Chapter 12
"Rob," KF-who was now Kid Flash again- said. "Thank you."
"I told you I'd resign if I couldn't find them," Robin replied. "I ment it"
"Robin" Artemis said. Robin turned towards her. "I'm sorry that I doubted you."
"It's okay, Arte. I *was* acting suspicious and I'm glad that you take all that into account. Makes a detective proud, you know?" Robin teesed.
Robin laughed with everyone else. Celebrated with everyone else. Was chastized by everyone else
All seemed well.
'It came with a price' he reminded himself. 'Yeah, a price'
After all tommorrow he had to meet Ras, willingly.
'Last time' Robin reasured himself. 'And I *still* won't let Ras get to me. After all the league may not be the best family, if its a family at all. But it's not *bad*.
But still a part of him disagreed.
"Hello, Richard" Ras greeted as soon as Robin entered his study.
"You promised me, Ras. Last meeting" Robin said, determined.
"Why should I hold to that when you actions differed from our preset plan?" Ras questioned calmly.
"I didn't have a choice!" Robin protested. "Flash pushed me out of the way!"
"You were supposed to let Chesire capture you. So we could have our last meeting, Richard." Ras said with a glare
"Does it matter? So I didn't exactly follow the plan. I still got Flash out like you said, and I still came here for our last meeting. So can we get to the part where you offer me the deal so I can decline and go on with my life?"
Ras sighed, "Don't forget, Richard. That there could be more meetings but this still will be the last time I meet to convince you. If you say no today Ubu will let you walk" Robin nodded once in agreement to Ras's term seeing this Ras began. "Richard, I've proven to you the lack of trust between your team, the lack of respect in the league, the lack of importance with which the league considers its soldiers. I'll even take the risk and claim that the only thing keeping you teathered to the league at this point is the detective."
"Don't you dare." Robin spat.
"Don't I dare what, Richard?" Ras inquired calmly in the face of Robin's venom.
"Don't you *dare* insult Bruce. Don't you dare trash his name. Don't you dare try and *convince* me he doesn't love me!"
"Because you couldn't bear to hear it?"
"Because its not true"
"Oh, Richard" Ras sighed. "Is this one of those things that I must first show you for you to realize?"
"No!"
"No? So you'll believe it just from my words?"
"I won't believe it ***at all***"
"Then you cannot proclaim yourself a detective. If you can't or won't search for the truth, you have no right to call yourself a detective or even the apprentice of one."
"The truth is Bruce cares!"
"Is that what you've been telling yourself, Richard?"
"Shut up!"
"Has he ever said he cares, that he loves you?"
"He doesn't have to"
"Yes, of course. You believe the lie without it ever having to be told"
"Let's get this straight once and for all. No and I'm leaving"
There was a moment of silence before Ras fixed his posture and righted his shirt. A breath passed before Ras said "goodbye then, Richard," calmly. Robin nodded before leaving. Ubu didn't stop him.
As Robin left Sportsmaster came in from an adjacent room. "Now what?" He inquired.
"Now we wait"
Robin tried, he really did, to force things back the way they were but it didn't matter. He couldn't look at Superman's boyscout smile without wondering if hate was hiding in his eyes, or go on a mission with the team without speculating the chance that he would be abandond.
The villians hid comments about betrayal in their taunts and monolouges.
And Robin was having trouble keeping the two seperate, villains, heroes. Bruce becaming the only thing constant and reliable. But Ras's words continued to girate on his mind.
'Hes never said it. That he cares. Never, not once... is it because its not true or because he doesn't think he needs to'
Then the enevitable. 'Am I really that close to betraying everyone? Does my loyalty really all depend on my continued belief in Bruce's lies-love! Right, love? They're not lies are they?' And honestly, Robin didn't know the answer to any of those questions.