Robin and Destiny made their way into his dimly lit office, piling the snacks and beverages on a paper cluttered stand beside his desk as the metal door whirled shut. A grin painted on her pale face as she nestled into his beaten leather chair, playfully biting her lip as she stared at his annoyed expression and giggling. "Well…don't mind if I do…" Destiny commented at taking his seat, gently scooting across the floor and cracking her knuckles.
"Of course…" he said, with a brief smile on his face. A deep sense of warmth filling his chest at her playfulness, a feeling he hadn't felt in years since his time as Starfire's boyfriend. Robin shook off the feeling of brief bliss, moving to the left side of his large desk, pushing some papers back, and sitting down on the old wood. Robin reached for the folder on top of the looming pile between them, flipping through it for a few moments in silence.
Destiny sat quietly in his chair and gently tapped a key on the computer, it humming to life and the screen illuminating with the log-in screen. Her navy eyes flickered to his demeanor as he read over the file in his hands, the warm feeling in her chest rising to blush her pale skin. A secret smile sweeping across her lips as she attempted a password or two with no success. Robin held his breath at the feeling of someone watching him, just briefly catching her losing her gaze on him.
He then noticed the failed password attempts and cleared his throat. Destiny flinched at the sudden sound breaking through the quiet between them. Robin chuckled in response, sitting the open file down. "Would you like some help with that?" a wicked smirk forming on his stern face. She breathed out heavily and flashed him a look of annoyance, rolling her eyes as she rolled backward and gestured to the keyboard. "I could get in if I wanted to…" she said defensively. The smirk remained on his face with a nod as he stood to his feet, turning to the side and typed furiously across the keyboard, bypassing a few security screens and finally landing on the desktop scared with files. He looked over at Destiny as he stepped back and gestured his arm towards the computer, leaning back against the desk once again and picking the folder up in his hands again.
"Show off," the girl retorted as she slid the chair forward again and nestled in. "Where shall we start?" Destiny asks, lifting her gaze to the leader beside her and observing the way he stood, the way he held the folder in his gloved hands, and the unwritten expressions on his masked face. She had to admit that he was pretty mysterious, maybe even as mysterious as her. Robin cleared his throat and gently laid the folder across the keyboard in front of her. Destiny moved her gaze from him once again, leaning over the folder and observing the contents. Her face scrunched when she realized this file was about his time as an apprentice, schematics for the old lair, and other details. "Well…" he started, shoving his hands into the pockets of his uniform as he leaned into his desk. "I was hoping we could start with you."
The girl breathed out heavily in distaste as she lifted her gaze to his. Their gazes met and he was not backing down from his inquiry with the look of his current expression. Destiny nodded as she leaned back in his chair and sucked in a deep breath. "What more is there to know?" she countered, stretching her arms above her head for a moment to stretch her muscles out and folded them behind her head against the back of the leather chair. Robin held their gaze, noting the girl's displeasure with the concept of talking about herself. "Your powers. You didn't have them when we met, did you?" he asked directly. Destiny closed her eyes in frustration with another long breath and a brief shake of her head, reopening her navy eyes to meet his gaze once again. "No," she said sternly, her arms moving from behind her head and falling into her lap. 'So…I was right…' Robin thought to himself. "How did you get them?" he pressed on with an arch of his eyebrow in her direction.
Destiny's head hung low for a few moments as she recalled a few memories of her past. The images flickering like an old movie reel, sucking in another sharp breath of air as if somehow it would make it easier to talk about. "I'm sure you remember the fake Chronoton Detonator that he built to inject the probes into the rest of the team…" she said quietly, her throat dry and the eerie darkness filling the space between them. Robin watched on with a nod of his head. "Yes…I remember quite well," he recalled. Her head still low to avoid his stare. She pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and nodded with his comment. "The probes weren't just for leverage…" she began, finally meeting his gaze. Her navy eyes were filled with a sorrowful sadness, a sadness he hadn't seen he and Starfire had discontinued their relationship and it leaving a sharp feeling in his chest. "The probes were to obtain DNA signatures of their powers and expertise."
The sentence was short but loud and clear. The pressure that had built at the moment was pounding in his ears as he processed what she had just said. Had Slade used those DNA signatures on his daughter? As if she could read his mind, observing his body language. Destiny cleared her throat to interrupt his suddenly deep thoughts and he met her gaze once again as she nodded in understanding. "Yes," she said quietly and folded her palms together in her lap. "He intended to use those DNA signatures to weaponize me." Her head dipped low again as she opened her hands in her lap and after a few moments of silence, her hands slowly started to emit that signature bright red glow that resembled the flames of a fire. Destiny held her palms up and watched the energy emit before sighing, closing her palms, and the glow soon disappearing from her palms as quickly as it had emerged. "What he didn't count on was me being strong enough to not give in."
The girl breathed in heavily as she lifted her head to meet his gaze again. Destiny blinked her navy eyes a few times, somehow the distant sparkle of her eyes growing brighter at the threat of tears. She sniffled as she rolled her eyes in disgust just as Robin reached his hand out as he stood, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he stated with sincerity as he stepped closer and moved his arm around her to her other shoulder. "If I had tried harder…this never would have happened to you. If I had tried harder to fight back I might ha-" his voice trailing off as she lifted a hand in the air to silence his pity party. It felt strange to have his presence this close to her, but it was warm and welcomed.
"…it's no one's fault." She told him, even if she did not quite believe it herself. "The bright side is…" she trailed off for a moment, her hand briefly grazing his on her shoulder as she stood to her feet and stepped away to meet his gaze again. Their faces flushed for a moment over the close contact and heartfelt moment passing "…these powers have given me the strength to fight back…" Destiny shrugged her shoulders with a small smile, her eyes catching glimpse of the folder once again and flickering back to Robin. He nodded in understanding at her words, "You also have us now…" he stated firmly as he stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder once again. "You're not alone in this anymore. He will be stopped once and for all. I promise." His inner-hero spoke proudly with determination, it ringing in her ears. Destiny smiled with a nod of her head touching his hand on her shoulder for a long pause, their fingers grazing as he removed his hand from her shoulder and her arm falling back to her side. The flush of red returning to their cheeks for a few seconds. "Don't make any promises you can't keep…" she teased, pushing past him to nestle back into his chair. "Now…" she grinned, picking up a pen and filled in some missing information in that folder he had laid down and closed it. Her eyes catching glimpse of the time, noting that they had been talking for several hours. "…that's enough for one evening don't you think?"
Robin smirked with a nod of his head and leaned against his desk once again. "Sure…if that's what you'd like." Destiny met his gaze again from where she sat at his desk, half rolling her eyes as she stood. "I think it'd be good for both of us to quit working for the evening…" she teased, turning his computer off and pushing his chair in. He chuckled, folding his arms over his chest with a shake of his head. "Maybe for you…" he said quietly, pulling the chair out and plopping in as she cleaned up the mess from their snacks. "…but a leader never sleeps." Their gazes met once more as she picked the trashed tray up and she nodded in understanding again. "Well…get some sleep…cause a leader does need his strength." Her familiar line ringing in his ears, a chuckle escaping his lips once again as he turned the computer back on. "So…I've been told."
The pair exchanged their goodbyes for the evening, Destiny piling out of the room with the trash in hand and headed for the common room. They had spent much of the day and evening talking, it was strange that she had not noticed so much time passing while working with Robin. Perhaps, it was because of their familiarity with each other and the past avenue they once shared because of Slade. Her heart wringing in knots at the thought of Slade, the harm and sorrow he had caused so many people over the years including her and her newfound friends. "He'll pay…" she voiced quietly as she stepped through the metal doors of the common room. 'Soon…'