Instead of the excited chatter that Robin had, of course, expected his ears
was great with silence. Silence only to be broken by the sigh of wind that
snaked threw their bodies, the faces of his friends suddenly becoming paler
with each passing moment. Robin gave each a questioning look, and by the
moist look of Starfire's eyes he knew what they had all been thinking. A
grin twitched over his face as he spoke softly, almost gently so they would
know he had not been trying to surprise them.
"I'm not going back to join him."
Relief passed over each titan as the warm color of rose was drawn back to their cheeks, their faces flushed with joy.
"Then, what's it for?" Beast Boy asked eagerly, practically grabbing the letter out of Robin's hands. And, if not for Cyborg holding him back, he probably would have tried to.
"See for yourself," Robin responded, holding the letter out steadily in Beast Boy's direction. Squinting in order to try to make out the words amiss the dirt and blood Beast Boy gave up and passed it to an impatient Cyborg, who even turned it upside down to try and decipher the smudged words.
"Okay, dude, we give up," Beast Boy said finally as he looked at both Raven and Starfire, hunched over the letter as they tried to read what it said. Starfire was the first to look up from Beast Boy's words, her brilliant hair flying gently about her like the softly crashing ocean waves. Jade eyes implored him to continue, but he waited until Raven had finally looked up at him, a short nod of her head urging him to go on.
"He wants us to go to a new project of his," Robin said casually although he could all ready feel the hesitation growing within him. "It's a school," he continued slowly so that each team member would have time to digest the news, "for people like us. People, mostly teenagers, who want to get better control of their abilities. Also," he added as if it didn't matter, "there's a competition going along with it. If you agree to go with me we'll be entered and put up against different teams." Sweat dripped from his forehead as his nerves stood on end. Why didn't they say anything?
He knew this wasn't a very reasonable request and that he really only wanted to go so they could compete and show off what they could do. One thing did worry him, though; something he would never voice aloud. Why was Batman asking this of him? A competition? He hardly seemed the sort. But, then again, Robin had not seen the man in many years and maybe he felt it providential to do something with his time. Another thing that worried him was the teams: the letter had never said anything about them staying together, then again, maybe they were meant to assume that. He could only hope for the best.
"So, what do you say?" he finally asked, for once impatient to know an answer. He almost winced as he saw Starfire about to speak, but she closed her mouth with a snap and looked contemplative before attempting to speak again.
"You are my friend, Robin. Of course I will go," she said looking directly into his eyes, giving him the idea that she didn't need him to take off his mask in order for her to see beyond it. Her understanding and loving gaze caused his heart to catch in his chest just as a soft murmur of consent swept through the titans.
"Kick some superhero ass," Cyborg said in a bad attempt to make the situation less awkward. Of course they had all agreed, deep down he had always known that they would. But still, if they had anywhere else to go would they have told him no? If Starfire hadn't been the first to speak would the others have remained silent? His ebony haired head shook slightly in an answer to his own unspoken question.
"When do we go?" Raven asked in monotone, her true emotions of leaving only given away by the longing gaze she cast at the tower that now laid in ruin. Even in victory they were defeated.
Casting his own gaze once more upon the down Robin turned his back to it, blocking out all the memories that were flooding into his young mind. "Is now too soon?"
Raven pulled her dark hood over her head, lonely violet strands blowing freely in the wind and making her seem wild as she rose from the ground, ready to be off in an instant. Likewise Starfire was gracefully gliding toward him, her arms out stretched so that she may hold him. "It will be faster if we fly," she told him with an apprehensive smile as she slipped a strong arm around his waist. In return he slipped one around hers and felt the exhilaration as they rose from the battle strewn ground. Beast Boy, in the form of some large, winged animal, all ready had had Cyborg climb on his back, Raven standing off behind them a little to make certain they wouldn't topple to the ground once they reached a high elevation.
Once everyone had given the consent of being ready Starfire burst higher into the hair, burgundy locks twisting and lingering with ebony ones. Turning his masked eyes to the retreating tower a whispered escaped from Robin's mouth, only making it as far as his own ears.
"Titans go."
"I'm not going back to join him."
Relief passed over each titan as the warm color of rose was drawn back to their cheeks, their faces flushed with joy.
"Then, what's it for?" Beast Boy asked eagerly, practically grabbing the letter out of Robin's hands. And, if not for Cyborg holding him back, he probably would have tried to.
"See for yourself," Robin responded, holding the letter out steadily in Beast Boy's direction. Squinting in order to try to make out the words amiss the dirt and blood Beast Boy gave up and passed it to an impatient Cyborg, who even turned it upside down to try and decipher the smudged words.
"Okay, dude, we give up," Beast Boy said finally as he looked at both Raven and Starfire, hunched over the letter as they tried to read what it said. Starfire was the first to look up from Beast Boy's words, her brilliant hair flying gently about her like the softly crashing ocean waves. Jade eyes implored him to continue, but he waited until Raven had finally looked up at him, a short nod of her head urging him to go on.
"He wants us to go to a new project of his," Robin said casually although he could all ready feel the hesitation growing within him. "It's a school," he continued slowly so that each team member would have time to digest the news, "for people like us. People, mostly teenagers, who want to get better control of their abilities. Also," he added as if it didn't matter, "there's a competition going along with it. If you agree to go with me we'll be entered and put up against different teams." Sweat dripped from his forehead as his nerves stood on end. Why didn't they say anything?
He knew this wasn't a very reasonable request and that he really only wanted to go so they could compete and show off what they could do. One thing did worry him, though; something he would never voice aloud. Why was Batman asking this of him? A competition? He hardly seemed the sort. But, then again, Robin had not seen the man in many years and maybe he felt it providential to do something with his time. Another thing that worried him was the teams: the letter had never said anything about them staying together, then again, maybe they were meant to assume that. He could only hope for the best.
"So, what do you say?" he finally asked, for once impatient to know an answer. He almost winced as he saw Starfire about to speak, but she closed her mouth with a snap and looked contemplative before attempting to speak again.
"You are my friend, Robin. Of course I will go," she said looking directly into his eyes, giving him the idea that she didn't need him to take off his mask in order for her to see beyond it. Her understanding and loving gaze caused his heart to catch in his chest just as a soft murmur of consent swept through the titans.
"Kick some superhero ass," Cyborg said in a bad attempt to make the situation less awkward. Of course they had all agreed, deep down he had always known that they would. But still, if they had anywhere else to go would they have told him no? If Starfire hadn't been the first to speak would the others have remained silent? His ebony haired head shook slightly in an answer to his own unspoken question.
"When do we go?" Raven asked in monotone, her true emotions of leaving only given away by the longing gaze she cast at the tower that now laid in ruin. Even in victory they were defeated.
Casting his own gaze once more upon the down Robin turned his back to it, blocking out all the memories that were flooding into his young mind. "Is now too soon?"
Raven pulled her dark hood over her head, lonely violet strands blowing freely in the wind and making her seem wild as she rose from the ground, ready to be off in an instant. Likewise Starfire was gracefully gliding toward him, her arms out stretched so that she may hold him. "It will be faster if we fly," she told him with an apprehensive smile as she slipped a strong arm around his waist. In return he slipped one around hers and felt the exhilaration as they rose from the battle strewn ground. Beast Boy, in the form of some large, winged animal, all ready had had Cyborg climb on his back, Raven standing off behind them a little to make certain they wouldn't topple to the ground once they reached a high elevation.
Once everyone had given the consent of being ready Starfire burst higher into the hair, burgundy locks twisting and lingering with ebony ones. Turning his masked eyes to the retreating tower a whispered escaped from Robin's mouth, only making it as far as his own ears.
"Titans go."