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Chapter 2: Meet Cyborg
A massive, hulking figure was just under the windowsill. Robin crept towards it silently, but then it started to move away. It slunk around the house, moving like underneath the sweatshirt was a hulking frame of muscle.
Robin watched curiously as the thief sidestepped the small flowerbeds, careful not to disturb them. He righted a toppled tricycle as well. This didn't fit with a dirtbag looting the house of a teenaged mom, so Robin waited and watched.
The figure turned a corner, and then Robin heard two exclamations; one of anger and one of shock. Racing around the house, Robin saw the figure tackle another, smaller one to the ground.
In the moment of Robin's surprise, the two rolled on the ground and broke apart. The larger one advanced, and the smaller pulled a knife. Robin decided now was the time to get involved.
As he dashed forward, the larger of the two suspects shouted, "You leave her alone or you're gonna be a cloud of pink mist!" He charged and swung, but the smaller figure was gone. His fist met empty space and he spun, looking for his enemy and seeing Robin for the first time.
The figure had his hood up, but from underneath glared a set of mismatched eyes. For a moment they both stared, and despite the situation neither could sense that the other was an enemy.
Robin's eyes widened as the pool of shadow behind the hooded man grew to three dimensions. It took the form of the smaller person and, betraying his surprising strength, he knocked the hooded man flying.
Robin charged the shadow man, attacking with furious blows of his staff. The Shadow backed up, blocking each with his forearms but shrinking away. Robin leapt into the air and spun to deliver a debilitating blow, but even as his staff came down on the creature, he disintegrated with a toothy grin. Robin landed unsteadily and searched for the shadow. He caught sight of it slithering rapidly towards the house.
He gave chase, but knew he wouldn't be fast enough. The thing was going to slip under the door and get away.
The shadow was on the rickety porch, inches away from the door, when the porch light went on. The thing screeched as it was bathed in light and was forced to reintegrate. The massive hooded man stood by the light switch; he stepped away and grabbed the shadow man by the collar and easily lifted him off the ground.
"Easy, man," Robin warned. The hooded man ignored him.
"Why do you keep coming back here?" He demanded.
"No reason dude, it's just an easy target house! Ow!"
"You are gonna leave this place alone from now on, right?"
"Excuse me, but WHAT is going on?"
The three on the porch turned to face the open front door. In it's frame stood a small but fierce looking girl in a black and yellow nightgown. Her dark, delicate hands were grasped tightly around a rolling pin. She nodded to Robin.
"I see you actually do exist. Who are these guys?"
"One's your thief," Robin explained. "As for who's holding him…?" He looked at the hooded man expectantly.
From under the hood came a tender, "Karen? It's me. How's the baby?"
The girl's eyes softened. She looked up at the dark face as if she couldn't believe he was standing there. The hooded man shoved the shadow thief into Robin, who cuffed him to the porch well within the circle of light. Then he watched as the hooded man stepped closer to Karen. He touched her face lightly- Robin noticed his hands were gloved.
"I… I thought you were dead," She said dazedly.
"No."
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to get rid of this dude. I don't know who this other guy is, but he helped."
"That's Robin," Karen said, still sounding like she was waking up from a dream. "I called him when I thought I saw a shadow outside my window."
"Why didn't you call the police? You didn't know who this guy was!" The hooded man sounded almost angry, but Robin just listened.
"You know the police have given up on this neighborhood," Karen said sourly. "Someone gave me his business card, told me he was for real, and I didn't know who else to call, and it said-"
"-'Call for help.' I've seen it."
She looked at him, lost in thought. "They told me you died in the accident. I should have known better."
She reached up and pushed back the hood. He stiffened and pulled back, but it was too late.
Karen gasped in horror. One side of the face looking down at her was a beautiful human with bitterness in his eye. The other was shiny blue metal surrounding an unfeeling red eye. It glowed softly.
"Who are you?" She shouted, taking a step back into the house. She wielded the rolling pin again, this time at her rescuer.
"Karen, it's still me," The cyborg said softly.
"No! Victor is dead, they told me! Get away!"
Victor didn't move. He watched her retreat into her house. With one last mortified look, she shut the door. He heard the locks turning.
Robin had been about to leave the two to themselves. Now he stood staring at the half being frozen on the porch.
Victor turned to face the guy who called himself Robin. He'd heard things too- Batman's estranged protégé from Gotham City, come to work as a vigilante here in Jump. He'd fought alongside him briefly, but now Robin was privy to both his darkest secret and the worst moment of his life.
He watched Robin observe him. Either the Boy Wonder wasn't horrified, or had seen one too many disgusting things and was just good at disguising it. He held his gaze steady and spoke.
"This guy won't get away?"
"No. I'll contact the police, tell them to pick him up and keep him in the light."
"Well, thanks for your help," Victor turned away to leave, head bowed.
"Victor?"
He turned. "Call me Cyborg. It's what I am now."
"Cyborg then. I'm sorry. For that." Robin nodded his head towards the locked and bolted front door.
Cyborg looked at the door, and Robin saw the resigned acceptance in his face. It was if he'd known this would happen all along. "Thanks man. Maybe I'll see you around."
"Yeah, maybe."
