Chapter 4

From the bathroom, Robin found himself adjusting the buttons on his outfit over and over again in the attempt to avoid going out there… but the black slacks, yellow Converse tennis shoes, red tank top, and white button-down could only be fixed up so much before even he couldn't stand stalling anymore. Lucius had been kind enough to at least supply him with a pair of sunglasses for the time being.

He exhaled heavily running a hand through his hair and opened the door.

The other Titans had already changed and were observing their new looks when he came out. Beast Boy and Cyborg were hardly recognizable in the forms they had taken using the holograph watches. Cyborg of course had set it so he looked and dressed as he had in his stake out of Hive Academy, minus the metal jewelry of course. Beast Boy was still trying to decide on what his generated self was going to wear, pushing the button over and over again until he decided on a pair of beige cargo shorts, a green t-shirt, and sandals. Raven was in all black except for a blue jacket she had halfway zipped up. Her hair was pulled back in a clip, and she was looking less than thrilled, as usual. Starfire was in a purple top and white denim skirt with a matching hat, purple tinted sunglasses, and white boots.

"Aww, man!" Beast Boy cried when he noticed Robin standing there. "You're wearing sunglasses? I thought that we'd get to see your eyes!"

"Man, do you even have eyes?" Cyborg asked, obviously frustrated by the fact that they were seeing nothing.

Robin twitched a little and tried to hold in his composure. "Let's just go and get this over with… Please."

The group filed out of Fox's office with a goodbye from Robin and headed down the elevator to the bottom floor.

While the lift was descending, Beast Boy eyed the insignia on Robin's shirt. "So, what's the D-G stand for anyways?"

"Don't concern yourself with it," He replied sternly, and they all knew that they weren't going to get the answer out of him. "When the doors open, don't stare at anyone, just talk amongst yourselves, and not about superhero duties. As far as everyone else knows, we're normal teenagers."

"But I know not of the difference between normal teenagers and myself," Starfire mentioned, pouting a little.

"Just don't talk about eyebeams and star bolts and flying. Talk about shopping and cell phones and boys."

"Oh… All right then."

"And don't use any of our names."

"Then what am I to call you, Robin?"

He jumped a little as the question was presented and replied lowly, "Don't call me at all right now. Don't talk about me. I'm not important."

"Oh, but you are-"

"Just… for now," He said, and she nodded solemnly. She wasn't completely sure what he meant, but she wasn't about to frustrate him anymore than he already was.

The doors slid open and the Titans stepped out, talking amongst themselves, that is, except for Robin who dug a cell phone of his pocket and made it seem as though he was chatting with somebody. Up close, the phone was obviously inactive with no one on the other line, but no one paying little to no attention would notice.

Of course, the stopping workers and stares from everyone didn't go without leaving discomfort. "Dude… they know… we're busted, we're busted!" Beast Boy whispered, swallowing hard. "Does my skin look green in this light?"

"Shh! We are not to discuss these things!" Starfire whispered back.

"They're not looking at us," Raven pointed out, and they all noticed simultaneously that the only one being watched was Robin.

The walk was far too long for the leader's tastes but he finally made it to the glass doors and out onto the sidewalk followed by his team. He slipped his inactive phone back into his pocket and let out a long sigh of relief. "All right, let's see what we can find."

"Why were they all staring at you back there?" Cyborg asked.

"One of the conditions of all of you coming on this trip was that you wouldn't ask questions!" Robin spat back defensively.

They all were taken aback by his very noticeable discomfort, considering Robin was very good at concealing his thoughts and feelings. Starfire could tell that being in Gotham, being in those clothes, put Robin on edge. With his lack of sleep, his problems that she had yet to become fully aware of, and his presence in his city of origin, she couldn't help but worry that he could very well snap under the pressure. If only he wasn't so dead set on not telling anyone anything.

Robin exhaled again, running a hand through his hair. "I… I'm sorry… I just… I'm sorry."

"Dude, you need to chill out," Beast Boy said. "We should stop and get some breakfast or something."

Robin really felt like he would hurl if was to eat anything, but he agreed in the attempt to smooth over his attitude toward his teammates. They walked a few blocks and then stepped into a local café for coffee and donuts.

"Oh, man… I totally forgot my cash!" Beast Boy exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't think I'd need it what with-" He managed to cut himself off before mentioning his superhero costume. Superheroes in Jump City oftentimes got free food for doing a good job, and he'd made the assumption that that would also be the case in Gotham. Now he had reason to be concerned, but only for a moment, when Robin ordered for them and fished out a wallet full of cash from his back jeans pocket. "Duuude!" The disguised green boy cried. "Where'd you get all the dough?"

"It's mine. Don't bring attention to my wallet please," Robin whispered through his teeth. "I'd rather not be mugged."

Beast Boy buttoned his lip, but he wasn't the only one on the team completely at a loss as to how Robin obtained so much cash. Did Lucius Fox give it to him?

Everyone ate while Robin just hunched in his seat, laying his head across his folded arms but not sleeping. So far the trip had been one exasperation after another. He felt extremely uncomfortable out of his uniform, and he knew that he wasn't hiding it well. He was so tense that his entire body ached, and his stomach was twisted up in knots out of sheer anxiety. Why was he so afraid of the Joker? He'd fought him before, and yes, he was a psychopath, but it was dream! Something so ridiculous shouldn't have paralyzed him… In fact, he wouldn't allow it to happen. That was the real reason why he'd dragged himself back to Gotham. He was about to let his head get the better of him. That had nearly happened once before with Slade…

Thinking about Slade soured his mood even more, if that was possible. Shake it off, Robin, He thought. You need to get focused and stop frustrating yourself.

He wondered how sad it was that he had to give himself his own pep talk.

Starfire was watching him as she munched on a piece of lemon bread. Despite the stares and obvious questions behind her eyes, Robin couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease when she was near… at least until her questions were vocalized. If only they understood… It was better just to remain the way they were.

By the time they had finished eating, Robin was snoozing at the table. It was a welcome relief for the concerned team, and they sat for awhile longer if only to allow him a few more minutes of shut-eye, though it wouldn't amount to much.

Raven sat, applying a bit of dark blue-violet lipstick in the attempt to look less like herself, but her eyes were focused on the other bird of the group. She could sense a bit of uneasiness in him during his rest, and it felt as though it was rising rather quickly. She sensed that he was well on his way to full blown panic… most likely the same panic that had caused him to smash the mirror the night before last…

Was that really only two days ago? She could hardly believe it. It felt as though ages had passed.

"I think it's time we got a move on," Raven suggested. "Let's try and get things done so we can get out and go home." She really wasn't looking forward to facing the Joker, but she didn't want Robin to reveal any of his issues to his teammates until he was ready. She shook him slightly as she stood, causing him to awaken before he was awakened by the nightmare that seemed to be bothering him.

It was a shame… He looked so very tired.

Hoofing it in Gotham City was difficult. It was a ridiculously large city and they had a lot of ground cover. Swinging around from the rooftops or zooming through the sky would have been much easier, but Robin was bound and determined not to run into the Batman, though no one knew why.

Starfire was extremely vexed by the idea of it. It was true she did not know much about this Batman person, but she did know that the two of them had once lived together and fought together. Why were they so distant, and why was Robin so bitter? Was that the way he would someday become towards them? She certainly hoped not, and in her heart she didn't feel like it was possible… but this Batman person… what could he have done to make Robin leave him behind? Was Robin as cold to Batman as he was to the Titans?

So many questions seemed to be left unanswered. She was growing very tired of it. Though these thoughts continued to dominate her mind she again became aware of her friends around her, especially Beast Boy, who was the one currently talking.

"Man, these buildings are so high, I can't even see the top of them," Beast Boy beamed, staring up in wonder. He obviously had forgotten the point of traveling to Gotham awhile ago. "So cool. I wonder if Jump is ever gonna get this big?"

"Man, why don't you watch where you're going before you slam into someone?" Cyborg complained, fighting the urge to bonk him on the head. "Stop starin' at the sky and take in the real sights." The half-machine boy's face then broke out into a grin as he spotted a few attractive teenage girls passing by their group.

"I can't help it!" Beast Boy replied, turning around so he could face his teammates, but not slowing his pace at all. "We haven't been in a city this big since Tokyo! Just imagine all the cool stuff they must have that we don't!"

"Yeah, more loud noises and crime, that's so cool," Raven replied sarcastically.

Robin had out his communicator, apparently trying to track down the Joker's signal, or at least where he had last committed a crime. "We can get a hotel room tonight, but let's try and catch him today so we don't have to," He told them, never looking up from the tiny screen.

"You're no fun, Ro… uh, dude," Beast Boy laughed for the close save as a few pedestrians walked by. "There's so much to do, so much to see! Big fancy buildings, museums! A really awesome movie theater! I hear Gotham has one way bigger than the ones we have at home!"

"I've already seen it," Robin replied blankly. "It's not that impressive."

"Oh, COME ON!" Beast Boy cried. "Don't be such a stick in the mud, D-G!"

Robin looked up for a moment, said bitterly, "Don't call me that," and looked back down.

"Jeez, Rob, you've sure got an attitude problem lately," Cyborg commented obviously growing rather annoyed with the Boy Wonder's tone, along with everyone else.

Robin looked up, and for a moment, they thought he was about to shout and scold or at least deny his current attitude problem, but he did none of these things. The lines in his forehead dipped, and he said, "I've got something."

"Is it the Joker?" Cyborg asked, as the others crowded around Robin.

"No. Looks like Penguin," He replied. "He's nearby though, and if we can capture him, maybe he can tell us Joker's whereabouts. They're not really friends or anything, but they were at Arkham together, so even though it's a long shot, it's better than nothing."

They all nodded in agreement. Robin could only hope his performance improved this time around.

-

Robin was an unconventionally quick at changing into his uniform. He was ready and gone before Starfire had even gotten her boots off. He had taken off into the air, swinging from building to building as though he had done it a billion times before (and he probably had). The rest of the team struggled along behind, Starfire still shoving clothing into her bag as she zoomed along behind the rest of them.

Robin could shoot his grappling hooks onto the edge of buildings with one hand and without looking up from his track via his communicator. His knowledge of Gotham City was ridiculously memorized, even after his time away. While the other Titans would occasionally almost slam into a building they hadn't expected to be around the nearest corner, or would almost be flattened by a vehicle, Robin had no problems what so ever. Considering he hated the idea of being back in Gotham, he sure showed loyalty to it.

They found the Penguin at the Gotham Bank with a few large, exotic, rather violent birds, along with the Kabuki Twins. He could be heard cackling from inside the vault before they even got inside. With no fear, the Titans leaped inside, assuming fighting position.

"Looks like you picked a bad night to commit a crime, Penguin!" Robin shouted, smirking slightly.

The chubby, tuxedoed man seemed a little stunned by the appearance of five different heroes, including one he hadn't seen in years. "Well, well, if it isn't Batman's little pet bird!"

Robin twitched, but it went unnoticed by Penguin. "Drop the money," He commanded.

Penguin, in no mood for "pleasantries," pointed and ordered his exotic birds and equally exotic cronies forward and made for his escape. Robin gave the Titans a similar order to the henchmen and took after the boss.

"Man, are we supposed to fight the little guys why Robin gets the big baddies?" Cyborg asked, slightly jealous.

"Robin knows what he's doing. He knows how they work better than we do," Raven replied, throwing up a shield to keep the monstrous bird from pecking out her eyeballs.

"Eep!" Starfire yelped as one of the Kabuki Twins slashed at her. "I hope that Robin will be fine on his own!"

Robin was swinging from the rooftops, pursuing the Penguin who had taken to the air via the use of a propeller in his umbrella. "You might be able to fly with that thing, but you'll never be as fast as me," Robin murmured, smirking and feeling confident for the first time in what felt like forever.

He sent a grappling hook hurtling through the air and swung. He was about to catch him, he knew it, when he caught something swinging towards him from the other side of the building out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have enough time to react and collided directly with Batgirl, who only had time to shout out before they crashed against each other.

Penguin howled with laughter, zooming off as the two "Bat Brats" tumbled clumsily, getting wrapped up in each others cords and shouting out in shock and complaint.

Penguin was gone. Robin had let him get away. Another villain had gotten away. AGAIN. Sure, he wasn't flying too quickly, but Robin was so tangled that he felt as if he'd been caught in a spider's web, and the more he moved, the more tangled he became. The two struggled for a good ten to fifteen minutes before they freed themselves.

After finally managing to become untangled, he climbed the rope onto the building's roof, followed only seconds behind by Batgirl who he knew wasn't about to let him run away.

"Robin? That can't be you, can it? I'm seeing things, right?"

Robin turned to face her and was weighed down with the amount of shame he felt. He hadn't even said goodbye to her that night when he left… "Hey, Babs," He said quietly.

"It… It is you," She whispered fiercely, eyes wide. She was shorter than he remembered but also more womanly. Her hair didn't hang out the back of her costume now, and he figured she must have cut it at some point, but he couldn't tell from behind the mask. Even out of the costume however, he knew he could pick her out of a crowd without issue.

"Wh… what? You…" She stammered, unsure of what to say.

Robin was at a loss for words himself. The air was already so awkward as it was, and he felt that if he said anything else, he'd just make it worse.

Finally, Batgirl settled with saying, "Wh… what are you doing here?" Her tone was far from pleasant.

"I have some… stuff to take care of," He replied, his voice surprisingly meek. He wasn't feeling much like a man under her gaze.

"Stuff? You're damn right!" She shouted, face heating in anger. "You just decide you're too good for all of us and run out one day without even a goodbye and suddenly you're swinging around the rooftops like you never left? You didn't even call! You didn't write!"

He'd had a feeling she was hurt by his sudden departure.

"How dare you show your face in this city again?" She continued, but he was only half-listening. He'd heard her words in his head before, several times during the nights when he was alone.

When her voice finally quieted down, when she had finally said every little thing she had rehearsed for so many long months, she was heaving for air and glaring at him with wide eyes. "WELL?" She asked, voice cracking a little from all the screaming she had done.

He stood there for a moment, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. To think he'd known what she would have said all this time and yet had never prepared a response. "Babs-"

"Don't call me that!"

"Ba… Batgirl," He started again, not wanting to steam her anymore than he already had. He was feeling particularly exhausted right at this moment, and he couldn't deal with anymore screaming. "You… I… It's something you wouldn't understand, okay? Is now really the appropriate time for this?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know you're not just going to run off again as soon as my back is turned, huh? That's what you did last time, you know!" She countered, closing a bit of the distance between them so that she was glaring at him from mere inches away.

"I… I know… Look… I…" His shoulders slumped when nothing would come to him. The answer was difficult even if he was thinking at full capacity, and suddenly he was feeling lightheaded. "I'm sorry."

"You're damn right you are!" She hissed. "How could you?!"

He couldn't keep her gaze anymore and averted his eyes to the ground. "I mean it. I just… I had to…" He sighed in exasperation. "You just wouldn't get it, okay? Shouldn't you be pursuing Penguin?"

Nice one, Robin, He thought bitterly. Divert the subject because you're afraid of what she'll say. That'll prove what a man you are.

"Batman will catch him," She replied quickly, though he knew that she was suddenly remembering that they had been chasing the villain down by the awkwardness in her voice. "I've caught you, and I want some answers!"

"I…" He looked up at her, somewhat pleadingly. "I… don't know what to say. I said I was sorry."

"Is that all you feel you owe me?" She asked, voice cracking, and this time he knew it wasn't from the screaming. "Really?"

Robin felt his composure starting to shatter, along with a tinge of dizziness, and he took a shuddered breath. "Ba-"

Police cars raced by on the street below, headed towards the bank. The Titans! He suddenly remembered. Had they won? Or…

"I have to go," He said quickly and took a leap off the building, swinging his way down onto the street.

"Of course you do!" She shouted after him sarcastically, following him, as he'd expected. "You think you can just run away again, do you? I'm not going to let you!"

"I'm not running away!" He shouted back, blood pressure rising rapidly. "I have to---" His vision suddenly tunneled, and everything went black.

"ROBIN!"