The world was beautiful; he had never realized that before. The grass was emerald and shone with the light of a thousand suns and the sky, the sky was striking. The clouds reflected pure light with such strength that Robin was sure he would go blind if he were to keep looking: and even though he knew that he couldn't stop, couldn't take his eyes from the light, the stars...Starfire.
She had carried him tirelessly throughout the night and showed no worse for wear after it all. The others flew steadily in front of them, Beast Boy's strong wings pumping up in down in a balanced rhythm as Cyborg idly chatted away, knowing very well his friend could not respond. Raven, instead of trailing them, was along side them now, occasionally throwing in comments to defend Beast Boy from Cyborg's amusement. Raven's hood was down and the moonlight bathed her fair skin, fair skin that was now marred.
Robin turned his head away from them; he didn't want to see. He knew he should not have turned away from her, his friend, but the memory was still too potent for him. What could have happened...it would haunt him until the day he died. But now, now all he had to concentrate on was the mansion that suddenly loomed before them. He seemed to remember it with a gentle touch, but for some reason it looked cold; chilled even. A shudder ran down his spine as they finally reached it, delicately alighting on the ground with nothing more than a soft thump. He clung to Starfire longer than he needed to, but once that was realized her released her with a soft spoken apology and walked forward towards the door, all eyes anxiously awaiting what he would do.
His hand, dream like, rose up before him and out towards the door, poised to knock. However, he was cut short when the large door swung open revealing; well; actually, he had no idea who it was. The man was dressed powerfully; in fact, his whole appearance and demeanor just reeked of it. The tie around his neck looked as if it was too tight; Robin imagined it was the only thing holding down his ego; because, from the way the man observed the teens, he could tell this man was arrogant.
"Errr...?" Robin said stupidly, staring at the man with a mix of annoyance and confusion. The confusion was evident, but he was annoyed because the man was there. Shouldn't Bruce have been there to great him? Albert even? Maybe his annoyance was unjustified, but he would just go on feeling it. Still, the man said nothing, just staring at them as if they were experiments.
Who was this guy?
"We are the-" Starfire piped up cheerfully; the awkward silence was obviously getting to her as well.
"I know who you are," the man cut in evenly, his gaze narrowing faintly at the red head. "Come with me," he said curtly, turning back into the house so that they would have to follow or get left behind.
Robin was the first to move and soon he heard the strides of the others fall in place behind him. "Who are you?" he asked of the man rather rudely, his eyes glaring holes through the expensive suit.
"The vice-principal, Mr. Gautier," he replied stiffly.
Robin didn't ask any more questions so the group traveled in silence for what must have been an hour. Soon, all sense of direction was lost; the ups, the downs, left, right, left, down, up, wait right? Robin was completely confused. Suddenly, without Robin realizing it, the man came to a halt. Robin and the others almost ran into him, but were luckily able to stop themselves in time before crashing.
"We're here."
But where was here?
"Boys to the left, girls to the right. I trust you can figure the rest out."
And with that the man was gone. No smoke or even mist to accompany his leaving; just gone. Robin could see everyone was trying to put on a cheery face, not that it was working. Even he couldn't bring himself to smile. So many questions filtered through his head and bounced around only to be tossed aside, he could figure them out later. He felt a light force on his side and it took him a minute to figure out that Starfire had flung her arms around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder. Hot tears welled from the corner of her eyes, but he brushed them away and tilted her head up to his.
"Don't cry, we'll see each other again. I promise," he told her with a grin, well, more like a grimace. She nodded in grudging consent and went back towards Raven, clasping the arms of both Cyborg and Beast Boy in farewell. Slowly, the two girls walked off to the right and whatever it would take them to. Robin couldn't help but wonder as he and the guys walked to the left would he ever see them again?
Well, he had made a promise. And it was one he intended to keep.
She had carried him tirelessly throughout the night and showed no worse for wear after it all. The others flew steadily in front of them, Beast Boy's strong wings pumping up in down in a balanced rhythm as Cyborg idly chatted away, knowing very well his friend could not respond. Raven, instead of trailing them, was along side them now, occasionally throwing in comments to defend Beast Boy from Cyborg's amusement. Raven's hood was down and the moonlight bathed her fair skin, fair skin that was now marred.
Robin turned his head away from them; he didn't want to see. He knew he should not have turned away from her, his friend, but the memory was still too potent for him. What could have happened...it would haunt him until the day he died. But now, now all he had to concentrate on was the mansion that suddenly loomed before them. He seemed to remember it with a gentle touch, but for some reason it looked cold; chilled even. A shudder ran down his spine as they finally reached it, delicately alighting on the ground with nothing more than a soft thump. He clung to Starfire longer than he needed to, but once that was realized her released her with a soft spoken apology and walked forward towards the door, all eyes anxiously awaiting what he would do.
His hand, dream like, rose up before him and out towards the door, poised to knock. However, he was cut short when the large door swung open revealing; well; actually, he had no idea who it was. The man was dressed powerfully; in fact, his whole appearance and demeanor just reeked of it. The tie around his neck looked as if it was too tight; Robin imagined it was the only thing holding down his ego; because, from the way the man observed the teens, he could tell this man was arrogant.
"Errr...?" Robin said stupidly, staring at the man with a mix of annoyance and confusion. The confusion was evident, but he was annoyed because the man was there. Shouldn't Bruce have been there to great him? Albert even? Maybe his annoyance was unjustified, but he would just go on feeling it. Still, the man said nothing, just staring at them as if they were experiments.
Who was this guy?
"We are the-" Starfire piped up cheerfully; the awkward silence was obviously getting to her as well.
"I know who you are," the man cut in evenly, his gaze narrowing faintly at the red head. "Come with me," he said curtly, turning back into the house so that they would have to follow or get left behind.
Robin was the first to move and soon he heard the strides of the others fall in place behind him. "Who are you?" he asked of the man rather rudely, his eyes glaring holes through the expensive suit.
"The vice-principal, Mr. Gautier," he replied stiffly.
Robin didn't ask any more questions so the group traveled in silence for what must have been an hour. Soon, all sense of direction was lost; the ups, the downs, left, right, left, down, up, wait right? Robin was completely confused. Suddenly, without Robin realizing it, the man came to a halt. Robin and the others almost ran into him, but were luckily able to stop themselves in time before crashing.
"We're here."
But where was here?
"Boys to the left, girls to the right. I trust you can figure the rest out."
And with that the man was gone. No smoke or even mist to accompany his leaving; just gone. Robin could see everyone was trying to put on a cheery face, not that it was working. Even he couldn't bring himself to smile. So many questions filtered through his head and bounced around only to be tossed aside, he could figure them out later. He felt a light force on his side and it took him a minute to figure out that Starfire had flung her arms around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder. Hot tears welled from the corner of her eyes, but he brushed them away and tilted her head up to his.
"Don't cry, we'll see each other again. I promise," he told her with a grin, well, more like a grimace. She nodded in grudging consent and went back towards Raven, clasping the arms of both Cyborg and Beast Boy in farewell. Slowly, the two girls walked off to the right and whatever it would take them to. Robin couldn't help but wonder as he and the guys walked to the left would he ever see them again?
Well, he had made a promise. And it was one he intended to keep.