I do not own Teen Titans. This is written for fun. They belong to Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Don't sue.
Glossophobia. Fear of speaking in public.
Robin broke away after dinner, finally getting a chance to breathe. It wasn't that he didn't love his friends, but all the attention left him uncomfortable. He wasn't what they thought he was. He wasn't some big hero. He had only been doing his job, just like all the rest of them. But they wouldn't listen and he couldn't force them to change their mind. So far he had tried to deal with it gracefully, but that didn't mean he wasn't taking his first chance to slip away.
Starfire had leaned over to him during dinner, whispering quietly enough that even he had trouble hearing her. "Did you notice who is still missing?"
He had. Raven had disappeared just after their big welcome home and hadn't been seen since. And it wasn't just he and Star who had noticed. Cyborg looked worried, though anyone not familiar with him would find it difficult to guess – he looked completely at ease.
Easier to see through was Beast Boy, to Cy's right. The changling was all smiles and confidence when he was being spoken to, making those around him laugh at his stories. But when conversation turned away and left him alone, his eyes fell and his mouth turned down. He never began a conversation, only joined in when he was prompted.
Robin put his arm around Star, pulling her closer as he spoke in her ear. To anyone else, it would just look like the couple was getting cozy (not that it wasn't a perk), "Has she talked to you about anything? I've been stonewalled by Beast Boy every time I try."
"All I know is that it happened after Argent's death. That is when they stopped speaking." Starfire answered. Her eyes were filled with concern for her friends and Robin couldn't help but kiss her gently, trying to reassure her.
"We'll get this figured out, Star. I promise."
"How can I doubt that, when it is you who say it?" She responded, smiling.
It had been difficult for him to leave her after that, but he had a team to look after, both during fights and rest. Robin walked through the Tower, finding his way easily through the familiar layout. Aqualad had told him where Raven had been staying and Robin knew that she would still be there.
He had his theories about the falling out. Some more far-fetched than others. But still, he was Robin. Weaned on impossible men and improbable feats. He figured that, as difficult as it may seem, he could handle two silent teammates. He had to.
Robin knocked on Raven's temporary door, hearing someone within. When no one answered, he spoke up.
"It's Robin. Can we talk?" He asked, staring at the thick door. He hoped he wouldn't have to resort to force to open the door, but he would if he had to. This needed to get resolved.
The door slid open, revealing his friend and teammate. Looking at her, Robin wondered what had happened to the girl he had known. When had his team grown up? Raven had gotten taller – still shorter than him, thank god. He couldn't stand to be the shortest member. Still, he hoped she was finished growing, because her eyes were just about level with his nose.
Any hint of childhood had been stripped from her – she had curves, albeit not as dramatic as Starfire's, but then her frame was much lighter than the alien's. Her bulky sweatshirt and tattered jeans didn't hide her figure completely and only served to make her look tinier than she was. She barely seemed to stand on the ground, ready to dart away at any second – lithe, that was the word for her. Like a dancer. Her hair had gotten longer, too. Again, nowhere near comparing with Starfire's, but the purple-blue locks streamed over her shoulders in a careless tousle. Even her eyes were different. Not in color, of course, but in age. She seemed to have gotten even older than the time apart permitted.
She smiled, but it looked tense, "Hi."
"You missed dinner. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Robin said, noting that she hadn't stepped aside to allow him in.
She kept her hand on the door frame, "I wasn't hungry. Changing time zones and sleeping during the day…I think I'm still behind."
Reasonable excuse, even if it was a lie. He decided just to go for it, "Can I come in?"
Raven hesitated. Cyborg wouldn't have noticed, but Robin did. It was a split second where he thought she was going to tell him no. "Of course." Raven dropped her hand and moved out of his way.
Robin walked into her room, noting the still packed backpack, the sweatshirts poking out of it. She was ready to run if he gave her even the slightest excuse. So he wouldn't.
"How are you?" Robin asked.
She closed the door behind her, walking past him to sit on the bed. "Fine, I suppose. My leg still gets sore from time to time."
"Glad to hear that it's healing well. And your shoulder and chest? Your wrists? Collarbone and ribs?" Robin didn't hold back. She had to realize that he knew everything.
Raven's eyes widened and then she smiled slowly. Her voice was calm, if cool. "Of course. You would keep tabs on us, Boy Wonder."
"Only on those who seemed to be a threat to themselves. Only on those who wouldn't check in regularly and were running around without letting me know where." Robin told her, sitting on the empty desk. He didn't comment that usually only Beast Boy called him 'Boy Wonder' now.
"I was busy. And my injuries weren't important enough to bother-"
"You took four bullets and thought it wasn't important?" Robin's voice rose to interrupt her before he could reign in his temper. "Mammoth, who was never a target of yours, sends you through a glass window and you didn't call me? The second time you ran into him, Doctor Light threw you from a three story building and you never even let us know? I thought we were teammates, Raven."
"We are." She said quietly. "I recovered just fine. There were more important things to worry about at the time."
"No, Raven. There weren't." Robin took a breath, trying to remain calm. "The safety of the Titans is the most important thing."
"Exactly." Raven agreed. "When I called you to inform you I had been hospitalized, you sent Wildebeest and Starfire to me. While I was grateful, I knew that there were two fully capable Titans just standing around, to make sure I recovered. That's a waste of resources. So I kept silent and no one was hindered."
"Making sure a friend is okay isn't a hindrance." Robin told her. "Or do you mean to tell me that if Star or Cyborg or I were in a hospital, you wouldn't want to know?"
"Of course I would want to know. But you weren't. I kept tabs on all of you." She answered.
"So you knew about Beast Boy's skull fracture? Three broken ribs? Broken wrists? Fractured arm?" Robin watched her. She was a good liar now, but not good enough to throw him off.
Raven paled infinitesimally. Had he not been Robin, he might not have seen it. Anyone would have seen the way her hands shook the tiniest bit, "I…I didn't know."
"That's because he was thinking along the same lines as you. He didn't talk to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. Now, do you still think that it was a good idea?" Robin asked.
Her chin hardened, "I'm not a child, Robin." Had she not been arguing with him, he would have found her confidence and self-assurance impressive and way overdue. "You think I did wrong, fine. I won't do it again."
Time for far-fetched theory number one: "Did Beast Boy threaten you?"
"What?" Raven jumped to her feet.
"You seemed like you were trying to get away from him this morning. Did he do something to make you afraid of-"
"No! No, of course not." Raven frowned. "How could you ask that?"
"Because you literally ran away from him this morning." Robin said. "What else am I supposed to think?"
She glared at him, "I'm not afraid of him. He's not threatened me or anyone else."
"So why did you run away from him?" He asked her.
Raven sat back down on the bed, her mouth a hard line. Robin decided to go with his more likely theory.
"I know what happened with Argent." Robin told her quietly.
Raven glanced up at him, the blood disappearing from her face as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"I created all the assignments; did you think I didn't realize what you must have thought?" Robin said.
"I…"
"It wasn't your fault." Robin said firmly.
Raven shook her head, "But it was. The night before I had been talking to…I overslept. And I was ten minutes too late."
"So you blame Bea-"
"No!" She was on her feet once more. Interesting how she only did that when she was defending the changling, Robin noted. "No, I don't blame anyone but myself. But I realized that I had been…distracted from the mission and I needed to make sure it never happened again. And it didn't."
"So you cut yourself off from your friends?" Robin asked her.
"I still spoke to Starfire and-"
He held up his hand, "Let me rephrase that. You cut yourself off from one friend. The only one you actually talked to."
Raven's gaze dropped. "Yes. It needed to be done."
"Raven, you aren't infallible." Robin told her gently. "Had you been there, they might have killed both you and Argent. Together, they were more than a match for you." He shook his head, "Had I known they were working together, I never would have sent Argent on her own. If anyone is to blame, it would be me. I sent her there."
Raven was silent for a moment. "It isn't your fault. And I know that no one blames me for Argent's death. However, I still feel responsible. And," She said a little louder as Robin moved to interrupt, "nothing you say will change my mind. It's something I must learn to live with."
Robin stared at his friend. "Will you talk to him now?"
"We'll be returning home. I doubt I can avoid it." Raven let her voice become a monotone, revealing nothing.
"He doesn't hate you or anything. He's just confused." He hesitated, "You two seemed to be getting a lot closer. Was anything-"
"Please." She said, "That is not something I wish to discuss. Not with you, and not with anyone else, so you can tell the others not to bother."
"We're worried about you. Both of you." Robin told her. "Whatever your issues, we want them resolved."
"Our 'issues'," she frowned, "won't cause any problems within the team."
"So you aren't going to talk to him?" Robin asked.
Raven looked away, "There isn't anything to talk about."
The admission of her injuries was more than Robin had been expecting. He was content to let sleeping dogs lie. For the moment. "Fine. I'm…I'm just glad we're all together again."
That brought a smile back to her face, "Me too."
"Been a long year, hasn't it?" Robin asked her.
Raven laughed quietly. "That's one way of putting it."
He didn't comment on how much more emotion she seemed to be showing. He had tried to get her to open up after Trigon's defeat, but he hadn't come even close to how open she was now. He suspected he knew who had broken her out of her shell, but he didn't bring up the name.
"I've got a big announcement to make, will you come out and hear it?" Robin asked.
Raven arched a brow, "You and Starfire are engaged already?"
He choked a little, "Wha-? No, no. No-no-no-no."
She smirked at his discomfort.
"Just…come on out, okay?" Robin asked. When she looked ready to refuse, he continued, "You can hide in the back, if you'd like. I won't call you out."
Raven sighed, "I don't have much of an option, do I?"
"Not really."
"Then I'd be delighted to join you." Raven deadpanned.
They walked in silence back to the main hall. Raven broke away from him as soon as they entered the doors, staying by the exit as Robin went back to the long table. Starfire smiled at him, a heart-stopping, beautiful, smile. He'd never been much of a romantic, but he could make an exception. She'd always been the exception.
She squeezed his hand as he stood next to her and Robin did his best not to wince. She was still so much damn stronger than him. Good thing he liked that in a girl.
"Ever since the Brotherhood fell, we've been split up across the globe." The Titans fell quiet as Robin began speaking. "Not seeing home or each other in almost a year. I know it's been difficult. I know that we've all had a hard time, especially when we lost friends who were close to us. Pantha, Hotspot and Argent were great examples of what it was to be a Titan. They were courageous, unfaltering and truly good people. We won't forget what they sacrificed to keep this world safe."
"There will always be villains in the world." Robin said, not letting himself waver. He hated speaking publically like this, but he was getting used to it. "Evil won't ever rest. There will always be someplace for us to keep fighting. Always someone breaking out. Always someone who needs to be stopped. As long as there's evil, there will be Titans ready to stand against it. However, every fight has its end. And I think, as most of you do, that it's time to go home."
That was met by deafening cheers. Robin continued speaking as the cheers died down a bit, though not entirely. Over the excited voices, he told them, "All Titans are being called home to their Towers. Which means we can return to ours. There are a few loose ends to clean up, but they will be on a volunteer basis only. I know that most of you are more than ready to go home. So am I." Robin glanced at Star quickly and smiled before looking back to the crowd.
"A few villains are on the loose near here. I need a few volunteers to go after Doctor Light, just north of Steel City in-"
"I'll go." The two unison voices caused a stir of whispers in the crowd of Titans.
Robin didn't let his surprise spread across his face as he looked at Beast Boy and Raven in turn. Both of them had been quite outspoken to volunteer, but when they realized who else had, they fell silent. The changling looked annoyed, the empath flushed and looking at her feet.
"Great, Beast Boy and Raven will go after Light. I'll speak with you after this. I also need a volunteer for someone to go after Control Freak. He was spotted popping out of New York City's jumbo-tron and Cyborg has coded the circuits in that area to keep him from making another jump back in."
Robin found a few more volunteers for the last villains they needed to round up. His eyes kept going back to his teammates, both of them looking like they wanted to run, yet staying put. Maybe this was the catalyst those two needed to get back on speaking terms.
Announcements finished, Robin let the crowd start filtering out before asking Beast Boy and Raven over.
They obeyed, both of them studiously ignoring the other.
Robin didn't let anything show through on his face. He had to give them their assignment. "Thanks for volunteering, guys."
"On second thought," Beast Boy said, "I could go after Control Freak. I've taken him down once. And Light doesn't really need more than one person."
Raven didn't look at him, but kept staring at some point over Robin's shoulder.
"I need you both on this. Doctor Light has evaded capture seven times since the fall of the Brotherhood. Raven went up against him twice, Star once, Cyborg three times and Speedy once. He's still free. There's something different about him. He's…"
"Unbalanced."Raven said quietly. "He's confidant. Doesn't care what he has to do to get away. Doesn't show mercy." Her fingers drifted up to her collarbone and Robin got concerned.
Doctor Light had been a pushover before. Not much of a threat. But he had seen that Light had done to Raven. Cameras outside the hospital revealed what she looked like going inside. And it wasn't pretty. He had only succeeded in breaking her collarbone and ribs. But her face had been a massive bruise and he had nearly dislocated her arm. He had been really worried about her. Never before had Light gone up against a Titan and come away so victorious. And he had done it seven times now.
"I need both of you on this." Robin said, looking at them each. "Can you handle this?"
"Of course." Raven answered, still not meeting his eye.
Beast Boy scoffed, "It's Doctor Light. We'll be in and out in a day."
"I hope so." He handed Raven an envelope. "Here's some money and the name of a hotel. I've already reserved a room for you. They're booked up for the holidays, so you'll have to make do with what I've got. Please," Robin caught their eyes, "stay in touch. There's something different about Light now. I don't want you to be caught unaware because you refuse to pick up your communicators. If something happens to either of you, let me know." Raven had the grace to flush a little. "You should head out in the morning. Faster you leave, faster you can back. Faster we've got our family together again."
Beast Boy's smile was only a little tight. "No worries, bird-boy. We'll be back home before you know it."
Raven nodded.
Robin wanted to say something more. To try and impress upon them the bad feeling he got from Doctor Light. He wasn't Batman's protégée just because of his athleticism. He worked off his instincts and right now, they were telling him that something was very, very wrong with Light. But the duo in front of him wasn't stupid. They wouldn't do anything rash.
He said goodnight and watched them leave, neither one speaking to the other. Never even looking at one another. The two people he never would've expected such obstinacy from. The two that had caused him more worry and heartache than any of the other active Titans. The two who couldn't reconcile their differences because of a skewed sense of responsibility.
God, he thought, please don't let them do anything rash…
