Goodbye
"It's a shame that it had to be this way"
Things have to end, and Robin knew this. Good things, bad things--they all end. No matter what.
Robin, though, that was the hardest to let go of. Letting the bright, flashy colored facade slip away, falling into this new persona, this darker persona. It almost hurt.
Robin belonged to Batman. Robin belonged to the Titans. No Batman, no Robin. No Robin, no Titans. It was a brutal cycle. The thought of it made him want to crawl into a hole somewhere, and just forget about it. He hated this, he hated watching all the fabric come undone in a painfully slow turn of the wheel. He was at the last stool, and he knew it was over.
He thought of Batman, calling him, using constructive anger to mask his worry. Right after the apprentice business. It led to something else, though.
You can't be Robin anymore. It's too dangerous.
Don't talk back to me.
Robin belongs to me. I can take it away as easily as I gave it to you.
He did. Goddamnit, he actually did.
Robin was decommissioned, and so was the Teen Titans.
He walked out of his room, with his new uniform and his bag with nothing in it, and they knew. He could tell that they knew, and he could tell they weren't happy.
Starfire was the first he saw, standing in the hallway, watching him. She looked on the brink of tears, not saying a word.
"Hey, Star." Robin whispered. It was all he could say.
She moved out of his way, and he went on.
Beast Boy and Cyborg were at the garage opening, and Raven stood next to them, creating an abysmal atmosphere that seemed so appropriate. His R-Cycle seemed ridiculous right now, and he saw one of the spare motorcycles that stayed at a corner for four years, carefully kept at prime condition in case the need arised. His heart wrenched, though, passing his old cycle, and he thought it to be cruel, leaving it there for them to look after. He didn't say anything.
When he turned back, slapping on his helmet, Cyborg nodded to him.
Beast Boy lifted a hand, not really a wave, "Later."
Raven stared at him, just stared, before looking away, and he knew what she felt. An immense pressure as her powers began losing control, every tear bringing another wave of unbearable force pushing against her skin. He was doing it to her.
Starfire had followed him down, and she hugged him. Didn't say anything, didn't wish him well, didn't cry. Just strode over and crushed him between her arms like a rag doll.
He had to bite his lip, and he patted her back, "Bye, Star."
He pried her arms away, and swung his leg over the motorcycle that didn't feel like his. It started, and he took a look at them.
He waved, a pathetic twitch of muscles that he knew he would regret for the rest of his life. The wheels started rolling, away from them, away from everything, and the fabric ran out.
Author's Note: I like making Robin duchey, so what?
