The gunshot shattered the world.
Damn near nearly shattered Robin's femur too.
Felt like the damned thing had when it burrowed its head in his thigh, with an arch of blood and the angry hiss of blood between his teeth as he hit the ground.
Starfire lay on the ground next to him, her green eyes staring at him worriedly from where he had pushed her to the ground, just in time. As far as he could see, she had no new injuries.
Good.
Bad.
Stupid, Grayson! You should have seen the gun. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID.
The chant burrowed deeper into his head with every ache that tugged at his thigh. Red X lounged above him, lifting a casual hand with all the time in the world to wave in Robin's face.
"You don't look so good down there, Robin. Wings feeling a little clipped, down there on the ground?" Behind him, Robin could see Cyborg flexing his fingers, testing, testing. Earlier than anticipated, but no less welcome.
He just needed to stall until he had a clear shot with his plasma cannon.
"Slightly", he smirked up at Red X. "Shouldn't have complained about the knives."
"Hmm, I know", Red X mused. "Although your little girlfriend did break my favourite set - how's she gonna pay up, huh?" His gaze turned to Starfire, who lay beside Robin. She had subtly been trying to wriggle closer to him, and Robin could see that her right ankle was twisted at a painful angle and she was missing both boots. The soles of her feet were scraped bloody and raw.
Robin moved with a grunt to lay his hand over her chest, feeling her stammering heartbeat beneath his hand.
"I don't know. Maybe if you ask nicely she'll blast you off the roof."
Cyborg caught Robin's eye as his lips formed the words, and with a swift nod and jerk of his arm, had the plasma gun armed and ready. Robin forced Starfire's head down to the dirt, using his turned back to block her from the brunt of the blow, and through squinted eyes he saw Red X get caught in the back with a burst of blue, and fly from their rooftop to the next.
A moment of stillness, silence, and then.. A whoop?
Red X stood from the other roof, one fist raised almost in salute - although Robin noted with satisfaction that he held his left side gingerly, and one arm hung low at his side. His shoulders were coated with dust and there was a large hole in the back and side of his suit, where he had caught the worst of the blast. Robin couldn't be too sure, because of the distance, but, beneath the suit, it looked like his skin was… scarred?
"Until next time, old chap." Red X said, raising his good one to give a mock salute, and condescending nod.
Robin's thoughts went blank except for one thought. No.
No.
No.
No.
They couldn't have got so close, received such terrible injuries, all for nothing.
He tried to stand, but his legs crumpled beneath him and he fell to the concrete with a muffled oath.
When he tried once more it was Starfire who held him down.
When he looked up, she was not looking at him. She was looking at her goal - the smug figure one rooftop away - her vision clear and determined. She was blood soaked and stained, covered in gashes and bruises, not to even mention her hands, but none the less she clenched her fists, no indication of the pain that must have lanced her palms from the action, and settled low onto ragged feet, ready to fly.
Robin thought he must be crazy to love a woman that looked so beautiful wreathed in blood.
Red X took one step back at the ferocity of her glare, gave one more salute, and called a cheery; "Catch me if you can, princess", unknowingly - perhaps - calling her by her given title.
She was only too keen to oblige. She took a small running start, limping on her injured ankle, but took off with such force that she left cracks webbing the concrete where her feet had stood.
Behind him Robin was aware of the shimmer of Raven's shield fading, Beast Boy's garbled "wasss happenin'?" and Cyborg's grunt as he levered himself to his feet and lumbered over to assist Robin.
They all watched the green streak race across the skyline after Red X, buring clear and bright against the dark blanket of the night sky.
They all saw the small speck that chased her, heard the connection, saw the green light falter, and then fall, fall, fall.
Robin levered himself to his feet, no spare thought for pain, and ran to the edge of the building to look down, falling to his knees at the ledge.
She wasn't on the ground. She wasn't there at all.
! !
She was gone. And so was Red X.
Smoke and dust blew in a gentle breeze and for a second he just looked. Looked at the rubble, the debris, the lights of the city spread before him like a map, and he was filled with a sense of loss so strong his muscles seemed to seize and his breath caught at the lights that glimmered and twinkled so beautifully.
Loss dispelled into anger like ink in water and the breath that was caught in his clogged throat was expelled in an angry breath that turned to a scream, echoing up and up into the dark sky.
