Standard disclaimers apply.
CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.
GUIDING STAR
Chapter Sixteen - Familiarities
Robin knew they didn't have the luxury of dallying in Bludhaven now that Prancer was on the rampage. While Robin wasn't particularly afraid of glorified bullies, he didn't relish a brawl that would have the two of them going up against hoards of gangsters. This was Prancer's territory and whether he owned the town or not, the Blue Monkeys were almost certain to have a large following. He did, however, need to make one last stop, and if Johan was cooperative, it didn't have to take very long.
He parked the motorcycle less conspicuously near St. Bernardine's church and told Starfire they had to be quick. They may be in a hurry, but he wasn't leaving her alone either.
They hastily made their way to the back alleys and Robin immediately took to scanning the faces of the many homeless men scattered all around them. It was Johan who spotted him.
"Bat Kid! Twice today! I feel special."
"Just shut up and listen," said Robin. He swiped out a communicator and gave it to Johan.
It wasn't at all like the ones the titans had. This one was a small, penlight type of device that was meant to connect with Robin's communicator alone. Its signal was untraceable and it was meant to be given away to those he wanted to keep in touch with for one reason or another. He could terminate its use anytime he pleased, from anywhere in the world. It was inappropriate to say that the gadget was disposable, especially since it cost so much to make, but it wasn't meant to be gotten back once it was handed over to somebody else.
"Keep it with you at all times. It's a communicator; use it to contact me. I want you to keep your eyes and ears open for Maxwell Victoria. Tell me everything and anything you learn about him from hereon out."
He gave Johan quick instructions on how to use the communicator, made sure that Johan understood and then gave Johan another wad of bills.
"Every time you give me information I could use, I'll send you some cash. You got that?"
Johan nodded eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. "This is the nicest thing you've ever done for me, Bat Kid."
"Get over it. Lest you forget, I get to decide what your information is worth."
Johan's smile quickly disappeared.
"The moment Victoria's back in town, let me know. No dallying, no delays. You hear me, Johan?"
"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya'."
"Don't lose that thing or you won't be able to contact me. You lose it and I'll come on back over here just to—"
"Whoop my butt… bratwurst… rest of my life. I know!"
"Good; goes without saying that you'll tell no one about this. If you're going to screw me, Johan, you better make sure it kills me. So help me, I'll make you sorry I lived to be pissed about it."
Johan gulped visibly and began to simper about how he would never do anything to put Robin in danger.
Robin knew better than to believe him, but if there were two things Johan understood, it was money and saving his own ass. If Robin played those cards right, Johan wasn't going to sell him out anytime soon.
Starfire tugged at his arm. She was stressed, and for good reason. The longer they stayed, the higher the chances were that someone from Prancer's connections would spot them and give them trouble. If they were going to leave, they had to leave in a hurry.
Turning without saying goodbye, they made their way out of the alley and back to the motorcycle, speeding out of Bludhaven as fast as they could.
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It was already dark by the time they reached midtown Gotham. Autumn evenings were growing longer by the day and while it was only approaching five, the neon lights of the city were already a bright contrast to the black sky.
Robin used the back roads of the city, usually less frequented by motorists and pedestrians, and in midtown, they were not the least bit isolated. It was only after one reached the Upper East Side, a bit past Monolith Square, did the bustle of Gotham wane.
Although Starfire had assured him several times that she was okay, he was anxious to get back to the Bat Cave and make sure she wasn't lying.
As much as he wanted to make a pit stop, he had learned, under Batman's tutelage how getting from one place to another was best done uninterrupted.
Almost two hours since they last left Bludhaven, they were finally speeding through the underground tunnels leading to the Bat Cave. They were in the cave ten minutes later and when they came to a stop, Robin looked over his shoulder at her.
"We're here."
Her grip on him eased and she sighed. "Finally! That was a rather long ride."
They removed their headgear.
"Yeah. Couldn't stop. There was no reason to." He got off the bike and looked her over secretly, just in case she was hiding any injuries from him. She seemed unhurt. The trouble, he learned, with these Titans was that they were never quick to admit injuries unless those injuries were glaringly obvious. Even Beast Boy, who made dramatic proclamations about the smallest scratch complained less, the graver the injury was.
She dismounted and gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Richard?"
That snapped him out of his musings and he took her hand from his shoulder, holding it against his chest. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
Starfire said nothing for a moment, as if choosing her words. "I—I just—when Prancer said Slade's name…"
Robin's cheek twitched. When Prancer said Slade's name, he couldn't explain what when through him. It was a mixture of apprehension, anticipation and rage. Slade was, and always will be, a formidable enemy, and while it was something to be wary about, it had always been Robin's particular frustration to have Slade slipping through his fingers. And now here was Slade again. Robin wanted more than ever to put Slade away for good.
He had sworn, the moment it became clear that something deeper than berserker super villains was afoot, that someone was going to pay for what happened to Starfire and Robin couldn't think of a person more deserving of his wrath than Slade Wilson.
He had promised Starfire before that no one would ever consume him again the way Slade did; not even Slade himself, and he prided himself of the fact that he had learned his lessons from Red X well; had applied those lessons when it came time for him to fight for his friends. When Slade took Terra, it had been sudden, and quick. He believed that he had been cured of the Slade-bug for good, but there was that ever present doubt that maybe, just maybe, things had happened too quickly for him to have time to obsess.
So now Slade's name had resurfaced once more and Robin already felt the familiar tingling of need to make Slade pay; an inkling of that all-encompassing chill that fell upon his emotions whenever his determination surged unheeded.
As he looked down Starfire's unseeing eyes, he struggled to remind himself of what he had promised her.
It was still easy to gain control, he had to admit. There were still too many unanswered questions; too many possibilities. Right now, Slade was no more than a shadow cast by one named Prancer, a person Robin wouldn't trust for anything, but it was enough to lead him down the path. He would have to take the road, whether or not he wanted to find out if Slade was really behind it.
"Reflex," said Robin in response to the misgivings behind her words. "Like spitting out something that tastes bad." He was trying to make light of it; because seeing her worried made the horrible possibilities more tangible.
The absence of a smile on her face was palpable. "We are not yet certain there is any credence to Prancer's information."
"That's what I keep telling myself."
"But if there is…"
"Slade's going down," he promised, his tone menacing.
"Richard, just remember that we will all do this together—"
"I know that already."
"Yes, but you must also remember to do this for all the right reasons."
Robin arched an eyebrow. "And what sort of wrong reasons would I have?"
She said nothing for a few seconds. "Revenge; because this happened to me."
He didn't have the gall to deny it, but he was determined enough to accept the inevitable. "It's as good a reason as any to put him away."
"No. Driven by revenge, you could—you could get lost in it again."
"I already promised you before that I wouldn't. I promised myself."
Starfire sighed, and then she smiled, leaning against him. He wrapped his arm around her, realizing that while he wanted to keep his promises, he couldn't possibly do it without her or the rest of the team. He needed their support; hers most of all.
He tilted her face up for a kiss and he was mildly surprised at how he had to mentally shed the mask to get lost in Starfire's touch. Did he think so differently as Robin that he had to consciously summon Richard for something so simple and natural as a kiss? Perhaps he did, and he marveled at this realization before he let the deepening touch envelope him in its pleasurable haze.
A soft but distinct beeping sound invaded the intimacy and they separated reluctantly. Robin unhooked his communicator from his belt and switched it open.
"Robin here."
"Where are you?"
It was Bruce.
Robin stifled a roll of his eyes. "We're in the Bat Cave. We just got back in."
"Good. Have Starfire up here in ten minutes. Dr. Meridian is here to see her."
"She'll be there."
"And I'll see you in ten."
Bruce signed off. Robin supposed that last remark meant Bruce wanted him up there as well. He sighed wearily. He didn't need to tell Starfire what Bruce had said. She heard everything.
Starfire smiled, toying with some locks of his hair before she let her finger run against the mask on his face. "I do believe this is the first time I kissed you with a mask on."
He cocked a small grin; it was an odd thing for her to say. "Did it feel different?"
She chuckled. "At first, and then you were yourself again."
So she had noticed.
"Do you think Richard so different from Robin?" she asked.
He paused, considering his reply. "They're not different in essence, of course. But it has to seem that way on the surface..."
She nodded. "It is not surprising, really. We talked about this in the viewing room, did we not? That it is important that you be Robin first, especially when the others are around."
"Yes." To a certain degree, he wished it did not have to be that way, but he supposed that extraordinary people couldn't expect to lead ordinary lives. While underneath it all, Robin and Richard was one and the same person, it was important that to others, they be made distinct. His role as a leader demanded it. He only wished Starfire would not think it such a burden.
She reached up and planted a tender kiss on his cheek before she told him to make haste. "I do not wish to keep Dr. Meridian waiting."
He was willing to let the discussion drop for the meantime. He wasn't sure about what he wanted to say.
He led her to the girls' locker room where she could slip out of her costume, shower and put on some casual clothes.
Before she disappeared through the locker doors, he called to her and she stopped in her tracks.
He cleared his throat. "I just want you to know that you did really well out there. Not just in fighting, but overall… you held your own. Made me proud."
Her smile was radiant, though her cheeks burned red. "Thank you. I—I had an excellent teacher."
Robin chuckled. "Grasshopper, you do your teacher honor. You know of course that flattery will get your everywhere, especially with me, but this doesn't mean you could always go haring off to battle with us. You have to keep training—"
She giggled. "Understood, but we will argue about the rest of it when we get to that point, Richard."
He grunted. "Probably."
Her soft laughter faded as the locker doors closed and Robin smiled to himself. He stepped into boys' locker room and walked down the short hallway, passing costume versions of Batman and Robin. He looked at one of his; perhaps the earliest design.
It belonged to a time when he was more Richard than Robin; when he had to exert effort to put on the cloak of a superhero's sidekick.
Like Gotham in the spring, when nights grew short.
It was only after years of fighting crime that Robin, as a personality distinct from Dick Grayson, became more natural.
He peeled off his mask and looked at it resting ominously in his hands. He didn't want to become like Bruce Wayne, whose costume had become the playboy billionaire instead of the bat, but even if he chose to become Richard first before Robin, how much of that was within his control?
Robin left the question unanswered as he walked away from his old costume.
Nights grew longer in Gotham during the fall.
But was it possible for the knight to become permanent?
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Robin crouched in front of the fireplace and nudged the burning pinewood with a poker. Sparks rose gently in the air before they disappeared back into the flames. The heat was comforting with the room colder than he would have liked.
Old Bats always liked a bit of chill in his study. Robin never understood it.
Cold could make you numb, came a thought, unbidden.
He looked up at the sound of Bruce tossing cubes of ice into a scotch glass.
Robin stood, glancing furtively at the door. Starfire and Dr. Meridian were in the library. Whatever Dr. Meridian had to say to Starfire, she preferred that it remain private for the meantime.
As for Bruce, Robin still didn't know what he had in mind.
"At least tell me if Dr. Meridian's giving Kori good or bad news," he said, leaning against the fireplace.
"Good news," replied Bruce without hesitation. "Trident is going to cooperate."
Robin blinked, surprised. "You're kidding."
"Nope."
"How'd Dr. Meridian do it?"
Bruce turned from the bar and shrugged. "That's pretty much what Dr. Meridian is telling Kori right now, just so your girlfriend won't beat herself up over Sea Slug when we find a cure for her."
"So there is a cure?"
"A possibility. A good one."
Robin took a moment to absorb this. "Well, what is it then?"
Bruce took his time in answering, seating himself on his desk chair and making himself comfortable. Robin waited patiently.
"Drink?" asked Bruce.
Stifling a growl, Robin shook his head.
Finally, Bruce was ready to begin. "I understood from the reports of your first encounter with Trident that he had managed to multiply himself."
"Yeah. He made clones; perfect ones. It's the reason he was stealing so much toxic waste."
Bruce nodded. "Well, that's the technology we needed from him and he will willingly share the details of this technology with Dr. Meridian. It seems Trident has issues about his mother. Whatever deal Dr. Meridian struck with him regarding the shrinking of his head, it worked, and that's all that matters. What's important is that we could duplicate Trident's breakthrough and—"
"Hold on a second. How is cloning going to help Kori?"
"Stem cell regeneration."
Robin wracked his brain for a connection. "Stem cells… precursor cells that could divide and develop into other kinds of cells or tissues; usually harvested from embryos and bone marrow. Are you saying you're going to replicate Kori's eyes?"
"Not the whole eye. Just her retina and macula; where the damage occurred. If we could reintroduce the stem cells into the damaged tissue, we might be able to repair it and quite possibly get Kori's eyesight back."
He stared at Bruce, mouth hanging open. "That easy?"
Bruce chuckled. "There's nothing easy about it, Dick. Stem cell and Embryonic research have been on-going for years, but the developments are slow because the human—or should I say—Earthling biological make-up is fragile; wrought with complex factors that get in the way of advancement. Even with Trident's unprecedented success in cloning, his formula and calculations couldn't be applied to humans but… Kori's alien biological make-up might prove to be more receptive. Of course, at this point, it's all theoretical. It's why my scientists are there. They have to find a way to turn theory into reality."
Robin's optimism went down a notch. "So you're not sure if this is going to work."
"Naturally. Nothing is certain until it's certain."
Robin nodded, accepting it.
Bruce made himself more comfortable on his seat. "So how did Bludhaven go?"
The change of topic was somewhat jarring, but Robin was willing to accept it as well. There was no use dwelling on the possibilities of Starfire's treatment when it was now out of their hands.
"Sucked, like always," Robin replied.
"The usual suspects?"
Robin eyed Bruce suspiciously before deciding that Bruce couldn't possibly know that Slade's name had come up. "You could say that. Only, I didn't exactly expect to hear this particular usual suspect all the way in Bludhaven."
Bruce arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"Slade Wilson's name was mentioned."
Bruce quirked an eyebrow, taking a sip of his scotch. "It's the worse ones that keep turning up, believe me. And in the most unlikely places, too."
"I haven't heard from Slade in months. There wasn't a single rumor of him before this. Maybe I've been a bit off-tangent of late. Things have been going easy in Jump City."
The billionaire shrugged, swirling the ice in his scotch glass. "Maybe. Or you could also say he's gotten a bit sharper since the last time you met. How many times have you foiled him?"
"Twice."
"Three's a charm."
Robin grunted.
"So do you need my help bringing down Slade?" asked Bruce.
"Do you need my help bringing down the Joker?"
"Point taken."
They fell silent, sinking into their own thoughts.
Robin sneaked a peek at Bruce and watched the billionaire's features sink into the shadows. The man liked to hide in the dark, that was for sure, and perhaps it was because he had too many secrets.
But not from me, thought Robin with a small smile. There's nothing he could hide from me, anymore; known him for too long; tried to be better than him for too long.
"Hey, Bruce."
"Yes?"
"I know I've already thanked you but… but I sort of did that grudgingly the first time. Now I'm really thanking you. Whatever happens; whether Kori sees again or not… thanks."
Robin could see Bruce's eyebrow shooting up in the dimness.
"You're welcome."
Silence fell upon them again and Robin hadn't counted on it being somewhat uncomfortable. To compensate, Robin came out with another thought that had been nagging him since he had his argument with Starfire.
"But I can't believe you told Kori that she's better off not involved with me!"
Bruce took up the discussion, almost in relief. "I didn't tell her she was better off uninvolved with you. I told her she was better off uninvolved, period. I figured you'd feel better about that. It means I'm not picking on you; that I'm an equal opportunity lecturer."
"Too bad for you, Kori doesn't buy into your brutal philosophies."
"Don't say I didn't warn the both of you…"
They continued on this thread until they talked it out and moved on to other things they could argue about. When dinner came around, Dr. Meridian and Starfire joined them, but Robin and Bruce were too intent on having the last word to include either woman in the discussion. If they weren't so entertaining, Starfire or Dr. Meridian would have stepped in and put a stop to it.
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Consequently, Robin and Bruce didn't exactly part ways from dinner amicably, but the bite of their words rarely carried on to the next day. They would disagree about other things when next they fell to talking, none the worse from their last discussion.
It was only when Robin escorted Starfire to her chambers did he get around to talking to Starfire about Trident. Robin was surprised when Starfire pulled him into her room to continue discussing the topic.
She sat on the bed and patted the space in front of her. Mildly uncertain, he sat facing her, leaning against the bedpost.
Starfire was smiling and comfortable, obviously bereft of any of the concerns he harbored. It was only after this brief analysis that he began to relax.
"Dr. Meridian's news presents good possibilities," she said, tracing the pads of her fingers on the fine embroidery of a nearby pillowcase.
Though Starfire was an optimistic person by nature, Robin could tell that the realities of her situation were not lost to her. They talked about it briefly, never really crossing the line that marked pure hope. She was easy to read on that aspect. Starfire's emotions were almost always there for all to see.
"Would you be so disappointed if this doesn't work out?" he asked.
She paused to think about it. "Not so disappointed. Only a bit. I have learned to cope with this disability quite well and the prospect of never seeing again no longer frightens me, nor does it seem like such a burden anymore. So if there is no solution to my condition, I will feel somewhat bad for a while, but I will most certainly get over it quickly."
"Expect the worse and hope for the best?"
"Oh, I hope within reason. You, Bruce and everyone else have done so much for me. It is only right that I honor that by hoping."
Robin smiled fondly. Remembering their discussion in the cave, about her being with someone like him whose responsibilities asked so much of him that he had to separate his mind from his heart; it occurred to him that Starfire didn't make that kind of distinction. To her, the heart and the mind were one and maybe that was why he was so drawn to her. "You're such a sweetheart, Kori."
Starfire reddened considerably and he watched her, endeared. Thoughts of them overcame him and he leaned over, gently cupping her face in his hands. "I'm not the easiest boyfriend to have. Being Robin, I could be bossy, impassive… majorly neurotic and control freakish…"
She raised a protesting finger. "Protective… thoughtful…"
"Like I said: Neurotic."
She laughed softly.
"Robin is the freak you all affectionately call 'leader'."
"Fearless leader—"
He made a loud "Ahem!" and Starfire stopped speaking, biting down a grin. Arching an eyebrow and stifling his own smile, he continued. "Robin isn't exactly a likable guy; heck sometimes I don't like me, but it's the only way I know to keep everyone from getting killed… more or less."
She tilted her head to the side. "I understand this."
"Do you also understand that Richard isn't that far off from what Robin is? Maybe Richard is a bit nicer; less critical; more human. A lot of the time here, I've been more Richard than Robin, but back at the tower… it's going to be a little different. When we get back to Jump City—" he paused "—don't ever think that I've begun to stop caring. It's just that I have to… be. You'll always be at the back of my mind, even if it looks like I've forgotten everyone but the bad guy."
Her smile lost a bit of its luster, but it was still there. "I understand this, as well. I know it will be difficult, but it would take much more than my fearless leader to scare me. I know you now, much more than the others. Nothing will change that."
Her words were a balm to his concerns. They would want each other's sweet assurances again, probably many more times, but their words on this night would hold for far longer than they could imagine.
He kissed her; a soft, undemanding touch intended to be quick, but it lingered and gained heat. Before he knew it, he had her pressed against the pillows and his mind was quickly spinning into absolute abandon. It did not help that Starfire wasn't the least bit hesitant about the entire thing either.
His thoughts made wild assurances that going too fast was "perfectly alright"; that everything would absolutely be fine in the morning, because really, what was so bad about waking up in a bed with the woman you made love to naked in your arms?
She made a sound that did nothing to calm his spiraling thoughts. He had held Starfire close before, and her muscles were firm; almost steely, but he was overwhelmed by how soft she suddenly was, especially beneath the touch of his hands and the press of his body.
He groaned, and his shirt felt unbelievably hot against his skin. He felt her fingernails rake lightly against the skin of his hips, just above the belt of his pants and the intoxicating possibilities might have drowned out his cognitive self if it hadn't been followed by the sound of an all-too-familiar beeping.
Starfire froze beneath him.
Robin's libido screamed to ignore it, but the sound was persistent, and summoning all his willpower, he took a deep breath, growled a bit and dug into his pocket to pull out the communicator. He looked at the frequency. "It's Cyborg."
Starfire slid out from under him, her face a bright scarlet. Her breathing was slightly uneven as she said, "Well then, we must take it."
"Of course," he muttered, slowly pushing himself up to sit. He ran a hand through his hair, composed himself and flipped the communicator open. "Cy." He looked at the time. It was only around four in the afternoon at Jump City.
"We followed the leads on Greenwald and Welles and what we found was pretty interesting."
It better be, thought Robin with a hint of menace. "What do you have?"
"A conspiracy. Turns out our boys were working on something more than just your average cherry bombs. Post-graduate, they received a grant to work on their real thesis."
Robin's eyebrow arched; so did Starfire's.
"Molecularly Enhanced Macro-biotic Machinery."
"English, please."
"Robots that could heal themselves."
Robin blinked and he had to remind himself that he wasn't dreaming about being in a Star Trek episode. He was awake, still wrestling with his desire for Starfire while he listened to Cyborg telling him that Greenwald, Welles and Victoria had attempted to make robots that self-repaired. "When you say heal…"
"Like human wounds. Regeneration of damaged tissue… you know. The way you let a cut on your hand scab until there's nothing left but a scar… but these machines use the DNA-Enhanced nanobots to act as tiny little cells, reconstructing what's broken in a speed a trillion times faster than it takes human cells to repair wounds—in theory."
Robin's mind processed. "You mean they haven't done it?"
"Something happened midway. They stopped working on it, and it was all downhill from there. Greenwald's sister said that he just came home one night very upset. Wouldn't talk about it, and then he wasn't working on his Big Project anymore. He started looking for a job, but every time he got an opportunity with the big name corporations, something terrible would happen; they burned his house while he was out and his sister got mugged; put her in a coma for three days. It was the same for Welles. It didn't stop until they started looking into fields that weren't related to whatever it was they were doing before. Greenwald and Welles kept in touch, but they lost Victoria. Welles' nephew told us that he heard his uncle and Victoria fighting one time. Victoria was saying something about giving in, if only for the safety of his family, but Welles' told him that they shouldn't give in. Didn't tell us much, but at least we have a general idea of who was most likely to cave."
What were they doing that was so bad? Robin mused.
Cyborg continued. "We got most of this information from their personal files; a mix of written and digital compilations. Then of course there were the testimonies of their families. Raven and Beast Boy followed the lead on the ones who gave them the grant and Raven came up with the name Project Auron."
"Auron? What the heck is that?"
"Who the hell knows? But whatever it is, it has something to do with otherworldly technology and they had the money to hand out grants to a select few. Our guys made up one group; Garrison Slate led the other. They backed off too, sooner than our guys, so they probably weren't in as deep."
"Garrison Slate… he's the founder of S.T.A.R. Labs," said Robin.
The Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Labs was a nationwide chain of research laboratories that did not affiliate itself with the federal government. It originated from a small group of brilliant scientists led by Garrison Slate. As it grew bigger, it managed to fend off takeover bids by industry heavyweights such as LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises. Who benefited most from the technology of S.T.A.R. was still the subject of debate among conspiracy theorists. But more importantly, S.T.A.R. gave Cyborg his robot body.
"You got it. Eventually, the harassment from the Project Auron connections on our guys stopped, but by the time our guys went to S.T.A.R. for career opportunities, S.T.A.R. didn't want to have anything to do with them. Big name corporations are like a cartel; they listen to each other. So nobody wanted our guys after S.T.A.R. rejected them."
Interesting, thought Robin, but he wasn't completely psyched about the connection. "Anything to show S.T.A.R.'s involved in the murder of our scientists?"
"Nothing yet, but after we've exhausted the leads on Welles and Greenwald, they're all we've got."
Robin thought about what Cyborg said. Things weren't exactly adding up.
If any of this had to do with Slade, it was more likely that he'd kidnap the scientists, not kill them. Maxwell Victoria, whatever he was hired to do, apparently succeeded. He'd been paid, hadn't he? Maybe Slade was just a randomly dropped name in all of this. Maybe it wasn't him. It was even possible that S.T.A.R. was behind all of it—yet it was just as unlikely in so many other degrees. Cyborg was right in saying that S.T.A.R. didn't need to get down and dirty, at least not anymore. S.T.A.R. had everything to lose if word of them killing scientists got out. There was no point, especially since Welles and Greenwald were so talented. Why get rid of them?
And then of course, there was Maxwell Victoria himself. Was it possible he knew enough of all the aspects of the technology that he believed he didn't need Welles or Greenwald to help him? In the same vein, if Victoria could manage to reconstruct the entire concept of their so-called thesis, did he kill Welles and Greenwald just so no one would have the know-how to stop these monster-machines?
Slade, did you commission Victoria to make self-repairing robots and destroy the only two people who could stop him? But why get Victoria to do it? If anything, assassinations would have to fall under Slade's expertise.
"How about you guys? Got anything?" asked Cyborg.
Starfire shifted uncomfortably and Robin frowned. He told Cyborg what they discovered.
Robin could hear Beast Boy squealing miserably in the background.
"Not again!" It was followed by a roar.
A frequency interfered with the radio transmission and then it cleared.
"Sorry," said Cyborg. "That was Raven protecting the couch from Beast Boy's tiger claws."
"We don't know for sure that Slade's involved," said Robin. "His name was mentioned, but so what? It's not even like him to be so careless."
"Yeah, Slade's never careless, so maybe he wants us to find out he's behind it."
Now that sounds like Slade.
Robin pushed back his thoughts. "No. We're getting worked up over something we couldn't prove. Let's not panic. Even if it is him, we've beaten him twice before. We could do it a third time. Try to look more into this Project Auron. Maybe you could find out why our guys quit on them. Starfire and I will be back there soon, probably in a couple of days. I'll let you know."
"Sure thing, champ. Word to the bat."
They signed out.
As he let thoughts of Slade and scientists ebb temporarily, he looked at Starfire. Her lips were still somewhat puffed and they were powerfully inviting. He shook his head, sighing, and got off her bed. "You need to get some rest. You have an early day tomorrow."
She blushed, probably having the same thoughts as he was, and she nodded. "Y-Yes."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead before he turned to leave.
"Richard?"
"Yeah?"
"A-Auron…"
Robin arched an eyebrow. "What about it? Heard of it before?"
She swallowed then shook her head. "'Tis a character in a videoed game… Final Fantasy…"
Robin stood there blinking for a moment before he laughed softly. "So it is. What a coincidence."
"Yes."
"I'll see you tomorrow—oh, wait. I gave you a tape when we were at Victoria's place…"
She fished into the pocket of her jeans and pulled it out. Robin took it from her but she grasped his hand. She was going to tell him something, but she hesitated, then she smiled. "Sweet dreams, Richard."
He stood there, wondering if he should insist about telling him what she had in mind, but her smile was beautiful, and it weakened his resolve. He grazed his thumb on her cheek affectionately before he turned and walked out of her room.
To be continued…
Closing notes: Mou, Cyborg has BAD timing…