Robin opened his eyes to find himself in the metal chair he'd been sitting in before his mind had led him astray. He stood up and walked around the infirmary, taking in every detail of the scene. His hand stroked the bed sheets. His fingers walked across the monitoring devices. He faintly smelled the aroma of ammonia in the stale air. It was stuffy in the room.
This felt the most real. But it was impossible to tell anymore. Not after what he'd been through.
The door behind him opened to reveal a lone Raven. She was inscrutable. But then, she always was. She took a step into the room then hesitated. They stared at each other a moment. She took another step then held herself back again. Finally, she broke into a sprint and threw her arms around him.
Robin was a little more than surprised as he awkwardly hugged her back. When she broke away, she looked him in the eyes. She reached for his mask a moment and touched it, as if to remove it. Robin pushed her hand away. Raven looked down, then up at him again.
"I'm sorry," she said, "for the things I said earlier. I just miss you."
She took a few steps backwards, then turned and ran. Robin scratched his head. What the hell was that?
Then, Cyborg entered. "I saw Raven running down the hall. I just wanted to tell you that we're back. And we're here for you."
Robin nodded. "What was the trouble?"
"H.I.V.E. Five being punks," said Cyborg with a shrug. "We wrapped everything up. Could have used you though."
"Right…" said Robin. There was silence for a long time.
"I can't imagine what it's like," Cyborg finally said, as though he'd been keeping it to himself for a while, "to live in two worlds at the same time. To not be sure of anything anymore. Logic doesn't help you. Reason's out the window."
"Mm," Robin muttered, staring at the floor with his arms crossed.
"And… I know you don't trust us," Cyborg continued. "At least not fully. Not yet. I can't blame you." He looked as though he was waiting for some sort of reply, perhaps a denial or a reassurance or even an agreement. Robin gave him nothing. Cyborg bit his lip. "I do know that I want you here. That we all want you here. They'll all tell you as much. We're worried about you, Robin. We're damn scared."
"I'm scared too." It came out in a whisper. Robin wasn't sure why he'd said it at all. But Cyborg looked up and smiled faintly, grateful for his participation in the conversation.
"Listen," said Cyborg. "It doesn't have to be like this."
"Oh?" said Robin, doubtfully. Cyborg held out some pills.
Something told Robin that taking those pills would be a death sentence. He pushed Cyborg's hand away.
"I don't need drugs," he said. "I can help myself."
"Still as stubborn as always I see," said Cyborg, putting away the pills. "Look. I really want you to take those pills. But I know that forcing you is not the best way to go about it. So I'm just going to wait for you to come around." Cyborg turned to leave but hesitated in the doorway. "But… just know… soon enough you'll have to choose between our world, and the world your head created for you."
Robin stared at his back, trying to read the expression in his voice and failing. It was a mixture of grief and fear. He couldn't quite tell.
"I hope you choose our world," said Cyborg, and then he left.
Robin considered going after him, but held himself back. He fell onto the bed. He didn't know what to do. Maybe a look around his room would calm his nerves.
The pictures on his dresser were exactly how he'd left them. His suits were hung neatly in his closet.
At least they haven't been trying them on, Robin thought to himself, amused.
"Robin?"
He turned to greet the Tamaranian with a smile. "Hello, Starfire."
She had been crying. "Please," she said. "Please, take the medicine."
But he was averse to taking it. Something about them smelled of death. "I… don't know Starfire."
"I do not wish to lose you again," she said through her tears. "None of us wish it."
"I know," said Robin. "I understand." It was a lie. He didn't understand anything. Not anymore.
"Beast Boy was going to come with me to see you, but he was afraid."
"Beast Boy's afraid of me?" Robin asked.
"Not of you," Starfire explained. "He says that he is afraid you will not know who he is. That you will do the freaking out and start screaming at him. He says that you have the given him Willy. I do not know who that is, but he does not sound pleasant."
Robin nodded. "I get why he's scared." And that wasn't a lie. "He doesn't want it to be the last time he talks to me, lucidly. He thinks I'll flip on him."
"You should speak with him," said Starfire.
"I will," said Robin. "Later." He sat down on his made bed and felt the cotton sheets beneath him. Starfire took a seat next to him.
"I care for you," said Starfire, taking his hand in hers. "Very much."
Robin stroked her hair. "I know. I want to stay."
But even has he said it, the scene began to fade again. And Robin was once more plunged into darkness.
Robin felt a thousand claws tearing at his flesh. He tried to scream only to realize that his vocal cords had been torn out. He tried to see, but something had scratched out his eyes.
He heard wings and loud cawing coming from all directions. It tore at his ears.
And then it was silent.
"Rob, man? You OK?"
He was breathing hard. His heart rate was rapid. "I think so." He looked around. It was just Cyborg in the room with him.
A smile slowly spread across his face and he started to laugh with relief, as though letting out an insane amount of tension. "Aw, man, you don't know how good it is to hear you say that."
"Cyborg?" The voice was Raven's as she entered the infirmary. She stopped and her eyes widened as she saw Robin awake. She ran to Cyborg and held onto his arm, a peculiar gesture for Raven. "He's awake?"
"Yeah," said Cyborg, kissing her on the forehead. Even more strange. It made Robin's blood boil. And that was the strangest of all. "I guess a year of working finally paid off," he said with a laugh.
"We should tell the others," said Raven.
"No kidding." He nodded at the door. "Go." Raven nodded at him, then looked at Robin and smiled. She was gone.
"A year of what now?" Robin said.
"You've been in a coma," Cyborg explained. "We thought…"
"What's with you and Raven?" Robin asked, sounding colder than he'd intended.
"Well, since you've been gone," Cyborg began, "I've had to take over the team for you and stuff. Titan's East stepped in and helped out a while, but eventually we found a replacement for you… You'd be proud. The team's running great. Beast Boy actually spends more time training than playing video games and—Oh! Starfire is engaged!"
Robin stiffened. "To who?"
"You won't believe it," said Cyborg. "Speedy."
"Who's the new Titan?" Robin asked.
In answer, she walked in. Robin's heart stopped. She was holding hands with Beast Boy. Starfire and Raven followed them in. They were all in shock.
"Terra," Robin said coldly.
"No worries, man," Cyborg said quickly. "She's cool now. She remembers everything, and I had a talk with her. Once she trusted BB and I again, she was ready to step up. And boy, would you be impressed. She even beat your best time on the obstacle course! Of course, then I beat hers."
"Oh Cyborg, don't forget about the fox," Terra said, playfully. They all laughed. Robin didn't get it.
"Inside joke," Cyborg explained.
"I see…" said Robin.
Raven walked over and took Cyborg's hand. He looked down on her lovingly. It made Robin's blood run hot with jealousy. They were all smiling back at him, but he couldn't return it. They were all happy.
Cyborg was a better leader than him.
"Well, when do you want me back in action?" Robin asked. Cyborg and Raven exchanged looks.
"Well, er, Robin, that's just it," Cyborg said. "You're pretty much retired now."
"What?"
"Well, you're welcome to stay in the tower, but… I mean…"
"You don't need me anymore," Robin whispered. He understood. This was exactly what he thought would happen if he was gone. The team did better without him. Cyborg was always the better leader. He just never had a chance until…
"Why was I in a coma?" Robin asked, but by then they had slipped away from him. A wolf howled in the darkness. Something gargantuan and green appeared on a hill, silhouetted in the light of the full moon.
It carried a body in its mouth. A chill ran down Robin's spine.
It bounded towards him. Robin was ready to fight it… When he realized it was Beast Boy. Beast Boy, the way he was when he'd come in contact with that chemical… And in his mouth…
The torn and bloody remains of what used to be Raven was spat at Robin's feet. Robin remembered this dream. This was a familiar one. He'd had it only once before, but it had stayed with him.
It was the one where his worst fears on that night were confirmed. It was the one where instead of apprehending Beast Boy and Adonis, they had failed, and Raven had been mauled to death. Only it wasn't Adonis who killed her. It was Beast Boy.
And now was the point in the dream when Robin ran. He took off for the forest and again there was the blackness, the scuttling, the ravens cawing at him. He tripped and fell and swallowed the roaches. He felt them crawling all over him, everywhere. He spat them out of his mouth, he tried to scream. But as he breathed in, a cockroach got stock in his windpipe. He choked, he sputtered, her felt its tiny little feet moving in the back of his throat. He tried to cough it up, but it was stuck. He couldn't breathe. His lungs began to collapse in on him. He couldn't breathe.
And then the beast came upon him. It ripped at his chest, tearing off strips of flesh.
And then Robin was gone again.