A/N: I really want to thank everyone for all follows and for favorites ^_^ It really boosts me to power through writer's block- which I happened to have been plagued with while writing this entire chapter.
Also, thanks for all the reviews! Chapter 6 alone got the most reviews so far and great news! We reached 100 reviews! Even though I can't individually thank all of you, I really, really appreciate every comment, long or short. I read each one at least few times, and I really take into consideration what is written there. Every little bit helps me so much, so I just wanted to say thanks!
And I know some of you out there may be waiting for Slade to finally take Robbie, but I promise, it's coming soon :D I just have to set the stage for it, but it isn't going to be much longer :)
Let's begin!
-X-
Chapter 7
October 22, 2012
{11:46 EST}
Five days drifted by since the failure at the Burke Power Plant, and a whole week since the Rockies Mission as well. The air at Mount Justice became so strained that it could break as easily as stained glass windows. To say the least, all the young heroes were physically and emotionally drained.
Robin sat quietly in his bedroom, having remained there for a majority of the past five days. He couldn't bring himself to eat much or even get more than an hour or two of rest each night. With the weight of recent events weighing down on his shoulders, Robin could feel himself cracking under the pressure. He lacked the energy to go anything. What was there to do when his team fell apart along with the relationship with his mentor?
Absolutely nothing.
He wasn't needed anymore.
It proved to be a tough pill to swallow, but Robin managed to choke it down. He looked to the side to gaze at his laptop siting on his desk. Not even uncovering the truth behind Slade could redeem Robin from the corner he was backed into. Robin was more than aware he could march straight to Bruce, tell him every word about Slade; how the mysterious stranger was manipulating them all like a puppet master and how much Slade clearly knew about the team and Batman, and wait to see what his mentor had to say about it.
But what would that change?
The truth wouldn't fix that awful and disappointed look on Batman's face; it wouldn't get his mentor to begin training him again; and it wouldn't help Robin connect the puzzle pieces any quicker. If anything, it proved that Robin couldn't handle this on his own.
While exhaling heavily, Robin drew his knees close to his chest and rested his chin on his kneecaps. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. There were too many variables unaccounted for and missing numbers. Slade could be anyone, either from Gotham City or even some place in California, and Robin still had no leads on this mysterious man whatsoever. All his wasted research left him running around like a chicken with its head chopped off.
That much infuriated Robin more than anything.
Robin grabbed a fist full of his comforter tightly, bowing his head forward to rest against his knees. He searched for hours to find out who this man was when he already had a lead on Slade! All he needed to do was ask Batman where he got the original mission information from and walk backwards from there. It was so simple. Robin couldn't believe he was stupid enough to miss that.
Slowly, he brought his head back up and released his blanket, letting the scrunched blanket flatten out once again. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if he spent more time researching Slade. Maybe he should have asked his teammates for help instead of blowing them off the second they offer their assistance. Maybe if he just asked Bruce for help then he wouldn't feel so alone right now.
He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the dark locks resting on his head. Robin was plagued by so many maybes, so many different choices he could have- should have made that it drove him insane. But Robin knew dwelling on his mistakes wasn't going to change anything; it would only make him bitter.
Robin's gaze fell onto his laptop resting on his dresser, having gone untouched for days. The longer he looked, the more Robin felt drawn to open it up and turn on the power. Where would that lead him though? To another dead-end? Another day of hours poured into researching a man he hardly knew? Robin sighed heavily, tearing his eyes away from his laptop. He wasn't going to fall into that endless void of studying again. He wouldn't prove anyone right; he wouldn't become obsessed with Slade; he wouldn't become Batman.
But that was exactly who he was becoming, wasn't it?
It all began with the training simulation, the mentally engineered scenario that haunted them all. Robin was disgusted with himself; he willingly sacrificed his own teammates- his friends, just for the sake of the mission. Did their lives really mean so little to Robin that he could just throw them out to waste away, just to end up on top?
Robin tried to convince himself otherwise. It had been his only option to try to save what was left of the human race. He did what he had to do as a hero. To make sure the innocent made it out alive. He managed to send them to their deaths without a second thought.
Real or not, was the mission ever worth that much?
Not like he had much of a team anymore. The failed simulation did more than hurt them; it traumatized them. Shattering the first pillar that held the structure upright and left the rest to crumple like dominoes at Robin's feet. Lack of trust, dishonesty, pain, loss, deception, fear, hatred. The burning remains of what little the team managed to hold on to the past few days.
Robin had done exactly what Batman wanted, right? Sacrifice everything he had left, everyone he had left, for the victory. Betray his own moral code and sentence his best friends to death one by one just to have them die in vain. But everything had to be for the sake of the mission.
How could something so gruesome ever be worth it?
He had watched, silently staring with unshed tears, as his life was ripped in half and buried six feet under. Waking up after the mission, realizing he wasn't alone should have been a relief. Robin should be able to laugh, sit and talk with this friends, be able to move on from the hideous events that they all witnessed in their own minds, and to overcome the horrors of the real world.
The only thing Robin was able to do was watch his world crumple apart for a third time.
What had he done to make him deserve a fate such as this? One where his mentor gave up on him, his teammates didn't trust him, and he hardly had a home to turn back to. Why did he get dealt poisonous cards? Was he truly so awful that no one could manage to stay in his life for as long as Robin needed for once?
Why did everyone have to leave him behind?
Robin dropped his head into his open hands, breathing slowly to try and calm himself down. Getting flustered and upset wasn't going to change a thing. It wouldn't fix the broken bridge between him and Bruce, it wouldn't mend the cracked pieces of his trust, and it certainly wouldn't draw him any closer to solving the case and cracking the code about who Slade is.
He stiffened suddenly, his shoulders tensing as he brought his face back up to stare blankly at his wall. Slade hardly crossed his mind the past few days. Robin found himself too distracted by the sorrowful faces of his teammates and cracked up excuses they had for Kaldur's betrayal. He hardly processed any of the words his friends spoke, but he heard them all right. Every apology, every excuse. They were all muddled into a pile of dirt and tossed to the side. Robin didn't want the comfort or condolences. Words couldn't fix the trust that was so carelessly destroyed.
Slade effortlessly exploited Robin's mistrust because he knew Robin would be too headstrong to have Aqualad come with him. Robin couldn't wrap his head around why Slade would have such an interest in him when all he could manage to do was disappoint everyone.
Nothing explained why Slade was so intrigued. He wasn't after the Team, or the League, or even Batman. Slade only cared about Robin. Just Robin. But why?
Merely speaking Slade's name made the man sound worthy of power and dominance over anyone that dared stand in his way. And Robin was no fool. Of course he feared the man's strength. Slade was at least a foot taller than him, not to mention he was pure brains and muscle. He had to be joking if he didn't respect the control Slade already had over him. A man like Slade was too dangerous to underestimate.
However, Slade hadn't been the only one with a plan that day. Robin knew he had to test Slade as well, gathering as much information on the man as he could. He willingly admitted that he did get hit quite a few more times than he liked, but by doing so, he could feel Slade holding back. Slade never tried to seriously damage him. It was nothing like fighting Joker or Two Face. Everything Slade had said and done had a purpose, an ultimate motive as though it was one string tied into the web of the master plan he had in store.
A knock on his bedroom door took Robin away from his thoughts. He quickly pushed himself off his bed, grabbing his sunglasses and slipping them over his eyes in the process. Another series of knocks quickly barraged his door and Robin rolled his eyes, guessing that it was the speedster on the other side. He slid the door open to see Wally while he tapped his foot impatiently. Wally looked up at the sound of the door opening and immediately made eye contact with the Boy Wonder.
"Hey, Rob." Wally greeted, "M'gann is making lunch so we were wondering if you wanted to join us."
"No thanks." Robin said curtly, taking a short step backwards into his bedroom. He moved to close the door when Wally's hand clasped around the door and prevented it from sliding completely shut. Annoyed, Robin looked back up at his red-haired friend with a scowl on his face.
"What?" He hotly asked.
"You've hardly even left your room the past few days." Wally bluntly replied, opening the door again. He unintentionally looked over Robin's shoulder and glanced around the boy's room. There were papers scattered over the floor along with messy bed sheets and a few pillows across the room from Robin's bed. Wally restrained himself from raising an eyebrow; Robin's room was usually kept exceptionally neat and clean with a nearly professionally made bed. The fact that his quarters were like this now was unsettling.
"I'm not interested."
Wally moved his attention back to the young hero, "Your room's a mess."
"So?" Robin hesitantly asked, slightly glancing back over his shoulder. If Alfred were to walk into his room, Robin was sure the Englishman would throw a fit over the mess and mutter something about how Robin could be too much like Bruce sometimes before sighing dramatically and help Robin clean his room.
"Your room is always neat."
"You're one to talk," Robin said, "You can hardly even see the floor in your room!"
Wally stepped past the boy and into his room despite the glare he got from the younger teenager, "But your room is always clean. Something's obviously still bothering you."
His lips pulled into a tight frown and he lowered himself to one knee, picking up one the nearest sheet of paper and held it up. Wally opened his mouth to read out loud when Robin ripped it out of his hand and proceeded to kick the papers underneath his bed. The redheaded teen pushed himself up off the ground, scowling down at Robin.
"Mind sharing what those were?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.
Robin finished kicking the last of the papers beneath his bed, "They're nothing." He muttered and pulled his comforter over the edge of his bed to cover the papers underneath his mattress.
"Robin, I'm worried about you. Your room's a mess, you're keeping secretes, and you've practically been obsessed with whoever it is your researching!"
"It doesn't concern you," Robin roughly replied while using his bed to pick himself off the ground, "So quit butting in."
The speedster rolled his eyes, "You can't keep blowing off your friends like this. We're just trying to help you! It's what friends are supposed to do!"
It was now Robin's turn to roll his eyes and scoff at the older boy. Wally really wasn't planning on lecturing him on how friends are supposed to act, was he? That idea in itself would be hypocritical of the speedster to say. Friends don't talk about each other behind their backs or go back on their promises.
"Friends?" Robin echoed roughly, "Friends that talk about me behind my back? Friends that can't even keep their word?"
"You're doing the exact same!"
A silence fell between the two boys and Robin shyly looked away, a frown plastered on his face. He wasn't the one at fault here. He didn't talk about any of his teammates behind their backs and he especially never went back on something he swore to secrecy. Spending his time researching to find a man in order to protect himself and his team was by no means a poor choice. Perhaps he did take things a bit too far, but Slade wasn't a man to be underestimated and if it meant keeping everyone he cared about safe, he was willing to do it. That was being a good friend. That was how much he cared.
"Look," Wally calmly started, breaking he silence that overshadowed the room, "We all made our share of mistakes over the past couple of days and Kaldur is really trying to fix it."
"Oh, is that why he sent you instead of coming himself?" Came Robin's sharp reply.
"D-...Robin, listen to me." Wally hesitantly said, putting his hand on Robin's shoulder. The younger boy tensed, clearly hearing the near slip up with his secret identity. Wally was one of the few people who actually knew Robin's identity, and if the teen dare try and use Robin's real name in the Mountain, there was no way Robin would be able to recover from that broken trust.
"Kaldur didn't mean to hurt you. All we wanted to do was help you. We're supposed to be a team, help each other. When Kal told us, he thought he was doing the right thing."
Robin bit his lip, casting his gaze to the floor, "Would you have done it? What Kaldur did, I mean."
With a sigh, Wally dropped his hand off the Boy Wonder's shoulder, "I don't know, Rob. I probably would have asked why you're keeping it a secret in the first place."
"It's a lot more complicated than just stowing away in my room." Robin said, bringing his head back up, "I'm doing what's best for all of us. You just don't understand."
"Then explain to me what I don't get!" Wally abruptly shouted, his voice rising, "I'm supposed to be your best friend!"
"I know that! I-I don't know what to do. I just..."
Feel like my life is falling apart.
Robin let go of his breath softly, rubbing his elbow with one hand. He knew Wally meant well, the speedster always did, but that didn't help Robin feel any less lost or alone. He didn't want his best friend right now; he wanted someone to tell him everything was going to be fine. Just someone to help him when he while he was at a loss and confused.
He needed a mentor.
But Robin wasn't sure he had one now.
"Let's just go have lunch." Robin finally spoke, his voice soft. He reluctantly stepped past Wally and into the cool hallway. He hadn't noticed how stuffy and tense it had gotten in his room, but he didn't care. Wally stepped out shortly after Robin did, the door sliding shut behind them. Together, the two young heroes walked towards the kitchen in pure silence other than the light sound of stockings tapping against the smooth floor. Robin pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose, focusing on what he would say to his teammates when they walked through the doorway.
His time to think was cut short when Wally and himself stepped into the kitchen. Their teammates, Conner, M'gann, Artemis, and Kaldur sat on the sofas across the room as M'gann used her powers to serve lunch to the four of them. She turned around suddenly, seeing Robin and Wally in the kitchen. Instantly, her smile brightened and she levitated towards them.
"Robin! Wally!" M'gann beamed, "Your plates are on the table over there." She pointed across the room to the two plates, one full of food and the other one with a normal amount, "And I was just about to get homemade lemonade I made from the fridge. We were just waiting for you guys."
Wally didn't need to be told twice. The speedster grinned and shouted his thanks as he sped to his spot on the soft coach. He pulled his large portion of food over his lap, taking a sandwich in one hand and biting a large piece off. Robin rolled his eyes, following in Wally's steps less enthusiastically. He took his seat beside the speedster and looked down at the plate of food before him. Any appetite he had seemed to fly out the door when he felt the pairs of eyes fall onto him.
A short minute or two crawled by when Robin finally took a small bite out of his sandwich. Was it always this quiet when they ate together?
No, something was definitely off. There was no static from the enormous television set in the room and the laughter that typically jarred the Mountain couldn't be found. Robin softly sighed and pushed his plate away from himself. Food worsened the sickened feeling inhabiting his stomach and the atmosphere constricted the air around him.
He could feel everyone's eyes falling onto him once more, many of them traveling from his nearly full plate of food and then up to the familiar shade of black. They were worried about him, and Robin couldn't blame them. Although his friends hurt him, Robin hadn't been very trust worthy these past few days either. That knowledge sickened his stomach even more.
More time ticked by and no one bothered to move or make any form of conversation. Slowly, Robin stood up from his seat, turning to leave the room.
"I'm gonna go rest for awhile, guys." He softly said, "I'm not really feeling too well. Thanks for the lunch, M'gann."
The Martian girl nodded although his back was turned as he continued to press down the hallway. He kept his footsteps quiet as he approached his bedroom door, the hallway appearing to be endless. Robin felt his breath catch in his throat as he stopped walking abruptly and fell against the wall. An invisible force seemed to press down against his chest, making it harder for him to breathe.
His body trembled as he pressed against the wall. Robin shut his eyes tightly, flattening his hands out against the wall behind him. He counted backwards from ten slowly and took in a deep breath on every even number. Slowly, he felt himself calm down, his heart relaxing against his chest.
Opening his soft blue eyes, Robin bent down to pick his abandoned sunglasses up off the floor. He hadn't noticed them slip off his face, but he pushed them back over his eyes indifferently. Robin leaned against the wall a few more moments before continuing down the hallway once more. Once he reached his bedroom door, Robin quickly put in his pass code, roughly closing the door behind himself. He sat down on his bed and turned on the lamp beside his bed.
Bruce had determined those to be miniature panic attacks. Struggling to breathe, shaking, dizziness, nausea. Similar symptoms to panic attacks, but it was something Robin was capable of controlling on his own, without medication or assistance from someone else.
His father, John Grayson, had a similar problem from what Robin could remember. Robin always wondered how his father could still manage to perform for years in front of a crowd in a raving circus with his condition. According to Bruce, it only occurred after traumatic experiences, such as after the death of his parents or more recently, the failed training simulation. As a child, during his first attack, his father told him to count down from ten, breathing in deeply on the even numbers. With his father's hand gently pressed on his back, Robin always found himself able to calm down again.
When he first started living at Wayne Manor, Bruce would do the same thing. Robin would count out loud with Bruce's hand rubbing his back, but it was never the same as his own father's hand. It didn't have the same fatherly touch Robin longed for. Even Alfred had tried, but nothing was ever the same as it had been with his dad.
Robin sighed softly, removing his glasses and putting them beside his lamp. He reached up and turned the light off before settling down into his bed. Hopefully a short nap would be help clear his mind.
October 22, 2012
{13:39 EST}
"Does anyone else thing Robin seemed a bit... off?" Asked Artemis as she put her empty plate beneath Robin's abandoned one. The archer wiped her hands on her sweatpants before carrying their plates to the kitchen. She dumped Robin's food into the trash compactor and dropped the plates into the soapy sink water.
Kaldur soon walked in after her with his own empty plate in his webbed hands, "I do agree that Robin was acting rather unusual. Kid, did Robin say anything when you asked him to join us?"
The teen spoken to shrugged, "Nothing out of the ordinary." Said Wally hesitantly. The image of Robin's messy room and the boy shoving the stray papers under his bed crossed his mind, but Wally forced himself to ignore it. "He's been under a lot of stress lately. All of us have been."
"That may be the case." M'gann piped in, "But I could just sense so many emotions just coming off of him. He's normally so relaxed but recently he's just been-"
"Just drop it, okay?" Wally harshly said, carrying a stack of plates to the kitchen to drop in the sink as well. Both Connor and Artemis gave him a weird look, but Wally decided to keep his head down instead. It wouldn't be his place to tell them everything that's going on with Robin, especially when the young hero felt alone. If the team would just quit prodding for answers, Wally figured they'd all be in better condition than they were now.
Artemis hopped up on the island to sit, "Chill out, Wally, she was just making a point. I get it that we're all stressed, but Robin's been silent for days. We're worried about him too, you know."
The final two heroes stepped into the kitchen, M'gann telepathically carrying both her and Connor's plates to the sink. From there, M'gann put the dishes into the dishwasher beside the sink. She put in the empty glasses on the top portion of the washer and the dishes in the bottom rack. Then she put in the soap before closing the machine and turning it on.
Wally leaned against the counter tops, tapping his foot against the ground rapidly, "The past missions have been bothering him."
"So?" Conner sharply asked, "We were all there too."
"It's different." Wally snapped, glaring up at the superteen.
Artemis rolled her eyes, "How would you know? You can't tell what we're all thinking."
The floodgates of silence opened up and poured into the room where the five teens resided. Their eyes fell to the Martian girl and the air in the room grew still. Obviously, all the teenagers had the same idea at the same time. M'gann was a telepath. The girl could easily infiltrate the boy's mind so they could know what was really bothering him.
"No." Wally said, being the first to recover from the silent spell, "No, no, no. That is not a good idea."
Kaldur rubbed his eyes with one hand, "I believe that having M'gann read Robin's mind could be a good idea. We could find out what has been troubling him recently."
There were a few nods of agreement, but Wally was not one of them, "That's such an invasion of privacy. You, of all people, Supes, should know that. You were mentally grown for months! And you're meaning to tell me now that it's alright to read someone's mind without them knowing?"
"I'm sure M'gann could read his emotions without going far into his mind," Kaldur calmly cut in before Connor could snap back at the speedster, "We will not prod into his life outside of the team. We just wish to know what is bothering him."
"I can do that. I'll just pop in to learn what's been causing his emotions to go crazy, and then I'll get out." M'gann softly said, looking down at her fingers instead of making eye contact with any of them. She knew she would be capable of only reading some of the Boy Wonder's thoughts without delving in too deep.
Artemis brushed a hair out of her face, "So it's settled then. Just to find out what's going through Bird Boy's head."
M'gann, Connor, and Kaldur all nodded; however, Wally gruffly folded his arms over his chest, his emerald eyes narrowed. How could they not see how wrong it was to read someone's mind like that? And Kaldur. How could the most levelheaded person on this team agree to mind reading?
"Guys, this isn't a good idea." Wally tried again to talk sense into one of them, "Rob probably feels like he can't trust us already. And we're all supposed to be his best friends. If anything, we could just go and ask him what's bothering him."
Conner spoke up, "We can't go ask him when he refuses to even talk to us." He pointed out numbly.
"And as his closest friends, we should find out what's wrong with him. He's probably just having a hard time admitting it to himself first. So by having M'gann read his mind, we can help him through it." Said Artemis. She tried to put herself into Robin's shoes. Even with her secretes, and she did have plenty of those, Artemis trusted M'gann to stay away from her memories and deal strictly to what's causing such trauma in her own mind. Robin likely felt the same way, after all, they both had secretes to keep locked away from the team.
"Think about it," Wally began, "If you're upset, do you want someone else digging through your mind without you knowing it?"
Artemis was the first to nod, followed by a curt nod of his head from Kaldur, and a slight shrug from the superteen. Wally forced himself not to yell at them. How could they all be so dense?
"I won't be reading his mind exactly," M'gann said, glancing up at the speedster, "My Uncle J'onn taught me to interprate someone's emotions, and I can link it back to the most recent and strongest memory causing it. The furthest back it should take me is within this week. I won't be butting into Robin's personal life or anything."
Kaldur nodded before folding his arms over his chest, "And as Robin's teammates and friends, we should do all we can to help him."
The group looked to Wally, who had finally stopped tapping his foot at superspeed. The speedster appeared to be torn, as if considering the pros and cons of both options. In all honesty, Wally did want to know what was driving Robin insane, far enough to break his usual habits. Maybe by reading Robin's mind, they could find out what's going on before it causes Robin to go crazy.
"You're sure he won't be able to tell you're reading his mind?" Wally asked finally, looking to the green skinned girl. She gave him a small smile and nodded once. Swallowing, Wally stared back at the others, "Go on and do it then. I want to know what's bothering him too."
M'gann nodded and levitated in the air, folding her legs beneath her. She sat with one leg over the other and had her hands closed tightly around each knee. Slipping her eyes shut tightly, M'gann took in a deep and calming breath before she felt her mind and spirit temporarily detatch from her own soul and drift into the open.
Four other minds in the room compelled her spirit to go into one of them, but M'gann brushed past them and searched for Robin's mind instead. She levitated through the thick walls of Mount Justice, a heavy and dark shadow omitting from them. M'gann ignored the dark hue of the path and pressed forward towards what felt like another mind willing her to come find it. Few seconds had ticked by when she reached what she believed to be Robin's bedroom. M'gann tumbled through the wall and found Robin's spirit resting there, appearing asleep.
Slowly, she inched closer to the strong force, gently extending her hand to reach out and touch it. Seconds ticked by when the smokiness finally intertwined with her fingers and M'gann felt herself being drawn into Robin's consciousness. The boy's memories attempted to toss themselves at her, but M'gann had her mind set on reaching Robin's emotions without crossing any lines.
Finally, the memories and thoughts quit barreling into her, and M'gann was able to relax, feeling Robin's current emotions flood over her spirit.
Confusion.
Sadness.
Anger.
Obsession.
She hesitated. Obsession? That wasn't what she had expected to find. M'gann hooked onto that emotion, piggybacking onto it like a virus in the human body. The emotion tugged away from her, almost trying to escape her curiosity, but she held on tightly to it.
'If you want to win, Robin, you have to fight back.'
M'gann frowned. Who was that speaking?
'I said that I would prove to you that you will never defeat me, and I am a man of my word.'
'Impressive aim.'
'Consider it a bit of an... evaluation.'
She felt a name coming to her suddenly. The emotion's pattern of movement grew to be more unpredictable, and M'gann found herself struggling to hang on to what was left of the fragmented emotion. But somehow, M'gann just knew that the name over however said this things would be the answer they were looking for. It would be a huge clue to help solve what troubling Robin.
'My name is-'
'Get out of my mind!'
M'gann screamed as she was slammed out of Robin's mind and back into her own body. She dropped out of her meditation form and felt herself get hurled back against the cabinets in the kitchen.
"M'gann!"
She couldn't tell who shouted out her name, but M'gann slowly opened her eyes, trying to catch her breath that had been knocked out of her. Conner lifted her off the counter and gently placed her feet on the floor. The four team members closely surrounded her, all of them painted with confused looks on their faces.
"What happened?" Kaldur asked, putting his hand on the Martian's shoulder.
She gasped for her next breath, "Robin. He-he forced me out of his mind."
"What?" Wally yelled, "You said he wouldn't be able to detect you there! What do you mean he forced you out of his mind?"
A sixth voice came into the room, cutting through the frantic teenagers, "What she means was I kicked her out of my head so she couldn't search my mind through my own secrets."
It felt as though a reaper had stepped into the room to reap all of their souls as the team all slowly turned to see Robin standing in the doorway. His glasses were pressed closely to his eyes and his hand's were in fists at his sides. Artemis could of sworn she saw his shoulders shaking in anger, but she knew better than to say anything.
Kaldur found his voice first, "Robin, we were just-"
"Just what?" Robin yelled fiercely, taking a few steps closer to them. He glared up at each of his friends and allowed his rage to flow off of himself, "Just digging through my mind for answers without me knowing? While I was asleep?"
"We thought that we could help you." Artemis said quickly.
"Help me? You thought I wouldn't feel you searching through my mind? You thought I'd be okay with it?" His scowl turned dark, "Or let me guess. You thought I wouldn't notice M'gann prodding for answers in my own head? So that you could use that information to talk about me when my back is turned?"
Robin tightly gripped the corner of the island, "Just what made you think that was okay?" he hissed, knuckles turning white from the pressure. Was this really happening? Robin suddenly wished for nothing more than to wake up in his bedroom and have all this be a sick dream. However, the guilty looks on his teammates faces made Robin realize how real the situation was. All of this was real. M'gann tried to read his mind for answers without his consent and Robin had caught her doing it.
Now they stood before him like children caught eating dessert before dinner.
"Well?"
He looked to Kaldur for an answer. If anything, he should have known better than to agree to this. What happened to the trust that had grown between the six of them? Robin let go of the corner of the table and turned away from their faces before his anger got the best of him. They weren't going to supply him with an answer anytime soon. And Robin would probably slap the first person to just mumble an apology.
A quick glance back over his shoulder compelled him to leave the room. He felt his chest tighten again, but this time it wasn't because of anxiety, but out of overwhelming sadness. Robin didn't bother to listen to hear if they had found their voices or not, but instead quickly walked out of the room. When he was out of eyesight and earshot, Robin broke into a sprint towards his bedroom. He typed in his code with a shaking hand and stepped into the solitude of his room, slamming the door shut behind himself.
Robin ripped his glasses off his face and hurled them across the room. They shattered on impact, the chunks sprinkling down to the floor. The first tear made it way down his cheek when Robin collapsed on his bed. He gripped the blanket tightly as he choked back a quiet sob, the tip of his nose barely brushing the top of his blanket.
He counter the tears that dripped off his face. Two more following the footsteps of the first. A second sob escaped his lips, seeming to ricochet against the walls and turn back to mock Robin. His shoulders quivered like broken butterfly wings and his crystal eyes swam with foreign tears.
The realization dawned on Robin that he didn't know what to do anymore. He had no where to turn and no one to turn to. Robin still struggled to believe it. Had M'gann really infiltrated his mind? And the entire team came to a unaminous decision to go through with such a crazy plan even when the consequences were so severe?
Had he been awake at the time, Robin was sure he would have felt M'gann presence sooner than he had in his sleep. He barely managed to detect her when she began to delve through his memories of Slade. She had no right- the Team had no right to dissect his mind and plan to keep it a secret. Just how many secretes were his teammates keeping from him? What else were they discussing behind closed doors?
Another shuttering sigh managed to slip past his wet lips as the fourth and fifth tears dripped from his eyes clenched shut. The secretes were beginning to pile up like dead bodies in a war zone. It sickened Robin to be standing above those lies like their king, bur he wasn't the only one beating around the bush. Just what else had the lied to him about?
Robin had thought things couldn't get any worse from this point. That he had sunk down to such another low point in his life that there was no option other than for things to make a turnaround and become better. It wasn't until now that Robin realized he had clung onto that hope for days now. To wake up and have all of this a messed up dream. Or for Bruce to step forward and make things right between the two of them. Because right now, Robin wanted nothing more than to have a father.
But John Grayson was long dead, and there was no bringing him back.
No one had moved from their spot in the kitchen, nor had anyone done much more than breathe at this point. The looks of guilt had only worsened when they heard the door to what they assumed was Robin's bedroom slam shut. They looked between each other, each of them begging someone to speak up.
"S-someone should..." Artemis' voice died off there, her voice cracking from her whole mouth going dry so suddenly.
"Should what?" M'gann asked softly, "He hates us."
The fact was no one could disagree with that statement. Even Kaldur looked too stunned to say anything. How could something seeming to be so helpful and idea go so terribly wrong? Perhaps if Robin knew the truth, if he knew that they truly meant well when they attempted to read his mind, that maybe he would be willing to forgive them. Maybe Robin would be able to understand that all the Team had wanted to do was help the boy when he securely locked himself away inside of his own mind.
But that small shred of hope was useless. Even if Robin knew both sides of the story, why would he ever consider trusting them again?
"I knew it was a bad idea." said Wally, more to to himself than to his teammates. He didn't sound cocky or full of himself, but instead sounded just as M'gann and Artemis did, "I knew it was a bad idea. We shouldn't have done that! We-"
Wally stopped abruptly, moving away from his teammates and running a hand through his fiery locks of hair. He knew it was doomed from the start. He knew that Robin, partner to Batman, would've been able to detect someone else entering his mind. He knew this would blow up in their faces, and he still foolishly let it happen.
Why did he have to be so stupid?
"We did what we thought was helping." Kaldur said, "It was a mistake on our part."
"Quit sugar-coating it, Kaldur! We did more than make a little mistake, we destroyed all the trust that was built on this team!" Wally yelled, slamming his fist down on the counter top, "We should have known better than to go out and try and read his mind. And looked what happened. I'd be shocked if Robin even bothered to talk to us again. Don't you guys get it? We're idiots!"
"Wally, do not raise your voice. There is no need. Once we go and explain to Robin what we thought, he'll-"
Wally rudely cut Kaldur off, "He'll what? Give us all a hug and forgive us? Tell us there's no hard feelings? Look, Kaldur, being optimistic is great and all, but reality is a whole different story. We'll be lucky if Robin even bothers to talk to us again."
There was a long pause that filled the dead air. There wasn't much else to be said. Wally was ready to turn and exit the room when Batman's voice suddenly took up the emptiness in the Mountain.
"Team, report to the debriefing room."
October 22, 2012
{14:58 EST}
The first thing they all noticed was the five Justice League members standing in the debriefing room. Secondly, Wally noticed Robin opted to wear his mask instead of his sunglasses, but he made no effort to approach Robin on it. Together, the six teens stood uncomfortably together, and the wedge driven between Robin and the other five heroes was nearly visible.
"We have a very important announcement for all of you." Batman said, his tone of voice seeming urgent. At his sides stood Black Canary, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and the Flash. The teens in the room all exchanged looks, unsure of what to expect from them
Flash spoke up next, "The other Leaguers are on their way back from the Space Mission so we had a long discussion about the team and the performance you six have been showing. And..." the Scarlet Speedster stopped speaking as if throwing it back to Batman to finish what he had to say. Robin and Wally shared a look, both of them coming to the same conclusion as the other.
"We have decided," Batman said, "That you six are not ready to carry on such a large responsibility and we are disbanding the team until further notice. Superboy, you will be staying with Black Canary, and Miss Martian, you will stay with J'onn. As for the rest of you," Batman's eyes landed on Robin, "You will be going home with your mentors today. The mountain will be shut down for the time being."
"That's not fair!" Wally shouted, "You can't just end the team! It's only been four months!"
Aquaman put his hands up, "We understand this is hard for you all to accept, but-"
"No." Conner growled, "We're a team and you can't stop us. If you won't help us than we're going out on our own."
The team shared a nod with each other, the tension in the air rising. Robin could hardly believe his own ears. How could they even consider tearing apart the team? The training simulation had been their fault, not the team's. If anyone was to blame for the recent events, it should be their mentors. Robin could understand Batman wanting to end the team, the man hadn't been to keen on it in the beginning, but with the input of all the other heroes, they should have been fine.
Robin couldn't stop the rage the flurried up inside of him. If Batman disbanded the team, he wouldn't have anyone else to train him. The boy was no where near ready to retire his cape; not after all he had been through the past four years. And if Batman didn't have Robin, Bruce hardly needed Dick Grayson around anymore. If he couldn't be Robin, he didn't have anything left.
"There is no going off on your own," Batman warned, his stare turning into a hard glare, "And there is no team. If you wish to continue crime-fighting, then you will go home with your mentors and they will train you accordingly. However, until you are all ready, the team is finished."
"The League needs us." Artemis said harshly, "Bell Reve ring any bells? Or the FOG machine? The things we stopped as a team. We didn't need you then and we don't need you now."
Tempers began to rise in the room and Conner, hot-headed as usual, spoke again, "She's right. You can't stop all of us."
"This isn't up for debate," Black Canary said, "It's to help the six of you. Clearly, you aren't ready to be out in the field on your own. This is for the best."
Silence followed the room as both Wally and Artemis scoffed at the woman's words. How would this help them? Being glued to the side of their mentors just meant they were too young to take care of themselves. Everything had been running smoothly until the training simulation ruined the bond they had as a team. Robin was sure that if the League saw what they did, they would be just as dysfunctional right now as well. Save for Batman, of course.
"I apologize, my King," Kaldur spoke up finally, turning to Aquaman, "However, this is my team and my friends. You are wrong about us. We have earned the right to be here."
"This wouldn't have even happened if you didn't force us to do that stupid training simulation!" Robin yelled, "This is all your fault."
"No, Robin," Batman shot him down, "This happened because the six of you couldn't handle the past two missions. Getting distracted, disobeying direct orders, and being incapable of coming back not covered in your own blood. None of you are ready for this."
Robin opened his mouth to retort, but Batman cleanly cut him off, "There is no room for debate. Return to your rooms and back up your things."
No one dared to move.
"Now." Batman growled furiously. They all turned to march down the hallway they entered from, but not without glaring at each member of the League present there. Robin hadn't given Batman the respect of even looking at the man. It was obvious that Batman was still clinging onto the resentment that balanced improperly between them, but Robin found himself ignoring him more than anything.
Typical Batman to shut himself down other than anger and fury to keep himself functioning properly. Robin had grown all too used this behavior from his mentor, and he was getting sick of it.
He reached his room and locked the door behind himself. Batman wasn't serious, was he? There was no way he could just end the team, especially when things were falling apart because of the League's mistakes. The more Robin thought about it, the more furious he got. He whipped a few shirts at the furthest wall in his room with resentment and he tipped over his dresser, contently letting it slam into the floor.
Robin sat down on his dresser, dropping his head into his hands. He removed his mask from resting over his eyes and threw that across the room too. The mask traveled a foot or two before it fell to a heap on the carpeted floor. He kicked it to the side before leaned back against the wall.
And Robin could only hope that this was the lowest point he could ever reach.
-X-
A/N: I honestly can't get over how stunned I am for us to have reached 100 reviews. I seriously appreciate all the feedback- I really do. And I know I mentioned it before, many times, actually, but I personally can't express my thanks enough for all you guys have done for me. I'm just living out my dream right now, and the fact that you all have been so positive and helpful, it really just blows my mind away.
This is only the 7th chapter of a long journey ahead of us ^_^ I'm writing my fanfiction here, and having you all join me for the ride is unbelievable. I can never say thanks enough (:
I'm also going on vacation, so there may not be an update for awhile, but I'll do my best. My ultimate goal would be to get two or three updates per month at the least, but as you all know, I've not been very good at keeping my deadlines.
But this fic is far from over, and I'm not going to leave it unfinished, so don't ever worry about that (:
Always~
Hallo'sEve
