Chapter 6

Robin felt much better.

It had definitely been a lot to go through, but he couldn't look weak in front of his team, or Grayson. He somehow felt the need to make her proud.

He had spent a lot of time with her, and had learned a lot about her. She could play the flute, clarinet, and bass guitar, could speak 10 different languages, and was a master at tai chi and meditation.

"You've got plenty of time on your hand when you don't exist," she shrugged.

Robin watched in awe as she pulled out a staff, a bo like his, but it was made of wood. The wood glowed white in the moonlight, and Robin could swear that he heard music as wind blew across the roof of the Titans Tower.

"What's it made of?" he asked.

"It's bleached white oak," she said, twirling it on her fingers, "really rare and hard to get."

She spun the staff around her and threw it twenty feet into the air, still spinning. Robin opened his mouth in slight horror, afraid that it would fall from its height and shatter.

Grayson caught the bo with her wrist and let it continue its motion, sweeping to the leg and striking the head. She started performing a complex form that Robin could just barely keep up with. She flip over, using her legs to kick while she was upside down, and landed in a crouching position with her staff pulled back. She stood up, breathlessly.

"Ta da," she gave a small bow. "Learned that from someone, he'll stay unnamed."

Robin nodded, glad he never had to fight Grayson. He didn't want his head to be in the way of her staff.

He heard a small scuttling noise and whipped around. He saw a small green rat squeaking at him. Robin engaged a silent conversation with it, sure that Grayson couldn't see.

"What does Beast Boy want?" she suddenly asked.

Robin cursed inwardly. He had underestimated her again.

"Don't know," he said, casual. "I'll go talk to him in the tower. Be back soon."

"'Kay," she replied without looking up from her bo.

He opened the door under them and dropped into the tower.

"What?" he asked Beast Boy, slightly annoyed.

"Dude!" BB morphed back into his human form and waved his hands frantically. "You're sister's awesome and all, but I'm not sure if she's on our side."

"What do you mean?" Robin read Beast Boy's face carefully.

"I saw that Red X dude come in through her window," he explained, "and he took a bag without checking what was inside. I'm pretty sure she left it there for him!"

"What?" Robin stared at the door he had entered through and imagined his sister betraying him. It wasn't too difficult, considering her cold attitude, but it was still heart-breaking.

Robin shook his head. He remembered the time Raven had warned him about Terra, but she never said anything about Grayson.

"I know you don't believe me, but-"

"Thank you, Beast Boy," he cut him off, "I'll remember that, but I really hope Gr- Sparrow isn't that empty-hearted. She's my sister, and if there's anything I can say about my family is that we remain loyal, no matter what."

Unless his parents were brain washed to think that, too.

"Okay," Beast Boy looked a little better. "I hope she isn't evil too. She's really cute."

Realizing he just let that slip out he turned into a bird and flew away.

Robin stood there, the word "evil" ringing in his ears. The thin line between good and evil grew fainter.

Would he be loyal to his sister, or his team if matters came to the worst?

"No one's perfect," he mumbled.

And he left the spot to tell Grayson to join dinner.

Rachel wiped the corner of her mouth and dismissed herself from the table. She locked the door of her room as soon as she got in a turned around. A man in a black body suit and a red 'x' on his chest was waiting for her.

"Hello, sweetie," he purred.

"Shut up," she snapped, "and if you call me sweetie again I'll make sure you won't be able to talk for a week."

"Whoa there," Red X laughed. "You know you won't do that."

Rachel walked up to him. She was almost as tall as him, so she didn't have tilt her head.

"I wonder," she said, slowly, "if I render you unconscious and surgically remove your vocal chords, you won't be able to threaten me."

Red X backed off, warned by her tone.

"Careful, pretty flower," he chuckled, "you don't want your brother's secret out, do you?"

Rachel looked away.

"Just take the Xenothium," she said.

He was smiling under his mask, she could tell.

When he was gone, she laid on her bed and thought about what went wrong.

How could I have let my guard down? she thought. For my own brother?

She squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears streaming down the sides of her cheeks.