Alone in her dark, dreary room, Raven sat near her window, pondering on Robin's behavior. Of all the Titans, she knew Robin better than anyone, even before she and Robin formed a bond. Now that they're together, he seemed even more enigmatic than ever.
"Ever since last week, I've been noticing how much pain you've been going through, Robin. Why? Why did you ask me such a question?"
"Will you always be by my side… no matter what?"
"What could it mean? I must meditate. Perhaps that'll help me think more clearly."
Raven sat in an Indian position and levitated into the air, closing her eyes and touching her fingers with her thumbs.
"Azarateh Metrion Zinthos… Azarateh Metrion Zinthos… Azarateh Metrion Zinthos…"
In her personal realm known as Nevermore, all her emotions sat at an enormous round table. They were the spitting image of Raven, but they all wore different cloaks, each color representing a different part of Raven. The emotions were mingling with one another, talking about why a meeting was being held and who called for one.
"This meeting is now in session!" Intellect announced, adjusting her eyeglasses.
"What's the deal? This had better be important. I was in the middle of training myself how to break skulls!" Gung Ho said.
"Hey, this could be really fun! Are we gonna play a game?" Happy asked.
"I say we should talk about how our sexy Boy Wonder can be even more appealing to us. My vote says we should use Whip Cream…" Naughty said. Most of the emotions giggled to Naughty's suggestion.
"Wow. That would be really fun…" Happy said, giggling.
"Hey! I second that…" Sloppy said, letting out a burp.
"Oh yeah! My guns are loaded and ready to FIRE!" Gung Ho shouted, blushing.
"Behave yourselves! ESPECIALLY YOU, NAUGHTY! No thanks to you, I've lost count as to how many times you had us sleep with him and had him spank us like an undisciplined school girl!" Intellect spat out, trying to keep her body temp down from remembering the last time Robin and Raven made out. Intellect cleared her throat.
"Now, as I was saying. One of you brought up a very dire matter to me. She was at first too scared to bring it up, but now that it's out of the bag, this matter MUST be taken seriously!" Intellect said.
"Can't we just talk about this tomorrow? It's getting late," Lazy said, yawning.
"NO WAY! These matters must be dealt with NOW!" Intellect screamed.
"What's more important than being with our friends?" Happy asked.
"What could be more important than adjusting our underwear when we feel a wedgie?" Sloppy asked.
"… It's Robin…" All the emotions turned their attention to the one who hasn't spoken up at all, the one who seemed least likely to even utter a word. It was Misery, the gray-cloaked emotion.
"…Oh, it's just you. You're always worried. Even about the smallest things," Gung Ho said.
"But this is different, you guys. Robin is suffering. He's in great pain, and he seriously needs our help. I can see pain and misery all over him," Misery said.
"What are you talking about? He looks just fine to me," Happy said.
"… No. You all can deny the fact that he's suffering, but I won't! I can sense misery and pain better than any of you! We MUST help him!" Misery exclaimed, breaking into tears. Happy placed her hand on Misery's shoulder to comfort her.
"She has a point. Robin asked us a disturbing question. He asked us if we'd always be by his side no matter what. That very question signifies that there's something inside of him that's tearing him apart. A past. A traumatic past…" Intellect stated. All the emotions began to talk freely to one another. All of them spoke with great concern for their Beloved. Intellect bit her lips and dug her nails into her palms.
"…There's another very grave matter at hand. Do any of you remember… The Prophecy?" All of emotions feel silent and focused their attention on Intellect immediately.
"… The monster we were to release when the time comes is missing. When that monster was to be freed, it was to unlock the portal and set Trigon free upon our new homeworld! Now… it's not here…" All of the emotions felt their blood freeze.
"… You're saying that we gave Robin more than just our love and our powers?" Happy asked, almost sounding as worried as Misery.
"… We unknowingly gave Robin the marks of Scath. The beast is now within Robin. Robin… Robin is the new Portal…" Intellect concluded.
"NO!" Misery screamed. The emotions started to get into a state of total panic. They all realized that giving a badly disturbed boy the destiny to unleash a horrible monster could turn him into the most dangerous being on the planet!
"WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LETTING ALL THIS HAPPEN?" Gung Ho asked.
"… I believe I now know who it is…" Intellect said.
Raven flashed her eyes open and floated to the floor, placing her feet on the floor gently. Rage, frustration, fear and misery spun throughout her mind like a whirlpool. Tears poured down her eyes and she clenched her hands into fists and grinded her teeth, preparing to say the very name of the one responsible for everything that has happened to the dark Titans.
"… Rorek…"
"So you want to talk. Let's talk, Batman…"
"You don't sound like the same Robin I once knew. Dick would never sound that cold."
"Perhaps I should have you to thank for that. I'm really sick and tired of you comparing me to the other Robins. To Dick. To Jason…"
"What do you tend to do about it?"
"… Beat you down to a bloody pulp."
In the Extreme Combat Room, Batman and Robin were reunited once again. But this time, they're not as comrades. Instead, they stare into each other's eyes and got into combat positions. Usually, when they fight, they would go at it with bare fists. Since they need a serious talk, they decided to take their "sparring" three notches up. Their weapon of choice: Kendo Iron Sticks. Hollow sticks of iron shaped just like straight-edged katanas. The two masked warriors circled one another slowly, keeping their four-foot long iron sticks firm in their hands. Batman held his weapon close to his head and pointed his stick towards the ceiling while Robin pointed his iron stick right at Batman's throat.
Robin screamed for bloody murder and ran right for Batman. Robin raised his stick into the air and slammed it right for Batman's head, but the Dark Knight blocked Robin's stick with an upper block with his weapon. Robin swung his stick for his opponent's ribs, then his legs, then for his left temple. However, Batman blocked all his attacks without even changing his facial expression.
Batman quickly fought back with attacks to the forehead, the right shoulder, the left shin, and the right collarbone. With lightning-quick reflexes, Robin blocked all of Batman's attacks and now had their iron sticks locked into each other.
"Who asked you to come here?"
"It was Cyborg. He's worried about you, Robin. All of the Titans are worried."
"They should learn to mind their own damn BUSINESS!" Robin shoved Batman away and went on the offensive once again. Robin faked a strike to Batman's head and made Batman raise his weapon to block it. Seeing him off-guard, Robin leg-swept him and brought his iron stick right down on the Bat. Batman rolled out of Robin's way and heard Robin's iron stick clang big-time onto the ground. Batman, still on his back, swung his iron stick right at Robin's skull and had it connect. Robin whipped away from Batman's attack and clung onto the area Batman struck.
"Robin!" Batman exclaimed. The Batman had no intention of striking Robin in the head; he thought Robin was going to block the attack with ease. In a way, he sensed that Robin allowed him to strike him in the skull. Robin, showing no sign of pain, looked Batman squarely into the eyes and swung his iron stick around, swinging it like a real samurai sword. Once more, the two warriors circled one another. This time, they had their iron sticks point to the ground.
"Where did get your new powers, Robin?"
"Why are you so damn concerned?"
"I learned who caused that enormous crater in a section of Jump City yesterday. That black beam that flew from the sky and smashed that temple in the city? The beam came from you…"
"I was left no other choice. Either that or let Slade get the best of Raven."
"But you did it with such animosity! Robin, never in my life have I seen so much rage inside of you. What is it that's eating you up from the inside? Talk to me!"
Robin began to growl.
In a mysterious temple, Timothy Drake knelt down to three elders. While Tim kneeled to his masters, a heavily cloaked man placed a pair of daggers in front of him. When the cloaked man left, Timothy picked up one of the daggers and slowly slit his chest."Such animosity, such potential. You shall be the perfect weapon…"
"DAMN YOU, BATMAN! DAMN YOU FOR MAKING ME REMEMBER!" Robin screamed and ran for the Dark Knight. Robin's iron stick glowed black and transformed from an iron stick into a hideously deformed sword! Batman's eyes widen when he barely blocked Robin's attack. Robin swung his sword again and again, with amazing speed and lack of control! After twenty strikes, Robin swung his sword right for Batman's head, ready to decapitate him. When he swung his sword, Robin realized that his target was not in sight.
An iron stick slammed right into Robin's stomach, causing Robin to gag in pain. Shocked from the sudden attack, Robin dropped his sword. Batman swept him off his feet with his iron stick. Seeing him in mid-air, Batman side-kicked him and sent him flying right into a mirrored wall. The Boy Wonder crashed into the wall and hit the floor with an enormous thud.
"If you keep it inside of you, Robin, all it's going to do is tear you apart from within! Please. Stop fighting and talk to me! Whatever's bothering you, whatever you've done years ago, I'll understand." Batman hoped those words would get through to his surrogate son. When he looked down to the metal-clad floor, he realized the floor underneath him was glowing black.
Batman immediately somersaulted away from where he once stood. The floor from where Batman once stood transformed into a huge blade, missing its chance to impale him. Batman somersaulted and back-flipped again and again, evading more blades coming alive from the floor. Robin slowly got up from the floor and eyed Batman with glowing, ice-blue eyes. Letting the frosty mist flow out of his mouth, Robin raised his hand. A monstrous, ice spear made out of ice appeared into his hand. Getting in a kung-fu stance, Robin aimed his spear right at the Dark Knight.
"… You should have killed me when you had the chance, Batman. I will make you forever regret taking me into your wings…"
… to be continued.