Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
Chapter 9 — Join us— — — — — — — — — — — — —
The first time an alarm went off, it convinced my still asleep brain that the tower was on fire.
Not even literally rolling out of bed could push away the sleep induced brain fog, although a lovely pale green bruise still decorates my hip.
Backpack on, I bolted to living room entrance to crash back into the floor. The floor and I didn't get along that day and neither did Raven and I, especially since I knocked her to the floor with me. Raven did make an excellent, if not angry, cushion, and her snarl to get off of her finally did wake me up.
I obeyed, and she accepted a hand up.
"Where is the fire?" I asked Raven.
Robin answered, "The power plant. It's Overdrive."
"What?"
Cyborg and Starfire waited by the kitchen counter.
"Who," Raven corrected me.
"A villain. Stay here. We'll be back soon." Robin takes in my pjs and bedhead. "Maybe get some more sleep."
And with that the heroes leave.
I turned to take Robin's suggestion and spotted Beast Boy. He hopped past trying to get his left shoe on.
"Yes, got it!" Beast Boy glanced around the room. "Uh, guys?"
"They just left."
"Not again." He takes off. "Hey guys, wait for me!"
With the whole tower to myself, I went to the guest room.
I have rarely left it since.
It will be better in the long run if we have as little to do with each other as possible and no attachments form. Unfortunately, it is also hard not to go out and soak up as much social interaction as possible, but I know loneliness well, and when it comes time for goodbyes, it will hurt less, if I don't get use to their company.
More alarms went off through out the following week from break ins, robberies, public destruction, and mass panic caused by hives, a cinderblock, Gumbo, Minus, Fang, and most recently ninjas. Starfire stops by to keep me updated, before they head out.
She also comes by with invites to meals. I feel bad that she worries more with each refusal. Cyborgs' and Beast Boy's invitations met the same fate as Starfire's. I turn them all down.
Cyborg and Beast Boy use to want to play video games or a game of their own creation called Sink Ball Battle Royale. The game involves a ball of Beast Boy's dirty socks and two teams of two. Somehow they were convinced that if I join, Raven would too, and no amount of arguing on the matter would change their minds.
One time after, I closed the door on a friendly request to play Space Monkeys 3, I overheard Beast Boy say, "It is like having a second Raven. She never leaves her room. Ow!"
Cyborg probably elbowed him, however, I can fight my own battles.
I snatched a pop can from the horde of food gathered under the bed, and slam the metal door with can, hard.
The sound rang out like a gong.
Beast Boys yelp of surprise was well worth it, despite despite the soda can bursting open to spray strawberry flavored pop on everything nearby.
Cyborg still offers the occasional invite, but Beast Boy stoped coming with him, which is fine with me.
Overall, it didn't take long to finish Raven's book.
I set it by her door, and shortly afterwards Raven comes and pounds on the guest door. Cold furry danced in her eyes. She wanted to know what I had done to her book. I wanted to know what I had done too.
She flipped open a page, and pointed to its folded corner. "Here."
"A dog ear? I didn't have a bookmark."
Raven left. The next time I ventured out of the guest room, a different book sat outside the door with a bunch of printer paper folded into long, thin sheets. On the top of one, she wrote, "Now you do."
Now whenever we bump into each other around the tower, we talk about books.
We trade books a few times a day, and Raven always provides a bunch of bookmarks, not that the paper goes to waste. Slightly wrinkled drawings have begun to take over the guest room walls.
— — — — — — — — — — —
Today marks the 8th day here. I leave the room to smuggle more pop in. Robin's uniform rest against the outside of the door with a mask included. I pick it up, and a note falls out.
"Join us."
I carry it back to Robin's room. The open door provides the perfect opportunity to peer inside.
The bedroom is disappointingly plain. The far wall displays some newspaper cuttings too far away to even make out the pictures. No personal possessions decorate the table surfaces. Most of his stuff probably hides in drawers, and I can't ruffle through them.
"Are you dressing up too?" Raven catches me off guard.
I stifle a laugh. She changed her usual robe for Robin's uniform.
"No, I am just here to return this. Do you remember The Endless Night?" She nods, so I continue, "What did you think of Blazes sacrifice at the end of the book?"
She reaches to the back collar of the outfit and realizes that Robin's clothes don't come with a hood. "He earned redemption through his sacrifice."
"Blaze shouldn't have earned redemption in a single, preventable act. He managed to save everyone, but no one needed to make that sort of sacrifice, if someone had made a different choice."
She starts reaching for her hood again to catch herself. Raven pulls down her hound the same way another person might cross their arms. It is a defensive habit, and the defensiveness seems out of place for a book conversation.
Raven says, "In hindsight. However, we can't foresee all the consequence of our actions."
Starfire finds us.
She wears Robin's clothes too. The shirt falls shorter on Starfire. "Greetings New Robin and Soon-to-be Robin."
"Actually, she doesn't want to wear Robin's costume," says Raven.
Starfire pins her attention to me, which allows a certain someone to escape. Thank you, Raven. I can alway count on you.
"We are all dressed as Robin. Please come and join in the fun."
"No thanks. You have more than enough Robins."
"Please, we could use one more." Starfire looks for Raven, who long since deserted us, to agree with her.
"Maybe for Halloween," I say.
Cyborg's voice plays over the Robin walkie talkie, "Robins. Calling all Robins. Your pizza has arrived. This is Robin over and out."
Starfire holds out a gloved hand. "Please."
I shake my head and walk away.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
A couple hours later, someone knocks.
"Whatever your invitation is for, take it and go."
My patience for refusing invites or dealing with people in general ran out.
The knocking continues.
"Go away!"
Still more knocking.
I yank open the door. "You can take your invite, and-"
Robin, Robin stands outside. "I can take my invite, and?"
"Nothing."
"It is a good thing this is an order then. Meet me on the roof in ten."
I hold up my wrists. "Can't. I am afraid."
"You can go on the roof. I checked with Cyborg. The roof in ten."
"Yes, sir." I mock solute him.
— — — — — — — — — —
More knocking. I don't answer.
"Why didn't you come up to the roof?"
"We don't meet for another nine hours and 15 minutes, sir."
"I meant 10 minutes." Anger creeps into his voice.
"Oh, sorry, sir."
"Quit calling me 'sir'."
"Yes, ma'am"
A cry of frustration and a clunk. I picture him with his head against the door and two fists simultaneously hitting the door.
"We can talk out here, where everyone can hear us, or somewhere more private. Choose."
"Your sweetheart is going to be so jealous."
"Choose," he growls.
The intensity of anger in his voice reflects the level I wish I could safely feel right now. This thought drains my weak, shadow of anger away, leaving me exhausted.
I slide to the floor. "Somewhere more private."
"Fine, meet me on the roof at ten," Robin snaps.
"Ten minutes?"
"Ten AM. Any sooner, and I'd rather meet Kitty than you. And if you don't show up, I will gladly unscrew your door."
— — — — — — — — —
Ironically, Robin shows up a few minutes late.
He leans against the rail next to me. "It is pretty isn't it?"
"Stunning."
"Why won't you leave your room?"
"Guest room. Why do you care so much about what I do?" I don't expect him to answer.
"You remind me of myself. I became obsessed with capturing a villain called Slade. I crossed lines and pushed everyone away. My friends saved me from myself. You are doing the same thing to find your sister."
"I am strong enough to take care of myself."
"I thought the same thing, but the truth is no one is an island. So why do you isolate yourself?"
"It is easier to walk away from strangers than friends."
"Who said you have to walk away. This could be your home, a place for you to come back to."
"If I had a place like that, I'd give up looking for her." The words ring true, and that shocks both of us.
"We will not let you give up, I promise."
We stare at the ocean in silence.
Robin snorts. "We had so much trouble with your sister, because she was afraid we would turn her out. We have so with you, because you worry we would leave the door open for you."
"She was afraid you guys wouldn't accept her because of her powers?"
His evident disbelief answers for him.
I continue, "I caused that fear."
"What really happened between you two?"
I hold my hand out palm up. "That secret costs all you know about her paid this instant."
"Too high."
"Too high? You have to in four days anyway."
"I don't want to tell you, until you learn that you don't have to shoulder burdens alone." At my confused look, he adds, "Build friendships and trust."
"On top of secrets."
"They may need to be rebuilt, but at least you'll know how to do it."
Robin lets me think about it privately.
When I do come back down, Robin asks me to play video games, and I say, "Sounds fun."
— — — —
A/N The book titles in this and the pervious chapter are made up. If a book exists with the same title, Raven's books in this fan fiction were not based on them.
In case any if you are curious, the episode where everyone dressed up as Robin is called "The Quest". It is episode 1 season 4.
