CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Despite the knowledge that the Batman stalked the night in Gotham City, there were always criminals out there bound and determined to remain as dumb as a rock. Robin mused over that fact as he reached into his utility belt and snatched out a Batarang, and then went into a sixty-foot free-fall from the top of the mall in Gotham Plaza. Spinning with the grace of an acrobat, the Boy Wonder hurled his weapon into the night.
Still spinning, he never saw the weapon hit its mark, but the scream, accompanied a moment later by the clatter of steel against the pavement, indicated that his aim had been true. About twenty feet above the ground, he fired his grapple toward the rooftop of a building across the street. The rope snagged, and he stopped in midair, only to begin the calculated swing as he went into a collision course with the criminal.
The man's eyes opened wide as he saw the Boy Wonder speeding toward him, and dove for his gun. Too late. Just as he started toward the ground—a big mistake—the heels Robin's boots found their mark. He could hear the sickening crack as the violent blow shattered the offender's jaw.
Robin let his feet touch the building across the street, shoved off, and going into a dismount, flipped up into the air and stuck the landing right next to the victim of the assailant. She was a small girl, a blonde, probably less than seventeen years old—way past her curfew, he thought—and dressed in an outfit consisting of no more than a lacy, pink bra, excessively short white jean shorts, and heels that made her four inches taller than her five foot eight.
The Boy Wonder frowned. "You okay?"
The girl was staring at him in shock, trembling slightly. When the question registered, she simply nodded and folded her arms across her chest in shame. Her cheeks were stained with fresh tears, and more were on the way. Robin felt sorry for the girl, but he wondered exactly what she was doing out here. A prostitute possibly? That seemed likely, considering her attire. He took his eyes from her, as it was apparent she didn't care to be on display for a known crimefighter; prostitution was, after all, an illegal practice.
He knelt by the assailant, turning his unconscious form onto his belly so that he might not choke on own blood. Robin pressed a button on his utility belt, sending a signal to the authorities that an ambulance and cops were required on the scene. He spotted a strap of black leather in the tightened fist of the crook, and grabbed for it. He lifted the purse up and tossed it to the girl.
"Go home," was all he said as he turned and headed back to the shadows, where his friends waited.
She watched him go, shot a glance to her attacker, who now lay bleeding on the sidewalk, and turned to run off. The other Teen Titans greeted Robin just within the shadows, Numara at their side. The five of them waited, listening for sirens and anticipating something dark, something mysterious. The Bat was coming, and the Titans were more than nervous. With the exception of Robin (as well as Numara, who had yet to know the skills of Batman), the Teen Titans were not at all convinced they were ready to face the likes of the most dangerous human on the face of the Earth.
"Where can he be?" Starfire asked softly. "It has been two hours. We are ready."
Robin glanced to the girl, eyes narrowed. "He'll be here."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Cyborg snorted.
"We need to relax," Raven said. "It is evident that we need him. This is his city, and Rancor brought Beast Boy here, apparently to draw Batman out into the open. He is every bit a part of this right now, and we must accept that fact."
"Raven's right." The Boy Wonder shot a look to Numara, who turned away and sat cross-legged in the shadows, gazing to the smog-filled sky. The Gem of Ages glowed next to his chest. Robin's thoughts drifted back to a movie he had seen as a child, where an alien visitor's heart glowed red through his skin. While not exactly in that same manner, the gem indeed looked very similar. "Besides, now that we're here, there's no keeping him out of it."
"Hey, I'm not arguing that. It's just–"
"That guy gives us…the willies, is it?" Starfire said, completing Cyborg's retort. The girl shivered, though not due to the cold. "Although I do not understand how multiples of willy have anything to do with this."
"Just relax, guys," Robin said. "Let me do the talking and we'll be ready to roll. Trust me, Batman will know what to do."
The sound of sirens in the distant reminded them of the man lying on the sidewalk. Robin turned to watch as the lights approached. The first on the scene was a police car. The Boy Wonder glanced to his friends and then moved out to offer his report. Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg followed close behind. Numara sat utterly still, not even bothering to turn toward the sound of fading footsteps.
Two cops stood over the wounded criminal, scratching their heads. Robin approached them. When they saw who it was, their eyes widened. "It's you," the young one said, a rookie with a crooked nose. No doubt it had been broken sometime in his past. He was a stocky and no doubt powerful man. "We thought Batman–"
"This is still his city," the Boy Wonder replied. "We just happened to be in the neighborhood." He gestured to the injured crook. "Caught the guy trying to mug a girl."
The older cop, a bulky, tall man with a full, pepper-colored beard glanced down, scratching his chin. "Alrighty. We'll book 'im, then. Take a ride to the emergency room first, looks like."
"His jaw's broken," Robin said.
The big man nodded. "Okay, we'll tell 'em that at the emergency room."
The Titans stood aside as an ambulance appeared. They loaded the injured man onto a stretcher and took him away. No one said anything more as cops returned to their vehicle and left the scene, though the big one did wave to Robin as if he were an old friend. The cop car turned the corner and disappeared from Gotham Plaza, following the ambulance. The Teen Titans were alone.
Robin shook his head slowly, disgusted. After all he and Batman had done for this city, it seemed that nothing ever changed. Criminals ran rampant throughout the streets. Most were small fries compared to some of the rats that the Dynamic Duo had downed in the two years he spent with Bats. Maybe the truth was nothing would ever change. Seemed logical, much as he hated to admit it. He wondered how often his mentor felt the same way.
[You're running out of time, Dick.]
Robin stood still, frowning at the mocking tone of the voice. He glanced to Starfire to see if she somehow reacted to the warning. She seemed no more or less concerned than she had only a moment before the voice. He swept his gaze through the group. No one had noticed. Robin licked his lips. Where the hell are you, Bruce? he thought.
[You really think he will be able to help you? Come now, Dick. I thought you had better sense than that.]
Starfire frowned as Robin's lip curled slightly in fury. She lay a hand on his shoulder, and he turned away from her. The Tamaranian flinched. "Robin?"
[I have you in the palm of my hand, and there's nothing you can do about it. You're mine, Dick, and you know it. You and all your friends are mine. Especially that little cupcake you care so much for, as if anything could ever work between you.]
Robin would have screamed in frustration, but he didn't know what good would that have done. He was the rock of the group. He was the one the other Titans turned to when things were grim. Something Cyborg had said that morning reminded him just how much the others cherished him. You know how much we count on you, Robin. Of course he did. He wondered how well the team would react if he suddenly wasn't there.
Of them all, he suspected Raven would handle it the best. She was also a rock. Like Robin, she could stand alone in the heat of battle. They weren't particularly the best of friends, but he did consider her his friend. He suspected, with her firm grip on reality and icy demeanor, she probably could handle the Titans' breakup rather smoothly, should she choose to do so. But how would Beast Boy or Cyborg fare? And what of Starfire? He shuddered. No, he could never leave Starfire. She was as much his rock to lean on as he was hers. He did not look forward to the day he would lose her, if it ever came.
The breakup. Where had he gotten that idea? Oh well. He supposed it was just his brain rattling out random thoughts. It did that a lot nowadays. Still, unease settled over him. How many of those thoughts, he wondered, were controlled by Rancor?
[Get a grip of yourself, Dick. I'd never do anything to harm you. You're too important. Too valuable. Then again, you already knew that, didn't you?]
Robin closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
"Yo, Robin, you okay?"
The Boy Wonder glanced up to his cybernetic comrade. "Just swell, Cyborg," he said flatly. "It's just, I don't like not being able to tell fact from fiction."
"And we all miss Beast Boy," Raven added.
Just a few weeks ago, they had nearly lost Beast Boy to the alien dog-lover, Soto. Now, with the teams' relationships strained once more, all those cold feelings had begun to resurface.
[At least this time he's not disappearing on you.]
Before Robin could react to the last strange thought racing through his head, a dark figure dropped silently out of the sky and approached. Raven spun toward the darkness, eyes glowing. "Stop where you are. Identify yourself."
He moved like a shadow, a big man in a long, black cape. He was on Raven in an instant, towering over the girl in an intimidating manner, glaring down on her through his black mask, eyes narrowed into slits. Raven actually trembled under his gaze. Robin stepped in and snatched the man's wrist.
"Hey, what're you doing?!" he said. "We're on the same side, Bats."
He continued to stare down at Raven for several moments before he finally turned away. "Come on," he said quietly, and stalked off into the shadows. The Titans glanced to one another. As Batman went into the shadows, Numara joined the Titans.
"He's very talkative," the Nasserian muttered.
"You said Rancor wanted the best," Robin replied. "Well, that's the best." The Boy Wonder fell silent and followed his mentor.
Numara glanced to Raven, who still trembled slightly at the look Batman had given her. He had disguised himself, with Raven's help, in a cloak that matched her own. They were of similar stature, though he was taller. They even held themselves with similar confidence. The others had commented that, had they not known better, he could have been her twin. Raven hadn't acknowledged their opinion. "Raven?"
She narrowed her eyes at the Nasserian. "Don't ask. I'm fine."
She rose a few inches and glided over the concrete, following Batman and Robin into the darkness. Starfire and Cyborg joined her, Numara floating silently in their wake.