Disclaimer: See Chapter 7.

"Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul."

~David Pelzer

Chapter 8: The Second Dream

"It was just a nightmare, Rave." Beastboy said. She was still shaking, but now that she had warned her friends she seemed to have calmed down.

"Just a nightmare." Raven repeated. Robin wasn't so sure, but he had no evidence to back his suspicions. That much had been made clear to him yesterday.

"Why don't I go start breakfast," Cyborg said, visibly relieved that it was nothing more than dream. "We made progress last night."

"Progress?" Starfire asked. The word definitely inspired hope.

"Yeah," He said. "We managed to send a drone to New York to get a visual of what's going on. It should have entered the city by now. Are you going to be okay?"

Raven nodded. Beastboy let go, but took her hand. "Come on, Raven. Some food should help put this behind you."

"Typical boy." She muttered, but it was more or less her normal self.

Robin took Starfire's hand as well. "We should go too."

The smell of burning waffle greeted them as they entered the kitchen. Cyborg was staring at the screen across the room, apparently trying to refrain from shooting something. Robin could see why. The screen was black with white letters centered in the middle:

SIGNAL LOST

The fire alarm goes off, the tower's automatic system soaking the smoking waffle iron and Cyborg.

After drying off, Cyborg rejoins them in the kitchen, where the emergency frozen waffles had been broken out. Robin, half-toasted waffle in mouth, typed away furiously at his station. "Good news, Cy," he managed to say through the waffle, "The drone was recording up until it went offline. We still have that."

"What are you waiting for? Play it!"

He brought the recorded video up, tapping the few commands that would bring it to full screen at the moment New York City finally came into view.

"Why does it look like a post card?" Beastboy asked. "You know, those dramatic black and white post cards?"

"It looks like something drained the color out of the place…" Raven said. She was back to normal now, they all were now that the sun was up.

They watched as the drone approached the city, the color receding to the edges of the frame as it flew closer and closer until finally the entire screen was a black and white photo of New York. About ten minutes in, they lost signal, as if they had gotten too close.

"Well, that was a bust." Beastboy said. The rest of the team seemed to agree.

"Come on, Rob, we should get some sleep." Cyborg said, defeated. "We'll try again when we wake up."

Robin realized how tired he was. He kissed Star before heading to his room. "Watch the Tower for me, okay?"

"Have a good rest."

He fell asleep smiling.


The Batcave was dark, unlit for now. He was training with Bruce, who was ducking in and out of the shadows.

"You call yourself my sidekick?" Bruce asked. "You can't even win against Two-Face!"

"Bruce, please, I-"

"Block this!"

A hand shot out, catching his arm. Realizing it was a decoy, Robin's commanded his other arm to block, but it was too heavy to move. The punch landed on his jaw, sending him flying. Robin's body seized. He lie, paralyzed, as Two-Face walked towards him, his figure flashing into Slade's every few steps, all the while talking to him in Bruce's voice.

"Give up. It'll be over quicker that way-"

"Not to interrupt your nightmare, Boy Wonder," Melody said, and, as if she had hit a pause button, his dream froze. She walked up to him to offer an arm up, something he promptly ignored after realizing he could move unrestrained, "but I think that you've had enough."

The image of Slade in the Batcave melted, until Robin was only staring at darkness. "Where are we?"

She glanced around, her glowing blue eyes eventually returning to his. "I'm not sure. Nowhere in particular. You're the dreamer, here."

"So these are real. You really do this." He sat back, relieved.

Smiling wryly, she asked, "Did you think you were going crazy? Robin? Were you doubting your sanity? I suppose Slade does that to you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"This?" Slade's image flashed in and out of existence again, making Robin cringe. "I'm not. That was your nightmare. I just interrupted it to talk with you."

"Why?"

She sat next to him. "Mostly to assure you that I am real, even if you're team doesn't believe you. I can't have you thinking otherwise."

"Why?"

"You sound like you're two and just discovered how to ask questions." She said. He couldn't help it, he smiled. She returned the smile half-heartedly, but she looked distant, worried. "It's almost time."

"Time?"

"Yeah. We're out of time." Mel said. "I'm on my last hope. But that's not the real reason I'm here." She stood, offering her hand again. He took it.

"Then why are you here?"

She didn't answer, just walked off into the darkness. He followed. Gradually, the darkness broke like a morning fog, and through the trailing fingers he caught glimpses of black and white textures that suggested walls, concrete. It looked vaguely familiar. Slowly it dawned on him.

New York City.

"You're bringing me here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Again with the why questions?"

He waited for her answer.

"So you know where the blame lies. So you can see what I'm really doing to these people."

The darkness was gone. Robin looked around. The city was still, frozen in place, night walkers paused mid step, eyes closed as if blinking.

"What did you do to them? Are they-?"

"No. They're suspended in a dreamless sleep." She was standing in the middle of a road, in front of a motionless, grayscale taxi, surveying the scene around her dispassionately. "It's actually a complicated spell. It took me a month to get it right."

He stopped. A few feet away, with a look of total shock plastered on her face, was Diana. Wonder Woman.

"Your father's a smart man, Robin." Her voice was still emotionless, detached. "He told her to come in wearing ear protection. He already suspected that my spell is auditory. It almost worked, too. But he misjudged one thing."

He suddenly felt as if he was sinking. His vision blurred, the clear lines defining everything lost in the murky depths of lost consciousness. She was cutting the connection, he managed to think. He could barely make out her form in the inky darkness. Her voice had adopted an echo-y quality.

"The human skeletal system acts as a support to our auditory system. Vibrations can be picked up as far away as your feet and still be heard. You simply have to touch the ground, and it's over. I have you under my spell."

Darkness.


Robin sat up. His scar (well, the scar he was most aware of, anyway) throbbed, bringing back memories of his final days as a sidekick. He wouldn't think of that now. Instead, he tried to re-orient himself. He was in his room. Good. He heard Cyborg tossing and turning next door, meaning this wasn't a dream. Also good.

New York City was still gone. Not good.

Sighing, he pulled the covers off and jumped out of bed. Time to get back to work.


"Where's Joseph?" Slade asked.

Mel brushed some hair out of her eyes. "What, I'm not good enough?" She grinned at his annoyed look. "I'm teasing, old man. He doesn't want to speak with you right now. I tried to convince him…" She shrugged.

"Fine. Why did you call me here?" He already had his exit planned. This meeting wasn't going to last long.

"We're working together, are we not?"

"On uncertain terms. You withheld the fact that my son was with you."

"On his terms. This was all for Joey." She said. The humor in her voice was gone, she was completely serious now.

"Go on."

"I called you here to tell you that he's banned you from our studio. He'll contact you when he wants to."

"It doesn't work that way."

"That's what I told him, but good luck with that."

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"Pretty much."

The roof was empty in seconds.


Three more break-ins. Robin was still sore from fighting X's droids, but even so he preferred the loud, banter-filled battles in the city streets to the frustrating silence that hung over the tower when they returned. How do you handle a situation where you can't identify the source of the problem? Or even figure out what the problem is? The TV was off, no one wanted to watch the growing news on how these cities disappearing were effecting the world. Financial crisis, trade disruptions triggering food shortages, political instability, not to mention the sheer psychological terror that not knowing why or how it disappeared caused. It seemed so very far away, but yet the fact that every day another city disappeared left the distinct feeling of waiting for that moment an invisible hand draws your number. Then poof, like that, you're gone into oblivion, unable to be reached by even the superheroes.

"Any ideas?" Raven asked after the fourth long silence lapsed into being unbearable.

"Nope." Beastboy answered from his position reclining on the couch, throwing a ball at the ceiling.

"Not any that hasn't already been tried." Robin said, tapping at his computer. Silence again. Then his communicator rang.

"Hey." Mel's face appeared on his screen. His team crowded around, eager for the distraction. "I hope you don't mind, Jericho gave this to me. He wanted me to ask if you guys would be interested in-"

"Whatever it is, yes." Cyborg said.

"-coming over to hang out." She finished, smiling. "We didn't really get a chance to yesterday, and we're performing today."

His team was gone, already preparing to head out. "We'll be over soon, I guess."

What are you planning?

Cyborg appeared, human once again. "Cy, we should go in full uniform."

"Easy for you to say. You can take yours off. Mine keeps me alive. All I can do is hide it."

"Cyborg, I didn't mean-"

"Save it, Boy Wonder. I know what you meant." Cyborg left to start the T Car, rings still activated. Robin watched his friend leave, feeling like it had been a long time since he had seen more than Cyborg's back.


The Bayview was packed. They edged their way into the crowd, listening to the sweet, mournful sound Jericho had coaxed out of his guitar. No one seemed to notice that they were joined by the young heroes, despite everyone wearing their usual costumes. There was no room for anything but the escape found in the duo's music.

Melody's eyes opened, her lips forming the next words the song. Her voice was high, clear, hypnotic, almost, as she sang.

As the rain falls, cool and clear

Driving away last night's dream

Awakening to the sound of the world breathing

Only to realize, in their eyes, we don't fit their scheme

Making it seem like we're lost in a dream

He slipped his arm around Starfire, who placed her head against his chest. It was that type of song. Cyborg nudged him, all prior anger between them forgotten for the moment. He pointed at Beastboy and Raven, both of whom were acting like a magnet had been grafted on them. First a hand, then an arm. Robin smiled, glad they had discovered each other.

I'll hold you tight, my dear

And maybe tonight, my dear

We can keep dreaming

The song ended, the crowd shook itself awake to applaud. The sense of reality was flooding back now that there was nothing to stave it off with. Jericho accepted some water from a stage hand, but caught sight of Robin. He waved, happy to see him, only to realize that this may not have been the right thing to do. An angry hush fell across their crowd, with the Titans at the center of it.

"You aren't welcome here." A man said, cold glare fixed on Robin.

"Go back hiding in your tower!" Someone called out.

He barely had time to form a reply before the control on the crowd broke, and a mob of angry hands were reaching for them.

"Robin!" Mel's voice carried over the crowd, momentarily distracting them. In that moment, Jericho appeared at Robin's side, tugging his arm. He led them out the back and down the street to a relatively empty lot.

"That was not what I expected." Cyborg said. No else could speak.

Mel appeared. "Sorry, we didn't think-"

"Neither did we." Robin said.

Jericho and Mel shared a look. "Why don't you guys stay at our place tonight?"

"We couldn't-"

"Don't worry about it, if there's an emergency you can head out." Mel said. "We just don't want you exiled to your island just yet. Besides, it's our fault you had to go through with that."

"It's not your fault." Starfire said, surprising everyone. She hadn't been very talkative lately. "If anything, we are at fault for ruining your lovely music."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Raven said. "Well, Robin, what do you say? Do you think Jump should cool itself down tonight?"

His team looked at him, begging. "Fine, fine. We'll go."

"YES!" Beastboy said. "I wanted to try out that huge drum last time! Jericho, I'll race you!"

He took off as a cheetah, leaving Jericho with a horrified look on his face.

"You better go catch him, babe," Mel said, "I think he's serious about touching your musical instruments. Again."

Jericho raced after him. Robin watched after them, unable to shake this uneasy feeling that what happened in the coffee shop wasn't entirely unplanned. Star had his hand again.

"Are you coming, boyfriend Robin?"

"What? Oh, yeah." He joined his team in following Mel into the night, hoping that this wasn't another mistake. He didn't know if they could survive another one.


A/n: Excuse my attempt at writing lyrics. I really don't know how songwriter's do it. So I really wish I could have actual dialogue with my reviewers (I can't really operate this site as well I used to), in that light I've turned on my PM, so feel free to shoot me a message.