"He's been gone far too long…," Robin murmurs. "And I honestly don't like his radio silence. Not one bit."

I glance up from my book. I'm levitating at the far end of the Tower's front atrium. I'm reading in the dark. I'm always reading in the dark.

"You are not doing yourself any good by losing rest over it."

Robin paces around, oblivious to my insistence. His eyemask is narrow and his teeth grit as he continues on ranting: "We sent Cyborg into H.A.E.Y.P. to do reconnaissance. That was…..nearly three weeks ago!"

"Robin, things like this take time."

"Yes, but that's a little TOO MUCH TIME in my book! The clock is ticking. H.A.E.Y.P. and their new headmaster is bound to make another terrorist attack on the City. How can we rest when that's about to happen? How can Cyborg be SILENT…..when that's on the horizon?"

I take a deep breath and flip a page.

"Sometimes, Robin, you just have to put faith in people that…..well……you already have faith in."

"Nnnngh….," Robin covers his masked face with a gloved hand.

I half-glare at him. "You do….trust Cyborg, correct?"

"Yeah, just—"

"Stop being so impatient."

Robin stops pacing. He glances at me. Squinting.

I dig my nose into the book like nothing's wrong.

"Seriously….you're starting to rub off of me."

"It doesn't show," he says.

"Pray that it doesn't."

A beat.

He strolls over to me some. "You could teach us all a lot about patience, couldn't you…Raven?"

"………," I look up from my book again. "It depends."

He raises an eyebrow. "How so?"

I take a deep breath. "Patience means having something to look forward to….."

"………………" He has no response.

I slowly lower my head and gaze into my reading material.

Silence……

"I'm going to try contacting 'Stone' one last time…," Robin murmurs. He walks past me. "If he doesn't respond. I'll be taking the initiative and sending us in to infiltrate H.A.E.Y.P. earlier if I have to."

"Whatever, Robin," I drone. "You're the leader."

A pause.

A gloved hand on my shoulder.

My breath leaves me some.

With violet eyes a bit wider…confused….I look up.

Robin looks intently at me. With a gentle voice he says: "And after this whole mission is done……I would like to have a talk with you about…..not believing in things to look forward to."

"…………….." I gaze at him.

There's no sternness in his comment. Nothing absolutely imperative in his voice. Something rather liquid….free.

"Understood?"

"Uh…..y-yeah….."

His lips curve slightly. "Now….I'm off to see why Cyborg's hiatus is taking so long." His hand releases from my shoulder and he walks off. "Take care, Raven."

"Sure thing…..Robin."

He's gone.

I'm alone.

I swallow something down and return quietly to my pages.

But the words are a little bit difficult to decipher now.

For I'm suddenly overrun with a weight of impatience.