DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Teen Titans. If I did, I would most likely steal Robin's cape and sell it on eBay, for a good amount of cash. Or maybe wear it as a fashion statement. :D Anyways. Enjoy.
-Chapter 3: Something Amiss-
It never took Raven very long to get ready for crimefighting. She did not have a staff to find, or a power core to charge up. All she truly needed was about five minutes of nice, quiet meditation, and she would be good.
She sat in midair, back perfectly straight, shoulders broad. After a while, meditation had become completely routine… just like the inevitability of eating Beast Boy's tofu foodstuffs, or being forced to train by Robin every Saturday morning, or being subjected to the wonders of Tameranian culture, or being lectured on the intricacies of mechanics and technology.
She was even able to ponder her birthday. Sixteen years old… she hadn't even noticed, really. Time went by either too fast, or too slow, it seemed. How long ago had she joined the Titans? She could scarcely remember what life was like before she had met Beast Boy, Star, Cyborg, and Robin. Not very pleasant, she remembered. But still, more like a distant dream than a concrete reality, nowadays.
She remembered how crushed Beast Boy had been by Terra's betrayal. It seemed like only yesterday. She, herself, had felt absolutely betrayed, when it came out… she had actually, even if only for a split-second, trusted Terra. Such an incident as what happened with Terra only increased Raven's distrust of outsiders.
Having ruminated on such topics enough, Raven's mind was now cleared. Exhaling, she tentatively touched the floor with one foot, then the other. "Azerath Metrion Zinthos," she muttered. Without touching anything, she exited the room and shut the door behind her.
…something still didn't seem right today. At first, she had thought it was the silence… but now she sensed it to be something more. A lurking presence, perhaps.
She shook her head, looking around. Robin and the others would most likely call her "paranoid" for sensing such insignificant things. The presence wasn't THAT strong… she headed towards the living room. The usual Titan regrouping spot.
To her surprise, no one else was there. Usually, at least Starfire and Beast Boy would be there, by then… Raven grabbed a purplish-blue book from the coffee table, and began to read. It was her usual type of book: namely, one about murder, controversy, and philosophical quandaries. She could not keep her concentration on the book for long, though, and eventually set it aside.
The whole situation was really beginning to worry her. It wasn't like anyone on the team to be fifteen minutes late. Something MUST be amiss. With that thought in mind, Raven headed towards Robin's room.
The door was half-open, and the purple-haired girl easily slid into the room. Robin was sitting on the floor, staring at what appeared to be a photo album. "Robin?" she said tentatively, in a tone only slightly raised from the usual level.
The masked boy wonder made no response. Very concerned at that point, Raven leaned forward to see, specifically, what pictures Robin was staring at so intently.
The first photograph was of Robin and Batman. It was a bit tattered and dusty, but otherwise intact. Batman, rather than smiling, was frowning stoically up into the camera lens. The young Robin appeared to be mimicking Batman's gesture, with only partial success.
The second photograph was a bit more recent. In the photo, Robin and Starfire brandished ice cream cones at the camera, laughing. Unlike in the first photograph, Robin appeared to be genuinely at ease, this time. Raven could literally feel the pure, untainted joy and love radiating from the photograph.
"I'm not worthy…" Raven was slightly startled by Robin's sudden words, which seemed to come right out of the blue. "What do you mean?" she said, confused. "Not worthy of what?"
Robin pointed at the Batman and Starfire from the photographs. "I'll never be as good as Batman… I'll never be good enough to deserve Starfire… I'm never going to be competent enough to beat Slade… and I don't deserve the friendship that I get." He sighed, turning away. "…you can leave if you want, Raven. I don't deserve to be comforted."
Raven opened and closed her mouth several times, hardly able to speak a single syllable. "Robin…" She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
She stood behind Robin for a few minutes, not quite sure of what to do. She had never been in a situation like this before. She needed someone else's help… maybe Starfire could help… "I'll be right back, Robin. Okay?" She ran out of the room, towards Starfire's room. If Starfire can't comfort Robin, then no one can.