead only takes you so far until the unexpected factor kicks in…. and in Robin's case he at some point did menage to fall asleep for 3 hours straight until he woke up suddenly without any provocation… just woke up as though his biological clock told him it's morning… without complaining he got up and tried tiring himself back to sleep by doing light exercises like push ups and sit ups… he did it for a while until he felt himself tiring and to make sure he would sleep soundly he snuck into the Titan's kitchen for a glass of water…. which worked like a charm for about another 3 hours until he woke up the same way yet again….
'are you fucking kidding me?….' Robin at this point having no patience for any slow acting methods snuck yet again into the kitchen and popped a couple of sugar free Tums tablets not really caring if he swallowed them… finding himself relaxing once more he climbed into bed one last time to get at least another solid 1 hour of sleep…
One hour later….
Robin was startled awake after the digital alarm clock/radio started up with an early tune, Russ Ballard's In the night…. which meant irony strikes again for well a now pissed off Robin who due to exhaustion could only lay in bed and think the following….
'Note to self, find out who's the genius who let Beast boy set the alarm clock system on Titan's tower…. plus it's a good idea to get something stronger than coffee on the way to ops…. wait a minute…. am I forgetting something….' at this point Robin forgot he has to first drag himself out of bed first….
After a dodgy awakening Robin wasted no time in getting ready and heading into ops to see most of the Titans awake except for…. Beast boy, cyborg noticing his leader and brother in arms, threw towards him without a word an air horn. Not needing an explanation gave a polite greeting to the rest while catching the air horn and went off to get Beast boy. Once in the youngest Titan's room he approached beast boy's bed and without a warning let a rip on the air horn from hell… scaring the younger titan so much that he transformed mid jump into a cat landing with his claws up the ceiling… seeing the expression on his leader's face he could see a sarcastic expression on his face saying 'nice reflexes…', beast boy now taking a moment to compose himself transformed back and landed with a thud on his bed and effectively broke the silence by saying…. "I know I'm late, but could I ask for one thing first?…." Robin gave him a nod to continue…. I need to change my shorts first… so would you mind…", Robin now genuinely smiling responded… "don't take too long… we got a lot to accomplish today…. as you were soldier" he added with laughter while he gave Beast boy some privacy
Titan's tower, ops room, a few minutes later
Robin and the rest of the titan's for that matter were waiting for Beast boy to walk in late as usual, although Robin will never admit it…. out loud anyway….. but he was relieved at the moment for Beast boy's incredibly off-timing cause quite frankly the thought of removing his domino mask was about now the equivalent to waxing, however instead of the sensation of pain and agony it was replaced by the sensation of nervousness and panic, ready to erupt like a volcano.
Then the dreaded moment arrived as Beast boy entered ops room with one mug of coffee for Donna and a mug of tea for Raven and a slight limp of shock thanks to a certain someone with an air horn as he immediately addressed everyone, "ladies…. gentleman…. Dick….". Robin decidedly removed his domino mask off his eyes revealing an irony that escaped most of the Titans but a select few like Donna who knew his secret from a while back, Cyborg who's mechanical eye functioned on occasion as a literal facial recognition software, and Raven who's powers allow her to either read minds or manipulate them… but in all honesty could care less about the guy behind the mask as much as she actually cared about his actions as a human being…. as for starfire and Beast boy?, well she'll need the most explanations since she never met Richard Grayson before, and Beast boy had the most surprising reaction of them all… he was completely still drawing an unresponsive blank expression…. his mind however…..
'of course it had to be it…. god damn it…. no wonder it felt like I was stating the obvious…. now I have to find another insult for him…. that would actually insult him…'
After a few moments he composed himself, he scanned the room for any kind of reaction only to confirm that he was late to that party as well… since no one was visibly shocked or surprised… expect for Starfire who was curious about this revelation since Donna explained to her that back in Gotham, Richard Grayson was considered the city's golden boy and even more so practically the adopted son of the city's most influential aristocrat, which when it was caught in Beast boy's ear he began thinking and wondering, which after a while sent him into an even bigger shock while muttering loudly.
"how stupid can I even be…. for christ's sake"…. Robin understood perfectly what Beast boy was thinking about, but before he could redirect the conversation Raven chimed in.
"do you want me to count the ways… or is anyone else wants to continue the day as planned?"
With that Richard decided once again to dawn his famous Robin mask and started filling in his team about every specific detail on the undercover investigation and accordingly assigned posts for the rest of his team.
"Beast boy I got 2 jobs for you, the first would be a scouting mission to make sure Adonis didn't set up a trap for me or to make sure he didn't bring backup just in case he doesn't trust like I thought he did…. are you following me so far?…" Beast boy by this point gave a mock salute in order to defuse Robin's worry, him on the other hand kept on as usual. "Now for your second task, it's really simple… you'll need to keep him distracted as long as possible, so cyborg could come in and destroy the suits he already build…. got it?"
Beast boy nodded in confusion while saying…. " I got it for the most part…. but how will I distract him…. aside from a one man zoo, I don't have any other tricks in my sleeves…" Robin sensing that he has a point said…."don't worry I'm sure you'll improvise something when you do…" now Robin focused on Raven, Starfire and his old friend, as her super hero moniker Wonder Girl, beginning with raven… "your job is simple but crucial, you'll be in charge of health care for the team if necessary and more importantly removing Adonis from his mechanical suit while keeping it intact enough for me to fish out info from it" now addressing the remaining two.
"Starfire and Wonder Girl, you'll be equally back up and a deterrent force designed to take me out or Adonis…. just n case I'll see fit to sweat out Adonis for his secrets just in case his suit comes up empty… any objections?"
Surprisingly he heard one from Starfire…. "it is not an objection so much as an inquiry…. you said that you studied this Adonis quite thoroughly…. Starfire took a moment to glance at everyone to see if she pronounced her words correctly and then continued…. the point I'm making is why continue this study if the point is to arrest him…?"
This is why Starfire got under Robin's skin, she wasn't just her beauty or genuine innocence. It was her way of asking the right question at exactly the right moment to which he replied with….
"Honestly I couldn't care about criminals like Adonis… I had too many run ins with his type back in gotham for my taste….. but I got an instinct that says that something doesn't had up…."
Like what? Raven and Beast boy continued for Starfire in unison, Robin elaborated.
"as in how a numb nuts like Adonis can run such a big operation…. without crossing the cops…. or landing in jail…. not to mention how he manages to keep his business legitimate and afloat for so long…. its like he has friends with deep pockets…. or in very high places… so I'll need your help to dig a bit deeper…"
Robin waited for anyone to raise any other questions but since no one did he took it as a sign to start the training. Starfire and Wonder Girl began their training with an obstacle course designed to work on their strength and reflexes while Beast boy took his training outside so he'd have more range to unleash his animalistic abilities and tendencies without anyone getting shots for rabies…. while Raven retreated to the regular gym for a short while to practice on the basics and then immediately afterwards began a more intensive routine of meditation to make sure her power set won't fail her or send her friends to an early grave, finally Cyborg did the least physical training out of all of them since he was already built as it is however he spent most of the day tuning and upgrading his mechanical body with the latest in both hardware and software alike.
Half a day went just like that and Robin ever the perfectionist and strategist that he was, decided that the rest of the day should focus on working together as a team, coordinating their operation like a choreographer tents to a complex routine, making sure every step taken is measured and timed correctly until he was mostly satisfied, however it was lucky for his team that he called it quits once the sun began to set.
The abandoned drive in theater, dusk a short while before the deal.
Robin arriving to the abandoned drive in theatre arrived on the bike he drove to the dealership arrived extra early to survey the spot so his team could set up in position, once he was sure nothing felt wrong he signaled the rest of the Titans to set up into position… arriving in a Jaguar XJ6 42 much to the dismay of Cyborg…. there was nothing wrong in the car itself but he always loved the chance to flash his custom build car.
Once everyone got out of the car beast boy turned into a basset hound trying to catch something Robin probably wouldn't have picked up in his initial scan while the others tried to get the optimal vantage point.
'please don't let me catch the smell of stale….. or even fresh cotton candy or popcorn…. I didn't eat as much as I should' … although he caught the scent of something stronger… diesel? Either way it was definitely a truck's exhaust, wincing he turned back into human form and radioed Robin…. adding an impression of Smokey and the bandit.
"Breaker breaker this is hound dog to red bird… do you read me good buddy?…. you got big rig heading your way…. do you read me red bird?…"
Robin replying half jokingly…. "I read you loud and clear…. but son would it kill ya to speak good old English once in a while?…"
Robin now assuming the role of John Gray once again walked to the middle of the abandoned drive in theatre honoring the time old trope of doing shady business at night and luckily for him he wouldn't have to wait just like last time, although if to be fair he wouldn't mind it since it was an open space on a pleasant weather, however since it was time to focus on the mission that was what he was doing and immediately there was a detail that he didn't like… he brought back up of his own plus more than one truck for his suits the other two being tanker fuel trucks…. and the extra company…. well they looked like civilian contractors dressed in casual clothes armed with an assortments of assault rifles and pumped up to their eyeballs with steroids. All of them got out of the trucks in formation and finally out of the main delivery truck stepped out Adonis in his mechanical suit armed on the left hand with a shotgun and on the right arm an M-16 rifle fitted with a grenade launcher.
Robin at this point raised his eyebrow silently asking 'really?' while Adonis came approaching in his direction apparently by all means to greet him, "hey buddy boy sorry for the theatrics…. my old man, god curse us all…. always used to say 'Go big or Go home', Robin or rather John visibly started to relax while replying…. "Listen, I don't give two shits about your family…. or why you brought your sugar daddies over there…. I only care about one thing…. business, so you can just fuck off or stop jerking me around" in a nice and calm manner.
Adonis started laughing whole heartily while continuing talking, "honestly, you're something else….. so how do we do this Dick Grayson…."
'Oh fuck, how did he find out?…. gotta go through with this either way….'
"What gave me away?…. the good looks or the charm?….". nothing… Adonis replied "I have friends in high places that look after me…. plus I read a few magazines every once in a while….. so why did you lie to me…. friend" and with that Adonis pointed the gun at Richard while instructing his men to flank the target and surround him just in case.
' you better think quick dick… got it!'
"Is this really necessary?….. friend?…. I just don't want old man Wayne to know how I make ends meat…." Adonis now smirking and feeling like a Don had this to say.
Of course friend…. forgive me for being cautious man…. I just had a lot of fuck ups lately…. how about you leave the cash in the middle and I'll count it while you check the quality of your investment?….
Richard had only this to say…. "sure thing pal….. but if you're trying to fuck me over…. you're a dead man walking…. capiche?, plus a briefcase is too old fashioned I'll make an electronic transfer once I'm satisfied…"
Adonis found himself scoffing at the gesture cause even he couldn't be this corny, however John didn't care, he just went on ahead to check the cargo while from a few feet away getting a bit worried about what he's seeing.
"Guys we got a slight problem over here…." Beast boy, true to his little brother role in his family was the first to arrive to take a peak at what Cyborg meant, when he arrived at the scene he got really quiet for a moment and addressed Cyborg. "call everyone in, I got an idea how we can stay on plan without worrying about those rent a'goombas over there…." Referring to the small militia Adonis brought along. Cyborg impressed for a few moments signaled the rest of the team…..
In the meantime with the delivery truck….
Robin as John was already on board the truck's trailer inspecting it's cargo while frantically trying to think of how to alert his team on this development…. 'come on think dammit…. OK if Beast boy's scouting the area like I asked…. he'd see the hired guns…. so all I have to do is signal when to begin…. wait signal?…. of course how stupid of me I have my phone but I can't stall for too long… I got it I'll use Morse code using light…. but fuck…. I need a good source of light for it to work…. wait a minute… that's it I'll open a direct line to Cyborg using speaker phone while hiding it close by… yeah that should work'
Back with Cyborg and the rest of the titans
Beast boy started to explain when everyone gave him attention, "listen up guys it's so simple… it's idiot proof…. while Cyborg does the demolition… we're gonna do a derby… meaning I'll turn into a stallion while Wonder Girl lasso's up the bad
and raven provides a mystical shield when and if someone tries to take a shot at us, and let's not forget Starfire over here…. you'll provide air cover if anyone brought anything bigger than a hunting rifle…. everyone cool with that?"
Before any of them could get a word in on how Beast boy was acting really smart or atypical for him Cyborg received a transmission in his built in comm link from Robin…
"sorry I took too long…. the money is being transferred as we speak…. and we'll all be ready to go our separate ways very soon"… cyborg didn't need to understand that it was Robin's way to shout GET YO' ASSES OVER HERE, so without further a do they all executed their plan as drilled more or less…
Murphy's law, 'everything that can go wrong will go wrong', that is what Robin was witnessing with his very own eyes. You see Beast boy's plan worked for a degree, meaning since he transformed into a stallion Wonder Girl and Raven mounted him just as planned she used her mystical lasso provided by her mentor to try and capture as much enemies as she could but that meant others had time to escape and some of them had not fallen to the ruse at all meaning Cyborg was entrenched in place holding off barrages of bullets gunning straight for him, speaking of since some got away those same few made it harder for Raven to protect or even heal her friends due to her own energy depleting.
Adonis not the least bit surprised by the arrival of the Teen Titans join his men emptying volume after volume and round after round of ammo at the heroes and to add an extra edge he used the extra muscle that his own custom made suit provided although at the moment he was otherwise distracted when he saw Richard Grayson ducking bullets while running towards the delivery truck.
"What the fuck are you doing dick? Get back here and land a hand over here asshole…." Dick scoffed at the idea replying…. "yeah what the fuck do you expect me to do against an alien, an animal and a fucking Robocop?…. besides we're done here… so they're your problem not mine…" but before he could make a second move he saw a few star bolts aimed towards the truck's tires and cargo haul effectively destroying it as well.
'Well Robin you always said you knew how to improvise… so you better start now'
Scanning his surroundings Dick Found the motorcycle he arrived in a little scratched but honestly in workable condition, he also found a discarded biretta 9mm on the floor belonging apparently to one of Adonis's goons, to which one who the fuck knows, so he ran towards the motorcycle picking up the gun and shooting anyone that got in his way that for now included another 2 goons who tried to kill him, he shot one in the shoulder while the other one got his hand injured while a bullet hit the rifle he was carrying, running out of bullets Dick immediately discarded the gun and picked up instead an MP5 assault rifle, and continuing towards the bike while dodging barely a few stray shots when a sudden thought came up
'oh fuck…. I can explain easily how I could get away if Adonis catches up with me…. but I need to put distance away from me and the team before he grows a brain and put 2 and 2 together…. but how…. think for crying out loud… then a sudden realization hit him when he noticed what he was carrying…. oh no that's a stupid idea if I ever thought of one…. he lamented the idea in his head as he was heading for the bike while he completely ignored of two important details he was currently passing close by to the fuel trucks and most importantly Starfire has already caught up to him and was now confronting him.
"surrender… she shouted… there is no escape…."
Dick now operating in his Robin state of mind stared for a while into Starfire's eyes to try and read her face before retorting the following. "escape…. nice choice of words…. you should make sure your teammates got out safe and sound…. since you're missing your leader….." as if right on point the other Titans came into view slowly…. Cyborg riddled with bullet holes mostly to the abdomen are and a few scrapes to his metallic arm, luckily for him his most vital organs were protected with armor thicker and more agile than Kevlar, Beast boy sporting a few wear and tears to his uniform while sporting a healing to his right shoulder being supported by raven who sported a mild layer of dust and debris on her uniform when finally Wonder Girl arrived sporting the least amount of bruises mostly around the arms and a few on her face, yet she wasn't upset cause she was carrying the Adonis suit minus a few minor parts and the guy in the suit, Starfire surprisingly knew what he was going to ask so she wasted no time.
"Your associate is not harmed, however he did not escape as well…. so for the last time…. surrender". Robin scoffs lightly at the prospect of surrendering while replying with this…. "funny…. you talk like there are no more options for me…." Starfire at this point raised her eyebrows questionably as if to say 'are there any more options for you' referring to the other Titans besides her virtually surrounding him.
At first it would seem like Robin Or rather Dick Grayson would draw a gun on his friends in order to complete whatever he set to do in his mind, however none of his teammates or close friends would guess what he would do next, instead of pointing the gun barrel at his friends he pointed it towards itself. "now since I have one very solid options left…. you'll leave me alone and allow me to escape quietly and disappear….. now his friends were in a complete state of shock no one dared speak which honestly started irritating Robin or rather Dick Grayson, so he asked calmly but impatiently…. "did I stutter…" but before anything else could happen a roaring sound of a rifle clip being emptied shattered the air around, most of the bullets shredding what remained of Cyborg's right arm, now since his nervous systems were for the most part still intact Cyborg could feel the pain losing his mechanical arm which prompted raven to create a shield around the Titans who were either in too much of a close range or too injured to move.
However to Dick the pain would be too acute to bear, not only did he deal with violent flashbacks into his own failure to protect his family but now he would have the trauma of his friends on his hands since the perpetrator was one of Adonis's injured goons who fired those shots, but which one exactly? The one Dick Grayson wounded by shooting the gun away from his hands, now Dick's hands were violently shaking with rage and before any of the Titans can comprehend what's about to happen Dick shot a volley of bullets not at the perpetrator but near where he stood, just close enough to the fuel trucks igniting the fuel and incinerating the goon in the explosion the fuel made.
Silence befell the group no one quite knew what to do since they were painfully aware what had happened, the only one who could function was Robin but that wasn't much functioning since it was a situation of 'The lights are on, but nobody is home' however Robin still proceeded into the fire while slowly but surely he pulled out his wallet containing the fake ID's and tossed it into the flames, next he reached towards his jackets inner pockets to pull out his domino mask, once in hand he removed his jacket completely and threw both of the items into the fire.
Robin stayed a few more moments to make sure anything that can identify him got torched, once that was done he quickly moved towards the bike with only a mutter to indicate he was still alive, the mutter was so faint only beast boy could catch it but before he could protest Robin had only driven off into the night…..
Titans tower, a few hours later
The clean up after the long battle with Adonis was excruciatingly difficult not in the physical sense but rather in the mental one, now usually the Titans regarded themselves as role models to some capacity when fighting crime however not tonight when each of them lied through their teeth about the fate of their once living leader, matters didn't help when the team found a small note from Robin saying 'carry on as usual', Donna Troy retired to the guest room all battered and bruised too tired to keep up appearances, so did Raven for that matter, Cyborg the most injured of them all retired without his usual pep to attempt reconstruction on his lost arm, leaving Beast boy to drown the event with comfort food while Robin's words still hammering in his head. ' I was never truly a hero, honestly I'm an outlaw at best and a criminal at the worst… might as well accept that', but the one affected the most was Starfire…. because she understood what Robin was going through since a wartime reality could take it's toll on anyone, yet she couldn't condone how he was handling it, since she got back to the tower she immediately went to take a shower in the hopes that some sort of warmth would give her clarity, however as she stepped out towards her room she fount a longer note from Robin taped to her door. The note read as followed….
Starfire…. when you see this note I'll be long gone by now. The last few days and weeks were both the most rewarding and frustrating in my life…. but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way, furthermore I now find it more easy to tell you that I care deeply for you…. even beyond the point of friendship or camaraderie…. henceforth I have to request of you one last thing… please lead the team in my absence… I am aware I ask you a lot but I'm sure since you're the most accepting of the whole team… it will boost the morale around, finally I implore you to go out and explore your adoptive home and more importantly…. do not wait for me…. find someone who deserves your love and affection… at this point Starfire could read no longer cause she felt like tearing up, not of sadness but of frustration and helplessness.