Standard disclaimers apply.
CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.
GUIDING STAR
Chapter Eleven – Wayne Lifestyle
Breakfast was slightly unnerving.
It had been years since Robin actually sat down on a perfectly set table with a buffet-like spread arranged elegantly before him.
The bright rays of the sun poured from the large windows and all that had been dark and massive the previous night seemed to have transformed while he slept. Now, everything was lively and uplifting, and even the somber faces gracing the paintings around them couldn't dampen the effect.
He stared at the crystal bowls of cereal and marveled at how many types there were. Beside him was his own pitcher of milk. There were fresh fruits, cut into easy-to-eat pieces and to the side there was oatmeal, whipped cream and tapioca; just in case you wanted your fruits to come with something else. He hadn't even decided whether he wanted a steak breakfast, a Sausage breakfast, omelet, waffles, pancakes or French toast, much less what type of maple syrup he would want to slather on them. The closest he had come, in years, to eating this way was at the IHOP, and the waitress that so happily served them there was not Alfred.
He wondered whether Starfire had any of it earlier that morning. She should have, as early as she may have been leaving the mansion. Alfred wouldn't have her going on an empty stomach.
She would've gotten the waffles.
"Master Richard, do you need more time to think about it?"
Robin snapped out of his musings. "Waffles will do, Alfred."
"Flavored or plain?"
"Er—plain."
"Would you like to have them with English Sausage, ham or bacon?"
"Sausage."
"Hash browns or scrambled eggs?"
Robin scratched his head in wonder. "God, was it always like this? All these choices?"
"Yes, Master Richard."
Robin sighed. "Scrambled eggs."
"Very good, sir." Alfred left to tell the chef.
Robin leaned back on the huge chair, letting his gaze rove to the scenery outside. There wasn't much to see, considering most of it was trees and the Gotham City skyline beyond it, but it gave him something to focus on while Bruce was busy reading the paper at the other end of the table.
As Alfred had suggested before he left his room, he was mask-free. The butler had also suggested that he wear a pair of chinos and a white, Egyptian cotton blouse from the vast collection in his closet, but Robin had foregone that idea. He chose, instead, to go with an old pair of cargo-pants that had been pushed so far back in the row of trousers that Robin just knew it had been placed there deliberately, just so it would be difficult to find, and then he fished a red long-sleeved graphic tee that said, "All Your Base Are Belong To Us!" from one of the higher shelves. He still remembered Alfred's little ploys to get him to dress "more appropriately".
Robin had laughed upon seeing Alfred's arched eyebrow. "Up to your old tricks again, Alfred? I'm so on to you."
"Master Richard, that t-shirt is grammatically abhorrent."
"Of course it is! It's what I love about it. Besides, I'm only going to be here for a few days. I miss my old stuff."
Alfred, dignified as ever, merely bowed in acquiescence.
Now, as he sat in his grammatically abhorrent t-shirt, he couldn't help but wonder, with a soft chuckle, whether he was re-rooting himself into Wayne Manor.
He looked at the pair of battered "old school" rubber shoes on his feet. He had, of course, found them towards the back of the closet, practically hidden in a dark corner of the enormous shoe-rack. Almost forgot about these things. Old shoes are the best!
"Do you have any plans for today?"
Robin's gaze lifted to Bruce. He had not expected a conversation on the breakfast table. "Actually, I do. I was hoping to check with some of your scientists; see if I could get them to examine some stuff I brought over." He was also hoping he could sneak some time in to check on Starfire. She would be alright, he knew, but all that testing was bound to get boring. He thought maybe he could bring her some donuts or something similar.
Bruce peeked over the top of his paper to look at him. "Remind me to give you a pass so they'd let you in the front doors. We don't get many skater boys walking through there."
Robin scoffed. "Oh, they'll remember me." He was reasonable enough to own that Dick Grayson was a well-known figure in Bruce's many offices.
"Guards are new."
"Then I'll go through the mail room. I'm pretty sure you haven't fired all of the old employees since I left."
Bruce gave a grunt. "I suppose Ceasario could get you through most of the offices."
Robin quirked a grin. Ceasario was the Mailroom manager and had been with the company for as long as Robin could remember. Even the higher ups felt a great degree of respect for him, even if he really didn't care for the countless promotions he had been offered through out the years.
"But even Ceasario doesn't have access to all of the labs. Starfire will be in the Special Studies division which is strictly pass-only."
Robin felt himself redden, his cocky demeanor disappearing. He muttered that he would appreciate the pass, then.
Bruce quirked his own grin, returning to his paper. "Take the BMW. You know you want to."
Robin sighed, rolling his eyes. He hated it when Bruce toyed with his emotions.
Oh well, so long as I don't take the Batcar…
He looked out of the window again. It probably wasn't as warm outside as it seemed from the inside. He would have to put something on to protect him from the cold.
The waffles arrived, along with an enormous cup of whipped butter and freshly cooked sausages on the side. It looked positively delicious.
Yep, the joint was definitely becoming more comfortable.
Robin hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder as he walked through the chaos of the mailroom. He had decided to go through the mailroom in spite of the pass. He preferred Ceasario's warm greeting to the cold efficiency of Wayne Enterprises' security guards.
Walking through the aisles, he recognized several familiar faces. Many of them glanced up to catch him looking and they gave a friendly wave as he passed them by. He grinned back, if somewhat a bit distractedly.
"Ricciardo!"
He turned and saw the embonpoint manager, arms wide open. His hair had grown whiter, and perhaps he had gained a bit more in the middle, but his face was still as friendly as ever.
Robin smiled. "Ceasario, m' man!" He extended a handshake but was instead pulled into a bear hug that had Robin gasping for breath.
Ceasario released him and pounded him jovially on the back. "You've grown since the last time I see you!" His Italian accent was still as thick as ever. "Come va, Ricciardo?
Robin, while trying to get air back into his lungs, had to wrack his brain for what little Italian he knew. He's asking how I'm doing. How do I say I'm fine? Ah! "Bene grazie. E lei?" he asked, returning the question.
"Life is good to old Ceasario." He thumped his belly that had perhaps grown rounder since the last time Robin saw him, as if it was proof of his words. "And what brings you here, my friend?"
Robin grinned. "Oh, just thought I'd come by and say ciao before I bug the scientists. I need some of the chemists to check out some goop for me."
Ceasario arched his eyebrow, unsuccessful at hiding a smile. "And do you need me to bully these scientists into helping you?"
Robin chuckled. "Nah. Bruce gave me a pass so I could get into the labs and I'm sure the guys I'll be seeing would be glad to help."
"Just let me know if any of these geeks give you any trouble, eh?"
"Si signore. Grazie."
"Prego!" He then threw an arm around Robin and then sequestered him to look at some new photos in his wallet. Ceasario showed him pictures of new grandchildren and Robin had to stay alert for all the Italian phrases Ceasario so freely used with him. Robin didn't mind looking over the many bambino and bambina; or hearing about his youngest son's newest ragazzaor girlfriend. It didn't take longer than a few minutes, anyway. Finally, Ceasario closed his wallet and said, "Ah, I do not want to keep your business waiting, and I'm a bit busy myself, but you'll come by for some espresso some time, eh? You will tell me if you have a ragazza of your own, yes?"
Robin chuckled. I wish. "Sure thing, Ceasario."
Ceasario gave him a friendly nod and another blow to the back for good measure. "Ciao, Ricciardo. A presto."
That means 'See you soon,', thought Robin "A presto," he agreed breathlessly. He turned just as Ceasario was yelling at his people to get a move on with several "Pronto!" punctuating his sentences.
He hurried out of the mail room, waving to a few more employees who still recognized him and went to the elevators. He knew he should have called in for appointments, but he was afraid he'd end up getting booked for next week.
Better for me to just show up unannounced. It's not likely to piss them off, anyway. Us dorks stick together. He grinned to himself at that last thought, careful not to get the attention of the other people in the elevator.
He had spent enough hours in the past with these particular chemists to have developed some kind of long standing rapport with them. Even if he hadn't seen them since he last left Gotham for Jump City, he was almost sure they'd welcome him just was warmly as Ceasario did.
When he got to his floor, he saw that the receptionist was new, but his pass was enough to give him easy access to the labs. The pass was, after all, marked by Bruce Wayne's personal electronic seal. On account of the exclusivity of the pass, the receptionist didn't even ask for his name.
Before he was allowed to go into the laboratory proper, he was asked if he would mind wearing a lab coat and goggles. Unlike other guests, he wasn't being made to don the required clothing; it was just the kind of pass he held, but he put the lab coat and goggles on without a word. He didn't need to push Bruce's weight around.
As he entered the lab, a plethora of strange smells assaulted his nose. He could see different colored smoke rising and dissipating through the exhaust tubes while scientists worked diligently on separate tables. The place was well equipped, from hi-tech ultra-safe Bunsen burners to the most powerful laptops BW Enterprises could afford.
These were the slab-rat scientists, assigned to see to the more routine and common chemical needs of the company. Those with more exclusive projects worked in the Special Studies wing.
Robin looked around hoping his contacts weren't on special projects of their own at this time. They weren't. Theodore Griggs and Alberta Mosley were two of the youngest chemical biologists in the department. At least, that was the way it was when Robin first became friends with them. From the looks of things, at twenty and three (if Robin was not mistaken), they weren't the youngest anymore, but they were still the hippest (as far as nerds went).
Their cubicles were decorated with all the comforts of a work space. They had posters of various cartoon characters pinned up on their walls beside brain-twisting formulae. Mingling with their scientific journals were piles of mangaVideogame magazines and Magic cards. They used mood-rocks and anime figurines as paperweights and yet, un-posted, was a picture of Seven of Nine, from Star Trek Voyager, in a bathing suit.
Hanging from Alberta's side of the mess were two cross-stitched masterpieces that said, "Roses are #FF000, Violets are #000FF, All my base are belong to you," and "There's no place like 127.0.0.1."
Robin had to marvel at the fact that these really were his people if his t-shirt and Alberta's wall hanging could be so closely related.
It was Theodore who saw him first. He hitched his thick glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, his long brown hair tied neatly away from his face. Beneath the lab coat, he had a Greenday t-shirt and he wore baggy, stained jeans. "Whoa. Never thought I'd see you get sucked through this wormhole again, Grayson."
Robin grinned.
Alberta looked up from her microscope and her eyes bugged out. Robin could see that she still wore short doily dresses over her jeans. No more glasses, though. She seemed to have replaced those with contacts. He had to admit that her honey-browns looked much better without frames, especially against her mocha-colored skin. "Holy moley! It is you! We thought you'd been beamed up by aliens!"
Just one, Alberta he thought wryly. "Long time no see, eh?"
Alberta laughed. "Are you kidding? Get over here, kid!" She gave him a hug and a pinch on his cheek, much to his dismay. "Why, you're not a kid anymore!"
Theodore rolled his eyes. "That happens to kids, Albie. It's a common phenomena tinged by a delusional paradox: people keep talking about how time flies but think kids couldn't possibly grow as fast. Even going so far as thinking they are inversely proportionate. How you doin', champ? How's college?" He exchanged fists with Robin.
Robin went with his standard response. "Too easy, so I thought I'd take a breather from the tedium."
"So you go here… to a chemical biologist's laboratory," said Alberta wryly.
Robin shrugged. "Nothing good was on the Sci-Fi Channel. What can I say?"
Theodore grinned. "Have you not heard about Seven of Nine Seduces Ceti Alpha V?"
Alberta thumped Theodore on the head with a Star Wars magazine. "Unlike you, Grayson doesn't waste his time watching such trash, isn't that right, Richard?"
"Well… I certainly don't waste time…"
Theodore laughed and Alberta scowled, giving Robin his own thump.
They did some quick catching up of the last two years until Alberta finally said, "Enough chit-chat! Give us the goods, Grayson!"
Robin chuckled. He knew it was only a matter of time before Alberta's curiosity came through. Between her and Theodore, she always had a purer love of science. He unhooked his backpack and plopped it on the worktable. He pulled out a containment box and opened it, showing a snugly cushioned set of vials containing Plasmus' sludge.
"A friend of mine gave me these, hoping I could get specialists to analyze them for him," explained Robin. "Of course, I'm also as interested as the next nerd. It's powerful stuff."
Theodore picked up a vial and held it up to the light. "Toxic waste?"
Robin gave a light shrug. "Something like that. Until recently, this sludge was benign, but the level of acidity has increase, enabling the matter to eat through human flesh. I don't know if it affects all biological matter, but as far as humans and animals are concerned, it's highly dangerous. I'd like to know what this stuff is; why it became acidic; how it works. Stuff like that."
"Sounds like awesome shit," breathed Theodore.
Alberta frowned. "Hmph! Unnatural shit, is more like it. Give 'em here."
Robin grinned, his eyes twinkling. He gave Alberta a vial and putting on the proper protective equipment, she uncorked the bottle. Carefully, she took swabs of it and wiped it on a slide. With meticulous precision she crushed a cover slip and added it to a drop of wetting agent then she took another cover slip and wiped some petroleum jelly on it. Taking a dropper, she took the laced wetting agent, applied it to the sample on the glass slide then carefully dropped the cover slip over the specimen, petroleum jelly side down.
Alberta placed the freshly made glass slide underneath the microscope and peered through the eyepieces. After a few seconds, she spoke. "Curious. I could name a few of the materials right off the bat, yet… I've never seen some of junk mixed in here. Are these samples contaminated?"
"They could be. I have to admit that I haven't looked at them myself. I kept a couple of samples for my own observation," replied Robin. "But I kind of figured you'd be able to distinguish the contaminants from the actual components, so these are most of it. You're so good at this and all."
Alberta laughed. "Flatterer!"
Theodore ducked underneath Alberta and looked for himself, taking longer than she did.
"Well?" asked Alberta.
Theodore pulled back with a ponderous frown. "Eh, most of 'em is basic, yeah, but that junk... well, I've seen worse. Interesting though…"
Robin observed him and saw a glimmer of something. "What?"
Theodore shrugged. "Just interesting, is all. There are a shit load of tests we could perform on these, so yeah, Alberta and I will be obsessing, of course. You know how we get."
Robin chuckled. "Yeah, that's why I know I could depend on you two. Look, I'm not sure how long I'll be sticking around in Gotham, but I don't want to rush you guys on this. If I couldn't show up around here again, is email okay?"
Alberta scoffed. "You are talking to a woman who's had two Cyber boyfriends."
"Cheated on one of them, too," said Theodore.
Robin backed off. "Don't want to know how." He wrote his email address down and stuck it on Alberta's corkboard.
Theodore glanced at his watch and cursed, rushing to his computer and maximizing a window: It was eBay. "I almost forgot to bid! And two minutes to go till closing. Dammit! I almost lost the pyrocosmic defibulator!"
"The what?"
Alberta rolled her eyes. "Don't ask."
When Theodore was done placing his bid, Robin begged their leave. It was just as well; Theodore was distracted, keeping his eye on his ebay item. Alberta, too, was divided between him and his highly intriguing samples, so he was actually doing them a favor by leaving.
Securing his backpack, he left them with a wave over his shoulder. The two scientists waved back, already engrossed in their respective tasks.
Leaving the chemistry labs behind, he made his way to the Special Studies wing for Starfire. Bruce warned him that it would be best if he didn't draw too much attention to himself. The billionaire spared no expense to preserve the privacy of Robin and Starfire's arrival in Gotham, and until now, Robin didn't know what methods Bruce used to keep his flight staff mum about his guests, but if Bruce requested that he make as little fuss as he could about Dick Grayson's interest in Starfire, then he would abide by it.
Fortunately, all security measures after the initial gate in the Special Studies wing were digitized. After the security guard patted him down in the entrance and examined his backpack, he was left on his own to contend with the pass-sensitized security locks.
There weren't many people walking around in the hallways. Most of the Special Studies occupants were either holed up in their labs or smoking at the rooftop. There were two types of scientists in the Special Studies wing: The diligent and the Lung Cancer candidates.
Remembering Bruce's instructions, he sought Lab 6-B. The number of doors he had to go through was tedious, but at least he didn't have to stop and talk with anyone.
Finally, amidst the white-coated personnel, he spotted Starfire; a red-head in pink and black cross-training attire. She was jogging on a treadmill wearing a gas mask and she was attached to half a dozen machines that read her physical responses. She was surrounded by several unfamiliar faces, all of them taking notes, and not far away was Dr. Chase Meridian; collected, beautiful, observant and red-headed. Robin couldn't resist a chuckle. Gotham's breeding these red-heads like bunny litter.
Starfire was jogging at a somewhat fast pace, but she didn't look tired at all. Her body temperature was normal and so was her heartbeat. She looked relaxed, running at a constant pace. Her eyes stared straight ahead and as usual, Robin felt that painful pang in his chest.
After several minutes, one of the doctors punched some buttons on the treadmill and the pace went on a gradual decline. Three minutes later, Starfire had stopped running and they were detaching her from the equipment. Dr. Meridian was with her immediately, giving her a towel and some fluids.
Robin was gratified to see how attentive Dr. Meridian was; the concern on her face genuine. As Starfire was led off the treadmill, Dr. Meridian spotted him. Robin waved and the doctor smiled briefly, whispering in Starfire's ear.
The brightness of Starfire's smile endeared him.
"Richard, you know you're not supposed to be here, right?" said Dr. Meridian in an amused, if somewhat stern, tone. She was one of the few people who knew their identities, so Robin was glad he didn't have to make up some lame excuse to be there.
Robin grinned. "And that means what, to me?"
Dr. Meridian chuckled. "Just like Bruce. Kori, think I could leave you alone with this guy? I'd like to talk to the scientists privately."
"Of course, Dr. Meridian."
Robin watched Dr. Meridian leave as he helped Starfire take a seat beside him. He frowned at what she said. "Just like Bruce? What's that supposed to mean?"
Starfire giggled. "It means what it means. Well, this is a nice surprise. I did not expect to see you until later tonight."
"Oh, I had some people I had to talk to in the other department, so I thought I'd drop by here. I missed you at breakfast…" He flushed. He hadn't intended for it to sound like he had missed her missed her, but he supposed there was nothing to be done for it. "I brought you something in case you got the munchies. Hope you're in the mood for honey-glazed donuts." Hastily, he fished the box of Krispy Kremes from his back-pack.
She was, and she happily partook of the box. After the first bite, she cooed that he was the best and that he was her savior. It made him grin like a fool, even if he knew that it was donut-high speaking.
Starfire then told him that everyone was being so nice to her; that she didn't mind when they requested her to hold still for x-rays, MRIs and such machines. She said it was mostly boring, but the most effort she'd had to exert was the running, and she hardly broke a sweat on that one.
"I must admit, when Bruce said I would be subjected to several tests, I thought it was of a—" she paused "—more rigid nature. Like that ones that determined your eligibility for something."
Robin chuckled. "That must've made you nervous."
"Oh, maybe just a little but I have encountered some rather rigid exams in my schooling years. I did not think this could be as bad."
Robin thought that an interesting tidbit to explore in future conversations. "I'm surprised Bruce didn't explain it all to you. Could've saved you the anxiety. Didn't you talk about it last night when I was gone?"
She smiled wanly, turning slightly away from him. "No. Last night's discussion was somewhat—well, disturbing. I shall tell you about it later at the manor."
Robin frowned. If Bruce had the gall to give Starfire his "emotions are the bane of rational thought" lecture, he didn't know what he would do to Bruce. But if anything, Robin could depend on Starfire to be inherently more resistant to such notions than he was. Starfire was a being that thrived on sensibilities; she had to be happy to fly; she had to be self-righteous to fire her bolts. No, he did not have to worry about Bruce getting into her head and confusing her about that. He was, however, bothered that Bruce had said something to disturb her. He had seen it in her demeanor the previous night when Alfred brought her to the kitchen. He didn't like seeing Starfire like that.
"What time will you be heading back to the house?" he asked.
Starfire grinned. "The scientists wanted me to be here until seven, but Dr. Meridian put her foot down and said five o' clock, no later. The scientists did not put up much of a fight. Judging by her tone, I would say she could scare anyone into submission. That woman is a force to be reckoned with, but she is very kind to me. I am glad she is looking out for my welfare."
"So am I. Five, you say? That means you'll be back at the mansion around five thirty; latest six… " Bruce wouldn't be home yet. "It'd be—I dunno, kinda nice if we could spend some time relaxing in the mansion. I could show you around…" Without anyone making any unnecessary interruptions.
Robin felt something thump in his stomach and he had to admit that being alone with Starfire in such a big house made him slightly nervous. He wondered if he could summon the courage to tell her how he felt and decided that he would worry about it when he had to deal with it.
"Ooh, that sounds glorious. Also, Alfred told me about some kind of heated pool. If it is anything like the Baths of Nur, then it must be wonderful!"
Robin tried not to think so much about Starfire in a bathing suit and said that he had no idea what the Baths of Nur were, but he had admit that the indoor pool was always a favorite guest haunt.
Moments later, Dr. Meridian approached them to tell Starfire that they would be having lunch with the scientists and that they would like it to be an exclusive sit-down with her. It was a gentle enough reminder that Robin had no place at that lunch table and that he had to go. The kind doctor left them to their goodbyes.
"I'll be at the house when you get home, okay?" Robin said, placing the box of donuts carefully on her lap.
She nodded, smiling warmly. He was about to leave when she stopped him, her hands gently gliding to his face. He stifled a gasp, awed by what she was doing.
"Dr. Meridian called you Richard out loud," she said softly. "I assumed that meant you do not have your mask on."
He swallowed, leaning lightly against her touch. "I don't."
Starfire moved closer, probably so no one would hear. "Since that time at the tower…"
"Y-Yeah?" He wondered for a moment if the doctors would be overly scandalized if he moved even closer. He wasn't going to kiss her or anything; even he knew how inappropriate that was but she seemed so comfortable with their proximity that he hadn't the will power to deny himself.
Her fingers moved gently around his eyes and she smiled, sighing. "It makes me feel like I am seeing more of you, though I'm… well, as blind as a bat." She giggled.
He could certainly forgive her for that reference.
There was a cough and Robin turned, red faced, knowing Dr. Merdian would be there. She said nothing. She merely smirked, watching him with her arms folded over her chest.
Robin said goodbye, hurrying away. Starfire called out to him, thanking him for passing by and bringing over donuts. He grinned, feeling somewhat giddy. He waved over his shoulder at Starfire and Dr. Meridian as he pushed through the doors.
Robin looked through the microscope again, trying to decipher what the microbes were. He looked at the rough sketch on his notebook just to make sure that he hadn't reproduced it with too many variations and leaned back on his seat with a frown.
To the side of the table were piles of books and science magazines from the Wayne Manor library. Some of them were marked with Post-its, but he hadn't seen the need to make too many flags.
Except for the numerous beeping and ticking sounds pervading the place, the Batcave was as silent as a tomb. There were dozens of computer panels, each with their specific functions, and Robin had gone through all of them searching for an identical image of what he was seeing from the Plasmus samples.
Robin had succeeded in identifying all of the particles, bacteria and matter present in the specimens almost as quickly as he had seen them under the microscope, but identifying this one particle proved to be elusive. He had found only three of its kind between the two samples he had kept for himself.
He had already reviewed the procedures necessary to isolate it from the rest of the material, but he knew it would be way too much work to squeeze in a day. It was already forty one minutes past five and thoughts of Starfire had already divided his focus.
It made him frown to realize that to a certain extent, Bruce was proving himself right, but Robin refused to believe that Starfire would ever get in the way of his efficiency when it came to field work. He had been with her in countless crime-fights, and he believed that his feelings for her then were no different from what he knew of his feelings now. She had never been a hindrance. If anything, she had inspired him to fight harder; better. Bruce knew nothing about it.
There was a sound from one of the caverns, and Robin turned, hoping it was Alfred come to tell him that Starfire was back. He was surprised to see Bruce emerging from the lockers; or rather, Batman. Bruce must have taken one of the other secret passages to the locker rooms because Robin hadn't heard him come in through the main entrance.
The Dark Knight gave him one look before turning to head straight for the Batcar that was just now rising from beneath its underground garage.
Robin sprung from his seat, leapfrogging over the computer panels. "What up?"
"Nothing that concerns you."
"The bat signal lit?"
"This is just a routine assignment."
"Sounds interesting. Can I go with?"
"Maybe when you start completing your sentences."
"Fine, then. Can I, Robin, the Boy Wonder, go with you, Batman, the Dark Knight?"
"Well, at least now I know all that money I spent on those exclusive schools weren't all for naught."
Robin sighed. "Come on, where are you going?"
"Your precious Kori just got back from the labs. Don't you want to be with her?" Batman hopped into the Batcar, turning the necessary switches on the panel.
Robin hesitated at that. "I do, but…"
"But nothing. Stay with her. Gotham isn't under your watch anymore, remember? Stick to Jump City, or do I have to tranquilize you?"
Robin frowned. If Batman so much as put a finger on the trigger of his tranquilizer gun, Robin wasn't going down without a fight, but he was in the mood to be reasonable; that and the fact that Starfire was back tended to make his thoughts a bit muddled. He stepped back, knowing he could follow Batman if he wanted to be stubborn even if the Dark Knight had a five minute head start.
The Batcar's engines roared to life. It sounded like a jet engine, and with a high-pitched whistle, it shot into the cavernous passageway, proof of its presence swallowed by the dark.
Robin stood there, his crime-fighting senses kicking into high gear, but he remembered his promise to Starfire; that he would be in the mansion when she got home, and he was surprised that he was actually torn. He supposed crime-fighting was more ingrained in him than he thought.
"Just like Bruce," Dr. Meridian had said, and Starfire had practically agreed to it. He winced. Well, if he could admit that he and Slade had similarities, he could certainly admit that he and Bruce were even more alike, however unpleasant the idea of it may seem at times.
Turning from the cave exit, he hurried to the main computer panel. He punched in the necessary codes and was only partially surprised when he realized that the passwords had been changed.
He shrugged. He was sure he could hack into the system. For the most part, Batman left such codes breakable for Robin, just in case there was some kind of emergency. He was right. Five minutes into his attempts, Robin had gained access.
The monitor winked and the image expanded to show a map of the city. A miniscule dot bleeped in one of the corners and Robin entered the necessary key strokes to enlarge that portion of the screen. Magnifying it, the dot became more visible.
It was the Batcar, and Batman had driven it into a turnpike.
Where's the old bat going? He knew it was just a matter of waiting for the answer, so he put his feet up and maximized another window on the screen. He figured he could do some research while waiting for Batman's route to make sense. Robin expanded the map just in case Batman left Gotham City.
Forty minutes later, entranced by the fascinating article he was reading about bacterial strains, Robin's attention was once again summoned by a sound in one of the Batcave access doors.
He stretched his neck a bit to look. He was too comfortable to have the initiative to stand up and find out who was coming in, but he strained his ears to make out the voices that were talking animatedly.
He recognized Starfire and Babs but was thoroughly surprised when he saw them emerge in cocktail dresses. Babs was in a sky blue number while Starfire chose to go with an attractive sort of mint green tube dress.
Robin had never seen Starfire in strappy, high heeled shoes, and of course with her long legs and svelte figure, she looked pretty spectacular. It was then that Robin could honestly say that he completely blanked out and stared at her like an idiot.
It wasn't until Babs sat Starfire down on another chair and smacked Robin upside the head that he came to his senses.
Babs chuckled. "Wipe that drool off your chin, boy. You're embarrassing me," she whispered, sauntering to a chair of her own.
Blushing, Robin swung his legs from off the computer panel.
"The Batcave sounds busy," said Starfire. Her posture suggested that she was tuning her senses, scoping the place out with meditative effort.
Robin cleared his throat. "It's always like this. So—er, what are you two girls all dolled up for? Babs, you're not still thinking about taking Kori out to the city, are you?"
Babs grinned. "And have her break a dozen hearts? Absolutely."
Robin frowned but Starfire merely giggled. "Oh, stop teasing, Babs," she said. "We have not made any plans for a night out in the city. Do you not remember, Richard? Bruce invited us for cheese and caviar."
Robin blinked. "But that was just a ruse, right? Just in case someone intercepted the message—"
Babs scoffed. "As if Bruce would leave something like that to chance. You should know the bat better than that. Naw. Bruce invited Uncle Gordy and Chief O'Hara to celebrate Dick Grayson's return and to honor his distinguished guest, Starfire. It's the strategic thing to do since he knew you'd be parading yourself all over town."
"The old bat was serious? But he just left for some kind of routine assignment."
Babs waved his concerns away. "I swear it's like you've forgotten everything. Jump City scrambled your brains, or something? He'll be back for the party. This little shin-dig won't start until later, just that Starfire and I were early. There were about a dozen pretty little dresses in Starfire's closet and I couldn't resist getting her into one of them. Doesn't she look fabulous?"
Starfire reddened and Robin stifled his enthusiastic agreement with an awkward, "Yeah." His eyes wandered to the monitor again and he realized that the dot actually hadn't moved for quite some time, possibly in the last fifteen minutes. He zoomed in on the Batcar's location and discovered that Batman was in the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. It brought his mind up to speed. "What the heck is the old bat doing there?"
Babs looked. "Maybe he's visiting some friends."
"Bruce may be plenty nuts, but the only friend from the Arkham Asylum he has is Dr. Meridian, and she was here earlier, wasn't she?" He looked to Starfire for an answer and immediately noticed that she was uneasy. It was the same demeanor she had after her private conference with Bruce. "Kori?"
"Yes," Starfire replied. "Dr. Meridian drove me back here. I am sure Bruce has good reasons for being at Arkham, though."
Starfire knew something; Robin could feel it. He could also tell that Starfire wasn't inclined to talk about it in front of Babs. He would have to ask Starfire later.
"Yuck. What are these?" It was Babs, and she was turning over a vial of Plasmus sludge as she held it under a table lamp.
Robin sighed, rolling his eyes. "Put it down nice and easy and step away from the table. That's not for you."
Babs made a face but did as she was told. "Blech, as if I'd want it. I'm going back up to pester Alfred. Dick's too grouchy for my tastes. You want to come with me and ditch the Boy Wonder, Kori?"
Starfire chuckled daintily. "I shall keep the grouchy boy of wonder company for the moment, Babs."
"Hey…"
Babs shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." She got up, tweaking Robin's ear to annoy him.
Robin scowled as he tried to shrug her off, failing miserably while she laughed at his efforts. Moments later, she had disappeared up the steps.
Alone with Starfire, Robin tried not to ogle her too much. He wanted to blame the dress and shoes for his behavior, but that would be lying to himself, and as he so often said, he sucked at lying. Starfire at Kitty's prom was pretty in her bubblegum pink dress, but this woman in green sitting with him in the Batcave looked far more sophisticated than her seventeen year old self. Even her hair was different. When did she start growing her bangs?
"Um—Richard? Are you still there?"
Embarrassed that he had let the silence stretch, he couldn't help but apologize. "Sorry. You—you look really nice." Great, Dick. Now she knows you were staring. He saw her blush and he wanted to melt through the floor. He hastily changed the subject. "So you—uh—know something about Bruce being in Arkham?"
The question made her tense, but seconds later her shoulders eased. "A little bit. It might have something to do with what Bruce and I discussed in private. He asked me last night about how I would feel about obtaining some… particular technology concerning the restoration of my eyesight."
Robin's eyes widened at the mere thought that Bruce already had a possible solution within reach. "He's found a way already? What did you say?"
She made a gentle gesture to wave away his assumptions. "No, it is nothing like that. When Bruce said he would use everything in his power to find a way, he meant what he said. He is willing to explore all avenues, and one of them is obtaining technology from certain—" she hesitated "—questionable individuals."
Starfire's words and Bruce's current location set Robin's mind in motion. He stifled a gasp. "He's going to get information from one of those eggheads in the loony bin." In a way, it made sense. Some of the most brilliant minds were stashed away in the Arkham Asylum and if they hadn't been so evil, their breakthroughs would have been Nobel-prize worthy. He supposed he could understand how Starfire might find that disturbing, but he felt he was missing something.
She smiled at his tone. "Do not misunderstand. I would welcome the chance to show that though they used their genius for evil, their work could be used for good as well. It is not a matter of who provided the technology but how it was—or will be—obtained."
Robin frowned. "I'm still a bit unclear about this."
She nodded. "It is to be expected that those who have been incarcerated for their evil deeds would be resistant to having their work used for good; or more specifically, used on one who had a hand in putting them away."
That Robin understood. Victor Fries, for example, provided Batman with a cure to the earlier stages of the disease that debilitated his wife, and Victor Fries did it willingly, but not all criminals possessed that inherent good nature. Most criminals Batman put away would sooner rot in hell than let him use their diabolical inventions for good. So whoever this criminal was that Batman was asking help from now probably wasn't very accommodating either. "Who has the technology, Kori? Which criminal is it?
She sighed. "Batman had to capture him and contain him, which is why it took him so long to contact us after he agreed to see me… it is Trident, Richard. Trident is in the Arkham Asylum as we speak. Bruce told me he was difficult to find, and even more difficult to catch, but he had help from a few members of the Justice League and they succeeded. When they first caught him, he proved to be violently uncooperative, most especially when he was told that his research would be used for me. I suppose he still remembers how we—well, we destroyed his underwater lab quite thoroughly."
Robin glowered at the mere thought that Trident was standing in the way of a possible solution for Starfire. He should have followed Batman. He should have gone over to Arkham Asylum and kicked himself some Atlantian butt. "Is it his uncooperativeness that has you so upset? Because I could make him cooperative. Just say the word—"
"No, Richard. Please… you have to listen to what I have to say." She looked decidedly distressed by his words and he went to her, sitting by her to take her hands. He apologized softly, promising to listen in spite of the growing hatred he was harboring for Trident. She smiled plaintively. "He still refuses to offer any help, which frankly does not surprise me. So Bruce… Bruce asked my permission to have him—" she flushed, as if what she was about to say was almost unutterable "—hypnotized. Mind controlled, just so they could extract the information from him. I—I refused."
Robin blinked, startled. "You what?"
"I refused, Richard. What right do I have… what right does anyone have, to take possession of someone's mind and force them to do something against their will? Even a criminal does not deserve to be treated so unfairly."
"Trident doesn't deserve shit!" said Robin in a menacing tone. "You've helped thousands of people, Kori. You're kind and good and you never ask anything in return. What you deserve is to see again. Trident isn't a fourth of what you're made of. I ought to wring his neck—"
"I'd rather be blind my whole life than have him treated the same way super villains manipulate innocent people." Her voice was soft, but firm. She pulled her hands from his grasp, and it was the only thing that indicated her displeasure at his outburst. "I am glad Bruce had the decency to ask me how I felt about the matter, which is why I try not to be so troubled about his being in Arkham now. I believe that he would not do anything to violate my trust and because I know Bruce raised you as his own, I could expect the same from you."
Robin bit back the urge to curse Trident and his forefathers, forcing Starfire's words to sink into his consciousness just so he wouldn't be saying things he would later regret. He hadn't realized, until now, how unequal he was to understanding the depths of Starfire's sense of justice.
It angered him that Trident was uncooperative. Heck, it even angered him that Starfire was being so—
So goddamn fair!
But as much as the notion of fairness for Trident grated at him, he knew Starfire was right, and Bruce… it had been decent on his part to consult with Starfire.
He knew Bruce had little to no qualms about forcing Trident to cough up information like that, or did he? Maybe Bruce wasn't as Machiavellian as Robin thought.
He let out a breath of resignation. Would he have consulted Starfire if he had Trident under his custody?
Probably not. I'm too young; too impulsive, and the fact that I haven't defined the limits of what I would do for Kori wouldn't make me too reasonable, either.
At that, he was glad that the decision hadn't been his. It would have been a mistake. He knew that now. Starfire wouldn't have wanted to see at the expense of someone's basic rights, villain or not.
He prayed that given time, he would have the wisdom and discernment Batman possessed; that which earned him Starfire's regard. He wondered if he could be equal to that demand.
Robin felt Starfire's hand perch gently on his shoulder.
"I know that you are only acting this way because I am your primary concern," she said, her tone softer still. "But I also believe in your sense of justice. You know I am right, don't you, Richard? You understand why I refuse to allow it."
He looked at her, his demeanor somewhat miserable, but he couldn't help but let a tiny half-smile escape his lips. She thought too well of him, but that was her nature. "I want to beat the crap out of Trident. I want to see him grovel at your feet, telling us all we need to know, to help you."
She seemed worried, and her hand traveled to touch his face.
Her palm felt warm against his cheek and he surrendered to it.
"But I won't lay a finger on him," he continued, if somewhat reluctantly. "You believe in me. You have no idea how far that could take me."
A hopeful smile blossomed on her lips. "I knew I could depend on my boy of wonder."
Placing his hand atop hers on his cheek, he knew that she could take him wherever she wanted to go. "Kori…"
"Yes?"
The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he closed his eyes to contain the rising irritation.
Spectacular timing, whoever you are.
"It sounds like Alfred," said Starfire.
Well, that cinches it. I couldn't bitch now, can I? Because it's Alfred. He sighed miserably.
True enough, the butler appeared at the bottom of the steps. With the posture of a British dignitary, he announced his intentions. "Master Richard, Master Bruce has tasked me to attend to your preparations for tonight's soiree."
"My preparations?"
"Yes, Master Richard. I am to make certain that you are appropriately dressed."
Robin groaned while Starfire giggled in the background. "It's not funny," he told her. "I'm going on eighteen and Bruce still thinks I need a babysitter."
"Think of me as your clothier, Master Richard, and as such I have nothing but your best interests in mind. I shall make you worthy of the elegant Madame Koriand'r's company."
Starfire smiled shyly. Robin rolled his eyes. Alfred, as always, was a superb diplomat.
Rising, he figured he had spent enough time in the Batcave. It was time to get ready. He set Starfire's hand down gently as he went to the computer to lock away the data. The windows disappeared and he went to his work-desk, placing the slides in the portable containment box. When he was done cleaning up, he took Starfire by the hand and led her out with Alfred.
She leaned on him more than usual, probably on account of the high-heels. He left her with Babs in the library, with Babs promising to read some poetry for her.
Robin thanked Babs with a look and a nod. He followed Alfred back up to his room, where after he showered, Alfred "prepared" him for the "soiree".
To be continued…
Closing notes: I got the nerd quotes from and some anonymous contributor, so even if I want to say I made them up I have to say that I didn't. "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" is the property of geeks the world over, so that includes me.