Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed
"So… what did you want to tell me, Robin?" Asked Batman with an air of worry.
"HE wants to tell you what is going on, I don't know why I'm here." Came the reply from Raven.
"Cut it, Rae." Robin said sternly. "Batman, I suppose you're," he winced as he shifted, "wondering what in the name of all things bright and beautiful is going on?" he asked. Batman nodded.
"Ok…" Robin sighed. "About half a year ago, I was, as you know, kidnapped by Slade, in a word, and forced to be his apprentice to save the lives of the titans. You follow?"
"Yes."
"Ok… That's where the scars came from… whip, as you already know." Batman nodded. "That, is also where these came from." He added, holding out his cuffed hands. Batman understood fully, so Robin stopped there.
"Is… that all?"
"Uhh… without going into a lot of depth, ya." Said Raven monotonously.
"So… what are we going to do, Robin?" Robin looked at Raven, and she left the room, but as she opened the door, three teenagers toppled in, one on top of another in a big heap.
"What… were you doing?" she asked them timidly. They ran. She followed saying, "I bet Beast Boy came up with THAT idea."
"What are we going to do, Robin?" Batman repeated.
"Fight him with everything we've got." Came the simple reply.
"So, you're willing to throw away your life at the first call to do so?" Batman inquired nervously.
"You've known that since we signed up for this job, Bruce."
"But, Richard, you DIDN'T sign up for this… I had no idea when I adopted you that you'd…"
"Bruce, I WANTED it. As soon as I knew for sure, I wanted it! You forced me to do nothing."
"(sigh) I suppose you're right. Let's go see if we can't get those things off your hands." They left to find Raven lecturing Beast Boy on invading other's privacy.
"Hey, anyone have any other Ideas on how to get these off?" Robin asked.
"YA!" yelled Beast Boy, springing to Robin's side. " We cut off your hands at the wrists, then sew them back on after we've taken the cuffs off!"
"Hmmm… Robin? How thick are those gloves?" Cyborg asked, walking over.
"I think about… 2.5 mm of titanium Iron fabricized substance, why?"
"'Cause, if we take off your gloves, maybe we can get the cuffs off over your hands… unless… you want Doctor B.B. over there to perform his new found amputation skills on you."
Robin took one look at Beast Boy holding the chain saw, and thrust his hands out to Cyborg.
"Ok… and… the gloves are… off! Now lets see if we can't… Hey, Rob, can you bend your thumbs in a little more… YES! You are free!"
"Aww… man!" said Beast Boy, dragging away the chain saw.
"Robin!" Starfire said, leaping up and down. "You are free!"
"Ya, I guess so.." he said back, beaming, suddenly he looked at his hand in astonishment, as though he had never seen it before, then grabbed his glove back, put his hand behind his back and tried to run to his room, but they surrounded him.
"What now?" Raven asked.
"Please, Robin. No more secrets." Starfire said.
"It's… just a mark… I haven't looked at my hands for a while so… it surprised me."
"You Robin are a very bad liar." Said Cyborg. "What?" Batman held out his hand, asking to see Robin's in his gesture. Robin reluctantly held out his hand to Batman, who looked at the slowly fading mark… A sharp ended S.
"That's Slade's symbol, isn't it?" said Beast Boy.
"Yes… it is!" said Robin exasperatedly. "It's a temporary brand… he meant to do a real one eventually, but he never really got around to it. It will wear off completely in a few months."
"Wow…" Raven said.
"Ya." Robin said, as Batman let go of his son's hand and he put his gloves back on.
They all stood in silence for a while, little knowing that someone, or something, was in Robin's room at that moment, stealing something that he had had for many years, and was very special to him.
They all walked with Robin to his room, just to hang out and talk for a change, but when they got to the usually orderly room, they found it turned upside down and sideways. Everything was thrown one way or another, nothing was in its place.
In the center of the room was a small wooden box that said Richard in the sloppy writing of a child, RiChArD gRaYsOn. Robin walked slowly to the box and opened it, kneeling beside it. He took out one thing after another, a baseball cap that would fit a small child, a little toy bird, a book, a birth certificate, two shreds of fabric, a perfume bottle, and a tie, whose colors were faded.
"No…" he said, his voice shaking.
"What is it Robin?" asked Batman.
"Bruce… my picture's gone. My picture! That was the only one I had… who would have taken a picture with all this stuff in here? Why did they take it?" He was hysterical now.
"Robin," said Batman, kneeling beside him. "Maybe you just misplaced it. We'll help you clean up and then you can look for it ok?"
They cleaned up, then all of them (except Robin) left his room.
"Dude, why all that fuss over a picture?" Beast Boy asked.
"Man, none of us know Robin's past all that well. He's a troubled guy."
"It was a very special Picture to him." Batman said.
"What was the photograph of?" Starfire asked.
"His Parents. It's the only one he had."
They all stared at him, now understanding now, why it had such meaning to their leader.